𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ¹

forty eight.

CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
biggest fan

Royalty

Royalty's performance was in three days, so she was at the club rehearsing the choreography Tiana had created for them.

Tiana was really talented. The girl could sing, dance, and she could probably act for Royalty knew. The girl could do it all, and Royalty admired her. She was so proud to call Tiana her best friend.

"You okay over there?" Tiana then asked. "You seem tired."

"I'm not a dancer like you, Tiana. I'm not used to this. My stamina is shit."

"I'm guessing you can't do this." Tiana did a bunch of dance moves that Royalty couldn't even comprehend.

"Please don't tell me we have to do all that."

Tiana giggled. "Na, this ain't that type of song. We can take a break if you're tired though."

"Yes, please!"

Royalty quickly hopped off the stage and ran to get her water bottle. Tiana sat down next to her. "Are you ready for this performance?"

Ro answered honestly. "I'm nervous. This is my first performance ever. I can't fuck up."

"You won't because I'mma be right beside you. We got this."

Ro smiled at her and then heard someone yell, "Yo, Ro!"

They looked and saw Blake running up to them. Tiana immediately grew annoyed. "Aw hell na. What do you want, Blake? We're busy."

"I'm not here for you, Tiana. I'm here for my girl."

"Your girl is busy like I said."

Blake spoke to Royalty. "You can spare a couple of minutes for your man, can't you, Ro?"

She crossed her arms. "Are you still my man? I can't tell."

"Yes I am. I never said we were over. I was just angry."

"You're always angry, Blake. That's the problem. Everything I do triggers you."

Blake knew that was true. "I'll admit that I be tripping sometimes, but I don't think I was overreacting in this situation. You made a diss song about me, and you have to perform it for the world. Everyone keeps telling me to get over it, but how am I supposed to be okay with that? Because let's be real, if it was the other way around, you wouldn't be cool with it either."

"I wouldn't," she admitted.

"Right. So am I really the bad guy here?"

Tiana entered the conversation. "Are you trying to say she's the bad guy?"

Blake exhaled deeply, trying his hardest not to snap at her. "Tiana, I know Hakeem doesn't want me disrespecting you, but I really need you to stay out of this."

"No, I'm not going to stay out of this. You've treated Ro like shit more times than I can count, and then you try to come back like you did nothing wrong."

"I didn't do anything wrong this time."

"You disrespected her."

Blake paused to think about it. "I guess that's true. Hakeem put me in my place and made me realize my disrespect is getting out of hand, so I'm sorry, baby. It won't happen again."

Tiana scoffed. "Oh, give me a break. It always happens again."

Royalty said, "I forgive you, Blake."

Tiana gave her an alarmed look. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes. I'm the one who messed up, not him. I shouldn't have made the song in the first place. So I'm sorry too, Blake."

"I forgive you too." He kissed her.

Tiana was utterly disgusted with her decision. "Wow. You know what? Whatever. I'mma be rehearsing." She went back on stage.

Blake glanced at her. "You're preparing for the performance, huh?"

"Yeah..." Ro swallowed hard. "I still have to perform the song, Blake."

"It's cool, go ahead. You said you don't mean those words anymore, so I'm not tripping."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. I'mma be in the audience cheering you on and everything."

"I'd like that a lot because I'm nervous as shit. This is my first performance, and it has to blow everyone's mind."

"It will. You're meant to be a star, babe. You're gonna be as huge as Tiana, I told you that. So keep on rehearsing."

"And what are you gonna do?" she questioned.

"I actually need to talk to Hakeem. He and I aren't on the greatest terms right now."

"Why?"

"Because of our argument. He chose your side, and I kind of lashed out at him." Blake shook his head disappointedly. "It was stupid and I need to apologize. I don't wanna lose my homie."

"Okay. Go do that. When you're done, I'll still be here rehearsing."

"Bet. And here, I brought you a jacket in case you get cold."

Blake handed her his jacket, and she held it close to her body. "Your jackets are my favorite gifts."

"You can keep them. I got plenty more."

She just might keep them.

Hakeem

Hakeem was rehearsing Power Of The Empire, but Blake interrupted. Hakeem cut off the music. "What you want, man?"

"You got a minute?"

"Obviously not. I'm rehearsing," Hakeem retorted.

"I wanted to let you know that Ro and I made up."

"Really? After you were talking all that shit?"

Blake chuckled a little. "You made me realize that I need to chill with the disrespect, so I'm chilling. Ro can perform the song. I don't give a fuck anymore."

Hakeem was glad to hear that. "About damn time."

"Yeah. But I hope me and you can be cool again because I don't wanna beef with you."

"I know you don't. I demolished you in that rap battle," Hakeem joked.

Blake laughed. "You sure did. Even Royalty said so. But I'm glad it happened because it made us friends, and I don't ever wanna lose that."

"Me either, man. You the homie for life."

They hugged, and Blake said, "You're gonna be performing too, huh?"

"Yup. I'm going first, so I gotta get the crowd hype, you know? And I gotta make sure my performance is better than Jamal's."

Blake rolled his eyes. "Y'all stay beefing, I swear. Doesn't it get tiring?"

Hakeem looked at him seriously. "Let me tell you something, Blake. Lyons never get tired of letting people hear them roar."

Blake was impressed. "Damn. That was kinda badass."

Hakeem chuckled as his phone went off nonstop. Someone was spamming him, but who? Tiana or something?

It wasn't. It was an unknown number.

Unknown: I'll always have your back.

Hakeem furrowed his eyebrows because what the fuck? Blake was puzzled too. "Always have your back? The fuck does that mean?"

"I have no idea..." Hakeem texted them back for answers.

Hakeem: Who's this?

And they just said,

Unknown: Your biggest fan.