DONNA JACKSON-Call Me a Bitch Again

Donna was with Chrissy helping her with a school project when she heard the ruckus coming from another room in the mansion. They both rushed toward the study just in time to hear what Marty said.

"Donna!" Ethan noticed her standing there.

Donna turned and walked out of the room. Slowly at first, because she was so stunned by what she heard, then quickly. She heard Ethan run after her.

"Donna wait!" He stepped in front of her.

"No, you wait!" Donna stopped and stared him down. "We're living a fantasy. We can't make this work with so many against us. We're fooling ourselves."

"Really, Donna? I wouldn't think you were the type to let others dictate your life. Oh wait, you've done it your whole damn life."

Donna did not say a thing because he was right.

"Look, I just think maybe we should slow down a bit. I'm packing my things, going home to my son, and that's it."

"Donna, my brother's a jerk."

"Let that mother fucker call me a bitch again, I'll show him-"

Ethan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. "You really want to leave?"

She loved waking up with Ethan every morning. She loved falling asleep wrapped in his arms. She even loved being in the big mansion she loved as a kid, but this was not her home. And if she and Ethan were going to make things work, they just had to date like normal people. Let the world see them and accept them.

"Yes, Ethan. But I'm going to do my damnest to keep you happy," she said and kissed him.

"You already do."

CHRISSY VAN RUSSELL-Da Hangout

Chrissy was on fire for what her uncle called Donna. She was growing to like her and how she was changing her father. She liked having her at the house to hang out with and talk to. It was like having her mother there.

But now she was gone.

Chrissy was not naive. Race was a factor in why her uncle did not like Donna. She never felt that way. She did not see in Black or white. Hell, she was half Mexican but because she was white-presenting people saw her as that and said racist things around her all the time. Now she had a half-Black brother and she swore she would stand up for any racist that said any bad thing about her family. Even if it was family saying it.

She would show her uncle that race meant nothing. Love was love.

After school, she stopped at Snappies, the local teen spot in Midtown near Dunlap Academy where most of the students hung out. She did not hang out there much because it was so clique-ish. The jocks and cheerleaders, the artistic types that loved to perform at their open poetry night readings, and the super popular.

Chrissy did not fit into any of those. Her name opened doors for her.

It was time for her to make her mark, junior year was halfway over.

She looked around for anyone she remotely knew in the crowded, loud cafe. Then she spotted Xavier Bainbridge, Tony's best friend. He was a bit shorter than Tony, maybe five-eleven, and he was a cinnamon brown complexion with piercing dark brown eyes, hair in a big afro, diamond studs in each ear, and the sexiest lips. Yes, she said it. Sexy! Lips! Xavier was beyond popular, he was "the man" at school. He stood by the counter with a pretty girl on both sides of him and they clung to every word he was saying.

She walked over.

"Hey X."

"Hey, Chrissy."

"What's good to eat here?" she asked, ignoring the two girls giving her mean mugs.

"You've never eaten here?"

She shrugged. "It's been a while."

She looked down at the menu that was built into the bartop. Xavier turned and leaned down to look with her.

"You could go simple, burger and fries, or get adventurous and try the double-stack BLT and onion rings. It's dope."

"Oh, I couldn't eat all that!"

"I'll help you," he grinned at her. "In fact, it's on me."

He motioned for a waitress to take their order: a double-stack BLT, onion rings, and two rootbeers.

"X, you were telling us about your play," one of the girls said, trying to get his attention.

"Some other time, okay girls."

The girls walked off but not before one of them muttered, "Spoiled little rich bitch."

Was she, Chrissy thought. Could that be the reason Xavier would give her the time of day?

"You're in a play?" she asked, staring at those sexy lips.

"School play. The lead."

"Oh wow."

"Come on, don't tell me you didn't know I've been in school plays since I started at Dunlap. It's my thing."

Chrissy did not know. Even though she had been friends with Tony for the last three years, she barely gave Xavier any attention. Too wrapped up in Tony to notice any other guy. Not anymore.

"Well, I'll have to see you in action."

"Good. I'll get you a spot up front."

"My life's been crazy lately," she said, as their food was sat in front of them. She grabbed an onion ring and took a bite.

"Yeah, I heard. Tony's your brother. Freaky."

Tell her about it. She hoped Xavier did not find out about her kiss with Tony. Ugh! She hoped no one did. She would never tell and hoped Tony felt the same way.

"Good thing we've been good friends. It helps."

"Cool," Xavier said, picking at the bacon on his half of the sandwich. "But I was thinking, you and I need to be better friends."

"I'd like that."

"We could go out, hang out, whatever."

"All of the above, X."

