44

Whew Chile, I been slacking on these updates. Works been kicking my ass, and I'm the Godfather of my team in this mafia at our school but I'm finna update tonight! ❤️🤪

Janet

"Mom!" Eissa yelled out.

"Yes Prince?" I called back from my bed.

"Momma!" He yelled again.

This time my response changed. "What boy?"

"Mommmm!" Somehow he yelled louder as he got closer.

"Eissa Al Mana, I swear before Christ if you yell my name one more time..." I gritted as he walked into my room.

My son giggled at me. "I didn't hear you momma. Sorry."

He climbed into my bed and laid on Kyrin's side. "What's up Prince?"

"Can I ask something?"

"Of course."

"When's mommy coming back?"

I hesitated before answering. "Soon. She just had to go see about her mom."

"I talk to her today. Auntie Tiff let me call her." Eissa frowned. "But my teacher said she quit."

"She didn't quit, she's just going work at the big school from now on."

Tiffany walked into my room holding a bowl and some milk. "Have you seen—. Oh there you are. Come on Eissa. Janet, Momma Kats heading up the stairs right now."

My eyes widened when my mother turned the corner and entered my room. She glanced at Tiff. "Thank you for the warning that I advised you not to give her. Gone head Tiffany, before I don't spare you of my words."

Tiffany chuckled. "Love you too Momma Kat. Come on EE." They both disappeared from the door way and my mother closed it.

"Where is my daughter in law?"

"Texas."

"Why is my daughter in law in Texas?"

"To see about her mother."

"Okay..." She shook her head. "Apparently I'm going to have to announce the fact that I know. I know what happened—."

"Who snitched me out?" I asked in shock. "Tiffany?"

"Nope. Don't worry your little heart about who snitched you out, just know that you got snitched out. So what are you gonna do about it?"

"She asked for space mom. I'm going to give her space." I replied in a wee bit of annoyance.

"She ask you to jump from a bridge, you jumping?" I had to refrain from saying 'Well duh, that's my girlfriend.' My mom noticed and backtracked. "Well never mind apparently so because you sure are giving her space."

"Kyrin asked me that same bridge jumping question earlier." I strayed from topic.

My mother raised her voice. "Janet Danita Jo! You go get that woman. She—."

The door opened and my son appeared. "Momma has to go to the radio GG. Uncle Joeys outside momma."

Nodding, I got up and kissed E and my mother on the cheek. "Bye Prince. I'll be back okay?"

"Okay." He replied as he hugged me. "I love you."

"I love you more Prince." I grabbed everything I needed and I walked down the steps. "Bye mom! Bye Tiff! Call me if you need something!"

"Will do! Be careful!" Tiff yelled back.

"This isn't over Janet!" My mother yelled right after and I looked back and sent her a smile as I walked out.

I left out the door and Joey was standing at the truck. He opened my door for me and I got inside. He walked around and got into the drivers seat as he pulled off. "You ready to go?"

Nodding, he drove off as I went straight into my head. My girlfriend really wasn't speaking to me. It was a bad judgement call, but I can't go back and change that fact. Gil was only looking out for me and I can't blame him truly because he didn't have a gun to my head. I got in the car voluntarily. My mom thinks I shouldn't give Kyrin time, but what if she blows up because I'm disregarding what she bluntly asked me to do? My mind tossed horribly before it all just stopped.

Sitting in the truck with Joey made me realize I wasn't as ready as I thought I was, I sighed before speaking. "Pull over Joey."

He shot me a look, but still pulled over. When he stopped I opened my door and got into the front seat next to him. Joey looked at me before putting the car in drive and driving off again as I put my seatbelt on.

"What's up Jackson? What's on your mind that made you wanna sit up here?"

"How do I get my girlfriend back?"

"Depends. What'd you do?"

"I left the restaurant."

"Oh that night when we went out and she snapped?"

Nodding, I replied. "Yeah. That night."

"Why did you leave?"

"Joey, I'm Janet Jackson. You know why I left."

"When are you gonna put your name to the side and claim the woman you love to the world? It's obvious she isn't going anywhere—."

"We are literally taking a break right now. A break Joey! Anytime I've told someone I wanted to take a break, we literally broke up soon after. So I wouldn't say she isn't going anywhere." I ranted.

Joey chuckled. "You're really in my passenger seat sweating right now and you deserve to sweat."

I shot him a look. "Joey, what does that mean?"

"It means you can't always worry about opinions J. If I was her I'd be doing the same thing. She needed you that night and it would have been better if you at least went home but you went to Momma K's. She feels unsupported and uncared about. So things that she wasn't tripping on before— yes she's going to trip now. Everything has changed and I'm sorry but it's on you. You've kept her hidden, and like a good little girlfriend she hasn't complained but now it's time to put your big girl panties on."

"It may not go well—."

"Alright forgive me because I'm about to be brutally honest right now. You are selfish."

My face scrunched up. "I'm far from selfish Joey."

"That's a lie. You aren't selfish when it comes to Eissa or something that isn't new to you but claiming Kyrin could mean loss of fans. I get it J, I do but what about the gain of LGBTQ plus fans. You are so scared to step out into something new and honestly I don't know why. It'll be okay, either way, everything will be alright." He told me calmly.

For a while, I got quiet before finally I asked. "So I claim her. That'll fix it?"

"Maybe not everything but it'll help a lot."

"She was so— not even angry but just hurt Joey. She even went to say that we won't get engaged or married. She doubted everything all because I made one mistake."

