Chapter 14: It Ain’t Always What It Seems

Chimere’s P.O.V.

“Run faster! Come on girls! How bad do you want it?” I yelled at them as they quickened their speed. “I should not be faster than you!” I continued to run in front of them. Drake and Shad stood off to the side and laughed as I made the girls run around a track. It’s the day before the competition and I just want things to go right. “Five minute water break!” I blew my whistle and they all literally plopped down on the floor. Drake walked over to me and shook his head with a smile.

“You’re gonna kill them,” he joked.

“I just might,” I smirked as I grabbed a water bottle. Some of the girls got up to get water while some of them are still lying down.

“Don’t lay down! Stand up and put your hands over your head to help,” Shad explained while some of the girls listen. Some were just too far gone to listen. I walked over to Blake and handed her a water bottle.

“Thanks,” she smiled small before gulping it down. I was shocked to see Blake at the head of the pack of girls when we were running. It seemed like her and Carrington were the only ones who have been working out outside of practice.

“Huddle around girls!” Drake said to them as they got up. Everyone huddled around him. Most of them looked exhausted. “Tomorrow is the big day and you all worked really hard these past few days. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you have the rest of the day off. Don’t go crazy and if you leave the hotel, you have to leave with one of the girls or coaches,” he explained to them. Cheers erupted as he ended practice.

“See y’all tomorrow bright and early,” I turned and walked away with Shad and Drake.

Nicki’s P.O.V.

“Coach Chimere is tripping,” I said to Blake and Nae as we got into the room.

“I know right! How she gonna say she shouldn’t be faster than us? I see that bitch go to the gym every day,” Nae and I laughed. I noticed Blake being extra quiet.

“What’s up with you?” I looked at her. She shrugged as she struggled to say what she wanted to say.

“Just say it,” Nae snapped. My eyes shifted over to Nae quickly. She looked highly annoyed and she seemed to know what Blake wanted to say.

“Am I missing something here?” I asked while looking between them. I looked at Nae as she looked at Blake.

“She’s not that bad. She’s just trying to push us to a winning season. How can I be mad at that?” Blake finally said.

“Of course you’re on her side,” Nae rolled her eyes as she went into the bathroom. A few seconds later I heard the shower start. I walked over to Blake and sat on the bed next to her.

“What happened between y’all?” I questioned her but tried not to push it.

“Nae’s just mad because I’ve been hanging out with Chimere,” she mumbled.

“Since when have you started calling her Chimere?” I scrunched up my eyebrows.

“Since she had told me to,” she shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big deal.

“So she thinks Coach Chimere is replacing her?” Everything started to connect in my head. Blake nodded as she stared off in a daze. I got up and knocked on the bathroom door. I knew Nae for years so I know better. I opened the door and closed it. Like I expected Nae was sitting on the floor fully clothed while the shower ran. I sat down next to her and sighed. “How come y’all always have to have problems?” I looked her over as she shrugged.

“I don’t like competing with someone for someone else’s attention,” she said.

“And if you’ve been paying attention you would realize you’re not. Blake isn’t trying to replace you with Coach Chimere. She’s more concerned on how you’re acting. You know Blake wouldn’t try to do that intentionally,” I let everything sink into her head.

“You’re right,” she said lowly.

“I’m sorry I didn’t hear that,” I smirked as she lightly pushed my shoulder.

“Don’t push it big head,” she joked as we laughed.

“I’m about to meet up with Aubrey. Can I trust you and Blake to watch Mylan?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Just go and enjoy your boo. We’ll be fine back here,” we shared a brief hug before I walked out the bathroom and into the bedroom.

“Mommy is about to go but you get to hang out with Cousin Blake and Auntie Nae okay?” I looked at Mylan.

“Okay mommy,” she responded as I shuttered her with kisses. She giggled as I finally let go.

“You and Nae better not kill each other,” I pointed my finger at Blake.

“Shut up and go!” She threw a pillow at me as I headed out the door.

Drake’s P.O.V.

“So what are you doing?” Mere asked me as I picked out a new shirt.

“I don’t know. I’m probably gonna meet up with some old friends or something,” I shrugged. She turned in my bed and sat up.

“You’re so basic. You wanna know what I’m gonna do?” She smirked slightly.

“Make a hot lesbian sex tape,” I smirked back.  She threw a pillow at me and laughed.

“In your wildest dreams but for real I’m gonna meet up with my ex,” she looked at me as I tensed up.

“I don’t want you meeting with him,” I told her sternly.

“Sorry but you’re not my daddy,” she got up from my bed and started to walk out the door. I pulled her by her arm gently and made her look at me. We stood in the doorway staring at each other.

