On the Flip Side

by Nikki Carter

  “He’s in the twelfth grade, Bethany. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t know how to handle being in a relationship. I can’t believe you hooked up with him. He’s too young.”

  “Are you going to fuss at me, or are you going to help me find a solution?”

  I don’t know what to tell her. This totally sucks because her career is just starting and it’s all about to be over for her, as soon as Epsilon finds out about the baby.

  “You aren’t going to tell anyone, are you, Sunday?” she asks.

  “I want to tell Evan, but I won’t. If he finds out, your record won’t get released.”

  “I know, but it’s a long time until the spring. It’ll be hard to hide this.”

  “You won’t be able to hide it.”

  “But I don’t have to keep this baby, Sunday. I haven’t decided yet.”

  I shake my head and drop the earphone.

  “Are you kidding me, Bethany? Really?”

  “Don’t judge me, Sunday. I don’t want a baby right now. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t be thinking about abortion if you were in my shoes.”

  I shake my head. “Nah, I wouldn’t. But then again, I’m not trying to get in that position.”

  “Okay, Sunday. You’re perfect. My bad.”

  I leave Bethany standing in the sound booth. It seems like everybody is going crazy. Sam is smoking weed, Bethany and Dilly are about to be parents, and Dreya has taken her hateration to new levels.

  Is this what fame and fortune does to people?

  “Sunday, are you okay?” Dilly asks as I sit next to the soundboard looking angry.

  “No. I am not okay.”

  “I won’t smoke weed anymore, Sunday, okay? I didn’t know you’d get so twisted about it,” Sam says.

  “Who are you? You get up to New York City with Zac and you start smoking weed?”

  For a brief second I think of Sam’s club situation with the ecstasy. Could he have taken it willingly? Aarrgh! Now I’m doubting everyone and everything.

  “This has nothing to do with Zac,” Sam says. “I’m just living life.”

  “Okay,” I say.

  “So ... Sam,” Dilly says, “is it true?”

  “Is what true?”

  “Does Zac have a baby?”

  Sam shrugs. “I have no idea. Me and Zac aren’t really friends, so you know.”

  Not really friends? Hmmm ... I’m not buying that. They go to the club together, but they’re not friends? And why is Dilly worried about who does and who doesn’t have a baby? He needs to figure out his own paternal status!

  “Dilly, what would you do if you had a baby out here? Would you help raise it or would you be out?”

  Dilly’s eyes widen. “I don’t want a baby right now. My sister and brother would probably help me take care of it, but I’m not ready to be a dad.”

  His whole comment has me furious! I can’t stand when boys get what they want, but when it’s time to pay the piper (the figurative piper, not my homegirl Piper) they want to dip like they ain’t have nothing to do with it.

  “If you aren’t ready to be a dad, then why you out here hooking up with no protection?”

  Dilly shakes his head, and his face is bewildered. “Um ... come again. What are you talking about? I ... uh ... always use protection.”

  “You didn’t with Bethany.”

  “What? Is that crazy chick saying I got her pregnant? She’s tripping! I didn’t get her pregnant.”

  Bethany steps into the engineer area right as Dilly is throwing his tirade. “Do y’all need me for anything else, tonight?”

  “Yeah,” Dilly says. “I need you to stop telling people that I got you pregnant.”

  “Sunday!” Bethany cries.

  I shrug nonchalantly. “It just came out. My bad.”

  “Your bad? Wow. That’s the last time I tell you anything in confidence.”

  “If you are pregnant,” Dilly says, “that baby isn’t mine. No way it could be mine.”

  Bethany bursts into tears. “Dilly, I don’t know why you’re being so mean to me now. Just a few months ago, you were really feeling me.”

  “You want to put this out there in front of Sunday and Sam? All right, then. I stopped liking you because you and your whole family are ghetto. And even though you got a record deal, you’re still a groupie at heart. I saw you all over Zac once at the studio, like a stray cat that somebody gave some milk.”

  OUCH! Dilly just nuked Bethany. I mean totally obliterated her. Her face is the color of a candied apple you get at the carnival.

