To the bones

Falling

Andy perfectly remembered the day Nigel told her: 'let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. That means it's time for a promotion.' And right now she felt like this day was about to come.
Here she was, in the middle of the night, sitting on her bed, trying to process everything that had happened during the last months.

Soon after she began working for Runway things had started to be complicated with Nate, she let her friends down, her personality completely changed and she became career obsessed. No, scratch that: she became Miranda-obsessed. And now Andy felt like she had passed a point of no return. Her life would never be the same again.

It had been a week since she and Nate had broken up (fortunately from a common agreement). Things couldn't work anymore between them: Nate had lost the woman he once loved and Andy couldn't live with a man who didn't support her choices. She too wasn't in love anymore anyway. This relation was pointless and hurt them more than anything. They both wanted it to end so bad that when Nate left, the two of them had a smile on their face and Nate just said 'That's it! Bye Andrea.' and didn't even looked back when he closed the door. And Andy didn't mind.

Andy had also lost her last friends along with Nate. They were all on his side -obviously-, hated Runway and hated what the young woman had become. This part was actually a little bit more difficult for her as her friends used to be like family to her.

Now Andy was on her own. She felt free in a way but she also felt kind of lost. Her whole life was about Runway, Miranda Priestly and her daughter. Did she really like it this way ? At first Andy thought this was the life she had always dreamed of. She worked for a famous magazine, wore fabulous clothes, was well-payed, etc. God, she even fell in actual love ! But at what cost ?

After a week of being single, having no friend or any kind of social life, being rejected by Athena, being drowned in work and of Miranda not even looking at her, Andy started wondering if she had made the right choices. Her life had gone up in smoke. So what's the bloody promotion ?

So again she went to see Nigel.

'Six' the man simply said to greet her.

'Time for my promotion.' Andy said rather sharply without bothering to say 'hello' as she sat in front of Nigel for lunch.

Her colleague immediately understood what this was all about.

'Are you sure your life has gone enough wrong for that ?' He asked with his usual ironic tone.

'Nigel, I have no boyfriend, no friends, I spend my days and nights here, I failed my mission of saving Athena and judging by the way Miranda has been acting with me lately I might get fired within the next days. So... what's the promotion?'

Nigel laughed a little.

'Darling, believe me I never thought you would go that far for Miranda. I was jocking when I told you this but... turns out I was right !'

'So ?'

'Well... I don't know what the 'promotion' will really be and I don't know when you will get it but I'm starting to think you and Emily might reverse roles !'

'What do you mean ?'

'Andrea... You won't get fired. And you never will !'

Frowning, Andy didn't seem to understand what Nigel meant.

'Look Andy... Maybe I shouldn't tell you this but... two days ago Miranda yelled at Emily and then at everyone in the meeting room. She said she wished we were all like you: intelligent, hard working, compassionate and all. She made Emily cry Andy ! She made her cry ! And last night, when she saw Emily delivering the Book because you didn't want to, she got even angrier !'