#First Encounters | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

longislandcharm · 1 year ago

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TIMING: Three years ago PARTIES: Winter @longislandcharm & Mack @realmackross LOCATION: A bookstore in L.A. SUMMARY: Being a fan of Winter's show, Mack Ross comes to an appearance she was making to promote the second season. A good time is had and a tentative friendship is formed. CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of death

Mackenzie could remember the exact day the remake of Spirit Speak aired on television. She had been a fan of the original show and would watch it with her grandmother. Unfortunately, her grandmother had long since passed and Mack would be delving into this show alone. But that was okay, because if it was one thing the show had taught her, it was to believe in the impossible. So of course, when Mackenzie heard Winter Cahya, the star of the show, was going to be doing a meet and greet right down the road from her house, she had to go.

“Yeah, the line’s almost died down. I don’t want to go in until there’s nobody there.” Her phone was pressed up to her ear as she lingered in a black Mini Cooper just outside watching through the window. She had felt like a complete creeper, but she knew if she had approached the woman with a full store it would have taken attention away from Winter, and that was the last thing Mackenzie had wanted.

When the last person walked out and the store owner was just about to flip off the open light, Mack shut off the engine, “Hey, she’s finished. Yeah, yeah. Love you too, Babe. Bye.” Hopping out of her car and thankfully masked by a hoodie, sunglasses, and the sun going down, she caught the man’s attention, “I know you guys are closing, but would it be okay if I just said hi to Winter before she goes?” Immediately seeing recognition of who she was on the store owner’s face, she thanked him gracefully as she slipped inside. Just like her fans often felt around her, Mackenzie could feel a bit of nervousness bubbling up in her gut. She had followed the Cahya family for so long, and despite them living in the same area for part of the year, the young actress had never gotten the opportunity to meet the medium, “Uh, hey. I know this is, like, totally last minute and unprofessional, but I just wanted to tell you I’m a huge fan of the show. And of the original. My grandma and I used to watch it together, and I know she’d be right here fangirling with me, if she were still alive.” The sunglasses and hoodie remained on, Mackenzie forgetting to take them off from having butterflies in her stomach.

That sacred time that Winter got after a meet greet was already starting to work its magic. After spending hours throwing fake smiles all over the place and pretending to listen to these people’s long winded stories, the girl loved nothing more than winding down with a nice social media scroll as the people around her started to pack up all of the equipment that was lugged around these national tours. Tik Tok was her favorite, the wireless earbuds in her ears currently blasting the music for these nerds dancing around and epicly failing while she giggled to herself softly. It wasn’t until she heard a loud crash sound behind her that she took one of the earbuds out and shot a glare at the crew. “Those things are expensive, you know. Might want to check on those butterfingers before you get a little dip in your paycheck.”

She watched the guy nod and go back to his work, Winter noting how careful he was being now and feeling satisfied. The music was still blasting in her right ear making it hard to hear whoever had just walked up on her but she’d caught the tail end of the comment as she looked up at the girl standing in front of her. “The meet and greet ended thirty minutes ago. They weren’t supposed to let anyone else in.” Did she mean to be rude? Never to a fan, no they were her livelihood, but her wind down time was precious to her and she was just ready to get out of this dinky little store. But as she started to raise her hand to put her left ear bud back in, her eye finally took in the person standing there a little more and recognition started to spark.

“Mackenzie Ross?” There was no way this was the Mackenzie Ross, right? Her eyebrows shot up as recognition of her own mistake started to set in. Shit, she was supposed to be nice to her peers, right? Standing so that she didn’t seem even more disrespectful, Winter pulled out the other earbud and put both of them back in their charging case, instantly plastering a smile on her lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch what you said there. These earbuds are noise canceling. Did you say you were a fan?” Imagine…the star of Dropped, a fan of a lowly reality star. Well, the reality star of reality stars but still. Praise from someone with her status was always nice to hear and she wouldn’t mind hearing it again.

