Fireworks 3 and 4

Chapter Twelve

    "For the longest time, there were rumors involving Robyn, Jay-Z, and Bey. Let any fan or gossip blog tell it, and Bey hated Robyn because of a rumored affair between Robyn and Jay. While I know the grisly details of all of that, I won't go into it. Jay and Bey were good to me, once upon a time. Once upon a time, I considered them friends. Robyn preferred not to be around them, because she always felt there was a certain phony element to their encounters, but I always had fun around them. But fun made way for tension. I was gaining too much popularity as an artist, gaining too much success. Achieving a medium level of success and you won't ruffle too many feathers, but start to gain too much and all of a sudden you're seen as a threat. It sounds melodramatic, I know, but you've experienced your own share of it with that Nicki track you were featured on. She still hasn't dropped that song, and why? Because in her eyes, you stepped out of your lane and into hers, when you dropped a rap track. Then people were comparing the two of you, saying that you had more bars than she did. Starting a bunch of shit for no reason."

    Mia rolled her eyes. "As if she'd have anything to worry about, when it comes to me."

    Drake chuckled dryly. "But see, that's just it. Even if you don't view yourself as a threat and even if you aren't trying to step on anyone's toes, that doesn't change how the threatened person sees you. Robyn was never supposed to be as big as she is now. When she first broke out, never did anyone think that she'd be going toe to toe with Bey. The two were in two completely different lanes, but as Robyn's music and fashion sense evolved, all of a sudden she was being viewed differently by people in the industry. There were times when Robyn felt like her own mentor was sabotaging her, so a long time ago she and I made a pact. We made a pact to stick by each other, to be there for each other, and to provide a strong, united front to anyone who would think to cross us. There were times that she and I got tangled up in...I don't even know what to call it...lust. Attraction. But there were other times when she and I were just the best of friends, turning up the volume on our chemistry to combat any hate and sabotage coming our way from within the industry. From people who used to be our friends, our mentors, our business partners. Whatever the case was. As strong as she can appear to be, she didn't know who she could turn to...who she could trust. If she confided in the wrong person and they decided to go blabbing about it, her image could take a huge hit - and while she has close friends that would lay down their lives for her, they don't quite understand how it feels to be the one in the spotlight."

    "So naturally, she turned to you," Mia supplied for Drake, hating the notes of jealousy tainting her voice.

    He nodded. "Naturally, yes. Even in the beginning, she'd told me things. Things that I promised not to tell anyone else, and I never did. Even when I was at my maddest, my angriest, at her, even when I threw jabs at her on tracks, I still never betrayed her trust. I never would. I respect her too much, respect her friendship too much - because as crazy as she has gotten at times when she feels that our connection is threatened, when it has counted, she hasn't betrayed my trust, either."

    Mia nodded, and was quiet for several moments while collecting her thoughts and feelings. This conversation was quite pivotal for them. As much as she wanted to support him, this was a time that she might look back on and regret for not having spoken her mind. "So you want me to believe that me having to talk through the back doors of hotels is all so you and Rihanna can put on a front to the public -"

    "Not to the public," he was quick to correct.

    "To your mentor and former business partners, and shit," she amended.

    "I know how crazy it all sounds."

    "It doesn't sound crazy at all, but it does sound like something that contradicts things you told me in the beginning," she told him heatedly. "I thought that we could just be ourselves, and didn't have to do anything for show. From what you're telling me now, you've never been that person, Aubrey. From what you're telling me now, you've always been someone who sold lies."