DIANE D In The Headlines - Volume 2 - Part 1

by Doris Miller

Around two week later, Quench Soda Company is preparing a photo shoot inside a commercial studio. Quench Soda Company’s logos are all over the studio. Doug, a white male director around his mid forties, stands over the set as around ten staff members work on it. He then shouts, “Okay everybody! Diane D and The Dianettes should be here soon! Let's get this set ready for them!” The staff members continue to work on the set. A male Hispanic staff member around his mid thirties approaches Doug and says, “Excuse me Doug, but there's someone on the line for you.”

  “Oh yeah?” Doug says. “Who is it?”

  “It's someone from Diane D's family. I think it's her older brother, Nicolas. He just phoned here and said that Diane D and The Dianettes won't be able to make it to the studio for the photo shoot today.”

  “What! They're not gonna make it to the photo shoot?! Well why not?!”

  “He said a relative of theirs just had an accident at home.”

  “A relative of theirs just an accident at home?!”

  “That's what he said.”

  “Let me go speak to him.” Doug and the staff member turn and hurry away.

  Doug enters an office and walk to a desk. He sits down at the desk and picks up the telephone receiver. He speaks into it and says, “Hello?”

  “Hello,” Nicolas says from the other end of the phone. “Is this Doug, the director from the Quench Soda photo shoot?”

  “Yes I'm Doug, the director. Is this Diane D's brother, Nicolas?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hello Nicolas. What's this I hear that Diane D and The Dianettes cannot make it to the photo shoot today? What's this I'm hearing that a relative of yours had an accident at home?”

  “Yes, a relative of ours had an accident! Our cousin Dana!”

  “Your cousin Dana?!”

  “Yes!”

  “You mean the cousin who was suspected of shooting down all those traffic cameras? The cousin that was arrested with Diane D for drunk driving and weapons possession charges and stolen properties?! The cousin who chased and shot at that newspaper reporter on the highway and the same cousin who beat up those two female police officers?”

  “Yep that‘s the one!”

  “Well what happened to her?!”

  “She fell off a ladder!”

  “She fell off a ladder?!”

  “Yeah! In the kitchen of our grandparents' house!”

  “Oh yeah?! Well how did that happen?!”

  “Well Dana was helping remodeling my grandparents' kitchen! She was doing some finishing touches on the ceiling! She was way on top of the ladder painting the ceiling! Our little cousins were running around the house! Then they ran into the kitchen and ran right into the ladder! They knocked the ladder down to the floor while Dana was on top of it, so Dana fell all the way to the floor from the ceiling! She crashed to the floor pretty hard and landed right on the ladder, then her whole body rolled right on the paint that was sitting on the floor! She hit her head against the cabinet on the way down! She's messed up real bad! The paint was all on her clothes, her hair and her skin! The paint had to be cleaned off her entire body, then she had to be taken here to the hospital by ambulance!”

  “You’re at the hospital now?”

  “Yeah!”

  “What! I don't believe that story!”

  “What do you mean you don't believe the story? It's true!”

  “I don't believe it!”

  “Why the hell would I make this story up?”

  “Because I think you're making up this excuse for your sister so she and The Dianettes won't have to show up for this photo shoot!”

  “Now why the hell wouldn't I want my sister and the girls to show up for the photo shoot?!”

  “Because this is not the first time that Diane D and the Dianettes canceled a photo shoot! This is the third time they canceled a photo shoot on us! They canceled a photo shoot on us last year and they canceled a photo shoot on us the year before last and now they're canceling again! This is the third year in the row! What is going on with them?!”

  “I don't know what happened with the first two cancellations! My mother had something to do with that!”

  “I know your mother had something to do with the first two cancellations! I remember your mother calling here canceling the photo shoot for Diane D and The Dianettes both of those times before and claimed that someone in the family got hurt! And now someone in the family got hurt again?! Every time Diane D and The Dianettes are suppose to come here for a photo shoot, your mother would call here and claim someone in the family got hurt and Diane D and The Dianettes wind up canceling! That sounds pretty strange!”

  “I don't know why my mom canceled the first two photo shoots!”

  “I know why she canceled them! I found out why!”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah! I found out from a source that your mother canceled the first two photo shoots for Diane D and The Dianettes because a better offer came up for them somewhere else! Your mother decided to take the better offer for Diane D and The Dianettes! That's when she would call here and claim someone in the family got hurt because she didn't want this soda company to know that she made Diane D and The Dianettes ditch us for a better offer somewhere else! Then we heard from another source that your mother signed a contract with that other place not to ever have Diane D and The Dianettes have a photo shoot with us! Your mother never planned to have Diane D and The Dianettes have a photo shoot with us, but she just didn't tell us! She was just stalling to keep us from being upset with her! Even though we found all this out, we still decided to give Diane D and The Dianettes another try, because we know it's not their doing! Then this happens again!”

  “I'm sorry, I wasn't there when my Mom called you up about the first two cancellations, but I'm here now and I'm telling you, someone in the family did had an accident and did get hurt and my sister and the girls can't make it there to the photo shoot! My mom has nothing to do with it this time! She's not even around! We just called her up and told her about the accident a few minutes ago! And now she, my dad and the rest of our family and relatives are all on their way here to the hospital to see Dana now!”

  “Oh yeah? You know this soda company putted out a lot of money getting the set ready for Diane D and The Dianettes! We putted out a lot of money the first two times, then we hear Diane D and The Dianettes weren't gonna show up, and now the same damn thing is happening again! If Diane D and The Dianettes don't show up for this photo shoot, we'll lose all the money again we put into it!”

  “Can't you make the photo shoot for another day?”

  “No we can't make the photo shoot for another day, I have to make the photo shoot today! The money for the production was spent to get this set ready today so we have to use it today! Diane D and The Dianettes must show up today!”

  “Can't your company get another singing group to take my sister and the girls' place?”

  “No we can't get another singing group to take their place just like that! Diane D and The Dianettes names are on the contract!”

  “I'm telling you, there was an accident in the family! That is why my sister and the girls can't make it to your photo shoot! Diane asked me to call you to tell you that she and the girls can't make it today! She wanted me to do the calling because she is too upset and emotional to make this call herself! She told me to tell you she's very sorry for any inconvenience, but says in cases like this, family comes first!”

  “I don't believe there was an accident in your family, I just don't believe it!”

  “You don't want to believe it! I'm just telling you that my sister and the girls can't make it there, just accept it!”

  “No I will not accept it! We'll just bring a lawsuit against Diane D and The Dianettes, that's all!”

  “A lawsuit?!”

  “That's right a lawsuit! We're gonna have a lawsuit against them for breaking a contract!”

  “They broke a contra
ct because there was an accident in the family! Can't you understand that?! Is money so important to you that you refuse to believe an accident can happen?”

  “Accidents can happen, but I don't think it's happening in your sister and the Dianette's case!”

  “Listen, do what the hell you have to do, okay! I've said all I have to say! Bye!” Nicolas slams the phone receiver and hurries away.

  Doug looks at the telephone receiver. He angrily hangs up the telephone. He turns and walks away.

  The next day, several people in the street are reading articles in two newspapers with headlines that read: QUENCH SODA PLANS TO SUE THE DIAZ-DAVIDSON ORGANIZATION FOR THIRD CANCELATION OF PHOTO SHOOT! QUENCH SODA PLANS LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DIAZ-DAVIDSON ORGANIZATION FOR BREAKING THIRD PHOTO SHOOT CONTRACT! A woman turns to the others and says, “Do y'all see the headlines? Quench Soda is planning to sue the Diaz-Davidson Organization for canceling the photo shoot they were supposed to have yesterday.”

  “Yeah I saw it,” one of the men says. “This article right here says that there was an accident in the family, that Diane D's cousin Dana had fell off a ladder at their grandparents’ home and had to be taken to the hospital.”

  “Dana?” a second woman says. “You mean the cousin that was arrested with Diane D for drunk driving and weapons possession charges and stolen properties?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And she's the same one who shot down all those traffic cameras, chased and shot at that newspaper reporter on the highway then beat up those two female police officers, right?”

  “Yep, that's the ooone. That's why Diane D and The Dianettes couldn't make it to the Quench Soda photo shoot. It says Diane D's brother Nicolas called the Quench Soda Company on the phone and tried to explain the accident to the Quench Soda Company, but the Quench Soda Company didn't buy it.”

  “Why didn't they believe it?”

  “It says because Diane D and The Dianettes canceled a photo shoot a couple of times before in the past and caused the Quench Soda Company to lose all that money. Now the Quench Soda company wants all their lost money back.”

  “They don't understand that someone in the family got hurt?”

  “I guess they would understand it if they believed it was true. If someone in the family did get into an accident and got hurt this time, why did Diane D and The Dianettes canceled the first two photo shoots they were gonna have with the Quench Soda Company?”

  “I read it was Diane D's mom who called the Quench Soda Company up and canceled the first two photo shoots and claimed someone in the family got hurt,” a second man says.

  “Oh did somebody in the family got hurt both of those time too? Every time Diane D and The Dianettes are supposed to go for a Quench Soda photo shoot, someone in the family gets hurt?”

  “That sounds strange.” The people continue to look at the article.

  The following evening, several Quench Soda managers, three male whites around their late forties and early fifties and Doug, sit at a table in the office. Barry, Nicolas, Michael, Tomas and Mickey suddenly barge into the office as a few staff rush in behind them. The Quench Soda managers and Doug become stunned and get up from their seats. Seth, the head manager asks, “What's going on?”

  “We tried to stop them!” a few staff members shout.

  Barry angrily approaches the managers and waves a couple of newspapers in their faces and shouts, “Look! My family and I don't like what the hell we see in these headlines! What the hell you doing talking about you're going to sue our organization?!”

  Seth looks at the staff members and says, “It's okay. You guys can leave.”

  The staff members turn and leave the office. Seth turns to Barry as Barry says, “Didn't my son Nicolas called here on the phone yesterday and said there was an accident in the family?!”

  “Yes he did call here,” Doug says. “I spoke to him.”

  “And you refused to believe what I told you on the phone!” Nicolas shouts. “Listen, you guys can take this issue to court if you want to, but we have proof to show the court why my sister and the girls couldn't make it to your photo shoot yesterday!”

  “What do you mean you have proof?” Seth asks.

  Michael waves a newspaper in his hand and shouts, “We have a copy of the accident report right here!”

  “Not only that,” Nicolas shouts, “it was luckily for us that the sound and aftermath of the accident was caught on video! That way we can show the court there really was an accident in the family!”

  “How did you happen to get the sound and aftermath of the accident on video?” Seth asks.

  “Because Diane received a letter from a sick child who is confined in a hospital,” Michael says. “The child is a little girl named Stacy who is handicapped who said she wanted to meet Diane and the girls, but Diane and the girls couldn't visit the sick child Stacy because they had to do the photo shoot with you guys! Since Diane and the girls couldn't visit Stacy, they decided to send her a personal video of themselves singing to her. Mickey was holding the video camera. He was video taping Diane and the girls singing to Stacy through the camera, then suddenly the accident happened. The only thing was when the accident happened, Mickey kept the video camera rolling. That's how the sound and aftermath of the accident got caught on video!”

  Barry turns to his family and says, “Shall we show the video to them guys?”

  “Yeah let's show it to them,” Mickey says. “Here Dad.” Mickey hands the DVD to Barry. Barry hands the DVD to Seth.

  “The accident is on this DVD?” Seth asks.

  “Yes it is,” Barry says.

  “Okay. I'll load it into the DVD player. You all can have a seat.” Seth loads the DVD into the DVD player as Barry and his family take a seat. Seth then takes a seat as everyone in the room faces the large TV set. The DVD starts to play as everyone in the room starts to watch it.

  ACTION IN VIDEO:

  Three little boys, one of them a little chubby, run down the stairs inside Gracy and Mike‘s house. The three boys then run around the stairs towards the back of the house. Diane D comes in the front door holding several different color outfits wrapped in plastic bags. She is followed by Nicolas and all the Dianettes. They come into the living room where Michael and six members from The Diaz-Davidson Band are sitting on the sofa with instruments surrounding them. Diane D, Nicolas and the Dianettes greet the fellows. Diane D looks at Mickey and the camera and says, “You got that camera rolling already Mickey? The girls and I aren't ready to sing to Stacy yet.”

  “I know Diane,” Mickey’s voice says. “I thought I would just get a head start with it.”

  Diane D turns away from the camera and says to the Dianettes, “Okay girls, we have to hurry and get upstairs to change. Let's go.” Diane D walks towards the staircase as Miranda, Charlotte, Nancy and Kelly turn from the guys and head towards Diane D. Diane D goes up a few steps as Miranda, Charlotte, Nancy and Kelly come behind her. Diane D turns towards the living room and shouts, “Bernice, Lonna let's go! We gotta go upstairs and get changed!” Bernice and Lonna turn from the guys and head towards Diane D, Miranda, Charlotte, Nancy and Kelly. Diane D heads up the steps. The Dianettes follow up the steps behind her as Nancy loses her footing. Nancy, Kelly and Charlotte start to fuss a little as they all continue up the stairs.

  The video skips to an hour as Nicolas, Michael and members from the Davidson Band still sit on the sofa as Michael talks on the telephone. “What's taking Diane and the girls so long to get changed?” Mickey’s voice says. “They've been upstairs for over an hour already.”

  “Well you know how women are,” Nicolas says as he opens a can of beer. “They take a long time to change and get dressed.”

  “They sure do,” Mickey’s voice says. “I hear them coming now.”

  Lonna, Miranda and Kelly come down the stairs laughing, each dressed in identical bright orange long sleeved shirts with a Quench Soda logo on it an
d matching orange leggings with their long hair hanging around their sides and backs. They wrap their arms around each others' shoulders, turn and enter the living room smiling. “That's right girls, walk that runway,” Vincent says. Lonna, Miranda and Kelly laugh as they walk into the living room. They then sit on some chairs. Nancy, Charlotte and Bernice come down the stairs, each dressed in the same identical bright yellow long sleeved shirts with a Quench Soda logo on it and matching bright yellow leggings also with their long hair hanging around their sides and backs. They turn and stop as the three little boys run right past them, heading into the living room. Nancy, Charlotte and Bernice enter the living room. They go sit on the chairs next to Lonna, Miranda and Kelly. They all start to talk and laugh.

