MAY 2020.

         THE MORNING SUN shine bright throughout the penthouse. Dogs on their morning walk, their owners on their morning coffee run, bright yellow taxis making their way throughout the city for their daily lifts — New York was up and awake. There is a reason it's infamously known as the city that never sleeps. It wasn't uncommon for Daphne Ryder to be awake during sunrise and well before it. Even if she had just gotten to sleep an hour ago which half the time, was the case. There wasn't a main reason for her insomnia just that she tended to be awake and honestly dreaded the thought of sleep. There was so many better things to do.

So, she sat in her chair with a cup of coffee to the left. An acoustic guitar held between her hands, a sweet symphony erupting from the chords. It was a slower beat specially consisting of few chords - but it came together to create something beautiful. It was rare that Daphne ever wrote a song that didn't need to be screamed but sometimes she did so, although it rarely made it to the surface.

The lyrics to the strings weren't formed yet and sometimes never were. Sometimes the beat said a lot more than the expression of words.

The moment she stopped strumming her eyes glanced up from the musical instrument to fall on the girl stood in the doorway. Her brunette hair messy, a t-shirt clung to her body. She looked tired but she fit tired - she fit any look any-day. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Hailee apologized as Daphne let out a breath and shook her head lightly. She removed the guitar from her lap as she leaned back and let out a sigh, Hailee took this as an invitation to come sit with her. Something that amazed Hailee was that Daphne never once appeared tired. I mean sure, it's only been weeks since they first spoke to one another. They've hardly spent any time together except for the past seventy-two hours. But in the short time she had known her, she had not once seen Daphne Ryder show a sign of struggle in anyway. No tiredness, no frowns, no nothing. Masking at its finest.

"How long have you played?" Hailee questioned hesitantly, knowing that Daphne didn't really ever talk about herself - personally, at least. It seemed odd knowing nothing of the person that infatuated her mind. To have so much tension and need for someone who's middle name she was still unsure of, to know nothing of her family or where she's from. What she enjoys doing when she's not doing whatever the hell she does with Hailee. And the curiosity was a two way street, for different ways though. "Seventh grade..." Her voice trailed as if she had so many other things to say but decided against it. "You play?"

The words coming from Daphne's mouth made Hailee bite her bottom lip as she fought her thoughts for an answer. "Not really, I don't know... I learned for a movie like years ago but I haven't really picked it up since." Daphne watched her as she rambled on, her fingers messing with the chords unknowingly. "I was okay, I'd like to think. Not Daphne Ryder level of course." The girl smiled as Daphne forced a straight face and reached for the guitar once again. She effortlessly placed it on Hailee's lap making the girl's eyebrows furrow. She let out a breath as she shook her head. It was moments later that Daphne's body was pressed against hers as she guided her to play the stringed instrument. She soon realized the chords the rockstar was swiftly teaching her - more like pressing her fingers down on her own to play the sweet sounds, was one of Daphne's songs. It was one she had heard at the afterparty the evening Tom had broken up with her. But she liked this memory so much more, the one where she was wrapped up in woman she savored. A happiness was filling throughout the women. A genuine delight.

"There you go..." Daphne started as she ran her now free hand through her hair, her lips dangerously close to Hailee's neck. She leaned closer to press them to her ear, "... you're a rockstar." Daphne whispered.

"I hardly call you playing a song for me for like thirty seconds me being a rockstar but I'll take it." The girl smiled as Daphne stood from the sofa with the guitar, walking over to lean it against a bookshelf. She caught the actress' glance as she turned around and ran a hand through her hair. "You're better than half the talentless shits out there," She complimented making Hailee playfully roll her eyes. "Okay if this is directed towards my friends, Daphne, I swear-"

"You'll what?" She cut her off with her dead stare that could flip a school bus. Hailee pressed her pink lips together to form a line as Daphne watched her for a few seconds before turning on her heel and exiting the room. The girl followed the rockstar immediately out of the room and into the kitchen where she reached in the fridge. "Okay so you don't like pop music, fine, fair. But all my friends are talented."

