Playing Nice
Episode 1: Kevin’s Heart
Playing Nice is a short serial fiction series. I came up with the idea for this series a few months ago before getting “shiny new idea syndrome” and moving onto something else.
I still have a thing for this series — so I thought I’d share it with y’all and see what y’all think.
If you enjoy it, let me know! I’ll be happy to work on new episodes if y’all are feeling them. If not, I can keep this as a singular “pilot” and move on. Either way, I’m chilling.
Logline: After being snowed in during a birthday party, devastating secrets cause the relationships of lifelong friends to unravel.
Trigger warning: alcohol abuse
9:50 PM
As Mahogany stuffed a forkful of vanilla birthday cake into her mouth, she contemplated sneaking out of the back door and running far, far away. Her best friend, Cherish, was singing her third encore of Beyoncé’s “Me, Myself, and I”.
It was Cherish’s annual birthday karaoke night celebration. This year, she was holding it at her uncle’s luxurious winter cabin.
Mahogany had never missed one of Cherish’s birthday parties. That meant she had heard Cherish perform “Me, Myself, and I” at least fifteen times throughout their friendship. This was the first time she had done it three times in a row.
It was getting old — fast.
Mahogany received a text from her friend, Ahmad, who was sitting right next to her.
Ahmad: How many times do we have to suffer through this? Did Beyoncé sign off on this?
Mahogany stifled a giggle and playfully pushed Ahmad’s knee.
Cherish’s final note stole back Mahogany’s attention. It was pristine and clear. Beyoncé adjacent.
“Cherish’s singing coach would be shaking in her Manolos right now.” she thought. The party attendees gave Cherish a light applause.
“Encore! Enc-ow!” Marcus, Cherish’s boyfriend, said.
His best friend, Will, had pinched Marcus’s back. “I think it’s time for someone else to take the stage. Raven, perhaps?”
Raven, Cherish’s cousin, sat on a loveseat in the corner of the living room, “Oh….me? I’m good. I’m not the biggest singer anyway.” She went back to scrolling on her phone.
“But, you sounded so good in the school choir!” Cherish smiled, “Come on, for me?” She poked her bottom lip out.
“I’m good, Cherish.”
“But, everyone does a song! That’s the point of karaoke…to channel everyone’s inner Beyoncé!”
Mahogany looked at Cherish and noticed something was off. The changes were subtle — a narrowing of the eyes, a tightened grip on her glass of Dom Perignon. Mahogany knew what she had to do.
“Actually, you know what? I’m in a ‘Single Ladies’ mood.” Mahogany passed Ahmad her slice of cake, hopped off the couch, and took the mic from Cherish.
“Wonderful! Do Beyoncé proud boo!”
As Cherish found a karaoke version of Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies”, Mahogany stepped into the middle of the living room.
She directed her focus to the TV screen in front of her. Too much attention made her nervous.
But, facing nervousness was much better than facing the other side of Cherish.
After Mahogany’s performance, the group clapped for her. Ahmad was louder than them all. She avoided the gazes of the group, gave the mic back to Cherish, and went back to her seat.
“I didn’t know that you knew the whole ‘Single Ladies’ dance,” Ahmad said.
“Shut up.” She diverted her attention to the window once again. The snow was falling rapidly. Mahogany knew there was a possibility they’d be stuck for the night. But, seeing the snow pile up made Mahogany feel uneasy.
“We’ve got enough hot cocoa and Fireball to last for years. We’ll be alright.” Ahmad said.
She turned to him and smiled faintly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Raven refilling her red Solo cup with Hennessy for the third time that night.
10:20 PM
“I’m telling you guys, I have never regifted a Christmas gift. That’s just…disgraceful to Santa.” Will said.
“I can’t lie; I’ve done it a couple of times.” Marcus took a sip from his cup.
“Not for me babe, right? My presents are specially picked just for-” Cherish pointed at herself, “-muah!”
“I mean…” He smirked towards the rest of the group. Most people chuckled in response. Raven roared with laughter. Everyone gave her concerning looks, especially Cherish.
“Let’s continue. Never have I ever kissed someone under the mistletoe…”
As the group discussed Cherish’s question, Mahogany got up and sat next to Raven. “You alright?”
“I’m peachy.”
“I just want to make sure you’re good.”
“I’m fine. I’m as cool as the other side of the pillow.” She grabbed a nearby pillow and flipped it around, “Feel that.”
Mahogany rubbed the pillow, “That’s definitely…cool.”
“That’s me!” She smiled. “I just…I feel like singing…” She turned to the group and yelled, “I want to do a song now!”
Everyone turned towards her.
“We’re doing Never Have I Ever.” Cherish said, “You missed your chance babe.”
“But, I’m ready to channel my inner-” Raven shook her hair out of her face and gave a pouty look, “B-B-Beyoncé.”
“Well…who am I to stop someone from their karaoke dreams? I’m just the birthday girl!” Cherish forced a giggle, grabbed the TV remote, and began to search for a song on YouTube. “What song do you want to do, Ray?”
“Um...Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You.”
“Are you sure you can handle that song?”
“Yup. Cue it up please!”
Raven grabbed the microphone and stumbled into the middle of the living room. She closed her eyes, swayed to the beat of the song’s intro, and began to sing. Despite her drunkenness, Raven nailed the song’s first verse and chorus. Most of the room was in shock — except for Cherish and Mahogany.
Throughout high school, they were all in the same choir class. Cherish and Raven often competed for solos. Although Cherish won most of them, Raven won a few coveted solos — including one during the national choir competition held in Chicago.
As the song continued to its bridge, Cherish began to laugh. It distracted Raven. She slurred through her lyrics and missed a few of Whitney’s high notes.
“What are you doing, Ray Ray? You look like a fool up there.”
Raven stopped singing.
“Come on, we’ve been watching you drink yourself dizzy all damn night. Let’s get you to bed.” She got up and began to walk towards Raven.
“Y-you know what? I’m tired of you treating me like crap….pushing me around…I-I’m sick of it!”
“Raven, come on…”
“If you only knew, I swear to God…if…you know what…I’m tired of keeping this secret in.” She took a deep breath in and spoke straight into the microphone, “I’ve been sleeping with your boyfriend for a long time…and I’m…not…sorry…”
Soundtrack: J Cole — Kevin’s Heart
If you or someone you know suffers from substance abuse, check out SAMHSA for a wealth of online resources.
How’d you like the first episode of Playing Nice? Interested in reading more episodes? Let me know your thoughts!
Nia Simone McLeod is a writer, content creator, and pop culture enthusiast from Richmond, Virginia. She’s the creator and editor of the Medium publications oh, write and coiled. In her newsletter, she shares a behind-the-scenes look on her creative process.