  The three little boys run out of the living towards the back of the house again as Nicolas shouts to them, “You guys better stop running around the house before y'all get hurt or break something!”

  “Are you girls ready to sing?” Mickey’s voice says.

  “No not yet Mickey,” Lonna says as she looks at Mickey. “We gotta wait for Diane.”

  “Well where is she? Never mind, I hear her coming.” The camera moves away from the Dianettes and goes to the staircase.

  Dana comes down the staircase dressed in a light gray turtleneck shirt and light gray denim pants with a long thick braid behind her back as Diane D, dressed in a bright green long sleeved shirt with a Quench Soda logo on it and matching bright green leggings with her long hair hanging around her sides and back, comes down the stairs right behind Dana. Dana and Diane D look towards Mickey and the camera. They then turn and look towards the living room. Dana then turns and heads towards the kitchen as Diane D turns and follows her.

  Dana enters the kitchen and goes to some cream colored paint that is sitting on the floor. She bends down to the paint and reaches for some tools. She gets on her knees and starts to stir the paint as Diane D gets on her knees and helps her. “Diane, are you ready to sing for the little girl Stacy so you can send her this video?” Mickey’s voice says.

  Diane D looks at Mickey and says, “Yeah I'm ready Mickey. I just want Dana to promise me that she's not gonna throw anymore contractors out of the house, causing Grandma and Grandpa to lose all that money.”

  “I told you I wasn't gonna do that anymore Diane,” Dana says as she stirs the paint.

  Diane D turns to Dana and says, “I want you to promise me that Dana.”

  “I promise.”

  “Are you sure now?”

  “Yeah I'm sure.”

  “Are you positive?”

  “I'm positive Diane.”

  “Good. I'm gonna hold you to that Dana.”

  “Okay Diane let's hurry and send the video to the little girl,” Mickey’s voice says. “Remember, you have a photo shoot with Quench Soda later on.”

  “Okay Mickey, I’m coming.” Diane D gets off her knees and stands back up. She heads towards the camera as Dana gets off her knees and stands back up. Dana goes to the ladder. She starts to climb the ladder. Diane D turns around and looks at Dana. She sees Dana going all the way to the top of the ladder. Diane D becomes worried and says, “My God be careful up there Dana.”

  “I will Diane,” Dana says.

  Diane D continues to look at Dana. She then turns away and starts to head to the living room as Dana goes about her business on the ladder.

  Diane D enters the living room. She approaches the Dianettes, each of them with a microphone in her hand as they talk and laugh with Michael and the members of the Diaz-Davidson Band. “Okay everybody!” Diane D shouts. The Dianettes stop talking and laughing and turn towards Diane D as Diane D goes and sits on a stool in front of the Dianettes. Diane D reaches to the side and grabs a letter. She opens the letter then picks up a microphone. She speaks into the microphone as her hoarse baritone voice booms out of the stereo speakers saying, “Okay guys and girls. We have a letter from a sick child. A little girl named Stacy who’s ten years old. She is handicapped and confined in a hospital.”

  “Handicapped and confined to a hospital?” Melvin says. “Diane how do you know it’s not another hoax?”

  “Because my grandparents went to the hospital Stacy is in to see her to make sure she was a real kid. They confirmed she is real and do exist.”

  “Oh okay, that’s good. Just wanted to make sure.”

  “No problem Melvin.” Diane D turns her head and looks into the video camera talking to Stacy through it and says, “Hi Stacy, how are you feeling? Stacy, the Dianettes and I are gonna do a photo shoot for Quench Soda later on today. Stacy, since the Dianettes and I cannot be with you in person, we'll sing a song for you on this video, then send this video to you. My brother Mickey is gonna video tape us as we sing to you. How that sounds?” Diane D turns to the Dianettes and says, “Okay, ready to sing a song for Stacy girls?”

  “Yeah we're ready Diane,” the Dianettes say.

  “Good. So what song should we sing for Stacy?”

  “Let's sing 'All I Need To Know'” Charlotte says.

  “'All I Need To Know'?”

  “Yeah, how about that?” Kelly says.

  “Aaariiiight!” Diane D, Charlotte and Kelly sway their bodies and bounce their shoulders as they smile at each other.

  “No I don't want to sing that yet,“ Miranda says. “Let's sing 'I Love You'.”

  “'I Love You'?” Lonna says. “I don't want to sing that now. Let's sing 'Dance With Me'.”

  “'Dance With Me'?” Nancy says. “I don't want to sing that either. Let's sing 'All Night Long'.”

  “Hey ,how about 'Satisfied'?” Kelly says.

  “'Satisfied'?” Miranda says. “Let's sing 'Our Love Will Cherish'.”

  “Hey I have a good one!” Bernice says. “Let's sing 'I Will Fight For Everything'.”

  “Yeah, let's do that,” Charlotte says.

  “Hey, how about 'Slept All Night'?” Nancy says.

  “Now that's a good one,” Kelly says.

  Diane D looks at the Dianettes. She then looks into the video camera and says, “Well Stacy, hopefully the girls will decide on which song to sing by, Christmas.” Diane D looks back at the Dianettes. The three little boys run back into the living room again. One boy hits the other and runs away. The other boy becomes angry and goes off after the other boy as a third boy follows and run. They dash to the back of the house. Diane D looks towards them and shouts, “Hey Stevie! I thought I told you guys to stop running around the house!”

  “He keep hitting me,” Stevie’s voice says.

  “Just stop running around the house before you or someone else gets hurt, alright!” Diane D turns back to the camera and says, “I'm sorry about that Stacy, but we've been telling these kids to stop running around the house all day.” Diane D turns back to the Dianettes and asks, “So what song are we gonna sing for Stacy girls?”

  “Let's sing 'All I Need To Know' like I first suggested,” Charlotte says.

  “'All I Need To Know' is it! That's the song we're going to sing!”

  “We’re going to sing that?” Nancy asks. “Oh come on Diane, I want to sing 'Slept All Night'.”

  “We ARE going to sing that song.”

  “Oh good.”

  “But not today.” The Dianettes look at Diane D as Diane D turns to Michael and says, “Turn the radio off Michael and start the instruments please.” Michael turns the radio off. He takes a guitar as he and the members from the Diaz-Davidson Band get ready to play the instruments. They start the instruments and play music. Diane D turns to the camera again and says, “Okay Stacy, this song is for you.” Diane D turns back to the Dianettes and says, “Ready girls?!”

  “Yeah we're ready!”

  “Good!” The three little boys run from the back of the house into the living room again. Diane D becomes angry and yells at the little boys as she points her finger at them and shouts, “Listen guys, I'm only going to tell you one mor
e time! Stop running!” The music stops playing as the three little boys stand quietly. “We're trying to sing a song for somebody! Now go in the back! Now!” The three little boys quietly leave the living room. “And don't come back out!” The three little boys walk slowly towards the back. They then run a little towards the back of the house. Diane D turns back to the camera and says, “I'm sorry again Stacy.” Diane D turns to Michael and says, “Start the music again guys?” Michael and the Diaz-Davidson Band members play the instruments again as Diane D turns to the Dianettes and says, “Ready girls?” Nancy, Charlotte and Bernice secretly speak with each other again. Diane D sees them not paying attention and shouts, “Excuse me!” Nancy, Charlotte and Bernice turn to look at Diane D as Diane D says, “If you three in the back aren't ready yet, I'm not gonna have you three sing in the video!”

  “We were ready Diane,” Bernice says.

  “No y'all weren't!” Diane D says.

  “Yes we were Diane,” Charlotte says. “Honest we were ready.” Charlotte, Nancy and Bernice look at Diane D as the music stops again. The three little boys suddenly run from the back of the house and run straight into the kitchen as Diane D turns her head towards them. Suddenly, there is a loud crash coming from the kitchen, then two loud thumps.

  “What the hell was that?” Mickey’s voice says. Diane D, The Dianettes, Michael and everyone else in the living room jump up and rush towards the kitchen! Lite music comes back on the radio.

  Diane D, the Dianettes, Michael, members from Diaz-Davidson Band and the camera enter the kitchen. They all become shocked and start to scream as they see Dana covered from head to toe in paint as she lays across the kitchen floor hurt with the ladder on the floor beside her and one of the boys laying across the kitchen floor. They all become hysterical and come to Dana's aid! They bend down to Dana and surround and hold her as she moans and groans in pain. “Dana,” everyone says. “Dana! Dana!”

  “My God,” Nicolas says. “She has paint all over herself.”

  Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura and several more relatives rush into the kitchen! They start to scream! They rush to Dana's aid also! They bend to Dana and surround and hold on to her and call out, “Dana! Dana!” The little boy gets up off the floor. Diane D and Michael angrily get up from the floor and go after the little boy. Diane D and Michael grab the little boy as Diane D shouts to him, “Didn't we tell you guys to stop running around the house?! Didn't we tell you that?!”

  “This is exactly why we told you guys to stop running!” Michael shouts. “This is exactly why!”

  “They were still running around the house?!” Aunt Celest asks.

  “Yeah,” Michael says.

  Diane D and Michael go back to Dana and bend down to her. They hold onto Dana as Dana continues to moan and groan. The three boys become hysterical as they see Dana laying across the kitchen floor hurt. They start to cry. Lonna tries to calm Diane D as Diane D talks to Dana and says, “Dana it's gonna be alright! Just hold on!”

  “She's hurt real bad!” Michael says. “We gotto call the ambulance!”

  “She can't go in the ambulance with paint all over herself!” Aunt Celeste says. “It's gonna dry up on her! What are we gonna do?”

  “We gotto clean the paint off her!” Diane D shouts, “and we got to do it fast!” Diane D turns to her aunts and shouts, “Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean and Aunt Laura, I need you all to help me clean this paint off her!”

  “You're gonna clean the paint off her now Diane?” Michael says.

  “Yeah,” Diane D says. “We gotta clean the paint off her before it dries up!”

  “How are y'all going to do that Diane?” Nicolas asks.

  “We gonna remove all the clothes off her, put them on the side, then clean her entire body up with soap and water, then put clean clothes on her! We got to do it real quick!” Diane D turns to the Dianettes and says, “Girls we got to get several bed pans and fill them all up with soap and water! We're gonna get the shampoo, soap, the water pans and her clothes from upstairs and bring them down! Come with me girls! The rest of you all stay with Dana!”

  “I'll help with the water too!” Michael says.

  “Me too,” Nicolas says.

  Diane D rushes out of the kitchen as all the Dianettes, Michael and Nicolas hurry behind her! Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura, the other relatives and members from The Diaz-Davidson Band continue to surround and hold on to Dana as Dana has her head back continuing to moan and groan.

  A couple minutes later, Diane D rushes back into the kitchen carrying a plastic pan of water, several wash cloths and several large towels. Michael and Nicolas rush back into the kitchen with large plastic pans of water, several wash cloths, several large towels, soap and a large blanket. They place the pans of water and soap on the floor beside Dana. They place the blanket on the floor. They place the wash cloths and the towels on the blanket. The Dianettes rush back into the kitchen carrying extra clothes, shampoo and soap. They place the extra clothes, shampoo and soap on the blanket beside Dana. They bend on the floor and unfold a few patterned dark blue corsets with strings on the shoulders. They unfold a few short shirts. They unfold some pants. Nancy turns to the other Dianettes and says, “Hey. We forgot to get the other corset. Come on.” The Dianettes get back up off the floor. They turn and hurry back out the kitchen.

  Aunt Laura looks at the Dianettes as they leave the kitchen. She then turns and looks at the corsets. She then says, “Those are beautiful corsets Diane. I didn’t know Dana have corsets. I didn‘t even know she owns or wears them.”

  “She doesn’t,” Diane D says. “Those are my corsets.”

  “Your corsets? I thought they looked something like your corsets Diane. Why did the girls bring your corsets down here?”

  “When they were upstairs before looking for something for Dana to wear, they came across my corsets and decided to pick out my corsets for her. They asked me can they put one of my corsets on her and dress her up in it after we clean the paint off her. I told them to go ahead, it‘s no problem. You know the girls are into fashion Aunt Laura, they’re crazy about corsets. They want to put the corsets on Dana and dress her up in them.”

  “I see.”

  The Dianettes rush back into the kitchen carrying extra clothes and extra corsets. They put one of the short shirts, a dark blue shirt, on the side. They put a dark blue corset on top of it. They then put one of the pants, a matching dark blue leggings, next to the dark blue shirt. They then put the corsets right next to the dark blue shirt and dark blue pants. They then unfold some dark blue socks. Diane D then shouts, “Okay Aunt Celeste, Aunt Laura and Aunt Jean, we gotto get ready to undress her real quick! Surround her!” Aunt Celeste, Aunt Laura and Aunt Jean get up and surround Dana. They bend back down to Dana and hold each of her limbs far apart as they prepare to pull up her shirt. Lonna and Bernice hold each of Dana's legs and feet. Diane D turns to everyone else and shouts, “Now what I need now, is for everyone else to clear out the kitchen!”

  “Clear the kitchen?” Melvin says. “Why? Dana is hurt! Can't we all stay in here with her?”

  “No Melvin everybody cannot stay in here with Dana, we're getting ready to undress her! We're gonna remove all her clothes so we can clean her up! So I need everybody out the kitchen!”

  “I want to stay with Dana,” Stevie says.

  “You don’t need to stay with Dana Stevie! You're the cause of her getting hurt and now you want to stay with her?! The only thing you can do for Dana right now is to leave the kitchen!” Diane D shouts to the crowd, “Come on everybody, you all gotto hurry and clear the kitchen so we can clean the paint off Dana before the ambulance gets here! Everybody leave the kitchen, now!”

  “We want to stay with Dana,” Stevie says.

  Diane D angrily grabs and jerks Stevie by the arm and shouts, “Listen man! Don’t give me a hard time alright?” She then shoves Stevie righ
t out the kitchen towards the living room and shouts, “Just go!” Aunt Celeste, Aunt Laura and Aunt Jean continue to hold on to Dana and look on as Diane D pushes Stevie, the other little boys and the relatives into the living room. Diane D turns to the other people and shout, “Okay I need everybody on this side out the back door!”

