Just Us... (A Ray Ray/Mindless Behavior Story)

Chapter One- Mindless Intent

Chapter One

Mindless Intent

  Winning Project Runway opened the door of opportunity.  I got many job offers overtime but as you know the prize of winning is they fund your Fashion collection.

   In return, you are at the networks beck and call.  I was an around the way girl from Philly, who took a reckless attempt at a dream in being a Fashion designer.  I was head deep in tuition debt after graduating college for the second time.  After a year of “How To Start a Fashion Company”, then a year of smart ideas.  I hired a team of smart staff from all fields in and out of Fashion with some good investing guidance and promotion with Project Runway and close celebrity friends came the birth of Nyzhae' Incorporated.  Here I was a growing established enterprise.

   Believe it or not, that was easy for me.  Fame was a different thing.  It had some extremely amazing HIGHS but massive haters as well.  One friendship that infuriated supporters was being Ray Ray of Mindless Behavior.  If you don’t know about Mindless Behavior you must be under a rock.  They are a talented group of very four young brothers from across the United States.  I first met Ray Ray at a Scream Tour concert where I took my God children.  My oldest God daughter, Trinity had just turned nine at the time and was a huge Mindless Behavior fan like myself.  So I gathered up all six of my God children with their parents along with four of Trinity’s girlfriends since it was her birthday.  They enjoyed the concert comfortably from the Box seat with catering at the Lincoln Center.  What Trinity didn’t know was I had arranged for my small tribe to meet the performers backstage after the show.

   After Mindless Behavior had said their goodbyes and we started to fight the crowd leaving.  I detoured my tribe to what I told them to be a shortcut.  “Where we going God mom?” Trinity asked in a haurse tone since she had been screaming in excitement.  They slowly got what was happening once they were standing before some of their favorite acts.  They met OMG girls who were very happy to do me the honor of signing poster and taking pictures.  The girls of OMG remembered little Trinity from a Nyzhae' Inc. billboard in New York where she models along with her mother, my sorority sister Tiffany (aka Tiphanie-Jewel), my two cousins Alyssa (aka Zakora Stone) and Lauren (aka Lauren Ottes).  I was good friends with Tiny, Star’s mother who agreed to make sure I got the opportunity to have my kids meet the girls who were equally excitement to meet us as well jumping to their feet when I walked in.  They spoke fondly of my clothing line saying they loved my junior and accessory collections.  I talked with them briefly before saying goodbye and thank you.

“Tell Tameka and Tip I said hello and thank you!!!” I looked at Star and waving goodbye.

  I was stopped in the hall way coming out of OMG dressing room by Keshia, one of Mindless Behavior’s management team.  This was my first time meeting Keshia so I went about meeting her with a professional hand shake and thanked her for the opportunity to meet the boys.  Security opened the door on alert as their eyes darted back and forth.  Up the hall came running Lauren and Alyssa.  I had a talk with them before the concert that they needed to be in their model attired.  As promised they were dressed appropriately for the model part.  Although my girls are girlie girls they are truly fans of yoga pants and Uggs.  I made it clear that it was important to have beat faces and big girl shoes.  No Uggs!!! I wasn’t disappointmented.

  

  Keshia spoke highly about each member adoring me for obvious and not obvious reasons.  I had heard of Ray Ray mentioning me as his celebrity crush along with Amber Rose, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.  Both girls close friends of mine, especially Amber Rose being a hometown girl.  I knew of Prodigy being from Philly so I was excited to meet him since we are from the same city.  Keshia mentioned that Princeton named me as his favorite brand as we waited to walk into their dressing room.  In the meantime, I was reacquainted with Ray Ray’s mother who I had previously met in Sak’s that day.  She confirmed the same thing that Keshia said about me being Ray Ray’s crush.  “’He is crazy over you girl,” she said in a comfortable around-the-way undertone that felt familiar to me.  I automatically remembered her face when I walked in the room.  I shook her hand that led into a warm hug.

“Very nice to meet you again,” I smiled.

  I introduced my tribe along with their parents.  Without introduction necessary they already knew who Tiphani-Jewel was, since launching her modeling career with Nyzhae' Inc she was a hot commodity in the world of Fashion.  Everyone knew Alyssa, and Lauren but questioned where there other models were.  I explained that my four sorors are working class, live in Georgia and couldn’t be with us.  Boldly astray out of nowhere when I got to meet Ray Ray, who was fifteen at the time, he reached for a hug seeming very shy.  He embraced me boyishly handing me these two large bouquets of white, pink and red roses.  I mentioned in the release of my memoir A Kream Dress N JUNE, that I favored white, pink and red long stemmed roses.  “Oh wow they are beautiful, Thank You?  How did you know that I liked red, white and pink roses?” I asked Ray Ray.

“I have you book.  You said you loved the idea of one day getting red, white, pink roses and the fairy tale dreaming like a princess of Disney Movies.”

  

  My eyes grew big and I was surprised he caught on to the passion I had in that statement.  I was impressed beyond words.  I looked at Tiphanie-Jewel and mouthed, ‘well damn’?  I thought for a second I thought of a comeback.

“One of your songs says, ‘everyone knows the ways to a girls heart is what you say’, I’m very impressed to know you are paying attention,” I smiled, the group was surprised to find I’m indeed a fan.

“Ohhhh,” the guys uproar in laughter to my quote, “You know our music!” Prodigy blurted.

“Indeed I do my good man,” I answered.

“Keleka?  Hi?  My name is Craig, I’m Prodigy’s father,” he announced himself decked all out in OMEGA fraternity colors, purple and gold.

  

  I reached for his arm in attempted to show I to was greek as well with the secret hand shake.  “Oh wow, what organization my sister?”  he recognized the shake off hand.

“Tiphanie-Jewel and I are AKA’s from the Mu Gamma Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia.”

  

  Mr. Craig and I talked briefly and promised to arrange something in the community on the way out to the hall after pictures.  Just as we make it out to the hall.  Ray Ray follows us out to ask to me, “If you’re so Impressed, you should let me take you out for dinner,” he blurted respectfully with a smooth manner.  I look back at him with him mother and management.

“I told you he was going to do that,” he’s mother looked at Keshia laughing in hestaria. 

  

  Confidently he stood to me eye to eye and I wasn’t sure what to say so I simply smiled.  He let me get away far enough out the room to ask me again.  No one disapproved to his request, “Do you know how old I am?” I questioned.

“Older then me but that’s just an age,” he blurted confidently, “I’d treat you better then that dude you call ‘The ONE’ in you book.  He was a clown you deserve better than that.”

  

  Tiphanie-Jewel laughed and lightened the moment, “He is right girl.  Tone was a stick,” she smirked.  I was shocked at the true low blow.  So in somewhat of a blunt but professional manner, “I tell you what you get at me when you turn 18, if that is still how you feel.”  I reached in my purse pulling out a business card to the direct line to my office at Nyzhae' Inc. headquarters in New York. 

  

  Over a spand of three years, I would watch Mindless Behavior grow from talented pre-teens to young men.  Consistently every year on my birthday and Valentine’s I could count on a bouquet of Red, White and pink long stemmed roses sent to my office.  In return, I would send something exclusive and popular with young men to each member on their birthday and Valentine’s.