Renae

Chapter Sixteen

"Welcome home dear." Mrs Stephen greeted. "How was your dinner?"
  
Genevieve must have told her. "It was nice." Renae responded. "Sorry, I came home a bit late."
  
"It's okay, I understand the circumstances." Mrs Stephen said. "How was the competition? Since you three went out to dinner, I assume you did well."
  
Renae filled her in on how well received her two duet presentations with Micheal were. How Stella, Genevieve and herself as Dream girls had gotten the first runner-up prize money of three thousand dollars. How they were awarded by Mr Cowell a prize of ten thousand dollars.
  
"Ten thousand dollars?!" Mrs Stephen exclaimed. "That's great."
  
Renae thanked her and continued further, moving to the dinner. She told her how Genevieve insisted on spending a thousand dollars, she told her Micheal was invited, but left out how it was an intended set up. Then she spoke on her visit to Melody which was the reason she got home around 8:10 pm and the greetings her parents sent.
  
"She wanted to spend a thousand dollars, isn't that too much?" Mrs Stephen asked.
  
"Exactly what I and Stella thought." She said. It's a good thing Micheal didn't know how much we paid if not, what would he think. She thought. What am I thinking? What do I even care what he would think.
  
"I think I have detained you long enough, you'd better go and freshen up. It's been a long day for you."
  
"Yeah it has."

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When Renae got to her room she saw Kaitlyn lying on her bed
"What are you doing? Get up Kaitlyn!" she said.
  
"On hearing her voice Kaitlyn sat up. How did your date–: um dinner go?"
  
Does everyone know about the dinner. Renae thought. Wait did she say date?
  
"What do you know?" Renae asked Kaitlyn in a threatening voice.
  
"Nothing" she said.
  
"You do know something, speak" Renae said authoritatively.
  
Kaitlyn stood up and sprinted out of her room as Renae tried to grab her. "I look forward to meeting him." Kaitlyn called to Renae from outside.
  
"Go mind your business" Renae retorted. She dropped flat on her bed feeling tired. Her phone rang in her purse. She sat up. "Who's calling me by this time?" She said going through her purse. She saw her phone and the caller ID. "Hello Micheal" she said.
  
"Hey, I just wanted to check on you and find out if you got home safely"
  
"Yeah, I'm at home already"
  
"Great. Also Mrs Blane called me, she said she tried your cell but it didn't go through. She wants to see you tomorrow when you're free, preferably before classes start." Micheal informed.
  
"Okay, thanks. Good night"
  
"Good night"
  
Renae dropped the phone on her bed and lay there tired. Before very long she slept off.

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Renae opened her eyes, she looked around, it was still dark and the light were off. Her blanket was tucked by her sides. She sat up, she was still wearing the black dress from yesterday. She fell back on the bed, immediately the bedside clock sounded. Renae looked to her right, the time was 7:26 am.
  
"What?!" She exclaimed and hurriedly got out of bed. "How could I have slept so long?" She said. She had slept before 9:13 pm, forty seven minutes before her ten o'clock bedtime. She hurried into the bathroom, took her bath, dressed up, she then tidied her room and went out the door.
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Renae ran through the hallway to catch up with the others who were heading to the gym for the morning assembly. How can everything go back to normal so quickly after such a hectic day yesterday. Renae thought. She sighted Stella in the crowd and rushed to meet her.
  
"Stella!" Renae called when she was a few feet from Stella.
  
Stella turned her head and saw Renae. "Hey, you're a bit late" she said by the time Renae had got to her side. "I know" she said. "I woke up late"
  
The assembly bell rang 8:00 am every morning and students were to move to the gym for the morning assembly, though sometimes the school's theatre was a venue for the assembly.
  
Right now it was 8:05 am and Renae was glad she got to school not too late. "Where's Genevieve?" Renae asked.
  
"I don't know, I haven't seen her today."
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   "You're late Genevieve," a teacher said to Genevieve who was heading to the gym. "Quicken your pace."
  
