Chapter 6
With ample time to kill before she needs to get ready for dinner, Naomi opens TikTok, a subconscious habit she seems to be forming.
Her “For You” page used to consist of travel, animal, and beauty videos; now, almost every clip is Harlow-related.
But she needs this to get more insight into the pop star, to see her through a different lens.
Naomi doesn’t know what she’s looking for, so she follows the algorithm, watching whatever it sends her way.
In the first video, a group of young women, probably in their mid-twenties, are huddled together, covering their mouths as they watch a livestream of Harlow’s Red, White, time’s frozen, no sound
But now the sky rains ash, it glitters no more
Ever since you walked out the door
—-
You meant the world to me
Now I’m dead to you
What was I thinking, what did I do?
“Yikes,” Naomi mutters, studying the lyrics. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, the words spelled out like this in front of her make Harlow seem like a very troubled, heartbroken woman, veering on obsessive. And obsession can lead to motive…
Naomi swipes her screen, hoping for more lyric analysis, but instead she’s greeted with someone claiming that Harlow is part of the Illuminati, who have now framed her for murder because she refused to do their bidding.
And that if she makes a deal with them, she’ll have to continue to kill every three years to retain her place among the elite.
She shakes her head and closes the app, knowing these crazy conspiracy videos aren’t a good use of her time. What she needs, desperately, is some fresh air and coffee to keep her going.
After a quick evening walk, Naomi returns to the apartment with a large black coffee, a chocolate-chunk cookie, and two more hours to spare.
As tempting as it is to continue to doom-scroll through social again, Naomi decides she’ll start the right way this time.
With verified Harlow sources. And make her own assumptions.
She resumes the “This Is Harlow Hayes” playlist she’s been listening to and brings up the pop star’s official website.
Naomi stares at the stunning main image of the pop star.
She has one of those scientifically beautiful faces: Large, almond-shaped eyes and full brows framing her perfectly symmetrical face.
After comparing it to some of her earlier photos, it’s clear Harlow has had some work done over the past few years.
She has that “LA face” now: Hollow cheeks, plumped lips, tightened, wrinkle-free skin, and a small, near-invisible nose.
Naomi wonders what she would look like if she had the same amount of money as Harlow.
She likes to think she wouldn’t overdo the Botox or plastic surgery, but she knows herself well enough to guess that the pressure to keep up with everyone else would eventually get to her and she’d slowly morph into another clone.
She runs her fingers across the deepening lines in her neck, imagining how amazing it would be to make them vanish with a simple procedure, no concern for costs.
Naomi tsks, chiding herself for letting her mind drift.
She never used to obsess over her imperfections and she wonders if she notices them more now because she’s nearing thirty, or if it’s just a side-effect of living in Los Angeles.
Back on task, Naomi studies the image of Harlow again, this time focusing on her expression. The events of the last few days make it look as if Harlow’s emerald-green eyes are daring the camera to photograph more than her external persona. Like she wants the lens to reveal who she really is.
A killer? Naomi wonders.
She scrolls down the page, past a variety of merch and tour information, before landing on the retro-style film reel promoting her latest album, Legacy.
One thing that really stands out to Naomi is the juxtaposition between Harlow’s first album and her last. How she went from girly and lighthearted to a much darker aesthetic over the years, now only wearing tones of deep emeralds, midnight blues, reds and blacks, and rarely smiling for photos.
She even ditched her platinum-blonde locks for rich shades of copper and brown.
Curious, Naomi opens a new tab and searches for information about when Harlow changed her style, clicking on an article from Avant titled “Harlow Hayes Shocks Fans with Dark New Look” from August 2023.
The article features various photos of a young Harlow next to promo images for her Apotheosis album.
In the photos, Harlow looks away from the camera, not making eye contact.
Naomi scans other articles linked at the bottom of the piece, intrigued by one titled “The Evolution of Harlow Hayes: From Darling Debut to Grammy-Winning Style Icon.”
A weird excitement courses through her as her mind races with theories and questions.
Why did Harlow change so much? What prompted the reinvention? Did her breakup with Colton Scott hurt her more than anyone realized? Enough to plot his murder? And the biggest question of all: Who is the person behind the persona?