N.E Heartbreak

Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Jacqueline

1985

Watching Cassie sing on stage with New Edition was amazing. It was a dream come true. Steph and I sang and danced in front of the stage as Cassie demanded the stage like she was really Ralph. She had all of his movements and mannerisms down.

"Well, damn. I leave for fifteen minutes to take a call and I get replaced by Cee Cee?" Ralph asks Steph and me when he returns. His eyes watch Cassie dance across the stage, traveling up and down her body as she dances like him. "She sure can move, huh?"

"Better stop undressing her with your eyes. Zena wouldn't like that too much." I say and his eyes snap to my face.

"What? Undressing her with my eyes? Nah. She's my best friend." Ralph waves me off.

"We aren't stupid. We know that look, Rizz," Steph smirks as she watches Cassie. "You just not sure yet."

Ralph looks back to the stage with uncertainty as they finish Candy Girl. "Damn, Cee Cee, you did better than me."

"Oh shit. Ralph Tresvant just said someone did better than him," Bobby jokes. "Better take a moment of silence to remember this because it won't happen again."

"Shut up, Bobby," Ralph rolls his eyes with a small smile and jumps on stage. "Can we go over everything again? Start from the beginning?"

"Hell no. We are just going to continue with Count Me Out." Mike says and the music starts. They arrange themselves as Cassie gets off the stage.

"That was great, Cass. You killed it up there." Steph hugs her once she gets close enough.

"Thanks." She smiles as she watches them practice.

"Did you see Ralph staring at you?" I ask.

Cassie doesn't answer until we are back in our seats in front of the stage. "I did."

"But you won't act on it," Steph says. We look at her for an explanation. "He and Zena have to...have a miscarriage. Maybe even get married. You can't interfere with that."

"But what if that's apart of why we— our mothers' cousins disappeared in the '90s? What if we're here to make sure we won't or can't disappear this time?" Cassie whispers. We huddle together to hear over the music.

"I agree with Cass, Steph. I think we're supposed to make sure we integrate ourselves into their lives. It's not enough to be on the same label or have the same choreographer or even share an apartment. We have to love them as partners and maybe even marry them," I say and they stare at me as if I've lost it. "Oh come on. Don't say you don't feel it."

Cassie nods as she glances at Ralph. "I don't feel anything. At all. I only feel like I want to get home to Travis and my mom. That's it." Steph snaps and stops the discussion.

"Bobby was right. I don't know why Travis started dating you; you're mean as fuck." I say and walk over to the stage to watch the boys finish practice. Mike looks down and winks at me as he sings. I smile back up at him.

An hour later, we all head back to the apartment after getting Gary to have someone buy us some groceries so we could cook.

"I'm glad y'all are here. We don't normally get to eat home cooked food out here." Ronnie says as they sit down in the small living room.

"We only get fast food." Ralph adds on.

"We get it. It's like having three live-in maids and cooks." I say and the girls roll their eyes as we go into the kitchen. Bobby, Mike, and Ricky follow us with paper bags of groceries.