Chapter 46
Kirsten
I live in Austin, and I heard that’s Ella’s dead, and that her parents know about it. But why keep that secret unless you’re the guilty party?
I lean over my vanity, wonder if the faint lines around my eyes now classify as wrinkles.
Christ, I’m only thirty-six. But keeping this family in check is taking its toll, especially after the stunt Maple pulled yesterday.
I’m looking out for another influencer. Honestly, how na?ve can a nearly fifteen-year-old be?
Although not so much when it comes to insulting me.
Thinking to throw that church comment in my face.
And she’s still refusing to take the video down, a full twenty-four hours later, which is a lifetime on social media.
Of course I’ve tried myself, but I can’t figure out a way of doing it.
Which also feels wrong. Maple is a minor, for Christ’s sake; shouldn’t I have some kind of parental control over her new channel?
The bedroom door opens halfway, and Garrett’s face fills the gap. ‘We need to leave for church in five minutes; you’ll be ready?’
‘I will,’ I snap back. I know Maple’s rebellious behavior isn’t his fault, but it has distracted me from the conversation we need to have about getting the twins back online, so it feels like he’s complicit.
Alongside Blake, who’s also let me down, ghosting me since I asked for the name of her modeling agency.
Garrett backs out of the room, the classic wounded animal, and I pick up my lip liner. But then my phone rings. I eye it suspiciously. It’s an unknown number, which means it will be a spam call, but maybe I am in the mood to be really shitty to someone, so I press to accept. ‘Yes?’
‘Oh, hey there, am I speaking with Kirsten Clark?’
My eyes narrow. The voice is too creamy, too self-assured, to be some loser sat in a soulless call center in the Arizona desert. ‘It is, yes. And who’s asking?’
‘This is Selena Hart.’
‘Oh.’ I drop the lip liner.
‘You’re probably wondering how I got your number.’
I wasn’t, but only because my brain had frozen before she finished saying her name. ‘So how did you?’ I manage.
‘Kayleigh Jones has been sweet-talking me for months, trying to get my kids to join her online school. She gave me your number after we had a little chat ourselves.’
‘Right.’ My lips look weird in the mirror, pale against my made-up face. ‘I guess you’re calling about Maple’s new channel?’ I finally build up the courage to ask.
‘Well, you guessed right,’ she says, her Texan drawl still managing to sound clipped.
‘It was a shock, watching that video, and you know, a little hurtful too. I’ve followed Maple’s journey since she was a baby, and I suppose I felt a kind of kinship with you both, our content being so similar.
So for Maple to say these things about me, well, I feel betrayed. ’
Do I say that it was a shock for me too?
Confide that Maple has suddenly developed this extra head, one that makes stupid decisions and won’t listen to reason, and I don’t know what the hell to do about it?
Or do I pretend that Maple and I are as close as ever and face Selena’s wrath as a co-conspirator?
‘Anyway,’ she goes on, before I have to choose between two equally unappealing paths. ‘I’d appreciate it if she’d take the video down asap and stop accusing me of lying about my daughter’s whereabouts.’
‘So Ella is in London then?’ The words spill out before I can stop them – my desire to be in the know has always been my downfall. ‘Maybe if you got Ella to create some new content from there,’ I continue, ‘this would all be over in an instant.’
But Selena doesn’t rise to the bait. She releases a soft laugh, like she finds it cute how dumb I am.
‘Here’s the thing, Kirsten – and you know, I mentioned this at a speech I gave at the Meta annual conference just last week – we don’t owe the public anything.
It’s important to remember that. Ella isn’t a politician, or a judge, or a public figure of any sort.
It’s no one’s business if she’s in London, or Paris, or here with us in Austin. ’
‘But wouldn’t it make your life easier?’ I ask, still feeling like there’s mileage here.
‘Maybe so, but it’s the principle that matters,’ Selena replies.
‘I have eight million followers, and I don’t say that to brag, but a number that large brings a weight of responsibility.
Because they follow my lead for how to behave online, as do lots of younger, less experienced influencers.
I’m not going to let public pressure force Ella into anything she’s not comfortable with. ’
‘But you’re happy to pressure Maple into deleting her content?’
‘That’s not true. I have a soft spot for Maple; she’s beautiful, cute, likeable. She could go far in this crazy, awesome world of ours. Which is why I want to give her the chance to reverse what she’s started.’
‘And if she doesn’t?’ I ask, forcing my voice to sound steady.
‘Well.’ She sighs. ‘I imagine she’ll be learning the true meaning of regret very soon.’