After nine years of being attached at the hip, Lyric and Prince finally split. Now, on the road to recovery, she learns a new way to view life as Prince is forced to face the music of a song he never wanted to played aloud. Join them as they learn a...
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May 27, 1994 Chicago, Illinois
My mother scolds me from across the room. "You're really kissing on television like that, Chanel?"
I look at my cousin Junior with an annoyed eye roll for playing BET in the living-room. I was a video vixen for one day and it was fun, hugging up on my man for a camera instead of some random. However, I should've known my mother would trip. Nothing about the video is overtly sexual. So what I kissed someone. I kissed my boyfriend. I did more in Under the Cherry Moon but I guess she didn't exactly care about me back then. The video is hot and it's being played all over the television waves.
"Mom, I'm over thirty. Don't I get a pass these days?"
She's trying to make up for lost years of not caring but it isn't working too well. She'd basically shunned me for ten years with no probable cause. Now, she's all over me. She's always calling and telling me how much she loves me, buying gifts, trying to come over to my house, inviting me over for family dinner. The sad part is, I have no where to hide. My musical hiatus threw me to the wolves.
Junior stands up as an old Prince video comes on the television. "He coming to the party today?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I don't think so." Hell if I know where he is. "Let's get going. I want a good seat at the graduation."
"Nelly, they'll be leaping out of their front row seats for Ms. Lyric!" Aaliyah laughs, putting Kyle in his walker to freely roam around the main floor of our parents' residence. "We can be late if we want to."
Shaking my head in disapproval, I buckle the straps of my heels around my ankles. "My name's Chanel not Lyric. I'm not using my face as a way to cheat my way to the front. Then they'll keep putting the cameras on me." She groans as I grab Thaila's hand on the way out of the door. "This is about Eddie."
I'm beyond ecstatic that Eddie's graduating today. It feels like just two months ago he was complaining about video games. Time flies and life is short. It's completely surreal that he's stepping into adulthood today. What's even more surreal that this was me fifteen years ago.
Seeing him up there in that robe showed me what the epitome of pride feels like. I've never been prouder. He's had a rough four years, much of that being credited to my parents, but he's managed to somehow make it out.
"Congratulations, students..." Principal Lawler announced. I'm amazed to see he's still here. "Everyone, we present to you... The graduating class of 1994!"
I scream at the top of my lungs as their caps go flying into the air. "Oh my God!" The tears building in my eyes make me seem a lot more dramatic than I really am as Eddie walks past us, making his way back to the school auditorium as the ceremony ends. "Eddie!" I scream, waving to him. Aaliyah always was the maternal one but, in this moment, I feel the same way she usually does. We are celebrating Eddie like he is our child.
