Rachel stopped laughing right when we got home again.
"I'm sorry, your face was just priceless." She wiped under her eye from tearing up.
"Hey, after that bitch slap, I've been fearful." I touched my left cheek.
"It was impulsive." She then kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry about that and laughing for a whole car ride."
"I already forgave you." I said and headed to the apartment.
In the meantime, I did all my reviews, finished my final projects, and watched about three episodes of Project Runway. I stayed in the living room, doing my work on the coffee table, and sitting on the floor, crisscrossing my legs. When Chloe came home at an alarmingly late hour, she patted my head and kissed Rachel. It took me out of my homework trance, reminding me of the phone number on the back of my hand. I should text her now. I took a moment to think of message, something to start it. In the end, all I put was, Hey Kate. It's Max.
I added a smiley emoji after, because one, it was my thing and two, I felt Kate was going to be okay with it (unlike Chloe.) I made sure to add her number and put her name.
"How was your day?" Rachel asked.
"It was whatever," Chloe seated herself in the last available spot on the couch, "Nothing new ever fucking happens."
"That's better, right? You usually deal with bad customers, so you're not really pissed off."
"Thank fucking hell, I hated it enough that I had to open the damn place."
"How about tomorrow?" Rachel said as she sighed and rested her head on Chloe's shoulder. Maybe they're better now? Hell if I knew anymore…
"What the fuck is that, Max?"
Before I could reply, Chloe grabbed my wrist, pulling it closer to see the number better.
"Bitch," Chloe drawled out, "Is that what I think it is?"
"Um… yes—"
"Bitch!" She pulled me to my feet and started to jump up and down, cheering and whooping for me. Rachel joined along, clasping onto me. Would it be too much to mention how we were gonna hang out tomorrow? They would literally implode… like, PSSHH!
A whole minute passed before they finally stopped celebrating, falling into the couch, breathless yet still very excited. I was able to check my phone:
Kate: Hey Max, I just left class! I'm so tired.
Me: Was it boring?
Kate: Only because it was a book work kind of day.
Me: That sucks. Do you walk home?
Kate: Yes, it's only ten minutes away.
Our TV has been stuck on the E! channel since we got home and it was about to start. It actually has been playing and reminding reviewers that her interview was soon. It was such an important event, I could probably recite the commercials by heart already.
Me: That's good. So, what places do you like going to? I need a hint for tomorrow.
"I hated this stupid interview so much." Rachel groaned.
"Are we going to watch you suffer?" I asked her. I bet she was rolling her eyes every couple of seconds.
Kate: I can't tell you! I want you to surprise me!
Me: Pls?
"Yup, but it's not obvious."
We waited the rest of the thirty agonizing minutes. From Kate's texts, she had time to change into pajamas and have a conversation with her roommate. I wish I had thought of going to change, but I was too invested in periodically checking my phone for her texts.
Kate: It's starting!
The segment started with a loud intro, bright blue and catches your attention, and the host was a woman with a bright smile and a fashionable pantsuit. Rachel was in the same pencil dress she was in when she left the interview that day. The set was a blue backdrop with white couches and pillows. I never understood why interviews were so… try hard? Like they try to make the set feel like home, but it's still uncomfortable looking.
"Welcome watchers to E! Rising Star! The show that interviews top celebrities and getting the inside scoop! Tonight, joining me is the beautiful Rachel Amber! It's so nice to have you here!"
"I'm happy to be here." Rachel kept a polite position, smiling widely and sitting with her legs crossed, hands on her lap. She had a thing where if she was feeling kind of involved and interested, she would tuck her hair behind her ear. She did it after she spoke.
Chloe snorted, "That wasn't fake at all."
"You're becoming a household name and becoming one of the top social media stars, how does that feel, rising as quickly as you are and only being twenty-years-old?"
"It still really blows my mind! I never imagined to become as well-known as I am, but I am so grateful by it. I try my best to stay connected and let my fans know how much I love them and appreciate them. It's crazy how fast it all happened and I don't take any of it for granted."
"That's the last good question." Rachel seemed like she was having war flashbacks.
"How incredibly humble of you! Speaking of your fans, what's the weirdest thing a fan has ever done for you?"
