georgialaurier

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

SKYLER: if it upset him then he should have said something. i can't keep tabs on all of the people he's got beef with

SKYLER: what did ellie and liv do?

SKYLER: you're the best, gi.

GEORGIA: bro he's literally had beef with apollo since high school, keep up. and you knew the olivia subject was touchy

GEORGIA: i broke things off with ellie, that's the shade they were throwing. i think. i don't speak mean girl

GEORGIA: i mean, i /do/ but not that dialect

GEORGIA: i know 😘 i love you, sky.

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

SKYLER: how was it out of line? it was a fucking joke

SKYLER: nah, it's okay. i owe you after helping to cure my hangover the other day.

GEORGIA: it upset him, that should be enough for his bff. and like, going along with apollo's joke after they just got into a fight? c'mon sky, you know it was out of line.

GEORGIA: so were eleanor and olivia but that's another thing

GEORGIA: i did bring flaming hot cheetos for you. i got them right here.

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

SONNY: snow is hard for everyone

SONNY: i'm good. i've got some options

SONNY: anything interesting? should be there in ten if mr. daniels doesn't get stuck. it's bad out here.

GEORGIA: here's a fun fact. i fucking hate snow, the cold... all of it

GEORGIA: nothing juicy so far, people are just... boring. i'll keep digging though

GEORGIA: glad you got a safe ride. i can drive you back once this shit show is over

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

SKYLER: i wouldn't be happy with me either

SKYLER: oh, good.

SKYLER: the line for cocoa is a mile long. might be a minute.

GEORGIA: i /know/ it was a joke, sky. but it was still out of line

GEORGIA: fuck, i'm sorry. you're a real one for sticking it out. i owe you big time

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

SONNY: not for me. it's... you know it's different for me.

SONNY: the town. yeah.

SONNY: are you reporting on it?

( many realizations click at once, stupid georgia )

GEORGIA: yeah, i know. sorry it's not ideal

GEORGIA: i didn't bring any intern tasks to distract you

GEORGIA: i am yeah, i'm transcribing interviews right now

( a beat )

GEORGIA: what's your eta?

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

SKYLER: we might have to go on a rescue mission later

SKYLER: of course, of course

SKYLER: yeah, i'll be there in a sec.

GEORGIA: just a hunch but i don't think he'll be happy with you

( a beat )

GEORGIA: he texted me, he's on his way

GEORGIA: thanks, sky. i'll be here

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

SONNY: i'm on my way, peaches. chill.

SONNY: i haven't set foot in that place for...

SONNY: years.

GEORGIA: it sucks just as much as it always did

( a beat )

GEORGIA: but it's nice, what they did. the town needed it

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

SKYLER: it was a JOKE

SKYLER: not my fault he's always on edge

SKYLER: yeah, yeah. on my way. marshmallows and whipped cream?

GEORGIA: [ unsent ] you should know better by now

GEORGIA: well this is not gonna help convince him not to freeze to death at his house

GEORGIA: marshmallows and whipped cream 🤍

GEORGIA: i'm working but i have some books if you just wanna keep me company?

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

SONNY: [ unsent ] i can't make it through the snow alone

SONNY: not a party i really care to join

GEORGIA: it's not a fucking party, sonny

GEORGIA: your house will lose power relatively soon and for god knows how long. get your ass here

[georgialaurier]

text ~ four mins. younger

GEORGIA: when you're done with that foot on your mouth

GEORGIA: third floor, to the right, all the way down

GEORGIA: i'm saving you a spot, bring hot chocolate?

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

SONNY: who says i'm not already there?

GEORGIA: you're not on the guest list

[georgialaurier]

text ~ sonny

GEORGIA: get your ass to snowcliffe

[georgialaurier]

call || gia 📖

ELLIE: maybe it is

ELLIE: well... goodbye, georgia

( click )

GEORGIA: goodbye.

[georgialaurier]

call || gia 📖

ELLIE: i don't know when i started feeling this way i- i told myself that i was done with relationships... at least for awhile

ELLIE: you just... the feelings blindsided me, i guess

ELLIE: i don't know- i guess i thought maybe you felt them, too

GEORGIA: i get that. i know you were sincere when we talked about this months ago.

GEORGIA: we should have touched on it again instead of assuming things. i assumed nothing had changed and you that things did.

GEORGIA: i wish we were not ending it on the phone but... maybe it’s for the best.

[georgialaurier]

call || gia 📖

( she’s quiet for a long time, only the sound of her soft breathing audible)

ELLIE: is it- was there something different i could have done?

GEORGIA: ( a sigh ) i know it sounds fake when people say it, but it really isn’t you, ellie.

GEORGIA: if you want a relationship, then you deserve one. i just—it’s not in the cards for me right now.

( maybe never )

GEORGIA: i just wish you had told me.

