Chapter 25
Lyric sat in her stylist's chair impatiently, scrolling through her phone while constantly checking the time in the corner of the screen and her reflection in the mirror. Their party started in an hour, and she was still sitting in the shop.
“Hurry up," she muttered under her breath.
"You rushing me ain't gon’ make me go faster," Nikki replied without looking up.
Trying to take her mind off the clock, Lyric opened Facebook and immediately rolled her eyes.
The first thing on her timeline was a picture Vonte's sister posted of Vonte, Domo, and their son.
It seemed like every other day she was seeing a new picture, status, or family post involving the two of them.
No matter how many people she unfollowed or removed, they shared too many mutual friends for her to completely avoid it.
At one point, seeing things like that would've ruined her mood but now it just irritated her.
Shaking her head, Lyric exited the app and tossed her phone into her lap. She wasn't about to spend her birthday worried about people who weren't worried about her.
"Okay, birthday bitch, you all done."
"About time," Lyric smiled.
"Girl, bye. Get out my damn shop.”
"No, for real. You ate." She turned her head from side to side, admiring the finished product before standing up.
After paying and saying her goodbyes, Lyric grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Thankfully, Melody had let her borrow her car because she didn’t have time to wait around for a ride. The moment she got behind the wheel, she started the engine and pulled away from the salon.
As she made her way home, her mind stayed focused on everything she still needed to do before the party.
She needed to get dressed, touch up her makeup, call and check on the twins, and somehow make it there before everyone started blowing up her phone asking where she was.
By the time she pulled onto her block, she was already mentally planning the next hour of her day.
The second Lyric parked in front of the building, she grabbed her purse and hurried inside.
Time was not on her side, and she still had entirely too much left to do.
After tossing her things onto the couch, she headed straight for the bathroom, turned on the shower, and jumped in.
Once she was done, she lotioned up before taking a seat at the vanity in her room.
Lyric started fixing her face, but while doing so, she pulled out her phone and called her mother.
"What my kids doing?" Lyric asked the second Cady answered.
"Smoking weed. What you want?"
"Ma, stop playing so much."
"Girl, they having tummy time and watching Ms. Rachel, but…. shouldn't you be shaking ass by now?"
"I'm getting dressed as we speak."
"Well, you do that. Have fun and don't be drinking. You still not old enough."
"Yes ma'am."
"And be safe."
"Okay. I love you, ma."
"I love you too."
As planned, Lyric and Harmony were celebrating their birthdays together at an Airbnb.
Seeing how they had a lot of family and different friend groups, they decided to keep it small and personal instead of trying to accommodate everybody.
The party was more invite-only than anything, with only the people they genuinely wanted around getting the location.
A little while later, Lyric stepped back from the mirror and smiled at her reflection. Dressed in Amiri from head to toe, with her hair and makeup exactly how she liked it, she felt and looked good.
After taking a few pictures, she grabbed her bag, checked for her keys, and headed out the door, ready to celebrate her nineteenth year.
Hitting the alarm on Melody’s car, Lyric climbed in, started the engine, and headed toward Naperville. The drive gave her a chance to settle down after spending the last few hours rushing around, but the closer she got to the Airbnb, the more excited she became.
The sisters had rented a beautiful two-story home, and from the pictures Kenya had been sending all evening, the place was already packed. When she pulled onto the usually quiet block, she parked in the driveway and made her way inside.
Family, friends, and a few unfamiliar faces filled the house. Some people were dancing, others were gathered around the kitchen island, and several groups had already claimed different parts of the living room. The energy was exactly what Lyric hoped for.
Talking and laughing, she made her way through the crowd. Between the music, the conversations, and seeing so many people she cared about in one place, she was genuinely enjoying herself.
Unfortunately, though, she hadn't listened to her mother’s advice.
Cady specifically told her not to drink, but standing there surrounded by the ones she loved, Lyric didn't see the big deal. Since she wasn't driving anywhere afterward, she wasn't responsible for the twins that night, and she planned on being surrounded by people she trusted the entire time.
So, when somebody handed her a Cutwater, she took it, and by the third one, she was lit.
The rest of the night seemed to fly by. Lyric danced with her cousins, took pictures with her sisters, and bounced from conversation to conversation without sitting down for more than a few minutes.
Every time she thought about taking a break, another song came on that she liked and pulled her right back into the crowd.
And after a while, she had danced herself into a sweat.
Needing a moment to cool off, Lyric made her way through the house and stepped onto the balcony. The night air immediately felt good against her skin. It was April, and the weather was finally nice.
Standing near the railing, she closed her eyes for a second and enjoyed the breeze, when a few moments later, she heard the sliding door open behind her. Turning around, Lyric froze at the sight of Zaire.
Ever since the basketball game, he had crossed her mind more than once. She had stayed afterward like he asked, but something came up, and he had to leave, so they never got to speak. But now, he stood there on the balcony, in front of her.
"Well damn, who invited you?" Lyric joked.
“Man, don’t act like you don’t want to see me.” Zaire walked over and smiled.
“Nah, I’m trying to see how you got through without being on the list. Somebody at the front door lacking.”
“Man, that nigga asked for a picture and my autograph and let me right in.”
“Aw shit, I forgot you, Mister Rookie of the year,” Lyric teased.
“Oh, so you been keeping up with me.”
“Nah, not really… I honestly didn’t even know you made it to the league.”
“Cap.”
“On my mama… I been dealing with so much shit this past year, I’ve been out of the mix, for real, for real.”
The conversation continued from there, the two of them catching up on everything life had thrown their way since high school.
Lyric listened as Zaire talked about being drafted, moving away, traveling, and adjusting to life in the NBA.
She found herself genuinely interested in everything he had to say.
Before she knew it, they had both taken seats on the balcony.
One hour turned into the next topic. The next topic turned into another story, and the next story turned into another question.
By the time Lyric looked at her phone again, nearly another hour had passed, and she had completely forgotten about the party.