by Doris Miller
Two nights later, four vans pull up to a curb outside a Banquet Hall. Michael comes out of the driver's seat of the first van as Diane D comes out of the front passenger seat. The Dianettes come out of the back seats. Nicolas comes out of the driver's seat of the second van as Barry come out of the passenger seat. Mary, Margarita, Tomas, Tonio, Marilyn and Mickey come out of the back seats. Several handsome young black and Latino men who are members of the Diaz-Davidson Band and the Dianettes boyfriends come out of the third van, including Charlotte's husband Kenny while other people come out of the fourth van. They all come together then walk to the Banquet Hall building. A few reporters and a big crowd of excited people approach Diane D and her family. “Diane D!” one of the men in the crowd shout. “Hey Dianettes!” other people in the crowd shout. The entire crowd excitingly surrounds Diane D, her family and the Dianettes as Diane D, her family and the Dianettes continue to walk towards the Banquet Hall building.
Inside the Banquet Hall, two Latino female singers around their late 20's, one who is slim with curly chest length brown hair and the other one who is chubby and plus size with short curly black hair are on stage singing a Latin song with Latin music. Diane D, her family, Michael, the Dianettes, the members of the Diaz-Davidson Band, members of the Diaz-Davidson Organization and another crowd of people come in front of the stage looking on at the two Latino female singers. The two Latin female singers then do a dance routing as they sway their hips and do the twist. The crowd starts to scream and cheer! The two Latin female singers then move across the stage and twist their feet! The crowd starts to scream and cheer more! The two Latin female singers then sing towards the end of the song.
Five minutes later, the Latin female singers finish their performance. The entire crowd claps and cheer as the two singers smile and take a bow. A black male announcer comes on the stage. He speaks into the microphone and says, “Let's give it up one more time for Carmen and Rachel!” The crowd claps and cheer again as the two Latin singers take another bow. Diane D, her family, the Dianettes and the rest of the crowd turn and walk towards some chairs.
Diane D, the Dianettes and their boyfriends approach the chairs. The Dianettes and the men sit down on the chairs as the crowd excitedly chats with them. Mary turns to Diane D and says, “Diane, vamos a ir echan na mano en la cocina y traen los platos de la comida a cada uno.”
“Esta bien Mama,” Diane D says. “Voy a estar ahi.”
“Esta bien.”
Margarita then says to Diane D, “Diane, antes de llegar a la cocina, averigua que tipo de pollo todos quieren en sus platos.”
“Okay Grandma,” Diane D says. Margarita and Mary turn and walk away. Diane D turns to the Dianettes and members of the Diaz-Davidson Band. She claps her hands to them and shouts, “Okay listen up everybody!” The Dianettes and members of the Diaz-Davidson Band turn to Diane D as she shouts, “I'm gonna go in the kitchen and bring the plates of food to everybody!”
“You're gonna bring the food to us?” Wayne asks.
“Yeah, I'll be the servant for now!” Everybody laughs. Diane D then says, “So you all have to tell me which kind of chicken y'all want on your plates!”
“What kind of chicken do they have back there?” Melvin asks.
“Well they have barbequed chicken, fried chicken, broiled chicken, baked chicken, spicy chicken, curry chicken, you name it!” Everybody laughs again.
“Well give me the barbequed chicken,” Kelly says.
“And I'll take the spicy chicken,” Nancy says.
“Give me the fried chicken,” Lonna says.
“Okay,” Diane D says. “So far we got barbequed, spicy and fried chicken coming up! Mickey, what are you having?”
“You don't have to get my plate right now Diane,” Mickey says. “I'll help you bring the food.”
“Aariiight!” Diane D turns to Nicolas and Miranda and says, “Nicolas, Miranda, what kind of chicken do you guys want?”
Nicolas, who has his arm around Miranda, says, “I don't know.” He turns to Miranda and asks her, “What kind of chicken do you want babe?”
“I'll take the fried chicken,” Miranda says.
“Fried chicken sounds good.” Nicolas turns back to Diane D and tells her, “We'll both take fried chicken.”
“You got it.” Diane D turns to Charlotte and says, “Charlotte and Kenny, I didn't get your orders yet.”
“Well I'll have both, the barbequed and the fried chicken,” says Charlotte.
“You want both types of chicken?”
“Yeah.”
“I'll have the same thing Diane,” says Kenny.
“Okay you got it,” Diane D says. She then turns to Bernice and says, “Bernice, how about you and Bobby?”
“Can you remember everybody's plate Diane?” Bernice asks.
“I'll try.”
“Diane why don't everybody write down what chicken plate they want and put their names next to it,” Bobby says.
“Okay that's cool. That sounds like a good idea.”
“I have a pen and paper.”
“Okay.” Diane D then turns to the crowd and shouts, “Everybody have to write down what plate of chicken they want, then Mickey and I are gonna bring the plates!”