“Mere, you know what happened between you two. I don’t want you to get hurt again,” I let one of my hands cup her face.

“And I’m not gonna get hurt Aubrey. I’m a big girl now and I know how to handle myself. I don’t always need you to protect me,” she pleaded with me.

“If that nigga does one thing and I mean one thing Chimere, you call me to come get you,” I made sure she knew I was serious.

“I promise Aubrey,” she smiled small and pecked my cheek. She walked down the hall and just as she left I saw Nicki walking to my door.

“Hey,” I smiled when I saw her.

“Hi,” she mumbled. It looked like she was thinking about something.

“Come in, I’m just getting ready,” I opened the door wider.

“I can tell,” she replied smartly as she came into the suite.

“What’s up with you?” I asked her but she just shrugged me off. I knew not to push it so I just decided to let it go for now. She’ll tell me eventually. We went into the bedroom and she took a seat on my bed. I grabbed my shirt and pulled it off. I quickly pulled on another one as I heard Nicki smack her teeth. “What now?” I was annoyed by now.

“Why is there brown hair on your bed?” She questioned me.

“That’s just Chimere’s hair,” I shrugged it off and went to spray my cologne on.

“Just Chimere, are you serious right now Aubrey?” She went off.

“What?” I turned around and saw she got up. She walked closer to me and looked at me weird.

“What’s with the lipstick stain on your cheek?” She crossed her arms.

“That? She just kissed me. What’s the big deal?” I was beyond confused by this point.

“First I saw you two all hugged up before I came here, and then I find out that she was in your bed, and last but surely not least I find out that she kissed you and you have the nerve to ask me what’s the big fucking deal!?” She completely snapped at me.

“Nicki,” I tried to reach for her but she backed away.

“I’m not about to go through this again,” she walked out the door and left me standing there.

Nae’s P.O.V.

I walked out the bathroom after straightening my hair. I saw My was sleeping peacefully while Blake just sat there and rubbed her back. When she heard the door open her eyes snapped up. “We need to talk,” I told her. She nodded in return as I sat on the bed. “I’m sorry about how I’ve been acting. I just don’t want her to replace me. I mean Nicki is always with Drake and if you started hanging out with her then I’ll be all alone,” I explained.

“I don’t know what gave you the impression that she would replace you. I’ve known her for two months. I’ve known you for years. She could never replace you,” she smiled small. I smiled back as we hugged it out. Just as we pulled away the door opened. In walked a mad Nicki. She dropped her purse on the floor and took off her shoes. She was pacing around the room while we sat there and looked at her. “Nicki?” Blake called out at her.

“Am I stupid?” She turned to us. We both were sort of taken aback by with the question.

“Of course not Nicki, why would you think that?” I asked her.

“Then why do guys keep trying to play me. It’s like they expect me to avoid the obvious. I swear Drake is no better than,” she started to say his name but I was quick to my feet.

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Drake is not like that and you know that,” I snapped at her.

“He’s cheating on me,” she sat down and sighed.

“I think you’re over exaggerating,” Blake said.

“I saw them hugging, found her hair in his bed, and even saw a lipstick stain on his cheek,” Nicki shook her head.

“Who?” I was curious to who she would think he would cheat on her with.

“Coach Chimere,” she refused to let tears fall. Blake started to laugh slightly. Nicki turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Why are you laughing?” She asked her.

“Chimere is not into Drake. She told me he’s like a brother to her,” she explained.

“Just because she said that doesn’t make it true,” Nicki argued.

“I think you should just talk this out with Drake. I bet you didn’t even give him a chance to explain,” I looked at her sternly. She sighed because she knew I was right.

Drake’s P.O.V.

I took a deep breath and knocked on Nicki’s door. I knew everyone was out having fun beside Nicki and her friends so I didn’t have to worry about someone seeing me. Nae opened the door and frowned slightly. “Nicki,” she called out and walked away. Nicki walked to the door and crossed her arms.

“Look it really wasn’t what it looked like,” I quickly got to the point.

“Well you surely didn’t give me any impression that it wasn’t what it looked like,” she still had an attitude.

“Nicki you know I wouldn’t cheat on you so I don’t know why you would even have that thought in your mind,” I grew angry that she would even think that.

“I know you didn’t cheat on me but you still had another woman in your bed and she’s always around you. There’s something going on,” she raised an eyebrow at me.

“She’s like a sister to me and that’s all. I never looked at Mere that way nor will I ever look at her that way. She’s not into me and I’m not into her. I don’t know what else you want me to say to make you believe me,” I shrugged my shoulders. If she still didn’t believe me then I didn’t know what else to do.

“I believe you Aubrey,” she sighed as I opened my arms. She walked into them as I held her tight.

