We Are Still DreamGirls

|CHAPTER ONE|

THREE YEARS LATER

"Magic!" Effie hollered out like her child was a million miles away as she entered the living room screwing in her earrings. "Ma'am?" Magic answered, looking away from her magazine to see her mother dressed up like she was going somewhere.

Effie with big beautiful curly hair, was wearing burgundy velour and fur. Twelve years of being a mother who would often feed her child before she'd feed herself had done Effie's body real good. She'd managed to trim down a little, but those curves were still there and they wasn't going nowhere. She was wearing those bell bottoms and that crop top— they weren't wearing her.

"Please make sure you have your little sister sleep by the time I get home. I love that baby to death but I can not keep playin' patty cake at two o'clock in the mornin'. I need my beauty rest. And your father will be here to get both of you in the mornin'. I already got the baby's stuff together you just need to pack your bags." Magic chuckled and tried to roll her eyes on the sly as she stood up to walk over and look her mother up and down while walking circles around her.

"Okay super fly. Hot date tonight?" Effie pushed Magic's shoulder playfully while laughing and asking, "Don't think you slick, I saw that. You wanted to meet your daddy so bad and I letchu. Don't change yo mind now that you done got to see him for who he really is."
"I just don't like how he talks to you."

"Me either. But do you ever see me just let him? He jump slick and I do too. Curtis Taylor Jr. ain't nobody I'm worried bout. Trust me."

"Are you gonna tell me about the hot date you trynna run off to?" Magic changed the subject as she watched her mom slip into her matching fur lined duster and then dig her lip gloss and mirror out of her purse. "Not that it's any of your business but I'm goin' to work. And what do you know about a hot date, little girl?"

"Nothin'. 'Cept Auntie Lorell has a whole lot of 'em." Effie felt so bad as she laughed. "Well I ain't your Auntie Lorell. And don't talk about her, she's just had it hard since Jimmy died."

"That's what Auntie Michelle said too."
"What?"
"That she's gettin' it hard since Mr. Jimmy died," Magic said with a shrug. "Magic!" Effie hit Magic's shoulder.
"Don't you go repeatin' stuff like that. And Michelle is not your Auntie. I don't care if she is with your Uncle C.C. that is not my sister."

"But I have to call Auntie Deena and Auntie Lorell Auntie and they ain't your sisters either."
"Because they're my friends, Ladybug," Effie said before hanging her little purse on her wrist and placing her hands on her child's shoulders. "I'm off to the club. You know not to open that door for anybody but the delivery man, that pizza should be here soon. Love you." Effie kissed her child goodbye before leaving her apartment and running down to the cab she had waiting outside.

"Good evening Miss White. Where to?" The cabbie asked with a friendly smile. "Ronnie is that you?" Effie asked and the two laughed. "They got you workin' on Valentine's Day, huh? That's a mess. I know your wife was hot."

"Yeah, they do. And she is. But I told her tomorrow was our day so it works out for the both of us. She'll still feel spoiled and I get to buy her that discount candy." Effie laughed while shaking her head. These men all think the same. Damn shame. "Well lucky her. The lounge on Metalbridge please."

The ride to Stella's was short. Effie was in no rush. But when the radio man decided to play The Dreams version of One Night Only, Effie could only wish that she was already where she was going. She thought that it was kind of Ronnie to change the station even when she hadn't said anything. But there was no denying that the good mood she was in had gone out the window.

Yeah. Effie scored nationwide distribution of One Night Only. But that was only after The Dreams had taken it to the charts. By the time folks had heard her song nobody had known which record came first and if they knew they didn't care. There was so much gossip that Effie's version was made in an effort to spite Deena that if Effie was weak it would have knocked her off her feet. One Night Only, though beautiful, had stirred up so much controversy that Effie didn't even bother to sing it anymore. "Alright Miss White. Stella's." Effie dug Ronnie's money from her purse and slid her hand through the window.