Ring The Alarm

Surprises

Omniscient // summer '00

Robyn didn't know that Beyoncé called herself from Robyn's phone that night. The blonde was smart and calculated. Even though Robyn hadn't been able to call, Beyoncé did. And every night after the photo shoot.

They've become more than acquainted. Beyoncé spent multiple days being scolded by her group members and father for being sleepy some days. She didn't mind it at all. Especially because the long, late night phone calls with Robyn were priceless. The teens have learned so much about each other. Some nights they'd stay up 'til the break of dawn talking about everything, other nights the synchronization of their breathing was all they needed.

Robyn turned 18 a few weeks after the photo shoot, receiving expensive great quality art utensils from the blonde. The package came through the mail to her house in Cali. Robyn was ecstatic, even more appreciative because of the scent of Beyoncé that lingered on the present.

What Beyoncé didn't know was that Robyn had been working on portraits of the beautiful singer. Every little detail had been drawn out, Robyn was surprised at her own work for once. Each day leading up to Beyoncé's birthday, she worked on the oil canvas. The spark of the hazel iris was her favorite part. The Bajan knew in her heart that the soon to be 20 year old would love it.

"How was your day?" Robyn asked, her voice slightly deep from her inhaling the smoke while talking.

"Horrible. but now that I hear your voice, it's getting better." Beyoncé sprawled out on her couch in her trailer, she was on set for one of her favorite songs.

"Mhm, your birthday is coming up." She ashed the blunt, leaving it at a roach. Her left hand dangled in the front of her gym shorts. She was high, but she wanted to listen to everything the music star had to say.

"I know, I'm having a small get together at my childhood home, would you like to come?" Beyoncé had hope laced in her words, she had the tip of her thumb between her teeth.

"About that...." Robyn trailed off, "I'm packed the first two weeks of September, love." It was a lie, she wanted to surprise Beyoncé for her birthday. The Barbados native had already talked to Kelly about the surprise.

"Oh, I uhm...I mean there's always next year, right?" Her voice wavered as she thought about the absence of Robyn. The younger girl had become the highlight of her days.

"I promise I'll make it up to you honeybee. Don't be sad." Robyn sat up on her bed, the silence on the other end of the phone made her anxious.

"I won't be. I understand. Look Robyn, I gotta get back to set, I'll call you when I can okay?"

"Okay-" the call ended. She knew Beyoncé was beyond livid, so she had to make this surprise worth the anger she was about to receive from the older girl.

"What's the matter?" Her father, Matthew, pegged on as the frown on her face deepened.

"Nothing that you can fix. Can we just please get this over with? My head is pounding and I'm on the verge of passing out!" Heads turned on set at the sudden outburst.

"I'm sorry, can we continue, please?" She politely turned to the director, who obliged.

The video to jumpin' jumpin' was completed after a long 18 hours. Beyoncé made it home that night, her anger still there. She'd stripped down as she walked further into her condo, all she wanted was a hot bath, Robyn, and sleep.