Limelight

Chapter Eighteen

~~Strategy~~

"I think that for the sake of having a good time at the Senior Bonfire tonight we should make up," Blair announced flouncing into the kitchen in a ruffle layered pink skirt paired with a white cropped polo vest, sneakers, and a matching smile on her face. Aaliyah raised a brow as she came in, sitting down at the island with a bowl of frosty cheerios and a spoonful halfway to her mouth.

          It was Saturday morning and in the last three days, since they fought, they had both gone out of their way to minimize all interactions with each other without making it obvious that they were fighting to begin with. It bothered Aaliyah more than it had bothered her when Aaliyah was doing it on her own. Blair was more or less like a sister to her, fighting with her was like fighting with another part of her body, unnatural, but she was also too stubborn and proud to break the tension with her.

          She was relieved that Blair had come up to her this morning and she smiled. "Okay," She replied chewing on her cheerios, as Blair went around the island into the fridge behind Aaliyah to get her cottage cheese out and a spoon in one of the drawers.

          "Don't you have to be at the studio already?" She asked taking the seat beside her, peeling the lid off the tub before digging in glancing at her, "For your early morning session with Xavier."

          Aaliyah shook her head not wanting Xavier's ridiculous brooding at the forefront of her mind. "Nope. I canceled today because of the Bonfire. Our early morning sessions tend to turn into whole-day sessions and I didn't want to risk it," She explained flashing a crooked smile, "I do have a meeting with my marketing team Malcolm had arranged on Thursday today though, so I'll need a ride."

          Blair nodded, "Sure, I'll sit in on it too," She said, "Light 'Em Up is finally having an open practice and I'm heading over there later before getting ready for the Bonfire tonight. Wanna come with?"

          She shrugged in response, "Sure. Haven't seen Jacks much outside of school in a while, why not?" She said and then cocked a brow at Blair, "And do I want to know how you intend on going to the Senior Bonfire, considering that you're a Junior?"

          Blair's grin was wicked, and suddenly Aaliyah had forgotten all about their fight and all their misgivings. "If I tell you, I'd have to kill you."

"I assume that you've all done your homework," Malcolm started, looking at the table filled with marketers dressed a little more casually and seemed a lot more laidback than the usual group of people Aaliyah was used to seeing in this conference room. Some of them were also a little younger too; a woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, dropped a reassuring wink in her direction when she walked into the room filled with unfamiliar faces.

          Aaliyah realized that she had probably made a mistake in her choice of clothes, most of the people had sprung for a graphic T-shirt and jeans, some had been a little more formal and wore a turtleneck and slacks, but Aaliyah in her orange short-sleeved silk cropped shirt and an orange pin-striped pegged pants and paired with one out of a million of Blair's white sneakers. Her hair was even pulled and slicked back into a low bun. She felt like the most uptight person, aside from Malcolm who seemed unbothered by this comparison. She tried to discreetly sink into her seat, Malcolm was confident and sure of himself, of course, he wouldn't care.

          A slim Persian boy, not more than thirty, in a faded T-shirt raised his hand clearing his throat, pushing his thin-rimmed rectangle glasses up his nose looking at Malcolm with an even stare. "Before we start Sir, I thought I should tell you that our CMO had to attend a meeting with Mr. Wilhem this morning and couldn't be here."