#and beat up a nice ginger alcohol store employee

[pennyserenade]

cillian murphy villains, my beloved little freaks

[artificialqueens]

E.V.O.L - Chapter 2 (Trixya) - VicThirteen

A/N: Hello! I meant to submit this earlier, but I prefer to post the chapters only when I have the next one ready, so it took a minute. Also, I’m a believer in building antici-

…pation to make every moment that little more special. Thank you so much for the comments, it makes my heart glow with joy <3

Chapter 2 – Lonely Hearts Club

Working with Katya turned out to be way more eventful than Trixie had expected. She imagined she would be getting coffee, picking up clothes from dry cleaning, taking unwanted calls and carrying shit around the studio. But now she found herself beside Katya in a hardware store, helping her choose little light bulbs for her newest art piece.

“You know, color is basically light, Trixie” The older woman said while looking through the shelves. “It absolutely changes how we see things, and shapes everything around us.”

“Yeah, like contouring your face with make-up” Trixie gestured to her own face.

“Yes! And like a dress that looks white and gold, but it’s actually blue and black.” The taller girl laughed at the silly meme reference and nodded. Katya threw an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. “Ah, you’re so smart, young padawan! Thank God I chose you!”

Trixie blushed a little and pushed Katya’s arm away with a laugh, following her around the store. These were other two things that surprised Trixie: how nice and generous Katya could be to everyone around her, and how fucking smart she was. Katya could talk about anything and had opinions on everything. She never passed an opportunity to educate Trixie on something new, or add a little more to what she already knew. When Trixie made a joke about Katya’s particular taste in clothing – so many weird patterns and color combinations! - the older woman looked her dead in the eye and said:

“Trixie, pretty and ugly aren’t real things. Taste is a social construct, it’s a cultural trait. We’re programmed, from the day we are born, to think some things are pretty and others are ugly. Break free, mama. Look beyond!”

On another occasion, while Trixie gathered every red, orange and yellow paint tubes she could find in the supply cabinet behind Katya’s desk, by her request, the boss calculated her astrological chart and fully analyzed the girl back to front. And those were only a couple of moments when Katya left her speechless with a shocked smile. Trixie also loved the fact that Katya talked to her all the time, and not at her. She asked questions and paid attention to the answers. By the end of her second week working at the studio, she caught herself feeling sad about how time flew and it was already time to go home.

“So, Trixie, how are you liking your time here with us?” Katya asked from her chair, watching the tall girl gather her things from her brand new desk on the corner of the office.

“I…” Trixie hesitated. She wasn’t very comfortable sharing her feelings, especially when they were so good. She felt like they could be used against her, probably her dickhead father’s fault, or like being affectionate would make her seem weak. But she really felt like taking the opportunity to get a little bit closer to such a special woman. “You know what? I really fucking love it” she laughed a little. “I thought I would be bored all the time and treated like some random intern, but… turns out you’re really a great boss!”

Katya laughed at the comment, a genuine smile hitting her blue eyes along with the sunset coming in from the window. The yellow light almost made them look green. Trixie thought back to the color theory crash course Katya gave her and her heart skipped a beat. Damn, that woman was something.

“Why, thank you very much!” The older woman nodded and crossed her legs. “Since you like me so much, and everyone in this place seems to think you’re the best intern we’ve ever had…” she joked, and Trixie thought this was probably Tatianna’s doing. She and the brunette had become very good friends, bonding over make-up tricks and stage performance ideas. “You’re invited to the happy hour slash just a little company party tonight.”

“Oh wow! I’m honored!” Trixie replied a little sarcastically, laughing to show she was joking. “I would love to! What time and where?”

“Half the girls are going right after we leave, some are heading home to fix their faces. Not everyone is as lucky as us, you know.” She winked and laughed again, making Trixie’s heart skip another beat. “So, you decide. If you want, you can ride with me. It’s at my place, by the way.”

Her place. Trixie was going to a private party at Katya’s home. Imaginary photography flashes appeared in her mind and a headline “Katya’s new BFF: the new it girl in town”. She blinked herself awake from the fantasy and thought for a second. “Hm… Okay. If it doesn’t bother you, of course. It’s way better than taking the bus!” They both laughed again and Trixie added “I just have to call my roommate to let her know I’m coming home late.”

“Oh, invite her too! We’ll pick her up on our way!”

Kim gasped an oh my god on the phone. “Are you kidding me? Of fucking course I wanna go! Besides, you won’t shut up about this woman, I wanna meet this bitch and see if you’ve been lying to me.” Trixie rolled her eyes. Kim found it hard to believe Katya could be such a nice person, since all she knew about the retired actress was the shit she read on the internet.

The car ride was a little awkward. Trixie rode shotgun, the strong smell of cigarettes around her. Katya bumped her hand against her thigh a bunch of times while shifting the gears, mumbling a little I’m sorry every time. It felt like the physical proximity killed their never ending conversation for some reason. Trixie thought way too much, but Katya didn’t even want to. She knew herself and how she loved to go after what she shouldn’t have. Trixie was pretty and interesting, and a truly nice person, even if she put on a tough front. But she was her employee. Katya didn’t need any more trouble in her life. I’m not that person anymore, she thought to herself.

When Kim got into the backseat, the tension was a little lighter. Trixie introduced the two and Katya kept asking questions about the Korean girl, making the conversation flow all the way to her place. She opened the automatic garage door and parked inside a beautiful house. The walls outside were painted a cream color, with a cute garden at the front and wooden windows, almost like a grandma’s home. When they got inside, a few girls from he studio were already there.

