A Side Effect of Celebrity

Seven

Celebrity culture has gone crazy, and I think the reason is that real news is just not bearable, and it also seems impossible to change anything – Chris Martin

Sprawled across the couch in Claire's living room, Ellie stared at the television where a man was staring at a collection of women with a table of roses to his side.

"Oh not her," she groaned as the Bachelor – a man named Carlos Vega – was deciding which women he wanted to keep on the show for another week. He held out a red rose to a pretty brunette with dark brown skin. "Evelyn is horrible."

"Who are you backing this season?" Claire asked. She didn't often watch The Bachelor – usually only when Ellie came around – but couldn't deny that it made for some entertaining and completely mindless television.

"Nadia Fayed. She's pretty, smart, and hilarious. Honestly, she's the only real choice." Ellie shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth, her eyes fixed on the television screen with an intensity that was more severe than Claire had ever seen it. "If she and Carlos don't end up together, then you can bet that she'll be the next Bachelorette."

Claire was only half paying attention. The other half was diverted to her phone where she alternated between Instagram, Facebook, and playing games.

Eventually, the show ended – with Nadia Fayed indeed getting the last rose of the evening – and Ellie began surfing through the channels on Claire's television in favour of some new crappy reality show to watch.  

"How's Gavin?" Claire asked as Ellie bypassed the reality television channels and landed on some made-for-TV romcom.  The two leads looked like they'd come out of a toy store with the woman impossibly skinny and blonde like a Barbie doll.  Starring across her was a man whose perfectly styled hair was made to look windblown despite the fact that there was no wind blowing and he was standing in an antique store.

"Good. He and I are going to Staten Island tomorrow."

"Why?"

Ellie shrugged, a strand of her now-purple hair bouncing on her shoulder. The rest of it was tied back into a high ponytail. She had ditched the bubble gum pink in favour of deep violet three days ago. In a week, it would probably be something entirely new.

"Why not?" she responded. "Griffin and Katrina might come along. You should too."

"And fifth wheel again? I'm good. Maybe once Griffin and Katrina get out of the honeymoon phase."

Indeed, the last time Claire had spent the evening with the two couples, she'd felt wildly out of place. They'd gone bowling and what had resulted was two couples canoodling while Claire spent her time tapping away at her phone or staring awkwardly at the floor.

At least Ellie and Gavin had made attempts to include Claire in the conversation. Trying to talk to Griffin and Katrina had been like speaking to a brick wall. Pointless and tiresome.

They'd spent most of the time at the alley wrapped up in each other. Katrina had constantly been touching Griffin; running her hands over his shoulders and face and neck. Even when Griffin had tried to engage Claire, Katrina had pulled him back into a world of their own. Laughing and joking around about something that had happened at work – a topic that only the two of them knew about.

It left Claire feeling as if she were staring through a window. As if Griffin had crossed a threshold to a place that she couldn't reach him. And she wouldn't have minded that he was dating someone – in fact she was sure that Katrina was perfectly lovely – but it made her miss him.