The reply wasn’t really what she had expected. In fact, it was kind of rude, but at the same time Mackenzie knew how it was doing press junkets and fan meet and greets. It was tiring, especially when you had to plaster your best smile on for hours at a time. She couldn’t fault the woman for dropping the exact same act, she had been way too familiar with herself, “Sorry about that. I just knew if I came in any sooner, it would’ve caused problems.” She was about to further elaborate, until Winter recognized her. “Yeah?” Suddenly realizing her hood and sunglasses were still on, she took them off, “Uh, I was just saying that me and my grandma used to watch the original Spirit Speak when I was little, and that she would’ve been right here beside me today, if she had still been…alive.” Her praise had lost its momentum slightly, but she was still excited to be talking to Winter.

Stuffing her sunglasses in her pocket, she nervously played with them as the conversation continued, “So how’s things been going with the show? I’ve seen previews for this season, and it looks like it’s gonna be pretty good.” Whether or not Mackenzie really believed that Winter could talk to spirits was still up for debate, but she had to admit, the girl did have an ‘it’ factor that made her fascinating to watch. “Especially the one where you communicate with the father of that musician.” She had hoped it was okay to at least have a small conversation knowing that everyone was trying to pack up and get out. Mackenzie wouldn’t hold the reality start back for long, but it was a rare chance she had gotten a little one-on-one time without someone pestering her for a photo or autograph.

“Problems?” She paused, eyebrows raised once more, until she realized what Mack had meant. Of course, Winter hadn’t really had that issue before. Sure she was recognized when she was out and about but she was sure the other girl couldn’t even pee without a swarm of people trying to talk to her. “Right, yea. I’m sure you’re not even allowed to walk down the street without a ton of people following you around. I get that on a…way smaller scale. But people can be pretty insane.”

It was the mention of Mackenzie’s grandmother that had Winter pressing her lips together as she didn’t know what to say. Grandmother’s were precious, she had deeply loved her own maternal grandma and all the stories that were passed down from her, so she understood what a bonding moment meant and how much it could hurt if it was somehow ruined. Clearing her throat, she nodded at Mack before giving her a rare genuine smile. “It’s really nice to hear that the show could bring you and your grandmother closer. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet her. Are you…are you like, wanting a reading or something?” She frowned as that thought struck her. It would be just her luck that a major tv star would track her down to ask to speak to a dead relative. She would have to turn her down, of course. Couldn’t have millions of people tune in just for Mack’s episode only to see no evidence that her grandmother’s spirit was there. Or worse…Mack could publicly call her a fraud and she could not have that. Winter would be ruined.

But seeing that the girl seemed to just want to talk had Winter relaxing. Her smile returned and she gestured for Mack to take a seat in one of the chairs that hadn’t been packed up yet. Once someone got her talking about the show it could take a while before she stopped. “Season two is definitely going to be a good one. The first season surprised us with the ratings for sure but this one…I wouldn’t be surprised if it beat out Dropped.” Winter playfully said the words, making sure to nudge Mack’s shoulder lightly so the blonde understood that she was kidding. “Oh, yea, that was a good one. His father was very open that day. I think he’d been trying to communicate for a while.” Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her own words, she took a seat next to the chair that she’d gestured to and leaned back, looking completely relaxed as she spewed her lies. This came so naturally now that it should have been a crime. “How’s your show going? Last season’s cliffhanger had me on the edge of my seat. You should tell the writers to give us a break now and then or they’re going to give some fans a heart attack.”

She watched the change in Winter’s face as she realized what Mackenzie had meant. Had she talked to the Spirit Speak star a few years back, it would have been a different story. But ever since the popularity of Dropped had risen, so had Mackenzie’s level of fame. It was like she had become an overnight success, even though she had been working in the business for years. But that’s usually how it went, and while it had been both exciting, it had taken quite a bit of adjusting and rearranging her life to accommodate the way it had affected everything, “Yeah, I mean it's not Taylor Swift level, but it’s pretty ridiculous. And kind of inconvenient, especially when I just want to hangout with my friends or go eat or something.” Fame wasn’t always what it was cracked up to be.

