Chapter 29. Lyric
Lyric
LIP OF THE DAY:
Topicals Lip Balm
After a morning walk with Grammy, I drive to work and clock in. “I have you on the floor all shift,” Jeannine says as I stuff my personals into a cubby in the break room.
“Oh, bless you!” I smile, pulling my hair back with a grin. I had prepared myself to be on registers, given the holiday rush, but this is truly the best news.
I start with the berries—stacking them neatly in the refrigerated case, logos all facing the same way.
Then I crush the bags of spinach and kale into their spots one shelf over; next, the carrots, celery, mushrooms. As I stock, people rush by grabbing things for the evening, but I gleefully ignore them, making trips back and forth from the storage rooms to the grocery floor, methodically adding things to aisles one shelf at a time.
I’m lining up bottles of mayo in the condiment section when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
“Damn, girl. You locked in. I’ve been calling your name for like three minutes.”
Jamison is standing in the aisle, talking to me.
“What are you doing here?” I say, looking around for his mom—maybe he’s here with her.
“I came to see you. I tried to text, but—yeah. Can we talk for a min?”
“My phone’s on DND, plus I can’t have it with me on the floor. I’m a little busy, if you can’t tell.”
“I know. I’ll be quick. I can wait until you have a break.”
I’m about to lie and tell him I already took my lunch when Jeannine walks by and yells: “Lyric—go eat! You’re overdue.”
Jamison grins. “How about a sub from next door? My treat?”
“Fine,” I say. “But only because I didn’t pack food today, and you know I can’t say no to Jimmy John’s.”
Five minutes later, we slide into a Jimmy John’s booth with subs and Cherry Cokes, jalapeno chips for me and BBQ chips for Jamison. I take a huge bite of my sandwich, not pressed about how it looks, and a big gulp of pop. “So, what’s happening here?” I ask finally, motioning between us.
Jamison clears his throat. “I wanted to apologize.”
I freeze mid-bite, and remind myself to stay calm. Listen to what he has to say before you speak, Lyric, my brain hisses.
I nod for him to continue.
“For what I said at Winter Formal—and really, for all the ways I’ve been a dick to you—especially about BeautyStarz and what you and Juniper have going on. It’s none of my business, and I know you work really hard, that you love makeup, and it’s not just some vapid hobby—it’s your dream.”
“Yeah, that was a low blow,” I say quietly. “You know I started with nothing when I decided to be a content creator. I earned each and every one of the follows and gigs.”
“I know that. I was trying to hurt you … like you hurt me.”
I put down my sandwich and start to pick my napkin apart.
“I didn’t realize until a couple days ago how badly I hurt you when I cheated,” I admit. “It’s been brought to my attention that I may have trouble, uh, accepting and receiving love. That I push people away.”
Jamison smiles sadly. “You don’t say?”
“I’m trying to be open here!” I say, throwing a piece of napkin in his face. “Don’t make this harder for me. I’m sorry too, for being so ruthless with your heart.”
“OK, OK,” Jamison says, resigned. “Yes, I have noticed that about you. Thank you for saying that. But hey, there’s still time to change, right?”
“Right.”
“And maybe we can do that by calling a truce? No more toxic us, no more games, and maybe one day we can be friends again?”
“I can shake on that,” I say, offering Jamison my hand.
He grins and meets my palm with his. “To something different,” he says.
We shake, and instantly I feel lighter.
The rest of my Aldi shift goes off without interruption, and before I know it, it’s after nine p.m. and I’m home, in my onesie, preparing for a low-key, drama-free New Year’s Eve.
“Lyric, baby. Order me extra wings when you get the pizza. I been craving some.”
“Yes, Grammy,” I yell, adding extra wings and ranch to my Grubhub cart. We don’t do delivery very often, but it’s a self-care night and I got paid early, so I’m not worrying about it tonight. As I place the order, Ki knocks loudly. “The party has arrived!” she yells from the apartment hallway.
I fling open the door. Ki has taken our “comfy clothes only” dress code very seriously, wearing a bonnet, two star-shaped pimple patches on her face, and some kind of fluffy blanket-hoodie thrown over leggings.
“Did you drive here like this?” I laugh.
“I did, and I don’t care.”
She brushes past me, dropping her overnight bag, some snacks, and a bottle of root beer in the entryway, before heading to the back bedroom to say hello to Grammy.
“Pizza and wings will be here in twenty!” I yell, unpacking the goodies. “Can you help Grammy decide which movie she wants to watch with us, Ki? We’ll watch that one first.”
“On it!” Ki says.
“I want to watch the one with the sexy rain dance,” I hear Grammy say.
“That’s Step Up 2, Grammy. We only have the first movie,” I yell.
“Well, that’ll work, I guess.”
When the pizza and wings arrive, we set up in Grammy’s room with TV trays and hit play on Step Up. We laugh and sing along while we eat, and when the movie ends I help Grammy to the toilet.
As I’m waiting outside the cracked door for Grammy to finish, I hear Ki scream from the bedroom.
“Holy shit, Lyric, get in here right now. You need to see this.”
“What?” I ask, rushing to her side.
She holds up her phone with the BeautyStarz app open on it—and Juniper’s face on the screen.
“Hey! We said no phones and no socials today,” I protest.
“I know, I know. I was just taking a quick peek—sorry, I’m addicted. But, really, you need to see this,” she says, forcing her phone into my hands.
“What am I looking at?” I say, my eyes trying to adjust to what’s on the screen.
“Juniper did a live early this morning, but it doesn’t look like she tagged you. Jamison just texted me about it, the recording’s up still. And, well, you’re going to want to watch this.”
“Excuse me,” Grammy calls from down the hall. “Can I get some assistance?”
Kiana jumps up. “I can help her. You, sit and watch.”
