𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 ✓

s e v e n t e e n

REAL LIFE!

Eva had been acting weird from the moment she had set foot on the place where they were having their press circle for the day, and Bea had no idea how to fix it. She had tried giving her coffee, and while Eva had thanked her, it remained relatively untouched until the interviews started, and she didn't say anything to Bea after that. They laughed in interviews, recounting their first meeting and some awkward moments since then, but Eva was radio silent the moment the interviewers walked away. It was driving Bea wild. All she wanted to do was talk to Eva, and especially about that kiss, but the blonde wouldn't budge. Eventually, an interviewer noticed the awkward moments before the interview, deciding to surprise them by questioning it.

"So, trouble in paradise?" He asked after a few moments of discussion, making the two freeze and raise their eyebrows in response.

"Beg your pardon?" Eva managed, and Bea's hand wavered hesitantly toward where hers was resting on an armrest of her chair. Something Jaiden had informed her of while they were staying with her was that Eva was prone to outbursts when someone did something uncalled for. Bea was going to be prepared for the possibility of holding her back, just in case.

"Don't be coy, Eva. We've all seen the picture of you two locking lips at your party last night. I'm just asking why you're so quiet today, considering you definitely weren't that last night, from what I've heard," the interviewer said, chuckling. Eva's lips parted, but instead of yelling, she simply got up, smiling at the both of them.

"I think we're done here," she stated, quick to leave the room. Bea's gaze followed her until the door was completely closed, at which point she turned back to the interviewer with the fakest smile imaginable.

"If you'll excuse me." She got up, going to track down Eva, who was nowhere to be found. Bea searched up and down the floor they were on, and she eventually found Eva huddled in the corner of a room, bawling her eyes out. "Eva?"

The blonde looked up at the sound of her name, a soft, "gotta go, Jai," coming out of her mouth before she hung up, leaning against the wall as Bea approached her.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Do I look alright?" Eva laughed humourlessly, shaking her head. "My life is over."

"Your life is far from over, E. So the world knows you're gay, so what? We're both being outed at the same time. We'll get through it together." Bea crouched down next to her, a hand settling on her shoulder.

"My parents are going to disown me, Bea. They're not going to want anything to do with me."

"Then they don't deserve you."

"They're still my parents! I still love them. I've always sought their approval, and now it's for nothing." Eva sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Do you regret it?" Bea asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Eva's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, her eyes matching her emotion.

"Do you regret kissing me?" Bea repeated in simpler terms, earning a scoff from the blonde.

"Not at all."

"Then own it. Don't let jerks like that interviewer get to you. He doesn't know who we are, or what we do. Anything you tell them, they'll believe because they don't know any better. They have to take your words at face value. You control the narrative, not them. So what do you say? You want to go get your makeup fixed and rock the hell out of the rest of these interviews?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's do this." Eva smiled as Bea stood up, offering her hand to the blonde. Eva took it gladly, and they made their way back to the dressing room, where Eva's makeup artist went to work quickly, fixing any and all problems without asking a single question. Debbie, who was like a mom to her, would ask questions later. Once she was done, you couldn't even tell Eva had cried.

"Let's get this bread," she said, making Bea laugh as they made their way out of the room and back to where they were being interviewed.

Let the games begin.