Same Same But Different

EIGHT

EIGHT ➳ Some flashbacks from Beth and Mickey.

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The studio lights were hot on Mickey's face and he couldn't stop sweating. The director kept yelling CUT so that the makeup people would enter and reapply powder on his skin. God forbit he appeared sweaty on camera.

"What is your idea of the perfect date?" The interviewer asked once they were rolling again.

Mickey struggled to keep himself from sighing or punching his own face, or just running away.

That interview was going to be uploaded to the YouTube channel of a website with millions and millions of teen girl subscribers. And that was the kind of question they were interested in knowing the answer to.

As he coughed up a half-assed answer, he wondered what happened to the kid who grew up wanting to touch people with his music. Where exactly, along the way, did he loose that kid?

When the director finally freed him, Mickey dashed out of there, to wash his skin of all the sweat and makeup. As his face dripped water over the sink, he stared at the sign above the mirrors that read "Please don't do coke in the bathroom". He imagined what sort of occasion made them put up that sign in the first place.

His phone rang, and he saw that it was Tony. He could bet all his fame and fortune that this phone call was about a party.

"Hey, man" Mickey answered.

"Dude. Party tonight. My place."

Called it.

"I don't know, man. I'm beat."

"You're gonna be there, Mickey. It's my birthday and I'm not taking no for an answer."

The saddest thing was that Mickey knew it was true. So, he just agreed to it. It wasn't like he was gonna die from going to another party.

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"Come on, Bee, please, do it for me, your best friend it the world!", Jean whined.

"You know I hate parties! As my best friend in the world you shouldn't want to make me go with you", Beth crossed her arms and bended her legs over the couch.

"Uh! Okay, fine." Jean sat beside her and grabbed the controller from her hand. "I'll choose the movie, then."

"You don't have to stay home with me. You should go and have fun."

"It's no fun without my best friend." She pouted. "Anyway, I know you're just saying that to get me out of the house, so you can call someone over and have sex over the kitchen table."

"Right, of course. You got me, Jay." Beth laughed.

"Seriously, though. When was the last time you had sex?"

Beth grabbed the controller from Jean's hand and changed the movie category search to horror.

"Or went out with someone?" Jean pushed. "Or kissed someone?"

"Can we not talk about this?" Beth turned to face her. "Let's just watch a movie, ok?"

"Gimme your phone." Jean picked Beth's phone up from the coffee table before her friend could stop her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm downloading MeetCute."

"Is that, like, Tinder?" Beth said the word with disgust.

"No, it's not for hookups. It's for people looking for a serious relationship."

"But I'm not looking for a serious relationship." Beth chose a movie with a haunted house on the cover.

Jean completely ignored the TV.

"Well, I think maybe you should. You spend way too much time on this couch, you have no other means of meeting new people. This way, you can meet someone at the same time that you watch terrible movies on Netflix, without leaving home. It's perfect."

"Whatever" Beth shook her head and turned to the TV.

"Would you describe yourself as a cat person or a dog person?" Jean asked after less than thirty seconds of silence.

"Seriously? Am I looking for a date or a pet sitter? What kind of question is that?" Beth gave up on the movie.

"Well, you're gonna have to give me something to put on your profile..."

"Fine, gimme that" Beth got the phone from Jean's hand and typed.

[Before texting me, answer me this: If you found a genie in a bottle, what would you wish for?]

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A/N: Initially, I wrote this as the first chapter. Then, I just thought it would be best to put it somewhere near the end, cause I just looove a flashback! What do you think? Don't forget to gimme that vote if you liked it ✦ ◆ ★ ☆ ✮