"I think I was in New York at the time, but this one fan," Rachel laughed in the middle of her sentence, a genuine one, "was trying so hard to see me at the airport, when I arrived, and she just kept screaming to autograph her chest. You know, I was being pushed by my bodyguards, cameras were everywhere, fans kept calling out to me, but I still went over, grabbed her pen, and did it! I saw a mention on twitter from that fan and she got it tattooed onto her, so that was fun to me."
"Do you get used to being a celebrity?"
"Sometimes I convince myself I am, but when I meet fans or do interviews like these, it's like, "Oh yeah, that's a thing I am.'"
The interviewer laughed, "Was it hard getting to where you are?"
"It was! I went through a lot of training and, being just a girl from Oregon and not matching the typical model look, it was a lot to handle. I was away from my friends and I couldn't even talk to them. It sounds crazy, but I hope people, other girls especially, see me and know anything's possible and to not give up. I sound so sappy."
"Oh, no, be as sappy as you need to be! After all, interviews with you are not so common! Now, you may or may not know of certain rumors roaming around you at the moment."
"And now it gets annoying." Rachel had her hand over her eyes; she couldn't relive this again.
"I might have an idea. You'd have to refresh my memory." Rachel's tone changed. Whoa, the atmosphere changed in that. It's uncomfortable already… wowser.
"Yes, in these pictures, you are seen with another woman throughout the week. Can you please enlighten us on this?" On the screen, it showed many different paparazzi and hidden pictures taken of Rachel and Chloe out-and-about San Francisco in both day and night. Yikes.
"Of course, she is... the love of my life for nearly five years." The studio audience reacted—sounded like disbelief. "I hated hiding her and not being able to talk about her or even be with her because of what people may think. To me, I don't really care what people will think of me after this, I'm more relieved than scared about this whole thing."
"Well talk about it, like what it was like before this moment? Not being able to talk about it?"
"It was for avoiding society and rejection, it was for the best. But I'm selfish and, because of that, was sick of not being able to show her off."
"Who is she?"
"I cannot disclose that without her permission."
"How old were you when you realized you were gay?"
"I was sixteen and I'm bisexual, by the way."
"Are you open to everyone in your life?"
"Yes."
Rachel groaned loudly, in absolute annoyance and irritation, "It keeps getting worse!"
Yikes, this was painful to watch. I wonder what Kate was doing.
Kate: Rachel is so nice. I can't believe people would actually hate her.
I think my roommate loves her.
She's such a good speaker.
How nice she called her the love of her life!
Oh gosh, my roommate is freaking out.
She is about to throw the TV.
That escalated quickly. This needed to stop.
"We don't have to watch all of it." I suggested. I don't even want to watch it either. This is… not good.
"You know what, I'm okay with that. Go back to Project Runway!" Rachel waved her hand at the TV.
I did so right away and all three of us simultaneously sighing in relief.
"I knew it was fucking bad, but you didn't say it was fucking shit and garbage." Chloe pinched in between her eyes, shutting her eyes in annoyance.
"I respect her, but holy shit," Rachel grabbed her phone, "I need to take pictures."
Chloe looked confused but then Rachel hopped onto her lap and the confusion was gone.
"I could finally do this!" Rachel held her arm out, phone in hand.
"Wouldn't you want me to take that for you?" I sat lonely and only slightly jealous.
"For the first one, I want to take it. Then, I could put up that picture of us from last week! And the collage, I'm so excited!"
I watched as Rachel took a few selfies of her and Chloe: one of them just smiling, one of them kissing, and then the last one was just silly and random funny facial expressions. She stayed on her lap as she typed on her phone. She asked her from time-to-time like "can I say your name?" or "do you like these?" Rachel huffed after finishing and handed her phone to me, "Do you want to read it?"
She uploaded all three, starting with the simple smiling photo: This is Chloe. The one person in my life that makes everything hella fun and unpredictable. I wake up happily knowing she is mine and go to sleep relaxed knowing we're here together. I didn't want it to happen like this, but here we are. I've never been happier and I'm excited to finally show her. Love you. -RA
"It's beautiful, Rachel." I handed it back to her. My heart swelled with joy for them. Tomorrow was only going to be the start for me. I took a deep breath, "I'm hanging out with Kate tomor—"
They instantly gasped, stopping me from finishing my sentence.
I wonder if she liked museums.