Mackenzie was glad to be talking about something else, even if that was her dead grandmother. She had loved the woman dearly, and she had been there every step of the way. If Mackenzie was having a really hard time with something, the woman had been there. Losing her had been one of the hardest days of her life. But little did she know, flash forward a couple of years and things would get a whole lot worse. “Yeah, and it’s okay. I like to think she’s here with us right now, probably fangirling her little heart out.” Mack laughed softly at the thought of her being with them and how she probably would have talked Winter’s head off. “Huh? Oh, no. That’s not really what I came here for. I just heard you were going to be here, and I wanted to see if I could drop by and meet you, before you left. I live right down the street with my boyfriend.” Mackenzie worked in the television and film industry. She was pretty good at spotting special fx and CGI. Plus, unlike her grandmother, she had always been a little skeptical about ghosts and if they were real or not. It was mostly seeing the closure and relief people had from the way Winter talked to them that Mackenzie had loved.

With the gesture from Winter, Mackenzie took a seat. She hadn’t expected their conversation to actually last long, but she was excited. She didn’t have anywhere she had to be for once in her busy life, so getting to experience this was going to be something to remember. Listening intently as the other woman spoke, a smile spread across her face followed by a soft chuckle with the joke about Spirit Speak beating out Dropped in the ratings. The nudge caught her off guard slightly, but she knew it was all in good fun. She continued to listen as Winter explained the situation with the musician and his father suspending her disbelief, “You know I think it was just the closure that he got from knowing that his father was okay. It was like he was able to move on after that. I think that’s what I love most about your show.” She nodded in agreement to what she was speaking, until Winter brought up Dropped. “We had our first table read the other day for the new season. I think you’re going to like the first episode. I can't give away any spoilers, but I can say you do get answers to some of the questions that left everybody so confused last season.” A sly grin came over her face. “But yeah, I’ll be sure to tell them that heart attack inducing cliffhangers aren’t what’s best for our ratings.” She laughed softly. “So are you in town much longer or heading out soon?”

“Nobody is on TayTay’s level, trust that.” Winter had seen the levels that Taylor Swift's fans would go and as much as she herself would have loved more status in the world of Hollywood she knew Taylor could not be matched. The girl was stalked relentlessly. The reality star briefly wondered how bad it was for Mack and if she even wanted anything close to that and then came to the conclusion that yes, she wanted something more than what she had. But that wasn’t important, not right now anyway. “Can you even go to a restaurant without worrying about it or do you have to like shut the place down or something? Not gonna lie, being the only table in a dining establishment doesn’t sound half bad to me. Filing that idea away for later.” She gave Mack a confident nod, not even sure if the other girl had done it or not.

A soft laugh escaped Winter at the idea of Mackenzie’s grandmother floating around somewhere around them trying to get her attention. If only she really could talk to the dead, it would have been a nice little chat she was sure. Glad that Mack didn’t want an attempt at that conversation, Winter let out a small breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding onto. “I’m sure she would have been highly entertaining to speak with. But I’m not going to lie, a break now again is good for me. It’s a little overwhelming at times.” And that was nothing but truth. Even if she wasn’t in touch with the spirits of people’s loved ones, the lies she had to rattle off and the act she had to put on could really put her in a weird mental headspace. She needed breaks now and again. Something caught her attention though, her interest peaked. “You live down the street…with Brody, right? That’s his name?”

It was Mack speaking about how she connected with Winter’s show that had her smiling softly once more. The relief on people’s faces when they started to believe, the hope they held onto as they went through their conversation, and the complete and utter joy at hearing things were going to be okay was always a rollercoaster. She saw it in almost every client she helped and knowing she was the one bringing that closure to their lives did make the lies that much easier and she didn’t feel bad for it in the least. “Honestly? I think that’s why I fell in love with it when I was a kid. Watching my mom take people through that was a complete spiritual journey in itself.” But she also liked the fame that came with it. That was cool too.