I fall into a spot on Grammy’s bed and hit play on the recorded live. Juniper stands front and center, in what looks like her room. A fresh haircut and a slightly terrified but cute look on her face. My heart starts galloping through my chest—what the hell is she doing?
Uh, hey, everyone out there, Juniper begins.
My name is Juniper, and you may know me through @lovelylyric’s page, where I’ve been featured heavily over the last few weeks.
Thanks for all your support, but, uh, I need to come clean about something and I hope you’ll be understanding.
So, um, I’m not actually Lyric’s girlfriend.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can that be?
There’s evidence. Well, uh, don’t believe everything you see on social media, right? It’s all an illusion—oooh!
I don’t know whether to be horrified, or angry, or to laugh.
Watching Juniper do magic fingers like a magician is almost adorable, but also, why is she blowing up our spot?
! She knows this could really mess up my BeautyStarz following and momentum.
I’m oddly charmed by how bad she is at this, and equally panicked about how this will look to everyone.
But I can’t take my eyes off Juniper as she continues.
OK, oh wow, I see lots of you are tuned it.
Lemme get back on track. Juniper falters.
So, right. I’m not Lyric’s real girlfriend, just her fake one.
A few weeks ago, we took one photo together under a tree—I was doing her a favor really—and turns out, we had some chemistry, and when she posted that photo, it blew up and went viral.
Everyone just assumed we were an item. And, well, we went along with it, because it was fun—and also both of us have dreams that needed funding, and yeah.
I can see some of you are angry by your emojis, and, uh, I get it.
But hear me out—and this, this is the part that I really want to get across.
I’ve had a crush on Lyric ever since the first time I saw her in class this fall.
So, you see, I’d pretty much have done anything to get close to her, and so I went along with the game—dating on BeautyStarz, but just friends in real life.
But who was I kidding? Of course it only made my crush more real, and then I got to know her, really know her, and that crush became something deeper.
What I’m trying to, uh, say, um, is … I’m sorry.
To all of you for the deception, but most importantly to Lyric.
Lyric—I’m hoping you’ll see this. I fucked up.
I know I don’t deserve another chance, but if you can find it in you to forgive me, or at least—hear me out in person, let’s try again?
I want something real with you, no walls, no lies.
So, if you’re up for it—come find me on the ice, New Year’s Eve. I’ll wait until the ball drops.
So, uh, that’s it, I guess. I probably won’t post on here aga—
With that, the video ends.
My mind is a swarm of wings and fury and—“What just happened?!” I whisper right as Ki and Grammy come back in the room.
Then, because I haven’t had my notifications turned on all day, I run to my room and grab my iPhone.
When I unlock the home screen, I suck in a huge breath.
I have over a hundred notifications from BeautyStarz.
I walk slowly back into Grammy’s room without opening them, and sit on her bed.
“OK, Lyric, just take a breath,” Ki says. “What are you thinking?”
I swallow. “I’m thinking my beauty career might be over before it evens starts. I’m thinking—I can’t believe Juniper just did that—and, also, I’m thinking—”
“Well, I’M THINKING you got yourself a New Year’s Eve date to be at,” Grammy cuts me off matter-of-factly. “Who cares about your beauty Tiky Tok. This is real life! But you look a hot mess, so I’d get dolled up a little if I was you before leaving.”
“Grammy!” I yell, lost for words.
Kiana sits down next to me. “Let’s look together.” She nudges me, gesturing toward my phone.
I nod and open BeautyStarz to see the damage.
To my surprise, my following count has only gone down by about fifty people.
I look through my messages, and see a few notes from sponsors wanting to rethink the content focus for upcoming campaigns—but no one has dropped me.
The rest of the notifications are actually from people tagging me in Juniper’s recorded live, wondering if I’m going to meet her—give her another chance.
“Well,” Ki says, letting out a breath. “I’d say Juniper just made you both even more internet famous. Looks like people are really invested in your ship—even if there was an initial deception.”
I shake my head, still speechless. “This was not the plan for tonight,” I say after a beat. “We were supposed to have a moratorium on all things love and tune out the mess—and stay off the internet—and now—”
Kiana turns me to her on the bed, grabbing my shoulders so that she is looking directly into my eyes.
“But she reached out—to you, Lyric. We said we wouldn’t spend any more energy on Holden or Juniper if they didn’t reciprocate.
But this is a gesture, Lyric. A huge one.
Did you hear what she said? She’s had a crush on you since jump. She wants something real.”
“I heard her,” I whisper.
“Goodness, y’all are so dramatic,” Grammy exclaims. “Lyric—if you don’t go on and get your little earthy afro girl, the one you been making eyes at for weeks now, that has you all hot and bothered and thrown off your game, I swear I’m going to lose my mind.
Go! I’m in for the night, I’ll be fine for a few hours while you live your life. ”
Kiana is still holding my shoulders. “Your call,” she urges again. “I’ll be here for you no matter what.”
I start nodding, slow at first and then faster. “OK, OK. I want to go. Uh—what time is it even?”
“It’s eleven fifteen,” Kiana says.
“Oooh, I’m not—that’s not enough time.”
“Not if you want to be all glamorous and made up,” Kiana nods, “but I don’t think Juniper cares what you wear.”
“Right, right. Let me at least throw on some jeans and a sweatshirt,” I say, running to my room.
“Wait—” Kiana calls after me. “Where are we even going? I can drive us, but she didn’t give you a location.”
“Yes she did,” I yell, pulling a hoodie over my head, adding some deodorant to my pits, then dabbing some minty fresh Topicals clear balm onto my lips.
“She said ‘come find me on the ice,’” I continue, grabbing my coat as Kiana hustles us out the door to her car. “And unfortunately, there’s only one place that can be.”