Need your help

They started with light conversation. Nothing too deep, just casual questions and soft laughter. But it didn't take Esme too long to ease into the rhythm; with each passing moment, her initial hesitation gradually faded.

Esme realised how easy it was to talk to them, and she didn't feel out of place. She'd met Nadine for the first time, but her warm, inviting energy made her feel so comfortable, she didn't feel they'd just met each other a while ago! If anything, it felt like they'd known each other for a long time.

Esme had never thought she could mingle so effortlessly with someone out of her league, and yet — she found herself enjoying the conversation.

After chatting for a while, Vivienne finally brought up the matter — why she'd invited Esme here today.

She placed the empty glass on the tray, then looked at Esme with a more serious expression, "Alright, so now, let me dive straight to the point — why we're here today."

Esme tossed the napkin on the tray, wiping her hands, then looked up at her with a curious gaze.

Vivienne glanced briefly at Nadine, then looked straight at Esme's eyes. "Esme, I need your help." She said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her neck. "With Aureates."

"Aureates!"

"Yeah," Vivienne nodded. "I've participated in Aureates, but I still haven't started working on it, I just barely prepared the sample for my form submission. Still, a lot of things are left to do."

"You know, Abigail, I can't work on school, she's always around, watching over me. And at home, there's Sarah. She is... Worse."

Esme was startled for a moment. "Sarah.. your sister?"

Vivienne let out a bitter smile. "Yeah."

She took a deep breath, then turned to Esme. "Esme, a lot is going on around me, I can't explain it fully to you, but I'm in a tough spot right now.

I can't work either at home or at school, I need to protect my work from them before the competition begins. I've found a safe place where I can work without any distractions, but I won't always be able to be there. I need someone whom I can trust, who won't bite me in the back. That's why I need your help."

Esme blinked, "Me..?"

"Yeah. Nini is letting me use her apartment; no one goes there. But I can't be there the whole time, I've other things to handle too.

It's not anything huge. I just need someone who can handle a few things when I'm not around — pick up prints, gather materials, maybe sometime help me with the designs and stitching.

But the most important thing — it needs to stay between the three of us, no one else should know... At least until the competition begins."

Esme stayed quiet for a moment. Her eyes flickered between Vivienne and Nadine, who'd stayed quiet till now, calmly watching the two of them.

"Why me?" She said softly.

Vivienne smiled. "You're also a design student Esme! You're well aware of the competition and design. You keep to yourself — don't pretend, but you observe everything. And most importantly,"

Vivienne paused, then in a much lighter tone, she almost joked. "You're not competing against me in Aureates, so you won't harm my designs."

A thin smile formed on Esme's lips. "And how do you know I won't bite you in the back?"

Suddenly, Vivienne fell quiet. She looked straight into her eyes, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

There was something in Vivienne's eyes — something unreadable! Esme couldn't quite place it, but she felt... Her eyes were holding something, maybe a secret that she wasn't going to share with anyone.

Vivienne smiled inwardly. How could she know that Esme wouldn't bite her back? Of course, she knew! In another timeline, she'd seen her! She'd known Esme more than Esme knew herself.

Vivienne reached for Esme's hands. She pressed her hands, then offered her a calm smile. "I trust you."

Esme felt her eyes sting. No one had ever trusted her this much, not even her parents! No one ever made her feel like she mattered, yet Vivienne, who just barely knew her, was ready to entrust her with something like designs for the Aureates!

She looked at their joined hands, "But you don't even know me that well..!"

Vivienne smiled at her. "Maybe not, but I know enough."

Nadine leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm, "I agree with Vivi. And... Well, you can say I'm pretty good at reading people."

Esme hesitated for a moment. "I want to help you, Viv, but I have my part-time jobs, and I can't skip them. After classes and my job, I barely get time to-"

Vivienne cut off her words. "I know!"

Pausing a second, she continued. "I'll cover for you."

"Haan..!?" Esme froze.

Vivienne gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "I'll cover your part-time earnings."

Esme gave her a confused look.

"You heard me," Vivienne said in a firm tone. "I really need help, not just moral support, actual help from someone. And you also need to focus on your studies. It's our final year, and you're already burning yourself out. It will be a win-win situation for us both."

"But Viv, I— "

"Don't take it otherwise," Vivienne cut in gently, "Think of it as a payment for helping me with something so important."

Vivienne didn't say anything more, she leaned back on the couch, giving Esme a space to think about it.

Esme stayed silent for a few minutes, then let out a slow breath. Looking up at Vivienne's eyes, she finally smiled. "Okay, boss. In three days, your assistant will be at your service!"

Vivienne grinned; a feeling of amusement and relief washed over her. "You better be on time, Miss Assistant!"

"Now that's the energy I like to see!" Nadine commented, and three of them chuckled.

Vivienne extended her palm into the centre of the table, "So, cheers to our partnership?"

Nadine placed her hand over Vivienne's. "I'm already in."

Esme looked at both of them once, then placed her hand at the top. "Let's make it count."

The three of them stared at their entangled hands, then together laughed out loud. "Hip hip hurray!"

Their laughter echoes through the rooftop's air. For a moment, Vivienne looked up at Nadine. As their eyes met, Nadine nodded gently.

Vivienne smiled. This time, she wouldn't make a mistake. Not again.