𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ¹

eighteen.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
mama's boy

Jamal

Jamal finally overcame his writers block, and the song he was making? He wasn't expecting to make it at all. Even Becky was reading the lyrics in shock.

You're the reason for my being here
Mama, I'm so grateful, yes I am
I'm gon' be the one to guide your heart
Although Lucious raised us, you still made us from the sun

Becky put the notepad down and looked at him with that same shock on her face. "You're making a song about Cookie?"

"Yeah. I feel like it's the right thing to do. I wanna surprise her, so don't tell anyone about it."

"But I thought Cookie was helping you with the lyrics? Doesn't she already know about this song?" Becky questioned.

Jamal shook his head. "She was helping me with another song, and we got off track and started talking about her childhood. She told me about her father and everything."

"What happened to her father?"

"He kicked her out when she was 16, but it was Ma's fault. Her father found Lucious' drug money and a gun under her mattress. He said Lucious was a bad influence on her, but Ma wasn't trying to hear it. Then he died shortly afterwards from a heart attack, and Ma blames herself. Her sisters blamed her too for a little while."

Becky was sad now. "Because of all that stress."

"Yeah." Jamal was telling Becky all of this because she could be trusted. Even Lucious trusted her with his life. He didn't even trust Jamal that much, so that was saying something.

"Hearing that made me realize how hard of a life Ma has had. Because of Lucious. She needs to be appreciated more. I'm sick of Lucious getting all the credit," he finished.

Becky gave him a sad smile. "This is really sweet Jamal, but I don't know how Lucious is going to handle it."

"I don't care what he thinks. It's my album, not his. And it's not like the whole album is about Cookie. It's just one song."

"The first song," Becky pointed out. Jamal gave her an annoyed look and she put her hands up. "I'm just saying! I don't wanna hear Lucious' mouth."

"I hear his mouth every day. I'll be alright."

Hakeem barged in. "Yo, Mal!"

Jamal huffed. "Hakeem, get out. This is my studio time."

"I'm not here to record. Where's Tiana?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't got time to play 21 questions with you! Where's Tiana?!" Hakeem demanded to know.

Becky answered him. "Tiana's busy rehearsing for her performance this weekend. And Jamal's right, why do you care?"

"Because I need to rehearse with her."

"You're not performing with her."

"It's not confirmed yet, which is why I need to talk to Tiana to see if she'll let me." That made Jamal laugh hard, and Hakeem was annoyed. "That's funny?"

Jamal kept laughing. "That's hilarious because weren't you just saying she's not good enough for you? Where'd that energy go?"

Hakeem rolled his eyes. "You're acting like I'm asking her to be my girlfriend. It's just a performance."

"Yeah well, you always do the most in your performances, so I wouldn't be surprised if you propose to her at the end or something."

"Bye, Jamal!" He left.