“Okay!” everybody says. Bernice writes down the plate of chicken she and Bobby want, then hands the paper and pen to Charlotte. Charlotte starts to write down what she and Kenny want. Charlotte finishes and passes the list to the next person. Soon everybody finishes writing what they want. They hand the list to Diane D.
Diane D looks at the list. She then says, “Okay everybody's done! Good! We'll go pick up the plates!” She turns to Mickey and says, “Come on Mickey.” She then turns to Michael and says, “You coming Michael?”
“I'm right behind you Diane,” Michael says. Diane D, Michael and Mickey go away from the crowd and head towards the back of the catering hall.
Diane D, Michael and Mickey go through the back hallway. They are about to pass two men who are both around their mid thirties, one white who is stocky with short dark hair and the other one half black and half Indian who is tall and slim with a very tan complexion and short black wavy hair with slight bangs. The men look at Diane D, Michael and Mickey as Diane D, Michael and Mickey are about to walk pass them. Lance, the white male says to them, “Hey Diane D, Michael, Mickey!”
“Hey,” Michael says as he, Diane D and Mickey slow down and stop. “What's going on guys?”
“Nothing much. How y'all feeling?”
“We're okay. And yourself?”
“We're alright.” Lance then looks at Diane D and asks, “Are you okay Diane D?”
“Yeah I'm okay,” Diane D says as she places her hands on her hips.
“Are you sure you okay?”
“Sure I'm sure. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. Just want to know that's all.”
Diane D puzzled looks at Lance. She then looks forward and continues to head towards the kitchen as Michael and Mickey turn and follow her.
Lance and the other man, Felix Green, turn and look towards Diane D, Michael and Mickey. Lance then says, “Well, it looks like she's holding up.”
Felix Green puzzled turns to Lance and says, “It looks like she's holding up? What do you mean?”
“I mean it looks like Diane D's holding up from the drugs she uses.”
“What? Drugs she uses? What are you talking about?”
“I'm talking about the night Diane D and her cousin Dana got arrested for drunk driving, weapons possession charges and stolen properties. They were both on drugs that night.”
“What do you mean Diane D and her cousin Dana were both on drugs that night?”
“Well Diane D and her cousin Dana had came from a club just before the police stopped them and pulled them over that night. The police stopped them for drunk driving, but they weren't drunk. They were both high.”
“They were high?”
�
��That's what I heard. I heard they were on their way to get some weed when the cops pulled them over.”
“What? They were on their way to get some weed? My goodness. Who did you hear this information from?”
“I heard it from a person who was at the club Diane D and her cousin Dana were at. Diane D and her cousin Dana were at a club called Sparkles. The person who was at Sparkles told me that Diane D and her cousin Dana were both snorting coke there that night.”
“They were both snorting coke? You're kidding!”
“No I'm not kidding Felix. The person who told me saw them doing that.”
“Lance, are you telling me, that Diane D, the one who works, sings, performs and raises money for her family’s charity organization, the one who makes speeches to children at the schools against smoking, drinking and using drugs, uses drugs herself?”
“According to this witness she does.”
“Are you sure this is true? Because if it is true that Diane D is using drugs, I'm gonna print that in my newspaper tomorrow morning.”
“What? Print that in your newspaper? Why would you do that?”
“Because Diane D is supposed to be a role model, kids look up to her. Her family’s organization raises money for charity, she visits sick children at the hospitals and sings to them. She makes appearances at schools, telling children to make sure they get an education and tells them don't smoke, don’t drink and don’t use drugs.”
“Diane D doesn’t make appearances at schools anymore Felix.”
“She doesn’t?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Ever since that horrible incident that happened the last time she appeared at a school. You know, the horrible incident that happened between her and that little boy Marcus, the kid who sent her family’s organization a phony letter about a little boy who’s dying of leukemia whose dying wish is to meet her just so she can appear at his school, then she winds up beating the crap out of that little boy when she found out that the whole letter was a hoax planned by him and his brother?”
“Yeah I heard about that incident.”
“It was horrible what I heard she did to that poor kid, breaking his bones like that, then claims not to remember any of it! Ever since that incident, Diane D stayed away from appearing at schools again. She hasn‘t forgiven being lied to, plus her family don‘t want the haunted memories reminding them of what happened between her and that kid Marcus inside that school.”
“I don’t blame them. Didn‘t Diane D get sent away for what she did to that kid?”
“Yeah she got sent Upstate to a Mental Institution. I heard they put her on medication.”
“They put her on medication while she was up there?”
“That’s what I heard. I hear she’s still on medication to calm her nerves. She has to take the medication to control her out of control behavior which she also claims not to remember, but, she‘s out of the Mental Institution now.”
