Paparazzi

Chapter One: Julianna

𝙁𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙍.𝙇𝙐𝙈.𝙍

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲
𝗦𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱

𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄
𝗜'𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼
𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻
𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼

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FEBRUARY 2020

If it weren't for her regretful addiction to steamy bean water with two pumps of chemical energy, she'd be at home in her studio, watching paint dry on her skin. Her motivation didn't return after half her cup had been gulped, so she stayed seated at the cafe and listened to the conversations around her.

Julianna wasn't much of a talker—she let her art open its mouth and people could decipher her inner thoughts for themselves. She was great at listening, sometimes too great, if that were possible. When she was younger, she listened intently to her parents over the dinner table. She read between the lines of their conversations, picking up differences in tone and uneasy glances. Finally, she asked outright if one of them was having an affair. Needless to say, the situation escalated and she was ordered to her room so she could hear her parents question each other from down the hall.

Years later, she asked about it in passing and it turned out she was right—her dad had been seeing someone, but only for a month before he called it quits with a woman who worked in his building. Julianna blamed it on Silicon Valley's "essence," how one could forget their values because of the affluence. She knew her father was a good man, and her mother forgave his mistakes.

She sighed. With only a few sips of coffee left in her cup, there was nothing juicy to hear from the mouths of her neighbors. She was slightly disappointed since she chose this coffee shop specifically because it was a hotspot for wanna-be bloggers, vloggers, influencers, and know-it-alls.

"Oatmilk honey latte with three espresso shots for... Julianna."

Her attention flitted towards the barista who placed her drink on the counter. She consumed what remained in her cup and left to grab her to-go insulated mug. When she needed a break from her studio, she would sit at the cafe to drink and "socialize," and then drink another coffee when she returned.

Her back pocket buzzed to alert her of a text message. She ignored it.

She put her change in the tip jar and headed out the door. Her phone buzzed a few more times. The incessant vibration reached her nerves, forcing her muscles to tense. From the counter to the door, her neck had already begun to stiffen as she recalled memories that the buzzing reminded her of. Julianna lifted the cup to her mouth to take a sip as she swung the door open with too much force, knowing the headache would come.

Instead of feeling the smooth, rich bean water caress the inside of her throat and relieve the stress, it slammed against her lips, her gums stinging at the force. The lid slid off the mug and splashed hot coffee all over her neck and chest. She closed her eyes to brace herself from whatever had run into her, but all she felt was the sting of the hot coffee.