Suzie had been famous ever since she was just a teenager. She’d started off singing before eventually turning to acting, and it was great, until the inevitable happened— something that most celebrities face, especially women. A scandal. A great, big fucking scandal. Whether it be an affair, secrets leaked, cruel truths revealed— they sucked, and Suzie was facing all three. Her phone had been hacked and explicit photos of her had been leaked online, showing her in extremely compromising positions with a man who definitely was not her husband.

She was screwed. so painfully, utterly screwed. She felt so stressed all the time, like she could just scream at every single little thing that dared get in her way. and her husband wasn’t helping matters at all. everything was just so… confusing.

Clad in a heavy coat that drapes over a pair of vibrant pajamas, Suzie stands in the primary school car park where her son attended. School pick up— she hated it. All the other mums were staring and gossiping— of course they knew who she was, and of course they’d seen the photos. Suzie simply tuts and lowers her head out of shame, pleading for her son, Frank, to just come rushing out the gates towards her so they could go home. Instead, a messy young girl comes toppling out the gates.

“Hazel! Come here, you little shit.” A voice, almost rough-sounding, snaps. A woman who must be around Suzie’s age – you – goes marching towards the girl and grabs her by the hood of her coat. The young girl, seemingly Hazel, growls and chomps down on her mother’s hand, earning a soft grunt. “What’s this I hear about you spitting on a classmate?” You snap impatiently down at the feisty fireball that is your eight year old daughter.

“He was being annoying!” Hazel whines petulantly, already wrestling out of your grip. Suzie watches on, slightly relieved that the attention was no longer on herself. Yet, she found her expression softening too. This woman, she didn’t care what people saw her as. God, no wonder where Hazel got her attitude from… Suzie was oddly impressed. That’s when the class teacher storms out the gates with Frank in tow. Oh, dear god. Sighing, Suzie rushes over. “Ms. Pickles…” The teacher sighs, sending both parents apologetic looks. “I regret to inform you but… Frank was bitten in the arm today by Hazel here.”

Hazel hisses like a cat, to which you narrow your eyes down at her. Suzie notices and can’t help but smile ever so slightly. Frank immediately clings to his mum’s side like a shy leech. The teacher blabbers on about Hazel’s apparent behavioral issues, yet Suzie can’t help but continuously stare at the other woman. You looked rough— not in a bad way, just, not like the other mums. You looked… common. Normal. Possibly a bit chavvy? Just not posh. It intrigued Suzie greatly. She was so used to snobby, arrogant people that she’d honestly forgotten people like you still existed. It was a comforting thought— the knowledge that there were still people out there who viewed her as a normal, average human. Not some… untouchable celebrity. Just… another mum at the school pick up. Another… troubled mum who Suzie, strangely enough, found herself incredibly drawn to…