Chapter 1 - The Elle

*Karol Blue Wolfe's POV*

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"Why are you such a killjoy, Blue! That's not your stuff!" My annoying sister's angry voice boomed in the room as I turned off her full-volumed speaker, and I went to slump myself on my bed, not caring about her rant.

"You better stay outside. I'm working here. And I can't write without music playing." She continued, and I sat up on the edge of my bed to face her.

"Why don't you use your damn headphones, Krystal? I can even freaking hear the music in the living room. Not to mention, I have heard that same damn song, well, songs over twenty times since I got home here the last week. And, I bet a hundred bucks, you have been playing it over and over again even before I got here. So, just use your headphones for the sake of someone's sanity, will you?" I countered, irritated by her choice of music, and the girl just made faces at me. Hmm. Real mature response from a twenty-three-year-old.

"Well, it's Elle Rory's latest album. It's not even a week old. So, yeah, I will be playing them over and over so I can get familiar with the lyrics. I just appreciate a good artist's craft. And---" She replied, and I quickly cut her off, "Oh, yeah, the Elle! Of course! Appreciate my ass. You don't appreciate her. You have been obsessed with her since forever."

She opened her mouth to argue, but I just raised my eyebrows at her while roaming my eyeballs halfway around her part of this room where there are lots of posters, paintings, magazines, cutouts of the actress/singer, and a lot more stuff with the name and face of the awful creature. And she just let out a sigh, instead. Thankfully, she doesn't infiltrate my territory with that kind of idiocy nowadays, or else I would really tear and burn them in her face again.

"I'm serious. I can't finish writing a damn chapter of my new novel if there is no music. Just let me be, Blue. I can't use my headphones because they're dead. Scarecrow chewed up the cord two weeks ago. You should blame your cat, or you should buy me a new one." She answered, using her ugly pleading face, and I just let out a scoff.

"Fine. I'll allow any music playing, but please... Not that album." I agreed and saw her face lightened up, and she stood up from her swivel chair at her study table to pick up her phone on her bed.

I laid down again to cuddle with Scarecrow on my bed, and I closed my eyes to take a nap. It's two in the afternoon, and dinner is still far from now. I'll just wake up later to help Mom with cooking.

When I heard the music start playing, I hastily opened my eyes, and I turned to look at the dumbhead with my fatal death glare.

"Aren't you f**king tired of listening to that bimbo's screeching voice?" I asked her, feeling so sore with her lunacy over her most beloved person in the whole universe.

"You said it was okay to play music as long as it's not that latest album. This single was released three months ago. It's my favorite so far this year. And, I'm trying to test if you are going to like it. Honestly, it's good, Blue. And oh, before I forget, since you are probably going to be staying here for a week before you go back to flying, can we go to the cinema this weekend? Please? It's the premiere of her new movie. It's action this time, with a little spice of romance. I have seen the trailer. And I bet it's going to be great. Well, of course, it's going to be great. Maybe you will like it. Give her a chance! So... Can we?" She babbled, sounding so excited, and I just let out a sigh of frustration. I have been so done with this nuisance ever since.

"Even if you shoot me in the head right now, I'm not going. Like, when did I do something that stupid my whole life, huh? Hasn't my hate towards that person, even before you came here in this household, not enough to tell you that I am not going to like anything that involves her? Just stop pushing me to like what you like. People have different tastes in what kind of entertainment they prefer. Just knock it off, Krys. And, no, we are not going to argue about this again. Just quit telling me about her and her and her if I am here. Also, her music may be great, but not to me. So please, if possible, refrain from playing those if I am gonna hear it. Don't worry. I will buy you your new headphones. Like... Right now. I lost my sleepiness anyway." I blurted out as I got out of bed, and I noticed that she seemed to understand since she just went quiet but nodded her head.

I am just not in my mood whenever I can hear anything about that woman, especially seeing her faces all around here.

Even though Krystal and I have been adoptive sisters for about eleven years now, she seems not to lose hope that I can appreciate her most admired superstar. Well, truth be told, I hate Danielle Rory so much for just one reason. Yes, only one. It's because she is a freaking liar. I am not envious of how famous and successful she has become three years after that time we got separated fifteen years ago. I just can't bear ever to forgive her. And I don't think she has any plans on asking for one, or I don't even know if she still recognized me. She broke a promise. A promise that I have held onto with all my heart, and it's the same promise that shattered my heart into pieces. She is no different from those people who got prosperous yet forgot where they came from and who they were.

And no, Krystal and everyone else who knows me doesn't know anything about why I truly hate the person with all I am other than I hate her music and films because I don't find her good at anything. And I guess I am going to be keeping it with me till I wither from this world.

