Track 1 Hot Soundz Fabiola Mays stood under the hot lights as she grasped the sweaty hands of two of the finalists in the talent show. She and her family had traveled a long way--from Richmond to New York City--and winning this competition could make all their dreams come true. Wearing a curve-hugging silk tiger-print dress with a high side split and low back that fit her to perfection, compliments of her sister, Adora, Fabiola surveyed the crowd for her support team. There they were: Adora and her mother, Viola, were sitting in the middle row. Mom gave Fabiola the nod, and a smile. Adora just kept screaming, "You gave it to 'em, sis! You did yo thang guurrl!" Hot Soundz, the fastest up-and-coming record label in the industry, had sponsored the contest, and first prize was $50,000, plus a recording contract worth another $150,000. Hot Soundz was slowly taking over the hip-hop and R & B industries, flooding the radio and the music charts with number-one hits and giving The Wizard, a legendary label that dominated the Billboard charts and was run by one of the biggest music moguls, Johnny Wiz, a run for its money. "And now . . . the moment you've been waiting for." The commentator's voice echoed from the speakers, causing the final five contestants to hold their breath. The host pretended to have a hard time opening the envelope that held the name of the winner. The anticipation was killing Fabiola, and just when she thought she couldn't wait another second, the MC then removed a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped some invisible perspiration from his brow. The crowd and the contestants were in total silence. Finally he opened the envelope. "And the winner is . . . hailing from Richmond, V-A . . . Fabiiiiioooolllla Maaayys." Fabiola screamed and leaped into the air, completely forgetting that she was wearing four-inch stilettos and almost breaking an ankle. She hugged and thanked all the other finalists, then, after regaining her composure, she flashed a radiant smile to the stunned crowd. Had the winner hailed from the Big Apple, the New York crowd would have gone crazy with applause, but that wasn't the case. It didn't matter, though. Viola and Adora more than made up for the crowd's lack of enthusiasm and were screaming and carrying on as if they had just won the competition themselves. As if they had just sung "Fallen" by Alicia Keys in a version all their own. And in a way, they had. They had both sacrificed to make sure that Fabiola achieved this goal. This wasn't her win alone. Slowly but surely, the tough New York crowd started to come around. One at a time they began to come to their feet, clap, and cheer. The girl from down South with the songbird voice had won top prize fair and square. And boy, after hearing her sing, they couldn't deny that whatsoever. Fabiola always knew in her heart that she was destined to be a star. Now, thanks to the prize money and contract, all her family's worries were about to be over. No more robbing Peter to pay Paul, no more shuffling and scraping to get by, no more waiting and anticipating when opportunity would come a-knocking; this time Ms. Opportunity had kicked the damn door down. As Fabiola walked up to the host she imagined she was at the Grammys. The host placed a platinum chain with a diamond-encrusted Hot Soundz pendant around her neck, and handed her a bottle of Dom Pérignon and a giant check for fifty thousand dollars. She smiled as she stepped up to the microphone. "I just want to thank Hot Soundz for this opportunity and New York for showing a small-town girl some big-city love!" The crowd continued to applaud as flashbulbs popped in her face. She felt that the smile on her face would never go away. Viola and Adora joined her backstage as F Excerpted from Ghetto Superstar: A Novel by Nikki Turner All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
