T W E N T Y - O N E :
"What time are we going out to eat?" Charlie asked curiously as he leaned back in the chair, which was in the corner of his and Alex's room. The four were currently just 'hanging out' before they went for a meal with the cast of self-indulgence to celebrate what they'd done so so far.
Ajay said to them, in quotations 'we're gonna take you to eat real American food' and they were all ecstatic about it; the cast members because they'd have a good few months rest before they had to come back to the States (unless they already lived there) to do promotions and interviews, which was also global.
"Erm, I think it's six, Mitch is picking up some of the others first then coming for us," Alex answered, remembering the full conversation as he laid on his side of the bed as some of Sundara Karma's music streamed through the room. In all honesty, they didn't know what was categorised as real American food so they were very much so looking forward to it.
"D'you know where we're going?" Charlie asked Alex because he seemed to remember all the relevant information. He was like the human form of a memory stick in times like these where everyone else had let it slip from their minds, unconventionally.
"I think it's a diner in town somewhere, I'm not sure though," Alex replied with a light shrug. He wasn't entirely sure but he did hear Elle and Julian discussing the best American diners to show the four Brits that American cuisine is proportionately delicious.
Oak had her head hanging off of the edge of the deeply cushioned bed, her eyes looking up at Alex and Charlie sat down, she had an instant laughing fit, which confused the three guys purely because of how random it came along and because she'd been pretty quiet since they got back from the set. They all understood her lack of talking, they all knew her dad was the literal definition of wanker; he hurt her for no reason, he made her feel so much pain for no reason other than he didn't agree with her.
"Are we only going for a meal?" Oak asked curiously as all the blood had gone straight to her head, she looked like the replica of the devil minus the horns.
"That's the impression I got," Alex nodded softly, Oak hummed in response and then sat up just as quickly, her long legs swinging around but tucked in so she didn't kick any of her friends.
"I want to get drunk," She said nonchalantly a light shrug added, Joe looked at her, baffled. Sure, Oak drank but she was never one to get absolutely shit faced; he'd noticed she hadn't been eating that much and she wasn't acting her true self, she was still the kindest soul but her smile wasn't the same.
It was like one of those filters you get where it adds an instant grin to your face, it didn't look right. Oaks smile was the most precious thing in their eyes, it was the brightest thing. . . When it was real but right now her three friends could see the grey cloud hanging above her head yet they hadn't a clue what caused such a thunderstorm. They had a few guesses, it didn't take a genius to suss it out if they really knew her.
"Why?" Joe asked rapidly, his concern overflowing any other emotion. It was an absurd statement for her to make considering she really wasn't a fan of getting drunk. It also made no sense for her to say that in the USA because she was nineteen, need he elaborate?
"Why not?" She shrugged back, it wasn't a complex thing, she just did, nothing deeper.
"I thought you hated getting drunk," Joe countered softly narrowing his dark blue eyes slightly, his confusion, all of their confusion was to the maximum.
"So, doesn't mean I can't. We've all gotta do things we don't like sometimes," Oak shrugged again and stood up from the bed, grabbing the clothes that she brought in here with her so she could change in the bathroom, they had twenty minutes before Mitch was coming to the hotel so she needed to get her move on.
When she was concealed in the bathroom she made sure she was quick to put on her dark grey turtle neck jumper and her black and grey checkered trousers, she wasn't bothering putting her hair in a fancy style or putting any make-up on other than lip balm.
"I'm worried about her," Joe said to the other two quietly. Charlie pondered for a second, recounting the interactions he'd had with her, he noticed that she did seem off in some way but he couldn't pinpoint the issue and he didn't want to go around throwing assumptions about when he could be way off. They'd all rather know the truth.
"You don't think it's her dad again do you?" Alex asked worriedly, his top teeth biting the inside of his bottom lip, something he didn't when he felt worried or nervous. "I mean, the acting cameo seemed to have brought out something within her. . ." He added, his mind racing with several different things. Maybe it was just one of those days where she felt down and would do anything to not, although she never got them much.
"I sure hope it isn't because if it is I'll fucking kill him," Charlie said with so much hatred toward the man, the despise he felt whenever his name was mentioned was a feeling like no other.
The three boys remember one time when he had kicked her so hard in the stomach that it had winded her for about twenty minutes and it had formed a bruise the size of a small football; they can recall all of the emotional hurt he had inflicted also. The majority of their friends' pain branched with him at the top of the chain, he was like the devil punishing her for being herself.
They'd heard first hand what he'd say like you're a worthless piece of shit, Oak and you don't realise how happy it makes me knowing that I don't have to see your face every day, oh and the infamous no one will ever love you, have you see yourself? Blue hair and the stupid clothing you call fashion, the world would be so much better without you in it.
Vaguely, Oak could make out what their conversation was about and she appreciated the care they had for her, but her hearing them feel hurt, hurt her even more.
David Rivers
Heard you're in America
Her eyes scanned the message and an immediate lump formed in her throat, sure it sounded harmless at first but she knew what was coming, he was evil and always managed to make her feel like shit. She didn't even know why she had his number, she never spoke to him, she only got insulted.
David Rivers
Your mum and brothers are so much happier without you being home.
David Rivers
They've not got your crappy music taste or the thing you and the stupid band call 'music'. The longer you're away the less they care.
David Rivers
So you should stay in the States, you're more likely to get killed there than you are over here, fingers crossed, eh?
"Oak, Mitchell's here," Joe announced with a light knock on the door, she shut her phone off quickly then exited the bathroom with a faux smile. She was getting good at doing them, it was second nature to her these days.
