✧

Prince looked ready to murder me.

I didn't know if I wanted to run or stay in place but I had no time to decide before he parted his mouth.

"What the fuck is your issue—"

I cut him off before he can finish because I can already tell the question is incredulous. "What is your issue -- you kissed me!" I exclaimed in disbelief before lifting my frame off the piano in order to take a seat.

Prince laughed to himself, "I didn't see you goin' to push me away baby. What," he tauntingly questions with a smile. "Scared I'll tell your boyfriend."

"You're the one who kissed me."

"Yeah and you kissed me back." Prince said, putting both hands on either side of me against the piano. His face was so close to mind as I tried to avoid his gaze but he successfully followed my eyes. "And you liked it."

I could feel my voice tremble as I spoke snd I internally cursed him in my mind for making me feel so weak, "Fuck you."

"Please do." Prince grinned, letting his eyes fall to examine me.

     "That was a one time thing. I don't even know what I was thinking." That's the thing, I wasn't thinking. It was hard too when his lips had such a soft texture and were pressing against my neck in such a sensual pattern. It was impossible to think rational.

Prince laughed. "That's what they all say." I pushed past him aggressively.

But he grabbed my wrist before I could move any further, "Come on. Why are you so upset, it was a kiss." He said as if didn't mean anything. I took offense to his tone because it meant something to me. Maybe something that is shouldn't have but it meant something.

"Because I'm with Darren and I'm not being loyal to him."

Prince smile fell, "And you think he hasn't fucked someone else. Do you even know who you're dating?" His voice began to raise.

"Don't yell at me."

"You think I'm bad but he's worse. You don't even know what he's known for, what he does." Prince shook his head. "He—" Silence cut him off.

I could feel the walls closing in on me and my throat tightening. "He slept with your friend."

I wanted to punch something. I couldn't believe what he said, I just couldn't. I had a feeling he was only saying those things to piss me off.

I laughed, "Your lying to me."

Prince shook his head, "I'm not, Denise. Remember that night when you left the restaurant and relied on me take Brenda home." I bit my lip and tried to block out what he was saying. "She told me that at the party he had -- you couldn't find him because he was with her."

I shook my head in denial. "No. You don't know that, you don't—"

"Brenda told me herself! She was drunk and when you're drunk, shit comes out. She was crying and her nose was running." He shivered. "It was a pretty sad sight."

"That doesn't make sense. She told me she was going to the open bar once we got to the party." I stammer, feeling my eyes begin to burn in anger and devastation.

Prince shrugged, "She lied to you."

"No -- your lying." I chastise, pointing an accusing finger .

He looks confused and taken aback at my sudden claim, "What, I'm lying?" Prince chuckles.

I was angered that he was laughing about this.

I nod. "Your making up lies so I have a reason to leave Darren so I have no reason to push you away."

Prince eyes me for a moment in disbelief with a gaping mouth. "Nice theory -- shitty one but still nice." He admires, smiling.

"God, are you that desperate for a relationship that you would go as far as to date a cheater?"

My fist barely makes contact with his cheek before he grabs my wrist and yanks it down from his face. Suddenly, I am only centimeters away from him and we are sharing the same air.

"You really need to work on not hitting me." Prince slowly advises with a deadpan expression. I laugh weakly in his face to hide the brewing tears.

"Your unbelievable." I inhale a breath and snatch my hand away from his with tears making a visible appearance along my eyes.

I want to scream and punch something; preferably Darren, preferably Brenda, preferably Prince. I'm completely confused and have no where to go.

The last place I choose to go is to Darren's place or Brenda and after dropping out school here in Minneapolis and quitting Italiano's I wasted my money on clothes for Vanity. So a hotel was also out. I cast a glance back towards Prince to see him now sitting on the piano bench, rubbing his eyes.

I know it is pathetic, but I have no other options but to ask. "I can't go to Darren or Brenda's." I begin to say but his face still remains pointed towards the ground. I sigh, "Would you mind if I stayed here, just for tonight."

Prince lifts his gaze to meet mine before snickering lowly,

"You give me a headache, you know that?" I purse my lips to the side and sigh to myself.

