Queens

3.1: Ashley

Abie always makes me talk, though I like to refuse for a bit, just until she flicks her eyebrows up, challenging me. In her office, everything is a challenge, a race, some sort of game. By the end of our meetings, neither of us knows who's the winner, but I pretend it's me and she pretends it's her.

And there it is, the eyebrow flick, the initiation. I cross my arms and lean back in the leather chair, making myself comfortable. "So, like, what did I do wrong this time and is it easy to clean up? You know, I've been very tired lately."

She intensifies the warning look that she never seems to take off around me. "Please be cooperative."

I take a deep breath and mutter an apology. One apology either gives a point to her, or gives me the advantage. I'm never sure which is true.

"Alright, Ashley, here we go," she begins. "I didn't want to do this but..." And she pulls out a Manila folder

I throw my head back, whining, "Abie! You made a folder? Why do you always make those for our meetings?"

"Because, Ashley, sometimes you're a bit of a pr nightmare and I need to put it in this folder so I can show you a physical copy of how bad it is."

I roll my eyes back so far I think I catch a glimpse of my brain. "Alright, what's in it this time?"

Abie places it lightly on her desk, then slams the palm of her hands on it. I jump at the sudden noise, and she smirks, knowing she just earned a point for team Abbie. "In this folder are pictures, tweets, posts, and news stories about all of the times you've been caught drinking since I last saw you."

This is when I get worried. Well, not so much worried as surprised. I thought I'd been doing a good job of hiding my drinking in public.

"It's not illegal for you to drink, and it hasn't been illegal for you for years, but this much drinking is a scandal waiting to happen."

"So, how bad can it be, really? I mean, I'm typically pretty careful."

Abbie scoffs, not buying it. "Ashley, there are 87 papers in this folder. I even double sided them."

I close my eyes, trying to make my suddenly rigid breathing calm. "Well, fuck."

She nods solemnly. "I couldn't have put it better myself."

"So, what's the clean up?"

"Two things: stop drinking in public, or at least be more discreet about it; and send out a tweet reminding your young fans that partying isn't everything and to put their studies and good friends before parties with people they barely know. Simple enough?"

I sigh a little, but nod my head. I think compliancy is a point for me, or at least that's what I say to convince myself that I'm not losing.

"There's a few more things," Abie continues. "Josh. You have to be nice to him, Ash."

"Okay, I can do that. Just in public, right?"

"I think it'd be worthwhile if you both were kinder to each other all of the time."

I bite my lip, then burst out, "I love Josh, you know that, but lately he's been driving me fucking insane, Abie! He's worse than me at acting like a couple. He does a better job looking like a couple with Tyler than with me! How am I supposed to work with him when he's not trying?"

"I will talk to him about that, Ash, but you have to do your part. It was your idea to be each other's beards, so you both have to cooperate."

"I am cooperating!"

"Ashley," Abie snaps. "You are always yelling at him when you're drunk. You need to try harder."

I cross my arms and pout, but huff an agreement.

"Alright. You're doing well in interviews and interacting with people, for the most part. Just try to hide your alcoholic anger."

I feel my face turn to stone, and the right corner of my mouth cracks it with a humorless smirk. "I'm. Not. An. Alcoholic."

Abie sees she hit a nerve and stays silent before shooing me out of the room. As I walk away, I hear her tell her secretary on the phone to send in Tyler.

It's fine. I'm going to be fine. I'm under control and I am fine.

____________________
Dear reader,
WERE BACK BITCHES.
I'm so sorry hiatus lasted so much longer than expected, but we're back (mostly).
I'm entering my second semester of college with a larger course load than the last and J is crazed with high school, so we're going to start updating once a week as opposed to two. We'll be updating every Wednesday until further notice. We love you guys so much and J will talk to you on the next chapter!
Btw sorry for the shitty chapter aesthetic, it was the best I could do lmao
Love,
Lo
Ps. How excited are you to have Queens back bc we're prettY FRICKIN EXCITED