  Sam says, “Look, man, you ain’t got to disrespect her all like that. That ain’t cool.”

  Dilly points in Bethany’s direction. “Then tell this crazy chick to stop telling people she’s pregnant by me!”

  “You know what? I don’t even care about what you say. You’re gonna be looking stupid when I get that paternity test,” Bethany yells. Then, she storms out of the lab and up the stairs. We can hear her heavy footfalls (stomps) on each step.

  “Look what you started!” Sam says to me.

  “I didn’t start a baby between Bethany and Dilly. They’re the ones who did.”

  “No, but you sure did start this evening’s drama episode,” Dilly says. “Thank you.”

  They are probably right. No ... they are correct. I did start this mess tonight. I feel like everyone’s negativity is getting to me—becoming a part of me. And the real Sunday Tolliver is the most positive person you’d ever want to meet. Is this industry going to destroy who I really am? Or is this music business bringing out a side of me that I never knew existed?

  Maybe I just need to get away. Or perhaps I need to go to one of my mother’s “prayers of the righteous” all-night prayer vigils, because I sure could use a few miracles right now.

  23

  “Can we go out to the club?” I ask Gia as she reads a novel on her bed. “I so need to go out tonight.”

  I need to seriously unwind this weekend, and I do not feel like kicking it with the Reign Records crew—at all. Too much tension and stress with them right now. Dreya and Mystique looking for ways to destroy one another, Sam turning into that stereotypical producer who takes ecstasy at clubs and smokes weed, Bethany is pregnant—maybe by Dilly—and Zac has a love child!

  All of this is too much activity for me.

  “Hope told me there’s a party bus tonight making stops at all the campuses. We just have to call this number to make a reservation and we pay when we get on.”

  “That’s what’s up,” I say.

  “We’re not getting trashed, right?”

  “Oh, no! Of course not. I just like the idea of not having to drive.”

  “Cool, then I’m going to text Piper and Meagan.”

  “Must you?”

  Gia laughs out loud as she pulls out her phone. “Of course. They are our crew. And Piper’s feelings would be so hurt if we went on the party bus without her.”

  “Oh, all right! Text her then! But they better not be on any drama tonight!”

  After Gia makes our party bus reservation, we pick out our looks. Gia selects a long-sleeved purple mini-dress that she rocks like a blouse over a pair of skinny jeans. She piles a huge amount of chunky beaded necklaces that give her a bohemian hottie effect.

  I decide on skinny jeans too, but I pair a fitted blouse and some boots with mine. I quickly flatiron my hair and pin it up on one side.

  “Makeup or no?” Gia asks.

  “I’m not wearing any. Is Ricky coming?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t tell him I was going. I was thinking this is a night to kick it with my girls.”

  “That’s what’s up!”

  Luckily, Spelman is the first stop for the party bus, so we get to pick our seat. We settle in the middle, in case the back gets too rowdy and the front is too lame.

  Piper says, “I’m glad we’re going out tonight! I have something to celebrate.”

  “What are you celebrating?” Gia asks.


  “My tuition is paid in full through the rest of the school year. There was a private beneficiary.”

  “Really?” I ask. “Why do you think they picked you?”

  “I have no idea, but I’m not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.”

  “Is it a loan?” Meagan asks. “Do you have to pay it back?”

  “No, it’s a gift. Like a scholarship.”

  “My mother would call that a blessing,” Gia says. “Don’t try to figure it out, just enjoy it.”

  While I talk to Piper, I can’t help but zoom in on the piercing in Piper’s nose.

  “Did you really pierce your nose?” I ask. “What would make you do that?”

  Piper touches her jewelry self-consciously. “Naw, girl. This is a magnet.”

  “Oh! Then it’s cute!”

  The bus stops in front of the residence halls at Georgia State and a gang of students, mostly girls, get on the bus. They nearly fill the bus. Hope squeezes in the seat with me and Gia.

  “I’m so glad y’all came!” Hope says. “I was gonna kick it with my girls from the dorm, but none of them wanted to go.”

  Gia says, “Sunday needs to hang out and de-stress.”