  “Does the camera have to leave the room too?” Melvin asks.

  “Oh yes definitely, especially the camera! Everybody out!” The camera, Michael, Nicolas and the rest of the crowd go out the back door of the kitchen as Diane D pushes them all out.

  The video camera, Michael, Nicolas and the crowd are outside the house in the back yard. Diane D comes in the back doorway and says, “Michael, we should have Dana cleaned up and changed by the time the ambulance gets here.”

  “Alright Diane,” Michael says.

  Diane D turns to her aunts and shouts, “Okay Aunt Celeste, you all start undressing her!” Diane D shuts the back door and locks it.

  Fifteen minutes later, everybody is standing in front of the house on the sidewalk waiting for the ambulance. “Where is the ambulance?” Melvin asks. “They should've been here by now. Are you sure you called for the ambulance Michael?”

  “Yeah I called the ambulance Melvin,” Michael says. “The operator said the ambulance will be on its way.”

  “Then what's taking it so long?” Nicolas asks.

  “I don't know.”

  “Let me call them.” Nicolas takes Michael's cell phone and dials a number. He speaks into the cell phone and walks away as everyone looks on tense.

  A few minutes later, Nicolas hysterically comes back to Michael and says, “Michael, did you give the operator the correct address here?”

  “Sure I did,” Michael says. “I think I did.”

  “What address or street did you tell them?”

  “I'm not sure what address or street I told them. I was too nervous to realize what I was saying to them.”

  “They said you told them two thirtieth street?”

  “I did?”

  “Yes! This is not two thirtieth street, this is two thirty-three! You sent the ambulance three blocks away from here!”

  “Oh no! I'm sorry! I told you I was too nervous to realize what I was saying to them!”

  “It's okay. I told them the correct address and street number.”

  “Well if the ambulance is on two thirtieth, I better go catch it!”

  “You're gonna go three blocks?” Melvin asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “How are you going to get there?”

  “I'm gonna run.”

  “Run?!”

  “Yeah.”

  “I'll run with you Michael,” Nicolas says.

  “Okay. But before we run there I better tell Diane about the mix up.”

  “I'll come with you,” Melvin says. Michael, Melvin, the camera and everyone else go to the back of the house as Nicolas stays in the front.

  Everyone walks towards the back steps. They see a water hose going into a small opening in the kitchen window. “What are they doing,” Michael asks, “hosing her down?”

  “I think so,” Melvin says.

  Michael approaches the steps to the back door. He goes up the steps, knocks on the back door and shouts, “Diane! Diane!”

  The sound of footsteps hurry to the other side of the door. “Yeah?!” Diane D’s voice shouts.

  “Diane when I called for the ambulance, I accidentally gave the operator the wrong address!”

  “You gave the operator the wrong address?!”

  “Yeah!”

  “What address did you give them Michael?!”

  “I told the operator two thirtieth street instead of two thirty-three! I accidentally sent the ambulance three blocks away!”

  “You did?!”

  “Yeah! Nicolas and I are about to run and catch the ambulance!”

  “You two are gonna run three blocks away?!”

  “Yeah! We would take the car, but the street is all blocked with construction work!”

  “Where's Nicolas at now?!”

  “He's in the front waiting for me!”

  “Wait a minute, hold on! I'm coming out there! Is the camera there at the door?!”

  “Yeah the camera's at the door!”

  “Well turn it away from the door, because I'm about to open the door and Dana is not dressed yet!”

  “Okay!” Michael turns to Mickey and says, “Turn the camera away from the door Mickey.” The camera turns away from the door. The sound of the back door unlocks. It then opens, then shuts. The camera turns back towards the door. Diane D is standing outside the back door with a towel covered in paint in her wet hands as Michael asks, “What's up with the water hose Diane?”

  “Aunt Celeste and Aunt Jean are hosing Dana down now,” Diane D says.

  “Oh yeah? How's she doing?”

  “Not good.”

  “Did y'all get the paint off her?”

  “We got most of it off.” Diane D comes down the steps as Michael comes down the steps behind her and says, “There's still some on her skin and her hair.”

  “What else is the matter with her?” Melvin asks.

  “She has a bump on top of her head.”

  “She has a bump on her head?”

  “Yeah and it's bleeding.”

  “Bleeding? Oh no, let us get in there to her!” Melvin and everyone else try to go up the steps.

  Diane D holds her hands up to them and stops them, then shouts, “No y'all can't go in there yet, Dana's not dressed! We're right in the middle of rinsing all the soap off her skin and her hair! Michael if you're going to catch the ambulance, I'm gonna go with you! I want to make sure that ambulance get right over here! Especially get them here through this messed up street! Let me tell Aunt Celeste and them I'll be back.” Diane D turns and goes back up the steps as Michael goes up the steps behind her. She knocks on the back door and shouts, “Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste! Come to the door!”

  The sound of footsteps hurry to the other side of the back door. “What's up Diane?” Aunt Celeste’s voice says.

  “Listen Aunt Celeste, I'm gonna go run and catch the ambulance with Michael! I'll be right back! Continue to take care of Dana! Finish rinsing her off then dry her up then put the clean clothes on her!”

  “Gotcha Diane!”

  “And don't let anybody else back in the kitchen until she is decent enough, alright?”

  “Alright Diane!”

  “Lock the door! I’ll be back!”

  “Okay!” The sound of the back door locks.

  Diane D turns around and says, “Come on Michael, let's go catch that ambulance!” Diane D wipes her hand then throws the towel to the side as she and Michael run down the steps and run from the back door. They turn and run towards the side of the house as the camera and everyone else follows them.

  Diane D, Michael and a few members from The Diaz-Davidson Band run towards the front of the house.

  Diane D, Michael and a few members from The Diaz-Davidson Band reach the front of the house and run to Nicolas as Diane D shouts, “Ready Nicolas? Let‘s go.” Diane D, Michael and Nicholas turn and run down the street. Everyone else stands in front of the house looking on nervous and tense.

  Several minutes later, the video camera goes to the back of the house again. The camera goes up the steps to the back door. Mickey knocks on the back door and shouts, “Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste!”

  The sound of footsteps hurry to the other side of the door. “Yeah?” Aunt Celeste’s voice shouts.

  “Do y'all have Dana dressed yet? I want to come in there now!”

  “No we didn't get her dressed yet Mickey! We just finished drying her up! We're getting ready to put her underwear on her!”

  “Her underwear?”

  “Yeah!”

  “Okay, I'll wait a few minutes!”

  “Okay!”

  The camer
a turns away from the back door.

  Ten minutes later, the video camera turns back towards the back door. Mickey knocks on the back door again and shouts, “Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste!”

  The sound of footsteps hurry to the other side of the door again. “Yeah?” Aunt Celeste’s voice shouts.

  “Is Dana decent yet?”

  “No not yet Mickey! The girls have to put her pants on her and the corset top on her!”

  “Oh, alright! I'll wait another few minutes!”

  “Okay!”

  The camera turns away from the back door.

  Ten minutes later, the video camera turns back towards the back door. Mickey knocks on the back door again and shouts, “Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste!”

  The sound of footsteps come to the other side of the door again. “Yeah Mickey,” Aunt Celeste’s voice says.

  “Is Dana decent yet? Did y'all finish getting her dress?”

  “Practically! We're just trying to dry off her back and neck!”

  “She still has water on her?!”

  “Yeah a little bit!”

  “So her back is not covered yet?!”

  “No not yet!”

  “Is the rest of her covered up?”

  “Yeah!”

  “So is she decent enough for me to bring the camera back in there?”

  “No, wait till the girls finish putting the corset top and shirt on her! Once the girls finish putting the corset top and shirt on her, you can bring the camera in!”

  “Okay.” The camera turns away from the back door.

  Five minutes later, the video camera turns back towards the back door. Mickey knocks on the back door again and shouts, “Aunt Celeste! Aunt Celeste!”

  The sound of footsteps come to the other side of the door again. “Yeah?” Aunt Celeste’s voice shouts.

  “Is Dana decent yet?”

  “Yeah, she‘s decent now! The girls already put the corset top on her, they‘re now just putting the shirt on her!”

  “Alright! Let me in!”

  “Okay! Hold on!”

  The camera turns away from the door. The sound of the back door unlocks, then opens. The camera turns back towards the back door. The back door is opened.

  The video camera enters back into the kitchen as Aunt Celeste goes to the living room. The three little boys and other family members from the living room re-enter the kitchen. Everybody sees shampoo, hair sprays, lotion, powder, perfumes and mineral ice sitting all on the kitchen floor around the Dianettes. They see two water hoses, one coming from out the kitchen window and the other one connected to the sink faucet laying on the floor near the Dianettes. Everybody sees Dana's paint soaked former clothes laying on the side on a stack of newspapers. They see all the Dianettes down on their knees on the floor entirely surrounding Dana’s head and upper body and Aunt Laura and Aunt Jean around Dana’s waist and hips as Dana lays face down on the floor on a large body pillow dressed in dark blue leggings and dark blue socks with her legs and feet spread apart. They see Miranda and Bernice on Dana's right and Charlotte and Lonna on Dana's left with Miranda and Charlotte holding Dana's arms and hands high up over behind her lower back almost bringing her hands together as they, Bernice and Lonna pull the short dark blue shirt all the way up on Dana's arms all the way up to her back, shoulders and neck putting the short dark blue shirt right on her from the back as Kelly and Nancy comb Dana's long wet hair. “Dana,” a few voices say. Miranda, Charlotte, Bernice and Lonna then spread Dana’s arms apart as they continue to put the short dark blue shirt all the way on her from the back. “Is she okay?” Mickey’s voice asks. “Is she conscious?”

  “We‘re not sure Mickey,” Aunt Jean says. “She's in a lot of pain right now.”

  “Okay everybody!” Uncle Willie shouts. “Stand back and give them some room!” Everybody stands back and look on.

  “Dana,” the three little boys start to cry out.

  “When's the ambulance gonna get here?” Aunt Celeste asks.

  “We don't know Aunt Celeste,” Mickey’s voice says. “Diane, Michael and Nicolas ran to get it. They had to run three blocks away to get it because the ambulance was sent to the wrong street.”

  “Yeah we heard.”

  Uncle Willie gets on the floor and help Aunt Celeste, Aunt Laura, Aunt Jean and the Dianettes tend to Dana as Dana lays quietly and motionless face down on the body pillows. Kelly then braids Dana's long hair trying to make it into one long thick braid as Nancy helps hold Dana's hair. “Dana,” the three little boys start to cry out again. The three little boys and some of the crowd start to approach Dana.

  Uncle Willie shoves the three little boys back and shouts, “Some of y'all have to get back! They need room! Give them some space, especially you three! Give them some space!” The three little boys and some of the people step back. Other relatives approach Dana. They sit on the floor surrounding Dana's legs and hips as Aunt Celeste, Aunt Laura, Aunt Jean and the Dianettes continue to help Dana. “Okay let's turn her over,” Aunt Laura says.

  “Okay,” Aunt Jean says. Aunt Jean turns to Dana and says, “We're gonna turn you over Dana.”

  “Come on let's lift her,” Aunt Celeste says. “One two three go!” Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura and the Dianettes reach beneath Dana's left side. They lift the left side of Dana’s body all the way up having Dana’s body facing sideways. They lose their grip on Dana’s left side, causing Dana's body to fall down on a couple of their hands. Dana’s body lays face down on their hands as she lays there with her eyes closed.

  “My hand is stuck beneath her,” Lonna says as her right hand holds onto Dana’s lower back and her right hand is stuck beneath Dana's belly.

  “My hand is stuck beneath her too,” Charlotte says as her right hand holds onto Dana’s upper back and her right hand is stuck beneath Dana's chest. “Wow, I can feel her heart beating.”

  “You can?” Aunt Celeste asks. “That’s a good sign then. That means she’s still alive. We'll help lift her off your hands. Come on everybody let’s lift!” Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura, the Dianettes and everyone near Dana's legs lift the left side of Dana's body turning her body sideways again. Charlotte and Lonna pull their hands out from beneath Dana’s body. Everyone else then turn Dana over face up towards the ceiling as the strings and straps of the corset hang from off her shoulders. Dana’s body practically comes off the side of the body pillow as everyone holds her.

  “We gotta lift her entire body up,” Uncle Willie says. “One two three lift!” Uncle Willie and everyone else lifts Dana’s entire body up a little.

  “Ah she's a heavy one,” Aunt Laura says. They bring Dana's body back over the body pillow then gently bring her body back down, having her lay face up on the body pillow with her head back a little, her arms down on the side against the floor and the short dark blue over shirt wide open baring her muscular shoulders, her muscular chest, her muscular cleavage, the short dark blue corset, her abdominal area and her entire 6-pack abs. Everyone near Dana’s face strangely look at Dana's eyes as she lays with and her eyes slightly open, eyeballs hidden beneath her eyelids and face a little sweaty.

  “Is she okay?” Uncle Willie asks.

  “I think so,” Aunt Celeste says. Everyone standing stares at Dana's eyes. Kelly then takes a damp hand towel and gently wipes Dana's eyes with it closing Dana‘s eyelids. She then wipes Dana‘s sweaty face as Nancy takes another damp hand towel and wipe off Dana's neck and upper chest area with it. Charlotte, Lonna, Bernice and Miranda take another damp hand towel and wipe Dana's sides and abdominal area with them.

  Kelly and Nancy finish wiping Dana's face, eyes and chest area. Kelly then pulls the strings and straps from the top of Dana’s corset on Dana's left side. She tries to tie the strings over Dana’s left shoulder as Nancy pulls the strings and straps from the top of Dana’s corset on Dana's right side and tries to tie the strings over Dana‘s right shoulder.
“I don‘t know whether these shoulder strings and straps should be loose or tight right now,” Kelly says.

  “I don‘t know either,” Nancy says.

  “I'll come over there and help decide that,” Bernice says. Bernice gets up off the floor. She goes around Miranda and Kelly and goes around Dana’s head to the top of Dana's right shoulder where Nancy is. She gets down on the floor near Dana's head and right shoulder. She then says, “We‘re not gonna make the strings too loose or too tight right now. We‘re gonna have it just right for now.” Bernice takes the strings on the front right side of Dana's corset and the strings from the back right side and says, “You go like this.” She starts to tie the strings together in a knot right on top of Dana's right shoulder. She then ties the strings into a bow. She then pulls the strap on the front right side of Dana's corset and the strap from the back right side. She starts to fasten the corset straps together.

