Shine For Me (Official Chreets Series)

Chapter 1

“You’re a diamond in the rough… dust you off baby…I wanna make you shine for me”

(Sweets aka Helena  POV)

“This was a good day” I said to myself as I looked at his bright smile and dimples as he was being silly as usual.

Chris always knew how to lighten any mood. We all had laughed so hard for what seemed like 2 hours with him and our best friends TJ and La Shay, making silly faces, rapping & telling stories. Chris was leaving in the morning for VA where he was from for the summer and I was so sad inside because I would miss him so much. After we were starting to wrap things up he walked over to me and grabbed my hand then led me to my fire escape.

“Ay Sweets, I don’t want you all sad while I’m gone aight.” He said looking me dead in my eyes.

“Boy, please I ain't gonna miss you!” I said with a fake attitude staring at his lanky frame. For 14 he was already taller than me which wasn’t hard because I was only 5’3 and petite.

“Yea right, Don’t front! Who you gonna call in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep, Huh?” Chris  asked with a mixture of country drawl and New York accent making a face at me that made me want to laugh.

He was right...Damn!

“Not you, beside you gonna get back down there in TAPP-A-HANNOCK and forget all about me.” I said playfully in my best country accent rolling my eyes. “All your little girlfriends gonna be like Chris! Chris! And there goes Sweets right out the window.” I said pulling my hand from his and crossing my arms pretending to be upset.

“Never that. Look I promised you I would always be here for you and I meant that.” He said coming closer to me lifting my chin.

My mind started spinning a little. Despite Chris being my best friend I loved him a lot and I didn’t want to lose him to some country ho. He never said he had feelings for me but I could tell by the way he was about me. But wait, how would that look? I’m 16 and he’s 14, that is crazy! It was just something about him tho. My friends were already giving me hell for not hanging out or dating anybody because I’m either hanging out with Chris, At the studio with Chris or at the dance studio with who?

Chris!

“Umm I got something for you.” He said snapping me out of my thoughts

“Really?” I said.

“Mm hm” He said quickly as he went back inside so I turned to admire the New York night sky then a few minutes later he popped his head out my window.

“My fault.” He said laughingly “Here you go. I been recording some songs and…” He said shyly handing me a CD so I smiled.

“It’s just a little something I put together for you...I know you like to listen to music on your train ride from school and all so…It just some songs I put together.…” He trailed off nerviously.

“B I love your voice!” I said excitedly

“Yea I thought singin how I felt would be better than hearing C-Syzzle spit a hot 16.” He said laughing while nudging me making me roll my eyes and laughed a little.

He knew I cringed at that stage name. I have always called him B. for Brown or Breeze because of a freestyle verse that I did that he loved so much: “You see this nigga Chris he put me at ease. The coolest nigga in the room that’s why I call him Breeze.”

*Note : It's Breeze…He will transform it to Breezy later of course. 😊

Chris had a beautiful voice to me and could dance his ass off. He was always recording and about to be signed but he just wasn’t ready to make any fast decisions just yet on which label because he loved sports too. We would write songs together and he would always want me to sing them while he rapped mostly.  He would brag to everybody we were gonna be the next Jay Z & Beyonce! As much as I loved to sing I loved dancing, songwriting, art and fashion much more. I didn’t want to be a singer because I was more comfortable in the background unless I was dancing. Not to mention I had just landed steady gigs as a backup dancer for Ciara and my Bro Omarion!

“Boy, please you got me beat...That’s why you got three labels trying to sign you! But Thank You.” I said giving him a big hug. I was about to let go but I felt him hold me tighter like he was taking in the moment. That was different but I shook off the thought.

“Ah it's nothin. Don’t listen to it yet tho!” He said finally pulling away with a nervous look.

‘Wh-Why Not?” I asked confused.

“Cause it’s just some things I want you to know and have time to think on. So just promise me that you won't listen to it til tomorrow night ok?” He asked looking me in the eyes again.

I could've melted...

“Hmm, What things?” I asked raising my eyebrow even more curious now because he knew I hated secrets plus I was impatient when it had something to do with me.

“Just promise me.” He said laughing a little.

“Ok.” I said looking off biting my lip.

“I'm gonna miss you yo...But I promise I will call you every day and night. Ain't nothing gonna change. So what you gonna do for our birthday twin?” He asked standing closer to me looking down at his J’s.

Damn, I thought to myself. I hadn’t realized he was gonna miss that too! We share May 5th for a birthday and we joked sometimes that we were the Wonder Twins!  

A sad feeling came over me...

“I don’t kn-" 

“Ay, Yo we out!” We turned to see TJ pop his head out the window smiling. “Oh my bad wasn’t trying to interrupt ya’ll.” He said smiling even bigger.

“You ain't interrupt shit...We just talkin.” Chris said with a look I didn’t recognize.
 
TJ was our best friend. I had known him since I got to Harlem from Atlanta almost 2 years ago to go to fashion school plus pursue my dancing. He made it his mission to watch out for me and show me around when I met him through Shay. He did the same thing for Chris when he met him at the studio when Chris came from VA to start recording demos.

“Why don’t you leave them alone!” We heard a voice coming from behind TJ say and it was Shay.

“I am I was just telling them we bout to roll out.” TJ said stepping out on the fire escape with Shay following him.

Now La Shay that was my girl and I love her to death. She was the loudest, shit talking, protective, fighter sweetheart you could ever meet! Shay and TJ were together but they had one of those love-hate relationships where  one minute they're fighting then the next they're all over each other trying to make a baby!

Just crazy...

“Don’t mind him. I'm gonna miss you C. you gonna be back right?” She asked giving him a hug and smiling sadly at me.

“You know it! I'm just gonna be gone for the summer hopefully I will be back with a deal.” He said playfully trying to lighten the mood again.

“Well I’m gonna miss you too Bro, you got our numbers so don’t forget to call My nigg. You definitely gonna get signed soon.” TJ said doing their signature hug-hand shake.

There was that sad feeling again and it was like B. sensed it because he grabbed my hand without even looking back at me.

I was calm...

“Fa sho” Was all he said squeezing my hand a little.

“Well we're gonna go. Sweets I put all the food away for you cause I know you don’t want to hear Bette’s mouth.” She said hugging me.

“Thank You cause yea she would've had a fit when she got home.” I said.

I lived with my older cousin and although we were close she could be a total bitch after she came home from her 3rd shift job. So I tried to keep the conflict down.

“Aight then Sis call me tomorrow ok?” TJ asked giving me a hug.

“I will.” I said still trying to fight the sadness.

The two went back threw the window and left.

Finally We Were Alone…