CONTRADICTED STARS || L. PARTRIDGE [1 | EDITING]

11. Used

AS Y/N PUSHED open the pub's glass door, the clatter and clink of glassware filled her ears, as well as the gaze of a few pairs of eyes she didn't expect to see. She smiled and spotted the cab driver, who smiled warmly in return.

"Miss Cabrera, it's nice to see you again!" he said as he shook her hand and chuckled.

"It's nice to see you again too, sir!" Y/N replied.

"Drop the formalities, young lady. Call me Bartie!"

"And you can call me Y/N!"

"You don't strike a difficult bargain," Bartie commented with a laugh.

"I was told I have a knack for negotiations," Y/N responded.

The two of them shared a moment of laughter, and Bartie looked around to notice the attention Y/N was receiving. He let out a breath and fixed his gaze back on her. "I mentioned meeting you to my daughter. That cheered her up a bit from not being able to get into Brixley. She said it was better that her old man knew Y/N Cabrera personally. She did mention something else about your new status at the university, though. I never knew you had a name for yourself already, but I wasn't expecting the stain that shouldn't be there."

"I didn't even know my name's shadows would follow me here to London. I'm sorry your daughter is involved in my media influence."

"No, no. It's not your fault, not entirely at least," Bartie said, his words subtle but indicating he had followed the story through his daughter. He believed Y/N had her faults, as she did herself, but what could she do? Louis Partridge was a catalyst for her every reaction to the drama.

"I do have problems with someone," Y/N said.

"Louis Partridge?" Bartie asked for confirmation.

"Ill-bred," Y/N mumbled with a nod.

"The media is the most ill-bred of all. They don't know the rights of privacy when it comes to someone in the spotlight. They think they have an innate privilege to stalk them and 'make them flourish,' as they sugarcoat it," Bartie said in frustration.

Cabrera bobbed her head agreeing. "Sometimes I just have to live through hell," she confessed and turned to everyone there before looking back at Bartie, "Even though I really don't like the attention at all. From people who matter, I would very much appreciate it, but too many people who I don't even know — those eyes on me never failed to make my knees shake."

"You said you wanted to be an actor. I didn't know you already are."

"I'm not, sir. I just had to lie to the public to save me from the problem, but I don't think that's done anything for me at all."