Maxon chooses Kriss. America's father dies; leaving her with the responsibility to provide for her family whilst grieving the loss of the two most important men in her life.
Grief is a peculiar thing. It destroys you from within. So when the fine li...
-we can't be friends (wait for your love) Ariana Grande
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Celeste pulls up in her two seater convertible early that Friday morning; it's the kind of car that says 'dare to befriend me'. And America nearly laughs at how impractical it is.
There hadn't been much of a discussion about America's spontaneous trip. Madga didn't even seem to notice the night before when America broke the news; her mother had been completely submerged in grief since America returned. May on the other hand looked completely devastated about her getaway trip. Which America couldn't understand. What was her issue? Didn't she deserve this little escape? Her face flushed as she ran through all of the possible reasons for May's disappointment. Although some unacknowledged part of America knew. This first little trip marked the start of her leaving their cocooned home where they had found comfort in routine as their scabs formed over the gapping loss of their father.
The daughters of Illea passed the drive with the radio low, chatting over the patter of the early spring rain. Catching up on some of the more mundane parts of their new lives. For a start the papers.
"Did you see that cover a while back? I think it was last month's issue of the Illean Insider-" Celeste asks, following the curve of the coastal road they were following. Given the length of the drive -and America's reflection that she hasn't seen much of Illea at all- the two had decided to take the scenic route.
"Inside Illea?" America had started to buy that gossip magazine as a small treat of May, she loves to flick the pictures, eventually reading the not so newsworthy 'articles'. Besides, Silvia had taught America the importance of being 'in the know' and what better way of easing back into that habit than reading a teenaged tabloid?
"Yes, the overly colourful one... to be fair it used to be the only thing I read!" Celeste sheepishly admits. America smiles at the image of a younger Celeste reading about the breakup of some admired couple, hidden under bed sheets forming amongst the grassy dunes obscuring her view of the sea. "But seriously that front page 'three month catch up' of the Elite was disgusting!"
The article itself was a seven page spread cluttered with paparazzi pictures of each of the 35 Selected; minus Marlee. The cover page showcased a cut out collage of five of the Elite going about their mundane routines. With every page turned the pictures dwindled in size as the daughters became more and more forgettable. Celeste and America both had the honour of being featured just below the princess.
Kriss was pictured taking down one of the Christmas trees that had sprung up in America's final days. Golden jewellery glowing, her day dress shimmering amongst the ornaments that she cradled in her arms. And there America was. Wisps of hair escaping french braids laying over a heavy winter sweater. Torn jeans hidden behind a market counter as she bought their weekly shop from the local farmers market. The contrast was scaving. The little description besides the oblivious America did nothing to cool the burning reminder to everybody about everything that she had lost.