“Finally! I used my copy of the keys, so we’re attacking your fridge, ok?” Ginger, the short redhead manager greeted them. “Detox brought the alcohol, don’t yell at me.”

Detox messed with painting, but she was actually a sculptor. In fact, she was so passionate about sculpting she had her whole body perfectly sculpted with plastic surgery. Her outfits were also works of art, always well planned and executed. Trixie thought she was one of the coolest people she’d ever met.

“Come on, Ginger. We’re just relaxing after a long week!” Detox walked up to Katya with a drink in her hand. “Don’t worry honey, this isn’t gonna get wild, I promise. We got you a fuck ton of Red Bulls too!”

“Thank God!” The blonde replied with a fake angry face. “I thought I was gonna have to kick you out of my house and my studio!” She laughed, then turned to take Kim by the hand. “Guys! This is Trixie’s roommate, Kim! Be nice to her or you’re all fired!” She smiled and turned to the younger girls “Let me take your bags and coats! You can go in the kitchen and make yourselves at home! I’ll be right back!”

Katya took the girls’ things and walked down a hall full of doors. The living room had one bright red wall, while the other four were white and covered in drawings and paintings, pretty much like the outside of Katya’s office. The house wasn’t huge, but it was big enough to make everyone comfortable and host the occasional house party. Trixie and Kim entered a door to the left, where they rightfully assumed was the kitchen. On the counter top were bottles of vodka and champagne, next to three packs of Red Bulls and a big gallon of orange juice. The two girls looked at each other and Trixie reached for the vodka, only to be interrupted by two bony hands.

“Nuh-uh-uh!” Katya swooped the bottle away from her. “I’m fully aware you’re not 21 yet.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Katya?”

“Nope. Consider this overtime work. You’re staying sober with me.” Katya gave her a cocky smile and pulled three Red Bulls out of the cold packs. “There you go! Now let’s have a fun time!”

Trixie grunted and walked out of the kitchen, Kim laughing behind her. She fucking hated being treated like a child. But on a second thought, she realized what Katya wanted. “You’re staying sober with me.”

Along with so many great things, Trixie had also learned that Katya went through hell after her breakdown and rehab. The whole world wouldn’t stop talking about her and her problems; she was being impersonated and made fun of, now seemingly only known for her substance abuse and erratic behavior. Trixie imagined how lonely it must have been to be so judged and misunderstood. And how lonely she probably still was, watching her friends have cocktails in her own living room while her inner demons fought.

But Trixie soon found out how wrong she was to think she was gonna be bored staying sober. Katya was a clown. Trixie spent so much time laughing and talking to her boss, she didn’t even notice the time pass. At three in the morning she found herself in Katya’s room looking at a collection of weird but cool jewelry.

“I bought this one at an antique store in New York.”

“So a thrift store in Brooklyn?”

“Yes” Katya let out a wheezing laughter for the hundredth time that night. After calming down, she looked at Trixie, her icy blue eyes now dark and heavy. “Trixie, after your internship ends and you’re no longer my employee, do you wanna go out with me?”

Trixie’s eyes widened and her chin fell. This couldn’t have been some drunk talk because they were both sober. A smile crept on her, now, lipstick-less lips. “Smart girl. You probably have tough lawyers, huh?”

“As a matter of fact, I do” The shorter woman replied before sighing. “I mean it, though.”

Trixie looked at her hands for a second and gave an embarrassed little laugh. Her heart was beating like danger was looking her in the eye, and she didn’t feel like she could look back at it. You don’t know her that well, she might be the homewrecker everyone talks about, she thought, but immediately felt guilty. Katya was being so nice to her, disproving every single nasty thing ever said about her. But then again, she had been tricked before and that was an emotional scar she couldn’t get rid of. Trixie’s father also acted like he loved her, despite her mother’s words of him being an asshole, just to take all the information he could use on court to leave her and her mother with nothing.

She really fucking needed some therapy, but first she needed to say something, because Katya started to look sad and took a step back.

“I’m sorry, Trixie. Fuck, I keep proving them right, don’t I? Such a slut!” She laughed with no joy and lit a cigarette. “Sorry, ok? Forget about it.”

“It’s okay” Trixie said so low it was almost a whisper. “You know, I’m not easily impressed. But you amaze me, every day.” She smiled at the woman standing in front of her. “And I’m also allergic to feelings. Daddy issues” she rolled her eyes, making Katya smile again. “So you might wanna excuse me for focusing on my career right now.” She made air quotes and finally got another huge laugh out of Katya, the shorter blonde recognizing the cliché excuse used by so many celebrities to hide their relationships, including herself in the past.

“Alright, Barbie. Maybe in six months then?”

“Maybe. And maybe if you stop smoking.” Trixie got up from the bed with a disgusted face, waving her hands to get rid of the smoke that circled her.

“Yeah, maybe!” Katya laughed, taking another drag before walking to the door. “Come on, you’re about to fall asleep standing up. I’ll drive you and Kim home.”

–

After she dropped off the girls at their dorm building, Katya couldn’t stop thinking. What was she doing? Did she really have a crush on that girl? Was it because she made Katya feel ordinary again? Or because she didn’t treat her like some alien being? Or was it because when Trixie laughed she would squeeze her blue eyes shut and throw her head back, making her golden curls dance? Or because her sweet perfume smelled so good to Katya that she started to avoid smoking inside her office, just in case that would help make the scent linger a little longer around her?

She shook her head and gripped the steering wheel tighter. Feelings are just like the weather. They come and they go, she thought. Get a grip, get a life and get over it.

But when she drove by the convenience store on her way home, she didn’t feel like getting a new pack of cigarettes.