I Hate Love✅

2. Back Home

If the cops were going to come looking for her, she would be long gone. She packed a bag at her place and made her way to the airport. Not like she had many places to go. She could go see her girls, both living in L.A. now, or she could see her bestie.

The thought of seeing Kitty now, after all she had been through in the last few months. Kidnapped by a psycho. Tortured by a psycho. Killing a psycho. Having twins while in a coma. Hell, she was amazed bestie was moving on in her life and functioning. She would be batshit crazy.

Not Kitty. She talked to her every day. She was good. In good spirits, taking care of three babies.

Never her.

But she loved Kitty and admired her. Never had she become friends so easily with a person in her life. Not even M'Liyah and Melodie and she knew them since she was fourteen. They did not meet on good terms, and their friendship was always rough. If it was not for their common interest in music and becoming celebrities, she would have never become friends with them.

Kitty was different. Though they met through Icee, they connected on a different level. They thought the same. Sure, Kitty was a non-drinking, non-smoking, non-cursing, celibate-no-sex-having, church girl, but it did not take long for her to break out of that shell. Deep down, Kitty was a ride-or-die type of chick. She could beat someone's ass when needed, then still turn around and be Ms. Goody Two Shoes.

Her friend was lucky. Meeting a guy like Icee that loved her as he did. One look at the two of them together and she was never so envious of a relationship.

She wanted what they had.

She thought she had it. How wrong was she? She did not want to think about the man she would never say his name again.

She made it to the airport and asked for a ticket.

"Where to?"

"St. Louis, Missouri."

Why not. Go back to her hometown, lay low for a bit and chill. Get her mind right and figure out her next move.

Maybe give up music altogether.

Maybe live a normal life. Get a regular job, meet a guy, and have some babies...

"Wait, wait, wait!" She said to herself while she sat in first class, earbuds in to avoid the old white men stares. "That shit ain't me."

She was never going to be a regular-type girl. Fame was her life. She wanted it ever since she could remember. Since she was wee high in the hard, mean streets of southside St. Louis. Her very first memory in life she sang into a toilet roll holder about "Giving him something he can feel," to an EnVogue song she had no business singing.

She was grown grown at four years old. Her foster parents at the time whooped her ass. She yelled and hid in a closet, cried, and wondered what she did wrong.

That was not her life anymore and she would not dwell on the past. She made it out to become a success, and that is all that mattered. While on her flight, she looked up the best five-star hotel she could find and booked it for a week.

Four Seasons in downtown St. Louis, right off the riverfront. She could see the Mississippi River, the bridges to get to Illinois, and most of the downtown if she got a high enough floor. The Arch in walking distance. It was kind of hidden away from it all. Not that she had anyone there she could call if she wanted to, but she was happy to go back home after years of being away.

She landed and remembered she was traveling light. One checked suitcase, one carry-on bag, and her purse. And she was traveling low-key. Outside of her red hair and bright yellow nails, she felt she blended in. Not like she graced the cover of a magazine in years. No music videos. No dirty tabloid headlines. That was a good thing.

Except now that she was traveling like a commoner, she had no people to help with her things. She went to get her luggage with everyone else, so into her phone, and playing Candy Crush to pay attention to others. She was sure she missed her luggage several times before she looked up and grabbed it.

This shit was for the birds, traveling without help. She quickly made her way to the car rental kiosk. Of course, she ordered the best convertible they had. Why not? Even traveling she needed to be in the best.

She did not let anyone know she was traveling and where she was, and she was fine with that. The drive from the airport to downtown with the top down made her think of Will Smith's summer classic.

"Summer, summer, summertime!" she sang out loud to the wind.

It was late July and the weather was perfect in St. Louis.

She pulled up to the hotel and they had valet parking. She was here for that. She had a bellhop help with her luggage while she headed to the check-in desk. There was a cute little redhead with dark brown eyes and a light sprinkling of freckles on her face. Her name tag read Bethany.

She smiled sweetly at her, then the frown turned into a gasp.

"Oh my god! You're Ginger Hollands!" the young white girl said. To be recognized was a blessing and a curse sometimes.

"In the flesh."

"You're staying here? Ginger Hollands is staying here?"

"Yes, if there is no problem."

The girl was geeked, trying to calm herself from having an all-out attack. "No, this is great...Ummm...can I get a picture?"

That was not very professional of her, but why not. Fans were fans and she had to hold on to the ones she had. A celebrity was nothing without their die-hard fans

The girl came from around the counter with her phone and took several pictures with her. They even pulled a stranger nearby to take a few pics of them. That was when someone else recognized her. And she had to take more pictures.

She groaned to herself but obliged them all.

"Sorry!" Bethany said, knowing she caused all this. "Ummm...Ms. Hollands, your room is ready."

She backed away from her fans to grab her room keycard. "Can you make sure my privacy stays intact? I cannot be disturbed every time I leave my room."

"Sure, no problem. In fact..." She motioned for the bellhop to come over. "Larry, can you escort Ms. Ginger Hollands to her room, help with her bags, and also, anything else she needs? Please, anything you want Ginger, let us know. Just ring me downstairs. Ask for Bethany! If I am not here, have them find me."

"Thanks, Bethany, that's sweet."

Since this was a spur-of-the-moment trip, she was unsure what to bring. She packed light because there was always a need to shop for new things as needed. And summertime in St. Louis, all she needed were tank tops and booty shorts. Dressed down, she still looked like she was someone, but for the week, she planned to stay a bit incognito. Only one wig, and it was low-key being black and not a loud color. She brought the bare minimum make-up and no wild outfits.

Being home was refreshing. There was something in the air that she missed.

"I'm home!"

A/N: Ginger is back in St. Louis, where it all started. Many things can happen but I needed her to find hers in this book. This is just the start.