Boy Trouble (12 page)

N
ews of Mynique Foxx's death was spreading like crazy. She may not have been that popular of an actress, but everybody was talking about her now.

I was sitting in my seventh-period class and Ms. Williams had already had to tell the class twice to stop talking.

I think on any given day Mynique's story might not have been such a big deal to these people, but the fact that Demond Cash was apparently the one who had done it had tongues wagging left and right.

“So, Maya, what's the real scoop?” this girl named Kimmie said, leaning in and whispering behind me.

“How about you tune into my show because right now I'm off duty and trying to get an education?” I said, turning to the front. I really wasn't listening to Ms. Williams and was counting down till the clock struck 3
PM
.

“You don't have to be funky,” she said, rolling her eyes and leaning back in her seat.

It's crazy. I know that I reported a lot of drama from other people, but I didn't get off by hearing dirt and gossip. I was just doing my job. But it's like these people were just taking some kind of sick pleasure in Mynique's tragedy.

“So, have they arrested him yet?” I heard the girl next to me ask.

“No, he was supposed to turn himself in, but I hear he's on the run,” Kimmie replied. “I mean, he is Demond Cash. I don't know how he thinks he's going to run far.”

“Wow, that's jacked up,” the girl said.

I wanted them both to just be quiet. All I could think was just maybe had I done something differently, maybe if I had followed up on their story, maybe if I'd stopped them that night in the parking lot, maybe Mynique would still be alive.

I shook the thought off. I wasn't to blame. Mynique had put herself in that situation and stayed in that situation.

The bell finally rang and I made my way to my locker. I had to get to the station to see what our researchers had been able to dig up on the Mynique and Demond story. Honestly, though, my heart wasn't in it. But I knew there was no way around it—this would be our top story today.

As soon as I rounded the corner outside my class, I saw Javier and Sheridan once again in what looked like a heated debate. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but as I got closer, he got louder. It was like they were in their own world, oblivious to anyone around them.

“To be so smart, you're one of the dumbest chicks I know,” I heard him saying.

“Javier,” Sheridan said, her eyes getting watery.

I couldn't do anything but stare at them. I really and truly didn't know what had happened to my girlfriend. Granted, she'd never been the feisty type, but she dang sure wasn't the type to stand around and take this. I pulled out my phone so I could discreetly start recording. If Sheridan wouldn't hear me when I told her how crazy she looked, maybe seeing herself would open her eyes. I took a deep breath, then wondered if I should leave it alone. But before I knew it, I was heading in their direction, my camera clutched upright in my hand so I could record them.

“So, this doesn't ever get old, huh?” I said, approaching them.

“Oh, here
you
come,” he said, rolling his eyes. “How about you stay out of our business?”

“Maya, I've got this. Don't worry about it,” Sheridan said.

I ignored her. “My best friend
is
my business.” I turned to face Sheridan. “What is wrong with you, Sheridan? Why are you taking this from this nobody? He's rude, disrespectful, and a lying thug. He doesn't even have a car!”

“My ride is in the shop,” he yelled, “but you don't need to worry about what I got and what I don't got.”

“You
don't got
any English skills,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Come on, Sheridan.”

She pulled away from me. “Maya, chill out. Dang. Mind your own business.”

“What is it with this dude?” I said, stunned.

Javier actually had the nerve to pull her in a hug close to him. “This dude loves her and you just hatin' because you don't even know what that is,” Javier said.

“Sweetie, if you're any indication of what love is, I'll pass,” I said. “I'd rather be single for the rest of my life.”

He looked me up and down. “And you probably
will
be! Ol' stuck-up—”

“Javier,” Sheridan said, cutting him off.

“Come on, babe. Let's go.” He started pulling her away.

“Sheridan.” I needed to get through to her. “You deserve better than this. Why are you putting up with this? You can have any guy you want. You don't need this from this clown.”

“It's not even like that,” she said.

“Yeah, Maya, it's not even like that,” Javier added. “Me and my baby had a little spat, but it ain't nothing you need to worry about. You need to worry about getting your own self in order.”

I threw my hands up in frustration. I was about to give up. I don't know what was wrong with Sheridan. She'd dated sons of celebrities and dignitaries and all kinds of top-of-the-line dudes wanted her, yet she was settling for this fool!

I didn't know how I could get through to my friends. But I was determined to find out what Javier was holding over my girl because obviously he'd slipped her some kind of drug or something. I was going to do whatever it took to give her a wake-up call.

I'd been going back and forth over whether I really should carry out my plan, but this situation just confirmed it. I was moving full speed ahead, and whatever happened as a result of that would just happen.

