The Farm Was Beautiful, Madisyn Could Admit That. It Was The View Of The Landscape That Drew Her In When

The farm was beautiful, Madisyn could admit that. It was the view of the landscape that drew her in when she saw it on the property listing site, drunk offtoo much chardonnay and shame and desperation to do something than be Madisyn Huang of ItsAMadsWorld. She observed Jack, wondering if he — like she did — had different expectations of who would be on the other side of the door. “Why thank you, I’m like aiming to spruce it up but keep with that folksy-farmy aesthetic with a modern twist, y’know?” Her smile didn’t even falter when he cut straight to the point — how professional of her, truly! — though it was an indication of how this meeting would go.

“Yes!” She clapped her hands together, stepping out and closing the porch door behind her, indicating him to follow her. “I’m like, not expecting you to get like a hoe or a tractor and do the farm-farm, I have people for that!” She laughed, as if it was the funniest notion in the world. “But um, the yard attached to the actual house, like, literally so gorge. And it’s just so much space with this, like, amazing view. Total Pinterest goals, and I was just seeing what magic you could do here.” They walked around the wrap-around porch, and she unlocked the gate to lead him through. Behind the fence revealed what seemed like miles of gorgeous green lawn, even though there were some overgrown and even dead patches dotted around. It was bordered by dug out flowerbeds, waiting for some fresh plants to grow. “See, not as daunting as like an entire acre of farm land!” She turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “Unless you’re up for that particular challenge.”

It was with a certain wariness that Jack had agreed to this. Even over the phone, the woman exuded a certain... energy. And not the kind he'd historically meshed well with. Whatever. Business was business. Anyway, surely anyone who owned a place like this couldn't be that bad. He squinted up at the farmhouse admiringly as he made his way towards it, the walls were cast perfectly in the golden summer sun giving it almost a fairy tale look. It was the kind of place Grace would've liked.

"'S no problem," he greeted her in turn with a short nod. "Nice place you got here." The sense of wariness that had come from the initial phone call returned. Madisyn wasn't exactly the type of person he'd expect to be running a farm. Her smile was unnerving, the kind he'd learned that came with people who liked to talk. At length. As though he could circumvent this terrible possibility, he decided it was best to get straight to the point. "You said you got some work that needs doing?"

➥ tagging @themadisynhuang

MADISYN: Oh all week 🥺 you sound like SUCH a workaholic babe MADISYN: i guess i could do this weekend... MADISYN: So, you live here now? 🤔 bit of a downgrade from NYC right?

THEO: Hi! It’s been so long! THEO: The chances are definitely minimal. Crazy! THEO: Definitely! I’m working late most of the week, but maybe we could meet up this weekend? :)

If Deacon wasn't so good looking — regardless if she had a chance with him or not — Mads didn't know if she'd be able to stomach his...perpetual optimism. How nothing seemed to be an issue, how everything had an answer. Like, a girl was just allowed to whine: was she not? "My mind is telling me that my stomach is about to eat itself, and my brain is so bored that it's going to start depriving itself from oxygen." She hissed back at him.

As she began to do the cooling down exercises from the session, Madisyn focused on breathing, reminding herself she was just hangry and it was no fault of her friend's. "Sorry for snapping. But please. I'm starving."

Deacon and his sister’s respective ideas towards mindfulness are diametrically opposed. Whereas Deacon finds his body at its clearest in the middle of a 5k, Thalia is a long-time advocate of stillness. These days, though, he can see the merits that come with a yoga session. It’s like NA, without the talking. Like gym, tennis, or any sports club of which he is a member, without the distractions of attractive men. (It helped further that his sister was among the yoga teachers of this fine establishment, and one does not simply shit where you eat.) Or like running, without the threat of his legs giving out, or the temptation to diverge from his routine at the inevitable sight of the 'Buy two, take one' signage posted on the glass wall of Chilled Creamery. 

So, put simply: he enjoys the whole routine of it all. By the tail-end of the session, a contented smile tugs at the corners of his lips—only for it to fall entirely at the sight of one Madisyn Huang shooting daggers at him in a not-so-flattering position. He doesn’t dignify her whine with a response. From his own downward dog position, Deacon shakes his head and tuts in disapproval. 

When the routine finally wraps up, he says—“That’s not what we’re here for, Madisyn! The whole point is to rid ourselves of all those needs and try to focus on what our mind is telling us.” He replies, assuming Thalia’s cadence that he can best be described as a profound disengagement with the world, and begins rolling back his yoga mat. “Why, are you hungry?”

“Hey babe, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with knowing your worth.” The issue was nothing to do with loving yourself, Madisyn supposed. Just that one day others would stop loving you. It turned out influencers were much like the stock market — The Wolf of Wall Street had been Dominik’s favorite movie, though Mads could only remember the scenes where Leo did drugs — one day you were worth something, the next you were a bad investment.

But Madi knew the day she’d be back on top was coming. Just a matter of waiting, striking when the iron was hot. Or like, however the phrase went.

When Eliana Kendrick invited Madi into the frame for a selfie, what was she supposed to do — say no? Any other fallen princess probably would have explained her less than stellar reputation at this time, and how everything was twisted to make her seem like the villain. But why bore her with the details? She posed, smiling bright, being reminded of the good old days. “Madisyn Huang, @ItsAMadsWorld.” Eliana didn’t ask, but what were photos for if not for Instagram?

“Oh a how-to-guide would be perfect, considering some of the shit I’ve been through.” Madi scoffed with an eye-roll, “Um, no, just a thriller. Set in a little oceanside town. British, I think.” Or at least some of it was set in London, from what she caught of the blurb as she set it in her basket. Not  that she’d probably read it.

"Honestly," Eliana nearly sighed with slight exasperation, "everyone should have a bit of thing for me. I don't believe adoration is too tall of an ask for a rich, hot little blonde with a brilliant mind and an ass that won't quit." A smile soon curved her lips and her eyes twinkled under the shop lights conveying there was levity in her speaking her truth. It wasn't that Eliana was that vain or needed the spotlight that bad, she had loft goals and felt like there was so much to prove. Coming from a wealthy family who'd made their mark, some would say she'd already surpassed that, there was a little girl inside of her that never let go of her larger than life father and how small she always felt in his presence.

"But," her fingers gently grasped the other's arm, still not a clue who she is, "I love you, new best friend, and shall write a dedication to you in my next book." Then it dawned on her and Ellie had a bright idea that pulled her phone from her back pocket. "Take a selfie with me!" Grinning ear to ear, with the books rearranged behind them, the blonde tossed her arm around the other and began posing for a photo. She'd post the photo or at least put it on her stories and tag her new friend with a clever caption about seeing her books still getting so much love.

Cooking, gardening, blah blah blah. Those topics really did nothing to pique her interest and Ellie nodded anyway, still somehow supportive if that was what was needed to broaden her horizons. "Murder?" Now she was curious. "Like a crime thriller or a how-to guide?" Did anyone even make something like that? Surely, no publishing house could ethically put anything like that in print.

MADISYN: well like maybe she finds it totes rude that your calling her a milf 🙄

MADISYN: $200? For fucking aurora?

JEANIE: The real milf would KNOW she's the milf smh 😒 JEANIE: Does your friend have $200 for a vip deposit?