| Whitney |
“We’re so proud of you, honey.” James York reached across the classic white patio table where his family all gathered for dinner, and squeezed his eldest daughter Theresa’s hand tightly; A sentiment the newly casted actress returned with a flutter of her doe-like sea green eyes and what was meant to be a humble smile, but Whitney York knew better. Her sister craved the attention like she craved a knife in her own trachea anytime they all got together.
It wasn’t that she was jealous, she always knew they came from different worlds in personality. From day one, Theresa had gotten into beauty pageants and gymnastics with an enthusiasm that their parents couldn’t help but support. It was only natural she’d take ridiculously expensive acting classes and be in all the right places to meet all the in people littered throughout Hollywood California. Thanks to a diet of sparkling water, adderall, and a few occasional lettuce leaves, she’d maintained the perfect figure to slip into the modeling world. Her cascading waves of golden hair and infectious laugh caught the attention of record producer Benjamin O’Sullivan at an exclusive shindig in the Hamptons, and five years later they were blissfully married with two beautiful children.
The reason for their visit this evening was to announce Theresa’s lead part in an upcoming Romantic comedy. Of course, everyone stopped what they were doing to make the event a huge deal. Like two little clones, Hunter and Josephine O’Sullivan sat in between their parents flashing white smiles at their grandmother Eileen, who was too busy coddling them to notice her youngest daughter had disappeared from the patio to get away from The Theresa Show for two seconds.
Whitney never showed interest in beauty pageants of any kind, and sure as hell couldn’t contort her body into a perfect ball for an adoring crowd. She loved cheeseburgers too much to model, and couldn’t act to save her life. In short, she was the dud. At least that’s what her family seemed to think. Then there was the other thing.
It was kind of hard to find a husband when she didn’t want one in the first place, much less children to go with the deal. A fact that’d devastated her mother, in particular.
Speaking of, it’d been a blast coming out to her parents while they already saw her as a history repeating failure, not that Whitney felt that way about herself. She’d never considered being gay a defect, it’s just part of who she was. Theresa was the star child with the glamorous existence, and Whitney was the sack of potatoes.
She could still remember being fourteen years old, sitting on the edge of her bed while twenty two year old Theresa attempted to straighten the stubborn black curls that’d plagued every single school picture from the time she’d entered Kindergarten. The straightener actually short circuited, which frustrated Whitney to no end. Her sister tried explaining the process needed patience, but her words fell on deaf ears. She’d left all ideas of conforming with that twelve year old experience. These days, she preferred to keep her unruly mane braided off to the side. She shared the same round eye shape as Theresa, only hers were a pleasant honey brown. Go figure she’d be the only one in her immediate family to get her great grandmother Gertrude’s eye color. James, Eileen, and Theresa had variations of blue or green in theirs.
Not seeing a reason to rejoin her too perfect family, Whitney sighed loudly and leaned against her parent’s stainless steel French refrigerator. How was she supposed to break the news now? What would they say? God she could already hear them.
“When are you going to get your head out of the clouds? Look at Theresa! You could be just like her if you tried hard enough. Running away won’t solve anything.” James would bark.
Her mother wouldn’t be any better.
“Whitney, you’re twenty six. Don’t you want better for yourself? There are plenty of opportunities here, don’t squander the chances you’re blessed with. Get out there and make people notice you!”
She almost snorted out loud at the thought.
Oh mom, I’m about to get my ass out there alright.
Stashed neatly underneath her memory foam pillow was the note Whitney left for her parents to find. She’d had it with California, and was finally doing something about it. Peering out the sliding glass door to observe all of them talking and laughing made her feel slightly sorry. She knew they meant well, but it was of no use. Whitney was an outsider to her own family, longing to step out from Theresa’s shadow. As if feeling his daughter’s steady gaze on him suddenly, James turned away from the engrossed conversation he was having with Benjamin to stare at Whitney in confusion. When she wouldn’t budge, he excused himself from his company to investigate. She turned in the direction of her bedroom when his voice stopped all movement.
"Whitney, where are you going? Don't tell me you're leaving us so soon."
Shit. Can’t pretend I didn’t see him now.
The hesitant brunette turned back around to smile awkwardly at her father with crossed arms. “I’m not feeling that great, so I just want to lie down for a bit.” She was lying through her teeth and they both knew it, but it was better than having to sit through one more tense family get together.
James had always been puzzled by his youngest. While the York clan prided themselves on performing for an audience, exceeding their own expectations left and right, Whitney kept her nose stuck in art books and shyed away from the spotlight. She dirtied the gorgeous, whimsical clothing Eileen bought her with paints and markers, and never seemed to care about the countless hours they’d spent on piano lessons. They eventually gave up, since he and his wife couldn’t keep her focused on the task long enough to learn anything. Nobody questioned Whitney’s radiant beauty, but she bore hardly any resemblance to the rest of his family. A disheartening realization, considering he couldn’t relate to her whatsoever. James loved succeeding. He was competitive, which eventually drove him to excel at Harvard Law School and go on to become a highly prosperous litigator. His wife Eileen had been a flourishing run way model, and here was Theresa following right in her footsteps. At the risk of starting the millionth argument on the subject, James talked himself into bringing the dreaded conversation up one more time.
