A Quiet Breakfast with Ella Sue

May 10, 2020. The next morning, at home.

“And then I was sitting there, high out of my mind, and Hanna Maria was looking at me like I was, I don’t know, actual trash…”

I take another bite of my sausage link while Ella Sue almost spits out a big gulp of her morning tea.

“But still, you got high with Sean Corolla?!” she says, trying and utterly failing to keep the jealousy out of her voice. “That’s like, the next best thing behind tripping with Eric Simonds!”

“I was just telling you why getting high with Sean was a bad thing,” I say. “Plus, Eric Simonds is a dick. We don’t like him.”

Ella Sue lets out a sigh, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, but, he’s still super cute, and also, I’m not supposed to know that he’s a dick, so I’m still allowed to fangirl over him, right?”

“Yeah with an emphasis on the girl,” I say. “He’ll probably be more interested in you if you tell him you’re fifteen.”

“Okay, okay, fair point, I guess I’m not that interested in him anymore,” she says, making a face. “Don’t want anything to do with him. That sucks. I guess that’s why they tell you to never meet your heroes, huh? But still, doing Spacey with the Sean the High Rolla’? That’s so sick!”

Ella Sue plucks another strawberry out of her bowl and munches on it. Most days, she has a bowl of fresh fruit with some yogurt and granola for breakfast. Most days, I wonder how she has the discipline to stick with it. She tells me that the ‘gram gives her all the motivation she needs.

“It was a good time,” I smile, thinking back on the rest of the night. “After Hanna Maria left, we dodged some guards, found the pool, and went skinny dipping with a bunch of chicks at the party. Until we got kicked out of the pool, that is. Sean disappeared at that point with three girls on his arm.”

“Ooooh,” Ella Sue says, perking up at the gossip. “And what about you, tiger-boy? Did you get yourself a girl?”

“I figured it would be like with that girl at the bar the other night, Dana. A lot of hassle for no gain. And then if Hanna Maria found out… well, it seems like she already hates my guts from yesterday, so it looks like my plan is going way down the drain. Not that Tiffany did that any favours yesterday.”

“Yeah, what was Tiffany even thinking, raising that price to two billion?” she says, bewildered. “Even I wouldn’t be that stupid!”

“I asked her about it. She’s been tight-lipped. I don’t know… I’m beginning to suspect that something’s wrong,” I say. I frown. “But the AMA says she’s perfectly trustable now. So at the very least, she must have good intentions, right?”

“I don’t know. Why wouldn’t somebody who completely trusts you tell you everything?” Ella Sue pauses, thinking. “Or maybe, she made a mistake, and is ashamed to admit that now?”

“I don’t know either. Could just be something she doesn’t want to say over the phone,” I ruminate, getting up from the table. I scoop up Ella Sue’s empty bowl alongside my plate and drop it into the dishwasher. “We’re meeting in three days. Maybe Tiffany will tell me then.”

“Let’s hope so!” Ella Sue says. She looks at my shyly. “And um… do you think, you could, you know, arrange for us to meet up someday? I’ve still never seen her, and y’know, seeing as how I’m her biggest fan and everything…”

“I’m sure we could work something out,” I smile. “Who knows, she might be so impressed that you could even star in a film with her!”

“She doesn’t get the final say on casting decisions,” Ella Sue says. “And anyways, don’t get my hopes up like that, I still have an eight hour shift bagging groceries ahead of me, and a girl can’t spend that whole time daydreaming.”

She stops by the door, shrugging on a light jacket.

“Well, I have noticed the way your eyes light up when I talk about those glamorous parties and those famous celebrities—”

“Only because I’ve dreamed of being there and meeting them my whole life!”

“—right, and you’ve been working hard, and I think you’d deserve the chance. Those people in charge of casting have been royally screwing you over.”

“You tell me!” Ella Sue harrumphs, slipping on her shoes. “Giving me just four words to say as an extra so that I’m not union and they don’t have to pay? It ridiculous!”

“Yeah, all of that,” I say. “Anyways, have a good day at work!”

“Thanks! I’m looking forward to dinner when I get back!”