𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 ೃ⁀➷ 𝗘𝗣

ೃ⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫

ೃ⁀➷
lowercase intended

"i don't like it."

marie was sat in charlie's office at rca, chipping away at her nail polish. the office was big, too big, it made marie feel as though she were a schoolgirl sat in the principal's office. golden records covered the walls, marie's own one was placed next to elvis' their photographs almost looked as though they were looking at each other.

"marie..." charlie was staring directly at her, biting away at the anger that was building up in his stomach.

"it's missing... it's missing..." she looked up from her nails and immediately averted his eyes.

"it's a goddamn' record marie. it's a record that you need to release. my daddy didn't give up his whole life so that you can sit in here biting away at your polish."

"i can't help that i don't like it, it's not me charlie. you know it's not."

"those fans ain't gonna care if you release a record that ain't 'you'. they'll care if you don't release anything. do you know how many people i have hounding my door? how many people tellin' me you better release something or you'll be forgotten?"

marie stayed silent, returning to her nonchalant nail picking.

"is that what you want marie? to be forgotten?"

marie allowed herself to ponder on it for a moment. being forgotten would be nice, she could move out of the south- maybe get herself a small cottage in new england... maybe buy a chicken or two.

"marie!" charlie's cheeks were beginning to redden as he snapped his fingers in her face. "this is my legacy too! i knew you was gonna ruin it..." he said the last part as if he was thinking out loud, screwing up his face like an angry child.

marie fumbled around, reaching for her coat pocket.

"marie if you pull out a goddamn' cigarette i swear to god i'll rip your head right of your pretty little neck."

marie pulled out a folded piece of paper, reaching over for a pen. she was silent in doing so, it would unsettle a normal person but it just raised charlie's anger.

"marie! what the hell are you-"

"would you give me a goddamn minute?!" without looking up marie began to cross out certain words and scribble different ones. charlie was perplexed, his chair creaking as he leant backwards, hands up in a fake defence.

marie sucked and chewed on the pen as she thought, finally wrapping up her scribbling.

she slid the paper over to charlie.

"lacy? marie why have you scribbled out your own name?" he held the paper as though it were diseased.

"would you just read it? it's a song written by... me."

charlie read over the lyrics a few times, sitting in complete silence. her eyes were fixed on his face, she couldn't read his expression and the fear began to settle in her stomach. maybe he knew... knew that it wasn't hers. would he tell her? no surely not...

charlie got out of his seat and faced the tall window behind him, marie's face stayed unchanged trying desperately to understand what he was thinking.

"this is amazing marie." he spoke turning his face ever so slightly.

marie stood up in shock. she had had the notebook for months but had always been to nervous to show him, worried he might know the truth.

"come here you!" charlie rushed over picking marie up and spinning her in circles, he planted tiny kisses all over her face.

she squealed like a child, begging to be put down. this was the charlie she missed, it reminded her of the night they had met. he placed her back on her feet.

"now who is this lacy huh? n' how could my marie ever be so jealous that she writes a song about her?" charlie held his chin as he smiled down at her.

"oh it's uh- it's nobody... just a song."

"you have to sing me a lil' bit marie, i gotta hear this.. gotta hear that melody."

a knot in her stomach formed as she sat down.

"of course!" she smiled, beginning to hum out the tune.

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗
LACY BY
OLIVIA RODRIGO
╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

"lacy, oh lacy, skin like puff pastry. aren't you the sweetest thing on this side of hell? dear angel lacy, eyes white as daises, did i ever tell you that i'm not doing well?"
she tapped her foot in the rhythm, heart thumping and panting with guilt.

"ooh, i care, i care, i care. like perfume that you wear, i linger all the time watchin', hidden in plain sight. ooh, i try, i try, i try. but it takes over my life, i see you everywhere. the sweetest torture one could bear."
she had found the notes for the melody in the notebook too... had spent months learning it on the piano.

"smart, sexy lacy, i'm losing it lately. i feel your compliments like bullets on skin. dazzling starlet, bardot reincarnate. well aren't you the greatest thing to ever exist?" she could feel charlie's eyes on her, his foot tapping in the same rhythm.

"ooh, i care, i care, i care. like ribbons in your hair, my stomachs all in knots- you got the one thing that i want. ooh, i try, i try, i try. try to rationalise, people are people but, it's like your made of angel dust."
her face had tinged slightly, it felt odd singing to him in his big echoey office. she could hear her own voice reverberating of the walls. she swallowed, taking the feeling of guilt down with her.

daisy couldn't sing anyway.

"lacy, oh lacy, it's like you're out to get me. you poison every little thing that i do. lacy, oh lacy, i just loathe you lately and i despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you."

she took a sharp breath in, finally smiling up at charlie.

"yeah, i despise my rotten mind and how much it worships... you."

charlie stopped tapping his foot, giving marie a small round of applause.

"the talent you have to write this my girl!" he said leaning over and kissing her on the head. "i just knew you would never ruin my daddy's legacy."