CHAPTER 9

I WOKE UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING. For someone who slept at 5, it was a shock to me seeing that I was ready right early on the next day.

I wore my black leather suede boots that went all the way to my thighs. I threw on a black leather jacket and a new pair of leopard framed dark shades not forgetting my Prada clutch.

I quickly blow-dried my hair and combed it down in style. I wasn't seeking any drama today. I hoped to have the best day of my life and act like nobody's business.

I threw my phone in my clutch and walked out of my room. Aaron was still standing in the same position I saw him stand last night.

Am sure he was tired.

Watching over me all night like that must've been a very hectic job for him.

I closed the door behind me and headed for the elevator.

I felt footsteps behind me and I stopped to look at him.

"Please do not follow me", I said smoothly. It was already morning and I didn't think it was necessary to start fighting so early.

"I can't let you go alone Miss...." he protested and I hesitated to press the button. I span my neck around and faced him not forgetting to take my shades off. He copied me and I liked that we would settle this, eye to eye.

"I know you can tell when am in a really bad mood and I don't think there's anything that's not giving it away right now....", I said firmly and placed my shades back on. I was about to press the button but he beat me at it. He was the one pressing my buttons right then.

"Will all due respect, there is nothing....subtle.... about .....you....", he replied with a neutral expression on his face. You wouldn't read his mind to notice or get a glimpse of what he was thinking about.

I looked back at him and he looked back at me. He didn't even blink as if I would disappear if he did. In the next second, I burst into a fierce laughter not because something was funny but because I had to let out the tension in me lest I burst.

"In case you forgot, it's my duty to shadow you around wherever you go. I don't give a damn in you're in a bad mood or if you fought with somebody. IDC, I don't care! This is how I earn a living, this is what am paid for and this is what I will do. Here I will stay with you, and there's nothing you can do about it. If you're in a hurry, the sooner we leave the better.....", he swallowed and put his shades back on.

This man was so unbelievable.

"Are you being serious right now???" I asked in anger. I didn't want to hear the ethics of his job. that was none of my concern.

I didn't care at all what codes he was bound to or not. That was not in my best interest at the moment and I just wanted to get out of this place.

Last night, I spent all my time distressing and trying to maintain my sanity.

I was going insane and if I wasn't careful enough, I would most certainly be meeting a psychiatrist soon.

Talking to Aaron was pointless. He wants going to let me go so easily and I knew I had to think of something.

I placed my shades back on and pressed the button. The doors opened and I walked it accompanied by him as expected.

The ride was silent and as soon as I got to the reception, I found none of my staff waiting for me.

Strange....

I looked around and not even Lauren was anywhere to be seen. I took my phone out and dialed her number.

I was still mad at her after last night.

Where on earth was she when I was being harassed by that adulterous director?

He was publicly displaying his affection towards me and no one saw fit to intervene.

Whatever happened to morals and social norms.

"Hello...",the voice on the other end replied. I immediately have the phone to Aaron. He looked at me puzzled to what he was supposed to say.

"Umm....the young madam would like to know why her staff isn't here for the shoot....", he asked and I rubbed my forehead. I looked at him for a moment and saw him nod with a spoken 'okay' on his lips.

I told him to hang up and he did.

"She said that you're having a day off today.....", he reported to me and I turned to him.

"Exactly....with all due respect Sir, you work for me as long as I have work with the agency. My day off, is also your day off ... ", I pushed my shades in place and headed for the car park. Aaron stood in his position, unshaken nor misaligned.

I fetched my car and drove back only to find him exactly the way I left him. Was this man a robot.?

"See you!!" I waved and gave him a flying kiss while I drove off.

I didn't know where I was driving to but I just drive anyway.

Coming back to San Diego was really a shock for me. The moment the plane landed at the airport, visions of the past ran fast crowding my mind.

I remembered the day I vowed never to come to this place and permanently moved to Buenos Aires. This place was a death worst than hell. Every single bit of it was like a knife setting me asander

I still recalled the fervent cries that escaped my lips the moment she slipped through my hands. I suffered a psychological break down and It was a pain knowing that I was never going to go back to the way I used to be.

I took deep breaths and stepped hard on the accelerator. I raised my volume to full blast so that dark thoughts don't flood my mind.

