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chmergess4ever · 6 years

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Helium (Part 1)

Without further ado....here is the first part of a story I have been working on for a while now!!! thank you all so much for your continued support through my little writing hiatus but i promise, I’m back and I have a lot of stories coming your way. This story was inspired by one of my favorite Sia songs. It’s called Helium. I highly recommend giving it a listen, cause it will definitely give you insight as to what I’m going for with this story! As always, I mean no disrespect to Jenna and Val (I love that they’re happy), I just like writing for chmergess and I’d like to continue. Please like/reblog and leave comments! It always puts a smile on my face to hear what you guys thought! Always open to suggestions too! Enjoy!

Alarms. Monitors. Pagers. Only a few of the many sounds that were drowning her emotions. She could hear everything, but it was as if she could hear nothing. Everything tuned out in the background, except the sound of her beating heart and the replay of the phone call she had gotten 3 hours earlier.

“Hello?” Her phone had been ringing from downstairs so she caught it just on the last ring.

“Ms. Burgess?”

“Yes?” “This is the LAPD. Officer Stanton. There has been an accident. We have your mom-”

She didn’t need to hear anything else, her phone slipped out of her hand and landed on the floor. She grabbed her car keys, and left the house immediately headed for the hospital without thinking about anything.

And now she was here. Sitting on the floor of a hospital, her mom’s life hanging in the balance. Lucy had been on her way to surprise Sharna for a few days when a drunk driver blew through a stop sign and plummeted right into the uber carrying her. Her mom was rushed to the hospital and into surgery and Sharna was left here, by herself feeling lost. A doctor approached her in his surgical gown. “Ms. Burgess.”

She stood up to be at eye level.

“You’re Mom’s surgery is more involved than we originally thought, it will be a few more hours-”

And every word after that one was drowned out. She slunk back down to the floor. She couldn’t describe her feelings from inside. But she felt herself breaking. Shutting down.

She reached for her phone in her back pocket. There was only one person in the world that she knew could get her through this situation. Except for the fact, that she hadn’t talked to him in months. The minute they broke up, communication was cut off. She didn’t want to need him. For the past months, she had made herself learn to live without him but she wasn’t strong enough for this without him. She looked down at the keypad as she contemplated whether or not to dial the number she knew by heart. She ran her hand through her hair.

“Val.” She whispered to herself and she dialed his number and hit the green button.

He was sitting on his bed reading through twitter on his Ipad when he heard his phone ringing. He reached to his side and grabbed it off the nightstand. He sat up straighter when he saw the name on the phone. He hadn’t spoken to her in forever, she hadn’t called, he hadn’t called, they just both gave up. So he didn’t know why she was calling now. Just as he was about to answer, he was interrupted.

“Babyyyyy.” Jenna called from inside the bathroom. “You coming to shower?”

“You know it!” And with that he completely forgot what he was doing and threw his phone down on the bed.

“Shit.” A tear escaped from her eyes. And she dialed again. And again. And again. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” She hit her hand on the floor next to her. She then heard her phone ring and felt herself light up but felt disappointment when she saw who it was.

“Sharna?” Peta sounded concerned. “I haven’t heard from you in hours.”

“Peta.” She said through tears as she choked on her own emotions.

“Sharna. What’s the matter?”

“My mom. She’s in the hospital. There was an accident.”

“Where are you? I’m coming.”

“No.” She said as she choked on more of her tears. “It’s ok.”

“Sharna. I’m your best friend, you should have someone there with you. I’d be able to help you.”

“I don’t want to drag you into this. I’ll be ok. I promise. Thank you for caring.” Sharna said as she nodded to herself once she was calm. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her elbows on her legs. “I’ll call you, ok?”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Call me if you need me.”

“I will. Promise.”

She hung up and called him again.

Val walked out into the bedroom after a shower, and picked his phone up off the bed. He click the home button to see 5 missed calls from Sharna and 1 new voicemail. He had completely forgotten she was calling him when he left to be with Jenna. And it was now 2 hours later. He sat down and went to the voicemail on his phone. He clicked the play button under her name. He noticed her tear stricken voice, before anything else.

“Val. I know you don’t want to talk to me right now. Probably not ever again, cause it seems like that’s what happening with us. But, I need you. I need you more than anyone right now. I’m at the hospital. My mom’s been in an accident and the only person I want by my side right now is you. I thought I could do this, I thought we were both doing good, but I don’t want to do this without you. I can’t. Anyways, I understand if you can’t come because of her and everything. But I-” The voice of the mailbox operator cut her off. “You have exceeded the limit. Please call again.”