  “Those strings and straps seem kind of complicated,” Aunt Celeste says. “Why didn’t you all just put a simple tank top on her? Dana has plenty of tank tops.”

  “But we like these corsets Aunt Celeste,” Kelly says.

  “Yeah look at them,” Miranda says as she holds up the other three corsets. “Aren’t they pretty?”

  Nancy takes one of the three corsets and holds up a pretty short, bright red rose print corset that has red straps and strings over the shoulder parts also. She then turns the corset around. She shows the strings and fasteners on the back of it and says, “This corset is so pretty just like this one.”

  “They are very pretty,” Aunt Celeste says. “There’re so much strings and straps on the shoulder parts and in the back parts. I just hope Dana doesn’t have a hard time with those strings and straps when it’s time for her to take this corset off.”

  “We got it covered Aunt Celeste,” Bernice says as she adjusts the corset straps around Dana's right shoulder. “When it’s time for this corset to come off her, we’re gonna unloosen the strings and straps ourselves then remove this corset off her ourselves. After that, we’re gonna put one of the other corsets on her and tie the strings and straps again, simple as that.”

  “How about just putting a simple tank top on her Bernice. That‘s what she usually wears.”

  “We got corset bras for her to wear beneath her tank tops Aunt Celeste.”

  “Corset bras for her to wear beneath her tank tops?”

  “Yeah Aunt Celeste,” Lonna says. “We have corset bras that are suppose to be worn underneath clothing as under garments and we have corsets that can be worn outdoors.”

  “Oh yeah?” Aunt Celeste says.

  “Yeah.”

  “Let me see.”

  Lonna turns to the side. She grabs 2 shiny white bra corsets that have strings and straps around the shoulder parts. She holds up the 2 white bra corsets. She turns the corset bras around. There are strings, snaps and fasteners in the back of the corset bras as Lonna says, “These white bra corsets are to be worn underneath her tank tops and the other corsets can be worn outside on the street.”

  “Those bra corsets have strings on them too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we like these corsets Aunt Celeste.”

  “Yeah, we want to put it on her,” Bernice says as she finishes adjusting and tightening the corset straps making the straps fit just right around Dana’s right shoulder.

  “Don’t worry Aunt Celeste,” Miranda says. “We’re good with the strings and straps. We‘ll take care of them.”

  “Okay then,” Aunt Celeste says.

  Bernice then goes around Dana's head to Dana's left shoulder where Kelly is. She takes the strings on the front left side of Dana's corset and the strings from the back left side. She starts to tie the strings together in a knot right on top of Dana's left shoulder. She then ties the strings into a bow. She then pulls the strap on the front left side of Dana's corset and the strap from the back left side. She starts to fasten the straps together. She looks at Dana's neck and says, “I thought y'all cleaned her neck up.”

  “We did clean her neck up,” Charlotte says.

  “Then what's that on it?”

  The Dianettes, Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura look at Dana's neck. Miranda gently touches and pulls the skin on Dana's neck and inspects it. She looks at her fingers and rubs her fingers off. She touches and pulls the skin on Dana's neck again and says, “I don't know. It looks like a bruise.”

  Nancy touches and pulls the skin on Dana's neck and inspect it too. “No I don't think that's a bruise,” she says. “I think that's dirt.”

  “Dirt?” Lonna says. “How would dirt get on her neck?”

  “From when she fell. Let me wipe it off and see if it comes off.” Nancy takes the damp towel and wipes Dana's neck. The spot doesn't come off. “It is a bruise,” she says.

  Everyone sadly looks at Dana's neck. Aunt Celeste gets up off the floor. She comes near Dana’s head. She gets on the floor near Dana’s head and takes a small damp cloth. She presses it on Dana’s neck.

  “Did y'all get the paint off her ears?” Uncle Willie asks.

  “Yeah we got it all off,” Aunt Laura says.

  Bernice finishes adjusting and tightening the corset straps making the straps fit just right around Dana's left shoulder. Lonna, Charlotte, Miranda and Aunt Jean start to pull the bottom of Dana's corset down on her as her six-pack abs and belly button continue to show, but the corset doesn't come down any. “I think we have to pull it down from the back first,” Aunt Jean says. “Okay let's lift her up.” Aunt Jean and everyone else near Dana’s torso and hips reach their hands beneath Dana's body. They lift the middle of her body up. They reach their other hands way beneath Dana's back and bring her corset down in the back. They gently bring Dana’s body back down. They gently pull Dana's corset down as much as they can in the front and sides. “Now let's close her shirt,” Aunt Jean says. Aunt Jean, Lonna, Miranda and Charlotte close Dana's dark blue over shirt, covering her cleavage, chest and abdominal area. They all then take Dana’s arms and hands from the sides and place her hands right over her lower chest beneath her breasts and fold them. Nancy takes a small damp towel and presses it right on the top of Dana's head. Dana hisses and moves her legs and body a little, wearing a frown on her face with her eyes closed as everybody tries to hold her still.

  “Is she okay Nancy?” Aunt Jean asks.

  “Oh I don‘t know,” Nancy says. “I was just trying to hold the towel on her bump.”

  “She has a bump on her head?” Uncle Willie asks.

  “Yeah,” Aunt Celeste and the Dianettes say.

  Uncle Willie and some relatives come near Dana’s head as Nancy gently places the towel down on the side. Uncle Willie and the relatives bend down to Dana’s head and look at the top of her head. “Where’s the bump at Nancy,” Uncle Willie asks.

  “It’s right here,” Nancy says as she puts her fingers on the top of Dana’s head then moves some hair on the top of Dana’s head apart.

  Uncle Willie puts his fingers on the top of Dana’s head and puts his fingers through her hair. He feels for the bump and says, “Yeah I can feel the bump,” he says.

  “Let me feel it,” Mickey’s voice says as he points the video camera towards the top of Dana’s head. He puts his fingers on the top of Dana’s head and puts his fingers through her hair too. He feels for the bump and says, “I can feel the bump too.”

  Suddenly the far away sound of the ambulance siren is being heard approaching. “The ambulance is coming!” one of the three little boys says.

  “Good,” everyone says. Everyone hears the siren getting closer and closer. They then hear the siren stop.

  The camera goes to the back door. The back door opens and the camera goes to the back yard.

  The video camera goes to the side of the house and waits for a couple minutes. Diane D, Michael, Nicolas and a team
of three male paramedics suddenly appear and rush towards the back yard with a stretcher. Nicolas turns to the paramedics and says, “She's right in here guys!”

  Diane D turns to Mickey and says, “How's Dana doing Mickey?!”

  “She’s still the same Diane,” Mickey’s voice says. The camera turns and goes back to the back door. The camera reaches the back door and goes back into the kitchen.

  The Dianettes, Aunt Celeste, Aunt Jean, Aunt Laura and everyone else continue to surround Dana on the floor as they look down at her face while her eyes remain closed and face still a little sweaty. Lonna sprays Dana's neck with some perfume as Kelly wipes the sweat off Dana's face. Diane D, Michael, Nicolas and the paramedics rush in the back door with the stretcher. They rush to Dana as Diane D points to Dana and shouts, “She's right here guys!” Diane D, Michael and Nicolas hurry to Dana as the paramedics hurry behind them with a stretcher. Diane D, Michael and Nicolas bend on the floor to Dana as Diane D says, “Dana the paramedics are here for you, okay? Just hang on.”

  “Okay we got her,” one of the paramedics says. The paramedics bend down on the floor and tend to Dana. They and everyone else lower the stretcher to the floor. They gently grab Dana and lift her up. They gently place her on the stretcher. The paramedics put a sheet over Dana, tuck her in then roll the stretcher towards the doorway as Diane D and everyone else follows them.

  It is an hour later. Diane D's relatives and members of the Diaz-Davidson band are inside the hospital lobby surrounding the Dianettes as the Dianettes sit on the chairs.

  Diane D nervously paces back and forth several yards away. Michael and Nicolas approach Diane D. Diane D stops pacing and looks at Michael and Nicolas as Nicolas tells her, “Diane I called Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Christine, Uncle David and everybody else a little while ago. They all got hysterical when I told them what happened to Dana. They're all on their way up here. I also called Tony. He's on his way up here too.”

  “Okay good,” Diane D says. “Did y'all file the accident report with the police yet?”

  “Yeah they took the report already. They gave us a copy.” Nicolas shows Diane D a paper.

  “Good.”

  “Try to relax Diane,” Michael says.

  “Michael how can I? I'm worried about Dana.”

  “I know. You want me to get you some coffee?”

  “That's not a bad idea.”

  “Okay.”

  “Nicolas do me a favor? Call up Quench Soda and tell them that we can't make it to the photo shoot today? I would call them myself, but I'm too emotional and upset right now.”

  “No problem Diane,” Nicolas says. “I'll call them right away.” Nicolas goes to the side.

  Michael turns to the crowd and shouts, “Anybody want some coffee while we wait because I'm heading to the coffee shop! Girls y'all want some coffee?!”

  “Yeah we want some coffee,” Bernice says.

  “We'll come with you Michael,” Lonna says.

  “Okay!” Michael says. Michael and Diane D turn and go towards the exit as Bernice, Kelly and Lonna get up from their seats. Bernice, Kelly and Lonna follow Michael and Diane D as some of Diane D's relatives and some members of the Diaz-Davidson band follow Bernice, Kelly and Lonna.

  Bernice, Kelly, Lonna, Diane D's relatives and the members of the Diaz-Davidson Band go through the vestibule and go out the front exit glass door as Diane D and Michael come through the vestibule with their arms wrapped around each other. Diane D turns to Michael and says, “Y'all go ahead Michael. I want to wait around to hear about Dana.”

  “Okay Diane,” Michael says. “We'll be back.”

  “Okay.”

  Michael pats Diane D on the shoulder then goes out the front exit. Diane D stays inside the vestibule and worriedly watches them all. She then backs a little and starts to pace back and forth again being worried and nervous as she holds the back of her neck.

  “Try to relax Diane,” Mickey’s voice says.

  Diane D stops pacing. She looks behind the video camera at Mickey and says, “How can I Mickey?! Not knowing what's going on with Dana. I wish they hurry and tell us something.”

  “They will.”

  “Diane D!” teenage girls’ voices suddenly shout. “Oh my God! It's Diane D!”

  “Who's that?”

  Diane D quickly looks behind the video camera at Mickey then turns and looks towards the front exit. The video camera turns towards the front exit. Three black pre-teen girls from outside excitingly run to the exit door. They open the exit door and excitingly come into the vestibule. They approach Diane D and shout, “Diane D! Oh my God it's you!” The girls look behind the camera at Mickey and say, “And your brother!” The girls look back at Diane D and say, “Hi Diane D!”

  “We thought that looked like the Dianettes walking out there with your husband and some other people!” the first girl says. “How are you all doing Diane D?!”

  “We're okay so far,” Diane D says.

  “Wow that's good!”

  “Wow,” the second girl says. “Those are nice Quench Soda outfits you and the Dianettes have on!”

  “Thanks,” Diane D says.

  “So what are you all doing here Diane D?!” the third girl asks. “What are you doing here in the hospital?!”

  “Well my cousin had an accident at home and she's here in the hospital.”

  “Your cousin had an accident at home?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Which cousin?”

  “Dana.”

  “Dana?!” the first girl says. “You mean the one who was arrested with you before? And the one who was suspected of shooting ……..”

  “Yep! That's the one.”

  “Oh. Well what happened to her?”

  “She fell off a ladder in my grandparents' kitchen.”

  “She fell off a ladder in your grandparents' kitchen?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How that happened?”

  “My little cousins were running around the house, ran into the kitchen and ran right into the ladder while Dana was on top of it painting the ceiling. The ladder slipped right from beneath Dana and fell to the floor so Dana fell and crashed right to the floor and got hurt real bad. That's why she's in here.”

  “God. I hope she'll be okay.”

  “Yeah we all hope so t…,” Diane puzzled looks down at the girls' hands and asks, “What are those in your hands?”

  The first girl and the other two girls hold their hands up, each holding a cigarette between their fingers as the first girl says, “These are cigarettes.”

  “Cigarettes?! You're smoking?!”

  “Well, yeah.”

  “My God, how old are you?!”

  “Twelve,” the first girl says.

  “Eleven,” the third girl says.

  “Twelve,” the second girl says.

  “Twelve year olds and an eleven year old!” Diane D shouts, “and you're smoking?! You're too young to be smoking, what's wrong with you?! Don't you know cigarettes are bad for your health?!”

  “Calm down Diane,” Mickey’s voice says.

  The girls nervously look at Diane D as Diane D shouts to them, “You girls shouldn't be smoking cigarettes at all! Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves, smoking cigarettes at your age! Do your parents know you do this?”

  “Well.…,” the girls nervously say.

  “I didn't think so. Listen, I want you girls to do me a big, big a favor, alright? I want you three to take your cigarettes and throw them right there in the trash can,” Diane D says as she angrily points to a trash can on the side of the vestibule. The girls nervously look at the trash can. They nervously look back at Diane D. “Well what are y’all waiting for?” Diane D shouts. “Throw the cigarettes in the trash can!” The girls nervously look at the trash can again. They nervously look back at Diane D. “Well,” Diane D says. “I see y'all don't want to throw your cigarettes away. Fine
, I'll take the cigarettes! Hand me your cigarettes please!” Diane D says as she holds her hand out to the cigarettes. “Come on hand it over!” The girls nervously hand Diane D their cigarettes. Diane D takes the cigarettes out of the teenage girls’ hands. “There,” she says. She angrily waves her index finger at the girls and says, “Now I don't ever want you three to smoke anymore cigarettes, especially at your age, do you hear me?” The girls sadly look at Diane D. “I said do y'all hear me.”

  “Yes,” the girls nervously say.