TONY JACKSON-Moving On

He should move on but he couldn't. He had to. What choice did he have? The bad thing was, he just wanted to talk to Elayne, that's all. She kept dodging him for the last two weeks. Anytime he saw her at school, she would quickly run away.

After school, he tried to meet up with her at her car, but she hopped in her car without a glance at him and sped off.

He could not show up at her house. She never hung out at Snappies. He did not know how else to get to her.

He just had to move on.

Good thing Ciara Marie was already trying to get to know him. She may have been the prettiest, most popular girl at Dunlap Academy. She was on the dance team, student government president, an honor roll student, and her father was the mayor of Midtown. Her mother owned the biggest dance studio in town.

She was beautiful too. She wore long waist-length hair, he knew it was a weave, but whatever. She was medium height, slim build, and brown-skinned, with almond-shaped dark brown eyes. He dated her a bit when they were freshmen, but she wasn't ready for a boyfriend. Now she was pursuing him, so he said why not.

"Hey Ciara," he said to her during Physics class.

She looked around at others, then back to him. "Oh, were you talking to me?"

"Stop playing. I said your name."

"Humph! You've been ignoring me all year so it just kind of shook me."

"I haven't ignored you."

"Something must be up for the great Tony Jackson to be talking to me. Your little girlfriend break your heart?"

No one knew about him and Elayne so he did not know what she was talking about.

"I don't have a girlfriend," he said. "Yet."

Ciara smiled at him. He grinned back. The bell rang to start class and he headed for his seat, but stopped and turned back to her, mouthing "Can I call you?"

She nodded.

ELAYNE VAN RUSSELL-Can't Fight the Feelings

She could not talk to anyone about it. Not her bestie Chrissy, not her sister, not her parents. And definitely not Tony.

It was so unfair.

The guy she cared most about she could not have. Life was a bitch.

After class, instead of heading home, she drove to her father's office. Not to see him., but to see her uncle Ethan. She had to look him in the face and know the truth. Was he Tony's father?

When she got there, she stopped at the department store first. She shopped and spent too much of her daddy's money. Hell, it was her store too, or at least she felt that way. Ever since she was a kid she would run around like everything was hers. One big closet for her.

She was not too interested in the business like her sister. She was clueless as to what she wanted to do with her life. She had time for that.

The offices were all located on the top floors of the department store. She had been there hundreds of times. Her father's office was the biggest. Her uncle Ethan's was still large but did not compete. His secretary Noralene looked up at her when she walked in.

"Hi Nora, my uncle in?"

"Yes, but he wasn't expecting you."

"I know," she said and walked in.

Ethan was on the phone yelling at someone.

"It's not a fucking trap! Take the deal or leave it!"

He hung up the phone and then noticed Elayne.

"That's how we do business at Van Russells? I like it," Elayne said with a smile as she took a seat.

"What's up E. Shouldn't you be at school?" He checked his expensive watch. "Oh, school's out. What's up?"

"Nothing. Can't I just hang with my favorite uncle?"

Or only. She had another uncle on her mother's side, but she only met him twice so didn't know him. And Mikey, but she only heard about him, never met him.

"You definitely don't get your charm from your father."

"Speaking of...I hear you have, ahem...a new family addition."

Ethan sat back in his chair, glaring at her.

"What's this about?"

Elayne couldn't tell him. She could not tell him she was in love with his son. How gross was that? She wanted to see some of Ethan in Tony, but she couldn't. They looked nothing alike. Tony was Black, not half-white! She did not know much about Tony's mother, but maybe she was mistaken. Maybe she was seeing more than one guy and was confused.

"How do you know he's really your son?"

"Now you sound like your father," Ethan said with an edge. "I don't see how any of this is your business."

"But Uncle E, how can you be sure? Did you take a DNA test, blood test--"

"Little girl, you might want to stay out of this. I happened to have been very involved with his mother back then. I know her. I know my son. He is my son. Now look, we are done having this conversation."

Ethan stood up.

"Uncle E, Tony's...a good friend of mine. I just...I just want you to be sure is all."

Ethan walked over to her and pulled her up by her shoulders.

"Elayne, he's my son. I'm sure of it. Now you need to get over whatever it is you are feeling for him. It ends now."

How did her uncle know? She broke down and started to cry. Her uncle hugged her and wiped her tears away.

"It's okay E, you'll be okay."

"I know. Thanks."

Hey readers!

Are Ethan and Donna living in a fantasy? Between interracial dating and families at war, can this relationship work?

Chrissy moving on to Xavier may be a good thing...or is it?

And Elayne. She needs to get over her feelings for Tony, he sure has since he is focused on Ciara now.

XOXO
Kimberly