I happily listened to Side to Side by Ariana Grande and I felt on the mood. Knowing that I had my free life today, no mangers, no rules, no commands, I smiled and decided to sing along....

'...I've been here all night (Ariana)

....I've been here all day (Nicki Minaj)

.....And boy, got me walkin' side to side (Let them hoes know)

....I'm talkin' to ya

See you standing over their there with your body

Feeling like I wanna rock with your body

and you don't get a thing about nothing

am coming at yah

coz you got a bad reputation

and I know you give me temptation

you don't get a thing about nothing

These friends keep talking way too much

say I should give you up

Can't hear them no coz I-I-Iiiiiiiiiii

I've been here all day

I've been here all day-Yeah

And bo-o-o-oy you got me walking side to side....'

I was screaming and shouting and yelling on top of my lungs. I felt free and happy than I've ever been in a very long time. Knowing that I used to be a happy kid, it was a shame that I had to always familiarise myself with the feeling as I often forgot what it felt like.

Constantly being told what to do wasn't as interesting as it seemed. Being famous had its good side and also it's disadvantages. Pros and Cons just like two sides of a coin and having it all figured out and flipping to heads wasn't always guaranteed. You had to work extra hard to always be picked. Act perfectly, model perfectly, smile perfectly, have the perfect body and perfect eyes, simply be the envy of every woman and a turner for every guy . Use plastic surgery and people will be on your throat, don't use plastic surgery and you'll be labelled as ugly. Life was tough.

As a celebrity, people fancied my life and wish they were me. I laughed at them and prayed deep down that God doesn't grant them that wish; not because of envy but because I care.

I nodded my head to and fro in sync with the music. I loved this song big time and I would love for me to meet Ariana one day. She was my role model.

Busy with the song, I hardly noticed that I had entered another lane. I was deep in the lyrics and I noticed not the change in my environment.

Then, the air got dusty and the smell of fish suddenly filled the entire place. The sun was scorching and hitting hard on the head. How did time pass by so fast?

I looked at my wrist watch and it was only 10 in the morning.

I stepped on the break and took off my jacket leaving me with a strapless truck top.

I lowered my volume a bit only to notice I was driving on sand.

I stopped the car and immediately got out. I had driven for about a mile on sand. What was I thinking?

I pulled my shades to my forehead and stepped out. I noticed I was in what seemed to be a fishing area and almost everyone stopped to look at me most of which were men.

I know I loved being looked at but all this was just strange. These weren't the kind of stares I was looking for.

I turned my car off and locked it not, forgetting to put the key across my neck in a chain.

"Hello....?" I chuckled and rotated hoping to soften the heart of one of these men. But to my dismay, they all looked at me like they didn't care.

This was a bad idea.

I knew I shouldn't have come to this place. I mean I thought I belong but I was mistaken. These people did not consider me one of theirs anymore.

It was my mistake of coming here and if I were to be shamed, it was on me. I turned around to get back into my car when an agonising voice not only excited me, but also scored the hell out of me.

"Well....well....if it isn't the famous artist's lover girl ....." she began. I smiled and it faded the moment I span around to see her. I wasn't going to let her get the better of me. My one and only aunt, Louisa.

"I was begging to think you won't let me in....", I wiggled my eyebrows and dropped my shades down onto my eyes.

"You haven't changed have you? Still stubborn..." she replied and I raised the corner of my lip in scorn.

"Does the sun still rise from the east?"

"Yeah....!???"

"Then why do you expect me to change when nature itself doesn't?" I smiled and walked towards the little girls that stood on her sides.

"Hey girls...It's your cousin Eleanor...", I squatted and they gave me gloomy faces.

"What do you take us for? neonates?!" one of them, whom I assumed was Ella, slapped my hand off after I tried to let her hair. It'd been a while since I last saw them and they grew so fast.

"Hey Eleanor!!!" the girl standing next to Ella smiled at me. "Am...Erika...."

"Oh yes Erika....."

"I knew you had arrived the moment you stepped onto the sand...." she bubbled and it made me excited.

"Oh really? How did you know??"

"We don't walk on sand in those shoes.....", She smiled and I loved how her face was aligned.

I guess I was really out of the ordinary. I looked around and everyone was in slippers.

I was literally the only one in boots.

"S-so much for a dramatic entrance, what'd you say??" I asked her. Her answer is what pleased me the very most.

"So much for a dramatic entrance!"