Studio 22 | Mary-Kate Olsen

Chapter Nineteen

June 3rd 2022 - New York City - Safe Haven Community Centre

MARY-KATE'S POV

It had been a few weeks since Blue and I started hanging out outside of work and it's been great. We had coffee after group on a Monday morning and dinner probably once a week. We'd hang out at my apartment a lot, she hadn't stayed over since my 'bad day' a few weeks ago.

She hasn't even brought it up, not once. She doesn't quiz me or tries to get me to talk about what's happened. Sometimes I catch her looking at me, she observes people a lot instead of asking them how they are, she'll work it out for herself. I like that she doesn't constantly check in with me verbally. It was easy for me to just exist around her because I didn't have to worry about holding up a facade in front of her. She knew without asking, meaning I didn't have to lie and because I didn't lie it meant I didn't have to make my lie believable. I could be moody, or quiet or loud and excitable and she just accepted me no matter my state of mind.

I was waiting in my normal spot outside of the community centre. She came out a little after me, which I liked because it meant I could have a cigarette before she came out. I knew she didn't like them so I tried not to smoke as much around her and if I felt the need to, I'd hold it away from her and try my best to direct the smoke elsewhere. She came out and she looked a little defeated by the day already. "You okay, Sunshine?" I asked, smiling at her. "Yeah." "Hard session?" "It's Atlas' birthday today." She says,  kicking a stone and keeping her eyes glued to it. This is the first time she's told me what was wrong, without me having to push or tell her something about my crappy life. I linked our arms and started walking in the direction of the coffee shop we go to every Monday morning. "Did he like birthdays?" "He liked cake... He'd always have a big cake," She spoke quietly, her voice was rougher than normally telling me she had been crying. I didn't say anything else, we arrived at the coffee shop shortly after and I opened the door for her. She went to get a table and I got us our usual drinks and a cupcake.

I sat it all down on the table and she looked at me. "Can't have a birthday without cake," Is all I say as I sit down in the seat opposite her. She liked sitting in the big shop window, she liked to feel the sun on her face. She would often just close her eyes and allow herself to bask in the warm rays. She picked up her mug and took a sip, I knew it would be too hot to drink but she didn't flinch at the scorching liquid touching her tongue. "Blue?" "Thank you for the cupcake... Strawberry was his favourite." I thought I had made a mistake by getting it but the soft smile directed at me and her words told me otherwise.

She cut the cupcake in half and we both indulged in the sugar-filled treat. "Perfect breakfast if you ask me," I say looking at her. "You have frosting on your nose," She says amused before leaning over to wipe it off. I blushed a little embarrassed I had gotten messy whilst eating a cupcake as a toddler would have. She didn't seem to notice my embarrassment. She was too busy enjoying the morning sun. "Want to go for dinner tonight?" I asked her, I didn't know if she'd have plans with her family because it was her brother's birthday but if she didn't she was too upset to be alone and from what I've heard Sage is never home. "We're having a birthday dinner for Atlas... Which is stupid but." She shrugged, not finishing her sentence. "It's nice to honour him though. I'm sure he'd appreciate it," I said, trying to lessen her annoyance about the dinner. "He didn't like birthday dinners, he thought they were boring. He'd rather have gone to a game or paintballing." She knew her brother well enough to know he wouldn't be happy with the plans if he was actually here to participate.

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June 3rd 2022 - New York City - Studio 22

We didn't talk about it anymore, we walked to Studio 22 in silence. She was texting on her phone, and I caught my sight of the screen, she was talking to Sage. When we arrived she went to get our coffees and I went to my office. 10 minutes had passed and she still hadn't brought me my coffee. I waited a little longer before going to see if Ashley was holding her up. I felt sort of protective of her today, knowing she was struggling. She was sad she didn't tease me over coffee, and she didn't talk much as we walked up the stairs. I haven't seen her bright smile yet and I didn't want Ashley loading her with work. She'd get overwhelmed in this mental state and that's not fair.