by Yuriko Hime
"Wait!" he said before I could end it. I focused on the road. What did he want? "Stop by the boba shop today. It needs to be today or these tickets will go to waste. I just got it."
I slowed down the car. "What ticket? I don't have money." My own money. The wallet in the glove compartment had a generous amount of hundred dollar bills that I wouldn't touch unless absolutely necessary. I'd hate myself if I did. Riri, never spend the money you didn't work for, mom would say. She was a woman who kept her secrets, but her guidelines were on point.
Carter chuckled. I could hear people laughing in the background. He was already in the milk tea shop. "The tickets are free. Drop by and I'll explain everything."
"Okay. Got to go, bye." We both hang up. The road that would take me to Carter was three blocks from me. This better be important, I thought as I maneuvered the car.
"What's up homie?" Carter said when I entered the boba shop. He was in his usual corner, smiling like an idiot.
"Don't call me that," I said after I settled down. "I'm not a dude, and you don't like guy friends anyway. If you did then you wouldn't need me."
"Except you're not my friend, but an honorary sister," he corrected. He placed his elbows on the table. Excitement was written all over his face. "You know how sometimes my sister would get tickets?"
I nodded. Carter's sisters were all around the city. They could make friends easily. Sometimes a friend of a friend would give them perks like concert tickets or free passes to a show. Though it didn't happen as often as they liked, it was still exciting when it did. There was a time when Carter and I were able to attend a Christmas special event because of his sister's friend. We tagged along and had a really fun night.
"So? Which concert is it?" I asked with apt interest. "When is she attending?"
"It's not a concert this time Ri." He whipped out the tickets from his back pocket and dangled it in front of me like it was cash. "It's a ticket to a TV show." He handed it to me. There was a time and date written on it, as well as the word Kellen.
"But the date on the ticket says it's for today."
"Exactly," he answered with a smile. "My sister and her friend can't go because something came up. She gave us these instead." I handed the tickets back to him. "Let's go to the show," he begged. "I've been dying to see inside a studio."
"You're dying to access forbidden parts of the studio you mean," I said.
"That too," he admitted. "Don't you think this is a good opportunity to see the guests and the artist?" He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you can study a manager from afar if we happen to see one. It can help you with your problem, and you'll know what a studio looks like. Uno will be proud."
I slapped his arm. "Stop shouting her name."
"I will if you come with me. It's time you get acquainted to those places. You'll practically live there anyway when she starts with another project. When is it?"
"No idea." I took a sip from his drink. It was lukewarm and didn't have ice anymore. Bleurgh! "We haven't discussed it yet. But you're right. Might as well check the studio."
"Of course I am. Are you excited?"
"As if you don't know the answer to that question."
I wasn't sure if Uno would like it if I let Carter drive her truck, so I sat behind the wheel even though Carter was better at driving. Now that I thought about it, I should be used to all these things because I'd be doing it for Uno in the near future. I'd be doing a lot of things for her. The question was, would I stay after my eighteenth birthday when I was legal enough to live on my own? We'll see.
With Carter's direction and consulting the map application on my phone, we managed to arrive in the right place. There was a long line outside the building. "You sure that's it?" I asked as I pulled the truck to a stop.
"Maps said so."
After being frisked for any weapons, we surrendered our tickets to the guard. They placed a stamp on our wrist before letting us inside the building. I glanced around. It was just like any other building with a large enough air-conditioned lobby. There were signs for directions, and people wearing all manners of clothing, from corporate to a more subtle jeans and shirt. Mom must have entered this building at one point. She saw everything I was seeing. It made me tingly all over.
"This way please," said a tall female with a self-important smile and an ID that said Audience Coordinator. Carter and I, together with the other people who lined up for the show, were led to another smaller room. We waited there a couple of minutes before we were shown to the main studio. Where all the magic happened.
