Flowers on the Floor

CHAPTER III: PUSH & PULL

Days begin to feel like months.

Ever since the release party, I haven't felt like myself. I constantly replay the feeling I felt as I watched Hailee walk away from me after completely shattering any hope I had left. After leaving abruptly and telling Alissa to meet me at the car, Alissa has refrained from pressing for more information. Inevitably aware that something happened between Hailee and I, she's done well at not forcing me to talk about it.

"You don't have to go if you aren't up for it. Although, I do think getting out of the house and doing something other than going to the gym and class will do some good." Alissa says through the car speaker.

I rest my elbow on the driver door and rub my hand over my mouth. "It's fine. It'll be nice to see Meredith and the others." I admit, although a part of me knows I'll only think of Hailee every time Meredith speaks. Then again, without Meredith, my mind would still be on Hailee. In the end, what difference does it really make?

I pull into the parking garage and find Alissa standing with Meredith, Julia, and Eiza alongside Meredith's Range Rover. I park and make my way over to them. I notice that Meredith and Julia are both wearing sunglasses despite the fact that the parking garage is the last place they would be needed.

"Are we expecting a crowd?" I ask, gesturing to my eyes to reference their shades.

Eiza lowers her sunglasses down to the bridge of her nose. "This is Fifty Shades Freed, babe. There's always a crowd." She chews her gum as she lifts her sunglasses back up her nose.

I smile at her personality and shake my head as we make our way to the elevator. Surprised Julia decided not the wear any type of disguise, I notice the line of people standing at the ticket booths to get inside.

"This is crazy." Alissa states.

"Yeah, now I regret not bringing sunglasses." Julia agrees.

"Told you." Eiza says, keeping her head down.

Like clockwork, flashes appear all around us. I raise my hand to cover my eyes as I follow the girls towards the entrance. There has to be some other way celebrities can watch movies — a premiere, maybe? I don't mention it seeing as their schedules were most likely too busy to make it to the premiere.

"Julia! Over here!"

"Eiza, what are we seeing tonight?!"

I notice a few workers make way for us to enter as the paparazzi closes in around us. I follow closely in the back as I watch Alissa, Meredith, and Julia enter the theater. Eiza steps onto the curb in front of me as a man with a camera increases his shutter speed and moves uncomfortably close to her face.

"I think you got enough." I say, annoyed for her. I place my hand on Eiza's waist to guide her in the direction she should move in. The flashes of light continue as we finally enter the building.

Several people around us begin taking their phones out to take pictures. Some of them look as though they don't even know who is standing next to them but they decide to take pictures anyway. I shake my head at the idea of dealing with this any time you choose to leave the house.

After spending the past week being forced to binge-watch the Fifty Shades series with Alissa, I conjure up all of my strength to sit through another one. Taking a seat between Eiza and Meredith, I lean back in my chair to prepare for whatever cringy scenes I'm going to endure within the next two hours.

At the opening scene, I watch as Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan prepare for a wedding and exchange vows. As soon as the crowd cheers, a familiar sound begins to play in the background of the scene.