Second Time's The Charm

Ch 1

Tate tightens the strings on the hoodie, covering her face. She's curled up on the couch with blankets and hasn't moved in hours. The tears flowing and her heart utterly destroyed. The television shows the highlights from the New York Jets last game of the season, a hard earned win from last week overshadowed by the Kansas City Chiefs win in the Super Bowl over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The commentators speak on the players prowess and strategy but then the conversation changes to the aftermath of the Jets win. The tight end for the New York Jets, Clay Calhoune called his girlfriend down to the field and like a fool Tate excitedly ran over and hugged him. That was when Clay told her everything: he cheated and is dumping her for the other woman, also the other woman is one of Tate's best friends, Megan. Clay publicly told the sideline reporter that he had a new girlfriend and out Megan ran to him and planted many far from chaste kisses on his face and neck.

"Man, that's messed up." The commentator began. " Don't bring drama to the sport."

"If I was Tate, I'd beat the shit out of him and her." Another commentator jokes.

The conversations continue about the character of Clay Calhoun. If he's not faithful to a woman how can he be faithful to a team. Some commentators say how they wouldn't want to be Clay's PR manager. Tate thought back to her first meeting with Rick. He was a short round man with black hair so shiny it had to be toupee. Rick wasn't mean by any measure and welcomed Tate into the circle. He liked the image Tate gave Clay of being down to earth. Rick often told Tate that he saw a wedding in her future. He promised her a big spread in a bridal magazine when it happened. It wasn't Rick's fault that Clay is stupid.

Tate rolls over facing the back of the couch and mutes the television. Two weeks ago, she was dreaming about their wedding and now she sits crying and hasn't been able to stop since last night. The moment the sun went down all the memories flooded back to Tate. Was it obvious that Clay was cheating on her with Megan?

Megan had been over to their place a lot, for shooting vlogs and different challenges on her art Youtube channel. Megan was known as the fashionable one of Tate's friends. She often came on the channel giving little aesthetic makeovers and recreated celebrity looks on Tate. Nothing in Tate's eyes seemed wrong. Clay was busy due to practice and Megan had a job writing for a magazine reviewing celebrity fashion. Although with Clay going to extra practices, he never got any better this season, Tate thought. Was he actually going to extra practices, or were they meeting up. And when everyone went to Coachella did Megan actually get food poisoning the first day or was she just trying to stay in the bungalow with Clay as he wasn't interested in the day 2 lineup.

Tate sits up and wipes her eyes with a sleeve. The front door of her home slings open. In the doorway is Desiree, her best friend with a new set of chin length braids with clear beads on the ends. She sets the bags on the coffee table. The whole room smells like barbeque chicken pizza

"Tate, are you crying?" Desiree asks, sitting down beside her.

"No." Tate answers, wiping away more tears.

"It looks like you are."

"Well I'm not, it's just...I'm so stupid." Tate cries.

"You're not stupid, you fell in love, were vulnerable, and a guy fucked you over."

"I should have known he was cheating on me."

"Should've, Would've, Could've. Don't dwell on it, girl. Clay was an ass. You deserve so much better."

"Did you or Cole know?"

"No we didn't, but we didn't like him. We just tolerated him because you loved him."

"Loved...Love is dead, and I'm an accomplice." Tate curls into the couch.

"Alright Drama Queen, let's eat some pizza, have a couple beers and see if anything changes for you."

"Oh, things will change. Clay has a whole PR team to make himself the "Good" one. I'm about to be the devil."

"Beat him to it." Desiree shrugs, grabbing a plate, making herself at home in Tate's place.

"Like filming a vlog about the breakup that everyone saw on T.V?"

"Yes, it's real, raw, and relatable. Everyone has ordered a pizza, some beer and vents to their friends about guys that have fucked them over."

Tate and Desiree set up the camera and begin filming the two chatting and eating pizza. Tate begins addressing the camera and her audience about a few things.

"Hey guys, I just wanted to come online and thank you guys for supporting me for this long. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this in a span of ten years if it wasn't for you guys. Now I know some people are saying things about me. I just want to set the record straight about Clay." She says.

"I'm here for moral support and pizza." Desiree adds. Her presence on the channel has always been welcomed. Her own channel revolves around cosplay and makeup.

The two women dish about everything currently going on in their lives. Tate fills her audience in on what really happened after that game and highlights how the sideline reporter was very kind to her and apologized for Clay's actions.She asks her audience to not attack Clay or the New York Jets and to avoid any statements made by his team. Tate cracks open a beer and ends the mukbang vlog.

"How do you think that went?" Desiree asks.

"Pretty good, it felt nice to get all that out of my system, and I think I'm done crying."