❪ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 ❫

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━
stalking celebrities.  ╱  act one, chapter one.

POPPY OLSEN HAD been invisible for as long as she could remember. When she was young she never understood the full weight of her invisibility, but as she got older it became quite clear. She was never the favorite child, she was the one that was disregarded. Her family was loved by the community, they adored her sisters and their accomplishments, but Poppy was never celebrated. She wasn't important to them, like some type of defect. She never was the one to be an academic genius like Marjorie, she wasn't a revered beauty queen like her sister Willow, or she wasn't the kindhearted little girl that people cherished like Esty. Poppy was the supposed ordinary one out of the Olsen sisters, the one people forgot about.

To some degree, it hurt. A lot. But over time, it got easier. The pain in her heart, the invisibility on her sleeve, they got easier to bear, to carry. It hurt watching people ignore her time and time again, but she just got used to it. Assumed she just didn't deserve to bask in the light like the rest of her family. She became accustomed to the shadows, finding the darkness comforting. Poppy liked being in the background, she liked to a certain degree that people didn't pay attention to her. It gave her the freedom to do whatever she wanted. Poppy was comfortable being alone, she got used to herself and valued her time to herself dearly.

Growing up, it was hard for Poppy to make and keep friends. Many people came into her life with a growing fondness for her, but that was quickly diminished when they met her sisters. Her so-called friends flocked to Marjorie and Willow, practically begging to insert themselves into their lives, eventually forgetting and leaving Poppy in the dust. It hurt the first few times, but it got easier with time, and Poppy just stopped letting her friends meet her family. She decided to keep them separate a long time ago.

Granted the only friend she had was her twenty-four-year-old co-worker Kelly. The curly brown-haired woman had a harsh hatred for Poppy's family the moment Marjorie lied to get Kelly suspended from high school. All to avoid the blame being placed on her (Even though it was completely her fault). Kelly really only tolerated Poppy's little sister Esty, who's only ten but has been nicknamed "Spitfire" by Kelly because of the amount of sass the little girl has.

It was very clear who Esty's favorite sibling was, just based on whose personality she latched onto. When Esty was two, she was brought into the Olsen household, when Betty Olsen was determined to get her mind off her impending divorce. Their mother took diligent care of Esty for a few years, but as Marjorie and Willow became bright starts, her attention immediately latched to them. Leaving the little six-year-old redhead to be taken under the wing of Poppy.

Esty quickly became Poppy's little mini-me, following her around like the older girl was a hero who had saved the world time and time again. Poppy didn't really like her family, but she kept herself around all for the sake of her little sister, not wanting the rest of the Olsen women to turn her into one of them. Poppy felt alienated by them her whole life and she physically couldn't take the thought of Esty turning into one of them. She wouldn't let that happen.

So she skipped the college experience, becoming a commuter instead. Her sisters did the same thing, finding more comfort at home than living on campus. But they were rarely home, their social lives being a very active and hectic thing. Which Poppy appreciated. She liked it when it was just her and her little sister. It gave them the opportunity to be goofy and weird without the judgemental looks of the other Olsen women.

Poppy really didn't get along with her mother, it was mostly because she was so different from them. She didn't care about the things they cared about, life wasn't some popularity contest like they made it out to be. Everything in their world was fake, fake interactions, fake confidence, fake love, everything was fabricated. Poppy couldn't take it, she could barely stand going to social events with them. Her mother made it her duty to gush about how amazing Marjorie and Willow were doing and how successful they were. Betty Olsen craved the jealous looks from the other families, everything the woman did was calculated all in hopes of receiving those reactions.

The Olsen family was very pronounced in their small town, the family being highly respected by everyone. Even after James Olsen left them for a random woman halfway across the country, Betty pushed forward, focusing on the accomplishments of the girls. A week after James left his family to start anew, Willow Olsen won Little Miss Springsdale. Quickly becoming the topic that always left her mother's mouth.

Poppy understood now at 20 that the reason her mother began pouring her energy into the girls was to get her mind off her heartbreak, but it wasn't fair that her sisters were the only ones who received that love and affection. Poppy desired to be loved, she deserved it. She didn't do anything to lose that right. She just wanted someone to love her for her, that was it. She didn't want that fabricated affection her mother gave, she wanted genuine love and fondness. But she hasn't found it yet. The only one that remotely gave her that was Esty. While some days, that was enough. As time goes on, it's becoming harder and harder for her not to ache for more.