“Yeah we see. But why does she always lecture the Dianettes about their health, telling them to eat right and not to drink hard liquor? I thought she was health conscience. I also thought she was supposed to be a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Then behind closed doors, she's gonna use drugs and get high with her cousin? If Diane D does uses drugs, then maybe she does put drugs or steroids in the food she cooks for the Dianettes just like the police and those investigators suspected. The public have a right to know about this. They have a right to know that Diane D is not what she appears to be. They have a right to know that she is a phony and a hypocrite.”
“A phony and a hypocrite? But what about her cousin Dana? Her cousin Dana was using drugs too.”
“Yeah, but her cousin Dana is not the one out there being a role model. Dana's not out there in the public eye doing charity work, singing and dancing on stage and appearing at schools lecturing to children. She doesn't want anything to do with the public eye or charity work. She only happens to be in the public eye because she and Diane D are very close cousins and have been close cousins all their lives. Diane D is the one who's out there. She's suppose to be the role model, her, the Dianettes and the whole Diaz-Davidson Organization.”
“I know they're supposed to be role models Felix, but if the public knows about Diane D's drug use, it's gonna mess up her image.”
“Lance Diane D’s image is already messed up by her out of control behavior whenever she gets angry! Her image is already messed up by what she did to those security guards, those police officers and those correction officers who threw inside that jail cell and tried to keep her in there! Plus her image is already messed up by sleeping with her own cousin’s boyfriend, threatening her Jamaican lover’s girlfriend over the telephone then speeding all the way to that woman‘s place of residence to assault her and beating and kung fu kicking the hell out of the wife of one of the guy’s she was trying to date for some High School dance and the last incident she had which involved that little boy inside that school! She‘s a modern day Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Everybody already knows that!”
“I know, but if the public knows about Diane D's drug use, it's gonna mess up her image even more. It will mess up images for the Dianettes and the whole Diaz-Davidson Organization as well.”
“Well it's controversy, and controversy sells.”
“Felix, what are you saying? Are you telling me, that you're willing to mess up Diane D's image more and her family’s organization’s image, so your paper can make a lot of sales?”
“If that's what it takes. If I bring this story to the press, I'll get a commission.”
“A commission? So you wanna mess up Diane D's image more and her family’s organization’s image to make extra bucks out of it, huh?”
“That's right.”
“No Felix, you can't mess up Diane D's image more or her family‘s organization’s image, because I don't know if it's true about her drug use. I'm only going by what I heard. I'm only going by what someone else told me.”
“That's proof enough right there for me Lance. I'm gonna print in my newspaper tomorrow that Diane D is a Crack Head.”
“What! A Crack Head?! No Felix don't do that, please don't! You'll be in big trouble with Diane D's ENTIRE FAMILY if you do that! Diane D comes from a very close-nit family! Her family sticks together you know! Almost everything they do involves the entire family and all their relatives! You deal or mess with one of them, you're gonna have to deal and mess with ALL of them! They're not gonna take this lying down!”
“Diane D's family don't have to know that I'm the exact person who brought this information to the press. The newspaper I work for is pretty big. Diane D's family will never know which individual in the firm printed it.”
“They don't have to know which individual in the firm printed it Felix. They'll just bring a lawsuit against the entire newspaper company, that's all.”
“It's a chance I'm willing to take.”
“No Felix, don't do it.”
“It's too late Lance, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna make a phone call to my newspaper company right now and tell them to get started on this new information I just got on Diane D. New information the investigators might want to know about. My newspaper company is open twenty-four hours. I'm gonna make that call.” Felix turns away from Lance and walks away as Lance worriedly watches him.
Diane D, Mary, Barry, Margarita, Tomas, Gracy, Mike, Michael, Mickey and other relatives are getting the plates of food together. Diane D moves a cart full of dinner plates. Mary turns to Diane D and asks, “Tienes la sal Diane?”
“Si, me dieron la sal Mama,” Diane D says. She then turns to her paternal grandmother Gracy and asks, “What's taking Dana and Tony so long to get here Grandma?”
“They should be walking in here with the extra food any minute now Diane,” Gracy says.
A black male caterer, around his early forties approaches Margarita. He says to her, “Excuse me Mi
ss Margarita, there's someone on the phone who says they're from the newspaper.”
“The newspaper?” Margarita asks.
“Yeah. They say they want to speak to someone in charge of the Diaz-Davidson Organization and ask that person some questions.”
“Oh really? Okay thanks, I'll take it.” Margarita and the man walk away towards the hallway.
Margarita steps inside the catering office. She walks towards a desk. She approaches the desk and picks up the telephone receiver. She speaks into the receiver and says, “Hello Diaz-Davidson Organization, Margarita speaking. What can I do for you?”
On the other end of the phone, a white male around his mid 40‘s sits behind a desk and speaks into the telephone receiver saying, “Hello Miss Margarita, I'm Carlton Blake from the Daily Press.”
“The Daily Press?”
“Yes.”
“Well what can I do for you?”
