𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 - 𝘄.𝗿.

vi. 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆

THE GROUPIES
DAISY & IRIS JONES

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IRIS' EIGHTEENTH birthday was a year ago. she has yet to get a call from her parents since she left her childhood home. she hasn't heard from them, her boyfriend, or anyone. she is officially on her own, in the best way. she is now sitting in a bay window of her new apartment in brooklyn, new york. she is on the complete opposite side of the country than her childhood life. she couldn't be happier.

she has been writing songs like crazy, some of her best work. all she needs is a studio, and someone to produce her music (which is way easier said than done). she would have been so high-strung and stressed to get these songs recorded, but she's comes to the point in her life where she just wants peace. this is the first time in her life where she's been happy being alone.

well, she wasn't alone.

her bedroom door opens. out walks a brood, very muscular man who nearly touches the top of the bedroom doorway with his head, standing at six feet and two inches. iris isn't dating, if that's what you're thinking. she's convinced herself that she won't be dating for about another decade. she met this guy at a broadway show about ten months ago; he thought she was attractive, she doesn't do relationships --so they settled for a friends-with-benefits dynamic.

"good morning, iris." he smiles at her. heading to her kitchen for a cup of coffee. she replies back with a simple 'morning' topped with a heart-warming smile, per usual. she stares out of her bay window, sitting in nothing but a red and black silk robe, and a coffee in her hand. she looks out to the city, regretting her decision to head back to california next week. her 'friend', harry cameron (whom is an actor with connections, as he says), told her about someone named teddy price and that he was looking for artists.

over the past ten months, harry and iris have hung out in her apartment many times since they met. when they're not folded between the fabric of her sheets, iris sometimes sings for him. she usually does it when she's high or buzzed or else she gets embarrassed. he's told her countless times how talented she is and how far she could go, how far she will go. and though she's aware of how amazing and unique her voice is, after everything she's been through and everything she's been told, it feels kind of hard to believe that she can become a big star. little does she know... she's going to become the biggest star there ever was.

as harry walked back into the living room where iris was sitting, she turns to him and says, "hey harry, can i ask you a question?" she takes another sip of her hazelnut coffee.

he takes a bite of his mini bagel while he replies in his london-like accent, "you know you can always ask me anything-- so hit me." he sits down across from her on the bay-window cushion so they're both now facing one other.

"is it stupid to go back to california so soon? i mean, i've made a great new start here. i have a nice apartment, i've got good money coming in, i've got you." she smiled at him, "what happens if i go back and everything is the same that it was before?"

"you aren't the same person that you were when i first met you. you've always been strong, sure, but when i met you, you were broken. you had downgraded yourself so much that even you made yourself feel like nothing." he sits his coffee and bagel on the table nearby and moves closer to iris, placing his hands on her bents knees that were tucked into her chest. "let me tell you something, you are not nothing. you have dreams, live them. you have goals, achieve them. you have a gorgeous voice, use it. stop shutting yourself out, stop focusing on everyone else. you're not going to get anything you want sitting here staring out of this window thinking about all of the what ifs."

she takes a deep breath, really taking in everything he saying. he's right. she knows that. but there's a part of her who wishes that he wasn't. she could do anything in life, but she dreams of being on stage. dancing hopelessly in front of thousands of people, singing about anything and every thing. she can see it all now. a smile creeps up on her face at the thought.

"you're smiling because you know i'm right, iris."

"you're gonna be all alone again." on one of iris' and harry's deep conversation nights, harry explained that he too fled his hometown to come to new york. though, he was leaving to pursue his dreams of acting not to make a new life.

his hometown is hampstead health in london, hence his thick accent. when he moved to new york he was all alone. didn't have a friend, or a significant other, no american family. but he didn't really care, he was living his dream life on stage, as a broadway actor.

"don't worry about me. i'll be doing exactly what i've been doing. i'll come see you, i'll be front row at your first show."

"you're not gonna miss me?" she says as she readjusts her self so how she's sitting on her knees on the cushion padding seat of the window. she's now eye level to harry and she looks back and forth to his lips and eyes.

instead of responding he rests his hand on the side of her face as he connects their lips together. she sets her hands on the nape of his neck, a few of her fingers in his rugged light brown hair.

he gently sits back against the wall behind him, never disconnecting from her lips. she moves with him and straddles his waist so now both of her knees are aligned with his hips.

she begins to smile against his lips, him following suit. both out of breath, they pull away. "you have to get ready for work." iris says, still smiling. she loves the way he makes her feel, but deep down she knows that he's just a friend. there's no emotional attraction on her part, everything is just physical. he gives her good advice, and he is good to her, but he's not what she's looking for. so, though she loves the way his lips taste, or the way his body feels against hers, she knows it's only ruining her more if they keep this up.

"and you need to start packing." he says as she moves off his lap, sitting back down on the cushion while he gets up, walking back into her room which was right in front of her. shortly after he walks back out fully clothed, no longer in his pajamas. "i'll be back over by seven tonight, and yes, i will bring you back food."

they share a few more words before he kisses her one last time before he leaves. she looks to the door as it closes, wondering what she's going to do back in california by herself.

she's had harry for majority of her stay in new york; him being her personal mentor around the city, showing her the way around things, places to go and places to avoid. he's been her emotional support, her physical "pleasure", her best friend. truthfully, he's been the only the friend she's had her entire life.

deep down she just hopes that she'll find someone who doesn't just pull her in physically but makes her feel so good just by being next to her. someone who makes her feel good without having to touch her, just by looking in her eyes and being able to communicate with her without exchanging any dialogue. maybe one day.

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