The Reunion by Kayla Olson(22)
I’ve already filled her in on today. The basics, anyway—not the parts where my traitorous brain relentlessly dug up every single thought I tried to bury. I think Bre knows, though. She saw the teaser photos EW leaked on their Snapaday feed, and it’s not hard to tell I looked absolutely, undeniably into the fact that Ransom was right there.
It’s also worth noting that Ransom, for his part, looked equally into it.
I turn my focus to the omelet, careful to not let it burn.
“Tomorrow?” I say, after too long a pause. “It’ll be nice to do a group interview, for once, a little less pressure. On the flip side…”
“It’s with Sasha-Kate?” Bre fills in, knowing me all too well.
I slide the omelet out of the pan, flipping it over on itself. Perfect. “At the very least, it won’t be boring.” It’s not always pleasant with Sasha-Kate, but boring? Never.
“Yeah,” Bre snorts. “She’s never met a camera she doesn’t like.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” I say.
For a lot of reasons, Sasha-Kate and I never understood each other well enough to be real friends; one of the biggest was our feelings toward the press. I’ve always craved privacy to the extreme, yet my fierce devotion to it—ironically—created a paparazzi frenzy. Sasha-Kate, on the other hand, soaks up the spotlight like a snake basking in the sun: no matter how much she gets, it’s never quite enough.
When the paparazzi chased me into hiding on numerous occasions, I wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and stay there for weeks on end—the panic attacks I experienced were intense, images of my father’s car crumpled up in the canyons flashing across my memory every single time. I resented the attention, but Sasha-Kate resented me for resenting it—and especially for how the attention chased me in the first place.
As soon as Bre and I end the call, my mind runs straight back to Ransom. I tap over to the EW teaser photos again: they’re just behind-the-scenes glimpses from the shoot today, not the official cover shots, but they’re still pretty stunning. I take a screenshot of the best one before I think better of it.
Looking at it, you’d never know we hadn’t spoken in over a decade before this week.
Looking at it, we appear to be every bit as in love as our on-screen counterparts.
I should maybe stop looking at it.
Just as I’m about to shut things down, a notification dips down from the top of my screen.
today was fun :)
I was just looking at the pictures EW posted, I write back. Why are my hands shaking? It’s only Ransom.
me too, he replies immediately. might make this one my new lock screen
A warm, happy feeling spreads through me as I enlarge the photo he’s sent—a candid where we’re facing each other, both of our eyes crinkling at the corners.
That’s my favorite, too. Today really was fun
you look gorgeous, livvie
I blink at the screen, fingers frozen—his message popped up at the exact instant I pressed send on mine. Eventually, I settle on a slightly forward but absolutely true You still bring out the best in me
My thumb accidentally hits send even though I meant to add more to that thought—but before I can add to it, he sends back a single word: likewise :)
Those eight letters burrow down into my heart, cutting clean through the scar tissue.
It takes longer than it should to turn off my phone.
Millie Matson Drops New Single Ahead of Girl on the Verge Reunion Special
By Anna Lindell // Associate Editor, Arts & Entertainment, Sunset Central
Up-and-coming pop sensation Millie Matson dropped a surprise new single last night at twelve on the dot; fittingly, the new track—titled “Midnight”—is a rich blend of inky vocals and starlit mystery. Matson hinted at the title in a recent Snapaday image, a close-up of her cheekbone adorned with a silver crescent moon and stars to match (makeup artist: Bekah Bell); the post spawned hundreds of fan theories as to what her next single might be.
With infectious lyrics like “Take me to the moonlight, take me to the stars I just wanna be with you where-ev-ever you are I want your history, your mystery, your darkness, and your light / Wish upon a star with me—at midnight” set against a sparse backdrop of synth tones that explode into an undeniably addictive beat, Matson’s clearly establishing herself as one of the most influential names in pop. The track soared to the number one spot on the streaming charts early this morning, just edging out longtime favorite “Hallowed” by Hālo, and looks unlikely to budge any time soon.
We think it’s fair to say Millie has come a long way since her Bubblegum! days. Here at Sunset Central, we’re eager to see what she has in store for the “Midnight” video, so keep an eye on this space—we’ll share our reactions as soon as it goes live. Until then, drop your thoughts on the new single in the comments below! We, for the record, are fans.
8
Sasha-Kate and Millie are already at Snapaday HQ when I arrive. Its pristine, polished office is made of only white walls and spotless glass, while somehow still managing to project creative energy at every turn.
At the heart of the complex, floor-to-ceiling windows surround an indoor courtyard filled with palm trees, ferns, and tropical flowers. Sasha-Kate and Millie are dressed in all white, looking breezy amid the bright colors. I’m in a white crochet-lace top paired with short navy-and-white baroque-patterned shorts that make my legs look like they go on for miles down to my strappy platform wedge sandals, one of my favorite outfits from home. Hailey, one of our hosts today, likes my look so much she tells me not to bother with the dress they chose for me.