Send My Love (to your new lover)

Two Strikes

Emma had sent me links to two videos that were breaking at that very moment. A cold, sick feeling filled me up as I watched the voyeuristic clips in horror. Two nights in Park City. Karaoke and champagne one night; Emma, me and Stephanie, hashing it out in the bathroom the next.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God," I whispered, feeling like I might throw up.

I watched the first video of myself drunkenly prancing around a stage in Park City, singing Stephanie's song. The second showed the three of us talking next to the vanity in the bathroom of the Art Center, the camera watching us through a barely cracked door. Stephanie's emergence from the stall, tears, makeup running, they recorded everything. Whoever was behind that lens certainly got the scoop of the century, that's for sure. They captured every single word, every glare, every single scornful exchange.

"I just hope that it's the real thing and something new and exciting doesn't catch Tom's eye or she'll get blindsided just like me--"

Those irrefutable and damning words, straight from my mouth, captured on video. I rewatched it over and over until I could feel my blood boiling in my veins. Then, I started considering what was next for me.

Never go out in public and live in the guest house with Mom forever?

I shuddered at the thought.

Hoards of angry Tom fans coming after me?

Worse-Hoards of angry Stephanie's fans coming after me?

"No way. No effing way."

I picked up my phone and called Emma back, I wanted to keep my emotions in check but I could feel them beating down the door, demanding to be felt.

"Jenny?" I could hear her shuffling around on the other end of the line.

"I can't do this--" I whimpered into the phone.

"Where are you?"

"I'm holed up in my bedroom. Emma, my fucking mom is here!"

"What??" she shrieked.

"Long story. This is seriously the last thing I need right now."

"Look on the bright side, at least it wasn't a sex tape."

"Emma!"

"I'm just saying--"

"This is insane. I haven't even been in a relationship with him long enough for drama like this."

"That's LA for you--"

"What am I going to do?"

"Do what we talked about yesterday. You have options. Ignore, confront or just wait it out. So the whole world knows about the weird, love triangle you're stuck in. Who cares?"

"It's not really a triangle anymore...it's more of a misshapen square...either way, it's all gone to shit...this is a disaster. I don't think I can do this--" I said as I slumped down onto my bed. My chest felt tight. Panicked. I couldn't drag enough oxygen into my lungs.