You GLOW Girl!

Track 01

Everyone was looking at Dionne but no one had spoke to her yet. Like damn, she knew New Yorkers were rude but not this damn rude. A simple 'What's up' or 'Good Morning' would do her good on her first day at work. Dionne had recently landed a position as a new contributing writer and graphic designer at one of the top magazines for hip hop music and culture, Tune Magazine. The position belonged to her friend, Dakari, first — but he had put in a good word with his family friend, Kenya Dune, who just happened to be the editor-in-chief at Tune. Everyone was sitting in various places in the common area of the office waiting for Kenya to make her morning announcements. Everything about the Tune headquarters felt luxurious to Dionne, from the super high floor to ceiling windows for walls, to the futuristic furniture that filled the space in bright oranges, lime greens, and glossy teals. Some people lounged on bean bags and floor pillows, while others sat on the edgy plastic chairs or colorful futons like Dionne.

Dionne acted busy on her phone while the rest of the office carried on their own conversations. She was almost done obnoxiously sipping on her coffee before Kenya finally walked in ready to give her a purpose for even being in the room. Dionne was naturally standoffish which didn't help in unfriendly and intimidating situations like this one.

"Alright, alright all y'all can shut up now I'm here," Kenya exclaimed with a leaky Starbucks cup and iPad pro in tow. She was an average height, apple butter brown woman with bright brown eyes that were monotone yet glossy against her skin. She had a bit of a chubby frame but a good shape and snatched waist nonetheless.

"Yeah, twenty minutes late!" The girl beside me yelled boldly.

"Per usual!" Someone from the opposite side of the room added.

Kenya rolled her eyes and paused before making her smart ass comeback. Her eyes were on me and my Versace sandals and custom jeans. "Oh yeah... I almost forgot."

Kenya walked towards me, "This is Dionne Kelly, recent Howard grad and Norfolk State alum as well."

"Okay HBCU." A guy across from me gave me my props.

"Yes, yes we love an HBCU grad. She has a big background in academia but I can't lie the girl's been busting her ass on the music scene too. Her pen is legit, got a good creative eye too." Kenya puts her hand on my shoulder and winks at me. "She gone be taking Dakari's place. He handpicked her."

"I bet he did..." The girl beside me says under her breath.

"So be nice!" Kenya barks directly at the girl.

The girl rolls her eyes then looks me in my face to give me a quick big sarcastic smile.

I scrunch my face up at her and slowly turn my attention back to Kenya. My best friend and roommate Naomi is from the city, so I'm used to a little aggression but this was just plain ole weirdo behavior.

Dionne brushed off the negative energies surrounding her. It was a good thing she wasn't here to make friends because obviously the only people surrounding her were enemies.

"Some of you guys may want to go back home and change. Ehh scratch that I don't even think you'll have time so you'll just have to charge this one to the game." Kenya takes a sip of her coffee and giggles.

"Why?! Who's coming through today?" A girl in a matching Champion sweatsuit and decorated crocs asks. She has her hair slick back into a lazy bun.

"Royalty will be in the building today ladies and gentlemen." Kenya's mint green satin kimono flows behind her as she walks to the whiteboard. "Genesis Savage, Big Coop's nephew and star of this year's XXL Freshman Class is coming in for a quick interview in an hour or two."

Everyone starts their own private conversations in excitement and sweatsuit girl starts asking if she can borrow some clothes from the wardrobe room. Kenya eyes everyone's excitement satisfyingly, "Too bad most of you of look like garbage right now."

The room gets quiet, "Newbie." Kenya targets Dionne.

"I don't know if its beginner's luck or if your style game is just that sharp but I choose you. You'll represent our brand well," Kenya looks over Dionne's hair, make-up, and outfit with approving nods. "And I know Dakari's not dumb enough to put his reputation on the line for a mediocre journalist."

Dionne struggles to find her words a first but eventually catches her breath, "I won't let you down." She offers Kenya a nervous smile.

Kenya laughs loudly, "Oh I know."

Kenya makes her way back to the whiteboard to go over the rest of the weekly goals. Dionne can't help but hear the hater girl from earlier talking shit.

"Kenya always on some fuck shit. Like this will be one of our best features of the year and she gives it to the new girl cause she's cute? Of course." the girl complains.

"Toilani shut up. You are so loud!" Her work friend whispers in between her quiet laughing.

"I don't care! It's an interview, not a photoshoot. That feature should be mine." Toulon continues.

"Well, it's not. It's mine. Now can you be quiet so I can hear the announcements?" Dionne interrupts the girls' gossiping.

"You know what," Toilani quints her snarky eyes at Dionne, "you probably need to hear every bit of this meeting. But you gone learn in a few that this ain't a date, it's a high profile interview. I'll be surprised if your feature even makes it to publication."

"You done?" Dionne flips her bra length silky black hair and readjusts herself in her chair.

Toilani and her friend sit speechless for a second before finally turning their attention to Kenya.

"Guess she told y'all." A guy on the sitting on the floor beside Toilani's feet jokes.

"Shut up, Hawk!" Toilani pushes his head forward.

"All y'all shut up goddammit!" Kenya commands and finally everyone is quiet.

When the morning meeting finally ends Dionne goes to a separate floor of the building to quickly call Dakari. She's lucky that he even answers. Dakari is three hours behind in LA and he's often somewhere with his phone on DND acting fake busy.

"Hello?" Dakari answered yawning.

"Dakari! What the fuck. Thank God you answered." Dionne let out a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong? Why are you calling me at the crack of dawn?"

"Kari ... first of all your office is rude as fuck but that's nothing. Tell me why I'm interviewing Genesis within the next hour or so. I expected to be making dumbs Instagram flyers or getting DoorDashing someone's favorite egg rolls on my first day, not this!" Dionne rants in a panic.

"Wow, that's crazy. Kenya must like you already. I don't see what the problem is." Dakari isn't helping at all.

"It's my first day, I'm not even sure how this works. I don't want to fuck up a feature this big! From the way Kenya was talking it seems like it was hard getting him to come to the office in the first place. I just wanna be great."

"And you are! Or you wouldn't be here right now. Look — you can't let the big names psych you out. You gotta treat it like every other interview. I mean you do listen to G right?" Dakari asks.

"Of course. I know all about him, Cross Mafia, Big Coop, Saint Records ... everything."

Dionne reminded herself after answering Dakar out loud.

"Exactly so ... do you. Don't worry about doing things the Tune way. They already got that. You got brought in to bring something new to Tune and that's how you gone work your way up by always bringing something new and fresh — not by tryna copy what's already being done."

Dakari was right. Dionne was already built for this. Those hating ass girls had her second-guessing herself and she was wasting her time panicking.

Where r u???  It was a text from Kenya.

Bathroom. On my way! back now. She texted back.

Dionne pressed the up button on the elevator menu three times. She smiled when it opened. It was go time.