7-16-1997, 5:40 AM

Kourtnee and I arrived at Shimmers, Inc. at 5:40 AM. The ride over was very quiet. Kourtnee did not talk much to me. She did not sing. She just drove. She acted as if she had something on her mind. I kept looking at her from time to time. She asked me once why I kept looking at her like that. I shrugged my shoulders. She told me to stop shrugging my shoulders. I nodded my head. She went back to driving in silence. That was pretty much the conversation on the ride over.

Paula was waiting at Kourtnee’s parking space for us. Paula said, “How is it that I am here before you?” Kourtnee got the dress bag out of the trunk as she said, “We were running late.” I guess Paula could tell that Kourtnee had something on her mind because Paula asked, “Are you ok?” Kourtnee closed the trunk as she said, “Yes.” Paula looked at me and said, “What did you do to her this morning?” I looked at Paula and said, “I didn’t do anything.” Paula said, “Yea, right. What did you do?” I was about to say something when Kourtnee said, “Paula, she didn’t do anything. Let’s go.” I tried to reach for one of the bags that Kourtnee had but she wouldn’t give me one. Paula looked at Kourtnee then at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

When we reached the lobby, Kourtnee gave me the bags that she had and told me to take them up to her office, get my racquetball gear, and meet them at the fitness center. I took the stuff and went to the elevator. I got on the elevator. I watched Kourtnee and Paula disappear as the elevator doors closed.

On the Way to the Fitness Center (Paula And Kourtnee)

Paula: Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong with you?

Kourtnee: What makes you think something is wrong with me?

Paula: I know you well enough to know that something is wrong with you.

Kourtnee: I think I might have made a mistake by becoming LaDawnya’s foster mother.

Paula: What? Are you serious?

Kourtnee: Yes, what do I need with a child? I can’t even take care of myself.

Paula: Does this have anything to do with Colt?

Kourtnee: No, this morning when I was trying to get ready to come up here, I had to wait on her. She started acting silly and goofing around. I was trying to get ready and she was playing around. I had to get her clothes and stuff, too. I have no idea what I am doing.

Paula: I think you are overreacting. She is only fourteen years old. She is gonna act silly sometimes.

Kourtnee: I still think I might have made a mistake.

Paula: So, what are you going to do?

Kourtnee: I don’t know. I don’t know what she going to do sometimes. She is happy one minute, and then the next minute she is mad at me for something silly.

Paula: Are you talking about what you said at the Departmental Meeting?

Kourtnee: Yes.

Paula: Well, you shouldn’t have done her like that. That was kind of embarrassing.

Kourtnee: Not you, too. I was just trying to make sure that no one gave her any Shimmers products. What was so wrong with that?

Paula: You could have found a better way to do it. You were just mad at her, so you reacted harshly with the girl. As sweet as you can be, sometimes you can act a little mean.

Kourtnee: I am not mean.

Paula: Girl, please. Think about it for a minute.

Kourtnee: Not that mess again. That was an isolated incident.

Paula: If you say so.

Kourtnee: Why did you bring that up? You know silly you act every time you think about that. Are you going to act a fool with me all day?

Paula: No, I am over that.

Kourtnee: You should be. It happened five years ago.

Paula: Are you feeling like this because of what Donna said?

Kourtnee: I don’t know. She did make sense though.

Paula: You couldn’t have felt like this before everyone has gotten use to the child. If she has to go back to the orphanage after all that has happened, I don’t think that she is going to do well. Besides, it would be unfair to her to do her like that.

Kourtnee: I never said anything about making her go back.

Paula: I am sure that you have thought about it.

Kourtnee: Maybe. Just forget it. We came here to work out.

Paula: Ok.