Limelight

Chapter Two

~~Debut~~

Aaliyah woke up at five-thirty each morning, albeit a little reluctantly. She had to do some of the household chores she was held responsible for since Danica decided she was old enough to handle a washing machine. Then she had to make breakfast for Danica and Quincy, before they woke up at seven, giving herself at least three hours to fix herself something to eat (when she was allowed, of course, somehow Danica always knew when she ate), clean up the kitchen and the rest of the house whilst her parents went to work then she could kill time however she liked before Lauryn got to the house at ten. 

Today, she woke up with a smile on her face, which came to her as a shock, seeing as she hated mornings. Something about having to wake up to her type of life was maddening. But today felt different. In her dreary colorless world, there was finally a flicker of hope. A way out of her hopeless life. It begins today.

So at eight o'clock the next day, she came downstairs from her room with Malcolm Water's card in her grip, into the main part of the house and into the dining room where her foster parents, Danica and Quincy, were sitting at the long wooden table, digging into the breakfast, Aaliyah made that morning.

Usually, Aaliyah would walk through the dining room directly into the kitchen, to start the washing up, with only a simple greeting in passing.

Today, she stopped at the head of the dining table, directly opposite the intimidating Quincy Victors, her foster father. Quincy Victors was a formidably tall dark-skinned man with square thin-rimmed glasses and behind them hard, unreadable dark eyes that followed Aaliyah everywhere she went and made her feel like a butterfly pinned to a board. She rarely spoke to him.

Quincy and Danica glanced up from their meals at the same time and the moment she did, she saw Danica's eyes narrow. "What are you doing?" She asked raising her voice as she set her mug of steaming coffee down, "Are you—"

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Victors. I need to ask you something," Said Aaliyah, cutting her stepmother off, not having the patience to deal with her insults. She then wrenched her gaze to Quincy, who was staring at her through a narrowed gaze, "Both of you."

Quincy stared at her long and hard and it made Aaliyah want to squirm, but she stared back unflinchingly. She wouldn't dare give him the satisfaction or the knowledge that she was intimidated by the man. She had far too much pride for that.

Quincy sighed, fixing his glasses on his nose, and looked back to her. "Very well, but make it quick, I've got to leave for work soon." He said in a low voice.

Danica made a disgruntled sound and rolled her eyes. "You heard your father." She said with a scowl. Aaliyah couldn't help, but feel a tiny bit of satisfaction at the knowledge that Danica didn't get exactly what she wanted in what felt like a long time.

"Oh, um... right," she wrung her fingers together, a nervous habit she had. She took a breath and sighed, "You remember last week when Lauryn and I went Downtown, she took me to the rec center there where they had a piano. She was teaching me Bach's Ave Marie when a music producer from New York approached us. He said he was impressed by my talent and was looking for someone to perform at his sister's birthday celebration and he asked me." She explained in a calm voice, giving nothing away.

She knew she was lying, but she knew her step-parents would never allow her to take this opportunity if they found out the real reason she was discovered by Malcolm Waters. Especially if that included sneaking out of the house after hours.

Danica asked through narrowed eyes. "So what does that have to do with anything?"

"I wanted to ask for your permission to perform. It's next Saturday and I'd really love to go because it would be a great opportunity for me and I think it would be a great kick start towards my future—"