——— ••• ———
It soon came to Oak's attention that she was in fact in America and in the said country the legal drinking age was twenty-one and unfortunately for her, she was only nineteen. They were all sat around a large table, that had specifically been made for the large group of thirteen that were all ready to devour any food that was placed in front of them.
They'd all already done all of the greetings with each other, currently, they were all talking about how the show had pieced together this series; if they were happy with their performances or if they feel like they could've done better. Oak was sat between Charlie and Harrison, with Joe sat opposite her, Aray and Julian were at either side of him then next to Aray was Alex who was opposite Elle who was sat next to Ajay who was opposite Sienna who was next to Zoié who was across from Evan who was next to Tom. It was pretty full table.
The diner was fairly large with a checkered black and white flooring, the tables were white that were kindly brought together by the staff who instantly knew who the actors were, they were surrounded with red leather seats and other tables and booths.
Joe kept his eyes on the girl who was directly in front of him, seeing if her behaviour was any different to what it was when they first arrived—he'd been noticing a switch in her attitude towards things over the last month or so like the way she seemed to be cutting out meals. She was still fully motivated to do the music but she wasn't being her true self and it was really beginning to worry Joe and the other two, but the thing was, they didn't know what was wrong.
"Do you all enjoy being actors?" Oak asked inquiringly, she'd always wondered what it felt like to be an actor, to have to wake up at silly hours to film something.
"I enjoy it, it's tiring but it's fun, you never know what's gonna happen for your character so it's always interesting to pave the way people perceive them," Tom spoke, answering Oak's question the best he could. He'd been acting for about eleven years already and that had flown by, he remembers the first acting stunt he got in an Australian soap opera, it was only a minor role but he had masses of fun as a ten-year-old.
"Hmm, I enjoy it the majority of the time but sometimes I wish I had a little more freedom, I always appreciate the fans but because of what a jerk my character is I feel like some people think that I'm actually like her, so it makes people act negatively towards me sometimes," Sienna explained her answer, she wouldn't be anywhere without the fans of self-indulgence but when people called her Leia and followed her around it did scare her because she knew how much of a bitch Leia was, so she understood people's anger but it was scary to have a group of ten people you didn't know follow you to and from locations.
"I can understand that, it must be so scary to be constantly followed by fans—I know they mean well but I feel like sometimes people forget that the people they see on screen are just like them. . . You know?" Oak replied and each of the cast members nodded in complete agreement, they all loved their supporters but there were lines that were crossed at times and that affected their trust in being alone. "Sorry for the rant. . ." The blue-haired girl apologised when it wasn't needed.
"You don't need to apologise, I agree with what you're saying, we know we wouldn't be anywhere without the support but there gets to a point of following where it's too much," Evan chipped in nodding his head.
They all conversed about the exact subject matter for a while about how they understood why fans would follow them because it's not every day you see someone who you idolise but barriers were sometimes crossed. For example, Ajay remembers one time he did a mini meet and greet because fans spotted him at the beach, he enjoyed it and he didn't mind it but one girl, whilst someone was taking a photo of them placed her hand on his bum and squeezed it pretty hard, he didn't say anything because she didn't seem that old but it made him feel very uncomfortable. Sometimes people fail to realise that those with numbers are people too, it was a weird dynamic really.
Oak's phone pinged and with an apology she pulled her phone out and looked at the message in front of her.
David Rivers
Hope you're not eating too much, you already look fat enough and I heard American food is triple the portion size to what it is here ahaha.
David Rivers
No one will love you as you are so by you gaining four stone will make you even more unlovable.
Harrison's eyes saw what was on the screen, he didn't mean to look but what he saw brought an intense feeling of concern, who would someone say such a thing to someone as kind and easygoing as Oak? Sure, he didn't know her well enough to give a full-blown judgement but from meeting her a few times now and speaking to her he couldn't understand why someone would say that to someone so caring.
The food each of them had ordered was now arriving, two at a time. Alex, Evan, Elle, Aray and Julian had ordered a burger of some sort with a large portion of fries, Sienna, Tom and Joe had ordered a hotdog of some kind, which was massive also with a side of fries. Harrison and Zoié had ordered a deep-dish pizza that was more or less the size of a small tyre. Ajay had ordered some buffalo wings that came with celery sticks and some fries, just the look of them looked flaming hot. Charlie had decided to get some fried chicken with mac and cheese and a small portion of fries. Oak decided to order stuffed sweet potatoes with beans and guacamole, which was on the appetisers list.
Alex would be lying if he said he hadn't noticed that she was being very selective of what sort of meals she was getting over the last few months, he didn't want to question it because it wasn't his place to do so, but like Joe he was growing worried.
"How long have you been a vegetarian for?" Ajay asked as he took a big chunk of his chicken wing, his attention turned to the blue-haired girl.
Her fork was toying with the food on her plate as she looked up to the man at the other end of the table "I think it's been five years," She informed him trying to recall when she made her transition from being a carnivore to a herbivore.
"Do you mind us all eating meat?" He asked in panic as he looked at the full of the table who predominantly had meat in their plates.
"Not at all, people eat what they want, I'm not bothered," Oak chuckled lightly, appreciating his means. Nobody should tell others to eat what they eat, everyone has the free will to eat what they want. Also, her friends or people surrounding her were the least of her worries, it wasn't a big deal because she didn't have the power to tell them what to do, why would she want to anyway? Everyone enjoys different things, that's what the human race was. Different. Not one person was the same in the way they thought, looked, dressed, talked, it was a magical universe.
David Rivers
Pretty sure that has 1000 calories, tut, tut fatty.
wrote; wednesday 12th february 2020
(partially) edited; sunday 30th august 2020
published; sunday 30th august 2020