"Yes sir" she said. She quickened her steps and when she got to the gym she hurriedly joined her line.
  
After the assembly Renae and Stella saw Genevieve. "What happened why were you late?" Renae asked.
  
"The meeting we had last night, well not really a meeting, was so tiring. I overslept."
  
"Even I didn't get here all that early. I got to school 7:57 am." Stella chipped in.
  
"I guess I'm not the only one who overslept." Renae said and they all laughed.
  
The school resumption time was 7:45 am but the assembly was from 8:00 am to 8:15 am while classes were to commence 8:30 am. Sometimes though, the assembly reached almost 8: 25.
  
"It's 8:27." Stella said. "What classes do you have first?"
  
"I have biology." Renae replied.
  
"I've got geography." Genevieve said.
  
"And I've got biology as well" Stella said.
  
"We'll see later" Stella said as she and Renae parted from Genevieve.
  
"We'd better hurry up. Mr Wilmore is probably seated waiting for us" Renae told Stella. They quickened their pace as Mr Wilmore loved when students arrived before time.

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"I'm sorry Miss Blane." Renae was telling Miss Blane. "I got to school late so I couldn't come to meet you." she said apologetically. She had a free period after biology and decided to go see Miss Blane.
  
"It's okay." Miss Blane said. "Really it is," she said when she still saw Renae looking apologetic. "The person I wanted you to meet just arrived five minutes ago."
  
Renae turned and followed Miss Blane. She saw a man sitting down running his fingers on the piano keys without pressing anyone of them. He had jet-black hair and a very light complexion, he wore a navy blue and black diagonally striped tie. He had a golden wristwatch on his hand which went with the golden cufflinks he had on. He wore  deep brown shoes and a hint of grey could be seen which suggested he was wearing grey colored socks.
  
"Mr Nicholas, this is the person I was talking about. Renae this is Mr Charles Nicholas. Mr Nicholas this is Miss Renae Stephen."
  
"Miss Stephen, it's a pleasure to meet you." Mr Nicholas said standing up.
  
He stretched out his hand and Renae received his handshake.
  
"Mr Nicholas wants to talk to you about the two piano and guitar pieces." Miss Blane said.
  
"We'd like to use your pieces in our own compositions and we would like to offer you a contract."
  
A what? Renae thought.
  
"We want to buy rights to your song..."
  
After about three minutes of Renae and Mr Nicholas talking, him giving her more information and details of the contract.
  
"Though it's my work I still have to discuss this with my parents" she said.
  
"Fine, do so." He said. He brought out a file from his briefcase. "This is our proposal. You can take time to look at it, this will help you make a decision" he said.
  
"This is my card, you can give me a call after you've made your decision or you can simply forward the message through Miss Blane." He held out his card. "We look forward to your quick response and hope it will be in the affirmative." He said before opening the door and stepping out.
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Renae helped her mom set the dining table for dinner. She had yet to tell her parents about the discussion with Mr Nicholas.
  
She hadn't said a word about it to anyone yet, not even Genevieve and Stella. She thought of asking advice from a teacher or even Micheal as well but decided to tell her parents first before anyone else. She planned to announce it at dinner and then further discuss it with her parents after dinner.
  
Kaitlyn and Josh came down for dinner and there minutes later, after a little dilly-dallying they arrived the dining table. Mr Stephen also arrived later.
  
"I was offered a proposal today." Renae blurted out as she couldn't wait anymore when everyone was almost through eating.
  
"What proposal?" Kaitlyn asked.
  
"Someone wants to buy rights to two of my compositions which were performed during the voice showcase we just held yesterday." Renae said more of supplying information to her parents than replying Kaitlyn's question.
  
"Renae, let's discuss this further after dinner." Mr Stephen said.
  
"What? Why? Why can't she say it now?" Kaitlyn asked.
  
"Kaitlyn keep it down would you." Mrs Stephen warned and Kaitlyn had no choice but to quiet down.