“Well, I would like to ask you some questions about Diane D.”
“Ask me some questions about Diane D? My granddaughter. Well what do you want to know about her?”
“Well Miss Margarita, is it true? I mean is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Is it true that.… Is it true that…..”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say Mister. Get to the point.”
“Is it true that, your granddaughter Diane D uses drugs?”
“What! Is it true that my granddaughter Diane uses drugs?! What are you talking about Mister, Diane don't use drugs! Why do you ask?!”
“Well I have a reporter there at the catering hall right now who just called me up a couple of minutes ago and told me he just found out, that your granddaughter Diane D and her cousin Dana were both using drugs the night they got arrested for drunk driving, weapons possession charge and stolen properties.”
“What! Really?!”
“Yes.”
“My God, what reporter?!”
“Felix Green.”
“Felix Green?! Who him?!”
“You know him?”
“Yeah I know who he is! Where in the world did he get this information from?!”
“He said he got it from another reporter named Lance who's also at the catering hall. Lance got the information from a source who was at a club your granddaughter Diane D and her cousin Dana were at. The source told Lance, that Diane D and her cousin Dana were both getting high at the club and they were both high on drugs the night they were both arrested. Lance told Felix then Felix called me up. Felix claims that we should get this information printed in the paper by tomorrow morning. I told Felix that we cannot print the information unless we're sure it's true. So is it true that your granddaughter Diane D and her cousin Dana use drugs?”
“No it isn't true! Diane and Dana do not use drugs!”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I'm sure! These reporters got a lot of nerve making up some bogus story like this! This is absurd! This is ludicrous!”
Diane D, her family and relatives rush into the office as Tomas shouts, “Lo sucedido Margarita? Que esta pasando?”
“Alguien del periodico se encuentra en el telefono ahora mismo, me pide es Diane sobre drogas!” Margarita shouts.
“What!” the family shout.
“Alguien del periodico pregunta estoy en drogas?!” Diane D shouts. “Por que piden que?!”
“Porque se dijo un reportero aqua les llamo hace dos minutos, yles dijo que se entero de que usted y Dana estaban consumed drogas la noche usted y ella fueron arrestados por conducir borracho, posesion de armas y bienes robados!” Margarita shouts.
“What!” the family shouts.
Michael turns to Diane D and asks, “Diane, what did she say?”
Diane D turns to Michael and says, “Someone from the newspaper called here and asked Grandma am I on drugs!”
“What!” the family shouts.
“Someone from the newspaper wanted to know if you are on drugs!” Michael asks.
“That’s what Grandma said!” Diane D says. “They told Grandma that they heard Dana and I were using drugs the night she and I got arrested!”
“What!” the family shout.
“Someone from the newspaper called and said that they heard you and Dana were using drugs the night you and she and got arrested?!” Barry shouts.
“Yes!” Diane D says. “They said a reporter here called them up and told them that?!”
“A reporter here called them up and told them that?!”
“That’s what she said!”
“What reporter?!”
“I don’t know!” Diane D turns to Margarita and asks, “What reporter Grandma?!”
“Felix Green!” Margarita shouts.
“Felix Green?! Who him?!”
“We just passed by Felix Green in the hallway a little while ago!” Michael shouts.
“Y'all did?” Margarita asks.
“Yeah!”
“Felix Green is always printing harsh things about people!” Barry shouts. “Hand me that phone!” Barry approaches Margarita. He takes the telephone receiver and shouts into it, “Hello! Hello! Hello!” Barry looks at the receiver. He turns to his family and says, “No one's there.” He hangs up the telephone.
“Well the guy on the phone told me that Felix Green found out about Diane and Dana's supposed drug use the night they got arrested and wants to print that information in the paper by tomorrow morning!” Margarita shouts.
“What!” the entire family shouts.
“Print it in the paper?!” Grandpa Mike shouts.
“Felix Green wants to print about Dana and I using drugs?!” Diane D shouts. “Where the hell did he get that information from?!”
“He got it from another reporter Lance who's here too!” Margarita shouts. “Lance got that information from someone who was at a club you and Dana were in just before you two got arrested!”
“Wait a minute, hold up! Dana and I weren't in any club just before we got arrested! These reporters or their sources don't know what the hell they're talking about! And now they're planning to print some lie about me and Dana in the newspaper?! Well I'm gonna go out in the hallway and give that Felix Green a piece of my mind!”
“So am I!” Michael says.
“I'm right behind y'all!” Mickey says.
Diane D, Michael and Mickey angrily turn and run towards the door. Diane D's family grab and pull her, Michael and Mickey back. Diane D, Michael and Mickey struggle to break away from the family's grip as Diane D shouts, “Let me go!”
“No Diane!” Tomas shouts. “You guys don't go out there!”
“Why not Grandpa?! Felix Green is gonna print bad things about me and Dana! Let me go!”
