Free Get Over It by Nikki Carter

me, and I think Bethany already left the room. He sounds like a desperate man, and desperation is not a good look on anyone, especially a music mogul with a new wife and a baby on the way.
    â€œSo what are you saying?” Sam asks. “What do you want us to do?”
    â€œI want y’all to do what you’ve been doing, making great music. Just be aware that Mystique wants to destroy this label because it is a threat to her. Keep that in mind while you’re allowing her in your inner circle.”
    Now that comment isn’t directed at anyone except for me. No one else deals with Mystique like I do—or I should say like I did, because I’ve definitely been cool on her since I found out she was getting Dreya dropped.
    â€œLook, you can stop with the hidden comments,” I say. “I don’t even deal with Mystique all like that.”
    â€œJust seeing where your head is at.”
    â€œMan, come on!” I say. “What is this meeting about? I’ve got homework I could be doing.”
    â€œAll right, Ms. Collegian, slow your roll. This meeting is about a solidarity concert I want to put on.”
    â€œSolidarity concert?” Bethany asks.
    â€œYeah, I’ve got us all doing an outdoor concert at the Spring Fest at the end of the month.”
    I was planning on being a college student during Spring Fest. Enjoying the step show, kicking it hard, and partying it up to celebrate the end of freshman year. I had no intention of being Sunday Tolliver, superstar, on campus. I don’t want the worlds to collide.
    â€œYou’ll all do a song at the concert, and stay on the stage when Drama does her new single. The YouTube footage will be great, and it will send a clear message to Epsilon that we’re all for one and one for all.”
    Bethany lifts an eyebrow. I don’t think she’s trying to send that message to anyone.
    â€œWe weren’t one for all when it came to Dilly,” I say. “Don’t you remember when he was on Reign Records too?”
    Evan says, “There are some things that you don’t know about Dilly and his people. You should be glad we don’t deal with him or them.”
    I know plenty about Bryce and LaKeisha, Dilly’s siblings and owners of Club Pyramids—most of it not good. But I don’t have anything personal against them, except that LaKeisha has a baby with my mom’s ex-boyfriend, Carlos, and while my mom dated him, LaKeisha gave her a massive, migraine-sized headache, at least once a week.
    â€œEven though I don’t want to do a college concert, count me in,” I say.
    It’s not so much about Reign Records solidarity, though. I’m doing this for my cousin, who’s about to have a baby with this joker. There’s no telling how long this marriage is going to last, and I’m going to need Dreya and this unborn little cousin to be okay.
    â€œWhat about you, Bethany?” Evan asks.
    â€œI mean, do I really have a choice? You ask us to do stuff like we can actually say no. You’ve got us under contract, so yeah, I’ll be there.”
    Evan’s expression darkens. “I want you to want this, Bethany. If you don’t, you know where the door is. No one is being forced to be here. As a matter of fact, this is your out right now. If you don’t want to stay in your deal with Reign Records, I will make it null and void. We’ll have the lawyers dissolve everything, and you won’t owe me anything.”
    â€œI didn’t say I wanted to leave Reign Records.” Bethany fingers the diamond crown medallion on her neck, the Reign Records insignia, like it’s a security blanket.
    â€œYou sound froggy to me,” Dreya says. “I think you should go on ahead and leap. Nobody needs you around here. I don’t.”
    I study everyone in the room, especially Evan. He’s coming apart at the seams, and I’m not sure why. But, what I do know is