SPREAD THIN [ABOOGIE] - CURRENTLY EDITING

[CHAPTER ONE] "Giving yourself time to heal."

"Come on mom! I see her head! it's time to push.."

"Ma, where's Deandre?" Mariah cried as she held on to the bed. She was trying to hold the baby in so he wouldn't miss the birth. She knew how excited he was to become a father but lately his career was his number one priority. "Ma he promised!"

"Mariah she coming baby, you gotta focus on yourself right now. It's just about you and baby Zein." Her mom said as she stood on the right side of her. Her father was on the left with a video camera.

"You got this baby girl. Let us meet our granddaughter already." Mariah knew she could always count on her family when she needed somebody to be there but she wanted to feel that way about Deandre. He promised from the beginning that music wouldn't get in the way of his private life but now his traveling was causing more problems than ever.

Mariah laid back as her parents held her hands and started pushing. Her daughter Zein Russell Webber was born seconds later. Mariah was overcome with so much emotion as the doctors laid Zein on her chest. "She's here ma, she's finally here."

Mariah found out she was pregnant just as Deandre's rap career started to take off. Four months before the pregnancy test came back positive, Deandre received a big advance from Quality Entertainment that came with a signed contract. Deandre had been rapping since he was 16 years old. Mariah always supported his dream. It was the moment they had been waiting for. That night, Deandre took her out to celebrate and he proposed. They were only 19 at the time but Deandre knew he wanted Mariah forever. And he wanted her to stay with him through his journey. And he knew the only way to show her a real commitment was to make her an honest woman. Later in the night Deandre's cousin Kelly invited them out the club. Mariah ended up going home with her sister after a few hours there and Deandre stayed with his boys to party some more.

On the way home, Deandre and his boys ran into some old classmates who didn't like them. There was a shooting and three of Deandre's friends died. Deandre would never forget that day. And the city wouldn't either. When things started to go left his cousin jumped on him, shielding him from the bullets that came in from the side of the Truck. They were just out. Partying at the club. And when it was time to go, Stevie - one of Deandre' best friends from his childhood days wanted to stop for some cigarillos. They were laughing together and making memories. Deandre and Kelly were even rapping together. Randy - the oldest out of the group recorded the whole thing. He graduated two classes above them but he hung around the basketball court that was Deandre's second love. They had been friends for years.

To them it was just a night out with the group. None of them saw what happened at the gas station coming. Deandre was heartbroken after seeing people he loved get shot to death. He knew how much Kelly supported his career so he understood why he jumped to cover him. But, sometimes he felt guilty about being the only one to survive. They were just having a good time before some good for nothing dudes started hating.

After that night, Deandre started rapping about his lost boys. And it touched a lot of hearts. And that really set him on the map. He already had one record label giving him a deal and now he had tons trying to talk him out of it. His fan based grew and he was getting booked for more shows. Mariah was happy for his success but she wanted him to slow down.

With the success, The arguments started. They would yell at each other over the phone after not speaking for a few days.. The tension started to grow and they just exploded. Deandre argued that this was what he "had to do." He had to make their deaths mean something.

"She's so small." Her father, Maxwell smiled as he looked down on his new granddaughter. It was a few hours after the birth and Deandre finally made it back to California. Him and Mariah spoke on the phone after she gave birth while the nurses had baby Zein. He apologized and promised he would be there soon. He knew Mariah was disappointed so he had his cousin bring some flowers and balloons to the hospital.