Locking the heavy door behind me and removing my heels, a shadow looms over the stairs. My heart skips a beat. It is obviously not Karl, he's out for days. So it should be Dionysus, holding my breath, wishing he could answer me.
"Hey, Dionysus, you're not asleep yet?" I manage a smile at his scowling face.
"So you know it's late." Raspy, hoarse voice growls from his throat.
I frown at his voice, is he sick again?
You know, I think I'm the sick one, he's the one ill-treating me, yet I still care for him?
What has love done to me? The prideful, wild, money-hungry, selfish Carmelo Ilocia?
I flinch as a deafening slam reverberates off the expensive walls in my corridor.
Slowly squatting down beside the door, bringing my head down on my knees, leaning my left cheek on my knee, I glance at the emptiness and eerie silence of my house. It has been this silent for days.
Oh, Carmelo.
What have you done?
+
"Morning gorgeous," Karl appears from the porch and storms into the living room, beaming like a rooting sun, a slash of red lipstick on his collar and a few buttons gone. I don't even need to think twice to know where he was last night.
Hades's bed.
I smile stiffly as I pick up some grapes from the bowl, nodding to my housekeeper, Madam Rosa, thanking her for washing them.
"How're your exams?" I watch him carefully, who drops himself carelessly on his seat, munching on some cookies in a jar.
"Excellent." He mutters out of the mouthfuls of cookies.
Can I get him an etiquette teacher? Yes, I shall add that to my planner.
"Karl, you need to understand this. I am extremely busy-" To which he splutters. "-I-am mostly busy, and I couldn't keep tabs on you like you're a kid. You are twenty-two, Karmen Winters-"
"Don't call me that, Mel." Karl shoots back hotly.
"Listen to me, I understand, do you remember our pasts? Karmen? Yes, enjoy yourselves, but we want this to last, I need you to keep yourself up, in the meantime, I will study with you, take better care of you. You make me feel like a failed guardian, Karl."
"But you're not." He murmurs and stops eating, staring out the windows.
Light illuminating his clean blond platinum hair, towering nose, beautiful lips and eyes contrasts with a dirty and filthy boy. Scenes of the past catching up, ashtray, red water, crimson liquid.
"I am getting you tutors, try to stay in here more often, don't go out as frequently, alright?"
"I will pay you back-" I quirk an eyebrow. "-with interests." I smile in satisfaction. No profit, no bargain, honey.
"Money-sucker."
"I recommend you young sir to take that back." I snap my fingers, swallowing the last of the jewels. (not the family jewel!)
A series of slaps of slippers hit the stairs, I restrain from looking back. "Yo man, what's up with the gloomy face? My sis ditched you?" Karl poke a slice of bacon into his mouth, grinning cheekily.
To everyone's surprise, Dionysus gives no reply, grabs his shoes from the shoes cupboard and disappears into the porch with a loud slam of the gates.
"What the fuck did I do?"
__________
"Mel! We're nominated to attend the Bilboard's, remember? We've confirmed the date, next Wednesday, 6pm sharp, we got to be ready at the red carpet. Arthur will fetch you from your house, and Lala will be there by 3 to help you get ready. I will send the documents to you later, right, relax and enjoy your shooting. We both know how hard it was to get here, Mel, don't stress yourself too much. Don't worry, you have us." Aunt Leen hugs me gently at gives me an encouraging pat, before rushing off to someone's call.
Don't worry, you have us.
Flashback:
"Eileen! What the hell are you doing? Letting her go on that show? She's still so young, dogs got your mind blown up?" Bang PD, the CEO of my company thumped hard on his cheap wooden office table that was littered with used paper and pen.
"Sir, don't worry, we got her if anything's happened, she has us." Aunt Eileen looked more confident and firm than me myself. She hugged and patted me gently, "don't worry, you have us, go, Mel, show 'em."
