Bad By Myself ✔️

27. Ex-Factor

It could all be so simple
But you'd rather make it hard
Loving you is like a battle
And we both end up with scars
Tell me, who I have to be
To get some reciprocity
No one loves you more than me
And no one ever will
-Lauryn Hill

2016

Ginger had not seen her "friends" in over a year and she was good without them. She did not want to give an interview about leaving Petite Trois, she did not want to talk to anybody about it, she was just done. Let them bitches talk about it and give their untrue side of the story.

People could not accept that it was over and they were all moving on. Some better than others, but she was finally living her life for her.

M'Liyah's solo album was released with critical acclaim. Of course, it did. It's what everyone wanted from the start. She was the new golden child. Not quite on Beyonce's level, but because she played the piano like Alicia Keys, that was her closest comparison, except she sang more hip danceable music and could dance. She also moved away from songs that Petite Trois had done in the past. Her songs were more sexy and romantic.

She must finally be getting dick, Ginger thought.

Melodie's television show, Superstar, was doing extremely well. Not that she cared, she would never watch it. Supposedly she was dating her co-star, the cutie Quincy Brown. She finally bagged a fine, rich brother. Getting rid of her loser half brother did her well. Last she heard from him, he was back in St. Louis trying to take care of his side chick's baby. 

As for her, not a damn thing. She was not even trying to look for a record deal. Fuck the business! It didn't treat her well, she was done with it.

At least she still had Craig.

"Babe, hop on this track with me and da Facts," Craig said while they were Facetiming.

"I told you, I don't do hooks."

"So you think you gone just throw your whole life away cause everybody out there doubting you and talking shit about you? I know you Gin Gin, that ain't you. You the mother fucking star, okay. You letting them take yo shine."

Fact Iz was already recording for their second album, Fact Iz This, and he was still bugging her about singing on "Ridin With My Chick." It was different from anything she had done with Petite Trois. It was not about riding in a car with your man, it was about riding on your man. It was so hood and so raw, like her real self, not the image she had to portray with Petite Trois.

"What the hell," she finally said.

"That's my girl. And babe, I want you raunchy as hell in dis joint, no sweet looking, good girl, PT shit. You better own it."

Being in the studio again after a year away, she felt at home. She didn't even care that it was going to be a Spitfire produced track. She was over him. He had not tried to reach out to her since he had her thrown in jail.

"What's good girl," Spitfire said, trying to hug her.

"Boy bye," she said, walking away from him and into the sound booth where Craig and Icee were. The rest of Fact Iz were watching from the studio.

"You cool?" Craig asked her, nodding toward Spitfire.

"Straight," she said, grabbing his blunt and taking a long inhale.

"Shit girl, I thought you didn't smoke while in the studio?"

"You said come different than when I was with PT. Nigga, I want to be faded when I lay this verse."