The Quiet Sister✔️

39. Grammy Award Winning

Nola could not wait to see her sister perform. She kept them all in the dark about what she was doing. She was performing early in the show and left to go backstage midway in the show.

"This is definitely not something I think I ever need to do again," Victor said, who sat beside her.

"Agreed," she said to him. "They can't make us, right?"

"This was an Icee and Kitty thing, wanting us all here."

"We're not famous! One little ad campaign two years ago. Sheesh! People forgot about that."

"Naa, y'all cemented in hip hop royalty now."

"Maybe I can get Kryssy or Kitty to get me an ad campaign," CJ said on her other side. "I look good, I can sell a lot of IceWear"

She rolled her eyes at her big-headed brother. If she thought Tennille was bad, CJ was worse. Sucked to be pretty, know you were pretty, and think you were God's gift to the world. Use and abuse women because they have low self-esteem and let you.

She really loved her brother, loved that she found out about him and the bond she shared with him, but she hated that about him.

"Maybe you will be onstage next year," she said to him.

Dear God, he would be unstoppable once he gained national recognition. He and Tennille were twins for sure.

Finally, it was time for Tennille to perform. She changed into a very classy, red and black sequined dress. She recognized the dress, it was one Ashley had worn in one of her last fashion shows for KStyle Designs. This was the part of the Grammys they were doing in memory of the singers and musicians they lost in the last year.

She instantly teared up. She was singing the song she wrote about Ashley.

Cameras were near trying to get their reactions as Tennille sang her heart out, with pictures of Ashley up on the screen. This was why she had not told them. This was why they were front and center.

She was going to lose it.

"I got you." CJ held her hand and squeezed it.

Icee suddenly had a box of Kleenex as if he knew and passed them down. The Kelly sisters were not the only ones crying, lots of people around them were crying. Tennille sounded better than she ever had, singing through her emotions.

No longer would they call her that stripper girl singer. Tennille had the voice.

She received a standing ovation to boisterous applause that landed well through the commercial break.

"I can't believe she did that!" Kryssy said, dabbing at her tears trying not to ruin her makeup.

"You ladies need to go refresh yourselves," Icee stated. "While we're on this break, they can get seat fillers."

Did not have to ask her twice. She stood and waited for her sisters to follow her to the ladies' room.

"I'm going to hurt that girl for not warning us," Sarena said. "And also give her a big hug because she killed it!"

"Yes! Oh my gosh, she's so amazing!" Kitty said.

"I think this was the best of the night," Krystle said, and I'm not biased because she is my sister."

They all touched up their makeup in less than two minutes before they had to be escorted back to their seats right before they went back on air.

Up next was a category that Tennille was nominated in, RnB song of the year for "Girls Do It Better," a fast-paced dance song that everyone was dancing to all summer. It became TikTok famous with lots of challenges going viral. 

"She better win this after that performance," Nola said.

"Oh, she got it," CJ said.

This was not Tennille's first Grammy nomination. She was nominated last year for a collaboration with Icee. They won that, but it could have been the Icee power. Icee won nearly every time he was nominated. People wanted him on a track just so they could be in contention.

"And the winner is...Tennille Kelly!"

She could not believe her sister won a big-time award, solo, all by herself. They all jumped up and cheered. Tennille came from backstage, already changed back into her outfit, already in tears. She stepped to the podium and everyone was still cheering for her.

"For me?" she said with a playful chuckle. "God, you are so good to me! Thank you, thank  you, thank you."

The crowd calmed down so that she could give her acceptance speech.

"I just want to say, there is no such thing as an overnight success, and there is no such thing as a handout. Yes, my brother-in-law is the one and only Icee, but I worked hard..." Her voice started to crack a bit. "So hard to get here tonight. I never even told my sisters how much I wanted to be here, right here in this moment. Don't give up on your dreams. Have a family that pushes you, like my sisters, Sarena, Kitty, Kryssy, NoNo, and CJ, I love you. Ashley is looking down from heaven cheering me on. My mom was my rock while she was here and I hope this makes her proud. All my people working behind the scenes for me, T-Zack and Freezy, the whole Da Factory Hitz crew. My brother Victor, my brother Icee. Who else?"

She looked around being extra dramatic. "Oh yes, to my wonderful fans, Tennillians, keep holding yo' girl down. Springfield represent!"

Her sister was a Grammy Award-winning singer. She felt like she had won and she did not care about such things.

The rest of the evening was a blur, she was ready to party now.

Tennille was on one hundred now, she won a second Grammy award for R&B Album of the Year. With two awards and that stunning performance, she was easily the "It Girl" of the night.

"I don't think we can ever live down her winning," Sarena said. "Now she will introduce herself as Grammy award-winner every single time."

"I'm not mad at that," Kryssy said. "So proud of her. She did want this all of her life."

"And she never asked Icee for a handout, like she said," Kitty stated. "When she first met him, she could have stood there and sang a million songs for him, showcasing her voice. She never did. Never told him she wanted to be a singer. It was me, telling him we all sing and that Tennille had the best voice that got Icee's attention."

"Better her than me," Sarena said. "My voice is for the church."

She loved all her sister's singing. She never gave it a thought to continue singing past the talent shows when they were little. They were trying to be the next Braxtons, but instead of her being the bratty baby, AKA Tamar Braxton, that was all Tennille.

Nowadays she only sang when her sister made her at church on special occasions.

"What party are we off to, NoNo?" CJ asked her.

"I want to hang with my sisters, so wherever they are going-"

"Icee's throwing his big after-party I have to be there, Tennille is coming with us," Kitty said.

"Petite Trois having their comeback party," Sarena stated. "I want to show my face there."

"CJ, you and Nola stick together. Watch out for each other," Victor said to them.

She was going to be stuck with the womanizer and she did not like it.

CJ had all kinds of girls all over him begging for attention. What was she supposed to do about that? She ditched him, headed back to her hotel stripped off the fancy outfit, and climbed into bed into nothingness.

She missed home.

A/N: Can y'all image Tennille now that she is award-winning Tennille Kelly? Oh her book is going to be so fun!