xx. THE MORNING AFTER.
January 20, 2018. | Third Person POV.
Los Angeles, California.

Sedona groaned as the blaring sunlight peeked through the sheer curtains of her bedroom. Her head throbbed faintly, a cruel reminder of last night's champagne-fueled escapades with SZA. The faint smell of weed lingered in the air, mingling with the sweet floral scent of her room spray. She buried her face in her pillow, hoping to steal a few more minutes of peace, but her phone had other plans.

The device buzzed incessantly on her nightstand, the notifications piling up faster than she could process. Sedona reluctantly reached for it, squinting at the screen. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook—her mentions were on fire.

"God, what did I do?" She muttered, scrolling through clips of last night's live. The video of her sultry dance to Push 2 Start was everywhere, accompanied by memes, thirst tweets, and fans demanding she drop the track immediately.

Before she could process the digital chaos, her phone dinged with a text from Monica, her manager.

Monica: Morning. The label's reaching out shortly about last night. We need to strategize ASAP.

Sedona sighed, tossing the phone onto the bed. She buried her face in her hands, her curly fro—now messily tied into a bun—serving as a protective halo.

"Remind me to never get that crazy again," Mumbled SZA from across the room. Wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, she was sprawled on Sedona's loveseat, her pink wig from the night before hanging off the side like a casualty of war.

Sedona chuckled, though it hurt her head. "We always say that, and yet..."

SZA groaned in response, pulling the blanket tighter around her.

Dragging herself out of bed, Sedona shuffled to the kitchen in a tank top and booty shorts, her feet cold against the hardwood floor. Cooking was her hangover therapy, and today, she needed it more than ever. She cracked eggs into a bowl, whisking them absentmindedly while replaying fragments of the night.

Her phone, resting on the counter, vibrated with a FaceTime call. She glanced at the screen and froze.

It was Kendrick.

Taking a deep breath, Sedona answered. The screen lit up to reveal Kendrick sitting in a palm tree. He was wearing all red, his hair neatly braided, and he looked entirely too good for someone sitting in such a precarious position.

"Good morning, superstar," He greets, his voice teasing but calm.

Sedona squinted at the screen, her brain still catching up. "Are you... in a palm tree?"

Kendrick smirked, leaning against the tree trunk. "Yeah. We're on set for King's Dead. Gearing up for my scene. What's up with you?"

"Recovering," Sedona admits, flipping her eggs in the pan. "You're seriously sitting in a palm tree? Why?"

He chuckled, the sound low and warm. "It's the vision, I guess. Dave and Jack are going for something cinematic. It's all good, though. I'm eating roasted corn while I'm up here. Living the dream." He held up an ear of corn as proof.

Sedona laughed despite herself. "You better be careful. I'm not about to watch you fall out of a tree on FaceTime."

"You worried about me?" Kendrick teased, raising an eyebrow.

Sedona rolled her eyes, though the thoughts in her mind said otherwise. "No. Just saying, it'd be a shame if you broke something before the video's done."

"Uh-huh," Kendrick said, clearly not buying it. "Anyway, saw your live last night."

Sedona froze, her spatula mid-flip. "Oh... did you?"

"Yeah," He said, taking a bite of his corn. "Unless you were talking shit, all I saw was clips here and there. You were wildin'. But the song? That demo? Sounds dope. And you knew what you were doing with that dance."

She groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "If I talked shit it was the truth. Don't remind me. I wasn't thinking straight. Now my manager's on me, and the label's probably gonna turn this into some big thing."

Kendrick's smirk softened into something more reassuring. "It's not a bad thing, though. People are excited. Sometimes moments like that happen naturally—you just gotta ride the wave."

She sighed, plating her eggs. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one waking up to half the internet either applauding you or clowning you. I don't mind neither but still."

"You're good, Sedona," He said, his tone gentle. "You've got the energy people gravitate toward. Just don't forget to own it."

For a moment, she stared at the screen, taking in the sincerity in his eyes. Despite the teasing, Kendrick always had a way of grounding her.

"Thanks," She said softly, a small smile playing on her lips. "And seriously, don't fall out of that tree."

