Page 598 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

CELIE

I’m on my way right now.

DO NOT GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

TY HENDRIX

Don’t say anything publicly.

Call me if you need me, aight?

CALLISTA

Tell me this is fake.

Ice water floods my veins,

making me tremble as they stack fast,

one text after the other.

From producers,

from artists,

from unknown numbers:

Ms. Taylor, call me.

Is this real?

WTF? Just saw something.

How much did you pay them?

They’re saying baby contract on X?

What the fuck is baby contract?

Nasty rich bitch

Each time the phone vibrates,

it burns hotter into my palm.

What the fuck is happening?

I try to type my name into Google,

but the screen’s tilting in my vision.

I can’t breathe in this room.

My shaky thumb

keeps hitting the wrong keys,

keeps hitting backspace,