Author's Chapter Notes:
I wrote this story back in 2004, all tabloid stories are old news. Just go with it ;)
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
“Ugh….5 more minutes!” Paris Madison said as she rolled over in her bed. Her alarm clock was beeping and she wasn’t a morning person.She pressed snooze and rolled over and went back to sleep.She had a few minutes of peace until the alarm clock came back on.She groaned again and pressed snooze.She put her covers over her head and then she heard another sound,it wasn’t her alarm clock however.
She sat up and saw her cat,Baby, sitting next to her.Meowing loudly.She was definitely hungry.Paris looked at the clock.7:48 am.She’ll be late to work if she didn’t get up now.
“Alright Im getting up”Paris said as she threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.She slowly stood up and she yawned and rubbed her eyes.She walked down the hallway of her apartment towards her kitchen.She got some catfood out of the cabinet and poured it into Baby’s bowl.”You happy now?”she asked the cat as she started to devour the food.
She got into the shower and took a nice warm one.She soon got out and started getting dressed for work.She put on a black lace top with an emerald green skirt with a matching jacket.She did her hair and put on some makeup.She got her heels on and got her briefcase together.She walked back into the kitchen and saw Baby cleaning herself.She bent down and said,”Bye Baby.I’ll be back”she said.She went towards the cabinet and took out two Nutri Grain bars.
She went outside and got in her car.She put the top down on her baby blue Audi convertible.It was 8:30.She was proud of herself,she’ll be on time.She turned on the radio and headed over to Sunset Boulevard.
“It’s a beautiful Wednesday morning here in LA.Which means that we are all halfway through our work week.It’s a cool 75 degrees and the high for today is a scorching 87 degrees.It’s a few minutes past 8:30 and lets get ready for your 9 to 5. Lets get into the groove”the radio dj said.Then “Into The Groove” by Madonna came on
“Oh this is old!”Paris said to herself with a smile.She turned it up and sang along as she drove through the LA traffic.”Get into the groove boy,you got to prove your love to me…yeah”she sang.
Soon she pulled into a parking garage and headed inside a big building.She went towards the packed elevator and pressed floor number 10.She stood there in the packed elevator next to some guy.She could feel his eyes staring at her,and it was burning a hole in her bra,he was staring so hard.She looked straight at him and he looked away.She rolled her eyes.Men,so typical.
She finally reached floor 10,leaving the pervert still staring.Floor 10 was the offices of INQUIRING MINDS. The top tabloid magazine to date.Yes, Paris is a tabloid writer and also one of the top writers.
“Hey Dave…..Morning Shirley”she said as she passed some people on her way to her office.She went straight in her small office and sat down at her desk.Then there was a knock at her door,”Come in”she said as she looked at some papers
“Morning Paris”a voice said.Paris looked up and it was Chelsea Cooper,her secretary.
“Hey Chelsea,whats up?”she asked her with a smile as the girl came up to her desk
“Im ok”she said as she smiled at her.”I have some messages for you”
“Ok cool”she said as she looked through some folders in her desk drawer
“Francine wants you to call her”Chelsea said as she read off of one of her many pink slips
“What?She called here?”
“Yeah,this morning just before you came in.She said it was urgent”
Paris sighed,”Its always urgent”she mumbled
“Your going to call her right?”Chelsea asked her
“Why should I?”
“Because shes your mother”she said softly but matter of factly
“So…”
“Come on Paris..shes blood for God sakes”
“Unfortunately”she said,”Ok….I’ll call her,just not now.I got work to do”
“Ok Bill Dees called….Lemmie Williams called and……um……Sean called”
Paris almost choked on her peppermint,”Sean?What the hell does he want?”
“He left this long message saying how much he misses you-“
“I don’t want to know what he said”Paris said.Sean was now her ex boyfriend
“Well Im passing along the message.I did my job”Chelsea said as she put the pink slips of papers on her desk.Paris smiled at her.Chelsea was a hard worker,which is surprising from a recent college graduate.But that’s exactly what happened to her and in less than 2 years she became a top writer
“Thanks”Paris said as she looked at the slip of papers.She put her mothers message in the back of the little pile and threw Sean’s away
“The editing meeting is at 10 am and I will be bringing your coffee in a few minutes”
“Thanks Chelsea Im gonna need it”Paris said.She called back Bill Dees and Lemmie.She hung up her phone and sat back and sighed.Being a tabloid writer isn’t as easy as it seems.She looked at her clock.it was almost 10.She got her papers together and walked out of her office.
“Hey Chelsea,if I have anyone calls, tell them Im in a meeting”Paris said
“Alright”Chelsea said with a smile.Paris walked toward the conference room and she found a seat and sat down.
