☆: 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 - 𝐰. 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐭 *✿

001. rejection for the miss

   ┌─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┐
𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 ✦ *✿*ﾟ↷
✦ *✿*ﾟ 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐭.
001. rejection for the miss
└─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┘

HER HEARTBEAT IS LIKE A DRUM.

talia gilbert paced down the streets of brighton. her feet ached from her choice of footwear. her index finger taped the folder she held in her hands at a rapid pace as the twenty three year old approached her destination— the publisher's office. at the foot of the steps, talia sucked in the scent. she smelled the papers in her folder and the cold air of the city. her breaths steadied at the top of the stairs.

once she entered her heart rate increased significantly. it only got worse as her heels hitting the tile brought all attention to her. she stepped up to the front desk and gently tapped  the gold reception bell.

"may i help you?" the receptionist groaned, their eyes still focused on the computer before them.

"i'm here to see mister colin holmes," she said gently, " he called for me yesterday." talia beamed. she clicked her nails on the metal while she waited for the receptionist's response

"oh yes, ms. talia gilbert?"

talia nodded, the thumping on the table increased at an anxious speed.

"second floor, down the hall, third door on the left." the receptionist instructed. talia held in her excitement by a thread as she sprinted down the hall.

"thank you!" she called over her shoulder towards the receptionist.

her momentum escalated when she stepped off the elevator and onto the red carpet. she knew exactly where this man's office was, she knew where she would sit in front of his desk. this scenario had played in her head on a loop every night prior to her slumber for a week. she knocked just to be polite but, before she could even hear a mumble for her to come in, she twisted the door knob. talia grinned from ear to ear as she called out, "mister holmes?"

colin holmes, the most infamous publisher in all of brighton, sat with his spectacles down his nose and a cold look in his eyes. "taylor? was it?" he asked as she closed the door behind her.

talia reaches her finger out before lowering it. she rests her body in the left chair, yet she was still on the edge of her seat. "talia— actually, sir. i brought another one of my drafts... different plot, but i thought you could give it a read since you liked this one."

"i liked it?" this was when her face fell.

"you didn't?" he looks to her eyes; they began to shine. "well, i'm sorry, sir. i got the intention that you did— i just thought that since you called back, i- uh. my apologies, mister holmes." talia bowed her head, tightening her grip on the folder.

colin holmes cleared his throat, leaning back in his creaky chair. "it was bland. too many stutters in every sentence— just say they fumbled, dammit! i've read too many of the same things, and yours was just another little pawn in it all." he picked up a dart from a stack of papers, twirling with it within his fingers. "i hated it. if i don't like it, then obi o isley the public won't like it, and it wouldn't be good for my brand... would it taylor?"

"of course, sir."

"i don't expect seeing you anymore, taylor. i wish you best luck on your journeys." the dart is forced through the air, not even hitting near the dart board. holmes groaned, supporting his head with his hands.

"but sir—."

she watched as holmes threw her first novel into the garbage beside him. she couldn't help but gasp. her reflexes enacted, rapidly grabbing the leather bound book. "get out of my sight." holmes shooed, talia held her books to her chest.

walking in the lobby felt like a walk of shame. every stare from her heels. she had been so giddy, but now her head held low and eyes glowing against the light. rejection at its finest.

talia opened the door, the fresh breeze flowed over her face, pushing her backwards slightly. she flopped her hood over her head, walking down the sidewalk once more. her office building wasn't as far from the room where it happened. she found her keys, inserting it into the doorknob.

she entered quietly, dropping her novels on her blood colored desk, then chunked her purse across the room. from the punch of the bag, the wall shook, making all of the hanging vines fall and the paintings rattle.

miss gilbert practically lived in her office. she's been there for only a few months but it feels more like home than her actual flat. she softly sank to the floor.

writing was talia's dream. it's something she lived for. she did everything for her writing. when her calls from mister colin holmes we're finally out to thought, her excitement was through the roof. she felt like she was going somewhere with this dream.

talia actually had many dreams. her mind moved faster than a cheetah. her brain never stopped. her calendar was full until the next year, and every new year she created her plan. this rejection put a pause. she usually never had a second of her day to think, other than the time she sleeps, and even then there wasn't much of it.

in the mornings, talia worked as a waitress at a café that serves the three meals. she worked till lunch time. in the afternoons, she attended a ballet class, which she excelled at. after that, she went to violin lessons and spent time playing until the evening. in the late evenings, she wrote and she does this till sleep.

she was scattered. but that's okay. she guessed.

xxx kat