𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 • Miguel Cazarez Mora

IX: LEAVING

warning: this chapter contains strong themes of cyber bullying, including sexualisation of a minor and death threats. if these trigger you i urge you to skip this chapter. these will not be ongoing themes throughout the whole book, but i feel like cyber bullying is something ppl don't talk about enough in the entertainment industry, and it needs to be brought to light. i'll put a summary at the end of this chapter for anyone who would like to skip.

It was the day Tatum was due to leave. Her bags were packed, and she was meant to meet her friends at the airport in half an hour.

She hugged her mom as she stepped out of the car. It was her first time going on a plane alone, since her mom had came with her to film The Black Phone.

the best cast📞

TRISTAN🌼
i'm here

TATUM🪷
where

TRISTAN🌼
at the airport...?

TATUM🪷
no idiot
where in the airport

TRISTAN🌼
OH
by the gate

TATUM🪷
on my way

Tatum walked through the airport, navigating her way to the gate until she saw Tristan, sat one of the chairs. She made her way over as fast as she could.

Tristan got up and instantly hugged her. "Hey," he said.

"Hi, where's everyone else?" She asked.

"On their way," Tristan looked at Tatum for a second, "I'm so proud of you," he said. And he was. Since they met, he knew that he dream was to make it big in the entertainment industry. This was never a part time thing for her, she wanted this to be her life.

"Thank you, Tristan," she said. "Oh, there's everyone!" She said, noticing the rest of the group.

They ran to her, embracing her in a group hug. "How are you feeling?" Mason asked.

"Totally nervous. I've never been on a plane alone before. Not to mention, I got told the other cast members. Let's just say I better not make a fool out of myself."

"You won't," Brady reassured her.

"Yeah," Maddy said, "You got this role for a reason, Tatum. You really should stop doubting yourself."

"You're right. Thanks, Mads," Tatum said, sitting down. She heard a twitter notification.

USER3759: Heard @kennedytatum is flying out to shoot her film today. Let's hope the plane falls🤣

Tatum's eyes grew wider. She'd dealt with a few hate comments over the past few days, but this one was by far the worst. She checked the replies.

USER713: cmon now. i don't like her but this is was too far

Was that supposed to be reassuring?

USER284: FOUL LMAO. but true. maybe that fear of blood will get her fired quick. such a pussy lmao💀

USER149: y'all rlly don't care how you affect somebody until they do some crazy shit. i really hope this poor girl is okay. she's 15. get a grip.

USER2738: ON GOD LOL

USER92: at this point i'd be happy to take matters into my own hands, that girl grinds my gears🙄

USER284: nah, then we won't get to see her turn 18

Her eyes filled with tears and she felt a lump in her throat. People were so sick. If they weren't hating on her, they were sexualising her. Her leg bounced up and down, and she felt a hand on her knee.

She looked up, seeing Miguel sat next to her. "It's okay, you're gonna do great. You're one of the best actors I've-"

Tatum cut him off. "It's not that, Miguel."

"Then what is it?" He asked. Everyone else seemed to listen in now, too, noticing something was up.

Tatum stayed quiet. "Tay," Tristan said sternly. "Is it another hate comment?"

"It's worse than hate," she looked down at her phone. Miguel took the phone from her hands. He looked at the tweet, then scrolled through the replies. His jaw clenched, he felt sick to his stomach. How could someone say this about someone so sweet?

"What is it?" Tristan asked Miguel. He handed him the phone. "What the actual fuck?"

Tristan handed the phone back to Tatum, who sat in silence as him and Miguel both typed on their own phones. Soon enough, there were two new replies to the tweet.

MIGUELCAZAREZMORA: how sick so y'all have to be to say this shit about a 15 year old girl. tay is the sweetest person i think i've ever met, and the fact y'all are projecting your insecurities onto her so harshly is sad and quite frankly embarrassing for you. grow tf up.

TRISTANPRAVONG: get a GRIP lmao. just bc ur not successful doesn't mean you have to bring successful ppl down. petty as fuck. get a life, go outside, i beg. i promise that when you look on the brighter side of life, smell the roses, touch the grass, you won't have so much hate in your heart.

USER3759: Her boyfriend's are here! I bet she's sat crying to them rn.
——— USER209: boyfriends plural? LOL!! idk this girl but she sounds like a slut, lmao. which guy do we think she actually likes? or maybe she's just using them to fight her battles🤣

"Slut," Tatum read aloud, tears filling her eyes.

"What?" Mason asked.

"Someone called me a slut." She could see Tristan and Miguel getting angry again, ready to type out another response, but she stopped them. "Leave it. Retaliating will only make matters worse. I can handle it. I mean, I'm not the first girl to be called a slut, right?"

Miguel held her hand, rubbing it. "It'll die down soon, promise," he said. Tatum nodded.

Tatum put the tweet to the back of her mind, trying her hardest not to think about it. She spent the rest of her time in the airport laughing and talking with her friends, reminiscing on the filing of The Black Phone, and talking about what they thought Tatum's new film was gonna be like.

Eventually, though, the time came for Tatum to leave. "It's really time," she said, "I'm gonna miss you guys so much, oh my god." This time, she didn't just let the tears stay in her eyes, she let them fall. Everyone else cried, too.

"You're gonna kill it," Maddy said.

"Yeah, this is just the start for you. Knock 'em dead," Brady said.

Miguel pulled her in for a separate hug. "I'll miss you, Tay. Am I allowed to call you that, now?"

"Of course you are. I'll miss you too."

Tristan pulled her in. "You're gonna do amazing. Don't let those bitches get to you. I love you, okay?"

"I love you, too. Bye guys," Tatum said, waving her friends off with tears luring down her face. This was it.

SUMMARY: for those of you that decided to skip this chapter. basically tatum gets to the airport and meets everyone there. she gets a notif from twitter and it's a tweet of someone saying they hope her plane crashes. lots of ppl agree with the tweet. miguel and tristan reply to it but tatum just gets called a coward and a slut. eventually she manages to stop thinking about it and spends the rest of her time at the airport happy with her friends. when she has to leave everyone cries and then she gets on the plane.