“Heeeey! Let’s hurry up. It’s about to be on.”
DeeDee’s friends nearly pushed her off the pavement as they overtook her, running back to their university res. She wondered what they were talking about. When she caught up, DeeDee found the two already settled in front of the flat screen TV in the common room. They were watching WaxLyrical prance on to the stage as he always did at the start of his performances. She could predict just what he was going to do next: stand still for a few minutes, head bowed in front of the microphone, as he waited for the screams to die down.
The lovesick moans followed her out of the living room. “Ooooh … I could watch this guy forever.”
“He’s soooo yummy.”
“Hold me, I’m about to faint!”
Once, she would have been right there with them, screaming and waving her hands like everyone else was doing, but she had learnt her lesson. But still, she couldn’t resist watching him for a minute before she turned and walked away. She felt sadness building up inside her, but she had made a promise to herself and she was going to stick to it. If she didn’t she would find herself under his spell again, and she was scared of that.
As she walked away, her friends tried again: “Come on, DeeDee. Don’t be a party pooper. It’s Friday night!”
“I’ve got work to do.” DeeDee thought about the book she was reading. It was a poor substitute for a WaxLyrical show, but it was better for her heart. She had read three of this new series of romance books and she liked them. They made her feel better because they always ended with the couple living happily forever after. They followed a winning formula that sold the books: girl meets boy, girl and boy like each other but there is a stumbling block; they part, meet again, overcome their problem and live happily ever after. DeeDee knew that in real life love was a myth – she knew it especially after meeting WaxLyrical.
She was reading All the Wrong Places. The hero – hardworking Loyiso (not a tall, dark and handsome prince) – had just shown up at Lulu’s flat with a bunch of roses. DeeDee could tell how the dialogue would go:
“Can’t you see I love you, Lulu?”
“Yes. I know you do.”
“Forever, Lulu.”
“I love you too, Loyiso.”
DeeDee rolled her eyes as she turned the pages. She tried to get back into the story but her mind kept straying away from the loving couple to WaxLyrical and the first time she met him. He was different from the predictable heroes to be found in the romance books she read. There was a sense of danger, of risk, about WaxLyrical that both scared her, and drew her to him. One of the first things he had said to her soon after they met was:
“I will always tell you the truth. No fairytales about ‘forever’ love. That’s not what real life is about. And it must be just between the two of us. No-one else’s business. Can you handle that?” She had felt excitement surge through her at his words.
She’d fallen in love with WaxLyrical’s music long before she met him. She’d memorised lines from his songs and played all his videos, blogged about him and dreamed of interviewing him for the varsity magazine. But she had never imagined that they would actually meet face to face. She had Jimmy, her best friend, to thank for that.
It was the end of May when he had called her with the news bursting out of him. “DeeDee, you won’t believe this but you remember that hip-hop show you said you tried to make bookings for?”
“Yeah.”
“I mean the one we both tried forever to get tickets for?”
“Yeah…”
“I mean the hip-hop show. WaxLyrical’s show.”
“Jimmy, just say what you have to say and cut the drama, please.”
“I mean I finally got a ticket.”
“Oh, wow. How cool is that?” She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice but he heard it.
“Hey! Why you sound so down? I got tickets. Plural, DeeDee. ,Two tickets to tonight’s show. We’re going to the show, Sweets. Me and you!”
“Don’t mess with me like that Jimmy.”
“I’m dead serious, DeeDee. I’m holding the tickets in my hand. Be ready in an hour. The show starts at seven. I’ll pick you up.”
“Whoop! Whoop!”
***
Tell us what you think: Is avoiding a person you used to like, the way DeeDee is doing, a good idea?