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POPPY WAS watching the time tick away on her phone as she leaned against the counter, her eyes scanning over the practically empty diner. Her shift was almost over, only twenty more minutes to go and then she didn't have to worry about work for a whole week. Her school had been closed down for spring break since yesterday and Poppy felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The girl was quite fond of school, but this semester had been surprisingly brutal with her course load. So the break from classes was much needed.

This would be her last shift at the diner until she returned on Monday from California. Poppy's grandmother lived out there, and occasionally her family would travel to visit. They hadn't gone in a few years since Marjorie and Willow weren't too keen on going. But since they wanted to go this year, their mother quickly agreed, deciding to spend spring break there. There was a small anger towards her mother at that was the reason she was letting them go. Poppy had been asking every year, hoping to return to California, but every year her mother said no. Finally, when Willow and Marjorie wanted to go, her mother was instantly all for it. But the hurt from being disregarded rolled off her shoulder with ease. Poppy was used to that behavior by her mother. 

Plus, she was very excited to go, so she went along with it. Poppy missed her grandmother, that's the whole reason she wanted to go. Not to go to the beach and show off her vacation like Willow and Marjorie were planning to do. Since Poppy was a kid, she had always been close to her grandmother. Their relationship was very close-knit, solely because when Poppy was there, she was willing to do anything her grandma wanted to do. That's how she found out she liked gardening. So many summers of Poppy's life were spent with her knees in the dirt of her Grandma's flower beds. She didn't mind it. She enjoyed doing all the mundane and relaxing activities her grandmother always did because her grandmother made it fun.

Her grandmother was very fond of her and treated her like her favorite grandchild. Poppy didn't have to ask if it was true, because she knew it was. There was so much love in her grandmother's heart, that Poppy never understood how her mother only had very little to give. So it was nice when Poppy was able to receive the attention she deserved from the eldest Olsen woman.

All of them were leaving early tomorrow morning, so Poppy was getting out earlier so she could have time to pack and get a good night's sleep before she had to wake up before dawn to catch her flight. Her usual shift went from nine am to eight pm, so she was very excited to be leaving at two today with her check in hand. Her boss was able to give her an advancement so she could have money for her trip. Gloria, the short but mighty sixty-year-old had always cared deeply for Poppy, ever since she hired the girl when she was sixteen. So Poppy wasn't surprised when Gloria allowed the advancement.

There was a relief on her chest, knowing she would be able to go and do stuff during her time there, unlike the years prior when she was stuck at the house. While she didn't mind it, Poppy had never really been able to go out and explore. There was so much out there and she ached to look, have a peak in a life she never experienced.

Her phone buzzing on the counter brought her out of the space her mind was in. Looking down, Poppy couldn't help but let a smile drift to her lips when she noticed who it was.

S: I had fun last night :)

P: Me too <3

Poppy cheeks grew pink and the remembrance of last night. Her heart thudded at the thought of him. Simon Smith was a boy she had been seeing for a while. But she had known him for a lot longer. He was her sister's best friend. So, Poppy had known him for pretty much her entire life. Nothing had ever really happened when they were kids, for the longest time Poppy thought he frankly didn't enjoy her presence. But for some reason, two years ago Simon changed his tune. He suddenly found her interesting, eyes always wandering over to her when they were in the same room. From whispered comments in her ear about how pretty she was, secret notes being slid under her door when he asked for her number, to having secret dates in his car.

Poppy had never felt like this, being with the older boy made her heart pound like never before. He looked like he actually saw her, he was the first person to. He cared about what she had to say, he laughed at her jokes. The way he kissed her, made her stomach erupt into a fit of butterflies. Everything felt perfect. Well, almost everything. There was one thing that always festered in the back of her mind, a small sparkle of anger rumbled in her chest. No one knew about them.

Poppy had promised Simon she would keep it a secret from the beginning. But she always assumed that there would be a time when they told people, but that time had yet to come. In the beginning, she thought Simon wanted to keep it a secret while he thought of a way to tell her older sister. But that never happened, he always pushed it off. Giving the excuse that he just wanted her to himself for a little bit longer, to keep everyone out of their business. So Poppy went along with it, scared to let this thing go.

There were parts of her that felt pathetic that she was still holding onto something that might not go anywhere, but she didn't dare to walk away. Simon hadn't given her a reason too, at least that's what Poppy thought. She could handle keeping their relationship a secret, for the time being.

"Is that your lover?"

