01

Alyssa looked around at the already packed boxes, five years of her life was ready for donation to the Salvation Army. Only a few keeps sakes and some pictures of friends would go with her to Atlanta. A fresh start is what she wanted. Like before she was reinventing Alyssa Montgomery. She had already found a house in an exclusive area of Peachtree Georgia. It was a far cry from her apartment in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Mansion in Brentwood. Those had been the party spots during her reality show days. The apartment she had given up but she keep her home in Brentwood it was now her get away spot. Literally she had transformed from a self absorbed reality show bitch to a responsible hard working college graduate. She was proud of herself. How had her mother put it during her last visit home ? « Darling you have morphed from a witch bitch to a perfect princess. » She couldn’t deny that she did have fun behaving badly back then. The wild celebrity parties with the drugs, drinking, crazy girl fights and the brushes with the law. It was like a lifetime in the past. The accident had been a life changing experience. Crashing her car and nearly killing herself in a drag race in Vegas was all the wakeup call she needed and she was grateful that she had escaped with only a broken arm and a few bruises. Seeing her life flash before her eyes as her McLaren flipped over several times was an eye opener something that she never wanted to experience again. Her father had warned her about the dangers of drag racing but she was rebellious. She felt invincible back then. Drag racing, sky diving anything that came with a risk that would shock her parents and get their attention. She could remember her father telling her not to buy the McLaren.. A Nine hundred thousand dollar speed machine and in one minute it was totaled and she was charged with a misdemeanor and subject to community service for 90 days. Her ninety days started three days after the casts came off. The network was happy the fans couldn’t get enough. The show’s ratings went through the roof. She was on the cover of every tabloid and news paper, every talk show host wanted her on their couch. She was exhausted and thin as a rail she didn’t recognize her own self when she looked in the mirror. It was then that she decided not to renew her contract for a third season. That’s when she realized just how many friends she didn’t have. The finale episode of her reality show Alyssa Perfectly Poised ended with her arguing with her friend of ten years over her departure from reality TV. Sarah Anderson her so called friend since grade school, was her partner in crime when she was approached by the network about doing a reality show they asked her if her friend wouldn’t mind doing the show with her. Together they had agreed to let the world into their private life. And as the popularity of the show soared so did Sarah’s ego along with her jealousy. It was too the point that they barley talked except when the cameras rolled they went from friends to frienmies.At the finale it was decided that Sarah would get a spin off show Sarah Takes Over. It last two months and five episodes and was pulled from networks line up because lack of viewers. They never spoke again. So began her transformation. She put a map up on the wall and threw a dart it hit Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love. So she packed her bags and away she went. Moving had been the best decision she had ever made. Now looking back she would never forget the special times spent with her new real friends Trey and Donna ….so many tears and so much laughter, they had literally grew up together in this apartment.

The ringing of the door bell brought her out of her reverie. Walking through the maze of boxes, she looked through the peep hole, surprised to see her friend Trey standing on the opposite side of the door. Opening the door she stepped back.

« How was the wedding ? » She asked ,as he walked in.

« You won’t believe this shit, the crazy bride got half way down the aisle then started screaming at the groom that she was sorry but she couldn’t go through with the wedding. Then the crazy bitch hiked up her beautiful Vera Wang gown, turned around and ran back up the aisle to some dude sitting in the back. The two of them went running through the church doors like Dustin Hoffman and Katherine Ross in The Graduate. »

« Stop playing. » Alyssa looked at him wide eyed and in disbelief.

« Do, I look like I’m playing ? » He pointed to himself. « I was distraught . The poor groom went running up the aisle with his fine ass yelling for the girl to come back. I have never seen anything like it in my life, the whole church went berserk. »

Alyssa watched as he loosen the knot of his tie then take off his blazer throwing it on the couch. A gay man…who dressed to impress at 6’3 Trey was tall milk chocolate and sexy…he looked good and he knew it. When she first met him she had been in line registering for her freshmen classes, she thought he was trying to pick her up until…he told her he had them same Steve Madden shoes in blue…That was the beginning of their friendship.

« That girl had to be a nut …the one she ran off with had nothing on that fine mother fucker she left at the altar. »

« Why would she do such a thing ? »

« I don’t know and I don’t care, I just know the crazy bitch ruined my evening…I intended to dance, drink and get down on some colossal shrimps at that reception. »

« Where was the reception ? »

«  At The Philadelphia Yacht Club. » He whined. « She fucked everything up . » « You are so stupid, You’re going get caught crashing weddings one of these days. »

« We’ll until it happens ; I’m going to enjoy myself. They love me I’m the black gay cousin they can’t figure out where he came from. I’m in most of their pictures and they’ll be pointing me out asking who is he for years. » He sat stretching out on her couch. « Anyway what are your plans for tonight ? And don’t tell me some damn old ass movie. » Alyssa smiled. He knew her well.

« That was my plan. I have a early flight to catch. »