"If you honestly think she just started feeling like this then somethings wrong Janet. This isn't something she just thought up once you left the table. She's been feeling like this for a long time and has been dealing with it herself. I can't tell you what's going to fix it because Kyrin is her own person. Everyone is different."

"She's in Texas I think." I mumbled as I thought about what mom said. "Maybe I should fly out there..."

He looked at me for a second. "Whatever you think is best, you know I'll get you wherever you need to go and if you need me to be with you then I'm there. So is that what you want to do?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I have to go fix this."

"Before or after this interview we are heading too?" He asked as he motioned towards the highway we were on.

"After." Giggling at his dramatic hand movements, I shook my head. "We didn't come this far to turn around."

He nodded back. "Alright then, I'll make the calls while you're interviewing and then you'll be on the first flight to Texas."

"She said she was going to figure out what to do with her moms house, I need to figure out which hotel she's at though." I spoke mainly to myself as I went to Instagram and made a post.

Joey went silent before suggesting. "Why not ask Ember or Phoebe?"

"They aren't speaking. Well... Kyrin isn't speaking to them. At least I'm not the only one getting the silent treatment."

Joey made a face. "Okay, well there has to be someone that knows which hotel. She got any friends in Texas?"

My mind tossed and turned before I realized she did. "That boy. I can't think of his name but Kyrin said they were best friends. When she left the house that time, she went somewhere with him that night."

"Text P and Em and see if they know."

"Why do you say Em like that's not your fiancé?" I questioned.

J waved me off. "Woman, text your sisters in laws."

Grabbing my phone from the back, I began texting.

To: Phoebe Do you know who Kyrin's best friend is in Texas? The one that she got high with that time.

She texted back quickly.

From: PhoebeLangston?

To: Phoebe Yes! Can you ask him what hotel she's staying at in Texas and let me know please?

From: Phoebe Doing it now. I'll let you know when he replies.

Putting my phone away, I spoke to Joey. "Phoebe is checking for me."

"Good. It's a start." He answered my statement as he put the truck in park. "We're here. I'll make the calls and get everything in place for us to leave after this."

"Okay." I took a breath before getting out of the truck. When I shut the door I mumbled. "Don't be nervous. Don't be anxious. You've got this."

Walking into the building, the manager of affairs came up to me with a basket. "Good afternoon Miss Janet. This is for you."

Grabbing it from her, I smiled. "Thank you."

"We know they had traffic on the highway, but we couldn't push the time back on such late notice. So you're on in 5."

Nodding, I spoke. "That's fine sweetheart. Just show me the way there."

She nodded and turned around as I walked with her into the room. They all turned my way. "Miss Janet Jackson!" Charlamagne yelled out.

I chuckled at him yelling. "Hey Charlamagne."

"You know we love you, we then packed our shit and came to LA just to interview you." He replied.

"Please, I know you have Rick and Kodak coming right after me. Don't make me feel special." I shot back at him with a look.

Envy pointed at me. "Every time I see you Janet you get a little more finer than before."

"I have to. Have to keep the folks on their feet." I replied as I smiled at him.

He sent me a look. "Quit playing before I tell the world you flirting with me. That smile almost got me pregnant."

Laughing, I sat down in the seat. "Shut up boy."

Angela kept looking at me. Of course I knew of her but I hadn't met her in person. Charlamagne nudged her. "Sorry Janet, I think she's just a little star struck right now."

"It's alright. It's alright." I waved it off.

"I'm just a huge fan Miss Jackson." Angels explained before a beeper went off that let us know we were about to go on air.

Charlamagne began speaking into a mic as he put his headphones on and motioned me to do the same. "This is Charlamagne on the Breakfast Club. Power 105.1, well Power 106 for the day. We are here live with Janet Jackson today. How are you Miss Jackson?"

"I'm good Charlamagne. How are you?"

"I mean I'm good. I'm good. You've got a tour coming up."

Nodding I replied. "I do. I do. Starts in 5 months."

"What's it called?"

"The State of the World tour." I answered.

Angela spoke. "You actually renamed it right?"

"I did." I confirmed. "It was the Unbreakable World Tour before and I had to reschedule some dates and things. When I came back and confirmed some dates I decided to rename it. Of course I had some help doing it though."

"Did your son help?" Envy asked me.

Chuckling, I nodded. "Eissa did point at one of them for me."

"He's so adorable." Angela told me.

"Aw thank you. Don't let him hear that, you'll be his girlfriend forever." I joked causing them to laugh.

"What grade is he in now? Every picture we get he is only getting bigger." Charlamagne asked.

"Fifth. He decided he wanted to skip a grade so I went right on and let him. He's been going good so far so I have no complaints."

Charlamagne nodded. "Got them Jackson genes in him. He has to be smart. So you and his father aren't together anymore right?"

"Oh no. We divorced a few after Eissa was born."

"So..." Envy called out and I eyed him skeptically.

"So what?" I asked lightly.

"Are you seeing anyone? Is somebody occupying Miss Jackson if ya nasty's time?" Charlamagne asked me and they all looked at me in eagerness.

Chuckling softly, I nodded as I sat up. I was about to do this. I had to do this, not because I was being forced but because it was time to stop living a life that just wasn't making me happy.

"I actually am seeing someone." I let out.

"Really? Care to share his name?" Angela asked me.

Jesus, I was really about to do this. I'm pretty sure Joe Jackson is in his grave turning and acting an ass in the afterlife because he knows what I'm about to do. 'Everything you've worked hard for will be threatened.' Or at least that's what he'd say when we were younger. That was something I lived by before, but now— now everything was different.

Everything had changed perspective when Kyrin walked in the door and never would make the mistake of hiding that fact again.

"Her name is Kyrin."