"I'll keep that in mind," He said, grinning. "Take it easy, Sedona."

He ended the call, leaving her standing in the kitchen with her plate of eggs and a whirlwind of emotions.

From the other room, SZA called out groggily. "Was that who I think it was?"

Sedona walked back to the living room, shaking her head. "Don't start."

SZA peeked out from under her blanket, a knowing grin spreading across her face. "I don't need to. You've already got it bad and I'm not talking about Usher."

Sedona threw a pillow at her, though her smile betrayed her. Maybe SZA wasn't entirely wrong.

After her call with Kendrick, Sedona couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. The high from the night before was still lingering, but reality was crashing in. She took a deep breath and decided to tackle the day—one step at a time. 

With SZA still half-asleep on the couch, Sedona grabbed her laptop and sat at the kitchen island to sift through the flood of emails, texts, and social media mentions. 

Monica had already emailed a breakdown of what needed to happen after last night's viral moment. 

Monica's Email: Sedona, 
The label is LOVING the buzz from last night. They're suggesting we drop Push 2 Start as a single ASAP. They also want to meet today to strategize how to capitalize on the hype. Call me when you're awake, preferably before noon. Or else I'll come over to your house.

Sedona groaned, sipping her coffee as she replied. 

To Monica:
Got it. I'll call after breakfast.

She glanced back at the couch, where SZA was slowly coming to life. 

"Monica's on my ass already," Sedona muttered, her fingers tapping the counter rhythmically. 

SZA rolled over, rubbing her eyes. "What'd I tell you? Worth it. Now your fans are eating. I better get a shoutout when this song blows up, though." 

Sedona laughed, nodding. "You got it. Co-star credit in the viral rollout." 

SZA smirked. "I'm a marketing genius, honestly. You owe me big." 

By late morning, Sedona was in her home office on a Zoom call with Monica and a few label execs. Monica was as sharp as ever, dressed in a blazer even on a video call, her energy commanding as she laid out the game plan. 

"Here's what we're thinking," Monica said. "You release this song as your first official single for the album and perform it in front of a large audience at the Grammys, and within that performance, we subtly announce the date of your album. We set up billboards to keep the momentum going. Then, we line up interviews and start teasing the sophomore album further along the way also the tour, use the tour to your advantage."

One of the execs chimed in. "The live from last night already built the narrative—organic buzz, unreleased music, fans demanding it. We can't waste this moment." 

"Also keep in mind that the label still wants to push Love Lies as a single for the upcoming Love, Simon movie."

Sedona nodded, but she still felt a little overwhelmed. "I hear you, but I want this to feel right. Push 2 Start is special, and I don't want to rush it just because we got some clout overnight. Also, we'll get to Love Lies when needed."

Monica gave her a reassuring look. "That's fair. We'll make sure it's authentic to you. But, Sedona, this kind of viral moment doesn't happen every day. We'd be fools not to strike while the iron's hot." 

Sedona sighed. "Alright. Let's do it. But I want the final say on the rollout plan and have the concept for the single down packed."

"Of course," Monica said, her tone firm but supportive. "You're the star of this. We're just here to amplify you." 

By the end of the meeting, Sedona felt a bit more grounded. She closed her laptop and stretched, her curly fro slipping from its bun and cascading down her back. 

Later that afternoon, Sedona was sprawled on her couch, scrolling through memes of herself from the live. 

Fan Tweet: Sedona whining to Push 2 Start as if her life depended on it. I need her energy immediately.

She couldn't help but laugh at the creativity of her fans. SZA, now fully awake and munching on a bowl of cereal, peered over her shoulder. 

"You've officially broken the internet," SZA said, her tone both proud and amused. "What's it like to be that girl?" 

Sedona rolled her eyes. "Please. This is your fault. You're the one who convinced me to go live." 

SZA shrugged. "And you're welcome for that." 

"Yeah, yeah."

—

©kashdemi
Volume I- Redamancy.
Chapter Twenty.
— ０１／１３／２５
———————
Filler.

Thoughts on the chapter? And what do you expect for the next one?

Stay tuned for the next chapter, & til next time!
- shea