“You know, I’m sure your sister could pull a few strings and work something out so-“
“Jesus, dad. Seriously? No! I’m happy for Theresa, but that’s not my life. Can’t you just accept that?” Whitney threw her arms in the air to emphasize the point, and James rubbed the bridge of his nose. She wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the usual disappointment he harbored toward her.
“It could be, you’re just not willing to put the work in for it.”
Whitney bristled. “So because I’m not crazy about starving myself or begging agencies for the chance to receive some attention, that automatically means I’m not a hard worker? That’s bullshit.” By then, everyone was coming inside to access the situation, but James had already started heading for the patio again.
“You are who you are because of YOU.” He pointed a jagged finger in Whitney’s direction, earning dark glares from the rest of her so called “family.” Once again, she was the monster.
Nothing to see here guys, just business as usual.
“Join us when you’re ready to socialize. Watching you feel sorry for yourself is just shameful, especially during your sister’s celebration.” Eileen snipped, filing behind her husband. Theresa shook her perfect blonde head, taking Hunter and Josephine by the shoulders and steering them back outside. Benjamin looked as uncomfortable as Whitney felt, but thankfully he tailed his wife without a word.
********************
Whitney had forgotten how tranquil staying up late at night felt.
Her light brown eyes had been fixated on the captivating full moon for the last hour or so. Theresa’s group had gone home a while ago, and her parents were tucked into their bedroom asleep by now. She’d wanted to wait as long as possible just to be sure.
The room she sat in was almost completely empty. After packing up the majority of her belongings, all that remained were the few pieces of furniture and a couple of hung up macaroni pictures she’d messed around with and created in college. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she’d managed to jam pack her little black Prius in the span of just under twenty five minutes.
Auburn, Maine was about as far from this hell hole as she could get, which is exactly why she was going there. Forty nine hours of distance between the two states, driving.
Bring it on.
She whipped out her black Samsung Galaxy S 10, and texted her new roommate to check in.
SMS: Hey Kendra, I’ve got the cashier’s check for first and last month’s rent. $1,000. I’m heading that way now, it’ll be a few days.
To her relief, Kendra responded immediately.
SMS: Sounds good. Be safe on the road, roomie! <3
Whitney had to admit, Craigslist wasn’t really the best choice to scope out potential rooms for rent, but she was desperate to get out of here and knew no apartment complex would take her without a job lined up. Thank God she’d had enough sense to Skype the chick to eliminate any foul play before agreeing to plan the move a week and a half ago. Having quit her job as a Podiatrist’s receptionist in secret two weeks prior, Whitney had approximately seven thousand dollars to her name after she paid rent to Kendra. It’d taken almost a year to save that kind of money up, and it made her want to shove it in James’ face for essentially calling her lazy. She searched for any signs of regret, staring at the five bedroom beach house she’d lived in her entire life, but found none.
This is it, she thought.
With one last glance at her old life, Whitney climbed into the vehicle and set up a popular road trip playlist on Spotify before speeding off quietly into the night.
