The 2 Minute Engagement

Chapter 24

Chapter 24
Luke

2017

This is the day we've all been waiting for. Or at least one of the days. It is finally time for the premiere of night one of The New Edition and SJC Story. It's one of the biggest premiers Boston has ever seen. There are so many celebrities and locals from the OP mixed together that it's astonishing that nothing has popped off yet. But I don't think anything will. This is too important for the city.

Walking down the red carpet with my newfound brothers, sisters, cousins, and fiancée is giving me a feeling I've hardly experienced. I don't come from a big family but now I have one. All because I auditioned for a movie. You never know how little moments can change your life.

The reporters scream our names and tell us to look here and look there. I answer a few questions from different reporters by myself and with the cast. It's surreal to say the least.

"LuLu! Over here!" I call my girl as she finishes a quick interview. She waddles over with a big smile and medium, six month belly.

The different photographers call our names as I wrap my arms around Lucy. "Your Black Boy Joy is showing so brightly." She kisses me quickly. The sound of clicking increases drastically.

"And your melanin is popping." I say with a hand on her stomach and we laugh. Our smiles grow bigger as we feel our baby kick.

"The baby kicked!" Lucy smiles as Kim, JJ, Keith, Bryshere, Woody, Elijah, and Algee walk over to us. The cameras flash as we turn and pose for different cameras. Ten minutes later, we all walk into the theatre to get ready to watch the first episode of the miniseries.

People start filing into the theatre. Chris talks before Brooke. New Edition says a few a words each. SJC gets a few words in before more pictures are taken of NE, SJC, Brooke, and the entire cast. Brooke keeps everything as short as possible so that the movie can start on time.

Everyone cheers as the Littles perform and laughs at the Little SJC's sassiness. The best part is the transition from the Littles to the Bigs during Is This The End. The audience cheers when the guys are shown then again when JJ, Kim, and Lucy finally grace the screen.

They don't get as amazing of a transition (a song transition): The Little SJC are shown walking out of an OP apartment building with them morphing into Kim, Lucy, and JJ as they meet up with the Bigs minus me.

"That's my little sister!" Will shouts when JJ slaps Bryshere on the head in one scene. Apparently Jacque has always been slapping Mike on the head. Those parts in scenes always made JJ laugh.

"You better tell 'em, girl!" Wally calls at LuLu when, in one of the many scenes, she had to snap some sense into one of the guys or even the girls.

At the end, everyone stands to applaud our performances. I don't think about anything else but the amazing performance that everyone put on. I'm not in this part of the story yet but my brothers, sisters, and fiancée are, and they are extraordinary.

"Ah!" I hear Lucy gasp next to me as she tries to stand up to clap. When I turn my head to her, she sits back down in pain. "No. No. Not now please. Please, Lord."

"LuLu, what's wrong?" I ask her as the cast, Brooke, SJC, and NE are called to the front of the theatre.

"Luke, please," her voice is filled with panic and fear. "I need to get to the hospital."

Oh God. Please not now. Not today. She's only six months along.

"Lucy? Luke? Can we get you two down to the front with everyone else?" Casting director, Robi Reed, asks us with a smile and microphone in hand.