'𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥'

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

"Oh my god." Jordan groans as my hips push further into them. "Il- you're fucking killing me."

I smirk. "Then do something about it."

They look at me anxiously and realization washes over me that maybe I'm coming off too strong, too forward...

Hey, they kissed me first-

They notice my doubts. "I just wanna make sure. That you're sure." Their voice waivers slightly. They're nervous. Jordan Li is fucking nervous.

"I'm sure." I nod. "I've never been more sure of anything."

Their eyes flood with happiness...

I groan as I peel my eyes open, soaking up the sun that shines through my window, breathing in the warmth and comfort. The sun is a million times better than any other source of heat or solar-light, that's for sure.

I grab my phone laughing as I notice I slept through my alarm for the media training session, oops. I was supposed to speak about all of my experience and they're supposed to play the interview from last night but... oh well.

I jump as it starts to ring and I sigh at the name staring back at me, answering it against my better judgement.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Ashley Barrett's voice shouts on the other line, blasting my eardrums.

"Well, good morning to you to." I hum, rolling my eyes.

"Don't play cute with me, you're on thin fucking ice, Golden Girl." Ashley snaps.

I let out a laugh. Has nobody given an actual flying fuck of a thought about who I lost this week?

"Mhmm." I say.

"We have three huge sponsors threatening to pull because you haven't been showing the fuck up this week." She, oh so sweetly, informs me.

Guess not.

"Right, right. And have you thought to tell them where they can sh-"

She cuts me off. "No, no. I'm not finished. You better be at the fucking fundraiser tonight, you hear me? You're ass better be kissing up to every-fucking-body, you got it? You play the fucking sob story about your brother, score some points for your parents not being there, I don't give a shit! You better pull out all the stops and let those water works shine, got it?"

I grit my teeth. "Got it."

"The board is voting on the rankings tomorrow morning. With all of Golden Boy's shit-" My hand squeezes my phone. Don't melt it, don't melt it, don't melt it. I turn away from the window. "You better stay at number one." She clears her throat. "Don't let me down."

The line goes dead and I pull it away from my ear and toss it on bed.

"Arhhh!" I pick up my empty bottle from last night and throw it against the wall. I swipe my phone back up and look at the calendar that's been shared with me a dozen times.

'Brinkerhoff Memorial Gala and Fundraise.'

Can't fucking wait. Looks like I need a shower... I move over to my blinds, raising them, and soak up as much sun into my veins as I can.

You can do this, Iliana. You've done it thousands of times. Plaster on the fakest fucking smile you've ever made and let's have a night.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

"Why does she even deserve to be ahead of me? What did she do to deserve number fucking one?" Jordan rants about Iliana while having sex with Tyler. "She just fucking got back. If she's ahead of me when tomorrow's rankings come out I'm gonna lose my fucking shit." Their current feminine voice raises.

"We're all in the top ten anyway." Tyler says. "What's the big deal?"

"Hang on I'm gonna cum." Jordan pauses the conversation before going right back into it. "The big deal is that bitch is a fucking liar-" Jordan emphasizes. "And is stealing all my credit." Jordan knows Iliana lost her brother, they know, but the words fall out of their mouth anyway.

And no matter what Jordan does, they cannot seem to escape the enticing blonde, no matter how hard they try.

No matter who they fuck...

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Iliana stares at her golden sparkly dress in the mirror, admiring her design work. She slips on her golden flower headpiece, next grabbing her sun-shaped earrings.

Although she looks amazing, she hates everything about it. She hastily grabs the vodka bottle from her desk taking the final sip before grabbing her wallet and slamming her door shut behind her.

Let's just get this nightmare over with, she thinks to herself.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Every single mention of Luke is enough to make Iliana want to burst the entire party up into little specks of light. Each fabricated response that falls out of her mouth feels like acid rising up her throat.

"And how do we know you're not going to lose it like your brother, Golden Boy?" One of the sponsors asks. "Maybe it's hereditary." The woman mumbles to the two men next to her.

Iliana grinds her teeth, mustering a smile. "My brother's psychotic break was on his own accord, and thankfully was handled." Her hands grow warmer by the second at her sides. "Excuse me." Her smiles drops as soon as she brushes past the sponsor's who are too fucking entitled to even see straight.

She quickly finds a waiter making their way throughout the room and swipes a glass of champagne off the tray. She tips the small glass back, taking the golden colored liquid down all in one gulp.

As she reaches for another one a certain bigender in their male form shoots her dirty look as they pass, their parents trailing right behind them. Iliana rolls her eyes before downing another glass. Champagne is not strong enough to make it through this God-awful evening.

She then notices Marie with Dr. Shitty and can't help but snort to herself. She's being thrown around like a show pony, totally oblivious. At least Iliana is fully aware of her parading.

The room filling with clapping turns Iliana's attention to the stage where she finds Andre walking with his father. Finally. She's been looking around for him since she arrived, foolishly letting it slip her mind that he'd be with his father.

"Golden Girl!" Another sponsor approaches her.

She sucks in a sharp breath before spinning around, face turned on once again. "That's me." She shines her pearly whites.

"Marina Valdez." The woman holds out her hand which Iliana meets, most of the extra heat being dimmed for the moment. "I would love to talk to you about an eight-figure deal for a ten movie series deal I have in store for you." The woman announces. "Walk with me?" She holds out her arm for Iliana to follow her to table.

"Of course." Iliana 'gushes', following the woman as she feels eyes digging into the side of her head. She looks across the room, making eye contact with the same person who shot daggers at her moments before. She watches as their confident look turns to disappointment with whatever sponsor they're talking to.

She pushes the guilty feeling that begins to creep in her chest deep to the side. Iliana doesn't want to be number one... sure maybe when she was a freshman, but not now, not after everything she's had to endure to get it. Not after she's learned what's at stake to be number one, and to stay there.

Jordan watches Iliana, bitterly from across the room, wanting nothing more than to be in her position right now, the one at the top. As they're parents swoop the sponsor away they watch as the one with Iliana waves her hands around happily, explaining the large movie deal in store for her.

Two people who want nothing more than to swap places and be in one another's position, despising each other from afar...

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hello, hellooo, and welcome back <3

I did have this chapter started when I published part one, but since the rest of the parts all take place at the memorial gala, I just wanted to finish writing the episode before publishing the rest!(I've literally been working hard to finish this episode's chapters all last week & this week omg)

The end was so evil genius of meee, ugh it actually ripped my heart out </3

Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed!! Iliana's nerves and patience are being TESTED in this chapter. Don't forget to comment your thoughts, questions, and reactionsss, see you in the next part!