I
could tell by the look on Alvin's face he wasn't feeling my idea. After that whole situation with Marisol, I almost hadn't called Alvin. Of course, he'd downplayed their relationship again. But it still made me mad. I had to get over it, though, because I needed someone to talk to. J. Love was on tour and if the conversation didn't involve me or him, he really wasn't trying to hear it. Alvin was the only one I could talk to.

Right about now, I was wishing that I hadn't said anything, but I'd needed to run this idea by someone. This was gonna be major, so I needed someone to tell me I was doing the right thing. I knew that I needed to do whatever I could to save my girls and they might not like it now, but they would thank me later.

“I can't believe you're going to put your girls on blast like that,” Alvin said.

“I don't know what else to do,” I replied. “I've tried talking to them. I've tried reasoning, but neither one of them thinks they're in a bad situation.”

He seemed like he was weighing his words. “Do you think you should do like they both said and let them make their own mistakes?”

“Yeah, like I did with Mynique,” I said matter-of-factly.

He was quiet at that. No, I couldn't stand Mynique Foxx, but I didn't want her dead. And maybe if I hadn't minded my business, she wouldn't be.

“I don't know, Maya, that just seems kind of risky. These are your girls you're talking about.”

“What choice do I have?”

A dejected look crossed his face like he knew I was right.

“Okay, I hope it turns out the way that you want.”

I could see that if we kept talking about this, he was going to try and change my mind, so I decided to change the subject. Today's show about Mynique—Demond was still on the run—had worn me down. So, I was happy when Alvin asked to take me out to dinner. But, I'd griped and complained about my situation with my girls for the past hour. Now, I just wanted us to laugh and have a good time like we used to.

“So, what's going on with you?” I asked.

“Nothing. Just in talks with Snapchat for this new program I came up with that will make their streamlining a lot easier.”

I smiled. He knew I was asking about Marisol, but I didn't press it. Snapchat was the next big thing so I wanted to hear about that. Alvin was a whiz with the computer. He'd dropped out of college. For anyone else, that might have bothered me, but he'd dropped out because he was making so much money doing his computer stuff. He'd never told me how much he'd gotten from his video game patent, but from the way he was rolling in dough, I knew he'd been paid pretty well.

“So, what about you?” he asked. “How's the love life?”

“See, there you go,” I laughed. “You want to brush your love life off and ask me about mine.”

“Naw, I heard about you and Mr. Superstar at the party.”

“What, you spying on me?”

“Girl, please, it was all over the blogs. The Princess and the Prince,” he said sarcastically.

“You can't believe everything you read or hear—unless of course, you heard it from
Rumor Central
. You're the one, though. You and your girlfriend,” I said, sarcastically. “Big baller.”

He shook his head. “It's not even like that. I told you that.”

I was just about to say something when Marisol blew into the restaurant like a woman on a mission. She did not look happy.

She stomped over and stopped right in front of our table.

“Marisol,” Alvin said, jumping up.

I looked at her, then back at him, then back at her. She was glaring at him like he'd done something wrong.

“This doesn't look like a meeting to me,” she snapped.

“Naw, I . . . I was just . . . me and um, Maya, we were just catching up.”

I turned up my nose. Why in the world was Alvin acting like he'd done something wrong?

“Umm, hello, Marisol,” I said.

She looked over her shoulder at me but didn't speak.
Seriously?

“Catching up? You just saw her the other day. What do you need to catch up about?” she asked.

“Marisol, now's not the time,” Alvin said, looking nervously around.

She ignored him as she continued. “I thought we were going to be open and honest,” she said.

I raised a perfectly arched eyebrow in Alvin's direction as I waited on an explanation.

“I, ah . . .”

“Okay, does someone want to explain to me what's going on?” I finally said as the two of them just stood there glaring at each other.

“Well, ah . . .” Alvin began.

Marisol finally turned to me and said, “Well, ah, Alvin and I are together now. Officially and exclusively together.”

I was speechless. This was information Alvin didn't feel like I needed to know? They were a couple?

It was my turn to glare at him. “Wow. Well, no. Alvin didn't mention that,” I said.

Now we both were glaring at him.

“And why didn't you mention it, Alvin?” Marisol asked. “Especially since you told me that you'd already told her.”

I couldn't take anymore. I finally stood up. “You know what, Marisol? Alvin and I are just really good friends. There is no need to feel threatened by me.”

She turned her nose up at me. “Oh, trust me, I don't feel threatened by you.”

Oh, this chick was for real trippin'.
But since I could see she was a little upset, I was going to let her make it. Besides, I was so done with Alvin over this. He'd just sat here and lied to my face.

“Whatever,” I said, slinging my hobo bag over my shoulder. “I'm going to let you lovebirds finish this dinner.”

