Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

7: Friends

"I'm freaking the fuck out," I say into the phone. Nell wasn't answering my messages and I remember she said she always answers her phone if people ring her. So I rang her in the middle of my meltdown. "Can you just hang on like 4 minutes? I'm in the middle of a shoot." "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry." "No, no you're okay. Just stay on the line and take some deep breaths okay." I could hear clicks and flashes of the camera, was she really still working whilst doing this. 

"Tilt your chin towards me, look into the light... Thank you." "Deep breaths, Elizabeth, I can hear you." She tells me turning her attention back to me. "In." She breathed in deeply so I copied. "Out." And she exhaled a few more clicks of the camera. "Thank you so much. You did great." She praised. "I will email you tonight and we can go through and select the images you like and I'll get them edited for you." She wrapped up with her client.

"Lizzie? You good?" "Yeah, I'm breathing," I say sounding like an idiot. "Good, I'm glad. Now, what happened?" "I'm sorry for calling you. I didn't know you were working. But I should have guessed because you weren't answering your messages." "No, I'm glad you called. You call when you need me okay?" I found myself nodding even though she couldn't see me. 

"Where are you?" She asked I could hear her moving around. "What are you doing?" I asked her. "Putting down my set." She says. "Whilst you're on the phone?" "I do it all the time with Cassie. As long as I don't smash a bulb it's fine." She dismissed as she continues. "Where are you?" She repeated again. "At my sister's house." "Is she there? Can she sit with you?" "No, no one is home." I chewed my lip. "I can meet you somewhere? We can talk?" "Yeah? Please. I'm sorry. I'm needy. You didn't sign up for this." "Actually Lizzie I did. Yeah, your sisters posted an ad... Support animal needed." "Fuck you." I chuckled. "I can send you my location and you can meet me at the studio. We can grab dinner after?" "Yeah... Please." "Okay. Sending it to you now." My phone vibrated. "Are you good to hang up or do you need me to stay on the line?" "Stay?" "Okay." She didn't seem annoyed but I knew I was being Needy.

We have met up a few times since our first lunch. I haven't gone back to LA yet. I'm still staying with my sisters swapping between their homes when I get sick of one of them. I didn't want to be alone in LA. 

Nell stayed on the phone with me and she spoke about random things distracting me from my cycling thoughts as I took a cab to the studio space she was at. I went to the door and she buzzed me in, I walked up to the second floor and the phone went dead. "Hi." She smiled brightly at me standing by the door. "Hi." I felt my anxiety flood me again "Come in." She encouraged me, her hand was on my back guiding me into the space, it was mostly cleared now, the above head lighting spotlights still in place but her tripod and other lighting were folded away. 

"You're okay, just slow breaths." She encouraged me leading me to sit down behind the computer set up. Her work was on display, reels of photos were presented. She was talented, but I knew that already from her Instagram that I stalk every single night. "What happened?" She asked lightly sitting on the floor in front of me. 

"Robbie did an interview." She held my hand in hers her thumb running over my knuckles. "He's told everyone we're done." She nodded. "And now it's in the media and everyone is talking about it. And my life is a mess once again. It's a big fat mess and my mum is calling me and won't stop. And paps are literally everywhere. And I'm wearing my stupid ring still! And-" "Going to stop you there, sweetie. Because you're spiralling." I nodded, she squeezed my hand gently. "Your life isn't a mess." I nodded. "You have your job, your house, your friends and family. Yes, your engagement has ended but that's okay." I nodded again listening to her calming voice. 

"My sisters won't stop going on about it." She tilted her head. "I lost my shit and screamed at them to get out... It's Ashley's damn house. They're going to hate me." "No, no they're not they're going to be worried about you. They want you to be okay and clearly, you're not okay." "I feel like I'm drowning." "Awe, Bug." She knelt on her knees and wrapped me in her arms. I sobbed onto her shoulder. "I can't do this." "You can. You've got this." "I can't face them." "It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. I know your life surrounds that but truly it doesn't change who you are so you shouldn't worry about it." "How about we head to Soho, go to the coffee shop and then your sister can come and get you." "No, I don't want to see them." "Well, we'll talk about that later. Because you have to go home." "They'll just blame me for everything." "Okay, well we're not talking about that right now, we're being calm and getting comfort from my amazing hugs." I chuckled and squeezed her tighter, she pecked the top of my head. "You're going to be okay, Elizabeth." "Is that a promise?" "It's a promise. You'll be okay."