Val threw his phone down. “No. No. But what-”

“You ok Babe?” Jenna said as she came out of the bathroom.

“I need to go.” He grabbed his shirt that was thrown over the chair in the corner. “I’m sorry.” He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t wait up.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll explain later.”

She had migrated to a chair in the waiting room. Her mom was still in surgery and she was still just as heart broken until she heard a familiar voice. “Sharna.”

She saw his silhouette in the door frame. “Val?” She said with a broken voice.

Then she saw him. She almost tripped getting up out of her chair and ran into his arms. He whispered into her ear. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He patted the back of her hair.

“You’re here.”

“And I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes and he stroked the side of her face. For a minute the energy changed, but they just stayed like that before he pulled her back in for another hug. They swayed back and forth, as she rubbed her back.

“Ms. Burgess?” The voice of a doctor interrupted their encounter.

“Yes.” She wiped away her tears and turned to face the doctor.

The doctor pointed to Val, “Husband?”

“Um no. But it’s ok. He’s family.” She grabbed his hand.

“Your Mom is stable. Surgery went well. We are going to keep her for a few weeks. To monitor her recovery. She is still asleep right now from the anesthesia but should wake up soon. Your welcome to go sit with her if you’d like.”

“Oh thank God.” She turned back into Val and rested her head into his chest.

“Do you want me to come with you?” He whispered, as he kissed the top of her head.

“Will you?” She said softly as she pulled him tighter.

“Let’s do it.”

He took her hand and they followed the doctor down the hallway to her Mom’s recovery room. Sharna felt herself fill up when she saw her mom lying in the bed unconscious hooked up to all the machines. Val pulled a chair up for him and her next to the bed and led Sharna to sit down. He took her hand and put it in his lap. She looked at him without him noticing and then looked back to her mom. He did the same before he started talking.

“Thank you for coming. You being here really helps.”

“Least I could do for you. I’m sorry it took me so long. I was being careless.”

“Stoppp. It’s not your responsibility to be a friend to be 24/7”

“I haven’t been much of a friend to you at all lately.”

She looked at him and saw his emotions drop. She reached and stroked his cheek, “Hey. Stop. We’ve both been pretty bad at that. But we have a chance to be better. Right?”

Val nodded and put his hand over hers.

It wasn’t as if their relationship was bad, it was just bad for them. Toxic, some would say. But neither party wanted to end it. They held on, grasping for whatever they could reach. But eventually, neither one wanted to fight that hard anymore and they gave up. A lot of unnecessary arguing, a lot of nasty things said that shouldn’t have been, and a lot of actions that demonstrated anything but love. But the truth was that they did love each other, that it seemed as if their love would overcome anything, that they were still in love no matter how much they wanted to deny it.

Val’s phone rang and he hit the red button. It rang again and he did the same, “Sorry.”

“You know you can answer it, right?”

He shook his head. “Not important.”

They sat there in silence, the time crawling like there was no tomorrow. Val looked at her and thought carefully as he formed his next words, “Can I ask you a question?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Why me?”

“Why you, what?”

“Why did you call me? You could have called anybody. Peta, James, any of cast. Why me?”

Sharna stopped to think about her answer. She knew it, it was that she loved him, that he mattered to her more than anyone else. But she would never tell him the truth. He was happy with Jenna and she wasn’t going to be the one that ruined that. She searched her brain for a lie to tell but couldn’t come up with it. “I don’t know honestly. But I’m happy I did.”

“I’m happy you did too.”

Val’s phone rang again, and he looked at the screen contemplating answering.

“Go home, Val. Be with your girl. I’m ok.”

“Shar, I’m not going to leave you here.”

“Yes you are. I’m not going to let you screw that up. You deserve something great, Val. Someone great. And i don’t want you to ruin that.”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m ok.” She whispered as she nodded. “I’ll call you tomorrow, ok?”

Val looked at her reluctantly, “You sure?”

“I’m positive. My mom’s ok-I’m ok.”

Val stood up and put his chair back. “Don’t forget to call me.”

“I won’t.”

“And if you need me, please get a hold of me?”

“I will.”

“Ok. Goodnight Shar.”