Alvin reached out and grabbed my arm. “Maya, let me explain.”

I instinctively snatched my arm away. I couldn't believe Alvin had done this. He had no reason to lie to me, yet he did. “Don't.”

“No, I just . . .”

I stared at him. “I just thought we were better than that.” I turned to Marisol. “He's all yours, boo-boo. Trust and believe, you won't have to worry about me again.”

I walked out the restaurant to the sound of Alvin pleading for me to hear him out. Yes, I was angry. But more than anything, I think I was hurt. And if I was hurt, that meant my feelings for Alvin ran much deeper than I ever wanted to admit. I shook away that thought. It didn't matter now. I'd slept on Alvin and it looked like he had moved on.

I
took a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. We were fifteen seconds away from show time and the point of no return. I had thought about what Alvin said—before Marisol had blown in. I'd thought about all the damage I'd done in the past, and I'd almost changed my mind, but then, I'd thought about Mynique Foxx and how her life had been cut short because I'd left it alone. Yes, I'd aired her story once. I should've followed up and stayed on it. I had been worried about embarrassing her when I should have done whatever it took to get her to see the danger that she was placing herself in. No. I didn't know if I could've saved Mynique Foxx, but if I had done something maybe she'd be alive today. I refused to see my girls go out like that, and if that meant they didn't speak to me for a little while, then that was just a chance I would have to take.

“Stand by, Maya,” my director, Manny, said, giving me the cue as the music came up.

I took one last deep breath and then plastered on my smile as the theme music faded out and the red light came on, signaling for me to go.

“What's up, everybody? It's your girl Maya Morgan and you're tuned into
Rumor Central
, where we dish the dirt on the celebrities you love. And boy, am I dishing it today.” I took a deep breath, then continued, “But I'm going to be honest, this isn't an easy story for me to do. You guys know I get down and dirty on this show because somebody's got to do it. And this next story, as much as it hits close to home, is
definitely
dirty.” I turned to camera two. “Two Miami starlets may soon find themselves following in the footsteps of deceased Hollywood actress Mynique Foxx if they don't make some serious changes. Now you may remember Foxx died two weeks ago after an argument with her actor boyfriend turned deadly.”

The video from Mynique and Demond's argument outside the MTV party came up on the screen.

“And now,” I continued, “two girls who actually are close to me—which is why this story pains me—could be meeting a similar fate.”

They pulled up some video from the
Miami Divas
show that showed Sheridan and I out shopping.

“You all know Sheridan Matthews from
Miami Divas
and as the daughter of mega superstar Glenda Matthews. Well, Sheridan is like a sister to me, and that's why I can't stand to see her in a verbally abusive relationship.”

It seemed like the studio was silent as the video of Javier talking to Sheridan as if she were a dog, played.

The video stopped and the camera came back to me. “I know some people may say I'm being extreme by saying they'll end up like Mynique, but all it takes is one argument to escalate out of control and lives can be changed forever. Mynique is gone and Demond remains on the run. All in the name of love.”

The camera zoomed in. I'd specifically told Manny to do this, even though I knew Dexter was gonna have a fit. “One of the messages I want girls and women to get,” I continued, “is that he doesn't have to hit you with his fist. He can hit you with his words and it's just as dangerous.” I quickly gave my two cents, then went back to the story before Dexter came racing out of the control room. “But Sheridan is not alone. This guy . . .” I waited as Kendrick's mug shot popped up on the screen. “He's socialite Kennedi Jiles's boyfriend and he's been arrested for domestic abuse before. And now, it seems like he's back to his old ways.”

I didn't have video of Kendrick and Kennedi fighting, so I had to tell this story firsthand.

The camera zoomed in on me as I continued. “I saw up close and personal the damage that a guy like Kendrick can inflict on someone. Neither Sheridan nor Kennedi have filed charges. They don't even see anything wrong with their situation. Hopefully, though, this will serve as an eye-opener and they'll take action before they meet a fate like Mynique Foxx. Keep it tuned to
Rumor Central
. We'll be right back after the break.”

I had never been so happy to go to commercial. I could only imagine what people were going to think of me, and what my BFFs were going to think of me, but no one had to understand it. If Sheridan and Kennedi weren't my girls, I would've aired the story without a second thought. This was hurting me as much as them. But this was the only way I knew to get through to them. Kennedi's parents would probably nip her relationship in the bud, but I needed to put her on blast because even if they did, she was so strung out behind Kendrick, she'd find a way to keep being with him. Sheridan's mom, even if she did find out about it, would pass the buck off on someone else. But I just wanted to make sure that somebody did something. Even if that meant losing my best friends.