Joyce has found this one that is affordable and is perfect for keena, it wouldn't affect her school or grades, so she signs her up. When she gets home from school her mom is excited to tell her about the competition. When keena hears the news she is amazed. She puts on a big , bright, white smile that lights up the room and fills her mother's heart with happiness and joy, but the smile slowly fades away to a depressing smile.
“ Whats wrong?”
“ You didn’t tell Mr.Willie about this…. did you?”
“ Yes! why is that a problem?”
“ Well yes! considering that we both know that he’s nothing but a money hungry fien! What if he tries to take advantage of my talent?”
“ He won’t because I know you won’t let him.” she claims. Two weeks later Joyce and Keena go to the audition on America’s Got Talent. With nervousness running all through her body, keena is scared that the judges won’t like her. But she knows shes got to do this to make her mother proud, so she  takes a deep breath and tells herself that they’re going to love her, feeling hopeful and proud, Keena walks proudly up to the judges and does the one thing she does best, and thats sing. She sings beautifully, leaving the judges with eyes that beg her to continue. Her heart pumping, and hands sweaty, Keena waits for what the judges have to say. She walks out of the audition room scanning for her mom in the gigantic crowd of auditionees. They spot each other, running towards her mom she shouts,
“ MOM! MOM! They absolutely loved me! They said I had a voice like an angel!”
“ OH! I just knew they would, I told you they would!” As they are leaving the building with nothing but joy, love, and mutual support, Keena has the feeling that nothing can stop her, skipping and laughing with her mom she hears a low shallow voice say her name. It’s Willie. He’s got flowers in his hand. Suddenly the laughs and giggles stop. The day turns dark and grey . The most loving and happy memories can be destroyed when she see’s him. She remembers what her mother told her, and takes a deep breath and forgets he’s even there. As they slowly walk towards the car, Willie asks,
“ So when does the money start rolling in huh?”
“ It was only a audition, it’s not really that serious.”
“ The hell it is. You're about to make me rich, I’m going to buy everything I couldn’t buy before.” He flicks the cigarette towards keena and laughs when it hits her ankle. When they get into the car all is silent. Keena glares out the window and sees white, dirty, snow with trails of footprints. She cracks the window open as they ride past the chicken store, the scent of sweet potato pie, macaroni and cheese and of course the freshly fried crispy chicken, flows through her nostrils, leaving her heart feeling warm and at home. They arrive at the house.

Willie asks,
“ So when do you  get to go on t.v. and make me my money? Cause lord knows I-” Joyce buts in and asks
“So I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, Keena do you want to come?”
“ Sure ma.” she says. A few months go by  and keena has made it big, everything remains the same except her mothers health it gets progressively worse. She has cancer and doesn’t have long to live, and like always  Keena’s right by her side, waiting on her hand and foot, working on her music, going to rehearsal, and doing school work. It is december a day before  Keena’s birthday and she doesn't have any plans, so her and her mother are going out to dinner. When they arrive at Applebees its kareoke night, and Keena and her mother go and sing, and like always at the end of the song they hear nothing but cheers and applauds. When they get back to their table, Joyce has some pains and is hard of breathing but of course she makes it seem like its nothing but it is.
“Ma are you ok ?” she asks
“Yeah just a little pain, I’ll be fine.” As she holds her chest and takes deep breaths through each word
“ Are you sure? You don’t look so good.”
“ Yeah.Yeah I’ll be..”Theres a long pause, after a couple of seconds joyce collapses to the floor.
“ MOM!MOM!, SOMEONE PLEASE CALL 9-1-1!” A couple of hours go by and keena is terrified. This was suppose to be a fun night, and it all went wrong quickly, as she waits in the waiting room, the doctor comes out, Keena collapses into her chair and lets out a loud cry. Breathing heavily and rocking back and forth, she can’t help but to think of how much her life will change. The emergency waiting room door opens letting in the cold december air, leaving goosebumps on her arms, Keena looks over and see’s Willie walk through the door.
