The morning air was a sharp, biting reminder of the night before, a "rushing of coldness" that swept across Mona's face as she finished her workout. For months, she had carried the heavy weight of her superior's words—the stinging accusation that Cherry's father was the criminal mastermind behind the millions missing from HR. But today was different. The charges had been exonerated; the shadow was lifting, yet the chill remained.
After a quick shower and a lonely breakfast, Mona turned on the television. The Good Morning Show chattered away about motivation, a necessary lifeline when you're navigating the fog of depression and the sharp edges of trauma. She checked the clock; it was past 10:00 AM. Upstairs, Cherry was still lost in a sleep fueled by Travis's party.
Mona went upstairs to check on her. Green had mentioned she was in good shape before he left, and right on time, Cherry began to stir. Her face twitched as she felt the throbbing at the top of her head. Mona stepped in, helping her sit up.
"Feeling any better?" Mona asked, bracing a pillow against her back.
Cherry couldn't stop yawning, the exhaustion pulling at her jaw even as she tried to speak. Mona gave her a silent signal to just let it out.
"Oh! My! God! I feel pain," Cherry finally cried out, resting her forehead against her trembling fingers.
"I asked the chef to prepare you breakfast before coming down," Mona said gently. "Why not get into the shower while I tidy the room—"
"You don't have to, Mona," Cherry interrupted, her eyes darting around the wreckage of the night. Boxes of pepperoni pizza, greasy Chinese takeout containers, and bottles of water mixed with splashes of juice littered the space. Cherry stared at the food, a hollow feeling in her chest. She had no memory of eating any of it.
"Green brought you home last night," Mona explained, beginning to gather the trash. "It was a crazy night. You were ordering everything online."
"Jeez, I have no idea..."
"You had so much last night. C'mon, we'll talk about it at breakfast. I'll take care of this."
"This is unbelievable," Cherry muttered, springing out of bed in her sweats. She looked around, dazed, as Mona cleared the debris. "You said Green was here? How come Travis didn't take me home? Why Green?"
Mona sighed, her movements steady. "Is something wrong with Green bringing you home? I thought the both of you were friends. As for Travis... I don't know. Maybe you should give him a call."
"Sure, I'll do it now." Cherry grabbed her phone and dialed, but the rhythmic ringing only led to the cold finality of voicemail.
"Is everything fine?" Mona asked.
"I'm freaking out! The Gloom Lab story—I hasn't even worked on my draft yet. My wardrobe isn't ready. And I went to a party just to make a mess of myself!" Cherry's voice was hoarse, her breathing hitching in her chest.
"You should calm down, Cher. I'll help set up your wardrobe—"
"Please, Mona! I'm not a baby anymore. I can pick out my own clothes. I can take care of myself!"
The outburst ended in a gasp. Cherry hit her chest, struggling for air. Monalisa hadn't seen her spiral like this in a long time. She stepped forward and pulled the girl into a hug. Cherry collapsed against her, sobbing into her clothes as Mona stroked her hair.
"It's Travis... I... Travis... I think I love him," Cherry sobbed.
"Shiiii, it's going to be okay," Mona whispered, holding her until the sniffs subsided. When Cherry finally let go, Mona sat her back on the bed. "Did you tell Travis you love him?"
"No," Cherry whispered, her eyes wide with a new horror. "I told Green instead. I remember now. I was so drunk... I was stunned at myself."
"But you actually love Travis?"
"I think so. Green is a jerk, I can't believe—"
Her phone chimed. A video from Samantha. Cherry pressed play, and the nightmare took form. There she was on screen, loud and desperate, professing her love for Green while the party watched in awe. The camera caught Travis leaving without a word, Felix trailing after him as they disappeared into an SUV.
"Oh my GOD, this is bad," Cherry gasped, covering her mouth.
"Maybe you do love Green," Mona suggested, pressing the phone to the home screen. "Alcohol works differently on everyone. You should talk to them. Which one actually asked you out?"
"None of them! Green and I were just friends with benefits, and Travis and I... we had just begun to go out. I'm not sure, Mona. I made a mess. Travis's mom even saw—"
"That shouldn't bother you," Mona interrupted firmly. "Neither of them are your boyfriend yet. You can go live on Instagram and clear it up. Remember, you work for AL now. You're a recruiter. They expect the best, and videos like this will turn them off."
"You're right. I should shower. I'll join you for breakfast." Cherry kissed Mona's cheek and retreated into the bathroom, the door sliding shut with a soft click.