Carter was squeezing my hand the entire time, but I didn't really mind since I was too busy taking everything in. The stage, the lights, the seats. It was exactly what I saw on TV. Carter handed me his mobile phone. "Quick, take a picture of me," he demanded. I obediently snapped shot after shot of him pointing to the stage, doing wacky poses, and laughing with the other audience. In turn, I had to do the obligatory poses as well.
"Boasting rights", he said. Pictures or it didn't happen. I didn't know who I'd show it to anyway. College was weeks from now. I had no known cousin or relatives. Carter and his sisters were my only real friends. And Uno was so used to this that she'd probably laugh at me if she saw the pictures.
The audience coordinator gave us some guidelines before the main show started. After settling in our seats, the host of the show was all smiles as she introduced herself to us. It was a good show overall. What I liked about it was they included the audience with the questions, and even gave us a little souvenir from the guest, which was a book she was promoting called Starstruck.
"That was so cool," I said as the show ended. "Tell your sister I said thank you." We lined up on one side so we could exit the studio with the audience.
"Isn't it?" Carter said. "I'll ask her if she has more tickets." He showed me the book we received earlier. "And we got this for free. It's a lesbian book."
"You read those kinds of stuff?" I didn't really want to know the answer. What I wanted was to distract him long enough so we could leave the building without any problems. He might get an outrageous idea to go to a forbidden area and unlock the doors.
We continued to the smaller room we entered earlier, then went to a hallway. "Yes." He looked very proud saying so. "I'm an avid supporter of the LGBT."
"Why is that?" We got inside the elevator. I breathed a sigh of relief when it closed. We only needed to go through the lobby and the gates, and we were all clear.
He frowned. "Aren't you? I think the LGBT should have equal rights as straight people." The elevator doors opened. We stepped out and continued to the lobby.
I smiled nervously. Almost there. "You're right. Totally right," I said. We stopped walking. "Hey, what's the holdup?" The lobby was surprisingly jam-packed with people. There was barely any room to move. I turned to Carter. "I think we should exit through another door."
"Too late," he said wearily. We were surrounded by lots of people fast. It was impossible to turn around and go back to the elevators. Carter tapped the person standing next to him. "Miss, what's going on?" he asked.
"Something is happening in front," she explained. "I think the fans got overexcited after catching a glimpse of a famous actress." She showed us her phone. "My friends who are in line outside called to say that some of the fans managed to stream past the guard. That's why it's so crowded in here."
"Thank you," I mumbled to the woman. To Carter I said, "What are we going to do? There might be a stampede."
"I know," he said anxiously. Stampedes could easily happen when people's excitements or fear were triggered. With a crowd this large, it would be hard for security to keep them under control. "This is going to be hard, but why don't we try to make our way back to the elevator and see if we can find an alternate route?" he said.
"Sounds like a plan." Carter and I squeezed our way through the throngs of people. It was hard to distinguish if they were guests, audience, or workers there. The temperature has increased several degrees. The air con
ditioner was no match to the crowd. I was getting drenched in sweat. Somewhere near the elevator, I felt people pushing in all directions. "Carter?" I called desperately.
He waved from the elevator. "Riri, I'm here. Quick, get in before the door closes."
I stood on tiptoes to see past the people who were standing in front of me. "I can't. Let's meet at the car." The door closed before I heard what he said. He couldn't get out if he wanted to anyway. I calmed my nerves long enough to check where to go. If there was no escape from the lobby, I had to thread through the waves of people to get to the back. Nodding to myself, I tucked my elbows to my side so I could shield my chest with my arms and began to navigate through the crowd.
"Excuse me. Coming through," I said as continued on. Someone bumped next to me. She kept her head low and was wearing a scarf over her head, but I didn't miss her face. It was Bianca, the woman who was causing this uproar. I stared in stunned silence at her. If the fans knew she was with us, the stampede would really happen. She was heading to the direction I was trekking. I didn't know what made me take her hand and say, "If you want to get out of here, don't let go."
"Okay," she murmured uncertainly. She knew that I knew.
