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“Oh yes, bitchhhh,” Staysha snapped her fingers as Eden posed in her black dress against the brown backdrop. “It’s giving face, it’s giving body. It’s giving rich bitch. It’s giving that girl!”

“You got to stop hyping me up the way you do,” Eden said, laughing at her sister snap her fingers. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to the premiere with me? I do not want to roll solo tonight. I don’t want to go to Rico’s stupid ass party, and I really don’t want to be around Natavia.”

“Oh, you don’t want to kick it with your bestie?” Staysha taunted.

“She’s been acting funny. More like business than friends, more like follow me and listen than think for yourself. Did I tell you she told me to skip the brand events, and she would just pay me for them?”

“Girl, I know good and damn well you aren’t about to skip over a brand event for Natavia. I will kick you-”

“Calm down,” Eden huffed. “Relax. I’m not skipping anything, and you aren’t coming over here to kick my ass.

I’m going to go to the events we committed to and then by the time I get to Rico’s for this stupid ass party, everyone will be too drunk to remember if I were there or not.

In and out and back home. On the couch with some cheese fries. ”

“Speaking of which, that BlkArtCo. video is doing numbers. That song is like a viral sensation now, too. Between you and I, Urban Views Entertainment wants to partner with you and keep using his music in your videos,” Staysha shared.

“I don’t know if all of Trae Way MB’s songs are going to fit our aesthetic.”

“You mean MRA’s aesthetic that they curated for you. To make you appeal to Waynesville and the world as a whole, but not to the streets that made you. You are Trae Way. We are Trae Way, and we should rep our hood without Natavia telling us any differently.”

Eden huffed. “I heard you, I hear you, I understand. But we got like a year left with MRA and I’m trying to make sure I play this shit correctly.”

“I understand. I don’t want to go back to Trae Way either.”

“Like I never ever want to go back. So, we got to play this smart. We got to be careful about what we choose.”

“And we should choose someone who represents who we are. Reformed city girls,” Staysha shared as she twerked.

Eden laughed, thanked the photographer, and trotted off the brown backdrop. “I wasn’t trading pussy, that was you.”

“But you were in Midnight showing it.”

“Aht! That was Pri. Probably still is Pri,” Eden said with a slight wince. She walked out of the living room into the kitchen. “Who sent the flowers?”

“Mama. She wrote that she was proud of you for finally getting a fuckin’ plan. Her words, not mine.”

Eden smirked. “Funny how our pimpin’ auntie can remember all of the things, but our own mother couldn’t be bothered.”

“Well, I heard God gives you what you need.”

“So, a madame as an aunt is what we needed? Okay,” Eden said, grabbing her clutch. “This is the last time I’m going to offer you my plus one spot. There’s a dress in my closet with the tags on it.”

“I have a date, or I would gooooo,” Staysha shared.

“You’ve been going out with this guy for a minute. When am I going to meet him?” Eden asked with a perfectly-shaded brow raised.

“When it’s time. I promise.”

“Fine,” Eden responded. “Just please don’t get yourself in any shit you cannot get out of. I’m serious.”

“I promise. I promise. I’m safe and smart.”

“Mmhmm,” Eden hummed, not believing anything Staysha was telling her. Especially because Staysha had more of their mother in her than anything else. “Alright, Stay. I’ll call you later to give you the tea.”

“Have fun, though, make some new friends. Maybe meet a nice man with big pockets and a big dick. Have you a one-night stand. Do a little something, suck a little something, throw a little something back.”

“Ah ha!” Eden scoffed. “Girl, I’m not doing none of that.”

“Why not? Rico has cute friends,” Staysha said that as if she knew more than Eden did.

“Uh, have you met Rico? His friends are probably just like him. Creeps. I’m good. Thanks, no thanks.”

“Well, do something tonight. Drink a little more than you would typically, and dance. When is the last time you danced?”

Eden grabbed her clutch and phone as the alert that her driver had arrived. “Since I left school. I’ll talk to you later. Be good. Be smart. Please.”

“Always,” Staysha sang, and Eden wasn’t convinced at all that her sister would do or was doing the right thing.

Eden blew her a kiss and headed out of the luxury apartment down her private elevator and into her awaiting car.

She recorded the whole thing. The blacked-out SUV transporting her all night was courtesy of LuxuRide, they needed a video.

