Hidden Valley (D. SWING)

I. Ready In The Clouds

May 1989

The sun rests on the horizon as it rises with every tick of the little hand on the clock across the room. I hear birds chirping directly outside of my window. I thought the nest fell but they are just that loud. Some people think of the chirping birds as a perfect soundtrack to wake up to. I find it annoying and hard to sleep to... especially knowing that I have work in an hour. I could stay in the bed but after nine tardies, I don't think Mr. Hollingsworth would be down to let me make it to ten. Knowing how much I need this job, it takes me little to no time to get out of the bed.

A drive down the street and around the corner from my place is the quick ride that I need to get to the store.

Before I even get into the store, I can see my assistant manager, Holly, standing right at the counter with her arms crossed. It's like she is waiting for me to be late. Entering as I glance up at clock behind her, I can see that I am ten minutes earlier than I was yesterday... which means I have even more time to clock in and eat this sandwich in my pocket that I took out of the refrigerator. I don't know whose it was but I'm sure they can make another one if they really want. It takes two minutes to make a sandwich, two minutes that I didn't have to spare or I would be late for work.

"Morning, Sunshine," Holly greeted with a smile. "Look who's on time!"

Unwrapping my sandwich as I approach her, I shoot a smile with my mouth closed. "I'm here anyway, Holly." I break a piece of my sandwich off and offer it to her before taking my very first bite.

Holly holds onto the sandwich with pinched manicured fingers. "Barely," she points as she follows me into the back. "You're walking on a very fine line." I laugh at the look on her face. When my jacket falls after I throw it on my table we eat lunch on, Holly picks it up for me and hangs it on the rack as I turn to unlock my locker. "They're gonna' fire you if you don't get it together. I know you think you're going to be all rich and famous."

"Think?"

"Yes, DeVante," giggles Holly. "You think you're going to be rich and famous. De, I think you're the coolest fucking cat alive-- I really do! You just need to get your head out of the clouds. Aren't you the one who said it was impossible to get out of Charlotte?"

My locker opens and I pull my shout over my head in preparation of throwing it into my locker and putting on my work shirt. Struggling to keep my chain from getting caught on the internal stitching of my shirt, I glance over at Holly. "I ain't mean it. I was pissed off that day." I completely remove my shirt and throw it into my locker. "I'm outta' here. I told you, I'm not staying in Charlotte."

"And that is perfectly fine, De!" I stop and wait for whatever else she has to say. I know she has a negative waiting to follow directly behind this statement of agreement. "But I..." She stops, handing me a jacket with a sigh. "I quit. I'm just wasting my breath at this point."

Face in my locker, I reach around for my back up shirt that carries the company's logo after forgetting my other shirt. "You right," I laugh until she reluctantly joins me. I pull my shirt over my head, picking up a bottle of caffeine tablets to make up for my lack of sleep. I should be up and ready in thirty minutes.

Holly slides on top of the same table I threw my jacket on. "How was the gig last night? Heard JoJo was supposed to jump on the scene but never showed up."

I only shake my head as I recall last night's events.

JoJo got into a fight with some buster in the parking of a McDonald's and missed the entire party after crashing at some girl's house. I had a whole deal planned out for him to sing on the mic but he blew the whole scenario. It isn't like I didn't have a back up plan but after all of it really pissed me off and wonder if he was really going to keep falling through each time I set it up for him to step on the scene. I knew when Paulette's reaction at the song we did together in high school was as excited as it was that we were cooking up something fresh together but the way he acts like he doesn't want to do this when other people are counting on us is some shit I can't deal with. You're either in or you're out because I'm going all the way with this music thing.