A few minutes later,she heard a familiar voice.”Hello Ladies!”it shouted
Paris laughed because it was mostly men in the room.The voice belonged to her best friend, Pierre Monroe.He walked in like he owned the place and he sat next to her.
“Hey girl!”he said as he hugged her and gave her a kiss on each cheek.”Nice outfit huney.I wish I had curves like you”
“But you cant because God blessed you with being a man”Paris said. Yeah, Pierre is gay.Really gay and proud of it too.
“Yeah unfortunately”Pierre said as he rolled his eyes.
“Ok lets get this party started”Lita Washington said as she walked in the conference room at 10 am sharp.She was the head editor and creator of INQUIRING MINDS magazine.”Welcome everyone and good morning”she said as she stood at the end of the long conference table and set up a presentation on a screen in front of them.
She stood before them and looked at all of them and then frowned,”Wait.. wheres Gabrielle?”she asked them.
Paris rolled her eyes.Gabrielle was a writer also and she and Pierre hated her. They called her the “Garden Tool” behind her back
“She was probably out late last night…if you know what I mean”Pierre said
“Hey,we are here to gossip about celebrities,not each other”Lita said.”We’ll just have to start without her then”she said with a shrug
Paris smiled.That meant that Gabrielle’s article probably wont make it into editing and not show up on the cover of the magazine on Monday morning.
“We have some good stories hitting the cover for next week”Lita said with a smile.”Great photography also.We’ll be the top selling tabloid magazine this week again.”she said.She showed the cover of the magazine and Paris smiled.It looked great
“We have up here the story of the Olsen Twins Scandals”she said as she pointed to the top of the cover and it showed the title and a picture of the twins
Paris laughed,”What kind of scandal could they have?”
“Sex scandals,they are almost 18 you know and their child stars?What do you expect?”Ronald,the writer of that article, said to her
“Oh so true”Pierre said,”I think Ashley will get pregnant first”
Everyone laughed at Pierre’s comment.Lita smiled,”And over here on the upper left is Drew’s article on Kathy Lee’s divorce troubles”It showed a closeup on Kathy Lee’s face,she had a very shocked look on her face
“And over here on the lower left is Pierre’s story on Beyonce and Jay Z’s engagement”she pointed to a picture of the two stars at a premiere
“They’re engaged?”Paris asked
“Um…I guess”Pierre said with an evil smile.Paris shook her head
“And in the center will be the top story of the week,or maybe even the month. The infamous rivalry between Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and the article by Paris here on their recent catfight”she said as she pointed to the biggest picture that showed Britney standing with her arms crossed and Christina being held back by one of her bodyguards
“Congrats girl!You got the lead story!”Pierre said as he clapped his hands together.Soon everyone joined in
“Thanks everyone,but that’s not necessary”she said and blushed
“You better take the spotlight girl!Whats wrong with you?”Pierre said to her, “So who won?”
“Well Christina of course,she kicked her ass”
“Does anyone have any comments and suggestions?Or does this cover suit everyones fancy?”Lita asked
“I think my picture should be bigger.That would really tickle my pickle”Pierre said
“Sorry but Im not going to tickle any pickles.Your picture is fine as is.Anyone else?”Lita asked.”Alright,thank you everyone for the great stories this week.Deadline for next weeks edition is due Monday.Get back to work”she said with a smile.
With that,they all walked out of the conference room.Everyone congratulating Paris on the way.She went back towards her office with a big smile on her face.
“Congrats on the cover story boss”Chelsea said with a smile as she got up and walked in Paris’s office with her
“Thanks Chelsea”Paris said with a smile as she sat down at her small desk,”It feels good you know?”
“I bet it does”Chelsea said,”I cant wait til I have a cover story one day”
Paris smiled at her,”You will.I believe that that will happen to you one day”
“Oh um I don’t mean to break your good mood but your mother called while you were in the meeting”Chelsea said
Paris sighed,”You caught me.I was trying to avoid it”
“Please call her Paris”Chelsea said.”I don’t know how you cant talk to your mother.Me and my mom are so close”
“That’s the difference between you and I”Paris said
“YAY! GIRLFRIEND!”Pierre said as he came in shouting.Then he looked at Chelsea,”Oh hey little one”
Chelsea laughed,”Hey Pierre”she said as she left the room
“Why are you coming in here and shouting like that?”Paris asked him with a laugh
“Because Im happy for you girl.Another cover story,good for you”he said,”You know what we should do?Go out and celebrate”
“Oh no Pierre-“
“Hear me out.Lets go out to the club on Thursday night.Ladies free before 11”
“Which means me Pierre,not you ok?Don’t be starting fights with the bouncers because that’s the rule ok?”