  “Good.” Diane D holds the three cigarettes up and looks at them. She starts to admire the cigarettes. She looks towards the front door and sees Boris approaching it. She then calls out to him and shouts, “Hey Boris!” Diane D walks away from the teenage girls with their cigarettes in her hand. She walks towards the exit door as the teenage girls puzzled look at her.

  “Diane, what are doing?” Mickey’s voice asks.

  “I'll be back Mickey,” Diane D says.

  Diane D opens the front exit door and stands in the doorway as Boris approaches her. “Hey Boris,” she says.

  “What's up Diane?” Boris says.

  “I have a few cigarettes. You got a light?”

  “Do I have a light?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where did you get cigarettes from Diane?”

  “Don’t worry about where I got the cigarettes from. Do you have a light?”

  “Yeah I got a light.”

  “Good. You wanna go for a smoke?”

  “Go for a smoke? I guess we can go for a smoke.”

  “Cool, let‘s go.” Diane D pushes the exit door more open and goes out the front door.

  “Where are you going Diane?!” Mickey’s voice shouts. Diane D and Boris turn and walk away from the exit door and disappear outside as Mickey shouts, “Diane! Diane!” The exit door closes.

  The pre-teen girls puzzled look towards the exit doors. Then they turn to each other as the first girl shockingly says, “She took our cigarettes.” The girls puzzled look at one another then turn towards the camera and puzzled look at Mickey.

  The next afternoon in the video, the video scene shows Diane D, dressed in a shiny long sleeved cream colored blouse with a shiny cream colored corset underneath and shiny cream colored pants with her hair back in one long wavy thick ponytail with a shiny cream colored bow behind the back of her head at the top of her pony tail, and Michael walking through the hospital corridor towards a hospital room. Dana's sisters, Missy, Landa, Londa and Linda, their cousin Judy and several Jamaican relatives are at the doorway. “Hey everybody,” Diane D says.

  “What's up everybody?” Michael says.

  “Hey Diane,” Landa says.

  “Hey Michael,” Linda says.

  Diane D and Michael give Dana's sisters and relatives a hug. Dana's sisters and relatives then hug Mickey. “Yuh still got dat camera Mickey?” Londa asks.

  “Yep,” Mickey’s voice says. “I still got it.”

  “So what's up?” Diane D says. “What’s going on in there?”

  “Well everybody is in there surrounding Dana,” Missy says.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. How're you guys doing?”

  “Okay.”

  “Wow Diane,” Linda says. “You look so pretty.”

  “Thanks baby. How's Dana?”

  “Oh she's sleeping right now,” Judy says.

  “Yeah,” Landa says. “She‘s been asleep ever since we got here.”

  “Oh yeah?” Diane D asks.

  “Yeah. Mom, Dad, Grandmas and Grandpas are all in there.”

  “You mean the family and relatives from Jamaica came up?” Michael asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Tony's in there too,” Judy says.

  “He is?” Michael asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s not too much room in there,” Linda says. “Thas why we're out here.”

  “Well let me squeeze in there and see what's going on,” Mickey’s voice says. Mickey heads the camera into the hospital room.

  The video camera comes into the hospital room. The hospital room is crowded with Dana‘s family and relatives from Jamaica, West Indies. Tony, Gracy, Grandpa Mike, David, Christine, Christine's parents Winston and Marie, Marie's sister Merlene and around nine or more of Christine's other family and relatives surround Dana's hospital bed near her head talking, smiling and admiring Dana as Dana lays face up in the bed sound asleep with a blanket up to her hips, dressed in a shiny long sleeved dark red rose print blouse with the shiny bright red rose print corset underneath and shiny dark red leggings with her hair back in one long thick braid with a shiny dark red bow near the bottom of her long thick braid as her long thick braid rests on top of the side of her chest. She has one knee up underneath the blanket, her right hand resting on her lower chest and her left arm and hand resting underneath the back of her head. “Did she eat yet?” Gracy asks

  “Yeah,” David says. “The nurse said she only ate a little breakfast this morning.”

  “She only ate a little breakfast?” Grandpa Mike asks. “How come?”

  “I guess she didn’t have much of an appetite, because her head still hurts from the bump on it.”

  “Oh I see.”

  “Wow,” Merlene says. “She looks so beautiful laying here like dis.”

  “She sure does,” Marie says. “And what a lovely outfit she’s wearing too.”

  “It sure is,” Christine’s sister Patricia says. “I got to get me one.” Everyone laughs a little as Dana remains asleep with her eyes closed.

  “Hey everybody,” Diane D’s voice says. Dana's family, relatives, Tony and the video camera turn and see Diane D, Michael and Judy enter the room.

  “Hey Diane, Michael,” Dana‘s family and relatives say.

  “What's up guys?” Diane D says. Diane D, Michael and Judy go to Dana's bedside and approach Christine and David. Diane D and Michael give Christine and David hugs and kisses. They all then turn and look down at Dana as Diane D asks, “So what's going on right now? How's she doing so far?”

  “Well her head is a little warm,” Christine says.

  “It is?”

  “Yeah.” Christine and Diane D feel Dana's forehead. They then remove their hands from off her forehead.

  “They took care of the bump on her head and said they want to keep her in the hospital for a few days for observation,” David says.

  “Yeah they told us the same thing yesterday,” Diane D says.

  “They said when she comes home, she might have to use a cane to help her walk and get around for a month,” Gracy says.

  “Yeah we heard,” Michael says.

  “Your Mom, Dad, your Grandma Margarita and your Grandpa Tomas left here twenty minutes ago Diane,” Christine says.

  “They did?” Diane D asks.

  “Yeah mon. They're suppose to come back later on.”

  “Okay.”

  “Dana has a nice scent on her Diane,” Marie says.

  “She sure does,” Winston says. “Wah soap or ointment is that on her?”

  “It’s the Ginger Peach soap, bath oil, shower gel and lotion,” Diane D says.

  “Ginga Peach soap, bath oil, showa gel and lotion?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I've seen that somewhere before,” Christine’s brother Alan says. “Who put it on her?”

  “Oh the girls and I came here this morning and bathed her with the Ginga Peach soap.”

  “You and the girls came here this morning and bathed her?” Merlene asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Was she awake at that time?” Marie asks.

  “Yeah she was awake. Her eyes were half open because she was still sleepy.”

  “She was?”

  “Yeah. After the girls and I bathed her, we put the bath oil, shower gel and lotion on her.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wo
w, it’s smells so nice,” Merlene says. “We also love this beautiful red outfit she has on. Whose outfit is this?”

  “That’s my outfit Aunt Merlene.”

  “Your outfit?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s so pretty,” Marie says. “But why is your outfit on Dana?”

  “The girls wanted to put my outfit on Dana, so they did.”

  “You mean they put this entire outfit on her?”

  “Yup, they sure did.”

  “Wow,” Christine says. “What about this pretty red corset she has on underneath her shirt? Where did she get this corset from?”

  “That’s one of my corsets Aunt Christine.”

  “One of your corsets?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What’s it doing on Dana?”

  “The girls wanted to put it on her.”

  “They put the corset on her too?”

  “Yeah, they put everything on her.”

  “But Dana doesn’t normally wear corsets Diane,” Marie says.

  “I know she doesn‘t normally wear corsets Grandma Marie, but the girls wanted to put the corset on her anyway. After Dana got hurt yesterday, the girls wanted to try one of my corsets on her after we cleaned the paint off her, so they chose my blue corset and put it right on her. They saw how nice my blue corset looked on Dana, that’s why they wanted to put my red corset on her this morning with my red outfit.”

  “So what happened to your blue corset the girls had on her yesterday?” Gracy asks.

  “The girls had to take it right back off Dana when it was time for her to get an X-ray.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So how did you all wound up with this red corset outfit on her?” Christine asks.

  “Well after we bathed Dana this morning, the girls had a few corsets with them and started fussing over which corset to put on her.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah. I told them that if they don’t stop fussing and hurry up and decide which corset to put on Dana, I was going to decide myself which corset to put on her.”

  “Oh yeah? So what did they do?”

  “They made a quick unanimous decision and decided to go with this red corset. That’s why you see this red corset on Dana.”

  “Wow, it looks very pretty on her.”

  “It does. Then the girls wanted to put matching colors on her to match the corset, so they put my red shirt on her.”

  “Wow, it looks very pretty on her too.”

  “It does. They even putted my red leggings on her.”

  “Yeah we see it,” Christine says as she and everyone else look at the top of the shiny dark red leggings around Dana‘s waist.

  “Wow,” Judy says. “It looks very pretty on her too.”

  “It does. And what about this pretty red bow on her braid?”

  “The girls put that bow on Dana‘s braid after they combed her hair then braided it again,” Diane D says.

  “They combed her hair too?” Merlene asks.

  “Yeah. They dressed her from head to toe.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow,” Christine says. “How did they match this red outfit and red bow on her so perfectly?”

  “Because the girls are into fashion Aunt Christine. They want to start and create their own fashion line.”

  “Yeah your mom, dad, Margarita and Tomas was telling us. They said the girls already started attending some fashion school in Manhattan.”

  “Yeah Aunt Christine, the girls go to fashion school.”

  “Wow, that is fantastic Diane!”

  “It is!” Winston says. “What kind of clothing designs do the girls want to create?”

  “They want to design corset outfits with matching over shirts, skirts and leggings like this red one, and they want to design corset bras and other lingerie,” Diane D says.

  “Corset outfits with matching over shirts, skirts, leggings, corset bras and other lingerie?” Patricia asks.

  “Yeah. They already designed and created some corset bras and some corset outfits.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow, that’s interesting Diane!” Christine says.

  “It is!” Marie says. “Well where are their corset bras and corset outfits?”

  “You’re looking at one of them,” Diane D says. “I’m wearing this cream colored corset outfit that the girls designed and created themselves.”

  “They designed and created that corset outfit you‘re wearing?!” Christine asks.

  “Yep, they sure did.”

  “You’re kidding Diane.”

  “No I’m not kidding Aunt Christine. The girls did design and create this corset outfit.”

  “Wow, that is so pretty Diane!”

  “It is,” Patricia says.

  “Well where are the other corset outfits that they designed and created?” David asks.

  “They have it at home,” Diane D says.

  “They do?” Marie asks.

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you design or create any corset bras or outfits too Diane?”

  “No I can’t design or create clothes.”

  “You can’t?”

  “No. I’ve tried to, but my design and creation didn’t turn out right. I’m not good at designing or creating clothes at all like the girls are, so what the girls are planning to do, is put their corset design outfits right on me and practice their fashion techniques on me.”

  “What?” Christine says. “They’re planning to put their corset design outfits on you and practice their fashion techniques on you?”

  “Yeah. Last week, Grandma Margarita came to me and told me to get ready, because she said all the girls came to her, mom, dad, Grandpa Tomas, Uncle Tonio and Aunt Marilyn and told them all, that they’re planning to dress me up in a yellow corset outfit that they’re going to have made for me when I sing in the music video.”

  “What,” Christine laughs. “The girls told your family that they’re planning to dress you up in a yellow corset outfit that they’re going to have made for you when you sing in the music video?”

  “Yeah. Grandma also said that the girls are planning to put matching yellow bows in my hair when I sing in the music video?”

  “They’re planning to put matching yellow bows in your hair too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So in other words, the girls are planning to have you model in their clothes while you’re singing in the music video?”

  “It certainly seems that way Aunt Christine.”

  “Well who else is going to be in the music video with you?”

  “No one. I’m going to be singing in the music video by myself.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you didn’t know that the girls were planning to dress you up in their clothes and put bows in your hair for the music video?”

  “No I had no idea at all, not until Grandma Margarita came to me and told me about it.”

  “I see. Well who did your hair and put that pretty matching bow on the back of it?”

  “The girls did it this morning before we came here.”

  “They did your hair and put that bow on the back of it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow that outfit and bow looks nice on you Diane. I think that is so nice that the girls want to dress you up in their clothes and put bows in your hair for the music video.

  “It is nice,” Merlene laughs. “So like your Grandma Margarita said Diane, ‘get ready for the girls to dress you up in their clothing line and put bows in your hair for the music video.”

  “Yeah Diane,” Marie laughs. “Get ready.”

  “Well you guys better get ready too,” Diane D says, “because the girls are planning to come here tomorrow morning and dress Dana up in their clothing line too.”

  “What?” Dana’s relatives say.

  �
��Oh yeeeaah. They saw how nice and pretty my corset outfits looked on her yesterday and today, so now they’re planning to practice their fashion techniques on her too.”

  “You’re kidding Diane,” Christine says.

  “No I’m not kidding Aunt Christine. When the girls come here tomorrow morning, they’re planning to bring those corset outfits they designed and created back here with them, and put one of the corset bras and shirt and pants outfits right on Dana.”

  “They are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Which corset bra Diane?” Gracy asks.

  “You know, the white satin one with the strings and straps around the shoulders, and hooks, strings and fasteners on the back?”

  “Oh that one?”

  “Yeah. After they put that corset bra on Dana, they’re going to put a shirt and pants outfit on her over the corset bra.”

  “They are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So the girls are planning to practice their fashion techniques on Dana while she’s in the hospital?” Merlene asks.

  “Yes while she’s in the hospital and when she comes out the hospital.”

  “When she comes out the hospital too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But why?” Marie says. “Dana doesn’t usually wear corsets Diane.”

  “Well she does now Grandma Marie. She does now.”

  “So wahs going to happen to the tank tops she usually wears?”

  “Oh she‘s still going to wear those tank tops. That’s wear the corset bras come in for Dana to wear beneath her tank tops, that’s all. The girls are crazy about corsets. Once they saw how pretty the corsets looked on Dana, believe me, that was it. They made plans to practice their fashion techniques on her right away. They’re planning to put corset bras and outfits on both me and her.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. The girls got lots of plans for their fashion clothing line. Believe me, they got plans.”

  “Wow.”

  “So what are they going to do with this red corset and the rest of this outfit?” Merlene asks.

  “They’re going to take it off Dana when they come here tomorrow morning,” Diane D says. “After they take this outfit off her, they’re going to help bathe her again then put one of their corset bras and outfits on her. Then we‘re going to bring the red outfit home. So by the time you all get here tomorrow afternoon, you will see Dana in a completely different corset bra and outfit that the girls designed and created themselves.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see the other corset outfits that the girls designed and created!”

