Focus On The Music

TEN

"....okay?" Shantel said nervously. Her heart was beating out of her chest.
"No need to panic. You have a mild UTI that you can treat using otc meds and cranberry juice. But you're also pregnant. Four months pregnant"
Shantel was silent. She ran to the nearest bathroom and threw up in the toilet.
"Shantel?" Dr. Reeds called out.
Shantel grabbed her phone from the floor and lifted it to her ear. Her vision was blurry from the tears that hadn't fallen yet.
"Are you sure? Cause I took a test not too long ago and it was negative"
"False results can definitely happen. If you test too soon or if the test is faulty. We ran the pregnancy test twice though, you're definitely pregnant-"
"I've been drinking nonstop. Everyday I'm drinking...I even smoked weed and hookah...." Shantel got nervous.
"It's okay. Just stop doing it and make an appointment with an obgyn as soon as possible and begin taking prenatal pills. Your baby will be fine"
".....when can I get a dna test done?"
******
Shantel cleaned herself up and went back to where the guys were. She looked at Erik and Dro who were standing off to the side talking to two women and laughing.
"Hey Telly" Sean said. "You good? You look a little pale in the face"
"I'm not feeling too good but I'm fine" she grabbed a water and downed it.
"You ready to go kill it again?"
"Always am" she smiled.
Shantel wasn't headlining this show, Rome was set to go out first and perform; Keep me in mind and Brand new. Then Erik and Shantel would perform; Body Language and Girls need love. Then G would perform followed by Neek and Dro would finish off performing; Untitled with Shantel, All my love, and FAV.
******
After the show, the guys planned on hitting up yet another strip club but Shantel decided to stay in the tour bus and sleep. She was in deep sleep when she heard noises from the other side of her curtain. She peeked out and seen Dro and a random female making out in the walkthrough. He lifted her up against the wall and fucked her right there.
After he was finished, the woman left and Dro went to the bathroom. Shantel got out of her bed and went to grab something to drink from the fridge. Dro walked into the small kitchen wearing only sweat pants.
"Oh shit. I thought you was sleep" he laughed.
"I was" Shantel grabbed her water and sat at the table.
"Then why you up?" Dro also grabbed a water bottle and joined her.
"Just thinking. I miss being home"
"I feel it. You get homesick quick being out here"
"Yea...."
"Wussup, Shantel? We tell each other everything. What's really bothering you?" He reached across the table and touched her hand.
"Where's Erik?" Shantel casually asked.
"Hell if I know. He left us"
"Oh....well if I tell you something, can you promise not to tell him or anyone else?"
"Depends on what you're telling me"
"I'm pregnant...." she blurted our and looked down at the table. Dro was silent.
"You? Damn. Who's the dad?"
"I don't know...according to the doctor from when I got my test done, I'm four months. I had no clue..."
"What you mean you don't know?" Dro eyed her.
"It could be you or Erik....or Neek"
Dro's eyes got big and he shook his head.
"See, I knew you was fucking with Erik on the low but I didn't know you let him hit raw. Neek? This is news to me. I didn't even know y'all was fucking. Raw too?? Shantel...." Dro was disappointed.
"Yea, I've been reckless and now I'm paying for it..."
"Well what are you going to do?....you keeping it?"
"I don't know. I haven't thought about it....."
".......Shantel I said I wanted to talk a while ago and ended up forgetting. I wanted to ask you about your family and past relationships. This might be off topic but I'm wondering if you're chasing after a new life to get away from an old one. Tell me wussup with you. You too smart to be so dumb"
And that's when Dro and Shantel learned more about each other than they ever knew. Dro told her how he had to raise his brother because his mom died and dad left. Dro also helped take care of his nephew while his brother was in college on a basketball scholarship. Shantel shared how she grew up without her dad and her mom always put her boyfriends before her. Shantel assumed from a young age that men brought happiness which quickly proved untrue when her college boyfriend sexually assaulted her and instead of telling on him, she continued dating him because he claimed to "Love her". They dated for two years AFTER the assault took place before Shantel cheated on him with his football teammates and they broke up. Throughout her high school and college years, Shantel was always in a relationship. She depended on it.
"Shantel...you're really strong and I admire you. You might do things that nobody around you can understand but you do what you have to. Whatever you decide to do with the kid, I'll stand behind your decision 100%. I own up to my part in this for not using protection every single time" Dro got up and sat next to Shantel, hugging her tight. "Just know that I got you" he kissed her forehead.
"Thanks, Dro. That means a lot" she began crying. "I just don't want this to ruin my career before it even started. My name is just getting out there and I'm afraid this will hold me back. And it's not like I can hide this from the label. Erik is the label and he could also be the dad...."