The silence on the receiving end made Hailee let out a laugh of disbelief. "Oh, come on Daphne." She only responded by exiting the room and making her way over to the balcony once again, a drink in her hand. "You're a cocksucker."

"What?" Hailee practically gasped as she shut the glass door and made her way over towards the brunette. She was looking below, over the streets of Manhattan. There was something about Daphne Ryder and balconies. "You're speaking bullshit, you can't seriously tell me you like any of that shit."

"Okay, you and I have very different music tastes." Hailee scoffed as she watched Daphne find pure amusement in their debacle. Daphne didn't feel a need to respond to such an obvious answer. "So you think they're all talentless?"

"All I'm saying, talent isn't worth shit nowadays. These souless pop heathens don't even write their own goddamn songs - and the one's that do - don't do it very fucking well. But they dress in their little red carpet outfits, do their little lip-sync and dance performance. If you can even call it that.  They follow societal rules and everyone in the world throws themselves at them." She shrugged back unbothered. "And these same talentless people, they make zillions of dollars. When somewhere out there, there's an even greater number of brilliant voices full of talent that you'll never know the name of. People who don't give a shit about some title or the money. Or people throwing themselves at them - they give a shit about the music."

The words came out like she had held them in her whole life although Hailee couldn't find that fact true. Daphne Ryder was not one to stay quiet when wanting to express her opinion. And with her occupation of choice -- there was no way this topic hadn't already been brought up before. But the words hit her a little too hard, maybe it was the way Daphne said it or the fact that she went on about a figure that seemed too much like herself. Hailee danced, Hailee dressed up on stage, Hailee was all of it. And Daphne seemed a little bit too passionate about bashing this 'character' who seemed too familiar to be real. "What so just because we don't bite bats heads off or smash our guitars we're not as talented as you?"

"Well that's an accusation," Daphne lifted her eyebrows as she took a swig of her drink making Hailee furrow her eyebrows. "So you're not even gonna try and correct me? You're just gonna be the same arrogant lunatic whore-"

"Don-'t"

"-who thinks no one could ever begin to comprehend the talents that you hold. Well guess what Daphne, I'm done praising you like everyone seems to do." Daphne's choice of silence is what made Hailee huff as she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. It was nearly seven in the morning and she had already been through a sea of emotions with Daphne, how lovely. The thought of someone thinking she didn't 'give a shit' about the music and used it as an excuse to get the fame and the people throwing themselves, that's what got to her. Especially someone like Daphne.  "My flight... I have to go get my stuff from the hotel," Hailee announced simply as she watched Daphne glance over at her. "Go, then." Was all she said before she exited into the penthouse leaving Hailee alone. What the fuck just happened? I mean it's not like Hailee expected Daphne to present her with a goodbye kiss, especially after she practically insulted her moments ago. But Hailee decided to not waste anymore of her time in the same penthouse she spent the past half-week prancing around. Instead, she made her way to her hotel room where she could only wish she had been the whole time.

THE AUTHORS NOTE!

we're back bitches

this is the most stupid chapter ever that it's hilarious. like both of you stfu. ESPECIALLY YOUR DRAMATIC ASS STEINFELD. but at least she got the balls to even look at daph in the eyes.

anyways. reminding you for the millionth time, to KEEP UP WITH MY MESSAGE BOARD. idk why people think it's such a chore to just press follow so you get alerts in your notifs thing on here. like over half of you didn't even know about when cigarettes was on hold bc you didn't check the message board when i have said 100 times that i put any news for the fic on there. so pls, just check the message board instead of asking "how long until your next update 🥹" after i'm done fucking your mom, hannah.

anyways x2 as i said before stranger things cast fic coming soon (dacre or natalia as the love interest i cant decide) and also robin buckley fic is in the works (v much in the works)!!!! also pls pls pls check out my plot shop if you can. i literally put all of my favorite plots in there that i love sm just for like no one to want them. thats so fun 😍😍