“Alright no fights”Pierre said,”Come on…we haven’t been out in a long time girl”
“I know….”Paris said,”Ok Thursday night,but don’t keep me out late ok?”
“Girl I swear you are the only person who has a bedtime”Pierre said,”Your mom isn’t around to tuck you in at night-“
“Oh my mom!”Paris said as she picked up the phone
“Your going to call her?You never do that”
“I have to”Paris said
“Should I be here?You know shes homophobic”
“Don’t worry,it’ll be short and she wont know you’re here.Just be quiet for a minute.But if I do need you,I’ll give you my cue”she said as she dialed her mothers number and pressed speaker phone.She leaned back in her seat,hoping that her mother wouldn’t answer
“Hello?”came her mothers voice
Paris sighed,”Francine,its me”Her mother didn’t like to be called mother.Shes been calling her mother Francine for as long as she could remember
“Well look who decided to call”Francine said
“I know Fran,Ive been busy”Paris said
“Why don’t you call your mother anymore?Your really that busy?Too busy to pick up the phone”
“Fran…Im sorry alright?Why don’t we get together then?”
“Wow now you want to get together-”she said sarcastically
“Fran!I apologized ok?What about lunch or something?”
“Good today at 12”
“No I have a deadline that I really need to start work on.How about tomorrow?”
“Fine tomorrow…and come at 12.Not 12:15,Not 12:30.I know how you love to be late all the time-“
“Alright!I get it 12 noon tomorrow,lunch”Paris said
“Ok good we have an understanding”Francine said
“For once”Paris mumbled
“Is that mumbling I hear?”Francine asked
Paris couldn’t take it anymore,she gave Pierre the cue and he said,”Paris huney we have a meeting lets go”
“Oh Fran I gotta go-“
“Is that that gay boy?He still works there?”Francine asked
“Fran!”she said shocked.She had to hold Pierre back a little bit,”I have to go now”
“Werent you just in a meeting?Am I on speakerphone?”Francine asked
“Bye Fran!”she said and she hung up
“Im sorry to say this but your mother is such a bitch”Pierre said,”I don’t know how you could have lived with her”
“I survived”Paris said.She lived with her mother for 18 years.Once she turned 18 her mother kicked her out of the house.She said she was an official adult and could have a place for her own.Then she looked up and saw Lita call Gabrielle into her office,”Pierre look.The Garden Tool”she said as she pointed at her
They both got up and stood by her office door.
“Gabrielle,my office now”Lita said,and she wasn’t pleased
“Oooh shes gonna get it.And she so does deserve it too”Pierre said with a smile
____
Paris slammed the door as she walked back into her apartment at around 5:30 later that afternoon.She threw her briefcase on her bed and sighed.Baby looked up at her and meowed.She knew something was wrong with her.
“Im ok”she said to the cat,”I just….I need a nice bubble bath”she said as she went into the bathroom and soaked in the tub for about an hour to calm her nerves. Then she got out and dried off.She put on her silk slip,she wasn’t going to go anywhere today.She cooked herself a plate of spaghetti and fed Baby also.She ate her meal in bed and watched Entertainment Tonight,Xtra and Access Hollywood.
Soon she was sick of that and turned the tv off.She was still pissed off.She got out a notebook from her nightstand.Whenever she was upset,she would always write in her diary.Shes been doing that ever since she learned how to write.Writing was always an escape for her.She turned a few pages and found a blank page and started writing:
May 15th 2004
Sorry its been awhile Diary.Been a little busy.Work’s been fine.Until today.Let me tell you what happened!!I had the best cover story again,it was about Britney and Christina and another catfight of theirs.But then the “Garden Tool” had to ruin it,like everything else in my life.She came to work late,I thought that she would get a good yelling at when she went into Lita’s office,but I was wrong.Gabrielle is good at convincing people to have things go her way.She came late because she found some news that no other tabloid would have.She wrote an article that was so good that she convinced Lita to put it in this week’s paper!And that’s not all Diary.She convinced her to have her article as the cover story!So now my work has been pushed out of the way for that bitch!I had to write in here to vent Diary.This girl always finds a way to take away something that is mine.This article better be good.I know Im acting immature but it all seems so unfair to me.
Paris sighed as she closed the book,she felt better.She cleaned up her dinner mess and made a cup of ice cream for herself.Ice cream was also another stress reliever for her. She opened her entertainment system and took out a tape.She popped it in and soon she was laughing.
“Shut your fucking mouth Cartman!”Kyle,a cartoon character in the movie South Park yelled on the screen.South Park was also a stress reliever.Once the movie was over,she curled up in her bed next to Baby and fell fast asleep.
__
“Paris?”Chelsea asked as she walked in
“Yes Chelsea?”Paris asked her
“Heres the final edit for the cover for Monday’s edition”Chelsea said,”Do you want to see it?”
