Meeting ID: 848 7157 5191

[dolly weathers]

Hey! She scolds, you know how they say absence makes the hard grow fonder? They're wrong. Keep that in mind next time you take ten years to get a drink. She takes a sip of wine when he asks about Damien and presses her stained lips together thoughtfully, Damien's family is a lot like my family. We worked really well on paper and in pictures. But when you're in a room with them, they've all got their heads so far shoved up their own asses that it's hard to get a read, she shrugs. At this time in quarantine, she'd actually take one of those boring events. Donkey Kong. Got it.

[theo lovett]

He holds the six pack of beer up to the camera, or at least what's left of it. "I learned my lesson. Who knows who you'd forward this invite on to if I stepped away for a refill," he laughs, not wanting her to feel like he was genuinely trying to give her a hard time. "I know, I Googled him. I'll Google all your dates so you don't have to, just send me their names with some notice." He nods, finding it surprisingly easy to imagine what that must be like, though he knew no one remotely like them. "How was your Christmas, anyway? I don't think you've told me."

[dolly weathers]

Atta boy. I just asked Percy De Vane the actual famous person to be my roomie, you never know who I'm desperate enough to force my company on. She raises her eyebrow when he mentions he's Googled Damien, she finds it hard to put herself in his shoes and be looking in from the outside. This must be so bizarre for him. What'd you then of it then? It must be weird seeing me there then seeing me here. She shrugs, bleak! Lonely. Very weird. How about yours?

[theo lovett]

Theo feels a knot in his stomach, which he puts down to eating too much junk food too quickly. "Oh yeah, of course. I just DM'd Bella Hadid asking if she wants to move in with me too, but she hasn't read it yet." His eyes flicker from her face to her background, as he wonders what her place looks like compared to his. At least he remembered to make his bed, looming as it is in his own background. "It's like a different person honestly. I don't connect you, the Dolly I've met, to that Dolly. Unless I'm bragging about knowing you, then I'm definitely thinking of Google Dolly." He nods. "Not too bad, all things considered. Busy."

[dolly weathers]

She rolls her eyes, mostly at herself, he's Damien's bestie. He's just the most actual famous person I know. She continues to pick at the apple pie, lifting it's sugary crust to her rosebud lips. Her head tilts as she listens to him, trying to understand. She knows there's a difference. Dolly Weathers was manicured and perfect, but she had more edge. That's why I like you, you mostly treat me like me. She looks at her own reflection on the screen and realizes that she's been talking to him in almost complete darkness. She gets up to flick the lights on, but keeps talking, you worked, didn't you? Such a saint. She settles back on her stool, of all the years to work though, this was the one.

[theo lovett]

He pauses, giving the camera a look. "His bestie? Really?" He mulls that over, taking a sip of beer to collect his thoughts. "That's pretty manipulative of you, D." His eyes follow the pie to her lips, hesitating there for a second before he snaps out of it. He's surprised by what she says, because he knows he thinks of her differently than he'd think of another girl. He can't help it. "It's easy to forget when I'm talking to you," he admits, because that was true. He nods, ignoring the praise. "I'm just glad to have an income," he says, his standard response. He grins, "you know, until we're hitched and I can be a full time trophy husband."

[dolly weathers]

Because Damien? Oh no, she brushes it off. He lost his mom last year and I'm tired of talking to the walls. She gazes off to look at her living room, there's too many seats for one person. God, she wishes she could have an outrageous house party right now. Yes, and you can resuscitate me when I'm ODing on whatever, she smiles at him and takes a long sip of wine. Tell me something you've never told anyone. Anything! Serious, sad, funny, mean.

[theo lovett]

Guilt creeps over him. "Sorry. It's not my business, I shouldn't have said anything." It was hard to picture a girl like Dolly being lonely, but then when she talked about her family he got the overwhelming feeling that she was. "Match made in heaven." He winces at the question, groaning. "What am I supposed to say to that!?" He thinks for a moment, before shaking his head. "You go first, then I will. Promise. It's the least you can do, since I'm not making you game with me."