“Night.” She smiled as he walked out of the room and then she whispered under her breath, “I love you.” Knowing that she probably always will.

#chmergess #Chmergessfanfic #valandsharna #sharnaandval #chmergessfanfiction

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cutsliceddiced · 4 years

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New top story from Time: The 10 Best Songs of 2019

2019 was a year of upheaval in the pop music world, with new voices rising to the fore through unexpected pathways. Lizzo’s career was jolted forward by a Netflix trailer; Lil Nas X rode TikTok and Twitter to the top of the charts. Stars emerged out of Brooklyn (Pop Smoke), Spain (Rosalía) and Nigeria (Burna Boy), expertly wielding social media and huge streaming numbers to captivate audiences across the world.

And as new voices claimed the spotlight, some of pop’s biggest names, from Charli XCX to Dua Lipa, continued to put out irresistible, vital earworms, as well. Here are TIME’s best songs of 2019.

10. “Crowded Table,” The Highwomen

The fact that The Highwomen even exists is impressive. The new supergroup brings together four of country music’s most prolific women: Maren Morris, a country-pop star with powerful vocals and mainstream hits like “The Middle”; Brandi Carlile, the Grammy-recognized folk artist whose work is marked by wry brilliance; Amanda Shires, a notable fiddler and country mainstay; and Natalie Hemby, the heavy-hitting songwriter who’s been the secret weapon for artists like Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and Lady Gaga on A Star Is Born. That all four found the time to make an album together speaks to their commitment to claiming space for women’s voices in a historically patriarchal industry. And that their music—as exemplified by the beautiful ballad “Crowded Table”—weaves in political statements only adds a layer of richness. “I want a house with a crowded table,” they insist, “and a place by the fire for everyone / Let us take on the world while we’re young and able, and bring us back together when the day is done.” The line works as a mission statement for these four distinct artists: make great music and complicate our definitions of womanhood, motherhood and femininity in the process. They make that statement over an unabashedly pretty melody, going in and out of duets and harmonies with seamless, generous sweetness. (Bruner)

9. “Simmer,” Mahalia ft. Burna Boy

Ever since going viral for a Colors Studios performance in 2017, the British singer Mahalia has enjoyed a steady rise, scoring hits including “I Wish I Missed My Ex” and the Ella Mai-assisted “What You Did.” On “Simmer,” she repurposes the burbling bassline of the 1997 dancehall classic “Who Am I” by Beenie Man, using it to anchor a love story in which a relationship verges on boiling over. A sultry and irrepressible appearance from the Nigerian singer Burna Boy, one of the year’s breakout stars, turns the song from a B-side into a global summer anthem. (Chow)

8. “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” Caroline Polachek

Caroline Polachek has long worked on the fringes of the mainstream pop world: she fronted the indie pop band Chairlift for a decade and racked up songwriting credits for Beyoncé, Solange, Charli XCX and Travis Scott. But she takes center stage on this year’s Pang, her major label debut album with Sony. The best of the bunch is “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” a cheekily named song propelled by handclaps and strutting muted guitars. But while the song sounds readymade for a night out, it drips with lovesick anxiety: “I cry on the dancefloor, it’s so embarrassing,” Polachek confesses. The music video—in which she skips and spins in cowboy boots across a barren, hellish landscape—perfectly reflects the song’s paradoxically carefree potency. (Chow)

7. “Too Much,” Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen has built a cult following on the power of her brand of pure, heart-on-your-sleeve pop. (Her widely-praised third album was even nakedly called Emotion.) “Too Much” synthesizes everything that makes the Canadian artist, best known for her 2012 earworm “Call Me Maybe,” beloved. It’s got relatable, on-the-nose lyrics; a commitment to catchy, sweet melodies; all sung with Jepsen’s intimately breathy vocals. Most of all, “Too Much” feels intensely honest. “When I feel it, then I feel it too much / I’ll do anything to get the rush,” she sings, then turns it around: “Is this too much?” Her ability to swing from wild joy to insecurity—all over a shimmering dance tune that’s as infectious as anything she’s produced—is a triumph. (Bruner)

