The Cate Blanchett Case {Cate Blanchett}

2~The Lesbian

My apartment was a mess, I'd left in a rush this morning. The tea I'd forgotten to drink sat on the kitchen counter, several different shirts and blouses were draped precariously around the place.

I liked to say my apartment was quaint, in the sense that it was small but quite cute and homey but it was also distastefully messy.

I dropped my keys in the ornamental glass bowl by the front door and then walked further into my apartment. Running my hand along the wall since the hallway was so cramped.

My living room was cosy, it adopted a small room of my apartment, that forked off from the tiny hallway. A little, beige couch was pushed against the wall and a royal blue blanket was throw haphazardly over the arm. A coffee table seperated the TV and the couch from each other, the TV was still on from the night before.

I'd watched 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' for the 100th time. I'd cried pathetically over almost everyone's death and then ended up falling asleep. Then waking up and realising I was late.

My back still hurt from sitting on that shitty couch.

I went through the living room into my bedroom, my favourite room, simply because that is where I wrote and it was the nicest room in the house.

I'd left the lights on. The electricity bill was going to be more than I could afford.

My desk was placed by the window, my battered old laptop was charging, the green light flashing every now and then.

I walked over to the desk and placed the sacred file down on the clustered surface. I really needed to clean up.

It was still bright outside, I knew that wouldn't last long with Winter just around the corner. Autumn was gradually getting colder as December came around.

Tired, I kicked off my black trainers and then shrugged off my coat, letting it drop to the floor and not bothering to pick it up. Probably the reason I'm so messy.

Forgetting about tackling the mess of my apartment, my victory suddenly reintroduced itself in my mind. Pride suddenly flared in my chest, I'd done it, I'd gotten the story and that was the hard bit over.

I jumped dramatically up and down, fist pumping the air enthusiastically, letting out loud squeals of triumph and then laughing.

I had actually done it, this story was all mine and once I wrote about it people would know me and want to hear more from me. I would make a name for myself and stop living in the shadows.

After my little celebratory episode I sat down in my desk chair and moved a few drafts of fiction stories I'd written when I got bored. I had drafts dating way back to when I was 7, I'd always been in love with writing.

I pulled my phone of out of my pocket, I just had to text Jasper, he had been telling me I was going to get the story. The universe had told him, yeah he was into all sorts of spiritual stuff I'd never even heard of.

However, I'd let him read my palm and cleanse my apartment a few times. I didn't exactly know what he was doing, neither did I believe in it but he did so it was good enough for me.

"Don't tell me, you're calling to tell me your mother has dropped dead due to unknown circumstances?" His mellow tone came through the phone, as if what he was saying wasn't dark and brutal.

I let out a laugh at his broken humour and his shared hatred for my mother. "I wish," I mumbled, only half joking, "but no! That's not why I called actually, Jas. I got the job!" I squealed, Jasper cheered loudly and I knew his flatmate would not appreciate.

Like Jasper, Amy was very spiritual and liked silence, she was less tarot and more meditation and zen. Amy was still a very nice person, when I come over she'd normally be in the kitchen cooking up some strange but oddly nice concoction.

"That's amazing, Lia! I'm so happy for you, I can't believe you're going to meet Cate Blanchett, Amy never stops going on about her, she really is a brilliant actress though, it's a shame you aren't into women," Jasper babbled away as usual, which didn't irritate me, babbling meant nothing was wrong and that was good.

However, one thing he said stayed in my mind, contrary to usual Jasper babble, normally everything he said went in one ear and out the other. Not this subject though.

'It's a shame you aren't into women,'

I wasn't a lesbian but Amy was. Not that anything is wrong with that! Because there is nothing wrong with that, of course. People love who they love.

I was used to Amy having girls over whenever I was over. Amy never really settled on anyone, she had a new girl every few months. It wasn't any of my business I didn't care.

But there was one girl, or woman should I say, I'd encountered at her and Jasper's apartment that had left a lasting impression.

I had no idea what her name was, I don't think any of us did, but we'd just come back from a club and Amy had brought her back with us.

I don't remember much of her.

I remember she was tall, intimidatingly tall and and she had this long, luscious deep red hair. She was intimidating, it was the first time I'd ever been intimidated by someone who wasn't my mother.

I remember catching her looking at me a few times, but the memories were hazy and blurry and it hurt my head to try and think back to them.

At some point I must have passed out because the next thing I remember was that my head was in the toilet bowl and I was puking my guts out and there was no sign of the woman even being there in the first place.

I'd asked Amy about the woman but she said she didn't even remember bringing anyone back. That was that.

"Thalia? I was joking about your mum if that's what is upsetting you," Jasper hesitated, scared that I was upset with him.

"No, no I know. Uh, Jas, I've got so much to do. How about we meet at Honey Mellow tomorrow? Bring Amy if you want," I suggested, in order to show him I wasn't angry. Honey Mellow was our favourite coffee shop, our place of peace.

"Yeah, sure okay, I'll tell A!" He chirped up, I could hear his smile through the phone. "Good luck with the story, love, don't overwork yourself and if you need anything don't be scared to call,"

I smiled at his happiness, he was always so chirpy and kind to people. Jasper had been my friend for so long but his positivity always managed to shock me.

I promptly ended the call with him and put my phone back down on the table. I hadn't lied to him when I told him I had a lot to do, I put my head down on the desk and groaned. Time to get started.

First order of business, locking away that weird memory of the unknown woman. The only way I could do that was to make a nice cup of tea, play some Queen and work on my questions for Cate.

Trying desperately to leave that vague but unpleasant memory behind I got up and head into the kitchen to make my cup of tea.