  “Don’t we all?” Meagan asks. “She doesn’t hold a monopoly on stress.”

  We all give Meagan a crazy side-eye look. I think Meagan is the type of chick who’s used to being the queen bee of the group. I’m not sure how she feels about me getting so much attention. The ironic thing is that I don’t even want people to treat me special.

  Meagan appraises Hope’s outfit—looks her up and down as if she’s an editor at Vogue creating a best-and-worst-dressed list. “You look fabulous, girl,” she finally says.

  “Thank you! But I feel like I underdressed! Look at Gia. She’s ready to walk a runway.”

  “You know how I do!” Gia says, and then bursts into a flurry of giggles at her own stuntin’.

  Piper turns around in her seat and frowns. “What’s wrong?” Gia asks. “Why you got that stank look on your face?”

  “There’s this chick in the back of the bus, mean mugging Sunday.”

  I groan and shake my head. So not in the mood for haters tonight. Or Dreya fans. I sure hope that Piper is mistaken.

  “Maybe she’s looking at someone else,” Meagan says.

  “Ignore it,” Hope says. “She’s probably some jealous girl.”

  “Do you think you need a bodyguard?” Gia asks. “Mystique has one, right?”

  “Ugh! No!” I say. “I’m nowhere near as famous as Mystique. I hope I never need a bodyguard.”

  “Look, we’re here at the first stop. Club Kaleidoscope.”

  “I’ve never been here,” I say as I take in the psychedelic colors on the sign above the door. “I hope it’s jumpin’.”

  There’s a line in front of the club that wraps around the corner. I look down at my high-heeled boots and frown.

  “Oh, man! Look at this line!” Piper says, expressing exactly what I’m thinking.

  Meagan says, “Why don’t we use this whole American Music Award–winning, number-one-on-the-Billboard-chart status to our benefit?”

  “What are you suggesting?” I ask.

  Meagan’s eyes gleam. “I’m suggesting that we walk right up to the front door and strut in like VIPs.”

  “What if they don’t recognize me? I’m gonna look stupid as what!”

  This is a valid concern, because so many people in Atlanta are “celebrities.” They either starred in a reality show or worked with Tyler Perry (the word worked being debatable). If I don’t get recognized at the door, and it goes to the blogs, then I would be so embarrassed.

  Piper says, “You’ve had two reality shows on BET and your video is in heavy rotation on a regular. Trust, the club’s management has been waiting for you to show up. They know you go to Spelman.”

  I take one final glance at my cute boots, feel my big toe pinch, and say, “Let’s do this!”

  There are butterflies river dancing in my tummy as we stride confidently to the front of the line. I’m hoping, hoping, hoping that I don’t end up with egg on my face because that will be sooooo embarrassing.

  I can hear people in line whisper, “Is that Sunday Tolliver?”

  As we get close to the front of the line, someone yells out, “Hey, Sunday! Love you, girl!”

  I turn to the girl, smile, and wave. “Hey! Love you back!”

  When we get to the front of the line, I don’t even have to say anything! The bouncer gives me a big smile. Then he pulls out VIP wristbands and gives them to all of us.

  “What’s the cover charge?” I ask as I pull out my ID.

  “For you and your girls, no cover. But we would really appreciate if you could leak a few pics of your fun night here at Kaleidoscope.”

  Meagan yelps as soon as we’re inside. “See! I told you! You are a celebrity, girl! Get used to the special treatment!”

  “Does that mean we’re her entourage?” Hope asks.

  Piper nods and says, “Yep! And we are a hot entourage.”

  “Yes, we are,” Gia says. “We need our own reality show.”

  On our way to VIP, we see Ricky and DeShawn standing close to the dance floor. Gia lifts an eyebrow, giving her face an irritated look. I guess she didn’t know Ricky was going to be here tonight.

  DeShawn walks up and gives me a hug. “Hey, pretty! Y’all looking real fly tonight.”

  “Come with us to VIP!” Piper says.

