August 2004
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
The journalist asked Sapphire to leave the room while she interviewed Juli.
What’s Juli Taylor’s style like today? Three years ago, when she was sixteen, it was bedazzled jeans, sparkle lip gloss and popcorn shirts. What does she think of that now? Is it still ‘hot’?
“Of course it is!” She beams.
The interviewer is sitting directly across from her at a local fish shop.
What about her go to beauty look?
“Fake lashes and acrylic nails! Those were created by God himself!” She takes a bite out of her fish sandwich.
But what about all of her newfound fame? She doesn’t do much at all, but everyone loves her for some odd reason.
“I’m handling it really, really well. I mean, I was popular in high school, so all the attention really isn’t new,” she laughs. “But I love it, yeah, it’s really cool!”
The journalist smiled awkwardly. Jesus, she was basic. How did she think her sister was handling the success?
“Sapphire is like, crazy,” she rolls her eyes. “She’s definitely not ready for this and-”
She was interrupted by a voice. A voice coming from upstairs. “Wrapped in a blanket of despair,” the voice sang. “The people above float in mid air.”
Juli sighed. “Don’t pay that any attention, that’s just Sapph being disrespectful!” She shouted.
“Oh, shut it!” Sapphire shouted back.
The journalist couldn't help but smile. They were such sisters. Such kids. So big yet so lost. Her smile faded. “I think i’ve got all I needed, i’d better go now,” she gave an awkward smile.
Juli cocked her head. “Oh, already?” She asked.
“Yes. Thank you for everything, really!” She said, as she shut the door behind her.
Sapphire came back downstairs, fanning away cigarette smoke. She threw herself lazily onto the couch, miserably.
“What’s wrong with you?” Juli scoffed.
“Jack, man,” she confessed. “I’m worried about him. He’s my rock, if he’s not okay, i’m sure as hell not okay!” She said, almost angrily. “You know, last night? When he left, drunk out of his mind?”
Juli laughed. “Duh! He made us look like a fool in front of all those big, professional guys! How embarrassing!” She pouted.
“So I had a lucid dream last night,” Sapphire began, leaning forward. “That I painted this picture. This picture of Jack, and for a hot bloody second, I thought I saw the devil in his eyes. But then again, I didn’t see anything. I kind of wish I would have,” she shrugged.
“Ew! Why?” Juli’s face shriveled up.
“I dunno,” Sapph laughed. “For the experience, I guess.” She shrugged.
Sapphire’s manager, Matt, then came bursting through the door enthusiastically.
“You have another interview after your gig at Albert Hall tomorrow!” He said happily.
Sapphire sighed. “Great,” she took a puff out of her cigarette. She hated interviews.
“You should be excited! You’re achieving so much at such a young age!” Juli exclaimed.
“It’s whatever,” she frowned. Sapphire didn’t think anyone understood, she never asked for this massive success. She hated when people called her “famous,” as she was still completely unknown everywhere but the United Kingdom.
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, sitting down next to her.
“Why can’t I just make music? Why the extra stuff? Nobody fucking knows how irritating it is to be compared to people who are nothing like you!” She hissed, just about shouting.
“It’s apart of musical fame-” Matt began.
“I’m not fucking famous, Matty! I’m a musician! Nothing less, nothing more!” She interrupted.
There was a brief, awkward silence.
“Sapph, you’re going to be huge. Whether you want it or not. You don’t realise how talented you are, do you?” Matt crossed his arms, doubtfully. “Do you think it’s scary to be famous? Is that you’re afraid of?”
She clapped. “IT IS! It’s a damn scary thing, it’s very scary! You think I could handle all that attention? I could only see myself reacting to fame in a bad way. I like to be reckless and be a regular fucking teenager! You think get away with all that I do if I was famous?" She laughed.
incomplete
YOU ARE READING
Fame Monster Act l
General Fiction"Because the tragedy of Sapphire Taylor was like something out of a movie. It was surreal. Her life was surreal. It was lived out in public, in front millions of people, since the age of eighteen. She was twenty six when she passed, but still acted...
