#anyways i was planning on replacing the shells on my brother's gift today to wrap it

[ilxiu]

i hate having to babysit other's emotions

[emily-rose-white]

Practice Challenge 1: 

“Princess Fluffy Angel! Fluffy Princess Angel! Angel Fluffy Princess!” I called out to my three poodles from the foyer of her Paris flat. 

“Girls! Your mommy’s home and she brought presents!” I aded before skipping over to her tea room where a set of cookies and cakes had been awaiting her. 

“Lady White, you forgot to say this morning, would you like rose tea or mint tea with your snacks today?” 

“I will take rose tea! Thank you!” I replied as one of her dogs ran up to her. I threw the wrapping paper from her gift bag down on the ground as my maid picked it up, removing a light pink fluffy tutu and flower crown. 

The Whites came from a long line of an affluent family. They had been there when Illea was founded, serving as Gregory’s right hand man, then invested that money into stocks and properties. The Whites, therefore, had never run out of money. I had acted in films and shows on occasion, but only because I loved the attention. Also, so I could have a chance to possibly meet Ava Jones. 

When I was around thirteen, I worked in my first movie. I took on the role exclusively because my favorite pop singer, the newly discovered, Ava Jones was writing a song for it. There was no guarantee that meant I would meet her, but I would take any chance to do so. One day on set, my dream came true. Ava Jones, the coolest fifteen year old the world had ever seen (in my eyes) appeared. However, I had been acting horribly that day and couldn’t believe her luck. Ava Jones, my icon, my Goddess, would see me completely flop. 

I ran behind her trailer and sobbed, curling into a ball and sitting with my head in my lap. When suddenly things when from bad to worse, 

“Hey," Ava mumbled as she stood in front of me. My face shot up red in embarrassment, tears and snot being sent downwards as my head went up. "I look so ugly!" I screamed and started crying even more. 

"I don't see why that really matters, but yeah you're a pretty ugly crier." Ava squatted down to be on level with me. She took the tissue from my hand and wiped me off as I panted to catch her breath. 

"I don't want you to see me looking ugly! You're Ava Jones!" I yelled, supposedly trying to explain myself. 

"Then maybe don't cry." Ava sighed and sat down on the ground next to me. 

"What do you even have to cry about?" She asked. 

"This script." I grumbled and threw a paper down on the ground. Ava picked it up and tried to examine it. She didn't really know anything about acting but gave it her best shot. 

"What's wrong with it?" 

"I'm not good enough for it. They want me to be shocked! How am I supposed to be shocked?" I huffed. 

"Well, I'm not an actor so I can't really tell you. But do you wanna practice with me a few times?" She offered. I nodded a little bit as Ava examined the script

"Look out princess magenta! That building is falling!" Ava yelled with WAY too much enthusiasm. 

"Oh no." I said, still emotionally drained from the crying. 

"Well that was sad." Ava couldn't help but grin as my head dropped in further despair. She paced for a moment before getting an idea, "You seemed pretty shocked when I found you crying," I nodded. 

"Maybe just, I don't know, channel that or something?" 

I nodded with enthusiasm this time, "okay! Let's try again"

"Look out princess magenta! That building is falling." 

"oH NO!" I yelled. It was probably a bit much but I was happy and this was just a kids movie after all. From that day on I decided that one day Ava Jones was going to be her best friend. I had gone to every concert, set up photoshoots. I even turned a Playboy magazine event into a charity event so Ava could be pressured into coming. But, it was always the same. Ava would smile, they’d talk about work, then she’d be whisked away. I needed at least once to crack her shell. 

And that’s why today was the best day of my life. Her phone rang as she sat, munching on her cookies and she answered it to her screaming friend Tammy, “OHMYGOSHEMILYEMILYEMILY I HAVE THE BEST NEWS FOR YOU!!” 

“WHAT WHAT OH MY GOSH WHAT!!!?” I yelled back causing the maids and her poodles to wince. 

“AVA JONES IS JOINING THE SELECTION!!” She screamed causing me to shriek in delight. 

“Really? It’s not at all her type of thing, where did you hear this?” I asked quickly, still holding onto hope.

“Okay so my brother’s girlfriend’s, best friend’s cousin’s boyfriend's older sister works for Rainbow Companion Recordings, and she heard from an intern who heard from her boss who heard from her boyfriend who heard from his boss that heard from Ava’s agent that she’s joining!” 

I gasped and my phone fell to the ground in shock for a moment before I picked it up and quickly ended the call before called my sister.

“Savannah! Can we push back golf? I have to pack for a flight to Angeles!” I exclaimed as my older sister sighed. 

“Really? You know it’s hard for me to clear my schedule. I’d really prefer we stick to our originally planned time.” She sighed. My heart dropped a bit but I sucked it up and agreed to our normal time. 

***

The ball flew higher than I intended for it to. I could never hit them perfectly. Not the way Savannah could. Savannah was always perfect, be it in golf, studies, anything. She was mother and father’s favorite. She had excellent grades all her life, became fluent in Spanish, new Asian, french, Italian, and German, then she followed in our father’s footsteps taking off to become a large company’s illean representative. She was flown around and paid nicely (not like she needed it). Our parents always had hoped for me to grow up and follow in her footsteps, but despite Savannah's framed report cards being hung in the hallway, I could never keep up.  