  “Me neither!” Christine says. “Wow Diane. It sounds like the girls are planning to have both you and Dana modeling their corset outfit clothing line.”

  “It certainly looks that way Aunt Christine,” Diane D says.

  “Well obviously their fashion techniques seem to work because you and Dana look so nice in these outfits, you two look like princesses.”

  “Princesses? We do?”

  “Yeah mon. I see the girls did a great job on you two.”

  “They sure did,” Marie says. “Where are the girls at anyway Diane?”

  “They’re in Fashion School Grandma Marie,” Diane D says. “They got classes right now.”

  “They do?”

  “Yeah. After we left here this morning, the girls had to hurry and get to the Fashion School so they can be there on time.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh oooh Diane,” Patricia says. “You know what that means?”

  “No Aunt Patricia, I don’t. What does it mean?”

  “It means to ‘get ready’ because the girls are gonna come for you and Dana to dress you two up in more of their corset clothing lines and hair bows.”

  Everybody smiles and laughs as Diane D points to Patricia and says, “Oh don’t worry Aunt Patricia, because after the girls finish with me and Dana, they might come for you next, then you’ll be wearing corset outfits and hair bows right along with us, bam!” Diane D throws her fist up in the air as they all laugh then look at Patricia. Patricia smiles and nods her head at Diane D. They all then look down and smile at Dana as Dana remains asleep.

  The next morning in the video, the camera is inside Gracy and Mike’s house. The Dianettes are in the living room excitingly holding and gathering a bunch of corset bras and corset outfits and mini-skirts of different colors, designs and patterns wrapped in plastic garment bags.

  Margarita is sitting down on a chair in the living room as Barry and Tonio stand next to her with a cup of coffee in each of their hands drinking the coffee and talking to her.

  Charlotte, Lonna and Miranda turn and walk towards Margarita, Barry and Tonio with several corset outfits and mini-skirts in garment bags.

  Charlotte, Lonna and Miranda approach Margarita, Barry and Tonio as Charlotte says, “Grandma, Uncle Tonio, Uncle Barry? The girls and I are having a hard time deciding which corset bra and corset outfit to put on Diane and which corset bra and corset outfit to put on Dana.”

  “Yeah Grandma Margarita,” Lonna says as she holds up a white corset bra, a white corset outfit with bright green and blue leave patterns on it and a light blue corset outfit with white polka dots. “Should we put this corset bra and corset outfit on Diane and should we put this corset bra and corset outfit on Dana?” Lonna says as she holds up 2 white corset bras, a dark brown long sleeved blouse with a bright white tank shirt underneath with a dark brown collar and dark brown paisley print on it, dark brown leggings and a white short sleeved blouse.

  “Or should we put the green, blue and white or silver outfit on Diane and the polka dot or brown outfit on Dana?” Miranda says as she holds up a green, blue and white print outfit, a silver tank top, a silver short sleeved blouse, a light blue polka dot corset outfit, a white short sleeved blouse and shiny gray pants.

  “Wow those are lovely patters girls!” Margarita says.

  “They are,” Tonio says.

  “I think so too,” Barry says.

  “Thanks Grandma, Uncle Tonio, Uncle Barry,” Charlotte says.

  “Well I think all those outfits will look great on both Diane and Dana,” Margarita says.

  “You think so Grandma?”

  “I know so. Are all those outfit’s the same size?”

  “Yeah,” Lonna says. “Diane and Dana practically have the same measurements. They wear the same size clothes.”

  “Yeah I know.”

  “Well since Diane and Dana wear the same size clothes, I guess it doesn’t make a difference which outfit to put on who,” Tonio says.

  “Yeah that’s true,” Barry says. “Put either outfit on either of them.”

  “Okay,” Charlotte says. “You talked us into it.”

  “So we’ll go upstairs and put the white corset bra, these silver shirts and these gray pants on Diane,” Miranda says, “then we’ll go to the hospital and put the other white corset bra and these white shirts and brown leggings on Dana. That settles it.”

  “Okay,” Margarita says. “What time are you all going to the hospital?”

  “As soon as we finish putting this corset bra and outfit on Diane. After that, we’ll go straight to the hospital to put the other corset bra and outfit on Dana, then after that, we’ll go to school.”

  “Okay, you all better hurry because it’s getting late.”

  “Okay Grandma,” Charlotte says. “What time are you all going to go to the hospital?”

  “Oh we’re going to be there this afternoon while you all are still in school.”

  “Okay Grandma. We left some lingerie, some shirts, skirts and some pants on your bed for you, my mom and Aunt Mary to wear to the hospital.”

  “Okay baby. Thanks. We‘ll have it on when we go to the hospital.”

  “Okay.”

  Miranda turns to Charlo
tte and Lonna and says, “Come on girls. Let’s hurry and get upstairs so we can put this corset bra and outfit on Diane then get to the hospital to put the other outfit on Dana.”

  “Okay,” Charlotte says. Miranda, Charlotte and Lonna turn and excitingly hurry back to Nancy, Bernice and Kelly with the garment bags.

  Miranda, Charlotte and Lonna turn and excitingly hurry towards the staircase as they continue to hold the garment bags. Nancy, Bernice and Kelly turn and excitingly follow them as they continue to hold onto their garment bags. They all excitingly head up the stairs.

  Margarita, Barry and Tonio stare up the stairs at the Dianettes. Barry then turns to Margarita and Tonio and says, “You know I don’t think the girls just adopted Diane as their personal doll, I think they adopted Dana too.”

  “I think so too,” Tonio says. He then looks at Margarita and says, “I think they’re about to adopt all you women Ma.”

  “Well that‘s what girls do,” Margarita smiles and says. “They like to help and play dress up.” Margarita, Barry and Tonio continue to smile and chit chat with each other.

  That same afternoon in the video, the camera is in Dana’s hospital room again. The hospital room is crowded with Dana‘s family and relatives again as they surround her hospital bed near her head talking, smiling and admiring her again as she lays sideways in the bed sound asleep with one hand beneath her head, the other hand resting against her side with the blanket up to her hips, dressed in the bright white tank shirt with the dark brown collar with dark brown paisley print on it, the white short sleeved blouse over it bearing her muscular arms and dark brown leggings with her hair back in one long thick braid again with a bright white bow near the bottom of her long thick braid as her long thick braid rests on the side of her. “Well, Diane was absolutely right yesterday when she said that we were gonna see Dana in a completely different outfit today,” Christine says.

  “Yeah she sure was right,” David says. “I guess the girls came here this morning, changed her clothes then hurry and left for Fashion School.”

  “Most likely,” Merlene says, “because Dana looks so beautiful laying here today just like she did yesterday.”

  “She does,” Marie says. “This is a beautiful outfit just like the red one she had on yesterday.”

  “It is,” Alan says. “Did she get up at all? Is she able to walk around?”

  “Yeah she’s able to walk around Alan,” Gracy says.

  “She is?”

  “Yeah. As a matter of fact, Dana got up and walked right to the restroom around an hour ago before you all got here.”

  “She did?”

  “Yeah. Then she came back out the restroom and got right back in the bed. She‘s been asleep ever since.”

  “Did she eat anything?”

  “She still only ate a little breakfast this morning. She still doesn‘t have much of an appetite.”

  “I see.”

  Dana remains asleep with her eyes closed as her family and relatives continue to admire her.

  “Good afternoon everybody,” Diane D’s voice says. Dana's family and the camera turn and see Diane D and Michael enter the room with Diane D dressed in the silver tank top, the silver short sleeved blouse bearing her muscular arms, the shiny gray pants and a silver bow behind her head at the top of her long thick braid.

  “Wow look at her,” Dana‘s family and relatives smile and say.

  “You’re looking sharp and pretty today Diane,” Marie says.

  “Thanks,” Diane D says. Diane D and Michael go to Dana's bedside and approach Christine and David again. They give Christine and David hugs. They all then turn and look down at Dana as Diane D asks, “So how’s she doing right now?”

  “Well she got up and went to the restroom around and hour ago,” Gracy says.

  “She did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well Diane,” Alan says. “We see you kept your promise when you said we are going to see Dana in a completely different outfit by the time we come back here this afternoon because look, she’s in a completely different outfit just like you said.”

  “Well the girls did say that they were gonna come back here this morning and change Dana’s clothes and they did,” Diane D says.

  “Did you all bathe her again before you changed her clothes?” Merlene asks.

  “Yeah we bathed her again.”

  “Was she awake at that time?” Marie asks.

  “Yeah her eyes were open, she was awake. She was still sleepy though.”

  “Oh I see.”

  “She still smells nice Diane,” Merlene says.

  “She does,” David says.

  “Wah happened to the red outfit she had on yesterday?” Winston asks.

  “The girls and I brought it back home, then the girls had to hurry and get to Fashion School,” Diane D says.

  “They’re in their Fashion School classes right now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Diane is this outfit Dana is wearing the same outfit that you were talking about yesterday, that the girls designed and created themselves?” David asks.

  “Yeah that’s the outfit Uncle David,” Diane D says.

  “Wow, they did a fantastic job.”

  “They sure did,” Marie says. “Does she get to keep this outfit she‘s wearing Diane?”

  “Of course she gets to keep the outfit Grandma Marie,” Diane D says. “The girls gave it to her.”

  “I see. Did the girls design and create the outfit you‘re wearing right now?”

  “Yeah they designed and created this outfit too, and I get to keep it.”

  “Wow,” Christine says. “Those are marvelous outfits Diane, but I don’t see corset tops on either you or Dana. I see you two are wearing tank top shirts underneath your outer shirts.”

  “That’s because the corset bras are underneath our tank top shirts Aunt Christine.”

  “Oh you and Dana are wearing corset bras underneath your tank top shirts?”

  “Yeah, it’s not the kind of corsets you wear out in the street, it’s the kind that’s hidden and worn underneath our clothes. It‘s actually our undergarments, that‘s why you don‘t see it.”

  “Oh your under garments?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I see. Wow that is so nice Diane. How does the corset bras feel on you and Dana, is it comfortable on you two?”

  “Yeah it feels very comfortable on me Aunt Christine.”

  “It does?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about Dana?” Merlene asks. “Is the corset bra comfortable on her?”

  “Well at first, the girls couldn’t fasten and hook the back of the corset bra on her.”

  “They couldn‘t?” Marie says.

  “No, the fasteners and hooks couldn’t reach each other.”

  “No? Why not?”

  “Because the corset bra was too small for Dana I guess, so the girls had to take the corset bra off her and replace it with a larger corset bra that they brought here.”

  “They brought a larger corset bra here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did the larger corset bra fit Dana? Were the girls able to fasten and hook the back of it on Dana this time?”

  “Yeah they were able to fasten and hook the back of the larger corset bra on her. She’s wearing it underneath her tank top shirt right now.”

  “She is?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So what happened to the other corset bra that didn’t fit her?” Gracy asks.

  “We brought it back to Grandma Margarita‘s house with the red outfit.”

  “So what are the girls planning to do with that corset bra since it didn’t fit Dana?”

  “They’re planning to add a little more material to it and adjust it so it can fit her.”

  “They are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How long will that take?” Grandpa Mike asks,

  “Maybe a week or less.” />
  “Dana will most likely be out of the hospital by then.”

  “That’s okay. The girls said if Dana is already out of the hospital by the time that corset bra is adjusted and finished, they’ll just bring the corset bra over to your place and put it on her there.”

  “They are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow, these outfits the girls designed and created look so nice and cute on both you and Dana Diane,” Christine says.

  “Thanks Aunt Christine,” Diane D says.

  “I love the way they match the colors and everything. I see they still put the cute matching bows on both of your hair.” Everyone laughs a little. Christine then says, “It looks like the girls still have both you and Dana modeling their corset outfit clothing line and they did a great job on you and Dana again because you and Dana still look like princesses.”

  “They sure do Christine,” Marie says.

  “Let me know when the girls start selling their corset outfit and lingerie clothing line because I’m going to definitely buy some of their clothes.”

  “So am I,” Merlene says.

  “So am I,” Marie says

  “Yeah me too,” Patricia says.

  “Wow,” Diane D says. “I‘m glad you all are interested in buying some of the girls’ clothing line, because the girls are planning to drop some free samples of their clothing line off to you all before you all leave and head back to Jamaica.”

  “What?” Marie excitingly says. “They’re planning to drop some free samples of their clothing line to us before we go back to Jamaica?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You mean they’re going to give us some corset bras and corset outfits, just like they gave you and Dana?” Merlene asks.

  “Yeah, so you can wear the clothes and help advertise their clothing line when you all get back to Jamaica so their clothing line outfits can get free exposure.”

  “Free exposure,” Christine says.

  “Yeah, and hopefully help their clothing line get into some of the stores and hotel resorts down there.”

  “Get into some of the stores and hotel resorts down there?”

  “Yeah. Grandma Margarita wants to try to get the girls’ clothing line into some of the stores and hotel resorts in the Dominican Republic too.”

  “Yeah she was telling us that. Wow that is so cool Diane. I’ll definitely help the girls’ clothing line get free exposure. I’m going to help advertise their clothing line at my clinics in Jamaica.”

  “You are?”

  “Of course I am Diane, you‘re my family. It’s good to support each other and help each other out.”

  “Oh thank you so much Aunt Christine. The girls will definitely appreciate it. As soon as the girls advertise the outfits and clothing line on the organization’s website, I’ll let you all know.”

  “Oh they’re going advertise and sell their clothing line from the organization’s website?” Marie asks.

  “Yeah and we’re going to try to get the clothing line into some stores here too.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow, that is so fantastic Diane!”

  “It is,” David says. “By the way Diane, the girls don’t happen to have any free men’s wear to give away do they?”

  “Free men’s wear?” Diane D asks. “Sorry Uncle David. The girls didn’t design or create any men’s wear.”

  “I didn’t think so. I just thought I’d ask anyway.” Everyone laughs a little.

  Christine then says, “Well congratulations to the girls‘ corset and lingerie clothing line Diane and I wish their corset and lingerie clothing line all the success.”

  “Thanks Aunt Christine,” Diane D says.

  “You’re welcome baby.”

  Everybody then looks down and smile at Dana as Dana remains asleep.