Her eyes narrowed in a joking glare, her smile still ever present as she took in the very little information Mack was alluding to. She really did enjoy Dropped and the show was hard to watch at times when they kept leaving you with more questions than answers. Could she get anything out of her new friend? “Ohhhh, bitch.” The tone matched her look, Winter not even worried she was going to offend Mack. It was just how she spoke to people she wasn’t hiding everything from. Maybe it was a connection she felt since they both seemed to know what the other was going through or maybe she was just too tired to raise all of her walls but either way she felt comfortable with Mack. “You are completely loving this torture, aren’t you? Is that really all you’re going to give me? Forget the writers, you’re the biggest tease of them all, aren’t you?”

Even though Mackenzie loved her life, she had never thought or imagined she’d have the level of fame that Dropped had already brought into her life. Sure, she had a following from her other shows and movies from over the years, but this was so much different. However, Taylor Swift level? She never wanted that life. Her life had already been dangerous enough, but the idea of being so famous that nearly everyone in the world recognized you was just a scary thought. At least with social media there was some separation, but it had also given way to people who thought they knew you, and that could be a lot worse, “Uh, no. I haven’t reached that level yet, but I did have a pretty bad stalker scare about a year or so ago.” It had been traumatic for the young woman, and something she didn’t like to talk about much. And upon hearing Winter’s answer, couldn’t see why she would want to be ridiculously famous. Shutting down a restaurant could be appealing. She could see that, but having a stranger waiting for you in your bedroom after working all day, was a nightmare she never wanted to experience ever again.

She was glad the conversation took a turn, “I can imagine. Helping people on such a personal level like that has to be tiring at times. It’s great work you’re doing, but even I know sometimes I just want to be left alone to not have to see or talk to anybody for at least a good day or two.” It was so true though. Mack often got socially drained, especially when it was time for press tours. And on her days off, when she hadn’t made promises to go hangout with friends around town, she would laze around in her pjs, watch TV, eat junk food, and snuggle with her dog, Bixby, and of course, Brody when he was home. She had loved those days. Cherished those days and it was exactly what the plan was going to be when she got home tonight - after picking up a pizza and some of her favorite froyo for her and her boyfriend to chow down on, “I’m guessing you follow me on instagram?” Her insta was filled with pictures of her life, including her boyfriend, “But yeah. His name’s Brody. We met when we were kids and a mutual friend put us back in touch with each other not too long ago and here we are!” Mackenzie’s face lit up talking about him, “What about you? Got a significant other in your life?” She wasn’t sure if that was too personal of a question, but she asked it anyway.

Mackenzie was a bit of a sap and had loved hearing why Winter had fallen in love with what she had known all of her life, “Your mom seems like a pretty awesome lady. And I can see why you would fall in love with the career you have. For me, when I hear stories from fans about how one of my characters helped them get through something, it always humbles me, you know? Like yeah, the fame is great and the perks and the money, but it’s the fans and just how significantly you can help in a career that you wouldn’t think could help as much as it does. Did that make sense? I feel like I’m rambling.” She laughed.

But it was Winter’s reaction that had completely caught Mack off guard, “Did you just call me a bitch?” Her smile had dropped for a moment, before she leaned in closer to her, “If I’m a bitch, then you’re a diva…a devious diva at that, because you’re not getting any spoilers out of me.” She leaned back as a grin slowly crept across her face, “And yes, I actually do love torturing people, because what kind of person would I be if I gave away all the good stuff before it aired.” A fired person is what she’d be. She had been sworn to secrecy in the contract she had signed years prior, and she wasn’t about to bite the hand that feeds.

“Stalker? Ugh, who would be so desperate?” One might think that Winter was throwing a jab towards Mack but it was definitely the other way around. Why would anyone want to be such a creep? Being in the industry should not have to come with the danger of some rando trying to insert themselves in your life nor should it have to come with the dangers that came with it. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I’m sure it was scary.” And she was also sure Mack probably didn’t want to talk about it much. Winter didn’t want to talk about it either. It was too much and it would pop that perfect bubble she’d put Hollywood in.