“Sure,why the hell not?Lets see how small my picture is”she said.She was also curious about what the Garden Tool wrote about.She took the final from Chelsea and gasped.
There was a picture of Jon Benet Ramsey.Then in bold letters it said, JON BENET’S KILLER COMMITS SUICIDE.She couldn’t believe that people were still talking about this poor girl.
“Did you see it?”Pierre asked as he came in
“Yeah”then she looked and saw that her article and picture was moved to the border on the bottom of the page.It was much smaller.
“Its ok huney.You’ll get your chance again.But I have to admit that sounds like a good story”Pierre said
Paris looked at him with disgust,”They shouldn’t be talking about this little girl again”When the news first came out Paris never liked hearing it
“Sorry but you know,even after death,life goes on huh?”Pierre said
“I guess so”Paris said,”I guess it looks good”she said as she put the final on her desk.She looked at her watch and sighed.She was already in a bad mood and now she had to pick up her mother for lunch.”Sorry to cut this party short.But I have a lunch date”
“Good”Chelsea said with a smile
“Oh Im sorry huney.I forgot”Pierre said
“Its ok.Ive been through a million lunches with Francine.Even though their stressful,its nothing I cant handle”she said.She said goodbye to both of them and clocked out.She got in her car and drove for about 10 minutes to her mothers small cottage.She got there at 12 on the dot.She sighed with relief.At least she wouldn’t get yelled at about being there late.She saw her mother come out of her house and got in the car
“Hey Francine”Paris said forcing a smile
“Hi Paris.Good your on time”Francine said as she got in the car.”Lets go to the diner down the street”
Paris looked at her,”The Diner?That’s like eating at McDonalds but more expensive.Lets go to Applebee’s or something,a real lunch”
“I have a craving for a cheeseburger”Francine said sternly
“Fine”Paris said as they started driving.
“Slow down Paris.You don’t own the road you know”
“Fran…please just let me drive my car”she said with a sigh.’This is going to be a long lunch hour’,she thought.She took a few deep breaths and said,”So..hows life?”
“Same shit different day”
“Oh”she said,they drove in silence,”Well life’s been fine for me,if you wanted to know”
“I bet it has”
Soon Paris pulled into The Diner’s parking lot.They found a table and ordered drinks and their food.”So hows Howard?”she asked her
Francine drank a few gulps of her iced tea,then said,”Bastard left me”
“What?When?Why?”Paris asked.She was really disappointed,”I actually liked Howard”.He was the only one out of Fran’s many boyfriends that actually sat down and wanted to get to know her
“Well I did too”Francine said
“Well?What happened?”
“I would not like to discuss it”
“Fine”Paris said.she never really told her anything.But it was funny that all of a sudden her boyfriends would leave her.She sat there.”Well what happened Fran?Im dying to know”
“Why?So you can write about it in your magazine of yours?”
“Fran?That was real low.How could you say such a thing?”Paris asked. Soon their plates arrived.Francine got her burger and fries and Paris had her chicken Caesar salad
“Well it’s the truth.The stuff you write in that magazine is pure nonsense”
“I thought you were proud of me”
“I am.Im proud of that nice car you have,those nice checks that you get every friday and that nice apartment that you never invite me to”
“Correction.I have tried to invite you over many times.You were always busy”
“Now you know how it feels”
Paris stared at Francine.Why was she acting like this?”What is this?Gang up on Paris day?”she said in disbelief,”You know what?Forget I ever asked.I was just trying to have a decent conversation with my mother-“then she stopped.Uh oh,she said the M word
“What did you say?”
“I said mother.I mean that’s what you are”Paris said angrily
“I know that.But I would rather you call me Francine.That is the name on my birth certificate,not mother”
They sat there in silence and ate their meals
“Look Paris”Francine said,breaking the silence.”Lets just forget about it ok?”
“Fine”Paris said.
“Im done”Francine said
“Me too”Paris said.She looked at her watch.It was only 12:30 but she didn’t care.She would rather drive around aimlessly then spend anymore time with this woman
“Would you both like to take a look at our dessert menu?”the waitress said as she came over
“No thank you.Can you bring the check please?”Paris asked.The waitress nodded and walked off
“Thanks for asking.I might have wanted a cheesecake”
“Fran.The only desserts they have here are milkshakes and cookies”
The waitress put the check on the table.Paris picked it up and sighed.They might as well have went to McDonalds and ordered off the dollar menu,it would have been much cheaper.
“I’ll be in the car”Francine said as she took Paris’ keys from off the table and walked out.Leaving her to pay the bill.Paris sighed and paid it and got up and left The Diner.