  BACK TO THE PRESENT:

  Back in the Quench Soda office, the video goes off. The Quench Soda executives sadly look at each other. They then look at Diane D's family. “I'm sorry,” Seth says. “We had no idea this happened. We didn't know your niece Dana got hurt. It's a good thing you showed us the video.”

  “I'm sorry too guys,” Doug says. “Like you said, in situations like this, family comes first.”

  “Yeah I'm sorry too,” the second executive says. “I'm sorry your family went through a tragedy like this. How is your niece Dana doing by the way?”

  “She's doing okay,” Barry says. “She's still in the hospital. The last part of that video was shot this afternoon.”

  “It was?” Seth asks.

  “Yes.”

  “I see. Well how are Diane D and The Dianettes doing?”

  “They're all okay. They're hanging in there.”

  “That's good. All I can say is that, Diane D, the Dianettes and the rest of your family were like pros the way they took care of and handled the situation.”

  “Yes they were.”

  “We saw the wonderful Quench Soda outfits Diane D and the Dianettes were all wearing. We even saw the fashion line clothes that the Dianettes created. Their fashion line clothes were very nice.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Listen guys, there won't be a lawsuit. You don't have to worry we will not go to court. Maybe we can schedule another photo shoot for Diane D and The Dianettes sometime in the future, if it's okay?”

  “I don't see why not,” Barry says. “We'll talk to the rest of our family about it.”

  “Okay.” All the men get up and shake hands. “Thanks for showing us the video,” Seth says. “Do y'all have other copies of the video?”

  “Yes we do. We have several copies.”

  “Well could we buy the rights to this copy?”

  “Buy the rights to the copy? What for?”

  “Because I would like to show it on television.”

  “Show it on television?” Barry and Tomas say.

  “Yes.”

  “Why do you want to show this video on television?” Tomas asks.

  “Well it seemed like such a heartwarming video of everything that happened in there, especially Diane D and the Dianettes and everybody else handling the situation. I would like to share it with the world.”

  “Share it with the world?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you also want the world to see Diane and the girls wearing the Quench Soda outfits, don't you?” Barry says.

  “Well, I'll admit that's part of it too. It shows Diane D and the Dianettes being superheroes wearing the Quench Soda outfits while they‘re helping your niece Dana after her accident. There’s one thing in the video I’m sort of puzzled about.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Does Diane D smoke? The video shows her taking the cigarettes away from the three little girls who came into the hospital entrance and approached her. Then the video shows Diane D leaving the hospital building with the little girls’ cigarettes in her hand then walk away with some fellow to smoke the cigarettes herself. I thought Diane D preaches against smoking.”

  “She does,” Tomas says. “We questioned Diane about the cigarettes she took from those little girls. She told us she didn’t really smoke the cigarettes. She told us as soon as she left the hospital building, she tossed the cigarettes right into a trash can that was outside so the little girls won’t be able to find them.”

  “Are you sure? Because in the video, she asked that fellow at the hospital entrance door did he want to go for a smoke.”

  “We know she did. All we can go by is what Diane told us. She told us she didn’t smoke any of those cigarettes.”

  “Okay. If we purchase the video from you, we’ll leave the cigarette part with the three little girls and Diane D taking their cigarettes out of the video. We don‘t care to show that. We don‘t want to upset the little girls’ parents and we don’t want to set a bad example for the viewers.”

  “I see,” Barry says. “Well, we would hav
e to get everybody's permission who's in the video. Especially we would have to get Dana's permission because she's the one who got hurt. She and everyone else would have to see the entire video before we can make any decision.”

  “Okay no problem, you got it.”

  “If we do give you the video, we’re only going to give you the part of the video that shows Diane and the girls wearing the Quench Soda outfits, not the other parts that shows Dana in the hospital or the girls’ clothing line. The part of the video that shows the girls’ clothes from their clothing line is for us to advertise ourselves.”

  “I have no problem with that.” Seth takes the DVD out of the DVD Player. He hands the DVD to Barry and says, “If you get the okay from everybody who appeared in the video, especially Dana, you can bring the edited version of the video right back here to us and we'll pay your family the rights for it.”

  “Pay us the rights?”

  “Yes. Allowing us to show it on television.”

  “We'll have to talk about it. I'll call you tomorrow.”

  “Okay. We'll be here.”

  “Okay. Take care gentlemen.”

  “You too.”

  Barry and his family turn and head towards the door. They open the door and leave out of the office as the Quench Soda executives look on at them.

  The next day, Gracy is in her living room. She speaks into the telephone receiver and says, “Hello is this Rodriguez Contractors?”

  “Yes, this is Rodriguez Contractors,” a male Hispanic manager says.

  “Hello, my name is Gracy Brown. My husband Mike Brown and myself are the ones who hired you guys to fix our kitchen before, but you guys never got a chance to finish fixing our kitchen because our granddaughter Dana threw you guys out.”

  “Yes we're the ones who got thrown out by your granddaughter. What is the problem now?”

  “The problem is that Dana got hurt a couple of days ago painting the ceiling when the ladder she was on top of fell right from under her because my great grandchildren and a friend of theirs ran right into it causing Dana to fall and crash right to the floor. Dana is in the hospital recuperating right now. She's gonna be in the hospital for a few more days. I just want to know, could you guys come back to my house and do the job while she's in the hospital and complete it before she gets out the hospital?”

  “My men said they don't want anything to do with your household after the way your granddaughter treated them!”

  “I don't blame them, but my granddaughter is not here right now. She's in the hospital. While she's in the hospital, you guys can come fix my kitchen real quick and have it done before she comes back home. When she comes home from the hospital, she won't be able to work on the kitchen anyway because she has to rest and recuperate. So I need you guys right now. If you agree to finish my kitchen, I'll pay you more money.”

  “Pay us more money? What about the money that was paid to us already?”

  “That's your money, keep it. I'll pay you more money. What do you say?”

  “Well. Okay, we'll be there tomorrow morning.”

  “Tomorrow morning? Tomorrow morning is fine. Thank you.”

  “You're welcome. Are you sure your granddaughter won't be there?”

  “No she's in the hospital and she won't be back home for another two or three days.”

  “Okay. We'll be there in the morning.”

  “Thank you. See you then.” Gracy happily hangs up the telephone.

  The following day, a black man around his early 30’s and his girlfriend, a black woman around her early 30’s are in the street reading a newspaper with an article that reads: DIANE D'S COUSIN DANA FALLS OFF LADDER AT GRANDPARENTS' HOME! SOUND AND AFTERMATH OF ACCIDENT IS CAPTURED ON VIDEO! QUENCH PAYS MULTI-MILLION FOR RIGHTS OF VIDEO TO BE SHOWN ON TELEVISION!: “My God,” the woman says. “Quench Soda company paid Diane D's family millions of dollars for the rights to the video of her cousin Dana's aftermath of her accident!”

  “Yeah I saw it,” the man says. “Quench Soda wants to show the video on national TV. It says Diane D's family went to the hospital and asked her cousin Dana's permission for Quench Soda to show the video on television. Dana said no at first because she doesn't want anything to do with being in the public eye. Diane D's family told Dana that Quench Soda is willing to pay her and her family the rights for the video. Then it says Dana finally agreed so she and her family can get the money. It says Dana and the rest of Diane D's family said Quench Soda could show the video on TV as long as there is no nudity in the video.”

  “No nudity?”

  “Yeah, no nudity. It also says Diane D’s family edited a lot of parts out of the video before they gave the copy back to Quench Sodas.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What part of the video did they edit out?”

  “I heard they edit out all the parts that didn’t have the Quench Soda outfits and logos in it, like Dana’s hospital stay and the Dianettes’ clothing line.”

  “I understand they edited out the part of the video that had Dana’s hospital stay in it because that‘s personal, but did they have to edit out the part of the video that had the Dianettes’ clothing line in it? I would like to see their clothing line.”

  “You’ll get to see the part of the video that has the Dianettes’ clothing line on a separate video that the Diaz-Davidson organization is going to produce.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, they’re going to have that part of the video separate from the part of the video that has the Quench Soda outfits and logos on it.”

  “They are?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow, that’s good.”

  “It is. Boy I can't wait to see both parts of the video on television, even though I wouldn‘t have mind seeing Diane D, her cousin Dana or any of the Dianettes in the nude because they are all hot! They are some gorgeous chicks!”

  The woman angrily looks at the man and slightly smacks him on the back of his head.

  The man smiles at the woman and says, “And you‘re hot too.” The woman smiles at the man as she and the man look back at the article and continue to read it.

  It is a few days later. Dana is home at her grandparents’ Gracy and Mike’s house laying in the bedroom face up in the bed sleeping under the blankets with both hands behind her neck one knee up as Diane D, their entire family and relatives, Michael, Tony, Margarita and Tomas surround her looking at her. “Nice to have her back home,” Diane D says.

  “It is,” Tony says.

  “Where's her cane?” Uncle Willie asks.

  “Oh it's right here Willie,” Christine picks up a dark wooden cane beside Dana's bed and shows it to everybody.

  “How long would she have to use that?”

  “Until she gets better to move around without it. That'll be only for a short while.”

  “Was she up yet?” Margarita asks.

  “Yeah. She was walking around with it downstairs this afternoon, then she got tired and decided to take a nap.”

  “Well I think we should let her get more rest,” Gracy says. “Let's all go downstairs and let her sleep.” Gracy and Christine fix Dana's blanket a little as Dana remains asleep. They all smile at her as they turn and walk towards the door. They all walk out and close the door behind themselves.

  The next day at the organization, Diane D and everyone else is all hostile as they surround Charlotte and Kenny who are arguing with each other. Margarita angrily steps in and shouts, “What is going on?!”

  “Charlotte and Kenny are arguing again Grandma!” Diane D says.

  “Charlotte, what is this all about?!”

  “I'll tell what's this all about!” Kenny shouts. “She threw her ring at my face!”

  “Okay Charlotte! Why did you threw your ring at him?!”

  “He deserves it thrown at him!” Charlotte shouts.

  “Now Charlotte, you can give a better answer th
an that! Where's the ring?!”

  “Right here,” Kenny says.

  “Hand it to me!”

  Kenny hands the ring to Margarita.

  Margarita turns to Charlotte and says, “Here Charlotte! Now I want you to put this ring right back on your finger where it belongs! Take it!” Charlotte takes the ring from Margarita. She then throws the ring right back at Kenny's face!

  Kenny becomes more angry. He is about to go after Charlotte, but Diane D quickly steps right in his way, blocks him with her arms out and shouts, “You hit my cousin and I swear I'll kick your ass and your front!”

  “Diane!” Margarita shouts.

  “Just don‘t hit my cousin!”

  “She hit me first!” Kenny shouts. “I should throw this ring right back in her face!”

  “You better not throw that ring at my cousin’s face!”

  “I will throw it at her face!”

  “Oh yeah?! Try it motherfucka!”

  “Diane please!” Margarita shouts.

  “Just don’t throw that ring at my cousin’s face dammit!”

  “Diane! Ir al lado!”

  “But Grandma!”

  “Ir al lado Diane! Por favor!”

  Diane D holds her hands up and goes to the side. She puts her hands down, turns around and faces back towards Margarita as she places one hand on her hip.

  Margarita turns to Kenny and shouts, “And Kenny, no more fighting!”

  “Didn't y'all see what Charlotte just did?!” Kenny shouts. “She threw her ring at me again!”

  “I know, I’m gonna deal with Charlotte! Just bare with me Kenny!”

  “Alright then! I'll just see her when I get home from work tonight that's all!”

  “No you won't!” Diane D shouts. Everyone puzzled looks at Diane D as she walks back towards Kenny and shouts, “You won't be seeing her when you get home from work tonight because she's not gonna be there!”

  “What? What do you mean she’s not gonna be there?!”

  “She's gonna stay with me!” Everybody puzzledly looks at Diane D.

  “Stay with you?!” Kenny says. “What do you mean she's gonna stay with you?!”

  “She's gonna stay with me at my Grandma Gracy and Grandpa Mike's house!” Diane D turns to Charlotte and says, “And you're gonna stay there with me for a couple of weeks!”

  “What?!” Charlotte says. “For a couple of weeks?!”

  “That's right, a couple of weeks, maybe three! So right now we're gonna go to your place so you can pack your things!”

  “Pack my things?! I'm not gonna pack my things Diane! I'm not gonna leave Kenny!”

  “Yes you are Charlotte!”

  “No I'm not, I can't leave Kenny! We're married now!”

  “Charlotte you can leave Kenny for a short while and you will! You two need another break from each other! So let's go to your place and pack your bags!”

  “But Diane...!”

  “No ifs, ands, or buts about it Charlotte! I mean this fight you and Kenny keep having is too much! So right now, we're going to your place to pick up your stuff!”

  “Diane....!”

  “Let's go pack your bags Charlotte!” Diane D angrily turns Charlotte around and shoves her. Charlotte frustratingly walks away as Diane D leads her away. Kenny and Diane D's family puzzled look on at them.

  Kenny tries to go after Charlotte and Diane D, but Diane D's family steps right in his way. “Can I talk to her for a minute?” Kenny asks.

  “You heard,” Tomas says. “She's not staying with you right now.”

  “Alright then fine! Have it your way!” Kenny angrily turns around and storms out of the exit door.

  Several minutes later, Diane D stands at the doorway of the organization and firmly looks out towards the street with one hand on her hip as Charlotte, Mary, Margarita and Tomas gather themselves behind her and looks out towards the street also. “Are you sure Kenny's gone Diane?” Mary asks.

  “I think so Mom,” Diane D says. “Let me hurry and call Grandma Gracy and tell her I'm bringing Charlotte over.”

  “Okay.”

  Diane D takes out her cell phone. She turns and goes inside of the lobby and dials a number on the cell phone. She then speaks into her cell phone and says, “Yeah Grandma, it's me Diane. Listen Grandma, Charlotte and Kenny just got into another fight.”

  “Again?” Gracy says.

  “Yes again.”

  “Oh my God, what did she throw at him this time?”

  “Her wedding ring.”

  “Her wedding ring?! Last time it was her shoe! Before that, she threw a rock!”

  “I know. She's emotionally upset right now. So I want her to stay with us again for a couple of weeks so I can keep my eye on her.”

