SugarCOAT

63. Show Up & Show Out 🎭

When I came out the bathroom, I almost fell out in laughter when I saw my cousin wearing my wig and sunglasses. "Monica!"

She stood as stiff as a statue.

"Monica, stop it! Take my wig and glasses off before you make me late to my rehearsal."

She brought her hand up to her mouth. "Don't make me! Don't make me choooose!" She dramatically sang.

I chuckled, "No, ma'am! This is your final warning."

Monica smiled, "Cousin, I thought short and easy about this, but we family. I really came back here with you to be your unofficial official assistant until you can hire a real one or one that I trust. And after everything you told me, I'll also be your security. And because I'm so famous, I have to wear a disguise. That's when I bought a similar wig and sunglasses on Amazon."

I put my hands on my head in disbelief. I shouldn't be, because this is Monica I'm looking at. Yes, my crazy cousin. "Moni, I love you... but you can't go anywhere with me looking like my twin."

"Girl, we look nothing alike. I'm thicker than you." She stuck her left leg out, trying to emphasize her nonexistent backside.

I shook my head. "You are gonna make me late." I walked over to my chair, opened my luggage, and found my wig and sunglasses. 

I immediately text Colby that I had an intern assistant that would need a badge to enter the RiSe Tower with me. When he asked for her name, I knew I couldn't give her real name.

Me: Monique English

He replied that it'll be ready in half an hour at the guarded entrance. That was too easy. We left looking like Thing 1 and Thing 2.

After listening to Monica's hype song 10 times in a row just so she can get into character, we arrived at the RiSe Tower. One of the guards walked over to the car. I rolled down the window and retrieved Monica's badge. I handed it to her.

Monica was all smiles. "That's my VIP pass?"

I rolled the window up. "Something like that."

"Who the hella billa fonte is Monique English?"

"You! So quit whining and get ready to win an Oscar," I joked.

We soon arrived on the set of Late Night with Greg Wright. One of the team members gave Monica and I a tour from the dressing room to the stage. I told myself to take it all in which wasn't hard to do. It wasn't as big as it appeared on TV. At max, the studio audience probably held around 200 people. The performance stage and the talk show stage combined was the size of the average school's auditorium stage. I'm so glad I'm not a dancing singer.

"Is this my seat?" Monica asked as she sat in a corner, aisle seat on the front row.

"She's my assistant," I stated.

Monica applauded, "Woooo! Yes, Jae A.B.! You better sing it, girl!" She stood up and shouted, "Sexual Chocolate!"

Did she lose her mind? I gave Monica a stern look, and she slowly sat down.

"Jae A.B., the band is ready when you are," another person told me.

I walked over to the stage and stood behind the microphone.

The same person gave me an ear piece and clipped the monitor to the back of my pants. Once I had the ear piece in, they asked me to speak into the mic.

"Sound?" They asked.