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It was a Monday, and like every time Madeline had a day off, she was lounging on the couch. Or, more precisely, Helen was. Madeline was on top of her, head on her chest. Helen was on her phone, playing with Madeline’s hair with her other hand. Madeline was reading a magazine, until she dropped it on the ground.
“Hellllllll,” she muttered, gazing up at Helen like a cat would.
“I’m not picking it back up,” she simply said, not looking up.
“That’s not even what I was going to say. I was just gonna ask you if you wanted to watch a movie.”
“Sure,” she put her phone on the coffee table. “You pick. But please, please, not Enchanted.”
Madeline sat up immediately, accidentally hitting Helen on what was left of her stomach. When Helen looked at her, she put on her theatrical pout and frowned.
“What’s wrong with Enchanted ? Are you a monster ? Do you just hate fun and happiness and me ?” She hadn’t sounded so offended in a year, not since the first few weeks after Helen had moved in.
“I like Enchanted, and I also like watching new things. You know, things that you haven’t watched two days ago, for instance.”
“Ok, fine,” she sighed, back to laying on Helen’s chest. “Then what about one of my older movies ? We haven’t watched those in a while.”
“You know, if you want to spend your afternoon looking at yourself, you don’t need me to be here watching with you. You don’t even need to put it on TV, there are mirrors everywhere in the house.”
“It’s no fun without you,” she pouted again.
“Fine, let’s watch Thrust or something.”
“Is it because you think I’m hot with a sword ?” Madeline said with a smirk.
“It’s because I think it’s fun to remind you why you got a Razzie,” she shrugged.
“You didn’t deny anything.”
“I do think you’re hot with a sword,” Helen laughed and kissed the top of her head.
The movie was eventually put on, and Madeline lasted thirteen minutes after her first appearance to start talking about backstage drama and what had been said about her by who and how this scene had been shot and how tired she was that day and what she remembered from her life in general.
“Ooh, we shot this the day you got that boyfriend, what was his name… ugh whatever, the one who lasted three weeks.”
“And the producers thought it wise to let you wield a sword when you came in that morning with how angry you were ?”
“Well, they did regret it afterwards. And that was one of the last scenes I did with an actual sword. I broke a few things.”
“You broke half the set and someone’s arm, Madeline. It’s a miracle you got hired again after this.”
“I don’t need to know how to deal with a sword, I’m pretty and I can act.”
“That’s not what the Razzie on your shelf proves.”
“Excuse you, you know that wasn’t deserved.”
“It wasn’t,” Helen just laughed and took her hand. “Let’s actually watch the movie, now, please. I’ll be happy to hear your commentary at the end of it.”
Madeline hit her again, on purpose this time.
“I hated filming that scene,” she spoke for the first time in at least half an hour. It was the last scene of the movie, and she was confident she had won that damn Razzie because of it. That was a shitty ending, really, it wasn’t her best work.
“Why ? Because we don’t see you enough ?”
“I mean, do you think it’s better marketing to see my beautiful face or this random man’s ugly one ? Seriously, Hel. Not to mention how bad the writing is. I mean, really, my character might have been impulsive, but she wouldn’t have fallen in love with that man in literally one scene. I remember complaining about this, actually.”
“You have an awful lot of things to say about the making of this movie, it’s actually impressive.”
“Yeah, well, life was very busy when I was filming it. You have to remember that. We were young, and I was successful, and it was great. Except for when I had a sword in my hand after an argument.”
“Which seems to have happened way too many times, by the way. You know, I don’t remember that much from that year. Only that you were getting all these movie deals, and I wasn’t as lucky. But I do remember the day my boyfriend broke up with me, and then you knocked on my door at two in the morning with a bleeding hand.”
“I told you I was mad about it ! I didn’t understand what you saw in him, in any of them. I still don’t. And they made the mistake of giving me a sword. But I’m sorry now. I know it was awful. I’m sorry, Hel.”
Madeline looked up at Helen, a sincere expression on her face. Helen knew it was true, she didn’t need Madeline to actually say it. She appreciated it, though. But if Madeline seemed willing to talk about it… then she wanted to know.
“Would you… Would you do it again ? Today ?”
She thought about it for a few seconds.
“I don’t know, Hel, and I hope we never find out. But I like to think I wouldn’t. I’m sure I wouldn’t.”
“Why, though ? What’s so different from today ?”
“We’re older, for one. It was childish of me to act like this, it’s always been. I guess I’m more mature now, as mature as I can be. And I changed, you know. I really did.”
“And what made you ? You never looked like someone who ever would. All the time we’ve known each other, you haven’t. What happened to you ?”
“I fell in love with you. I fell in love, and then I accepted it.”
“You don’t have to say this, Mad, I’m not leaving you anyway.”
“But it’s the truth. It just happened, because of you. Because I love you.”
“Why ?”
“Are you asking me why I love you ? That’s stupid. I could never list all the reasons, I’m not even sure I know all of them myself.”
“Try.”
Madeline glared at her, but she had been in a good mood until then, so why would she change that now ?
“You understand me. You’re the only one who ever did, really. You push me. A little too much, actually,” she made a point of staring intently at Helen for a few seconds. “I never felt like myself before I met you. And I never liked myself before you told me you loved me. Because if someone like you can love someone like me, then there must be something good. Or something extremely wrong with you. Or both. It’s probably both. And I guess you’re nice to hang out with, too. You’re funny sometimes.”
“Oh, I’m funny sometimes ?” Helen couldn’t help the smirk on her face.
“Yeah, but don’t let that get to your head, though. It’s not a common occurrence, I’d hate for it to be even rarer,” she smiled. “I love you, Hel. I do. I’m so glad we’re here now.”
“Don’t you think we could’ve… figured it out sooner ?”
“I mean, yeah, but where would be the fun in that ?” she laughed. “More seriously, I just think we wouldn’t be the same if we had. And, sure, I’d love to be a living breathing human being right now, with a functional neck and skin that doesn’t fall from my bones, but I like where we are now. I wouldn’t change it. All the insults, and the fights and the… murders, I guess, that’s what made this what it is. Can you imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t gone insanely jealous when you brought that first boyfriend back home in college ?”
“Well, I’d imagine we would have stayed good friends and none of this would have happened and we wouldn’t be dead, but I’m sure you know better.”
“Wrong, we would have just gotten sad and then you would have admitted that I’m perfect for you but without the jealousy fueling every single one of our decisions we would be living in some random tiny house in the middle of New Jersey with like three cats and I’d be poor and you’d be an English teacher.”
Helen looked back at Madeline, puzzled.
“I’m really trying my best to understand how your mind works, but… How does that make sense to you ?”
“How does that not make sense ? We are who we are because we live to anger each other. And I love acting as much as you love writing, but we would never have wanted success that badly if it weren’t to make each other jealous. That’s literally common sense, Hel. Obviously.”
“Right. Obviously. Well, then I’m glad you happened to be so insanely jealous.”
“And I’m glad you were too self-absorbed to admit I was the love of your life.”
“More like death. You’re my demise, Madeline. In every way.”
“You love it.”