“No Diane!” Mary shouts. “You can't go out there and make a scene! We don't want too many people knowing about this!”
“That's right Diane!” Barry shouts. “There are other reporters and a lot of the press out there! If they see all of this commotion, they're really gonna have a field day printing about this!”
“I don't care!” Diane D shouts. “Just let me go!”
“No Diane, you're not gonna go out there and argue with this guy!” Barry turns to Michael and Mickey and says, “Neither are you two!” Michael and Mickey look at Barry as Barry turns back to Diane D and says, “I'm gonna go out there and have a talk with Felix Green myself, but I'm gonna do it in a quiet manner, that way, other people don't have to know or hear about this, okay? Now be cool!” Diane D continues to struggle away from her family as they continue to hold on to her! She suddenly gets superhuman strength as she heads towards the doorway dragging her family as her family screams! Diane D's family wrap their arms around her, struggling to hold on to her as she continues to drag them!
“Diane stop it please!” Gracy shouts.
Diane D continues to head towards doorway dragging her family as her family scream, still struggling to hold on to her! Bar
ry gets the strength and goes right in front of Diane D and shouts, “Diane stop it! Stop it right now!” Diane D's family suddenly manage to stop her! They continue to hold tightly on to Diane D as she breaths in anger, staring out towards the hallway. Barry then tells Diane D, “I'm gonna go out there in the hallway and bring this guy Felix Green in here, just stay cool Diane, I'll be right back!” Barry turns to the rest of his family and says, “Everybody please hold on to Diane, don't let her go! I'm gonna bring this Felix Green guy in here!” Barry turns and hurries away out into the hallway.
“I'll go with you Barry!” Mary shouts. She then turns to her family and says, “I'm gonna go help straighten that Felix Green out! Please hold on to Diane! Whatever y'all do please don't let her go!” Mary angrily turns and hurries away out into the hallway as Diane D continues to breath in anger, looking at her mother as her mother hurries out into the hallway.
Dana and Tony suddenly walk into the catering office through a back door holding bags of food. Everyone turns and looks towards them. Gracy nervously approaches Dana and Tony and says to them, “Hey you guys.”
“Hey everybody,” Tony says.
“We got the extra chicken you wanted Grandma,” Dana says.
“Oh good,” Gracy says. “I'll take that.” Gracy takes the bags of food from Dana.
Mike turns to Margarita and Tomas and whispers to them, “I think we better take Diane into the next room so Dana won't see how upset she is.”
“And we have to go into the hall and tell Mary and Barry not to bring Felix Green in here just yet,” Margarita says.
“Okay.” Mike, Margarita, Tomas, Michael and Diane D's relatives take Diane D towards the doorway and take her out into the hallway.
A minute later, Margarita and Tomas are walking in the back hallway towards Mary and Barry. They approach Mary and Barry as Tomas tells them, “We don't think y'all should bring this Felix Green in the office yet. Dana and Tony just walked in there.”
“They did?” Mary asks.
“Yeah.”
“Well we didn't get a chance to speak to Felix Green anyway,” Barry says. “We just saw him go out the front door. He's talking with some people outside.”
“He is?” Margarita asks.
“Yeah.” Barry, Mary, Margarita and Tomas suddenly hear slight shouting. They turn to look. They see Diane D rushing towards them with Michael, Mickey, Gracy and Grandpa Mike and her other relatives continuing to hold on to her.
Diane D approaches Mary, Barry, Margarita and Tomas and shouts, “Well did y'all find that turkey yet?!”
“Diane Felix Green just went out the front door just as we were about to approach him,” Mary says.
“He probably knows we're on to him! Well I'm gonna go out there and curse him out!”
“Diane let’s try to keep our voices low,” Barry says. “Your Grandma and Grandpa just told us that Dana and Tony came in the office. We don't want Dana and Tony knowing about this, especially Dana.”
“Dad Dana's not gonna hear about this, because while she's back there in the office, I'm gonna go out to the front and straighten that Felix Green out!” Diane D is about to go pass her parents and grandparents as the rest of her family pull her back again.
Barry stands in front of Diane D and holds her shouting, “Diane calm down!” Diane D angrily tries to go past Barry and is about to drag her family again as her family struggles to hold on to her.
“Calm down Diane!” Mary shouts. “You're not going out there?!”
Diane D angrily heads out towards the side of the back hallway dragging her family again as her family screams and struggles to hold on to her. “No Diane!” Barry shouts. Diane D continues to angrily head out towards the other side of the hallway dragging her family as her family continues to scream, struggling to hold on to her.
“What the hell is going on?!” Dana’s voice shouts.
Everybody stops and turn their heads. They see Dana standing there at the end of the hallway looking at them. They all become nervous.
“Hey Dana,” Barry says.
Dana puzzled looks at them all. She then looks at Diane D. She walks towards Diane D.