  Okay, nobody told her to invite DeShawn to the VIP section, but I guess we can’t invite Ricky without inviting DeShawn. Did I mention that when DeShawn hugged me I got a whiff of his cologne and it is off the chain! He smells like he took a bath in it, but it is really nice.

  “Will they let us in?” Ricky asks.

  “Do you know who she is?” Gia asks. “This is Sunday Tolliver, right here! Superstar!”

  We all burst into laughter and make our way to the VIP section that is really just a curtained-off section guarded by another bouncer.

  The bouncer raises a hand to Ricky and DeShawn. “Where are your wristbands?”

  “They’re with me,” I say. “They just weren’t at the door with me.”

  He nods and waves them in. Phew! I thought my star power had run out for a minute. I guess I’m still a celebrity!

  We all sit around two large tables—well, all of us except Gia and Ricky. They heard a song that they like and didn’t make it past the dance floor.

  DeShawn says, “This is what’s up! I don’t think I’ve ever been in a VIP section of a club.”

  “Me either,” Piper says. “But I gotta say, I thought it would be a little livelier.”

  Meagan laughs, “We’re the party! Soon, they’ll start letting people in here, just so they can say they partied with Sunday Tolliver.”

  Weird! People are going to brag that they hung out behind a curtain with me? Well, I guess if I’m going to be the party, I better get my partay on!

  “Come dance with me, DeShawn,” I say.

  A gigantic smile forms on his lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  DeShawn and I get on the dance floor just as Mystique’s new dance track starts to play. It makes me think about Mystique’s drama with Zac. I wonder if it’s true that he has a baby. And if he does have a child, does that mean he thinks it’s okay to be unfaithful to your girlfriend with a groupie? And if he feels that way, do I really trust Sam when he’s with him?

  “What are you thinking about?” DeShawn asks. “Because you sure aren’t here with me right now.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I have a lot going on.”

  “Well, loosen up and have a good time. Isn’t that why you came to the club tonight?”

  I nod and smile at him. I can’t help it; his smile is infectious. And he’s not flirting with me anymore, which I totally appreciate. I think he’s either biding his time until I’m not with Sam anymore or he’s moved onto the next hottie.

  “I came here to forget
about the drama.”

  He tips my chin upward with his index finger and grins. “Then forget about it.”

  I take his advice and start getting into the music. I’m nowhere near as good a dancer as my friends, but I try to get into my groove.

  Meagan was right. After a couple of songs, the VIP section starts jumping. They’ve let in quite a few people and the dance floor is filling up. We dance hard for about five songs in a row, but then I’m thirsty. Plus, the next song is a slow song and I’m not trying to go there with DeShawn, especially now that he’s acting like a gentleman.

  “DeShawn, I need a break,” I say breathlessly.

  “I wore you out, huh?”

  “Pretty much. I’m gonna sit down for a minute.”

  “I’ll walk you back to the table.”

  When we get back to the table, Meagan is sitting alone, but she doesn’t look lonely. She’s got a Coke and a plate of wings keeping her company. Hope and Piper have found partners and they’re tearing it up on the dance floor.

  “Meagan, you want to dance?” DeShawan asks. “I’ve still got some energy.”

  Meagan shakes her head and takes a sip of her Coke. “No thanks. I cannot get all hot and sweaty; I just might meet my Morehouse man here tonight. I shouldn’t even be eating these wings without a breath mint or some gum. Sunday, do you have some gum?”

  “I have a mint.”

  “Good enough.”

  I hand her a mint and then I make myself comfortable in the booth. The soft, cushiony leather is perfect. It’s like it molds to your behind or something when you sit down. I don’t think I’m moving from here for the rest of the night.

  “DeShawn, I think I’m out for the count,” I say. “You might have to snag Piper or Hope.”

  “Aw, man! Okay, Sunday. If you feel like dancing again, come and get me.”

  My feet are straight throbbing in these tiny boots, so I know I won’t be going to find him anytime soon.

  “The party bus will be back in an hour so we can go to the next club,” Meagan says.

  “Oh, y’all aren’t staying?” DeShawn asks.

  “Nope,” I reply. “We’re going to ... where are we going, Meagan?”

  “Club Pyramids.”