Credentials of Fame (Tyga/Roc Royal Story) *Sequel*

Chapter 31: The Easy Escape.

Janelle’s POV:

Yesterday was a good day for me. I realized that out of all the chores we had to do, Mavia and I got to see Sean and Chresanto at the very end of the day. I guess that’s something Mr. Jackson forgot to avoid.

When we got to the kitchen for our first chore of the day, the chef was sitting in a chair against the wall, relaxed as ever. The cafeteria itself was spotless, but the kitchen was a meat-smelling, gut-wrenching dungeon of terror. It was disgusting.

“Good morning, Chef Ramos.” Mavia and I said in unison, as the chef instructed us to from our first day. He nodded at us. He usually didn’t just sit there and let us do all the work, but I guess today he was giving himself a break.

I needed a break.

“Where do you want to start?” Mavia asked with a sigh.

“We still didn’t get to scrub the freezer. Let’s get that done and over with.” I replied. We bent down to get some gloves and other things from a cabinet beneath the sink.

“No, no. You’re off today. At least for this portion of your work.” Chef Ramos said, his Italian accent heavy.

“How come?” Mavia asked.

“Janelle’s parents sent a letter. They instructed specifically that the both of you be let off of work at some point so you can read the letter. Mr. Jackson knows about it.” He explained. He nodded over to the shelf beside him that had a crisp envelope sitting on it. Mavia and I rushed over to the shelf. I grabbed the envelope. It had red meat stains on it, but I ignored them and ripped it open.

“From Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson,” Mavia said aloud as she read the heading of the letter. We eagerly read on. The letter said:

Hi, my name is Jaydi Stevenson, the mother of Janelle Stevenson. Her father and I took it upon ourselves to send her to Wesley Prestigious Boarding School, but now we need her to return home. We feel she has learned her lesson. I know that students usually aren’t removed/transferred during mid-semester, and I apologize for any inconvenience. Just please see to it that she is allowed out of the building when I call for her (which might be sometime this week or next week). Also, I request that Chresanto August, Jacob Perez, Craig Crippen, and Rayan Smith are released along with her. You can see their mothers’ signatures at the bottom of this letter, along with mine and Janelle’s father’s. Thank you.

At the bottom of the letter, there were seven signatures. All from my parents and the boy’s mothers, and another scribbled name I couldn’t understand. I read the letter over a few times with Mavia, thinking at some point all the letters on the page would disappear. It was too good to be true.

“I’m…leaving? My mother finally came to her senses?” I said in disbelief. All I could think of was walking out of here with Chresanto the way we walked in, and never having to come back. I was thinking about the rest of the week, too—how would I deal with having to wait to get that call? I hate anticipation.

Then Chresanto came across my mind. I didn’t even let him know about my plan to get out of here. Well, I never had a plan anyway,  but I should’ve told him that I even had the mere idea of breaking out. It’s all good now, though, I thought, since I don’t even have to come up with a plan. All we have to do is leave.

“This is…a miracle.” I whispered, reading the letter one last time. I looked over at Mavia, but she was no longer next to me. She had an old rag in her hand and was scrubbing out some rust on the inside of the fridge. She was doing it harder than she had to, almost seeming like she wanted to break down the fridge door.

“Mavia, you okay?” I asked her. She didn’t answer. “The mark you were cleaning is gone now.”

“So what? If I feel like cleaning nothing, I can.” She snapped back at me. I looked at the chef to see if he had witnessed my embarrassment, but he was fast asleep.

“I’m not even going to ask you if you’re okay again, because I know you’re not. So what’s up with you?”

“Janelle, you’re inconsiderate. That’s what’s up with me.” Mavia snapped again. I sighed. She was dampening my mood.

“Inconsiderate how?”

“We both came in here the same day, for similar reasons, and with the same hope—to get out of here as soon as possible. And you told me you wanted to leave, and that you would bring me along. But now your rich mother and rapper father are giving you a free ticket back home, and I’m still stuck here! But you don’t even realize. That’s how you’re inconsiderate.”

I was left speechless. The only thing I could say is, “You’re right,” but I didn’t want Mavia to win this argument.

I just shook my head, feeling guilty for not apologizing instantly. “Mavia, you can’t blame me for things I’m not in control of. So you can stay here and take your anger out on the fridge and other things, but since we’re off today, I’m going to take my rest in our dorm. Come up when you feel like it.”

And with that, I left. Mavia was still right, and I was still wrong.

                                                                * * *

The letter said they would come for me either this week or the next, but I still decided to start packing. As I opened my suitcases and unpacked my drawers, I realized that I brought too many clothes to this school.

Music was playing louder than necessary. I was using it to drown out my guilty feelings. Mavia still didn’t come up to the dorm. I really couldn’t care less where she is, but I couldn’t help but look at the time and see that she and I would usually be in the garden around now. But, apparently, Chresanto and Sean would be in the garden too. Was she out there with them? Just the three of them?

I don’t trust her with Chresanto.

Suddenly my door opened, and I jumped, thinking it was Mavia. But it was only Prince who walked through the door, singing along to Omarion’s M.I.A.

“Since you’ve been away, love’s been MIA, MIA, MIA…” Prince sang, teasing the way Omarion sang. I laughed and punched him in his arm.

“How did you get over here?”

“I snuck out of the dorm.”

Laughing, I replied, “I didn’t know you were so sneaky.” Prince laughed too.

“I’m not, but both of us will have to be for the next few days.” He said.

“What do you mean?” I asked. Then he had a look on his face like he’d said something he wasn’t supposed to. Prince shook his head and sat down on the bed. He refused to make eye contact with me.

“Prince, what are you talking about?” I asked. I sat down next to him and rested a hand on his bouncing leg. He was a sensitive boy; keeping secrets from me couldn’t be easy for him.

“Roc planned to get us out of here. He has a good plan for me, Prod, Ray and him, but he hasn’t come up with anything for you. So he intends to tell you to just sneak out on your own, and hopefully you make it out safe.” Prince blurted.

I was shocked. So he just catered to his friends and left me to figure something out myself? And I was feeling bad for not thinking of a plan for him too?

It doesn’t matter now, though, since both of us are leaving safely. But still, I wasn’t ready to tell him about the letter yet. I would make him suffer first. I would make him feel his mistake.

And maybe, just maybe, I might leave without him.