I bit back tears welling up and stepped onto the strange stage, lights were so blinding, people's eyes were scrutinizing me, they looked in disgust and despise as they scanned my poor outfit unlike those branded and designer ones that others wore-- my company couldn't afford anything better.
Only one guy smiled at me firmly, I looked into his eyes, no judgmental thoughts, no disgusting lust men usually have for me, no belittling. I beamed back, lights started to go dim and music played in the background, most of the cameramen and judges rolled their eyes and glanced around the room boredly. Let the performance begin.
Flashback over.
"Good afternoon, Miss Ilocia, we are so honoured to have you being the ambassador of our ice cream!" A woman in her mid-forties beams brightly, reaching out a frail thin hand of hers.
"Good afternoon, Miss Dina, it is my pleasure to have Baskin Robbins too! I absolutely adore your desserts!" I reveal the same smile as hers, shaking her hand elegantly, nodding my head as if they have the best ice cream. Lies. I had never tasted their ice creams or cakes. But this will be a good chance to sneak some into my fridge-- without Karl snitching on me.
"We have chosen a male partner who will also be ambassador of our desserts." Miss Dina clasps her hands together tightly and leads me into the booths within. "Oh look, he's here," she guides me to a familiar man. "Mister Mason Jackson, the Prince of Pop."
"I'll run off to check on the setting, do familiarise yourselves!" Miss Dina gives us one last smile and disappears behind the blinds.
Mason Jackson.
Descendant of Micheal Jackson, known as the "prince of pop". Curly dark hair, gentle mild night eyes, strikingly tall nose, plum pink lips and of course, sexy Adam apple and husky voice.
"Grapey, how have you been doing so far?" Mason stands up and places some papers-- the script I guess, down on the wooden chair.
"I am well, thank you Mase, without you, there's really no Mel." I smile sincerely, remember that only one judge who did not "judge" me (no pun intended)? Yeah, that's him.
"Psst, listen to what you're saying, you deserved all these, Grapey, we have been through this conversation a zillion times so I say we start familiarising with the script. I quite like their services you know, provide lots of ice cream and cakes every month." Mason chuckles softly, knowing my obsession with ice cream. We had been in contact since that day when we first met and had met up a few times and became... close friends? But he had to fly off to hold his tour for his recent album.
Work, work work. And we can't really work from home, so sucks to be us. But hey, the pay is not too bad, subtracting the portion given to the company, the staff crew, to my manager, to the makeup and outfits, to the rental of the venue... at least I have enough money to cover my expenses. Actually, screw that, you know, maybe I should actually save up for retirement.
It is an advertisement, basically just us, eating their cakes and ice creams and fall in love (how the hell does that even works?!). And happily ever after. I love it, not the falling in love part. But their FOOD. THEY'RE 'MAZING AND DESERVED TEN THOUSAND KISSES.
Scratch that. I love Miss Dina too, she offers a monthly delivery of desserts to my house-- for free! Hell, this is the best deal ever.
After hurrying back from their headquarters, I gives a quick call to Karl's tutors, checking on him, before studying the script of a new movie coming up after the prelims, 2 months before the finals. Which means, I have two months to finish my scenes. My heart weights at the thought of Billboard's, fame, riches. I got 'em all.
____________
"Hey, Mel!" Odi shouts from her locker once she spots me emerging to the hallway, earning a few stares in her way. I shake my head a little and pickup my pace.
"I heard you're in for Bilboard's?" She hooks an arm over my shoulders, chuckling in glee and steers me to the next class.
"Yep, you got your info fast, haven't you?" I do one last quick check, making sure my locker was completely locked.
"I will be coming with you, I g-got an invite." She squirms a little under my intense look, Odi leans towards my ears, "I'll tell you later." She gives me once last squeeze before scrambling off to her Finance class.
"Hey, Ilocia, congrats," Alec grins, there is a spark in his dark eyes and his face flushes a glorious pink. "Be my lady for the carpet?"