So the subject was considered dropped. The medium smiled again, nodding her head lightly as Mack went on to compliment her some more. She wasn’t to shy away from a good compliment, Winter eating it up as she leaned forward, elbow going to her knee as she placed her chin on top of her closed fist. “It’s definitely draining.” Actually, she loved all of the attention she got from it, loved that the focus was on her the entire time she was “speaking” with whatever entity she was supposed to be speaking with. Winter only used the draining excuse when she didn’t know how to continue with her lies.

Raising her eyebrows at the question, she felt her head tilt with curiosity. Instagram? Oh! Because she knew about the fiance. As the thought dawned on her she had to pick her own brain while she tried to remember if she followed Mack or not. “Honestly? I think I do but I’ll be real with you. I knew who Brody was before I knew who you were. I mean…he’s hot, as you know.” Telling another girl her boyfriend was hot probably should have instilled some sort of shame in her but Winter couldn’t care less. If Mack had a problem with it that just meant she was too insecure for her own good and that wasn’t Winter’s problem. Shrugging a shoulder, she sat back up in her chair with a nonchalance that showed she didn’t quite give shit what Mack thought of that answer and hoped it wouldn’t ruin a good time. “Or at least I hope you think he’s hot…”

She perked up when her mom was also praised. Ever since she was a little girl, Winter had idolized the woman and had one goal: Be just like her. It wasn’t always easy, especially when her mother set very high expectations, but she had never given up on the goal. Most people would say she’d met it already. “She is an awesome lady. Basically I want to be just like her in every aspect. Find someone who adores me the way my dad adores her, have a successful tv show, be able to travel anywhere I want,” She paused, feeling like she was forgetting something until it hit her,” Oh, and help people of course.” She really had to remember to say that to more people. “You lost me there but I think I picked it back up a little ways into the rambling. It’s okay though, it happens when we care about something.”

Oh god, here we go. She was on the cusp of rolling her eyes at the overreaction before she caught Mack leaning towards her in her peripheral vision, the medium wondering for a split second if the other girl was going to try and cause bodily harm. The words were not expected at all and prompted a little giggle. Winter was just glad she wasn’t too sensitive. “I see we like alliteration here. I’ll take Devious Diva, but you get Bougee Bitch because I just get that vibe from you. It does hurt though. We’ve already given each other nicknames and you can’t be bothered to give one little detail.” Scrunching her fingers together for emphasis, Winter was fully aware that details couldn’t be spared. She worked in the industry too and she knew contracts were a thing. It was just too fun to mess around with the girl.

Mackenzie was highly enjoying herself. She hadn’t expected Winter to really want to chat after giving an appearance, but she was glad the woman did. She was also glad when she respected Mack’s decision to not keep talking about her stalker situation, and instead spoke about other things. There were just some things in the young actress’s life she preferred not to dwell on. Besides, who needed that kind of negativity when she had the perfect life and the perfect boyfriend on top of all of it. She couldn’t complain, and she was grateful for what the universe had given her, “Honestly, I hear that a lot. Brody is hot, and it’s just a part of the business. It took a minute to get used to having other people talk about the man I love like that, but I trust Brody, and he trusts me.” A wide grin spread across her face as she thought about him. Mackenzie was falling hard for him. And even though they hadn’t been together that long, she had known the kind of man he was long before they had ever considered getting together.

“Burnout is a real thing and stepping back to take some time for yourself is understandable.” There had been times when she wanted to quit, but was grateful that she didn’t. Instead a quick trip to somewhere quiet and relaxing usually did the trick, a luxury Mackenzie knew not many people could afford, which made her appreciate it even more. She had wondered if burnout was one of the reason’s Winter’s mom had called it quits on the original Spirit Speak, but she was also talking to the woman’s daughter, so that could have also been the reason the show had been shelved until Winter had taken it over.