Dana approaches Diane D and asks, “What's the matter Diane? Are you okay? Is something bothering you?”
“No Dana,” Mary says. “Nothing's bothering her. She's fine.”
Dana looks at Diane D and says to her, “Are you sure Diane? Where are you trying to go?”
“She wasn't going anywhere Dana,” Grandpa Mike says. “Diane thought she left something out in the car and she was about to go get it. Then we just realized she brought the thing in here already.”
“Oh yeah? What thing?”
“Her wallet,” Barry says. “Diane thought she left her wallet in the car and didn't want anybody to take it. Since the wallet is in here, I guess we don't have to go out there after all.” Barry turns to everybody and shouts, “Hey everybody! Why don't we all go back in the kitchen and finish setting up the food!”
“Okay,” everybody says.
“That's a good idea,” Margarita says. Everybody nervously smile to each other. Dana puts her arm around Diane D's shoulders worriedly looking at Diane D and leads Diane D and everybody else towards the end of the hallway as Diane D puts her arm back around Dana's shoulder.
Inside the kitchen, Margarita, Mary, Gracy and everybody else start to prepare more plates of food. Diane D and Dana go to the food cart still hugging each other as Dana continues to worriedly look at Diane D and asks, “What's wrong Diane?”
Diane D and Dana stop at the food cart as Diane D says, “Nothing is wrong Dana. I'm fine.”
“Oh yeah? Then why did you seem so upset out in the hallway?”
“Because like they said, I thought I left my wallet in the car. I was afraid it would be stolen.”
“Oh yeah? Are you sure it wasn't anything more than just your wallet? You seem real angry about something.”
“I'm not angry about anything. Look Dana, you have nothing to worry about. I'm okay. Let's hurry and get the food prepared.”
“Alright. I'll go help with the plates.”
“Okay.”
Dana lets go of Diane D as she gently pats Diane D on the back. She frowns as she looks away from Diane D then turns and walks away as Diane D turns and looks at her. Diane D then turns to the food cart. She gives an angry look out into the hallway. She takes the food cart towards the doorway then out into the hallway.
Inside the ballroom, Diane D is back at the crowd as the crowd sit at the tables. She hands everybody their plates of food. Lonna and Bernice stand beside Diane D. They puzzled look at Diane D as they hold their plates of food. Lonna then asks, “Diane, are you okay?”
“Am I okay?” Diane D says. “Sure I'm okay Lonna.”
“Are you sure?” Bernice asks.
“Sure I'm sure. Why do y'all ask?”
“I don't know, but, we could just sense something is bothering you.”
“Oh really? Nothing is bothering me.”
“Are you sure Diane?” Lonna asks.
“Of course I'm sure. Look, the only thing that's bothering me right now, is that you two aren't eating your plates.” Lonna and Bernice puzzled look at their plates. Diane D then tells them, “Y'all got to eat up.” Lonna and Bernice puzzled look back at Diane D as Diane D says to them, “There's plenty of vegetables on your plates I want y'all to finish.”
“Diane are you sure nothing else is bothering you besides these vegetables on our plates?” Bernice asks.
“Yes something else is bothering me Bernice.”
“Well what is it?”
“The vitamins inside the vegetables that you all need to eat. Now you two go eat. You need your vitamins and your vegetables. Eat!” Lonna and Bernice puzzled look at Diane D. They then turn from Diane D and walk away. Diane D then turns away from the crowd towards the food cart. She secretly gives an angry look towards t
he back hallway again as she takes the food cart and walk across the ballroom, heading back towards the kitchen. Lonna and Bernice sit with the others. They and the rest of the Dianettes worriedly look towards Diane D as Diane D leaves the ballroom. Miranda turns to Lonna and Bernice and asks them, “Is Diane okay?”
“We don't know,” Lonna says. “We think she's upset about something.”
“We think something is bothering her?” Bernice says.
“What do y'all think it is?” Nancy asks.
“We don't know. It's something she's not telling us.”
“What could she be upset about?” Charlotte asks.
“That's what me and Bernice were trying to find out,” Lonna.
“Well maybe we should go check on her and find out,” Kelly says.
“Yeah come on, let's go,” Nancy says. The Dianettes set their plates aside. They are about to get up from their seats.
“Wait a minute,” Melvin says. “Where are y'all going?”
The Dianettes stop as Nancy says, “To check on Diane.”
“Why are y'all getting ready to check on Diane? Diane seemed fine when she was just here. She seemed okay, giving all of us our food. Y'all don't need to check on her. I think y'all just getting carried away. Why don't y'all sit back down and wait a while.”
The Dianettes look at each other. Bernice then says, “Yeah I guess so.” The Dianettes sit back down at the table.
“Well as long as she doesn't sneak around behind our backs looking for a cigarette, that means she's okay,” Lonna says.
Sneak around behind your backs looking for a cigarette?” Gary asks. “What do you mean? Diane don't smoke.”