We battled our way through the mob together. I wasn't sure if the situation in the lobby was under control. What I was sure of however was it could get worse. I wasn't taking any chances. Her hand was sweaty, but I didn't let go once. After a few painful elbows on the ribs and one too many people stepping on my foot, I was able to break us free from the mob. Most of them anyway.
"Over here," I said as I tried to open a room on my left. It was locked. If only Carter was here, we could open it easily. Bianca was trying to open the rooms down the hall, but they were locked as well. "We can't stay here. The crowd could run this way." I stared around until my gaze landed on a window. "There's our escape route."
Bianca and I hurried to the square window. It was large enough to let us fit. I was the first one out, landing on the bushes. "Take my hand, I'll help you." Though she was hesitant at first, something in my expression made her trust me enough to make me help. We huddled near the bushes when we were out. "I can't believe that actually happened." I sucked air into my lungs. "And I can't believe I'm huddled next to you right now."
Her emerald eyes twinkled when she grinned impishly. Soft angelic features, pearly white teeth, and a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. Like Uno, Bianca was better looking in real life. "I'd like to thank you for getting me out of there," she said. "How does dinner sound?"
Chapter 8. Pretense
It wasn't everyday that I got to save someone famous. It wasn't everyday that she asked me out for dinner. Uno didn't really count, did she? I've sort of known her all my life because of mom. As Carter said, it was like having an honorary sister. Bianca in the meantime was a stranger to me. It was surreal to have her by my side.
"Hold that thought," Bianca said. She took her phone from her pocket and answered a call. I didn't hear it ring. "I got out," she said in a relieved tone to the person on the other line. "Someone helped me." She nodded to herself. "Yes I'm safe. You did a good job."
I looked the other way while she continued to talk on the phone. Bianca was as famous as Uno. Maybe a teensy bit more. If there was one thing that I knew she had that Uno didn't, she has always won the popularity contest. Her fans easily outnumbered Uno's, solely because she had a squeaky clean image and was known to have tons of charities under her name. There was a rumor that she donated one of her kidney's. How could Uno top that? How could anyone?
Bianca looked disappointed when she tucked her phone back in her pocket. "That's my manager," she said. "I was supposed to do a guesting for tonight's show. Word got out and somehow some of my fans broke inside the building. My manager let me escape in the main lobby." She fiddled with her hands. "He will pick me up soon. I'm really sorry to cancel the dinner like this."
Oh. So that's what was causing the sad face. I put on a bright smile. "It's not a big deal. I mean, we're both busy and all."
"You are?"
I thought about Uno, sitting alone in her room. Maybe it would be best if I didn't mention her to Bianca, and vice versa. Not until our situation was more stable, and I was officially Uno's manager. If there could be something more official than our signatures on a piece of paper.
"Yes. I'm a college student," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. If I were to work for Uno, I should learn to keep my cool around celebrities. "You know how college is. Full of activities. I'm Riri by the way."
"Bianca. But you probably knew that." An SUV stopped dangerously close to the bushes where we were hiding. Bianca stood gladly from our hiding place. "That's my manager," she said. "I instructed him where to go." She smiled apologetically. "I really need to get out of here before people see me. Thanks again." There was nothing more to be done except for a subtle nod as she bolted to the SUV and waved goodbye.
I stood on the same spot for a minute after their sudden departure. Thinking that I should go home, and Carter was worried about me, I shakily moved from behind the bushes. My foot landed on something uneven. I managed to steady myself before I fell. "What's this?" I murmured as I leaned down. I inspected the brown colored pill bottle. Bianca must have dropped her medicine. I tucked it in my pocket. If we did run into each other one of these days, I'd give it back to her.
"You'd never believe who I met," I said to Carter when we were safely in the truck, on our way back to the boba shop.
"Who?" He was only mildly interested.
"Are you ready to know? Okay get this, it's Bianca. The Hollywood celebrity Bianca. I helped her escape the mob." I saw my smiling reflection in the side mirror. Mom would have done the same thing.
"You're right. I don't believe you."
"Oh really?" I tickled his side.