Poppy jumped at the intrusion. Looking up she was met with the goofy smile on Kelly's lips as she leaned against the counter a few feet away. Poppy rolled her eyes at the name Kelly used. The taller brunette only was able to refer to him as such because Poppy refused to tell her who it was. The taller brunette had been a good friend to Poppy for a long time. Kelly was always the one to be intrusive and practically knew Poppy inside and out at this point. But Poppy didn't dare to utter Simon's name to her, even though she could tell it was hurting Kelly. Poppy made a promise, and she'd be damned if she broke it.

"Maybe..."

"Oooh," Kelly mused, straightening up slightly while she still rested against the counter, sending Poppy a teasing grin. At times, Poppy was a tad jealous of how pretty Kelly was. The girl had no trouble getting everyone's attention, from just her presence alone. Poppy ached to have that kind of notice. "How was your hot date last night? Did he pay?"

"He always pays." Poppy gave her a quick annoyed glance before a small smile broke out on her face. "The date was good, gonna miss him when I'm in California."

"Him," Kelly repeated, leaning her head on her fist. As if she was mulling around the term. "Any chance you're gonna tell me his name? It's been months. I need to know."

The short girl sighed softly but she didn't dare let the name slip from her lips, shaking her head as she shrugged, "Gotta keep the mystery alive somehow."

"Whatever," Kelly murmured, eyes glancing at the cars driving outside of the diner window. "I can't believe you're leaving me for a week. It's so cruel."

Poppy snorted as she rolled her eyes, "You'll be fine, Gloria got her granddaughter to take my shifts so you'll have the help."

"What if I told you I'd wither away without my dear Poppy in my presence." Kelly dramatically stated, eyes closing in faux pain.

The brunette girl let out a laugh, completely blowing off the last part of the comment. "I'll be only a phone call away,"

"Yeah, I guess that'll suffice," The curly-haired girl uttered, eyes glancing toward the younger girl with curiosity resting on her features, "Is Esty excited about the trip? Isn't this like the first time she'll actually remember it?"

"Yeah, she's pumped," Poppy replied with a smile on her lips at the thought of her little sister and her excitement towards the trip. "Even more excited that Grams wants to have her help in the garden this year."

"Well, that gives you a break,"

Poppy nodded eagerly, "I know, I'm planning on actually going sightseeing this time."

"I'm so jealous," Kelly grumbled, a sigh escaping her throat right after her words. "You get to go to LA while I'm stuck here, serving pie to Marvin while he looks down my shirt."

The short girl shrugged, eyes glancing down the counter at the older burly man who was slowly taking a bite of his raspberry pie. Poppy sent her a look as she hushedly talked, "You know you can always tell Gloria about that, she would kick him out so fast."

"If I did that, how else would I get a forty-dollar tip off a 20 dollar bill?" Kelly questioned with a mischievous glint in her eyes, pulling the forty dollars from her bra. Poppy laughed lightly as she shook her head, finding her friend too much at times. Kelly glanced from Poppy to the clock above the kitchen window. "Alright, it's two, now get out of here. Go have a fun vacation without me."

Poppy nodded, straightening up as she bent down to snag her bag from under the counter. "Trust me, I'll be texting you soon enough."

"Try to meet some celebrities out there," Kelly grinned, watching her friend slowly make her way to the other side of the counter. "If you see any that I like, show them a picture of me and ask if they want my number."

"I doubt I'll see any, but I'll make sure to do that if I do,"

"You are truly a national treasure Miss Olsen."

Poppy froze, at the front door of the diner, a smile on her lips as she glanced back towards Kelly. "You know it."

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THE GRANDFATHER clock that resided in the hallway chimed loudly as Poppy entered her house. Giving her the signal that it was three in the afternoon. After Poppy left the diner, the girl went on a few errands getting the essentials that she needed for the week ahead. Walking through the front door, her house seemed to be calm, the only noise that echoed through the hall was the sound of the TV in the living room. Poppy assumed that her sisters would be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. They usually were frantically packing, freaking out when they didn't have something on their list of things they were bringing. But they were nowhere to be seen.

When Poppy entered the living room, she was met with the sight of her younger sister Willow. The eighteen-year-old girl had her eyes glued to the TV in front of her, a popcorn bowl resting by her side. Poppy didn't hesitate to plop down next to her, snagging a handle full of popcorn from the bowl without asking. But it seemed to be not a big deal as there was no reaction from the younger girl next to her.

"Hey," Willow greeted passively, eyes glancing towards her for just a second before she looked back towards the TV.

