Viral Hearts: The Cost of Fame

📱 August 12, 2023 – 3:14 PM

Monique: Girl! Your reel hit 500k! You’re blowing up, Kara!

Kara: I know, right? My phone is going crazy. I just got offered my first paid collab.

Monique: That’s amazing. I’m so proud of you. Just remember us little people when you’re famous.

Kara: LOL girl, please. You’re not “little people.” You’re my sister.

📱 August 19, 2023 – 5:10 PM

Monique: You coming to Maya’s birthday tonight?

Kara: I can’t. Last minute brand thing. Free products but I need content.

Monique: This is the third thing you’ve missed this month.

📥 August 23, 2023 – DM from @moniquej_art

Monique: Are we still friends, or am I just another follower now?

Kara: Stop. Don’t do that. I’m just overwhelmed with everything.

Monique: So overwhelmed you can’t return a text?

📱 August 27, 2023 – 9:02 PM

Monique: You at the Luxe Gala?

Kara: Yeah… how’d you know?

Monique: IG stories. You used to tell me everything.

Kara: It was last minute. I only had one guest slot.

Monique: You chose an influencer you met 3 weeks ago over me.

📱 September 4, 2023 – 11:00 AM

Kara: Got verified today 😭💙

Monique: Wow. Big deal.

Kara: You don’t sound excited.

Monique: I’m just… watching you become someone I don’t recognize.

📥 September 7, 2023 – DM

Monique: The girl who danced in her grandma’s kitchen with a spoon mic—she’s gone.

Kara: She’s still here. Just tired. And trying to make it.

📱 September 15, 2023 – 10:00 PM

Monique: Remember our 10-year pact? If one made it, we’d take the other with us?

Kara: You’re making me feel like a villain.

Monique: I’m making you feel seen.

📱 October 4, 2023 – 1:12 PM

Monique: You ghosted on brunch. Again.

Kara: I know. I’m sorry. The campaign shoot ran late.

Monique: I waited. And I wasn’t surprised when you didn’t show.

📥 October 11, 2023 – DM

Monique: That post about “cutting off dead weight”—was that about me?

Kara: Wow. Not everything’s about you.

Monique: But this friendship *used to be.*

📱 October 25, 2023 – 6:45 PM

Kara: You don’t get it. My life changed overnight. I’m scared I’ll lose it.

Monique: And in the process, you’re losing me.

📥 November 2, 2023 – DM

Monique: We used to talk every day. Now I get updates through explore page.

Kara: I don’t know how to fix this.

Monique: Start by calling. Not posting.

📱 December 25, 2023 – 10:13 AM

Monique: Merry Christmas. I still made the cocoa. Alone.

Kara: I’m in Bali. I’m sorry.

Monique: Of course you are.

📥 January 5, 2024 – DM from Kara

Kara: I deleted my influencer account.

Monique: Wait—why?

Kara: I lost my voice in all the noise.

📱 January 10, 2024 – 6:18 PM

Monique: I’m mentoring girls at the rec center now. They remind me of us.

Kara: Can I join you sometime?

Monique: Just bring your real self.

📥 February 1, 2024 – DM from @Laila_2008

Laila: Ms. Kara, because of you, I spoke up in class for the first time.

📱 February 3, 2024 – 7:00 PM

Kara: I want to build something. Real. For girls like us.

Monique: “Unfiltered Girls.”

Kara: That’s the name. Let’s go.

📧 April 10, 2024 – Email

Subject: Grant Approval for Unfiltered Girls – $25,000

📱 April 11, 2024 – 10:02 PM

Monique: We got the grant!!

Kara: Dreams into purpose. We did that.

📥 May 20, 2024 – DM from @truthbeatfeature

TruthBeat: We'd love to do a spotlight on your story.

📱 June 1, 2024 – 11:11 AM

Kara: The girls are changing. Confident. Bold.

Monique: Just like we always wanted to be.

📱 July 1, 2024 – 3:15 PM

Kara: Speaking in D.C. next month. National Youth Forum.

Monique: From IG live to real impact.

📥 August 12, 2024 – DM from @boldbeautyblog

BoldBeautyBlog: I cried reading about you two. I didn’t know success could look like this.

📱 August 25, 2024 – 9:00 PM

Monique: You’re glowing. And it’s not from a ring light.

Kara: It’s because I’m finally grounded.

📱 September 30, 2024 – 6:48 PM

Kara: I dreamed we were hosting our own conference.

Monique: That dream’s real. D.C. is next week.

📥 October 5, 2024 – DM from @TrueVoiceTeen

TrueVoiceTeen: I gave my first speech because of Unfiltered Girls.

📱 October 10, 2024 – 7:00 PM

Kara: I still get scared. That I’ll slide back.

Monique: Then we’ll keep walking forward together.

📱 October 15, 2024 – 9:00 AM

Laila: I want to mentor next year.

Kara: You’re ready.

📥 October 28, 2024 – DM from @MsTeacherPhilly

MsTeacherPhilly: You saved my student from silence. Thank you.

📱 October 31, 2024 – 11:59 PM

Monique: We’ve come so far.

Kara: And this is only the beginning.

📱 November 3, 2024 – 11:11 PM

Kara: Thank you for not giving up on me.

Monique: Thank you for finding your way back.

📱 November 7, 2024 – 8:40 AM

Monique: D.C. is tomorrow. You packed?

Kara: Halfway. Still trying to choose between 4 outfits 😩

Monique: Just be comfortable. You already wear confidence well.

📥 November 7, 2024 – DM from @faithinfluence

FaithInfluence: I used to think I needed filters to be pretty. Then I read your story.

📱 November 8, 2024 – 9:30 PM

Kara: I walked past a huge influencer at the event. She barely smiled. I saw myself from last year.

Monique: What did you feel?

Kara: Grateful. That I’m no longer performing.

📱 November 9, 2024 – 12:21 PM

Monique: The auditorium is packed. Nervous?

Kara: Shaking. But I saw three girls wearing “Unfiltered Girls” shirts.

Monique: That’s our army.

📥 November 10, 2024 – DM from @teenchangevoice

TeenChangeVoice: Your message made me tell my story for the first time.

📱 November 11, 2024 – 7:40 PM

Kara: After everything, this isn’t just healing. It’s holy.

Monique: Amen to that.

📥 November 13, 2024 – DM from @openheartedproject

OpenHeartedProject: Can we interview you both for our documentary on youth leaders?

📱 November 15, 2024 – 6:30 PM

Laila: Guess who got invited to speak at the middle school showcase?

Kara: Let me guess… our queen? 👑

Laila: Yessss! 😄 I’m nervous tho.

Kara: Just speak your truth. That’s your superpower.

📱 November 18, 2024 – 10:00 AM

Monique: I watched your speech replay. You didn’t flinch.

Kara: Because I had your voice in my head.

Monique: That’s how you know it’s forever.

📥 November 22, 2024 – DM from @realtalksisters

RealTalkSisters: You helped me rebuild my relationship with my best friend. Keep doing what you're doing.

📱 November 25, 2024 – 3:05 PM

Kara: I used to care about views. Now I care about visibility—for the girls we mentor.

Monique: Same message. New meaning.

📥 November 28, 2024 – DM from @citybridgearts

CityBridgeArts: Would you like to co-lead our December creative justice event?

📱 November 30, 2024 – 11:59 PM

Monique: Last day of the month. 365 changes, one purpose.

Kara: And one friend who never gave up.