"I'm driving," he said grumpily.
"You're jealous because I saw her and you didn't." I poked his ear. "Admit it. Admit it Carter."
"Man, I hate it when you're like this." He sounded exasperated. "Okay, I admit that I'm jealous, but only because you forced me. Now tell me everything in detail." I saw his smile when he glanced out the window.
In my haste to go back home, I've forgotten to do the grocery. I collapsed on the bed and woke up the next morning. The sunlight pierced through my bedroom's glass wall as I jumped to the floor and prepared for the day. I didn't like lingering in bed. My routine in this household was comprised of waking up and cleaning after myself, cooking, delivering the food to Uno's room, eating alone, thinking of ways to make money, cook, eat, repeat. It wasn't the plan today. Like it or not, Uno would have to leave her bedroom. I'd force her until she said yes.
"Good morning," Uno greeted when I entered the kitchen. She was seated by the island, a carton of milk in front of her. I was so stunned by the sudden development that I paused to stare at her. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "What's for breakfast?"
I went to the cabinet to grab a pan. What's with her? "Are you done with your self-journey?" I asked.
"I'm on a leave. And might I add, you're looking happy to see me."
I placed the pan on the stove. "Someone is full of herself," I said.
"And someone is in denial. Just for that, I think I'll extend the leave."
I turned to look at her. She smirked at me before sipping directly from her carton. "I thought you don't drink milk, only coffee?" I asked.
"Are you kidding? Coffee sucks. I'd take milk anytime," she said.
I frowned as I left her to go to the pantry. I grabbed the ingredients I needed, thinking to myself that Uno was being irrational again. When I came back to the kitchen, she was grabbing another carton from the fridge. "I forgot to ask if you've already spoken to Doctor Sanders. She was insistent to see you." I lined the pancake mix that I've placed in a plastic container among the other ingredients on the counter.
Uno shut the fridge and went back to her seat. "Yeah, I've spoken to her."
My curios
ity got the better of me. "What did she want to talk about?" I made it sound like I wasn't interested at all, but the topic has been nagging at me for days. So were the other questions I had. I couldn't just blurt it in the open could I? She'd know that I was snooping.
"Academic stuff," she said, as if it was no big deal. "Are you doing anything for tonight?"
"I don't know. I'll check my schedule first." She raised an eyebrow at me. "If you must know," I said, placing a hand on my waist. "Cooking for you is not an easy thing. So is collecting the fallen leaves outside. I haven't even started cleaning the house yet. It's so big that sometimes I wonder if you're keeping a secret room."
It was meant to be a joke, but I didn't miss the gleam in her eye. She pushed herself off the seat and walked steadily to me. "Be careful with your words Riri. For all you know, you might be living with a serial killer." Uno leaned close and whispered, "One wrong word might set me off." We stared at each other without breaking eye contact. "GAAAAAAAH!" she screamed. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find and flung it to her. Pancake mix puffed in the air. We both coughed.
She fanned around her face, trying to rid us from the white cloud. "You're savage!" she said. "I was kidding. You shouldn't be so serious all the time."
I fanned using my hands while she tried to catch her breath. "What could I do? It's your fault for surprising me." We waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, I saw white powder on her cheek. I took a paper towel from the counter, wet it with water, and wiped Uno's cheek with it. She stilled while I rid her face from the mix.
"You're always this jumpy?" she asked.
"Who wouldn't be if they're living in a big confined house like this?" I stepped back when I was done to look at her. Uno wasn't wearing any makeup, but she still looked like she was ready for a pictorial anytime.
"You think I'm pretty right?" she asked out of the blue.
I clicked my tongue. "You sound sure of yourself."
She narrowed the space between us. There it was again, her appealing rain scent. It sent a pleasing electric sensation all over my body. Weird. "I'm stating a fact," she said. "For example, it's an absolute certainty that I find you beautiful too." The electric sensation ignited into flames, causing the temperature in the kitchen to turn up. "But you do realize that physical beauty is not all there is to it right?"
