would be all silver bells
and gumdrops?
Growing up
feels like absolute shit
right about now.
IS LOVE ALIVE?
IS LOVE ALIVE?
IS LOVE ALIVE?
Sara Bareilles cries.
And on my fifth listen
the tears come
fast and ugly.
I’m not sure what stings worse:
my momsthe permanent fissure
in our little pod
or the fact that Lyric
was right about me being
an out-of-touch, entitled brat.
CHAPTER 27Lyric
LIP OF THE DAY:
Protection Spell
Grammy and I spend one more night at Kiana’s, which is good because after all the gin we consumed Ki and I are laid out on the twenty-sixth.
“You smell like a liquor store,” Grammy says when I stumble out of Ki’s room to help her to the bathroom and with getting dressed.
I nod, trying not to gag because even the wordliquormakes me want to hurl.
“Well, I had myself a few classy martinis with Kiana’s fathers and then took myself to bed like a lady. I guess that was good, since it looks like you had enough fun for both of us.”
“Grammy, please, not so loud.”
“Chile, I’m talking in my normal tone of voice. You are in a bad way,huh? Did I ever tell you about the time I near ended up sleeping on the steps of the Chicago Public Library after a few too many at the club?”
I just want silence, water, and to crawl back in bed with Ki, but Grammy launches into another one of her stories like it’s nothing, and I try my best to keep up.
It’s a relief when I leave her in the hands of Ki’s dad Amadou, who is up drinking coffee and making eggs.
“Good morning, Ms. Viv!” he calls. “Carl and I were thinking of going to a matinee of the newFast and Furious. You want to join us?”
