Heartbreak Hotel: This Place Hotel

Chapter 7: All Ended Up In Harlem

Nikki's POV

1969-1973

On June 17, 1957, in Toronto, Canada, a woman by the name of Mary Wilson gave birth to twins. A boy named Daniel James Wilson and a girl named Denise Shae Wilson. A baby girl, Denise, was not planned as she was missed in the very few ultrasounds that Mary had. As this little girl grew she found her love for singing with each year she gained in her life. In her years in the South she grew to love Jazz and soul as she watched her grandmother sing in her own personal club in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her dreams were the only thing that separated her from the world she lived in. A world of fear and hardships.

In 1967, she lost her father and moved to Harlem, New York where she often attended her Uncle's club that her mother gain part ownership of. It wasn't until 1969 that I had met her. She was one of the older girls at church that I never hung around. I was often alone. Often the one that everyone picked on. School, church, at home. It didn't matter. I was too shy to speak with anyone. So, stuck around my siblings for my own safety.

One day I was standing at the end of the street after church, my mom was speaking with Reverend and my sisters were off playing somewhere. Denise just appeared out of no where. She stood in front of me smiling with her hands on her hips and her pony tail flying in the wind. "Hi! I'm Denise. You're Nicole right?"

I looked around, wondering if she was speaking to someone else. "Uh...yeah..."

"I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the pool later?"

"Uh..." I tried to find the right words, but they wouldn't come out of my mouth.

"You shy ain't you?"

I only nodded.

" Well...if you hang with me, you don't have to worry about anyone messing with you again."

I stared at her, clueless. Was this a joke? I began trying to search for giggling people in the distance.

"I'm not messing with you, girl. I'm serious." She said.

"You're trying to be my friend?" I asked her.

"Uh, duh!" She grabbed my hand. "Come on..I let my mom do something pretty with your hair!"

~•~•~•~

On February 26, 1960, somewhere in Louisiana Britney Jolene Spears was born to a sixteen year old girl. She was immediately given up for adoption and somewhere along the line she ended up in Brooklyn

When she was seven her adoptive parents sent her to live with her aunt in Harlem for behavioral purposes. They way she was acting out at school became too much for them to bare. It was there the day that she met Denise and I at school one day in the middle of a court yard. It was 1971, and here's a twist: she used to be one of my bullies.

"Britney! Leave me alone!" I whined. JoJo was the biggest bully in Harlem. She was best friends with all the trouble makers.

"My name is not Britney. You lil bitch! It's JoJo!" She was only eleven and was already saying curse words like it was nothing.

"I'm so-so-sorry, J-J-JoJo..." She had me pushed against a tree on the playground. Her friends behind her was cheering her on.