Shop in the Name of Love (10 page)

“Angie, they were crooks!” Do’ Re Mi blurts out, then plops down on Dorothea’s leopard love seat.

“Seems Mr. Johnson would steer artists to the record label,” Dorothea says.

Before she can continue, Bubbles blurts out, “Signing them to these
radickio
deals, like the one he was trying to perpetrate on us!”

“That’s right, darling,” Dorothea says, reaching for one of the Godiva chocolates on the counter. “Then Mr. Hyena would cover the royalty tracks, so that the artists never knew how much they were making, and the two would skim the profits out of the company.”

“So Princess Pamela was right after all!” I blurt out, then realize that I should buy some Krazy Glue and stick my lips together permanently.

My mom looks at me like she is already picking out the color of my coffin.

“Juanita, I’m gonna side with Chanel on this one,” Dorothea says, putting her arm around my mom as she explains Princess Pamela’s predictions to her. “She may not be your cup of tea, but she sure knows how to read tea leaves!” Dorothea says, doing the Cheetah Girls handshake with us.

Mom thinks for a minute, her face all serious. “I don’t mind if you see her,” she says to me all of sudden. “You just cannot take any presents from her, or call her Psychic Hot Line—I don’t care if she invented the crystal ball!”

“I told you,
Mamí
, I won’t take anything from her again,” I say nervously.

“You know what mothers are?” Mom asks me.

“What?”

“Psychics who don’t charge—you can get all the advice you need for
free
!” My mom smiles, slapping Dorothea a high five.

“Well, I’m glad you all are happy—but we still don’t have a demo,” Aqua says, reaching into the box of Godiva. She must be getting very comfortable around here, because she used to always ask Dorothea first.

“Help yourself, darling,” Dorothea says.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Dorothea!” Aqua blurts out.

“That’s all right, just enjoy yourself,” Dorothea says, smiling.

“Chanel, are you sure those Chihuahuas don’t shed hair?” Mom asks me.

“I’m very sure, because Do’ Re Mi looked it up in a book!” I say.

“That’s right, Mrs. Simmons, I did,” Do’ Re Mi says, helping me out.

“Maybe next weekend, we’ll see if we find one for Pucci’s birthday,” Mom says.

I can’t believe my ears. “Oh,
Mamí
,” I say, and run over to hug her.

“Don’t hug me yet. If he sheds one hair, he’s going right back to the dog pound,” Juanita quips.

“Why do you have to get a ‘he’?” Do’ Re Mi quips.

“Because Pucci hates girls—except for Bubbles,” I volunteer with a giggle, then sit Toto in my lap. “He’s not like you, Boo-boo, right?”

Ms. Dorothea motions for all of us to sit down. “Now, the reason why I wanted all of you to come back to the store …” She breaks out in a big smile. “I have a little surprise for you, Cheetah Girls.” Dorothea brushes her wavy wiglet hairs out of her face. “Remember I told you Jellybean Nyce was in here shopping?”

“Really!” Angie says. “Omigod, we love her!”

“I know. And I told her about your predicament, and she is gonna hook us up with the producer who did
her
demo, Chili Dog Watkins.”

“
Really
?” Bubbles blurts out.

“Really,” Dorothea counters. “But I’m not finished. I, Dorothea Garibaldi, have secured the fabulous Cheetah Girls a spot on The Amateur Hour at the world-famous Apollo!”

“No way, Jose!” I say, my mouth hanging open. “How did you do that,
madrina
?”

“I did it the way
every
manager does—I sold you like the second coming of the Spice Rack Girls, that’s how,” Dorothea brags. “You’ll never say I don’t work overtime for
my
artists.”

“Mom, are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Bubbles asks, smiling and putting her arm around Dorothea.

“Darling, one can never be too sure what you’re thinking, but I’ll tell you what I’m saying,” Dorothea says, looking at all of us. “It’s time for the Cheetah Girls to have
real
management—and you’re looking at her.”

We scream with delight, while Mom just looks on from the counter, amused. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Dottie, because these girls will wear you out!”

“Oh, I know what I’m doing. I’m taking the Cheetah Girls right to the top, where they belong.”

Angie can’t contain her Southern charm any longer, and screams out, “Come on Mr. Sandman, show me your hook, ’cuz I’m ready for Freddy!”

Angie, of course, is referring to the famous bozo with the hook who runs bad acts off the stage if they get booed by the audience. The Sandman kinda looks like a brown clown, but his antics are no joke, for sure.

“All I can say is, I hope Freddy is ready for us at the world-famous Apollo,” Bubbles adds.

All I can say is,
la dopa!

“Come on, Cheetah Girls,” Bubbles shouts. “Let’s give the world a taste of our latest, greatest hit!”

We break into “Shop in the Name of Love,” and the whole place is rockin’, customers and all. We look at each other and smile, nodding our heads. Me most of all, ’cuz I’m so glad this all happened. It was all worth it, all the grief, all the tears—just to come out of it with a song like this one.

Yeah—it’s just a matter of time. Look out, world—the Cheetah Girls are comin’—and we are large and in charge!

Abuela:
Grandmother.

Adobo down:
Mad flava.

Arroz con pollo:
Rice and chicken.

Benjamins:
Bucks, dollars.

Bruja:
A good or bad witch.

Caliente mad:
Really angry.

Confirmation:
Catholic religion ceremony at the age of thirteen.

Cuatro yuks!:
When something or someone is four times yucky.

Do me a flava:
Do me a favor.

Duckets:
Money, loot.

Down for the ‘do:
Ready to support.

Está bien:
Awright.

Fib-eronis:
Teeny-weeny fibs.

Flipping the flimflam:
Acting or doing something shady.

Floss:
Show off.

Frijoles:
Beans.

Gracias gooseness:
Thank goodness.

La dopa!:
Fabulous.

La gran fantasía:
Living in Happyville.

La wacka:
Something that is wack.

Lonchando:
Lunching.

Madrina:
Godmother.

Majordomo:
Legitimate.

Mentira:
A not-so-little lie.

Muy coolio:
Very cool.

Pinata-whacking mad:
When someone is madder than
caliente
mad.

Poco paz:
A little peace.

Qué broma!:
What a joke!

Querida:
Dear. Precious one.

Radickkio:
Ridiculous!

Ready for Freddy:
Ready to do your thing, no matter what happens.

Schemo:
Idiot

Tan coolio:
So cool.

Tú sabes que tú sabes:
You know what you know.

Weakness for carats:
Someone who is a lifetime member of the diamonds-are-a-girl’s-best-friend club.

Wheel-a-deala:
Making moves, both good or bad.

Winky dink:
Blink and you’ll miss it.

Yo tengo un coco:
I have a crush!

I have to give it up to the Jump at the Sun peeps here—Andrea Pinkney, Lisa Holton, and Ken Geist—for letting the Cheetah Girls run wild. Also, Anath Garber, the one person who helped me find my Cheetah Girl powers. And, Lita Richardson, the one person who now has my back in the jiggy jungle. Primo thanks to the cover girl Cheetahs: Arike, Brandi, Imani, Jeni, and Mia. And to all the Cheetah Girls around the globe: Get diggity with the growl power, baby!

Deborah Gregory earned her growl power as a diva-about-town contributing writer for
Essence, Vibe
, and
More
magazines. She has showed her spots on several talk shows, including
Oprah, Ricki Lake,
and
Maury Povich
. She lives in New York City with her pooch, Cappuccino, who is featured as the Cheetah Girls’ mascot, Toto.