  “Okay Diane that's fine. So you want the extra bed back in the room with you and Dana?”

  “Yeah. How's Dana doing by the way? What's she doing right now?”

  “She was downstairs earlier, then she went back upstairs to bed and fell asleep. Well Nicolas and Mickey can bring the extra bed back down from the attic and put it in the room again.”

  “Okay Grandma. We're getting ready to go to Charlotte and Kenny's place right now so we can pack some things for her then we'll be there later on.”

  “Okay Diane. I'll be here waiting for y'all.”

  “Okay, thanks Grandma. I'll see you later.”

  “Okay Diane.” Gracy hangs up the phone.

  Later on that evening, Diane D, Charlotte, Mary and Barry come in the front door of Gracy and Mike’s house with two large suitcases and a small one. They close the door behind themselves as Diane D looks towards the kitchen and shouts, “Grandma we're here!”

  Nicolas and Mickey come down the stairs. “Hey what's up y'all?” Nicolas says.

  “Hey Charlotte,” Mickey says. Mickey and Nicolas hug and kiss their family.

  “Charlotte, Kenny didn't throw a hand on you did he?” Nicolas asks.

  “No he didn't,” Charlotte says.

  “Did y'all put the extra bed in the room yet?” Mary asks.

  “Yeah we just finished,” Mickey says.

  “Where's Grandma?” Diane D asks.

  “Oh Grandma is putting the sheets and blanket on the bed. It's all being set.”

  “Good.” Diane D turns to Charlotte and says. “Come on upstairs Charlotte.” Diane D grabs Charlotte by the arm and starts to pull Charlotte up the steps.

  Charlotte stops Diane D and says, “Diane can't I just call Kenny first?”

  “You can call him later. Right now let's just get you upstairs and get you settled in. Come on.” Diane D continues to take Charlotte up the stairs as Mary grabs Charlotte's other arm and walks up the steps too. Barry, Nicolas and Mickey take the suitcases and follow the women up the stairs.

  A few days later, Diane D, Gracy and some other relatives are in the front lawn of Gracy and Mike’s house with their knees on the ground fixing the garden. Aunt Celeste comes out of the house. She approaches them all and says, “I'm getting ready to head back home Mom.”

  “Okay Celeste,” Gracy says. “You're gonna stop back by for dinner tonight?”

  “Yeah I'll be back. Why are the contractors still working on the house? It's been a few days already. I thought they'd be finished by now.”

  “Well your dad didn't like the first paint the contractors used,” Diane D says. “He said the color was too light and he didn't like the finishing touches they did either, so the contractors are doing the whole thing over and using a much darker paint now.”

  “Oh. I see Dana sitting on the chair right at the kitchen watching the contractors like a hawk. Why is she doing that? I wanted to ask her myself, but she seems sort of grumpy.”

  “Celeste, you know Dana is always grumpy. It's nothing new.”

  “But why is she watching the contractors?”

  “Well actually Dana still wants to do the paint job and work on th
e kitchen herself.”

  “Nooo she still does?”

  “Yeah. She doesn't want those contractors there. But being that she can't do the job herself right now, she wants to make sure they're doing the job right.”

  “I see. Why does she have string bows on top of her shoulders underneath her tank top? Diane what did you put underneath Dana's tank top?”

  “Don't look at me Aunt Celeste,” Diane D says. “I didn't put those string bows or anything else underneath Dana’s tank top. The girls did that.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah. They came over this morning with the corset bra that they had to adjust and put it back on Dana.”

  “You mean the first corset bra they brought to the hospital that didn’t fit her?”

  “Yeah that corset bra. They added a little more material to it so that the snaps, hooks and fasteners on the back of it can reach each other then they can be able to snap, hook and fasten the back of it when they put it back on Dana. They finished the entire thing by yesterday, so they came over here this morning and brought the corset bra. They put it back on Dana to try and see if it would fit her this time. They were able to snap, hook and fasten the back of the corset bra on her this time.”

  “They were?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s good. I didn't know the girls came by this morning. No wonder why I saw six pairs of ballet shoes lined against your dresser Diane.”

  “Yeah I almost tripped over those ballet shoes. I didn't see them at first.”

  “You didn‘t?”

  “No.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I'm fine Aunt Celeste.”

  “That’s good. So how does the newly adjusted corset bra fit Dana now?”

  “It fits her pretty good Aunt Celeste.”

  “It does?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s good. But when the corset bra didn‘t fit Dana the first time the girls tried it on her at the hospital, why didn‘t they just give it away to somebody else or sell it?”

  “The girls say they like that corset bra. They said it‘s so pretty, that’s why they wanted to fix it so they can be able to put it back on Dana. So since this corset bra fits Dana now, the girls now know what size corset bras to make for her in the future.”

  “They’re planning to make more corset bras for Dana in the future?”

  “Yeah.”

  “With string bows, snaps, hooks and fasteners on them?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “I told you all that the girls are crazy about corsets.”

  “Are you wearing one of their corset bras on you now Diane?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t I tell you all that the girls were planning to practice their corset fashion techniques on me and Dana? Didn’t I tell you all that?”

  “Yeah you told us that Diane, but since the girls want to practice their fashion techniques on you and Dana, why can’t they just leave those doggone string bows off the corset bras?”

  “Because they like the string bows on the corset bras Aunt Celeste so they‘re gonna put it there and probably keep it there.”

  “That’s right Celeste,” Gracy says. “You know once the girls get started on doing something, they don't stop. Didn‘t you like the corset bra they dropped off for you the other day?”

  “Yeah I like it Mom,” Aunt Celeste says. “I just can’t deal with all the strings and bows attached to them. Where're the girls at now?”

  “Oh they went to Fashion School today,” Diane D says. “They have classes right now.”

  “They do?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did Charlotte go to Fashion School too?”

  “Yeah, she skipped out of here and followed the rest of the girls right to the school. I told her don't try and sneak to go see Kenny after Fashion School or else she's gonna have to deal with me.”

  “Have to deal with you?! Nooh Diane you didn't tell her that did you?”

  “She sure did,” Gracy says. “I witnessed it.”

  Diane D looks towards the front gate and says, “Well well well, look who's here.” Everyone else turn and look towards the front gate. They see Teresa and a taller black female with very short hair around her late 20's coming through the front gate.

  Teresa and the friend approach Diane D and her relatives. “Hello everyone,” Teresa says.

  “Hey Teresa,” everyone says.

  Diane D gets up off the ground. She approaches Teresa as Teresa gives her a hug. Diane D and Teresa turn and walk towards the other female as Teresa says, “You all remember my cousin Felisha, right?”

  “Yeah we remember her,” Diane D says. “How you doing Felisha?”

  “I'm okay, and yourself?” Felisha says.

  “I'm doing good.”

  “So what's going on?” Teresa asks.

  “Oh nothing much. We're just trying to fix up this garden that's all.”

  “I see. How's Dana doing?”

  “Oh she's still in a little bit of pain?”

  “She is? She still has the bump on her head?”

  “Well most of the bump went away, but she still has a slight fever though.”

  “She does? How's her ribs? Does she still need the cane to help her walk?”

  “Yeah her ribs are still in a little pain so she still has to use the cane.”

  “Oh. Well where is she? Felisha and I want to see her real quick.”

  “She's right inside.”

  “Yeah we got the contractors painting the kitchen again and Dana's sitting right there keeping an eye on them,” Gracy says.

  “Oh really?” Teresa asks. “Why?”

  “She wants to make sure they're doing a good job.”

  “Why did the contractors come back?”

  “Because Grandpa and I wanted the kitchen finished so I called the contractors back to do the job real quick before Dana gets out the hospital. Unfortunately Grandpa didn't like the paint job that's why the contractors came back. So if you two want to see Dana, just go ring the bell.”

  “Okay.” Teresa turns to Felisha and says, “Well, I guess we better go ring the bell.” Teresa turns back to Diane D and says, “We'll be back Diane.”

  “Okay Teresa,” Diane D says.

  Teresa and Felisha turn and walk towards the front door.

  Teresa and Felisha approach the front door. They suddenly hear a loud bang coming from inside the house. They suddenly hear Dana’s voice shout, “Can't y'all fix the kitchen right goddammit!”

  “We're trying to Miss!” the contractor’s voice shout.

  “No you're not! You're fucking up my grandparents' kitchen!”

  Teresa and Felisha nervously look at each other. They nervously turn their heads and look towards Diane D. They turn their heads and look back at the door. They look back at each other as Felisha says, “Teresa, maybe we shouldn't bother Dana right now. I‘m not feeling her mood swings, especially with all that profanity she just used.”

  “I know,” Teresa says, “but it's too late now Felisha. If we turn around and leave, Diane and her family are gonna ask us why didn't we ring the doorbell.”

  “And? Why can’t we just tell Diane and her family the truth? I‘m sure they‘ll understand.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s just ring the doorbell one time. If the door don‘t open, then we‘ll just leave.”

  “Okay.”

  Teresa nervously rings the doorbell. She and Felisha nervously look at each other again. They hear someone behind the door opening the door. They see the door open halfway. They see Dana's angry face and right shoulder peak out as she looks at Teresa and Felisha. “Hey Dana,” Teresa nervously says. Dana opens the door a little more. She turns and walks away from the door with a limp, wearing a mint green tank top bearing her muscular arms with string bows on top of both shoulders underneath the shoulder straps of her tank top and dark green leggings, using a
cane as she limps. Teresa nervously goes inside the front door, followed by Felisha.

  Dana slightly limps through the living room, walking with the cane. She stops and turns her head back towards Teresa and Felisha and firmly says, “Close the door behind you.” Felisha closes the door behind herself. Dana turns her head back forward and continues to limp with the cane towards the kitchen.

  Teresa and Felisha slowly walk into the living room. Teresa then says to Dana, “So how you feel Dana? Are you alright?”

  “I'm okay,” Dana says.

  “Good. You remember my cousin Felisha, right?”

  “Yeah. Just have a seat.”

  “Okay.” Teresa and Felisha sit down on the sofa as Dana goes near the kitchen entry way and sits down on a chair there. Teresa and Felisha look and see the three contractors painting inside the kitchen. Teresa and Felisha then look at Dana and see her holding one foot on top of her opposite knee as she leans forward looking at and rubbing her toe nails. Suddenly there's a drop sound coming from the kitchen. Dana turns her head and looks into the kitchen. She rests her elbow on top of her foot and knee and frustratingly looks at the contractors. The contractors pick up the object that fell. Dana continues to watch the contractors.

  Inside the kitchen, the three male Hispanic contractors look at Dana, then look at each other. They start to work again.

  Dana continues to sit in the living room at the kitchen entry way watching the contractors as her elbow remain on her foot and knee. She then turns her head forward and angrily gets up off the chair. She turns and limps away from the chair with the cane and heads towards the staircase. She turns her head to Teresa and says, “I'll be back Teresa. I'm gonna change my clothes.” Dana turns her head back forward.

  “Okay,” Teresa says. “You need any help?”

  “No.” Dana starts to limp up the stairs with the cane as Teresa and Felisha watch her. They see Dana disappear into the upstairs hallway. They then hear one of the doors upstairs bang shut. Teresa and Felisha look up towards the staircase. They then look at each other as they continue to wait in the living room.

  Around several minutes later, Teresa and Felisha hear one of the doors upstairs opening. They then see Dana limping back downstairs with the cane, wearing different clothes which is a dark brown corduroy pants, a dark brown shirt and a matching short dark brown corduroy jacket. Dana heads to a wall unit and rests her cane on the side. She spreads her legs apart and tiptoes, reaching both her hands for the top drawer. She pulls the drawer open and grabs a set of keys. She closes the drawer back. She grabs some tissues out of the tissue box. She looks into the mirror and starts to wipe her face and mouth as she pokes her mouth from one side to the other. She finishes and grabs her cane. She turns to Teresa and Felisha and says, “Let's go out to the front.” Dana limps towards the front door with the cane as Teresa and Felisha get up off the sofa. Teresa and Felisha follow Dana to the front door. Dana opens the front door and walks out of it as Teresa and Felisha follow out behind her.

  Dana, Teresa and Felisha are outside the front door with the front door slightly open as Teresa and Felisha stand behind Dana. Dana turns her head towards Teresa and Felisha and firmly says, “Close the door please.” Felisha turns around and pulls the front door close behind her, but it doesn't shut. It opens back up a little. She pulls on the door handle and tries to close the door again, but the door still doesn't shut all the way. It slightly opens back up. She tries a third time. The door still does not shut all the way. Teresa pulls on the door knob and tries to close the door. The door still does not stay shut. Suddenly, Dana points her cane handle towards the door knob, raises the cane and slams the handle of her cane right down on the doorknob! She pulls the doorknob with her cane handle with force and slams the front door shut! Dana removes the cane from off the door knob as the door remains shut. Dana angrily turns forward and looks down as she goes down the steps. Teresa and Felisha puzzled look at Dana, then at each other. Teresa and Felisha turn their heads forward and come down the steps. Dana limps towards Gracy as Teresa and Felisha slowly follow behind her.

  Dana approaches Gracy who is still down on her knees and alone at the garden. She says to Gracy, “I'm gonna drive to the store Grandma.” She turns to Teresa and Felisha and says, “Y'all can stay here. I'll be back.”

  “What?” Gracy says. “No you can't go to the store now Dana. You still have to get some rest and recuperate.”

  “I'm alright. Where's Diane and everybody else?”

  “They all went to the back yard to fix the garden back there.”

  “Well tell them I'll be back.”

  “No don't go to the store Dana! You still got a fever! Whatever you need from the store, we'll get it!”

  “No that's okay Grandma. I just need to get some air that's all. I'll be back.” Dana goes pass Gracy and limps away.

  Gracy looks at Dana and shouts, “Well what about Teresa and Felisha?! They came here to see you, you know! You're just gonna walk away from them and leave them like that?!”

  Dana turns her head towards Gracy and shouts, “Just send them in the back to Diane! I'll be back!” Dana turns her head back forward and continues to limp away. She limps out the gate then limps right to her dark blue car as Gracy, Teresa and Felisha all watch her. They see Dana get into her car, start up the engine and speed off.

 

  Chapter 21

  The Sniper Shooting!