MAMA SAID

If God Spoke

"Did you two come alone," Bey asked, crossing her arms.

Chloe swallowed. Whoa I wasn't expecting that question, the teen thought as she mirrored her idol who stood there smiling like a finalist in a debutant ball. The ambience in the room was strange, to say the least, so the girls didn't know what to say.

Lie.

Yes they defied their parents' demands by sneaking out of the house to be at the meeting. No, there wouldn't be anyone attending the meeting with them under any circumstances.

Never.

Beyoncé stood wondering what Chloe was thinking. Next to her was of course her bodyguard, a shorter lady that could possibly be her assistant, and a white man in a suit. Lawyer no doubt. The girls realized they didn't think this through. Of course they needed an adult present with them for paperwork and such. Duh.

"Well?" Bey probed, raising a brow at them.

Half truth?

Chloe gulped again, paying more attention to the tips of her shoes than anything else. Halle spoke before words could form in her mind. Bless her heart. "Yes, um our parents—our parents had to work, so they gave us permission to come alone because they didn't want us to miss a huge opportunity," she stammered out. The oldest teen peered at her sister, impressed with what she managed to come up with. Lying had never been Chloe's niche. She would spill under a harsh glare or even a simple look into her eyes.

Bey sighed reading straight through the child toying with her hair in front of her. Why did people insist on lying to a Creole woman? It was a waste of time, really. Just like her sister Solange, Halle moved around too much and wouldn't meet anyone's eye when she lied. The singer turned towards the oldest teen to confirm what was said, but Chloe wouldn't meet her eyes either. What the hell was up?

"How old are you young lady," the tall white man asked sternly from the other side of the room.

Chloes sighed, "fifteen," she mumbled, truthfully.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you. Would you mind repeating..." the man shuffled papers packing them into a briefcase.

"She's fifteen, Chloe doesn't really talk much," Halle answered. "She gets into her head too much and the words get jumbled around up there I think. She's a really huge fan though. You're her idol."

Chloe studied the floor and pretended she didn't hear her. She was embarrassed that her little sister had to talk for her, but she couldn't find her voice to save her life. Bey walked towards the man and the two began talking in hushed tones. A pin drop could be heard, even Halle didn't make any noise. "I see..." the man in the suit frowned, his tone displeased as he closed his briefcase leaving everyone standing awkwardly in silence.

Halle's head flew up. "Does this mean we don't get a record deal," she asked Beyoncé once she was back in earshot.

The laugh Bey belted came from the pit of her stomach. This girl was hilarious. "No, it just means we have to wait for a parent or guardian to talk to us then we could get the ball rollin'. Julius, show us the way out please, this place is starting to creep me out."

With a nod, Julius began walking towards the exit. To be honest, he was tired of being in this hot ass warehouse as well. His boss always had him in some eerie locations that were simply unnatural for a black man to be. Although some people might be afraid of him just from his physical appearance, Julius was a gentle giant. Miranda struggled to keep up with her boss as she typed feverishly on her phone making and canceling appointments. This was the hardest job she'd ever had, but it was the most rewarding. The last thing she wanted to do was mess it up. The Carters paid and they paid well. They made sure she had the best insurance. She was allowed ample time off to visit her family, and no one had spoken to her like she was less than; not yet at least.