"Don't worry about that right now. Get some sleep and you can talk to him tomorrow when he's sober. Cause he was definitely turnt the last time I seen him"
******
The next day during breakfast on the tour bus was awkward. Erik was sleep in his bed with two women. Not even sure how he fit three people in there but he did and he wasn't quiet about it. Shantel sat beside G and Rome as she ate her bowl of cereal. Sean was speaking to Dro and Neek and Q was driving.
"Why y'all so damn quiet?" Sean asked.
Nobody said anything. Last night when the men got back to the bus, Shantel pulled Neek to the side and told him about her being pregnant. He wasn't too happy.
"Hungover like a bitch" G said.
"Enjoy it. Tour got cut short. We had a few venues pull out due to safety concerns. But it's all good"
Erik walked into the kitchen area wearing black Nike joggers.
"Wussup y'all" he greeted everyone and grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge. Everyone said their hellos.
"Yo Q! Stop in the next city and drop these bitches off. They gotta go" Erik sat next to Rome.
"What you do last night, Shantel?" Erik asked.
"Sleep. What else was there to do?"
"Bring some nigga back to the bus"
"That's real dumb. Why would I do that?" Shantel rolled her eyes.
"You seem to be great at making dumb decisions. I wouldn't put it past you"
"Shut the fuck up. The only thing dumb is you bringing two random bitches onto the tour bus"
"You jealous cause it was them this time and not you?"
Shantel got up went to lay down in the back.
"Man, why you always messing with that girl? She don't do nothing to nobody here" Rome said.
"You ain't fucked her yet, have you?" Erik asked and waited for an answer. "Exactly"
"So who has and hasn't fucked her?" G asked.
"Stop talking about her when she ain't here to defend herself" Sean spoke up in her defense.
"I'm not saying anything that's not true"
Shantel stormed back out, catching the attention of everyone.
"I fucking HATE you! I swear if I could take it all back, I would! You're the worst fucking mistake I've made since coming to LA!" Shantel screamed at Erik through tears.
"Shantel, calm down" Dro got up to hug her. "Ignore him"
Erik was laughing to himself while watching her.
"You mad for no reason. You clingy. That's what your problem is. You get attached too easily and it makes you weak"
"Erik, chill the fuck out!" Dro snapped.
"Why you defending her? She cheated on you"
"I'm not-I'm protecting her! Erik, she's fucking pregnant, okay? There's no reason for you to sit here and tease her like a child"
"Pregnant?" Erik repeated.
Sean looked at Neek who looked at G who looked at Rome who looked at Erik, Dro and Shantel.
"You're pregnant? Since when?" Erik stood up.
"I just found out yesterday before the show....I planned on telling you but you weren't alone for us to talk...."
"Who's the dad?"
Shantel looked up at Dro and Erik instantly became pissed.
"Dro?!"
"No!....well maybe. I don't know. It could be you, or Dro....or Neek"
Erik looked at Neek and damn near lost it.
"You fucked Neek too?! Yoooo. What the fuck is this shit?!"
"Erik, I'm really sorry-"
"Shantel, you're a beautiful woman with a beautiful voice but I can't deal with the messiness of the situation. You got three niggas from the label who could possibly be your baby daddy....that shit don't fly here. Imma have to drop you from the label. I don't want to but I can't have people thinking we a joke"
"Erik, bro, don't you think that's excessive?" Dro asked.
"No. Would you let this shit happen if it was your business? Me and Shantel already discussed this when we started having sex in the beginning. If she got pregnant, she got dropped. It's nothing personal"
"So you're dropping me for being a woman? Women have kids all the time"
"No, Shantel. I'm dropping you for being immature. For lying. For using people. I asked you when we started having sex if you were on birth control, you said yes. I was dumb enough to believe you"
"I asked you too and you said the same thing" Neek said.
"See? Apparently you love the drama. Or you was searching for a check cause why else would you fuck three niggas raw and lie about something as simple as birth control?"
"Fuck you" Shantel said and walked away.
******
They finished out the tour and headed back home. Shantel had been distant. She felt alone during her pregnancy. She decided to wait to tell Asia she was pregnant.
"Shantel, lets talk" Sean said to her as they got off the tour bus.
"Yea?"
"Erik wanted me to relay a message....he said all the music you recorded, you can have the masters. Also, he'll write you a check for any money made from the music released. He plans on drawing up paperwork so you can leave your contract legally without any issues"
"Cool. Thank you" Shantel said.
"Hey....I'm sorry shit ended this way"
"Yea....me too"