“Gary when Diane becomes angry or upset about something, she sneaks around behind all of our backs and depends on a cigarette to calm her nerves,” Bernice says.
“She does?” Anthony asks.
“Yeah. So if she doesn't sneak around and look for a cigarette, that means she's okay.”
“Well I didn't see her ask any of us for a cigarette when she was just here,” Vincent says.
“Well she's not gonna look for a cigarette in front of us Vincent,” Nancy says. “She won’t let us know about it. She's gonna sneak behind all our backs and our family's back to secretly look for a cigarette.”
“She would?” Bobby asks. “Why would she have to sneak behind your backs to do that?”
“She doesn't want to set a bad example for us.”
“No?” Ralph says. “Well if she doesn't look for a cigarette in front of you guys and sneaks behind your backs and her family's back to secretly depend on a cigarette, how do y'all know she does that at all?”
“Because we would here about it later on,” Miranda says. “Somebody would come along later on and tell us that Diane had secretly asked them for a cigarette. That's how we would know.”
“So if nobody comes to us later on and tells us that Diane secretly asked them for a cigarette, that means she's okay,” Bernice says.
“Well I guess we'll all just have to wait and see if anybody tells any of you later on that Diane had secretly asked them for a cigarette,” Melvin says. The Dianettes worriedly look at Melvin, then at each other. They and everybody else start to eat their food.
Inside a dark part of the back hallway, Diane D is standing at the side door, angrily looking towards the outside through the glass on the door. She sees Felix Green on the sidewalk talking secretive to a group of around five people. She sees Felix Green secretly pointing towards the catering building as if appearing to be speaking about her. She notices the peoples' stunned reaction to whatever Felix Green is telling them. She sees one of the people, a woman appearing stunned with her mouth open, pointing towards the catering building also. Diane D then says to herself, “I swear that motherfucka.” She angrily rolls up her sleeves and balls up her fists. She opens the side door and is about to angrily go out of it. Suddenly, Joseph and Teresa come in the side door carrying some shopping bags and bump right into Diane D. Diane D becomes stunned and says, “Teresa! Joseph!”
“Hey Diane,” Teresa smiles and says as Joseph closes the door behind himself.
“Hey Diane,” Joseph says. “What's going on? How's it going kid?”
“Everything is alright Joseph,” Diane D says. “Everything is fine.”
“Good. We brought the extra punch. Where do you want us to put it?”
“Just take it to the kitchen. My family is back there.”
“Oh yeah?” Teresa asks. “Is Dana back there too?”
“Yeah Dana is back there. As a matter of fact Teresa, why don’t you go to the kitchen and say hello to her.”
“Why sure Diane.” Teresa and Joseph excitingly walk away towards the kitchen as Diane D turns to look at them. Diane D suspiciously backs up. She then turns away and looks outside the side door again. She sees Felix Green in the street still talking secretive to the group of people. Diane D angrily opens the side door again. Suddenly Boris, a black man around his mid thirties comes inside the side door and bumps right into Diane D as he holds a large bag. Diane D becomes stunned and says, “Boris!”
“Hey Diane!” Boris says. “What's going on?” Boris closes the door behind himself and says, “Well here's the camera, CDs, champagne and beer you told me to pick up from the mall earlier.” Boris hands the camera to Diane D and tells her, “I also bought extra cans of soda, and I got the CDs your family wanted, especially the Miles Davis CD your Grandma Gracy have been begging me to get.”
“That's good.” Diane D suspiciously looks around a little. She then looks back at Boris and whispers to him, “By the way Boris. You don't happen to have a cigarette on you, do you?”
“A cigarette on me? Diane you don't smoke. Aren't you against smoking?”
“That's right,” a soft female voice from the distance says. “She is against smoking.”
Diane D and Boris turn their heads and see Joseph and Teresa standing there several feet away. Diane D becomes nervous. Teresa and Joseph approach Diane D as Diane D tells them, “You're right Teresa. I am against smoking.”
“Then why did you just ask him for a cigarette?”
“Oh I'm not asking for myself. My friend wanted a cigarette.”
“Your friend?” Joseph asks. “What friend?”
“My friend Lenny. He was looking for a cigarette earlier.”
“Lenny? We don't know any friend of yours whose name is Lenny.”
“Well of course you don't know Lenny Joseph, I just met him early this morning.”
“Early this morning?” Teresa asks. “Oh he came by your grandparents' house?”
“No Teresa, I met him at the supermarket.”
“At the supermarket?”
“Yeah. But forget about Lenny guys.” Diane D turns back to Boris and says, “What else you have in the bag Boris?”
“Well I have extra Reggae Dance Hall CDs I picked up from the store and some napkins. Hey why don't we all go in the back and let me show you all the CDs I brought.”
“Well, Teresa and I have to leave real quick and come back,” Joseph says. “We have to drop my mother off at the airport?”
