The Aesthetic Question

Replaying

[Control - Halsey]

Berkley woke up at eleven in the morning, which was very unusual of her. She seldom woke up earlier than two in the afternoon. It's not surprising that she was in a foul mood when she walked down to the kitchen area wearing the most hideous sweatshirt and sweatpants she owned.

Breakfast was a foreign concept to her...or rather, having breakfast in the morning. So she opted for lunch---a yogurt and a cup of milk. Everyone was crowded around the coffee table in the painting room for some reason. Berkley found out why a minute later.

They were watching the teaser of the music video Aurora took part in. It had been two weeks since they shot the video and it was released in snippets this morning, supposedly a late October treat. Apart from the picnic, the occupants of the household mostly kept to themselves throughout this period and Berkley couldn't be more happy about that.

A few close-up shots of Veronica could be seen on the screen. The video was in black and white to show off some sort of retro vibe. Berkley spooned some more yogurt in mild distaste. Nothing was authentic in this era anymore, it's almost like people lost the ability to do more than copy each other's ideas and call it their own. Images of a beach, alleyways in the downtown area and a few seconds of dance footage flashed past. 'I like the beach.' Maple commented after the thirty seconds were up.

'I think the retro idea worked out quite well.' Grace also expressed her opinion. Berkley's nostrils flared but she kept her mouth shut. She was a professional at keeping calm.

Aurora looked at her expectantly for a moment. Berkley wasn't fooled by the decent way she dressed. She could see that it was just an exterior, covering seemingly insane thoughts and no particular personality. Being the rational older girl in the house, she turned away to wash her spoon, refusing to comment on it.

'What do you think?' Grace had a tendency of speaking her mind without a filter, which Berkley was used to but absolutely detested this morning.

'I think it's old school and not very creative.' The tap was slightly rusty. Someone needed to get it cleaned.

'Yeah well, it's not my video.' Aurora finally spoke. If it was an ordinary person, they would say Aurora really didn't care, but Berkley was no ordinary person. She could detect the tiniest sliver of anguish and disappointment, which she didn't comprehend. Irrelevant emotions were never her strong suit.

'We're going out for lunch, you coming?' Aurora asked.

Biting back the urge to say 'I just had fucking breakfast do I look like I'm having lunch any time soon', she simply declined the offer and trudged upstairs. A few minutes later, she could hear a pair of heeled leather shoes tap the stairs and the front door shut. Four beautiful shadows walked down the forever deserted street and rounded the corner. They were all very real, smoothly sharp and young with endless emotions left to spare.

Berkley switched on her laptop. Honestly she didn't even want the company. She just didn't feel like she fit in. She's aware that this would happen when people who think with their hearts and people who think with their heads live together. No change was necessary at all, but that didn't mean she had finally found somewhere she belonged.

She made herself comfortable on her mattress, which was custom-made so that it covered every single inch of her wooden floor. If she had to trade her entire bank account for this a thousand times, she still would've done it. Inside No.9 was currently on pause from last night's binge watching activity. Grabbing the nearest pack of sweet potato chips, she resumed the show. Halfway through the fourth episode, she felt unusually restless. 'Oh fuck! I totally forgot I have to edit that god damn novel by tomorrow!'