Everyone has baggage, but it's certainly not Selina's job to carry it for them.
*****
Radio talk show host Selina Locke was just looking for a peaceful summer in sunny Barcelona, but...
( — liam gallagher; english singer and songwriter. )
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THINGS WERE A LOT EASIER IN THEORY. As Jersey stares back at her, waiting for her to say something (for example, why in the world she chose to contact her estranged sister after so many months of zero communication), Selina stays as quiet as a mouse, all her courage having vanished.
It seemed like a good idea at first—a great idea, even. However, now that they're staring right at each other, it feels as though Selina's brain has turned into melted cotton candy.
Jersey has barely changed since the last time Selina landed eyes on her, but her hair is longer, with the ends being a few shades lighter than her brown roots, creating a delicate ombré effect that looks too professional to have been done at home. Her skin is lighter, too, a courtesy of the seemingly permanent foggy days that New York City lives in, and it does nothing to hide the dark circles under her eyes.
"Don't tell me they've been overworking you," Selina jokes, in an attempt of starting a conversation. "You've definitely seen better days."
"I just love how you haven't said a word to me in months and, when you do, you decide to tell me I look like crap," Jersey retorts, and Selina's stomach sinks, full and bursting with guilt. Jersey seems to notice something about it, as her narrowed eyes return to normal and her posture softens ever so slightly. "I was joking. I think the workload gets kind of crazy sometimes, but it's the internship eighteen-year-old me never even dreamed of. It's everything I could have ever wanted and more. You know what that's like, don't you? With the radio talk show, and all?"
Selina sighs, leaning back against the pillows of her couch. The apartment feels horribly empty without Ethan there; even when he retreated into his room and isolated himself from the world to work on his thesis, it was comforting to know he was there. "Sort of. At least you had a faint idea of what to expect of an internship; I pretty much jumped into the unknown."
It's not a lie. She was lucky enough to have delivered a strong pitch and convinced the radio station to give her show a chance, much like she lucked out regarding the reception by the audience. People like to pry into celebrities' lives, and she isn't that much better than them in that particular aspect.
It could have easily backfired. Selina can't afford the luxury of thinking she's in the clear.
"Sorry," Selina continues, "I didn't mean to shift the conversation to me. How are you, besides the internship? Have you been in touch with Dad and Jane?"
Jersey slouches on her seat, and pulls her knees close to her chest. She's wearing sweatpants, a warm, comfortable outfit for the early evening, while Selina is still wearing a pair of cotton shorts. "I talk to them from time to time. I try to check in with them at home at least twice per month, but I've had so many deadlines to meet it gets kind of complicated to keep a steady schedule. Still, apparently they've heard from me a lot more often than they've heard from you."
