Through the Fire (a Les Twins fanfic)

Chapter 13: Good News

Larry toyed with the Paris Kings snapback clipped to his belt loop and tried not to look directly at Shauna.  The other day she was dressed skimpy and acting like the freak of the week, but now it was completely the opposite.  Now she was sitting there on the love seat transformed back into a normal, sweet-looking student.

Gabby came into the living room and Larry shifted uncomfortably on the couch.  He prayed she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary between them.

"Ya'll ready to go?"

"Yaaaaaawl,"  Laurent trotted up mimicking her with an exaggerated drawl that made Larry fall over laughing.

They thought the way people talked in Atlanta was hilarious.  Half the time they could barely understand what some folks were saying.

"Stop picking on my southern accent!  It's not funny."

"It is though."  Laurent grabbed Gabby playfully in his arms.  Ever since Luda's party they had been getting along great.  It seemed like they were more in love than ever.

The four of them left to meet up with Patrick for an afternoon at Underground Atlanta.  They started at the Coca-Cola Museum where Larry and Laurent almost made themselves sick drinking every different flavor of Sprite from around the world and even Patrick had a blast getting his picture taken in the Coke pin-up girl photo booth.

An hour later they were standing at the intersection of Peachtree and Wall waiting for the pedestrian crossing sign to change to 'Walk'.

"Where should we go next?"  Gabby gazed wistfully at the jewelry store two blocks down.

"To the music store."  Larry and Laurent both answered at the same time.

Larry spotted a Johnny Rockets burger joint nearby and added,  "Then we go eat."

"No, let's go in there."  Shauna tugged on Gabby's sleeve and pointed to a cluster of urban clothiers on the corner.  Vendors selling bootleg t-shirts and purses had set up shop out front and customers swarmed the various booths haggling for the best prices.

Gabby side-eyed her sister.  "You don't even wear street gear."

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do."

Larry raised an eyebrow.  He got a flashback of Shauna's naked body and covered his mouth to hide his smile.  Between her belly piercing and the small, winding rose tattoo he'd discovered on the inside of her thigh, not to mention all the different positions he'd seen her in when they messed around...he shook his head.  Ooh-la-la.  Gabby's sister did a whole lot of things she didn't know about.

Patrick dismissed all their ideas with a sweep of his hand.  "If you people think I'm walking around here in these shoes you've got another think coming."  He struck a pose in his Roberto Cavalli outfit and loafers and announced that he wasn't planning on going any further than the custom bow tie shop directly in front of them.

Gabby laughed and poked him in the arm.  "Nobody told you to come out here dressed like that."

"Please."  He brushed his shoulders off.  "I can't be seen roaming the streets looking like a peasant.  Isn't that right, Laurent?"

"That's right, my brother,"  Laurent gave Patrick dap and it sounded like a small car crash since they both had on enough bracelets and rings for ten people.

"Well, let's split up and meet back here in half an hour."  Before Gabby could finish making the suggestion the light changed and everybody went their separate ways.

Shauna sprinted across the road toward a lady selling shaved ice and frozen drinks then disappeared inside one of the urbanwear shops.  Gabby joined her, but barely five minutes had passed before her cell phone buzzed.

It was Laurent sending her an adorable close-up face shot of him inside the music store.  She scrolled down to read his message and tapped a response.

Lau: Send me one too

Gabby: Ok

"I'll be right back."  She smiled, stepped outside the store to snap a quick selfie on the sidewalk, and texted it to him.

Shauna stuck her head out the door.  "Please tell me you're not sending Laurent a pic when he's only like forty feet away."  She stopped slurping her strawberry slushie long enough to make a tart face.

"Stop hating."  Gabby stuck out her tongue then went back in and started browsing through a rack of shirts.

"This would be cute on you."  Shauna plucked a British flag top off a hanger and held it up.

"I don't think so."

"Oh, so you can let Laurent pick out clothes for you, but not your own sister?"

Gabby shook her head and sighed.

****

In the music store Laurent's phone went off for a second time.  He checked it quickly expecting to see another cute picture from Gabby.  Instead it was a text message from his manager.

"Larry, look!"  Laurent rushed over to his twin and held the phone in his face, but there was no need.  Larry's phone was vibrating with the same message.  They were under contract to do a TV commercial for Beats By Dre headphones.

"We got it!"  Larry hugged him and they did their secret handshake.  They were still celebrating when Laurent's phone rang again.  He frowned as he answered hoping nothing was wrong and wondering why their manager was calling this time instead of texting.

"Bonjour?  Uh-huh...mmhmm...yeh...sure,"  Laurent nodded as the talked.  "Larry? He's right here...what? Oh my God!"

Larry bounced around anxiously.  He could feel the excitement from Laurent's body surging into his own.

"What, Lau?  What is it?  What did they say?"

Laurent ended the call and let the hand with the phone in it drop to his side as he tried to wrap his mind around the news he'd just received.

"Beyoncé called for us."

"Are we doing another show with her in Vegas?"

"No, it's bigger this time.  Really big," Laurent took a deep breath and put his hand on Larry's shoulder.  "She's going on world tour and she's taking us. We're gonna be the only guys."

Larry slumped against his brother and they touched their heads together joyfully.  He couldn't believe how the good news kept rolling in.

Their movie deal and the Beats commercial were awesome, but this was the break they'd been waiting for.