𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ¹

sixteen.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
prepare for the worst

Tiana

Tiana was rehearsing the choreography to her song Look But Don't Touch. There was a new club opening up, and Lucious wanted her to perform on opening night. He wanted to get people talking about Empire, and Tiana was the perfect person to make that happen.

She practiced the routine for the hook part. The lyrics consisted of,

Look at my body, look at my body
Look at my body, look at my body
Don't I look sexy, don't I look sexy?
Don't I look sexy, don't I look sexy?

Look but don't touch, don't touch
Don't touch, don't touch
LBDT!
Look but don't touch, don't touch
Don't touch, don't touch

"What if I wanna touch?" she heard Hakeem ask from the doorway. She jumped a little and turned around. Then she rolled her eyes and turned off the music.

"You can't. I'm off limits."

Hakeem stepped into the room. "Oh. You got a boyfriend now?"

"Nope. Haven't had one in years."

"What happened?"

Tiana caught an attitude with him. "You care?"

Hakeem frowned a little. "Do you gotta be like that?"

Tiana guessed she was being a little harsh. She answered him. "He cheated."

"Oh."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Why did you say it like that?"

Hakeem shrugged. "Because I thought it'd be the other way around."

"And why is that?"

"Because you seem like a Thottiana."

"A thottiana?!" Tiana yelled angrily. Was he seriously disrespecting her again? And to think she actually felt bad about being harsh to him. "You know what? I'm done!"

She grabbed her stuff and Hakeem was alarmed. "Wait, where are you going?"

She started storming out. "Away from you!"

"Tiana, wait! Stop running from me!"

"I run from you because you're disrespectful, Hakeem!" she shouted. "I'm already mad at you, so why would you say some shit like that?"

"I thought it was funny; my bad. But I ain't mean it. I don't think that way of you."

"Really? Because you're always saying 'girls like me.' You clearly don't trust me, Hakeem."

Hakeem put his hands in his pockets and nodded his head. "I'll admit that I got trust issues."

"But why?"

"Because that's what comes with this life, Tiana. I don't know if these girls want me for me, or for my money."

"I have my own money, Hakeem. Trust me, I don't need yours," she retorted.

Hakeem realized how dumb he sounded. "Yeah, I guess you don't."

"Yeah, I don't. But the fact that you think I'd use you says a lot."

Hakeem apologized sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry for opening my mouth about liking you, because you're right, I ruined our friendship. I just thought you were decent."