Girls Love Beyoncé

72

BEYONCÉ KNOWLES

"You excited for your beach day?" Zahir asked me.

I nodded, tightening the string on my bikini bottoms. "Yeah. Senior class is crazy for trying to do this in October, but the sun's out and people wanna act like we're in Malibu."

He chuckled, and I could hear it even over FaceTime. His camera was pointed at his ceiling, but I knew he was lying on his bed.

I stood in the mirror, pulling my hair into a ponytail. "I can't wait to be one with the ocean. Like a whale."

He laughed again.

"I love whales," I added. "If I could be an animal, I'd be a whale."

"What's so funny?" I looked down at the phone. He was just staring, head tilted slightly, lips parted like he wanted to say something.

Then he sighed. "I just miss you a little, I won't lie."

I gasped, mock-dramatic. But my stomach flipped anyway.

We started texting again a few weeks after I landed. Things had been busy—me with school and the music, him with whatever he had going on in New York—but he still checked in. Still called. This was our first FaceTime in a while.

"You miss little ole me?" I teased.

He nodded, biting his bottom lip. "I do. Can't get you out my system. And it's raining up here, which isn't helping."

"Maybe you should come to Houston," I said—too fast, too careless. My own words surprised me.

"For real?"

I bit my lip, cringing. Slow down, Beyoncé.

"I mean, maybe to visit? I don't know. It's nice out here."

"I'll think about it for sure. It's just... business up here is going smooth. I don't wanna come back and find everything flipped upside down."

"I get it," I said, buttoning my shorts. I dabbed on some lip gloss, turning from side to side in the mirror. The pink bikini set hugged my hips, and I couldn't remember the last time I wore something like this. It felt like freedom.

"I almost forgot—you make music now?"

That caught me off guard. "Uh—no. Well... kinda? Why?"

"I been hearing your voice," he said. "Went to see Ock, and I swear I heard you on the radio. Thought I was trippin'. But they said 'new artist Beyoncé,' so I knew it had to be you."

I blinked. "They're playing my music in New York?" I picked up my phone immediately, texting Dream. You posted it already?

"I wouldn't lie to you, baby. Why didn't you tell me?"

I shrugged. "Didn't think I had to."

"Well, your voice is pretty. And Andre 3000 on your shit? You're basically famous. How'd you even get him on it?"

I smiled, despite myself. "Nika wouldn't let me leave the studio without singing something. She was obsessed. And she knew Dream from back in the day, so she gave him my info and..."

"Hold up." His tone changed. "Nika?"

My smile dropped in the mirror.

"O-Onika," I said, clearing my throat.

"Nah. After what that bitch did? You still talkin' to people tied to her?"

"It's not like that. She's not like that—"