“Do you think you’ll apply for the selection?” I asked her as I quickly went to the ball. 

“You really think I’d apply for that? Mom and dad would never approve of either of us getting a fiance that way.” She scoffed and crossed her arms. “Why are you asking, one of your bimbo friends planning on it?” 

I bit the inside of my cheek holding back on defending my friends, people like Savannah didn’t get along with people like me. “Well, it’s not like he’s some four. He’s a prince I hardly see how that’d lead to disapproval.” 

“You really think mom and dad would like one of us putting our lives up on a TV for the speculation of the world and tabloids, being the prince’s personal prostitutes for however long he needs to recover from a broken engagement. Not to mention the fact that he had an engagement called off, what does that say about him? Doesn’t think through decisions, commitment problems, then there could be a whole other plethora of reasons for the engagement being called off.” She responded. A “duh” needing to follow each statement. 

I looked down to the ring on my own finger, I had the diamond replaced after father would no longer give his blessing to Jacob. It was now a glistening pink ring, it’d have been too sad to return a ring so beautiful, but I no longer wore it on my ring finger. I didn’t have a good response for Savannah, she made excellent points as always.  

“You better not be thinking of joining yourself. They barely handle your “actress” lifestyle.” She sighed before hitting her own ball. I was the failure of the family. The easily manipulated, easy-to-bed, childish, Emily-rose.  

***

I applied anyways, it would be one of my only chances to see Ava Jones again. I needed her to like me as much as I liked her. To understand how much I would value our friendship. I brought boxes of macrons with me from France and decided to use them as an excuse to speak with Ava. I would have to give them to everyone though, as to not seem creepy. I stopped at the door of one Ms. Jen Li and waited at the doorway as she was in bed, 

“Hi! I'm Emily-Rose White! You might know me from a few movies I've been in. I recently got back from Paris and brought some macaroons back for the selection as a friendship gift, would you like one?” I offered, giving a quick introduction. 

“Macarons?” She asked then scoffed something under her breath. I was very familiar with the action. Mother or father had done it since I was a child. Prancing around at parties they’d mumble their embarrassment to each other. I brushed it off and widened my smile, 

“ Do you dislike them? I have coffee, mocha, chocolate, and vanilla flavor. I can also order some more if you'd like?” I offered. I would hate for Ava to hear of me being unkind to a selected. Mother had always said giving gifts was a much more dignified way of forming alliances than giving hugs. 

Jen took one of the cookies, holding it carefully. I wonder if she’s never had one? They’re pretty tasty if she’d like to try it. I hope she knows I’m not one of those women who you can never eat in front of. “Emily White. You're a Two, aren't you?” She asked. 

“Yup! Though my family were originally politicians when Gergory Illea took over and aided him, he bought our way to the two cast a few years after and mostly acted as society socialites. But again, I like to act if I see a role that looks fun. How about you?” I answered by giving a little bit of fun fact information for fun. 

Jen tossed the cookie back in the bin and scoffed again, I hope I didn’t catch her in a bad mood, “Figures. I'll pass.” she replied. I tried to not let myself crack even though I was becoming increasingly terrified that I had done or said something wrong. 

“Oh well, again if you'd like anything else I can get it for you. I'd love to be friends with you all here.” I offered and gave her another smile. I handed the box over to a maid who stood near me. 

Jen shot up at that and stalked over to me, “I know you're a Two, and you've never had to lift a single one of your manicured fingers in your life, but when you're in my room-” she took the box back from the maid and shoved it back at me, “ you treat them with respect. At least they actually contribute something to society.” She said. I frowned and realized it must be because I hadn’t spoken to her. Their job was to aid us so I hadn’t thought of interacting with them as opposed to just giving them their tasks. I thought that was how they preferred their work to be done, or at least that’s what mother and father always had told me. 

I turned to the maid and gave her a friendly but apologetic smile. “Excuse me Miss Maid. As it is your job to do would you take this box and throw it out. It has no use now.” I explained feeling a bit like I was performing and unsure if I had done it correctly. “Is that what you meant?” I asked Jen hoping she would feel better now. 

Jen pulled the box back from the maid and shoved it once again in my arms, “No, you bitch, I mean do it yourself. Or is that too hard for you?” She sneered. 

I couldn’t help it anymore and my lip quivered as I felt myself crying. Of course she wanted me to deal with the box. I’m such an idiot. “I'm sorry, I can do that.” I spoke quickly and turned with the box hoping I hadn’t caused too much of a scene. 

***

I laid in my bed for a few hours. I debated calling Savannah or mother- but of course they would know not to act that way with a maid. Of course I was the dumb one here. I had offended lady Jen Li and caused a scene. I was already in this event that they hated and now I was ruining the White name.

Crying into my pillow I decided to go down to Ava’s room. We weren’t friends yet, and this was NOT part of the plan. But it would be better for her to hear it from me so I could apologize for what a complete fool I had been before she decided that was who I had grown into. I cried on her bed for a few hours, explaining that I hadn’t meant for things to turn out that way and I truly hadn’t known that Jen would be so upset. She was incredibly kind, offering to speak with Lady Jen herself, but that would be even worse, to escalate the situation more. I dozed off in the room and slept my first night in Ava’s room.