“I would never do that and I don’t want to have this conversation again. I’m not gonna hurt you. You just gotta trust me baby because if you don’t then we won’t work out,” I explained to her.

“I trust you Aubrey. I just don’t want you to put me in a situation like that knowing my past,” she mumbled into my shirt. I pulled back and kissed her.

“I’m sorry,” I told her as she smiled slightly.

“I’m sorry too,” she pecked my lips again before dragging me inside of her room.

Blake’s P.O.V.

“This is so relaxing,” I sighed as Nae and I sat in the Jacuzzi.

“Extremely,” she mumbled. She sounded weird so I opened my eyes and she looked at me curiously.

“What?” I scrunched up my eyebrows. She sighed and sat up more deciding if she wants to tell me the truth or not. “Just tell me what’s on your mind Nae,” I assured her.

“Look I know I said I wouldn’t ask but it’s been bothering me for the past few days. Why did you ditch me when we were back in California? What did I do to you?” She looked at me as my body stiffened. I knew this would come sooner or later because I could tell it was bothering Nae. I just wished it was later. I needed to mentally prepare myself for this battle.

“I told you that I was going through some things,” I refused to meet her gaze.

“Why don’t you want me to know? Are you scared I’ll judge you or something because you of all people know that I don’t judge anyone,” she grabbed my chin and made me lock eyes with her.

“Believe me when I say that I want to tell you but I’m just not ready. I will tell you eventually but please just give me time,” I pleaded. She nodded and released my chin.

“So are you happy you’re wearing a bikini now?” She smirked at me as she noticed two guys checking us out. It made me feel exposed and slightly uncomfortable.

“I feel so exposed and awkward,” I shook my head.

“I don’t know why. You look good in it,” she shot me a wink before changing the subject.

Drake’s P.O.V.

Jaznae and Blakelynn decided to give us some privacy so they went out. I cooked us some dinner while Nicki went to get Mylan up. “I hope this taste good Drake,” she said as I set the plates down.

“It will now shut up and eat it,” I laughed as she cut her eyes at me. “My trust me right?” I looked at My. She nodded and took a bite of the food.

“Mmm,” she closed her eyes and exaggerated the taste of the food. Nicki chuckled at her silliness. “It taste good mommy,” she ensured her.

“Okay, I trust you baby,” she told My. This time it was my turn to cut my eyes at her. She took a bite and smiled. “It does taste good,” she told me as I smirked. I joined them at the table as we continued to eat. After we finished I cleaned up as she put Mylan to bed. She walked back out into the kitchen area and smiled at me.

“Come here,” I told her as I sat down. She walked over to me and I pulled her down to my lap. She told me about her past so I think it’s only right that I tell her about mine.

“I use to be a dancer. I danced for the boy’s team at Lenore when I was in high school. I was captain and my team went to become state champions. The all-stars team wanted me to work with them and bring them to World Championship. I practiced with them we went to Worlds. We won the World Championships and I got offered a college opportunity in Paris. A week before I was about to move to Paris, my mom died. I was driving the car and someone crashed into us. It’s always in the back of my mind that it was my fault that my mom died. I thought if I slowed down a bit then she would still be alive.

I didn’t go to Paris because I was in a bad place and I got severely injured. I had surgery and after that I never danced the same again. I could no longer put my all into dance like I use to and I never could trust that my knee would hold up. I got scared that I would hurt my knee further and I was depressed over my mom’s death. A couple of years later I opened a dance studio and now it’s one of the biggest studios in the world,” I explained to her.

“Graham’s Company?” She asked shocked. I nodded as she took that all in.

“Shad called me and told me he wanted help coaching this team. I never thought in a million years I would do this but here I am. I never expected to find love along the way either. I lost my passion a long time ago and I thought I would never get it back but you, you brought me back to a place I thought I would never be in again. You made me strive to see you dance. I feel like I’m living my passion through you. You remind me of the type of dancer I use to be. I never thought I could even watch someone dance again without feeling some type of way but then I saw you. The way you dance is something that can’t be taught and I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you.

You’re one of the best dancer’s I’ve ever seen. You’re even better than me and I never thought I would ever say that to anyone. I have a big ego but I’ve earned it. I don’t ever want you to lose your passion to dance. You’re too talented to ever do that,” I looked at her. She took all this information in and surprisingly she handled it well. She smiled and moved so she was straddling me. She pulled me close to her and kissed me. I kissed her back as we got lost in a passionate kiss. She pulled back slightly and looked at me.

“Thank you for trusting me,” she whispered before kissing me again. I was happy I finally found someone I could tell everything to. I never told anyone everything I just told her.