Working in Fashion

Meeting Audrey and Talking About Trees

"Why would Mr. O'Hare kiss you if you already have a boyfriend?"

"I don't know. But I told him I would never kiss him before splashing punch in his face, stepping down hard on his foot, and leaving the Rec Center. And I think I might've drawn a little attention to myself, but I don't care. I just want to go home."

"Isn't Thneedville your home?"

"No. I'm from Who York City... though I'd much rather leave more than anything."

"Well... where would you go?"

"...Whoville."

"Whoville?"

"Yeah. Since I am already a Who."

"You are? I hadn't noticed. Have you ever been to Whoville before?"

"Only once, when I was only a few years older than you. Some of my favorite childhood memories were made there and I've seen and done so much... I even met someone. He was my best friend, he did so much for me and I didn't want to imagine a life without him. But the day after Christmas, my parents and I left and I never saw him again." Martha sighed and took her framed photo out of her purse.

Audrey scooted closer and took a closer look at the photo. She saw a younger Martha dressed in a purple and pink tutu and she was hugging a green furry creature that was wearing a white suit and a matching soldier's cap.

"Is that your friend?" She asked.

"Yeah. His name was Grinch." Martha replied.

"Do you miss him?"

"Each and every day."

"Well, why don't you go visit him?"

"I want to visit, more than anything, but... I can't. Besides, I doubt he'd recognize me after all these years."

Audrey paused; she had no idea what to say now. "...What's it like in Whoville?"

"It's beautiful. The people are so friendly, there are lots of things to do, and everything there is real... unlike this place."

"What do you mean 'real'?"

"I mean... the plants, trees, and animals are real. They're all... alive."

"Trees? ...What kinds of trees are there? In the world, I mean."

"There are all kinds of trees. Oaks, pines, birches, willows, spruces, dogwoods, maples, palms, and there are even Truffula tree."

"Truffula trees? What do they look like?"

It was then that Martha told Audrey everything she knew about Truffula trees. She said that they had striped white bark and the touch of their tufts was softer than anything, even silk, and they even smelled sweet like butterfly milk. She also said that real trees of any kind can make pure fresh air... for FREE and they can grow almost anywhere in the world and they even grew all around Thneedville, many years ago. Audrey was enchanted by Martha's words; she had no idea about the wonders nature really had and she wanted to learn more.

"Wow... How come you know so much?" Audrey asked.

"I took a botany class in high school, as well as a horticulture class." Martha replied. "But that's beside the point. Here's a picture of some Truffula trees, just to give you a good idea of what they really look like." She handed Audrey a photo of a valley filled with Truffula trees and the little girl gasped in wonder. "I took this picture for a class project a few years back. You can keep it if you want."

"Really?" Audrey exclaimed.

"Of course. The more people who know about living trees, the merrier." Martha smiled.

"Thank you, Martha May." The girl cried before wrapping her arms around Martha in a hug; she hugged her back.

"You're welcome." Martha said as they split; Audrey yawned. "Tired?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go back to bed." Audrey said as she stood up. "I hope everything turns out okay for you."

"Thanks. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

And with that, Audrey ran back into her house, leaving Martha alone once again. Martha looked at her watch and saw that it was pretty late so she decided to head back to the hotel.

0-0-0-0-0-0

It was almost 2:00 in the morning when Heather and Johanna returned to their hotel. But when they arrived, Martha was still awake, waiting for them.

"Top of the evening to ya." She said as she turned the lamp light on.

"Martha!" Johanna and Heather exclaimed in surprise.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Johanna asked.

"Not long." Martha replied. "How was Fashion Week?"

"It was good. We had a great time." Heather answered as she sat down on her own bed. "But where in the world have you been?"

"I left."

"But... why?" Johanna asked as she took off her coat. "Mr. O'Hare said you had a breakdown and stormed off."

"And you believed him? Yes, I stormed of... only after he tried to get with me."

Johanna paused. "...He what?"

"You heard me." Martha snapped. "He even tried to kiss me. That little creep, ugh."

"...Martha, I am so sorry. I never would've asked you to come if I knew something like this would happen."

"No, it's okay. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be. This is what I've been trying to say. You need to leave this life."

"No! Don't you see? I can't! If I do anything that goes against August's wishes, which includes quitting Who Runway, I'm as good as dead."

"Clearly Thneedville is NOT the place for you. Tell you what, I'll buy you a plane ticket out of here and you can go back to Who York. Maybe you can stay with your parents until the end of the week. That way, August will never have to know that you left early."

Martha's eyes widened and she looked at her superior in shock. "You'd do that?"

"You've done so much for me; it only seems fair to return the favor in some way."

"...Thank you, Johanna."