[georgialaurier]

sonny.

being in an office isn’t a normal thing for sonny wells.he’s sure some of georgia’s coworkers are confused about him being here, aloneespecially. but he has a wide expertise in letters. mostly ones from adoringfans, professing love, thanking him for showing them that skiing is a passion,and always being a great role model. a great role model… fucking funny now,isn’t it? opening envelopes feels like an old friend, a welcome distraction forhands that might usually knock over a coffee with their expressive nature. thetearing of the seal is like music to his ears each and every time, refusing toallow his mind to think too much about the words he’s saying. “i mean any andall of them could go either way,” he admits, setting the letters down indefeat, letter opener falling on the same surface beside them. there’s too muchin his mind in this very moment, too much for him to focus on to know if he wantsanswers at all. “don’t you think it’s fucking dumb as shit for people tocomment on things they know nothing about?” a definite rhetorical question.“like, riddle me this, reporter girl, how in the fuck does apollo matheson havethe right to tell me i don’t deserve frankie conte when the door isn’t locked.she could leave whenever she wanted to, peaches,” eyes bore into the stack ofletters before looking up, desiring to meet chestnut hues affixed to a computerscreen. “in fact, the door is not only unlocked, it’s wide fucking open. i amnot holding this chick hostage in our relationship,” a sigh, hands punctuatinghis sentence before picking the stack of letters back up and pulling the firstone’s contents out. “is it wrong for me to think that if she had enoughself-respect, she’d just leave?” it is wrong. “don’t answer that. but idon’t care if i’m hurting her. i didn’t care when i hurt apollo,” one letterfor the printing department. “i don’t give a single fuck if i hurt the majorityof people in my life aside from maybe you and skyler and… jesus, isn’t thatshit? shouldn’t i… care?” a letter for advertising. “i know i’m wasting yourtime. i just keep letting this shit sit in my head and it feels like i have tolet it out.” and he does, but perhaps his best friend’s sister isn’t who you’dexpect him to open the floodgates for. later on in the night, on his way home,greyson would be surprised ( confused, even ) by it, too.

georgia keeps eye contact with him for a moment, chuckling at the follow up to his rhetorical question. reporter girl, she rolls her eyes before turning around to face the monitors again, post-it note joining the dozens of others sticking from every angle out of the monitor. but this time, pretending not to be paying attention seems harder. because why, why would francesca conte walk out of a relationship with greyson wells? why would she give up what georgia has craved for eight years? it would make no sense. unless... the reporter pieces together the story before sonny confeses. i don’t care if i’m hurting her. georgia swallows, spinning her chair around to face greyson again. sure, her co-workers are already looking, but georgia is sure that one cold look will suffice for none of them to ever bring up this moment again. besides, they all must be grateful for the fact that she is distracted, gives them more time to get in their fucking articles before she starts hounding them. “what do you mean you are hurting her?” she asks, eyes seeking icy blue. “you don’t have to tell me,” she clarifies. after all, she is just a stand-in for skyler tonight. a replacement for his real friend. except... why would he care if he hurts her? because it would get him in trouble with her brother? most likely. breakfast doesn’t mean he cares for her. a couple of text threads doesn’t mean they are friends. a stolen sip does not mean he likes her. “look sonny, i know you didn’t come to me expecting to be coddled, so i’ll give it to you straight: hurting people, it shouldn’t feel as good as it does. lord knows i know that. but the satisfaction we get from it, what is it good for anyway? doesn’t fix anything.” georgia smacks her red lips, makeup still intact, meant to outlast bigger tragedies than those of that night. “you’ve had the shittiest thing happen to you. i can’t imagine what it’s like and i don’t think you’d want to tell me, but no matter how shitty it is it doesn’t give you a free pass to be an asshole, greyson. not to frankie, not to apollo, not to anyone. so don’t place the responsibility on others to put up with you or not put up with you, you are responsible for the hurt you cause. so deal with whatever it is you do care about.” georgia sighs, her hand moving to his cheek without permission, touching the spot right below his bruising skin. “and ice that eye.” 

[georgialaurier]

apollo.

“always,” apollo cooes as georgia sits down. he’s about to comment more about the article and the failed tree lighting overall, but the waitress interrupts. he waits patiently as georgia orders then orders himself a plain black coffee and a chocolate muffin. he’d been so preoccupied with getting to work when he came into the coffee shop that he hadn’t even bothered ordering anything, the wait staff obviously picking up on his need to work in peace. but he’d make an exception for georgia, the promise of the interview in the forefront of his mind. though, it was nice catching up with the woman in front of him, something he always seemed to enjoy. he scrunches up his nose slightly at her question, decidedly shrugging it off as the waitress came back with their drinks and his muffin. “i’m a little bruised from the festival, but no big deal,” he replies before taking a sip of his drink. “what about you? aside from working the whole night, did you enjoy the festival?”

“ah yes, i didn’t see what happened,” i heard sonny’s side of it though. “you alright?” georgia takes a sip of her latte, meticulously placing everything in its place. recorder off but aiming at apollo, notepad on a new page, pencil in hand and a spare one where she could easily reach it. “me? yeah, i had some good cider. got good quotes for the article. it was a good event,” she replies sincerely, avoiding every single topic in which she would have had to lie to him, or worse, open up. “thank you again, for helping out with the interview. i really appreciate it,” georgia offers him a soft smile. “i’ll keep your identity secret, of course. just gathering information. and if you ever want to take something back just let me know. and if you want to tell me something and then pretend you didn’t, just say ‘off the record’ and i’ll turn off the recorder. any questions before we begin?”