Free Phoenix by Dawn Rae Miller Page B

my own agenda? Why do I have to do everything Mother did?"
    "Malin always felt this – the morning announcement - was the most important piece of her job."
    "Right, because she told lies and half-truths to get what she wanted and brainwashed the youth of our society. Bravo, Mother."
    "Or another way of seeing it is that she kept everyone calm, so the riots wouldn't spread. The youth are usually the first to embrace such things."
    A yawn. "Fine. What do I need to do?"
    "Hair and makeup first." Annalise checks her wristlet. "It's already five forty-five. Mira and Dani are waiting, so hurry up and shower. We can run through your notes as they work on you."
    I never thought about how polished Mother looked, I just assumed she was naturally beautiful. "Did Mother do this every morning?"
    "Every day, and now you will too."
    Fabulous.
    I toss a glance at Beck who smirks at me from the cozy bed. "Sorry, Birdie." He rolls over as if going back to sleep.
    "Oh no you don't," I say, wrangling away from Annalise and jumping back into the bed. I crawl over to him and drape myself over his side, pushing my face close to his. "Guess who is going to be my co-host today? Remember, we need to get the public used to seeing us together and all that?" I roll over to face Annalise. "Make sure Beck is ready too."
    She raises her eyebrows. "This is one of your better ideas, Lark."
    I can't tell if she's being sarcastic or not. I choose to believe she likes my idea. "Thank you," I say, before sliding off the bed and skipping toward the shower.
    After I'm scrubbed and cleaned, I wrap myself in a fluffy terry cloth robe and emerge from the steaming bathroom. The cool air of my bedroom sends chills trilling over my skin. Beck is nowhere to be seen.
    "There she is!" exclaims a woman I've never seen before. Her hair stands about two feet from her scalp and holds ribbons covered in glitter. "I'm Mira, dear Lark, darling. I'll be doing your hair every day from now on." Her voice is chipper, and she speaks even faster than Kyra - something I thought impossible.
    My room has been transformed into a beauty center. Mira leads me to a chair that stands before a large mirror I've never seen before. Racks of dresses line the wall next to it. Kyra would die to see this. Hopefully, she will soon. I miss having her around all the time.
    "I hope you don't mind we set up here," Mira says. "It's just so much easier than dragging you to some far off room. We'll pack it all away when we're done. Cross my heart."
    With deft hands, Mira grabs at the ends of my damp hair and begins spraying it with some sort of misty liquid before unknotting it. "Now Lark, since you're so young, we thought something fun would be appropriate." She tugs at the ends of my hair. "You're a trendsetter now. The gossip feeds will love you!"
    "I'm a what ?" My stomach rolls. I so don't want to be all over the gossip feeds.
    "Why darling girl, everyone is going to want to wear what you wear, just as they did with your mother. You are a celebrity."
    My heart sinks. All my life, I've tried to avoid the cameras, and now I have to court them. Even worse, I'm apparently both a fashion icon and celebrity. Beck and I have done our best to stay out of the gossip feeds, but now Mira is saying it's part of my job to stay in them. After what happened the other day, it's something I have no desire to do.
    Mira dries my hair and sprays something in it. "To dirty it up," she says which makes no sense since I was just told to wash it. She then begins backcombing my hair. When she's done, I look as if I just woke up – only a little worse. My hair is a riot of knots, and parts stick straight out from my head.  
    I keep staring straight ahead until I see Beck slink in behind me. I address him while looking in the mirror at the giant mess that is my hair.  
    "Don't you look pretty," I tease. Beck's eyes have been rimmed with dark liner and his bronzed skin powdered and blushed. He looks ridiculous.
    "It itches," he