The Arrangement || Bryshere Gray

+ o n e

+ Jade

January 2017

Manhattan, New York

I listened as the rocks rumbled under my Audi R8, as I pulled into the crisp, narrow driveway of my parents' modernize styled Manhattan estate. I carefully collected the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of my $162,900 dollar sportscar in style. I walked along the pathway that led to my parents' front door, careful not to mess up my Christian Louboutins in the muddy grass. They were nearly $3,000 dollars. There was no way in hell I was going to mess them up.

My parents lifestyle were luxurious, to say the least. Their two story mansion was filled to the brim with 15 luxurious rooms, three in-house studios, and two game rooms. Not to mention the indoor and outdoor pool. What did you expect when you had two of the biggest names in the music industry as your parents?

I was the eldest daughter of Finn and Olivia Carter, the owners of one of the biggest record labels, Star Records. My mother, in her prime, was one the biggest and influential singers of her time. She still is, if I'm being completely honest. At just 16 years old, she was breaking records with her girl group, Take 3. And during her solo career, she was the Beyoncé of her time. My dad was a rapper, and the nearly the equivalent to my mother. Together, they've set the bar and have won countless of Grammys, VMAs, AMAs, BET awards, you name it.

My mother and father were 19 and 20 years old when they met and conceived me. But despite being such young parents, they were madly in love. I spent my first ten years on tour with my parents, seeing them work hard and do what they love most from behind the scenes. Although my parents worked on their music majority of the time, they still found the time to be amazing and exceptional parents to me. Their passion and love for music inspired me to pursue a career in music, as well. I had recently graduated Juliard a couple years ago and I have plans to start on my first project soon.

I knocked twice on my parents front door, before the door was swung swiftly opened and I was met with my younger sister, Blue Ivy.

My little sister, Blue Ivy Carter, is eleven years old, and the most opinionated, outspoken, sassy little girl I know. I was 11 when she was born, and had been the only child for a while. But despite that, I fell in love with her the moment laid my eyes on her and had been the most overprotective big sister ever since.

"About time you showed up. How was the trip to Miami?" Blue smirked as I walked in.

I had recently came back from a two week mini vacation in Miami. I was supposed to attend my mom's charity event and give this important speech, but bailed at the last minute. One, I really wasn't feeling it. Two, I really need a vacation to clear my mind and relax. It's like a 9 to 5 job trying to keep up with the latest trends and keep my popularity constant. Three, I'm a grown ass woman. But despite me being grown, I was one hundred percent sure that Olivia Marie Carter was going to have my ass for missing this important event. I was on her and my dad's payroll, after all.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blue grinning cockily at me and shot her an ice cold glare, "Shut up and close the door!" I said as I walked further into the foyer.

"Being a bitch, much?" I heard Blue mumble as she closed the door.

I raised a perfectly arched eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

Blue rolled her eyes and scoffed. "You're not mom. That look doesn't scare me." Then she walked towards me, until she was about a few feet in front of me. "You still didn't answer my question. How was the trip?" She asked.