She enjoyed hearing about how much respect and admiration her new friend had for her mom and her career. Mackenzie had loved her mom dearly, but couldn’t relate to her in the sense of having the same job. Mack had been the first celebrity in their family, which sometimes made it awkward around her cousins and other family members, “I know she’s probably supes proud of you and your biggest fan.” Her smile was warm and genuine. She was glad Winter had that support in her life.

“Bougee Bitch. Well, I can’t really complain, because I am pretty bougee. Even my other friends think so.” She laughed. Feeling her phone vibrate, Mackenzie pulled it out to see Brody had texted, “And that’s my cue to go. I promised Brody a pizza and froyo for dinner. Plus, I’m sure you’re ready to go home and rest, before you have to leave again, but before I leave,” She held out her phone, “mind if I get your number, DD. Next time you’re in town, maybe we can have lunch together. My treat.”

All Winter could do was nod as Mack spoke about her boyfriend. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for them, it was more about the things that she wanted to continue saying about Brody. It would most likely offend her new friend too much in the long run and it wasn’t worth the hassle that would come with it. She had to play nice or her publicist was going to drop her and a new feud with Mack Ross would be the thing that made her cut the cord with her client. Besides, she was starting to kind of like Mack. So, she nodded some more all while inappropriate thoughts about Brody floated through her mind, threatening to spill out of her mouth.

Yea, she was starting to like Mack for sure. Compliments went a long way with Winter, especially compliments that made her feel like her mother wasn’t always pushing her to be better and might have actually enjoyed the work that Winter did. Even if she knew deep down that it wasn’t true. Her mother always thought she could do better, be better, and that had only amped up since the show had started. She was surprised the woman wasn’t there berating her about the meet and greet that night.

“See? Spot on. I am very perceptive.” It was when Mack looked at her phone that Winter looked around the shop they were in to find the crew members and the store owner were waiting around for them. They hadn’t bothered her…good. Thought that might have more to do with the fact that Mack Ross was the one talking to her. She gave them all a light smile before turning back to the blonde and the phone she was holding out to Winter.

Well, that was a shock. But Winter didn’t hesitate to grab the girl’s phone and put her contact information in under the name DD. She liked the fact that Mack wasn’t scared of her bravado and seemed to roll with her slight punches. The question would be, could she handle the worst of Winter? She had a feeling she would. “This comes with one condition: I get to pick the place. I know some great places around here.” She handed the phone back, not moving to leave just yet while she waited for Mack to head out. “Go, make sure your boy doesn’t starve. It would be such a waste.”

Mackenzie had really enjoyed the few minutes she got to spend getting to know Winter. She had figured the interaction would have been short. Maybe an autograph or photo, but not the two becoming friends. The girl was feisty and Mack liked that. A bit brash and probably told it like it was even when you didn’t want to hear it, but Mack knew it would keep her humble. Fame wasn’t something you could let go to your head, or it would destroy your career. She had seen it happen around her way too many times. It’s why Mackenzie didn’t like to bite the hand that kept her employed. She could clap back occasionally, but it was usually well warranted. However, with Winter’s brash and what seemed like give no fucks attitude, Mack was sure she could learn a thing or two.

Taking her phone back and standing up, she looked down and laughed when she saw DD in her contacts, “Fine. You can pick the place the first time, and it’ll be my treat. But next time I get to choose, and it’s on you. Deal?” Just because Mack had money, didn’t mean she was paying every time. She’d seen the empire that Winter’s mom had built over the years. And knew that the Spirit Speak plush doll she had growing up didn’t come without residuals for it being the woman’s likeness. “Yeah, I might want to get two pizzas now that I’m thinking about it.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Thanks, DD. We’ll talk again soon, yeah?” She put her hand on Winter’s shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze, before leaving the bookstore.

It had been a nice experience, and one she’d hold onto. Plus, she knew her grandmother would be beside herself knowing that Mackenzie got to talk to the daughter of one of her favorite people. With one last glance into the window, headlights shining in brightly, the young actress smiled as she drove off.

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