Saturday began to unfold with the weight of expectation. Cherry called Samantha, inviting her to the dinner Mona was planning for her father. He was finally coming home, his name cleared, a free man at last.
"Is it okay if I come with Amole? I'm at his place," Samantha asked over the line.
"You went out with Amole? Didn't he stand you up for Louise?"
"He explained why," Sam said quickly. "Listen, I had my own drama last night. Just promise we'll stick to smoking weed—I can't believe how we messed up. I'm just praying these videos don't get to my mom."
"Don't worry, your mom isn't an internet person," Cherry reassured her. "You can bring him, but I want to know what's going on with you two. Isn't it fast? It took you four years to admit feelings for Green."
"I'm not pressuring him," Sam replied. There was a pause. "Wait, you and Green started as friends with benefits—"
"It's not fair to say I inspired that path! And I'm not in love with Green. It's Travis. The alcohol worked on me so wrong, Sam."
Silence hung on the line. "What do you mean 'wrong'?" Sam finally asked. "You said you loved him in front of everyone. I thought it was Travis too, but then... I mean, Green has those cute brown eyes."
"Sam, I'm not joking. It was the alcohol talking, not me."
"Oh wow. Have you spoken to Travis?"
"He's not picking up. I don't know what to do."
"He's probably letting it sink in," Sam said softly. "It looked pretty bad, Cher. Travis was hurt. The whole school looked at him like he was stupid."
"We weren't even in a relationship! He never officially asked me out. We haven't even kissed!" Cherry argued, her voice rising in a desperate attempt to justify the damage.
"That's not what the school believes, especially with your history with Green."
They talked for eight minutes, circling the drain of social suicide before turning to work. They agreed to use Sam's old Toyota Camry to start their professional journey, covering stories and building their names. Cherry dreamed of fantasy worlds and romantic scripts, but at AL, the currency was gossip. She imagined breaking a story about a billionaire divorce—the kind of grit people actually craved.
She reviewed her drafts—the cancer story, the basketball playoffs. Victoria High was headed for the championship, and AL wanted her to cover it. She checked her highlights of Travis's tryouts; the engagement was huge.
She headed downstairs, finding Mona at the table with a magazine and a bowl of breakfast.
"What are you reading?" Cherry asked, grabbing a fork.
"Another billionaire breakup," Mona exhaled. "Why put your misery out there? This model, Savannah... she didn't even want to talk about it."
"You're reading Savannah's story?" Cherry reached for the magazine. It was an AL exclusive from three days ago. "She dated the cutest boy in the world."
"She's getting twenty percent of his assets," Cherry added. "He cheated, felt guilty, and wanted to make her happy. But the media called her a gold digger."
"I heard she gave him a kidney! Is that why he's paying her two million?" Mona asked.
"It's actually twenty million," Cherry corrected. "And it's goodwill, not for a kidney. Savannah is a brand. She owns beauty shops, stays at five-thousand-dollar-a-night resorts..."
Mona closed the magazine. "I can't believe you'll be writing for them. It's big, Cher."
"I know. I'm nervous. I need to shop for suits and pants for the Gloom Lab interview on Monday."
"I can run errands for you," Mona offered.
"Thanks, but I can do this. And thanks for the party for my dad. I appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. Just send me the guest list. I think Miss Clara and Amole should be invited too."
Cherry finished her water and kissed Mona goodbye. Upstairs, she tried Travis one last time. Voicemail. She threw the phone on the bed, jumping when it finally rang—only to see Green's name on the screen.
"Hello, Cherry. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine... thanks for last night. Mona said you stayed up."
"It's okay. Hey, I saw your dad with some construction people. My mom said he just bought the house?"
"Really? How did you know?"
"From my mom. He invited her to the dinner Mona's throwing. I think... I think I'm coming too."
"Why? He only invited your mother."
"Right... but I thought you'd want me there. Unless you don't?"
"No! It's not like that," Cherry stammered, her heart racing. "I think you should come."
"See you there then."
"Yes."
Green cleared his throat, but the words wouldn't come for Cherry.
"Feeling any better from the hangover?"
"I'm fine, Green. I have to go." She hung up and immediately recorded a voice note for Travis, her voice trembling.
"Hi... I've been trying to reach you. I'm heading out with Sam, but I need to talk to you, Travis. Tonight is my dad's welcome dinner... I just found out he bought a house! I want you there because you helped me through everything. We need to talk... please call me."
She dressed quickly in jeans and a shirt, the blue butterflies still pinned in her hair, and headed out to meet Sam.