TenCut needed personal content of her in the jewels.

Her make-up was done and recorded for Maria&Marie.

As glamorous as tonight was for everyone else, she was working, and she was going to occupy herself with all the tasks and hopefully end the night without any aggravation.

“Eden!” Natavia called her name on the red carpet in front of all the cameras. “You look so good.”

Eden smiled, knowing that the cameras surrounding them were picking up on every move, every word, and every twitch of the face.

“You look so good!” Natavia stated as she hugged her. “So elegant.”

Eden listened to the cadence of Natavia’s voice, the underlying whatever was causing her stomach to twist. Again, she chalked it up to being in her head about things and overthinking. Eden came from a place where things were always too good to be true. Friendships included.

“Thanks,” Eden softly hummed, before turning to the camera.

“Eden! Eden! Turn here!” the paparazzi called, taking the attention from Natavia to Eden.

This happened more times than Eden could count.

But every time, she played small. Put herself in the background to keep the attention on Natavia.

This night was about her anyway. Eden was just here as a showpiece, the best friend, the third wheel.

The truth was, Eden was a star in her own right.

No matter how small she made herself, she outshone everyone in the building – including Natavia.

She was soft and elegant with an origin story that, when she told it, made everyone root for her.

When she stepped behind Natavia to give the spotlight back, the media continued to call her back to the front.

“Turn here, Eden, right here, Eden! Look at me, Eden! Over here, Eden!”

Natavia grabbed Eden’s hand tightly. To the cameras and the rest of the press, it looked like two doting best friends sharing the spotlight.

For Eden, it was Natavia keeping her in line – keeping her in check and reminding her who was in control.

And still, the way Eden posed put her in the forefront.

“Beautiful, Eden! So elegant, what are you wearing?” Danna Wilson from A Dose of Danna blog asked Eden as she and Natavia walked over, still hand-in-hand.

“Oh, it’s just Valentino and Jimmy Choo.

Jewels from TenCut. Hair Mr. Simpson and make-up Maria&Marie,” Eden gushed over her look.

It was elegant, soft yet powerful, modest yet sexy, and a contradiction of Natavia’s breast, thighs, and everything else on display.

Her makeup was heavy, and her hair didn’t complement the look she was going for.

“You look good, girl!” Danna gushed.

“I’m wearing Prada, vintage,” Natavia inserted herself.

Danna’s smile faltered a fraction of an inch. “I’m sure you’re excited about your first movie. Anything else in the works?”

“Oh, yes,” Natavia clasped her hands together, finally releasing Eden.

Eden watched the cameras pan from her to Natavia, and relief flooded her.

She scanned the area, finding another blogger waving her over.

Eden left Natavia and continued doing what she was paid to do: make everyone else look good.

Inside the theater was Rico, dark sunglasses over his eyes, standing with a group of men. She attempted to skirt by them, but Rico grabbed her hand. “You ain’t gon’ say hi?”

Eden smiled kindly again, pulling her hand out of his hold. “Hi Rico and friends, y’all alright? Good. Your girl is on her way in.”

With that, Eden went to grab her a bucket of popcorn and head inside to her seat. A few more videos were recorded as she braced herself to get through the next hour and forty-five minutes of Natavia’s five-minute movie debut.

As Eden watched Natavia’s character portrayed on the big screen, she remembered the dreams she had for herself.

Somewhere between her father dying, her mother leaving, and having to become the sole provider for Staysha, she abandoned them.

Getting her degree in performance arts seemed too far-fetched, even now, it seemed like being an influencer and a model for MRA-approved content was all she was going to be doing.

Eden: Maybe we should look at some small roles after this contract is up

Staysha: I thought you would never ask

Staysha: If Natavia can hype the world up with mediocre talent, you can too

Eden: I mean, Natavia wasn’t that bad

Staysha: The day you wake up will be a great day

Eden rolled her eyes and powered through the rest of the movie.

Before the lights could come up, she slipped out, hopping in her ride and heading to her first brand afterparty.

She maneuvered through, took pictures, drank the drinks, ate the food, and chatted it up with the owners of these brands, then slipped out.

By the time she got back in her sponsored ride, traffic was abundant.

Natavia: Girl where the fuck are you? I thought we talked about this