Studio 22 | Mary-Kate Olsen

Chapter Thirty-Three

December 1st 2022- New York City - Studio 22

Having to hide in the bathroom to cry is humiliating when you're 14 in school, it's even worse when you're 22 and hiding in the bathroom crying because your boss shouted at you. It was in front of everyone and it was horrid, she went red in the face and she threw my work on the floor. I've never felt more mortified than I did at that moment. I looked at her trying to keep my tears at bay and she looked back at me and I didn't recognise her. She had no remorse for what she had just done, she had a challenging look in her eyes as she cocked her brow daring me to say something to her. I was in shock for a moment, everyone in the room was sitting in silence. Ashley stood up and began to walk towards me. "Excuse me," was all I could say before I rushed off to the bathroom.

I struggled to catch my breath as tears made my make-up run down my cheeks. I needed to pull it together. I had at least two more hours at work before I could even think about going home. Mary-Kate has turned super cold towards me, she snaps at every little thing I do, nothing I offer her is good enough and I overstep if I talk in meetings. As for our friendship, it's pretty much non-existent at this point. She stopped replying to my messages, we don't hang out anymore, she avoids me after group. I feel utterly invisible to her. I don't know what I've done wrong. I asked Ashley and she just said she's dealing with something right now. But I don't understand why she's taking it out on me.

"Blue?" Ashley's sweet voice echoed off the tiled walls. "I'm good," I called back to her. She knocked on the stall I was in. I wiped my face and took a deep breath before unlocking the stall door. "Hi!" I greeted her as brightly as I could muster in that moment. "I'm so sorry." I shake my head. She didn't need to apologise. "I don't know what's going on between the two of you but she shouldn't bring it to work." "Nothing has happened. She just changed suddenly." I tell her, walking to the sinks to wash my hands. "Nothing?" "I swear, one minute she was teasing me about being hungover and then she switched and she's never gone back. She was just snapping at me constantly. I don't know what I did... I've tried to apologise to her for whatever I did but she won't talk to me, she won't respond to my messages. She makes me work as far away from her as I possibly can. Nothing I do is right. I don't know what I've done." And the tears start to spill again. "I could do without it right now." Ashley rested a hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze. "Is it your brother?" I shake my head. "No, It's Kacy's birthday this week. And it's coming up to their anniversary and my friend hates me." I shrugged. "I just... I could do with MK not hating me right now. Because my girlfriend's birthday is coming up and she's not here to celebrate it because of me. I have that to deal with right now," I rambled before I realised what I was saying. "Oh, Blue," She said with pity. I hated the look she was giving me right now. "I'm fine. I just need to not be around her." She nodded understandingly.

"Why don't you go to pick up the new samples," I nodded. "Go to the office and get my car keys, they're on the desk." I nodded again. "Take your time though." "Thanks." I felt so vulnerable right now, crying at work wasn't me. Being sensitive to people shouting at me wasn't something I've ever done before, unless it was my dad. Because that's when I knew I really messed up. "Blue?" Ashley called when she got to the door. "Yeah?" I tried to show her I was okay. "It wasn't your fault." We locked eyes. "I don't know what happened, but you're not in control in those situations you couldn't have predicted whatever happened... It's not your fault." And she left.

I turned to look in the mirror and refused to let myself cry anymore. When I rid my face of the ruined make-up I went to Ashley's office letting myself in and grabbed her car keys. Normally I used Mary-Kate's car but we're no longer talking, according to her so I didn't even attempt to ask for her keys. As I was leaving the building MK was reentering, I assume she had just been out to smoke. "Where are you going?" She asked me, and we both stopped at the entrance. "To pick up the samples," I say, as my eyes flicker around refusing to look at her. "I thought you were going to redo the TR3 proposal," She asked, her voice was way more delicate than it was when she was screaming at me 45 minutes ago. "I will, I just need to get the samples for Ashley." "Do you have my keys?" "Don't need them." I say taking a step forward I felt her hand on my wrist so I stopped in place again. "Make sure it's done by the end of the day." "Yep." I was stupid to think she was sudeenly going to switch back to being normal with me. I just wished I knew what I did to make her hate me so suddenly.