| Hollis |It wasn’t until three A.M the next morning when Hollis quietly snuck through the front door, being mindful of the creaking as she entered. Nina’s cream colored Volkswagen Beetle was parked in the driveway, letting her know Dalton wasn’t alone.Neither was she.“Take my hand,” she whispered to the strung out freckled girl behind her. Giggling softly, Mandy complied almost immediately and allowed Hollis to lead the way through the dark living room and up a set of carpeted stairs. They’d met quite accidentally at a local rock event playing at Chelsea’s Sports Bar not far from Hollis’ house. Mandy had mistaken Hollis for a friend of hers when she jumped on her back gleefully, catching the tall blonde woman off guard. Neither girl felt disappointed once the confusion had been cleared up and they were properly introduced. After a few hours of drinking and pill popping, Hollis didn’t feel comfort
| Hollis |The last several evenings at Ringo’s were really starting to wear on the Franchise staff’s nerves. With a multitude of Fall festivities right around the corner, not to mention the nearby strip mall advertising massive sales in almost all it’s stores, everybody and their mom began stopping in for a quick bite and a refreshing drink. When one wave of patrons left, another seemed to pack in. It was impossible to get caught up.Hollis as always kept everyone from killing each other, employees and customers alike. Although her primary responsibility was tending to the constantly packed bar, she’d duck in and out of the kitchen to run her grateful wait staff’s hot food whenever she had a spare moment.“Can you grab table fifteen’s mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings, Hollis? They’ve got a ceaser salad and personal pizza too.” Bubbly college student Morgana Dahl called over her shoulder as she watched the
| Whitney|“So what brings you to our little city, West Coast? We’re a ways out from your neck of the woods.”Whitney watched the mischievous blonde woman she’d collided with a handful of hours ago tighten the bun behind her head, and offered a half shrug as some sort of response. The conversation had been pretty light leading up to this point. After going over a basic run down of Auburn and it’s highlights, they’d skimmed through one of the art books and Hollis listened intently as Whitney explained how she usually didn’t follow guidelines, but wanted to improve her style a bit. As reserved as Hollis seemed to be, she hung off Whitney’s every word with unwavering fascination. It was for that reason especially that Whitney didn’t want to get into the specifics for why she’d driven blindly to Maine.“My family sucks. That’s the short story.&rdqu
| Whitney |“This is insanity! What are you doing out there, Whit? Come back home.” Theresa’s exasperated tone irritated her younger sister to no end. When she couldn’t ignore her family’s constant barrage of phone calls any longer, she finally gave in and answered mid ring just before hopping in the shower to begin job hunting. Auburn didn’t seem to have many prospects- but there was still one more day to go until she’d see Hollis again at Chelsea’s, and sticking around Kendra and her obscure group of drinking buddies wasn’t an option.“California was never my home.” Whitney replied without missing a beat, undoing the tie holding her long black braid together and separating the mess of wavy curls with her fingers as she spoke. “I wish you’d give me space, Theresa. Mom and dad too. I have my own money, and I’m doing alright for myself in Maine-““But WHY
| Whitney |Flip flop. Flip flop.Whitney’s heart wouldn’t stop thumping.Nervously twirling a few black curls around her forefinger, she crossed her ankles nervously and kept glancing at the front entrance of Aroma Joe’s. The quaint coffee shop should have made her feel cozy, with the enticingly warm smell of fresh brewed coffee wafting in the air and it’s cabin-esq decor, but all she’d been able to concentrate on was steadying her breathing. Thoughts of her past began trickling in from memory as she continued to wait for Hollis.Like most everything, California wasn’t all bad and had given Whitney a handful of semi serious girlfriends. Even with the exhilarating moments, it was always the same in the end. Girls with a taste for glitz and glamor, attractive studs with at least one EX girlfriend making Whitney’s life hell. The last relationship she’d had came to an abrupt halt five months ago. Crisz
| Hollis |Hollis never took anyone fishing with her, let alone to the special little spot she’d stumbled upon accidentally on her nineteenth birthday. As close as she was to Dalton, their interests couldn’t have been any more different, so she never bothered asking if he might want to come along. That afternoon, she’d slipped away from the apartment she and Dalton lived in at the time after he admitted to inviting their dysfunctional parents over for a intimate celebration, and started driving toward the lake. One wrong turn took her through a twenty minute maze that eventually lead to a scenic riverbank. A long, wide surface made of an almost polished stone made it comfortable for Hollis to enjoy sitting under it’s Juniper trees and fish for hours. Surprisingly enough, she’d never had an issue finding that spot again, but for the life of her wouldn’t know how to direct anybody else down there. Thinking about this while Whitney climbed int
| Hollis |She tried so hard to forget about the kiss, but couldn’t. It’d been playing in her mind on repeat relentlessly since it happened.Whitney’s pillowy soft lips felt like heaven against her own, and Hollis could still smell the floral body spray on the other girl’s freckled neck. It’d been a perfect opportunity to bone right there on the rocks overlooking the sparking river, but just as they were practically swallowing each other’s tongues, Whitney’s fishing rod began jerking lightly.At Ringo’s cleaning beer glasses, Hollis smiled like an idiot at the memory.********************“Oh shit! What do I do!?” Whitney giggled, fidgeting with her rod for a second.“Good going, you got one! Now bring her in, like this.” Hollis had been quick to help Whitney reel in her catch, basking in her friend’s glowing excitement. Before long, a wr
| Hollis |“One root beer and a strawberry lemonade, coming right up!” Whitney quickly jot her only table’s drink order down and glanced over her shoulder at Hollis for approval, receiving a kind nod of encouragement in response. The tenured wait staff were less than thrilled at the idea of having to share their patrons, and quickly bombarded Hollis with their claims to certain booths. Morgana in particular seemed extremely agitated, and had pulled the confused bartender aside an hour before the couple Whitney was serving now walked in.“You know it’s going to be dead as hell in here tonight, right? Tell me you’re not giving away a ton of tables to her. I need to make my money.” Morgana’s icy tone dripped with attitude as she rolled her blue eyes, which pissed Hollis off to no end. How else was Whitney supposed to get any good at her job? A sharp urge to protect the newest member of their crew made Hollis lean ag