"Do you prefer the same color and brand?" I asked the girl while I put on my flat shoes, and she looked at me with her blinking eyes. Hmm, I know what she's going to say next. She's going to come with me.

"Can I come with you, instead? Since you don't want to go with me this Saturday, let's have this day as our sister bond day. Please? You won't be here for the next few weeks if you go back to work again, and I'd be left alone here with Mom. I'm not too fond of it when she rants about me not washing the dishes every time it's my turn. And you know how much I needed time to write. So please, Blue, take me with you. Just this time so we could have some fun before you leave again." She asked, and her face painted a hopeful smile. See? I just know her so well.

"Alright, let's go. Well, that's what you get in working just here at home." I consented, and she jovially bounced off her bed to get ready so that we could go to the mall.

---

"Hey, Blue! Are you still single nowadays?" Krys curiously asked me while we walked on the grocery line and picked up the goods that Mom Linda told us to purchase.

"Why?" I asked her back and put a pack of cake flour in the cart.

"It's a question, Blue. You don't answer a question with a question. So... Are you? Are there no more hot women amongst your colleagues?" She replied, and I let out a soft laugh.

"No, I don't date any of them anymore. And I am not gonna date any more flight attendants. I'm having a break for now." I answered her, and she stopped walking just to look me in the eyes and scan if I was telling the truth.

"Really? What about Sherry Thompson? Her little sister told me that the widowed woman was so into you. Yes, spoiler alert, she's bi. And she would probably promote you from being a reserve flight attendant to the next level. Are you not giving it a shot? She seems nice." She suggested and continued walking, and her concern made my eyebrows meet in disagreement.

"No! I don't want to date any of my seniors, especially them being older than me for at least ten years and having two daughters. I'd date their daughters instead." I retorted, which made her laugh and said, "Then you would be the one ten years older than her daughters. But seriously, Blue, are you really single?"

"I already told you the answer, Krys," I replied and stopped in my tracks when I felt my phone in my jeans' left front pocket vibrate. Someone must have been calling.

"Well, speaking of the widowed bisexual woman... Here she calls." I muttered when I read the caller ID, and Krys snapped her head to look at my phone. Then she wiggled her thick brown eyebrows while wearing an annoying, taunting smile, and I just rolled my eyes at her in response.

"I'm gonna answer this," I told her and tapped the answer icon, and I bet that it is going to be about work or not. Well, I hope it's all about work, though. I just don't know how to decline if ever her concern in calling me has something to do with what my sister has been rambling about just a while ago. It's either I would get promoted or get fired. I do prefer the latter if so because it would still go that way even after I get promoted if I start dating her and would, later on, dump her.

"Hello! Good day, Ms. Thompson!" I greeted the woman on the other line and gave my sister the dirty finger when she began to form her hands into a heart.

"Ms. Karol Blue Wolfe, hi! I called in the middle of your two-week break because you need to be here tomorrow for a private flight to Rio de J, Brazil. At 6 pm sharp. Mr. James Hillary personally requested you to be the one in service again. He mentioned that you were by far the nicest one assigned to his flights. It's a good opportunity because, on this flight, there is not only one celebrity you will meet and serve—there are four more." She began, and I let out a breath of relief that it was about work. And I wonder who will be James Hillary's companions. He is actually a young actor, musician, advocate, and a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. We had a good chat about things during his last flight two months ago, and he indeed told me that he wants me to be the one in service for his next flights, and here it is now.

"Alright, I'll be there tomorrow at five, Ms. Thompson. Thank you for trusting me with this client and for informing me." I told her, and I heard her giggling on the other line. What the heck is funny with what I said? Hmm, she better not talk about other things unrelated to our duty.

"Are you not interested to know who will be coming with him for his tour to South America?" She curiously asked me, and I am pretty not that interested, but I answered, "Who?"

"Well, he is boarding with Camille Posner, Lucy Falcons, Erwin Deborah..." She enumerated, and my left eyebrow raised when she mentioned the latter one. He is the asshole boyfriend of the person I have hated all my life. I don't know if what his number was, though. I think he is her nineteenth, or beyond that. I guess beyond that.

I was about to respond when she named one last one, "And lastly... Elle Rory. Isn't it amazing? You are so damn lucky! Some of the girls here are envied, even me. But, yeah, you are coming with Celestine Juniper. So better be here tomorrow, alright?"

I felt I slowly lost my hearing when I heard her name, and I gulped when I suddenly became nervous.

No, I don't want to see her, talk to her, let alone serve her. No way.