𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 & 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦, 𝐦. 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨

¹²

the small sound of a knock pulled hope out of her trance as she scrolled through her social media. she heaved a sigh as she quickly closed her phone and picked up a book from her bedside table to appear occupied. her mum had already scolded her before and she was not trying to have a repeat of the situation.

"come in," she answered from under her covers as she opened the book up to a random page, about a third way into the book that she had yet to read.

she shuffled around and waited patiently as the door handle to her bedroom twisted and the door creaked open. her mum closed the door gently behind her and rested against the hard surface with a frown etched onto her face.

"you weren't reading," selena pointed out without so much as a second glance towards her daughter.

hope furrowed her brows a little too quickly, "what do you mean?"

"you weren't reading before i knocked on your door," she repeated more firmly this time and the look on her face was enough for her to daughter to sigh.

"every time," she huffed in disbelief and her mum chuckled slightly.

she walked towards the bed that lay in the middle of the room and paused beside it, "mind if i sit?"

"never," hope responded in a heartbeat, earning her a soft smile.

selena did as such and slumped beside her daughter, pulling her in close and plucking the book from her hand and resting it in her lap.

"don't let them get to you darling, it's working exactly as they want it to," she shook her head carefully and hope knew she was right but she couldn't help it.

hope rested her head on selena's shoulder carefully, "it's easier said than done."

"i know, trust me i know, but you shouldn't keep looking at the comments. it'll only make you feel worse," selena hummed.

hope nodded her head in understanding. she knew her mother was right, she always was, but it was a little hard to pay no mind to the negative way some of the fans had reacted. they had come up with all sorts of rumours and she received more hateful comments than she could even begin to count. the triplets' words from the other day echoed in her mind as she tried to convince herself that she just needed to give the fans some time to adjust. they often disliked the idea of change and she for one, struggled to grasp the concept herself.

"you know i love you, right?" her mum questioned softly and hope nodded her head instantly.

"i love you too, a lot," she replied honestly and relished in the grin that took over both their features.

"do something that'll distract you like maybe actually reading that book?" selena suggested with a laugh and hope found herself laughing.

selena was soon out of her only child's room and hope was left alone once again. this time though, she didn't feel overwhelmed with her thoughts and she felt like some of the pressure forcing down on her had been erased. it was minimal but felt better regardless and she did as she was advised. she was determined to get out of her reading slump anyway and how better to get out than to use it as an escape mechanism for a while?

she flicked to the start of the first chapter and her eyes ran across the pages. she felt like kicking herself for not reading it sooner; it was truly amazing. she almost immediately found herself engrossed in the pages and the content they explored. her imagination ran free as she turned page after page with wide eyes, smiles and frowns.

time was an illusion as she continued to read on curiously. she made her way downstairs and flopped onto the couch in order to read in a different environment. she let the cushions behind her engulf her as the day went on around her.