"Hi," Poppy replied, looking towards the TV in curiosity, but rolling her eyes when she saw August Mitchell's face fill up the screen. Of course. "What're you up to today?"

Poppy immediately knew it was August Mitchell-related as he tensely walked across the screen. Willow's obsession with him was something Poppy was used to, solely because it was all her sister talked about. Poppy enjoyed taking a liking to certain actors once in a while, but she didn't make it her entire personality like her sister did. But that came with her age, it was common.

Granted, Poppy did confidently think Willow was in love with him. Which Poppy could get to a certain degree. August was very attractive with his swooped nose and a contagious smile that could make any sane person become a puddle on the floor. He was also a very talented actor, but Poppy's enjoyment of him pretty much faded when he became the only thing her sister talked about. She occasionally enjoyed the few small indie movies he did, but recently he got more mainstream projects and they just seemed so saturated that Poppy could barely sit through them.

"I'm prepping for our trip."

The short girl glanced at her younger sister, confusion lacing her features. "Prepping?"

"Well since I'm gonna be meeting August Mitchell, I thought it would be a good idea to watch all his movies to pre—"

Poppy immediately interrupted her, barely containing the laughter that was bubbling up her throat. "You're meeting August Mitchell? How?"

Willow rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in defense as she glared at Poppy. "I know everything about him, Poppy. Where he eats, parties, and shops. It would be weirder if I didn't see him when we go."

"That's not stalkerish at all," Poppy murmured to herself, before giving her sister a look of skepticism. "Look, I wouldn't be too surprised if you don't meet him okay? There are over three million people that live in LA, I doubt you're gonna run into the one person you're looking for."

"I'm going to," Willow insisted, pausing the movie in front of them. "It's the whole reason I'm going. I am not leaving the city until I meet that man."

"That's crazy Willow," Poppy replied, standing up from her seat on the couch. Her sister has been obsessed with August Mitchell since she laid eyes on his then-preteen face when she was ten. Poppy always assumed her obsession with him was just a run-of-the-mill fan thing, but the way she was talking, she was taking it to another level. There's no way that she was going to find him, it's weird that she was assuming she would. "You should just have fun when we're there, don't go stalk some celebrity."

"This isn't stalking." Willow rolled her eyes, annoyance and slight anger clear in her voice. "I'm just looking to meet him."

Poppy shook her head, resting her hands on her hips as she stared down at her sister. "I'm pretty sure this is the definition of stalking. You're acting like crazy-crazy right now."

Willow's face crumbled into a look of fury as she darted up from the couch, "Poppy just because there's no man on earth that would even give you a second glance let alone a celebrity, doesn't mean that I won't be able to easily find and pull August Mitchell. Not everyone's invisible like you."

Willow's insult stabbed Poppy's heart roughly, the girl just took a deep breath in response. She could snap back and tell her sister about Simon. The satisfying thought was bubbling in the back of her throat, but then anxiety began to prickle at the back of her mind. Worrying that her sister wouldn't believe her and would tell everyone about it. Would Simon tell everyone the truth? Or would he just go along with it, and say Poppy made it all up? Poppy didn't have the heart to find out what would happen.

So Poppy just whirled around, holding in the words she desperately wanted to scream. She started to make her way out of the living room, but before she left, she stopped to turn back to her sister. "Alright, but when you leave LA with a restraining order, I'll be sure to have my "I told you so" locked and loaded."

Poppy didn't bother to hear her sister's rebuttal before she walked out of the living room, only hearing the offended gasp as her sneakers began slapping against the hardwood flooring of the stairs. She ignored the pull that made her heart ache, knowing she needed to let the things her sister said roll off her shoulders. But sometimes it's hard to know what they think of her. How little they do.

She couldn't think about that right now, she had a night of pack ahead of her and she knew that it would give her the chance to forget about what just happened. And she would gladly take any chance she could get to forget her sister's hurtful words that echo heavily in her mind.

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𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄:

WELCOME TO THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE NEW ROMANTICS!!!!

I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED!! YOU GOT A LOVELY INTRODUCTION TO POPPY AND SOME CHARACTERS!! Love Kelly too much

So excited to get poppy to La so she can meet you know whoooooo

August is so 💃💃💃💃 you'll love him trust me

ALSO‼️‼️‼️‼️
Check out my TikTok I've got
Some fab Poppy and August edits up
and I love them sm

TikTok: @gardensongsswp

Hope you enjoyed!