#hookah bar

“You can’t let her upset you,” Hook says. “She betrayed you. You should be angry.”

“She was so sweet, though,” Toni sniffles, wiping at her eyes. “I just look at her face, and I just- I get lost in those eyes. How can I hurt her?”

“She used you. You gotta forget every sweet word out of her mouth. She was lying to you.”

“But-“

“No.” Hook puts a hand on her shoulder. “She lied to you, and used you, and the only thing she cared about was your title. You should be angry. Pissed off beyond belief. Your shoe belongs up her ass, not in her hand.”

“She was the only one who got me, Hook.”

Hook sighs. “You’ve always had Luther. And now, you have me. We’ve got you.”

Toni smiles sadly and pats his hand. “I don’t know if I have the strength.”

“Look, Toni- let’s compare you two. You reinvented yourself and became a star. What did she do? Follow you. You know why? Cause she’s a poser. She’ll never be as good as you, because she’ll never be you. What has she done for that title? She doesn’t care about it like you do.”

Toni sits up straighter. “You’re right,” she says. “I worked hard for my title- she cannot take it away, just because she thinks she deserves it. Why, I carried her to victory, multiple times!”

“That’s it, there you go! Be mad! You are gonna destroy her.”

~

“Hook,” Toni practically begs, “please, show some emotion once in a while. You’d be a horrible actor. You’d never make it to a second audition.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” She grabs onto his shoulder and forces him to sit. “Is it about that boy? You’re allowed to be upset about him.”

“Oh my god- I’m over him. I don’t need to talk about it.”

“Dear,” Toni sighs, softly grabbing his face. “You cannot wear a mask forever. I know it hurts. Sometimes, you need to let it hurt. You may be missing out on your best performance yet.”

“I already went through that-“

“Did you? Or did you use your anger and rage to hide your true feelings? If you loved him, you’d be feeling a lot more than just anger. You’d be mourning what you could have had.” Toni pulls back and watches him. “You’re allowed to feel, darling. Other emotions exist for a reason.”

Hook goes quiet, and sort of sinks in on himself.

“Hook, what are you feeling right now? You can tell me.”

“…Scared,” he admits finally, in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Thank you for telling me. Why are you scared?”

“If I show my emotions- he’ll know. He’ll know I never got over him. He’ll use it against me, and he’ll laugh in my face-“

“He’s not here now, is he?”

Hook sighs, and leans into her, resting his head on her shoulder. “I miss him, Toni. Always have, always will.”

Toni pats his head softly. “There, there. Does that feel better?”

“A little,” Hook admits.