Lies and Lullabies (Rodrick Heffley x Black Fem MC!!)

Chapter 1

"And the RockIt for album of the year goes toooooo...." The announcer Juni draws out her syllables as the crowd hushes with bated breath. Tearing the seal open a shiver runs down Deja's back. Her band Lies and Lullabies put out an album around the same time as their biggest rivals, Payne, and as much she trusts herself Payne already earned the very same RockIt last year. Deja grips her sequin dress as they dig into her palms in a desperate attempt to keep herself grounded against the overwhelming tension that triples every second it was not revealed. "Payne!!" Juni proudly exclaims, holding her hand out to point the audience in the direction of the rock band, who were all smiles.

The four men rise as the room turns deafening with applause that refuses to stop until they made it on stage as the drummer, Rodrick, leans in to address everyone with a wicked grin. "Thank you to our fans and family. Two years in a row is insane," Rodrick says as he glances over to Deja causing her stomach to turn. Ace massages her thigh in soothing circles at the sight of Payne beating them again. This was the best year they had: Sold out shows, one hundred thousand album sales and streams, and brand deals. Yet again second place is all they could pull off? Rodricks shit-eating grin could still be seen out of the corner of Deja's eyes. She chose to tune out the rest of their speech for her own sanity.

"Next category is best Rock/Metal performance... Which we will announce after a ten-minute break!!" Juni concludes. 

Without missing a beat Ace gets up as the rest of the band follow to go mingle, leaving Deja alone... again. Her eyes track the singer's movements as he makes a direct beeline to Juni, meaningless words escaping his lips as they stand too close to each other. His fingers trace down her arm, reminding Deja of how he used to touch her at any given opportunity to show his devotion. Jealousy and possession are miles away from how she feels, all she knows is seeing the man she tied her success and first love to is dragging Juni into an exit as their hands disappear under layers of expensive clothes. 

Deja needs a break, and the closest oasis is the bathroom that already began to fill faster than her eyes could keep up. With a tense sigh and clenched fists, she makes her way inside and into an empty stall before reaching down her strapless top, taking out a small white baggie, and sniffing spoon. One dose is enough to unlock her shoulders from her ears, another allows her mind to think for a minute.

She steps out and washes up, then begins touching up her makeup between other celebrities as they chat amongst themselves. It was always a warzone trying to maintain some authority for just a corner, but it's easier than seeing Luna's face popping out of the bathroom stall.

Great, she thinks to herself with dread as the perfectly toned blonde practically bounces up to Deja.

"Deja hey, we're gonna get it next time for sure," Luna coos in an apologetic tone waiting in line to wash her hands. Glowing in baby blue fabrics she resembled a fairy more than their manager, especially when she spoke with that high pitch baby voice that always draw attention from men. 

Having no other choice, Deja offers a placating smile to her. "Definitely will," she deflects as she weaves her way through the crowd. Luna looks back down at her phone once Deja leaves, the bright smile dropping immediately from her face. They are the peaks of professional behavior together because they were apathetic to one another. Ace being the face of the band was objectively more important to Luna. Deja finding herself working best as an afterthought than micromanaged unnecessarily with new songs to write. Burnout crept in when she was reminded about her writing quotas and felt her stomach lurch in dread imagining the empty pages she would have given to a more attentive manager.

Deja looks over her shoulder to see if the blonde was still nearby before she collides face first into an all too familiar Valentino filling her nose. The few seconds Deja's vision was obscured there was a mischievous grin on the drummers' face as his eyes rake over her. Standing this close to her and this tight dress made him fully understand Ace for once.