[dolly weathers]

I'll give you a little something of each. Hmm.. She puts her finger to her chin to think, mean: every time I'm with my family, I hide my brother's cigarettes. He gets so mad, I fucking love it. God, he loses his mind. There's packs of cigarettes all over that house. She grins, that counts as funny too. God, there's not a lot I haven't told anyone. When I got my period, I told no one. I was so embarrassed. Isn't that sad? Probably pretty common though.

[theo lovett]

He laughs, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he doesn't carry round multiple packs. He must think he's going crazy. Which brother? Yeah, I can see that being normal." He pauses. He wants to think of something funny, charming, but nothing comes, drowned out by the only thing he can think of. "When my parents died," he glanced at the screen, half smiling, knowing it's a heavy opener. "I was fourteen. I was seeing this girl very casually, I mean, I was a kid, she was kind of annoying but the hottest girl in school. Anyway. I was going to break up with her and then my parents died and I couldn't. Not because I needed her or anything, but because my mom made this amazing tomato soup, I don't know how she did it but it was just so good. Anyway, my girlfriend's mom made it and it tasted so similar that I couldn't let it go, it felt like a little bit of my mom... anyway, I stayed with her for five years. For her mom's soup."

[dolly weathers]

Thompson, she grins when she thinks of her brother pacing back and forth, pressing blame into everyone but her. He always thinks it's Robbie. It's probably my favourite thing about my family.. hiding the cigarettes, isn't that stupid? She feels her heart hit her stomach when she mentions his parents. She feels all the grief she can for him, but it's impossible to relate to losing that much. My sweet Theo, she'd loves to reach into the screen to brush her finger along his cheek, we should make some tomato soup. We'll try find your mom's secret and bring that little bit of home to you. I'm actually devastatingly good in the kitchen, she tastes a long sip of wine, staying with someone for their mom's soup isn't the most horrible thing.

[theo lovett]

He feels an odd sense of familiarity with her family, who of course have no idea he exists. That must happen often to them, meeting a random who knows plenty about them and forgets that they learnt everything they supposedly know online. He shakes his head. "It's a good day for me when my brother watches Netflix with me, families are hard." He shakes his head, "it wasn't supposed to be sad! It's sad for Clemmie, she had no idea all I saw in her was her mom's soup. But we can try." He looks at her skeptically. "For five years? What's your longest relationship and what was your reason for staying?"

[dolly weathers]

They are, she nods with agreement and tops off her wine. It's sad for you too. You never think about why you love someone tell they're gone. Even if it's their soup, she smiles, sipping her wine. Her complicated family drove her insane, but she knows she'd miss everyone if their quirks if they vanished. Oh my god, she stares blankly at the scene, Damien, obviously. We were together for ages. AGES. It's like we were dating in the womb. Even when we were dating other people we were still dating. It was kind of like an arranged marriage. It was just what was meant to be, she takes one long sip and her finger dances in the air, until recently, obviously. He was the most boring person to be locked up with. More boring than just me.

[theo lovett]

"I fell for her after, but that might have just been grieving too." He has no idea why he's telling her all this, it's left his lips before he can stop himself. Talking about his parents was something he deftly avoided, saying enough that it didn't seem openly avoidant but really just saying enough to be able to move the conversation along. "Oh yeah? That was for real?" The knot in his stomach tightens, Dolly and Damien's history spinning out in his mind. He finishes a beer and immediately opens another. As she talks the knot eases, but not by much. "You'll end up marrying him, I'd bet my life on it. Will I get an invite?"

[dolly weathers]

Do you miss her? He asks if she and Damien were real and she shrugs. Yes and no, she could remember very faint moments when she felt so connected to Damien. But it was likely because it seemed like they had a similar fate. Both born with silver spoons and the rest of their lives like played out like it was pre written. No, I'm marrying you, she leans into the camera to blow a kiss and leans back to give him heart eyes. What did you think of me before you met me?