N.E Heartbreak

Chapter 27

Chapter 27
Jacqueline

1996-97

"Get yo fine ass over here, girl." Mike smirks at me as he comes backstage from performing with BBD.

"Get yo sweaty ass away," I point a warning finger at him. He continues to advance towards with a big smile. I turn to run but his arms catch me and spin me around. We both laugh as he kisses me. "Let me go, goofy ass."

"Alright, baby." He kisses me again before putting me down and letting me go.

We continue to just smile at each other before I frown.

"What's wrong?" He asks as we walk to our shared dressing room.

I shake my head and walk into the dressing room. I get a piece of paper and a pen and start doing math. "What are you doing?" Mike asks.

"Math," I answer vaguely. I frown at the paper. "I've— the girls and I have been here for almost 12 years, Mike. I'm going to be 30 soon."

"So am I. Yeah, I know. Old." He tries to joke with me.

"I wasn't supposed to get old here," tears form in my eyes. "I was supposed to get old in the 2000s. God. I'll never get back to those times. By time I get to 2017, if we get to stay, I'll be...50."

The tears fall silently. "I'll be too old to participate in my generation of fun. I'll be seen as a lame old person." I start hyperventilating.

"Jacque. Jacqueline, calm down. Take slow, deep breathes," Mike grabs my shoulders and breathes deeply to make me do the same. I breathe with him until I've calmed down. "Good. Good."

He wraps his arms around me tightly. "I'll be old, too. I'll be 50 with you. Nice and old together. But black don't crack, baby. We'll be sexy forever."

"I'm always sexy." I joke weakly and he chuckles.

"Always," he kisses my forehead. "It'll all work out, okay? Everything will."

He gets his things to take a shower. He gives me one look as a question. I grab my things and go take a shower with him.

When we get on our tour bus (because we all "had" to get our own buses this tour), I check on the kids who are asleep in their bunks before going into the back and laying down on the queen-sized bed. Mike stays up front and talks on his phone.

"...yeah...She just started freaking out about being old and being in the wrong time...Yeah it hurt, Slick. It's like she regretted being with me in this time. Us...I don't know, man. I just love her so much. It would hurt as hell if they were given the choice to go back or stay with us and they chose to leave...Yeah... Right...Yeah I know...I guess so...Alright, man...Yeah, see you in the morning...Later."

When Mike gets off the phone, he pours himself a quick shot of Hennessy before getting into the bed next to me. He gets in as if I were sleep and wraps his arms around me. I hear his snores a few minutes later as I lay awake thinking.

I grab my iPhone to text Cassie and Steph. Mike thinks we get a choice to go back or stay and that we'll choose to go back

Cassie texts back first. Ricky just called Ralph talking about the same thing. I'm staying if we get the choice

Me too. Imma be hella old in 2017 but idc. I can't go back to be 18 anymore. I'm too old and have seen too much. Steph texts. She starts sending all of the pictures she took on her phone. To others it looked like a disposable camera but we could see her using her phone to take pictures of all of our adventures and travels. Tour moments with the guys, Paris, Europe, the U.S, studio time. Everything. Just memories with the guys. The last picture is one of her and Bobby that I took. I can't go back. Not ever.