Clarke walked into the guest room, carrying fresh sheets and pillows in her arms. Shawnette sat quietly waiting on the bare mattress.
"Sorry we don't have much company these days." Clarke said and laughed nervously.
"It's cool." Shawnette said. "Want some help?"
They shared small talk while they dressed the bed. Janet approached the bedroom quietly and stopped to listen as she heard Shawnette's voice.
"So how did you end up with Janet Jackson?" Shawnette asked jokingly. Clarke fluffed the pillows and threw them on the bed before taking a seat.
"Man..." She said and smiled. "You know it's still kind of hard to believe. Emori, Jimmy's niece actually introduced us."
"All about who you know right?" Shawnette said.
"Out here? Absolutely, but it was kind of a weird situation, with Emori I mean. Let's just say, she had eyes for me. She was trying to impress me by introducing us." Clarke shook her head. "But the second Janet was standing in front of me... I knew I'd never have eyes for any other woman, ever again." Clarke stared off as she remembered that day.
Janet felt her stomach sink.
"Damn, that's heavy." Shawnette said. They both started to laugh. "That's very cool is all I meant." Shawnette nodded. "How'd you get outta that situation and still come out with your best friend and Janet by your side?"
Clarke rolled her eyes.
"That's a long story for another day. I can't tell you all my secrets." She joked. "How did you meet Janet?" Clarke asked. Shawnette laughed to herself, stood up and slowly paced. The memories could be seen flooding in just by looking at her.
"Well," She began. "I was a nervous wreck that day. I was in line waiting for my audition. She's this enormous star right? So I didn't think she would actually be there, you know?" She said, Clarke nodded. "They led us in to this huge dance studio where I started to notice people's reactions. I glanced up and there she was. Sitting fucking 10 feet away from me." Shawnette said and smiled brightly. "I couldn't believe she was right there..." She was quiet for a moment as she lingered in the memory. "Anyway, afterwards, one of her people approached me. She wanted to know if I'd like to hang out with her and her friends."
"Damn that's cool." Clarke said and smiled.
"Right? It still gives me chills. I mean she wanted to hang out with me..." Shawnette shook her head. "We were pretty much inseparable after that, until one day, we just weren't anymore. Now here we are, all these years later... I've really missed her."
"She never talks about it." Clarke said.
"I'm not surprised." Shawnette looked away.
"What happened?" Clarke heard herself ask. She'd never had the courage to ask Janet herself.
Janet finally entered the room and caught their attention.
"You forgot the towels." She said holding them up. She walked over to Shawnette and handed them to her.
"Thanks. Thank you both. I should let you get to bed. I hear Clarke here has a busy week ahead of her." She said.
"I do. It's gonna be crazy but at least I won't have to do it alone." She said.
"What do you mean?" Janet asked.
"Emori is coming with me." Clarke said excitedly. "And since my flight got cancelled, we're catching the next one out together."
Janet was visibly bothered.
"Will Max be there?" She asked.
"No, she has a shoot that week. Just Ems and me." Clarke said.