"You hit me once, almost hit me another time, call me a liar and then expect for me to let you spend the night?"

I no longer want to argue, "Are you going to let me or not?"

Prince eyed me underneath his lashes before lifting himself up. I wasn't expecting him to say yes. Considering what I had pulled I wouldn't have blamed him if he refused to let me stay.

But he pleasantly surprised me, "Fine -- I have another song I want you to listen to anyway." I have no energy to give a thankful smile so my face remains stoic.

   I can only imagine myself tearing both Darren and Brenda a new one before they have time to explain.

✧

    First Avenue.

    It was vacant when we had arrived but I could get the full image. Prince had remained behind me, guiding me towards the dance floor as I glanced around. Lights unlit were strewn about the club, tables and stools aligned across the area — it had the appearance of a popular club.

  But I didn't understand why we had come here.

   "Why are we here?" I ask tiredly, sparring a glance Prince's way to see him eyeing the place himself, as if it was all so new to him.

    He held up a finger and inched towards the DJ who seemed to be the only other person there. I watched as he slipped him a tape and raised a brow as music entered through the speakers.

"This your album?" I lifted a finger into the empty air.

He nodded.

      I get delirious, whenever your near.

      Prince slid up beside me, holding out a hand for acceptance. I smile and stifled a chuckle at his stance. His gentle smirk and amused eyes slightly erase the images of Darren and Brenda from my mind as I willingly place my hand in his.

He yanks me to his chest to the beat and I can't help but giggle as he moves us across the floor wildly without me even doing much. It's as if we went back in time to the 1920's with the dance moves as I moved my feet to the addicting beat.

     A few moments later after exhausting our bodies from dancing to the whole 1999 album, I hop upon the stage and look out in front of me.

    "Do you ever perform here?" I ask Prince, who has a pair of round black shades concealing his eyes.

   He looks around the space and shrugs, "I use too, in '81 I did a concert." He reveals as I nod and examine the emptiness. It's a small area from the outside but seems so big from the inside. I imagine myself performing up onstage, exciting the crowd in seductive outfits while crooning the lyrics to Nasty Girl.

I smiled at the thought.

Prince seemed to notice and chuckled, "What?"

"Just imagining performing."

He furrows his brows and jumps onstage behind me, admiring the empty space, "But you do perform."

"I know but, I want a performance when people who come intentionally to see Vanity 6. Not be forced to listen to us after some interview because they got free tickets to Soul Train." I express freely, not paying attention the way Prince hums briefly.

Prince takes the imitative to settle beside me, "I thought about that too -- briefly." He pauses, "But you start to realize that any audience is a good audience. You give people who don't know you the opportunity to see who you are and eventually grow to like you and your music."

I turned my head and watched as he looked out into the distance with a off-trailed mind. I only weakly smiled before turning my head back to face the vacant area. I could already imagine people lining up along the stage to get a glimpse of Vanity 6.

"At first I was uncomfortable with the idea of strangers screaming my name, saying that they love me." I briefly chuckled, "But now it's nice. To know someone out there loves you." Prince stays silent and only slowly nods his head to my words.

I'm not sure if he's listening or not but I don't bother to ask because it was nice to get it out anyway. For a few moments we sit in comfortable silence until Prince finally speaks.

"Do you believe in God?"

I whip my head towards him and examine his stoic expression that turns to face me. His face holds curiosity as I work up an answer.

"Of course," I say confidently. "I may not practice my religion as much as I should but—" I sigh once the image of my strict religious grandmother comes to mind.

"I have my beliefs." I finish, swinging my legs back and forth. "What about you -- do you believe in God?"

Prince remains quiet for a moment before his lips stretch into a grin, "Let's go." He suddenly says, hopping off the stage and holding out a hand to help me.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

He smiles, "I wanna show you somethin'."

I nearly get whiplash from the sudden topic change from God to relocating but I keep my curious mind at bay.

It is then that I realize Prince is a ball of mystery that I am intrigued to learn about. However, I know he is too private for me to even find out a bit of what lies behind his closet of skeletons. Something within makes me too afraid to want to find out anyways.