Work Text:
Early October
3:47 pm
Location: Studios
Pepper was growing tired of the questions.
Being broadcast live on TV, Salt and Pepper were able to get a spot to be interviewed on Fan's talk show. This was a big deal for them, being apart of Meeple Entertainment for only a year, they needed to get more traction for their upcoming single. Though attending the interview wasn't all what Pepper thought it was going to be.
All the questions seemed to be more directed towards Salt, or at least all the questions seemed to be ones Salt had so much to answer about.
It's not like she could complain, deep down she was envious that she couldn't do the same.
"So Salt, what's seems to be the status between you and OJ?" Fan asked. "I mean hey! We've all seen the pictures!"
Fan gestured to the screen displaying four pictures of Salt and OJ. In the paparazzi shots, it displayed them walking out of a restaurant together, with Salt's arm cuddled around his.
The crowd was now filled with "Oohs" and claps, and even a whistle here and there. Salt just laughed and blushed, but she repeatably darted her eyes among the crowd to fixate on the hundreds of people reacting to her date being exposed to the public.
Pepper's jaw clenched.
"Oh my gosh!" Salt giggled smiling ear to ear twirling a piece of her hair. "It was nothing, you know just hanging out."
"Oh c'mon, we all see the arm placement, there HAS to be more to it Ms. Rock." Fan replied leaning closer in his seat smirking.
"Okay okay,..it may have been a date…" The crowd sparked up again, with more cheers and whoops making Salt laugh her hardest, pushing into Pepper's shoulder.
Pepper laughed forcibly, she may have become a professional at faking a chuckle from the time she's been here.
She sighed secretly to herself as Salt went on and on about what they ordered what they talked about, further plans and probably even what underwear they were wearing that day.
Salt just wouldn't shut up.
As she chatted away, Pepper sat holding her hands together, really having nothing to back up the topic. She felt a bit guilty. But deep down, she was slowly becoming ticked that she wasn't able to add to the conversation.
From Fan's perspective, he started to take notice in Pepper.
"She hasn't blabbed her ass off as much as Salt has been doing." Fan thought, with the deal he had, he needed to make sure that everyone left the interview content.
Salt, Pepper,… and Steve Cobs.
"Well I just know what ever you guys got going on the Fans are excited to hear about it!" Fan concluded, hoping Salt would finally leave the question there. He then shifted his energy towards Pepper.
"So, Pepper what about you?"
Pepper's head shot up. She was now a bit nervous for some reason. She didn't expect the topic to now be focused on her.
"Now if you don't mind me prying, is there anyone you're seeing?" Fan asked. The crowd clapped finally interested on what the black haired woman had to say.
Pepper adjusted her self and giggled nervously. "Oh like,..not exactly…the single's been the only thing on my mind-"
"It's not like she's been getting traction anyway." Salt said with a smile on her face cutting Pepper off.
The crowd was mixed with laughs and yelling. Making comment gain way more attention than it needed.
Pepper's mouth was shut immediately as Salt cut her off with her joke. She sat still looking at Salt open her mouth wide, cackling as the crowd did the same.
Suddenly her heart increasingly thumped harder to the point where it was the only thing she could hear. Her breath grew shaky and her face was trembling, like it was fixing into frown.
She cut it out immediately. She was in front of a crowd. She had to pull herself together.
Fan's jaw was hanging. His eyes darted to the cameras quickly making him remember that they were still rolling and quickly snapped back into the present." Oh wow..! Wow…"
The crowd was still laughing.
Pepper covered her mouth and pushed a strand of her hair behind her face to cover her face for a second. She quickly snapped back. She nudged Salt imitated a playful expression. Salt was laughing her ass of and her mouth silently repeated the words "I'm joking I'm joking".
They continued on.
Pepper looked down at her nails for the rest of the talk.
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4:46 pm
Location: Dressing rooms
The two girls sat in the dressing rooms not saying a word, scrolling away on their phones. Due to the amount of traffic in Yoyle City, their chauffeur was running late to their location.
Salt chewed loudly on her gum and blew a bubble for what felt like every five seconds with her phone volume on blast.
Pepper was doing the same, though, only not adding to the noise with gum. She was absently scrolled, her mind was still stuck on earlier.
In her mind she was arguing with her thoughts:
"It was a joke"
"It wasn't really funny"
"You're so sensitive"
"But it was kinda weird"
"You're being weird."
…
Pepper's finger stopped.
Pepper looked up from her phone. The blonde woman in front of her spit her gum in a tissue and tossed it into the trash can. She then digged in her purse for another piece of gum.
"Hey Salt..?" Pepper croaked. Her heart started was thumping and her mind was racing of worst scenarios that could possibly occur.
"Hm..?" Salt replied. All of the sudden she started vigorously texting on her phone not looking up at Pepper.
Pepper didn't exactly know what to say next. She held back on the choices of words she can start with not realizing that she was holding a long pause of silence.
Didn't matter anyway.
Salt started to talk.
"Oh my gosh what's his problem?" Salt hissed to herself as she slammed her phone on her bag then covering her face.
Pepper snapped out of her head when Salt started groaning with frustration.
With only the thought of Salt's well being in mind, she immediately focused on what Salt was going to say.
"Like, it wasn't even a big deal, he's actually doing too much." Salt sighed rubbing her temple.
"Is this about OJ?" Pepper replied sighing to herself wishing that it was about something else.
"Yes, girl, like, he's saying that I should've been more secretive and he's not ready for any of this to even come out yet, like what the fuck, it's been four months like your technically my boyfriend at this point who cares if the media knows." Salt ranted.
Pepper cringed as Salt looked back down.
"Now he's mad at me like this is so annoying. Why is he acting like this." Salt whined.
Pepper tried to interject.
"I mean—I don't know but-"
A sudden two knocks were at their door.
"Salt, Pepper, your ride is five minutes away, we can escort you ladies down." Someone said behind the door.
Salt sighed getting up immediately and gathering all her stuff.
Pepper hesitated as she stared at Salt for a few seconds before she realized she should also be doing the same.
Maybe another day she can bring it up.
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In his own dressing room, Fan chugged the rest of his water bottle and sighed leaning back on his seat.
His phone buzzed, thinking it was Test Tube, he picked it up. Though viewing the caller ID, it was the Steve cobs.
Fan gulped to himself hesitating to answer the call. Though finally doing so, he switched to a more professional tone.
"Hello? Mr. Cobs-"
"Fan! How are you! I gotta say this may be your best episode yet" Steve beamed through the phone.
"Oh y-you think so!?" Fan stuttered, not excepting such a positive critique.
"Have you checked the media!? People are already talking about it after it went live, looks like my girls are one step ahead to getting mainstream!" Cobs laughed over the phone.
Fan chuckled nervously along. He was happy for Salt and Pepper for getting attention from the media.
But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to feel as good as he wanted to.
After he hung up, he sighed and stared at his reflection silently, letting only the ticks of the clock fill noise in the room.