Your coming-of-age is filled with one another's presence. Still, it's been a while since you and Taika have seen each other. That all change when your work brings you to the press premiere of his latest movie.
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Your coming-of-age is filled with one another's presence. Still, it's been a while since you and Taika have seen each other.
Your days in Wellington as an exchange student with an awkward yet talented musician and a cynical yet talented aspiring painter with an ego as inflated as his hair has passed. Still, you remember it fondly when you can. It's been a while since you slept in Taika's apartment with his better platonic half Jemaine and his actual better half, which is his girlfriend at the time. His place was where most of your young adulthood happened as well as getting stoned at the nearby beaches with the crew.
The two of you get nostalgic about those days from time to time. Quite frankly, it's been a while since you've seen any of them. Adulting is a bitch—and you are a sucker for it.
But somehow, you're both in the same city once again. You're never much of a New Yorker. It wasn't in your eyes. It's still lost in your eyes to this day and racist motherfuckers crossing the same street as you never fail to remind you that every single day. The city is as cold as its people—but it's as unpredictable too.
You're still the same Asian island girl desperate to make it big in journalism. As for Taika, he's still the same artistic Maori kid from a fishing village white people have trouble pronouncing the name of. Who would've thought you'd meet again in one of the most heartless cities in the world?
"You're kidding," you tell your editor Emily sitting before you. The VICE New York office is where you spend most days, chasing stories about niche underground cultures New York has to offer or reading an oversaturated pop culture phenomenon to filth. There's truly no in between. "Nope, it says right here: "Taika Waititi's 'Boy' Press Premiere," your boss reads the email subject out loud once again. "Why? Should we tear this guy down or something?" she asks bluntly. "Taika's... Taika's an old friend," you tell her this small anecdote with a smile on your face. "We used to hang out in during my uni days," you continue, not seeing how much you're blushing just by the mere thought of him.
"Old fling?" she asks casually. "What? Ems? No! No," you remain flustered. You pretend to cough just to brush away any awkwardness in your body language. "Just an old friend," you nod. "That's all," you clutch your ticker notepad closer to your chest. "Okay..." she dismisses the weirdness you begin emanating around her office space. "So are you going or not?" she asks, impatient to hear your confirmation.
"Yeah, of course. I can write a review or—" "Interview, please," she orders you without looking at her phone. "Great. Of course," you oblige. You get up from your chair and start to head for the door. "Deadline next week?" you turn around for her confirmation. "You got it, kiddo," she gives you a thumbs up without averting her gaze from her phone screen.
Your head starts to get flooded with questions as you walk back to your cubicle: Is Jemaine with him? Is his girlfriend with him? Does he even have one? What if he's alone? If he's alone, is he single? If he's single, what should you do? Every question popping in your head is unrelated to your task at hand.