“ Why the hell you been calling my phone bothering me from my relaxing time? And why the hell are you at the hospital? Where’s Joyce?”
“ I only called so that you could take me home Mr.Willie.”
“ Your mother can take you home!” He yells pulling his pants up keeping them from falling down, and fixing his favorite shirt that has a toothbrush on it that says “ I hate my job and the roll of toilet paper that says “ Oh please my jobs worse.” Theres a nurse that hears him yelling and tells him what happened to Joyce. Willie walks away dreadfully and gets back into the car, and Keena follows. The drive home is silent and as the week goes on its nothing but silent. A week later is the funeral Willie doesn’t want to go in but he has to. After the funeral Willie has a “ little chat” with Keena and says,
“ So, now that your mom is dead, am I gonna be your manager?”
“ Why should I make you my manager?” she questions, giving him a look of confusion.
“ Because I’m your father and you will do whatever I tell you to, you won’t be anything without me being your guide.”
“ You’re not my father, you were just married to my mom.”
“ Listen I'm gonna give you a little bit more time to think about this, and if you say no I’ll make sure you won’t get back up after I’m done beating you.” The stare at each other with a sense of anger, causing Keena to lock her jaw and ball her fist as if she was in a boxing round and he was an opponent.

It is December 31st. Keena is getting ready for her performance on stage for the 2015 ball drop. Willie’s out there drunk and cursing up a storm, Keena is embarrassed. She overhears him talking about how Keena is famous and how he’s living lavish like he made the money and worked all day and night for it. He says he’s living the American Dream. After the performance Keena does great , setting off a new year with good songs and good moods. It’s the middle of January and Keena is working on her music singing many words at different notes to see which sounds better with the song. The front door creaks open and she hears these big thumping sounds, almost like someones stomping their feet. It’s Willie, he must be drunk she thinks to herself. Without a notice he barges into her room and asks,
“ So are you gonna make me your manager?” he says with his words slurred and leaning up against a wall keeping himself up. Keena does not answer, and thinks to herself that she’s had enough of the stress and that meant Willie to. Somebody has to do something and stands up to him. Suddenly Keena gets this boldness that comes out and she shouts,
“ I have had it! Enough is enough! You are nothing but and mean inconsiderate lazy jerk and you are not gonna take over my life and do nothing with yours! I’d be better off living by myself then living with you!” His face surprised then angry, he raises his and smack her causing her to fall on her table pushing everything on the floor. Keena can’t give up so she takes the vase with white roses in it that has fallen off the table and smacks Willie right on the top of his head, causing him to fall to the floor. As he’s laying on the floor Keena continues to hit him until blood is splattered on the door and all over her face. She stops, looks at a broken picture of her mom and says,
“Please forgive me.” She drops the lamp and walks dreadfully over to her mother's picture, picks it up and lets out a loud wail. As she drops to her knees and holds her mother’s picture close to her heart, she looks over to Willie and says,
“ You made me do it, You’ve gotten what you deserved, I’ll see you in hell.” She realizes that shes got to get the body out so she goes to the phone and calls the police.
“ 9-1-1 emergency, how may I help you?” the dispatcher asks.
“ He’s dead!” She Screamed.
“ Who’s dead?”
“ I’ve killed him, I’m sorry.”  She hangs up the phone and snatches the phone cord out of the wall. All she can think of is what’s going to happen to her. Will she go to jail? She’s scared and confused. She’s got everything flying through her had like the Nascar race track. She thinks,
“But I had to do it he made me do it.” She hears the police sirens pulling up in her driveway, hearing the  footsteps get closer as the crunch on the pebbles of her driveway, she gets nervous. She hears a loud bang at the door. It’s the cops.
“ NYPD, Come out with your hands in the air.” She looks back at Willie in anger, turing around towards him, she picks up the white roses that fell out and throws it on top of willie. As she still hears the policeman shouting she knows she’s got to do what they said or they would possibly kill her. She steps out the front door with her hands in the air. The policeman shouts “Get down on the ground.” she gets down on the ground and knows that this is the end of her life.