straight back to it ⇉ central cee.

this beef is gender neutral.

Oakley and Michaela were talking at the kitchen table over hot drinks and cake for what felt like days, though it was merely a few hours at most. And despite how long they were chatting, the man had still failed to tell of what happened yesterday afternoon. Of course, it was practically impossible to explain what had been going on in his life in the past year without mentioning Shanel, it was unavoidable but god, he wished it was. Every time he spoke her name, or even referenced the woman, he would watch visible irritation spread across Kayla's face; they hadn't liked each other one bit over the years, having met around the same time Oakley had met her. He was trying his best to not dwell on the fact that he had just split with his future wife, because it would surely send him into a spiral he never wanted to descend on again. If he simply didn't think about it or put its negative energy in the universe it wouldn't affect him - though very stupid, he was determined to keep the heartbreak at bay even if it meant manifesting like some teenage girl in love. In the meantime though, he had explained how she was the one there when he was released from rehab back in the winter, which shocked Michaela a lot. The idea of him in rehab threw her back miles in itself, let alone Shanel being the one there to welcome him home. He'd rushed to explain it was mostly Harrison as the girl's hand flew to her mouth, but the idea was already set in stone in her mind. She'd let a laugh slip in what Oakley could only assume was mockery, but really she just didn't know how to react to such a thing. The girl was so used to being that person in his life, and not even knowing he had been admitted in the first place made it all so much worse for her; guilt was eating her up the more he told her about his life since. Though he had conveniently skipped over Shanel's abuse in most of it, he had an accidental slip up once or twice. He thought it'd be funny to tell her how he learned how to do makeup and studied all this colour theory for it, forgetting why exactly he had to go to such lengths in the first place. Michaela had questioned it of course,
recalling all the times she'd begged him to let her teach him all the stuff she learned at college and he'd shut it down with no if's or buts, there wasn't a clear explanation for it and she felt she had to know now.

"Oh like... black eyes innit, my lil bro thinks he's grown now tries to fight me"

Oakley tried a laugh and reminiscent smile to make his lie seem believable, watching as her eyebrow quirked in speculation still, but not questioning further because it was obvious she wasn't going to get much more out of him. It was clear she knew anyways by the sad glint in her eye, he had expected it. Back in the salon a few days back Shanel had caused quite the scene with the way she'd treated her now ex-boyfriend - though she hadn't hit him or anything of the sorts, the intention was evident and the flash of fear in the man's face at that moment was too telltale to ignore. Michaela knew best then to pry now though. She assumed after rehab he'd been in therapy much like she had, if he hadn't then it sure seemed like it she thought, because he had changed far too much for it to be purely his own work done, the woman didn't want to ruin all that progress for him. And she hoped that feeling was mutual.