New To This

The Concert (last chapter.)

Daya's POV

Trisha, Leona, and Keisha otherwise known as the cover ladies of the sixties are dressed in their turquoise sparkling dresses going over lines and laughing backstage at the Simone. People are filing in, and Dani, Vince, and I are all sitting backstage outside of the small almost stall room where mom is supposed to be changing. I'm still in my jeans and t shirt as mom told me not to change until the last minute. She didn't say it, but I know if I get this dress that sits in one of those fancy dress holder things stained she's going to be on my ass. And I think she is already in a mood because I'm wearing my white converse all stars and instead of those ballet shoes that squeeze my toes, but then have the audacity to fall off when I walk too fast.

"Janelle? You good in there?" Leona asks.

It's weird hearing my mom being called something else, beside mom, mommy, or ma, and it takes me a minute to realize my mom is still changing. It may be a beautiful golden dress, but the performance is going to start soon although I'm sure some folks are going to be CP time.

"I'm.. I'm fine," my mom mumbles through the door.

Vince raises his eyebrows while he looks at his phone. "You sure, about that, you know I can zip you up if you want, and Vicki is on her way," he says.

"Im fine Vince," mom mumbles again. Basically saying she's not fine. "I just need some time." Basically saying she needs someone to check on her. I've been studying screenwriting, I know how and dialogue and subtext works.

"Dani can you go and check on mom," Vince says not bothering to look at me.

Dani who is not looking away from her phone shakes her head. "No, I need to finish reading this," she says.

"You're reading?" Vince and I both ask in unison.

Dani doesn't look and Trisha, Leona, and Keisha sing a loud, "Oh, no, darlin, no wind, no rain," from there corner of the dressing room.

Dani's number one app on her phone is youtube and if the girl could choose she would probably stop doing everything and become a hash brown on our couch. Reading? Now this is new, maybe dad set those screen time limits on her phone, but then again she seems smart enough to just click ignore limit for today.

"Yes? I'm reading," she states with no emotion or eye contact at all.

"May I ask what?" I ask.

Dani rolls her eyes and does one of those annoying groans. "Don't get mad." Is she reading erotica? She couldn't be you can't read erotica and keep a straight face especially if you're a preteen.

I nod and Dani's about to speak, but Vince effortlessly takes her phone out her hand which is something I thought he stopped doing when Mona told him it was one of the actions he does to gain control.

"Lets see, you're reading.... why are you on final draft? You're reading Sad and Fun, B- oh," Vince looks at me and begins laughing to himself. "She's reading your script," he says and Dani tries her best not to look my way.

Dani lets out a groan. "God Vince you're so annoying, yes Daya I've been reading your pilot script, it's good clearly a self insert, but you're actually good at something besides changing for boys. I mean I guess you're good at this," Dani says.

"You think my writing is good," I say.

I finished my script during me and Ziyah's breakup and it honestly is filled with too much drama and description which is why I never really went back to it.

"Yeah I do," Dani snaps.

I want to give her a hug, but it's better for both of us that I start getting concerned on what mom is doing.