6. “Crime Pays,” Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

Bandana, the widely acclaimed album from rapper Freddie Gibbs and producer Madlib, was forged in trying circumstances: Gibbs says he wrote most of the record in an Austrian jail while awaiting his eventual acquittal from sexual assault charges. Given this initial disconnect between the pair, it’s astonishing how perfectly Gibbs’ gravelly rhymes coalesce with Madlib’s sun-bleached soul production. “Crime Pays,” in particular, perfectly toes the line between their aesthetic sensibilities: Madlib unearths a pristine sample from jazz fusion artist Walt Barr that conjures both nostalgia and unlimited possibility, while Gibbs confronts the darker realities of chasing the American dream: “Diamonds in my chain, yeah, I slang but I’m still a slave / Twisted in the system, just a number listed on the page.” (Chow)

5. “Don’t Start Now,” Dua Lipa

On her 2017 debut album, Britain’s Dua Lipa established herself as a honey-voiced rising star of mainstream pop. On “Don’t Start Now,” the debut single off her sophomore project, she proves she has something to add to the conversation. And that something is a propulsive, infectious disco sensibility. Made with juicy synths, bubbly percussion and bouncy vocal twists, it’s a tune that celebrates independence and promises joy in the process. Lipa made her name on the cheeky breakup empowerment hit “New Rules”; “Don’t Start Now” follows in that breezy, forward-thinking tradition. “Though it took some time to survive you,” she sings, “I’m better on the other side.” It’s the sound of a new pop era. (Bruner)

4. “Juice,” Lizzo

Lizzo’s “Juice” is a funk-soul self-love dance anthem built to inspire confidence. That’s no fluke; her long-gestating career as a singer, songwriter and flutist has taken off this year thanks to her commitment to the goal of making listeners find assurance in her feel-good, fun-loving lyrics and danceable beats. She kicks things off by turning a fairy tale trope into an affirmation: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, don’t say it, ’cause I know I’m cute,” and ends the song with a bold giggle. With a retro-sounding melody that resonates across generational tastes, the song has already become a dancefloor mainstay. “Juice” sounds like it was perfected in a test kitchen, equal parts joy, cheeky lyricism and timeless appeal. (Bruner)

3. “Welcome to the Party,” Pop Smoke

While mainstream rap is still dominated by trap—the crawling subgenre from Atlanta—artists have also been looking north and taking elements from drill, Chicago’s much faster and frenetic style. “Welcome to the Party,” which was inescapable in Brooklyn this summer and fall, manically races forward, with the 20-year-old rapper’s syllables spilling out in terrifying, clipped bursts. Pop Smoke growls both his threats and boasts in unruly, unpredictable clusters—but even more jarring is producer 808Melo’s bassline, which seems to bubble out of the deepest recesses of the American psyche. (Chow)

2. “Con Altura,” Rosalía x J Balvin

“Con Altura” is a record-breaking collaboration between two Spanish-speaking artists with distinct backgrounds but powerful influences: Spain��s Rosalía is making a name for herself with flamenco-inflected alt-pop on works like her Grammy-nominated, poetically inspired second album El Mal Querer, while J Balvin reigns as one of Latin America’s reggaeton kings and one of the most popular artists on the planet, thanks to his international chart-toppers like “Mi Gente” and “I Like It.” Together on “Con Altura,” they found a sweet spot that mixes a number of musical traditions, from dembow to hip-hop to reggaeton, while still flexing their individual powers. Over spare, specific percussion, Rosalía’s voice rings out with lilting, sing-song precision; Balvin provides a balancing, stable counterpoint. The combination is potent and haunting, hinting at the diversity of Latin music and the creative future it is inevitably heading toward. (Bruner)

1. “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X

“Old Town Road” contains many opposing truths. It’s both underdog and behemoth; eye-rollingly trivial and slyly progressive; radio-ready hit and oddball meme. This summer, it was both a distraction and the thing you couldn’t escape.

And it was this shapeshifting ability that made “Old Town Road” the ideal cultural artifact for 2019, in its endlessly iterative and argumentative nature. Whether people went online to criticize it, dance to it or remix it, everyone interacted with it some way, continuously pouring fuel as it set record after record.

And as Lil Nas X added to the fire by releasing a stream of remixes, the song became less a single record and more a fluid canvas for transgression. Each new version ruptured a new boundary or norm—whether it was Billy Ray Cyrus singing about his Maserati or BTS member RM delivering bilingual wordplay. Once scorned as outsider—both to Nashville and the music industry at large—Lil Nas himself became the gatekeeper, and then opened the door as wide as possible for everyone else. (Chow)

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

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