║The Yellow Rose of Graceland ║ Elvis Presley║

┃Something is starting, part one

Gladys wore a white dress with a pattern of black roses at the bottom, leaving her hair hanging down. She put some light makeup on and she was ready. She looked in the mirror and smiled flirtatiously.

Then she heard a door creak and turned away. She saw Cilla smiling at her.

— You look beautiful — Cilla said. —Did you go out with Dylan?

— Yes — Gladys lied and turned back to the mirror. —He's going to be visiting a friend for a few days, and he has a great opportunity to spend some time with me.

Cilla watched Gladys closely, and for a moment thought she saw Patti. Gladys was tall and slender like her mother, though she looked very much like Elvis as a child. But now the girl was beginning to resemble her deceased mother.

—Cilla — Gladys began. —What are we going to do to get the money?

— You don't have to worry about that yet.

—But I should — Gladys turned to her. —It's the moment father cuts you off your support. And I want to help you. Let me know and I will start looking for a job.

Cilla looked at her for a moment, then said:

— For now, I have money. But if they weren't there, I can do it. I have little experience in running my own business, I used to have a boutique. Maybe I'll open it again?

— And I'll be the lead model with Lisa.— Gladys took her hands and grinned at her. —What do you think?

Cilla stared at her, and the image of Patti flashed through her mind again.

Cilla found herself in the attic, where Elvis kept unnecessary clothes and souvenirs after his mother. Nobody was allowed in here except him and Vernon, but she didn't care.

As the new Mrs. Presley, she was free to go wherever she wanted. She looked around - there were unnecessary lumber and boxes everywhere. With a strange premonition, she walked over to the box at the very end and wiped the dust off it.

She shone her flashlight and saw the words in a large black marker:

Eliminate as soon as possible.

Cilla took the cover off and saw the things she expected to see. Several of Patti's dresses were in the box, as were several of her photos. She also saw her hairbrush, old mascara, lipstick.

It's been a year since Patti's death and Elvis has kept some of her belongings. If he wanted to get rid of it, why was he still holding it? Were these his trophies?

Cilla took one of the photos of Patti where a young woman posed in an elegant black dress. Patti was smiling flirtatiously into the lens as Cilla saw Elvis' handwriting downstairs.

Whore.

Cilla pursed her lips at how Elvis now referred to his first wife. When she had more photos in her hands, she saw what he had done with them - on one Patti's eyes were bulging, in another he smeared her face with a black marker.

Cilla put the photos back in the box with trembling hands and put the cover back on. She took a deep breath, aware that she had entered a nightmare from which Patti had failed to escape.

Will she succeed?

As Cilla returned to reality, she blinked and Gladys asked:

— Everything's all right?

— Yes, honey — Cilla nodded and touched her cheek. — Sometimes I think.

— Too often.

Then the door opened and Lisa Marie stood in the doorway.

—Gladys, someone honked a horn — the girl said, and raised her eyebrows a few times. — Is that why you dressed up like that?

—That someone is Dylan — Gladys muttered and winked quickly at her sister as Cilla turned her head towards her daughter. — He came in his friend's car.

— Date with your super boring guy — Lisa muttered and Cilla caught her attention:

— Behave, young lady.

— Boring guys are cute — Gladys bit back and grabbed her purse. — I have to go, I'll call you when I get back.

—Have fun — Cilla said, but Gladys had already stormed out of the room and down the stairs. As she fell out the front door, she ran down the path to the gate. As she closed it behind her, her heart skipped a beat at the awareness of who was inside.

She opened the passenger door to find Michael in a black wig, fake mustache, and beard. He wore sunglasses that he dropped over his nose.

—Hello, Tinkerbell — he said, and she slammed the door.

—Hello, Michael — she said cheerfully, and to her surprise he kissed her cheek. — Ready for a little madness?

—I want it more than you know — she chuckled, and Michael said fondly.

— Fasten your seat belt.

Gladys obediently did so, and Michael moved on. The ignorant Cilla and Lisa thought that the girl had gone with her boyfriend Dylan.

Michael and Gladys didn't talk much during the ride. Finally she asked:

— I understand we're going to the movies now?

—Right, but that's one of the few surprises — he chuckled. — Jesus, I can't believe I'm doing this.

— What? — she asked, raising an eyebrow, and he whispered:

— That I'm on a date. I told you I'm so shy.

It was then that he realized that he had expressed it wrong. He cleared his throat and explained:

— We went out to get to know each other better. After all, we want to be friends.

But Gladys knew his true intention. He wanted a date with her, not just a friendly outing.

— Why are you running away from this? — She asked quietly. — That you want a specific meeting with me?

Michael was silent, biting his lip.

— Let it out — Gladys encouraged him. — Why are you afraid to say we're going on a date?

She herself understood at this point that, unfortunately, she was not playing fair. She was with Dylan and she met another man. And to her surprise, she wanted it. She was intrigued by Michael.

— Do you think it could work? — He asked quietly. — I'm ... I'm so withdrawn and it has cost me a lot to offer you this. Besides, I'm famous and it can be tiring for us.

—And what am I?— Gladys rolled her eyes. — I have been famous since my father got my mother pregnant. Elvis Presley's firstborn daughter, a rock n roll princess. My father's fame curse still accompanies me - and I'm tired of it, but what should I do? I made a tough rule and live my own life, which puts me in conflict with my father. I can count on myself, my stepmother and Lisa.

—I'm glad you're with me now — he whispered. —That's something else entirely. For the first time in a long time, I feel like a normal gray person. Fame stays behind me and today I'm just Michael.

— So let's celebrate today —  Gladys grinned. — Today's going to be special, right?

They did not know that a car was behind them some distance away ...