What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

2.24: sephine

"See, it could have been much worse," I point out to Tessa, rinsing out my coffee mug as she dries hers next to me. Hayes left a little more than two hours ago, and we've been hanging out ever since.

"I thought Hayes was going to shit a brick when he saw me," She jokes half-seriously, and I can't help but let out a chuckle because I kind of thought the same thing. "So did Grayson really walk in on you guys?"

"Yes, and I think it might have been the most embarrassing moment of my life. I'm ninety percent sure that Hayes still hasn't taken away his key, either."

Tessa tucks a piece of her dark hair behind an ear, "I bet he's been walked in on multiple times thanks to his phase in high school."

I set the mug on the rack next to Tessa's, "After meeting my dad in high school, Hayes told me that he'd been chased out of houses half-naked after being caught by parents on multiple occasions." I can barely get the words out because I've already started laughing, and Tessa is laughing right along with me. And it's not just the awkward laughter you do when making small talk, it's the kind of laughter that turns your face purple, and you're bent over from laughing so hard.

And I honest to god can't remember the last time I've laughed this hard, and it led to me sitting on the hardwood floors because I couldn't stand anymore. "I don't think we've ever laughed like this even when we were friends before all that happened," She brings up sitting next to me, and I smile over at her.

"I think you're right. Jeez, that was a long time ago."

"Agreed. It feels like yesterday sometimes."

"How long are you in town for?" I ask, turning to sit facing her crisscross.

"I'm in town for a week with this shoot, and then I have a few days to fly back to Spain for a Vogue shoot where I plan on giving my resignation, but I doubt they'll take it," My jaw drops in surprise because it certainly wasn't what I expected her to admit. It's not hard to read off my face, "I have a bachelors in art history from Columbia."

"Holy shit. So what the hell are you still doing with the agency then?"

She shrugs, "I tried to leave six months ago, but they said I was in breach of my contract, and if I tried to leave anyway, they'd sue me for every penny I'm worth. I'm an asset apparently, but I'm sick of the unhealthy environment that pressures people to be this image of society."

Tessa's not wrong. "That's one of the few things I don't miss about ballet. Before I made principal, I had four of my friends hospitalized with eating disorders because they were pressured into fitting the societal standard."

She brings her knees up to her chest with a sadness in her eyes, "How do you deal with it? Because I've watched so many of the people I work with have the same problem you had in high school except they weren't able to kick it. They just stopped coming, and then I was being requested more and more so one by one I lost track of the people I came up through the ranks with until I was the only one left."

I gather my hair into a low ponytail just to keep it out of my face, "I don't know. I've always had Ollie with me, but I can imagine it gets pretty damn lonely being there by yourself."

My phone rings from up on the counter, and I groan, reaching my hand up to feel for it before pulling the blaring phone down to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hi Ms. Montgomery, this is Cheryl Yuller, Mr. Benson's publicist." Her cheerful voice announces from the other side of the line.

Tessa is looking at me curiously, but I have no idea why she would be calling me. "Can I help you?"

She hesitates, "I need you to interview with Lesli Arnolds in an hour to get your side of the story out to get ahead bad press. The best thing in this kind of situation is to make people fall in love with you and forget that you're a human who made mistakes."