𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 ¹

twenty seven.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
surprise

Jamal

"You must feel proud of yourself, huh?" Lucious asked angrily.

"I really don't care if you're upset," Jamal said.

"I am upset, son! You disobeyed my decision!"

"I'm glad I did because everyone loved the song! Even Ma!"

Cookie scowled at Lucious. "But of course you don't love it, Lucious. Because it's about me."

"Cookie, this doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does. You didn't want Jamal to perform because you didn't want him to show his appreciation for me."

"I deserve appreciation too!" Lucious declared before pointing at Jamal. "I was by your side for seventeen years, Jamal!"

"I would've been by his side if it wasn't for you, Lucious. Don't go there," Cookie argued.

"Well you weren't, Cookie! I was! So you're being ungrateful, Jamal!"

That actually made Jam scoff. "You still haven't told Ma thank you, so no, you're the ungrateful one. And it's funny how you expect me to write a song about you after the torture I had to endure for seventeen years."

"I'm still your father!"

"I'm still your son! Who cares if I'm gay?!"

"Lower your voice," Lucious hissed.

"Let them hear for all I care. I'm done caring about how you feel because you don't ever care about no one but your damn self," Jamal said harshly.

"You know what? Maybe you should write him a song, Jamal. So he can stop acting like such a damn baby!" Cookie dissed.

Jamal nodded. "If you want me to write a song about you, Lucious, I'll do it. But it won't be a nice one."

Lucious got in his face now. "Get out of my face, Jamal. You're a disgrace."

"If I'm a disgrace, what the hell are you?"

Lucious tried to lunge at him, but Cookie stepped in. "Don't touch my son, or your death's gonna come early!"

Lucious was about to argue with her, but they heard that man say, "Okay, we have our final performance of the night! Give it up for Tiana and Hakeem!"

"Come on, Jamal. I gotta watch my other son perform," Cookie said.

"Let's go."

They linked arms and glared at Lucious all the way out. He was fuming, but did they care? Nope. And they never would.

Hakeem

Hakeem and Tiana were just introduced to the stage, but he was pacing backstage because his part wasn't until the end.

Hakeem rubbed his hands together nervously. He wasn't nervous to perform; he was nervous about the surprise he had for Tiana at the end of his verse. No one knew about it, but he was gonna be big, and it was gonna make people talk. He just hoped Tiana wouldn't freak out.

The music started playing, and he peeked on stage. Tiana was standing in the center, wearing a beautiful white dress. Hakeem was matching her, and he had picked the color white for a reason.

Tiana sung her first verse while doing her slight choreography like she had rehearsed. Then she sung the chorus while pointing right at Hakeem.