“Oh that's right Joseph,” Diane D says. “Your mother is leaving for Florida.”
“Yeah and she wants to see me and Teresa before she boards her flight.”
“Okay. Well you tell your mother I said ‘hello’ and tell her to have a safe trip.”
“Sure we'll tell her Diane.”
“Are you alright Diane?” Teresa asks.
“Yeah I'm alright Teresa,” Diane D says.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes I'm sure. Listen y'all better get going, you can't keep your mom waiting. You don't want her to miss her flight.”
“No we don't,” Joseph says. “We'll be right back Diane.”
“Okay.”
“Joseph and Teresa pass Diane and Boris and go for the side door. They open the side
door, go out of it then close the door behind themselves.
Boris smiles to Diane D and says, “Come Diane, let's go look at the CDs.” Boris takes Diane D by the arm and leads her away towards the back of the hallway as she looks back towards the side door.
Joseph and Teresa are walking out on the sidewalk towards the street. Teresa suddenly stops. Joseph stops as Teresa turns to him and says, “You know Joseph, I'm kind of worried about Diane. She seemed kind of nervous about something. Something didn't seem right with her.”
“Yeah I notice that too.”
“She said she met some guy named Lenny at the supermarket early this morning.”
“So, what’s wrong with that?”
“Well when I spoke to her family on the phone a little while ago, they told me that Diane spent the night at her grandparents’ home and she never even left her grandparents' house until this evening. That's why I thought maybe this Lenny person came by her grandparents’ house, but yet she claimed she met him at the supermarket.”
“Well obvious she wasn't telling the truth to us about this Lenny person.”
“Obvious she wasn't. Joseph, maybe I should stay here with Diane to make sure she's alright.”
“Teresa my mother wants to see and hug both of us before she boards her flight. We're coming right back. Besides, Diane's here with her family. Knowing them, they'll keep an eye on her. Let's hurry and drop Mom to the airport so we can get back here.”
“Okay.” Teresa and Joseph hurry off as Felix Green continues to talk with the group of people as he drinks a can of beer.
Diane D and Boris are in the kitchen with Diane D’s family and relatives as Boris says to them, “Hey everybody. How's it going?”
“Hey Boris,” Gracy says. “You got that Miles Davis CD I asked you to bring?”
“I sure do Miss Gracy. I have it right here.” Boris hands Gracy the CD.
Gracy takes the CD and says, “Thanks Boris! Now my husband and I can get to slow dance later on.” Everyone laughs a little.
Diane D looks around. She looks at Gracy and asks, “Where's Dana Grandma?”
“I'm right here Diane!” Dana’s angry voice shouts. Diane D and everyone else turn around and see an angry Dana, Tony and Mickey at the doorway as Dana asks, “Is it true Diane?!”
“Is what true?” Diane D puzzled asks.
Dana walks towards Diane D and says, “Mickey just told me and Tony about what happened involving that newspaper reporter Felix Green!” Dana approaches Diane D and says, “He told us that Felix Green is gonna print bad shit in the newspaper about you and me using drugs!”
“Is that true Diane?” Tony asks.
Diane D sadly looks at Tony then says, “Yeah that's what we heard.”
“I had to tell Dana about this, Diane,” Mickey says. “She has a right to know about it.”
“So that's why you were upset out in the hallway a little while ago,” Dana says. “Listen Diane, I don't care what the hell that Felix Green says or writes about me, but I'm not gonna allow him to print bad shit about you!” Dana turns to Mickey and asks, “Where did you say Felix Green was Mickey?”
“Mom and Dad said he went outside the building in the front.”
“Well I'm gonna go straighten him out!”
“Yeah me too!” Tony says.
Dana angrily walks away as Tony and Mickey follow off behind her. Diane D's family and relatives grab Dana, Tony and Mickey as Barry shouts, “Wait a minute, calm down Dana! You too Tony and Mickey!”
“No I'm not gonna calm down Uncle Barry!” Dana shouts, “knowing that asshole wants to print bad shit about my cousin!”
“We're gonna take care of Felix Green as soon as we find him alone Dana!” Mary shouts. “We don't want too many people knowing about this! Just calm down! You're not going out there! Just stay cool!” Dana calms a little as the family holds on to her. The family, Tony and Mickey calm a little.
“Just relax everybody,” Barry says. Dana relaxes. The rest of Diane D's family and relatives relaxes. Suddenly Dana breaks away from the family and relatives and runs off! She dashes out the doorway as Diane D's family and relatives panic and go off after her!
Dana races down the back hallway as the rest of Diane D’s family and relatives race after her shouting, “Wait Dana! Wait! Come back here Dana! Get back here!” Dana ignores her family and relatives as she continues to race down the back hallway with her family and relatives in hot pursuit!
Chapter 6
The Dana Vs. Newspaper Reporter Showdown!