"Please, today might be Sunday but we have to eat our lunch in the staff cafeteria. I need to take a walk around with you too," Jessie whined from the door of the bathroom.
"Why do we need to take a walk together?" Lexi could not help but ask her old friend who she knew nothing about. She saw the lady in some of her videos and they were close.
"I graduated from this school so I know this place better than you do," Jessie boasted as she followed Lexi out of the bathroom.
Lexi paused and turned; she was shocked by that announcement. "How old are you?"
"I am five years older than you."
Lexi narrowed her eyes and looked away trying not to fall into the woman's trap. "I don't believe you."
Lexi could not understand why she laughed mockingly but when she realized, she wore a straight face and walk to the closet. She noticed Jessie had changed her clothes and she looked casual in a short flay floral print gown.
She also chose a nice dress from the closet and wore it while Jessie left the room to do whatever. "I forgot to give you this."
She took the black suitcase she had not seen earlier from Jessie wearing a questioning look. "What is in it?"
"It is not a bomb so don't worry," Jessie joked.
Lexi froze and looked at the suitcase seriously. It could be a bomb. She returned it to Jessie.
"Are you serious now?" Jessie asked with a tired sigh. "Your vlogging stuff is packed in there."
"I will not do any of these for now." Lexi gave a smooth calm answer as she took the suitcase.
"Really? So, this was not a prank?"
". . ." Lexi felt it was not necessary to give her an answer as her question sounded like Jessi would not believe anything she say as far as it was different from her expected answer.
"Lunchtime!" Jessie shouted staring at her wristwatch.
They walked out of the elevator together. The school looked emptier compared to the pictures she has seen of it.
She had once considered attending the university but she was not sure if she could get the required marks. She glanced at Jessi who said she graduated from this university.
She would have to be chosen by the school among many outstanding students who passed their examination and she was back with a job in the school.
Lunch was eaten by two young ladies alone in a large staff cafeteria. Alas, they were the only people who came to the cafeteria. As a matter of act, Lexi was pleased by that.
"Good afternoon, ladies," a male voice asked when Lexi and Jessie got back to the staff apartment.
A cool gentleman was standing behind them with a cute small dog sitting beside his feet. It was as though he had been there the whole time when they passed that spot.
Lexi could not help but furrow her brow when she looked into the man's black eyes. It was like looking into a deep bottomless hole.
"You must be Miss MacCann Lexi," the man greeted her with a gentle wave.
She swallowed. how did he know her name?
"You are scaring her," Jessie said jokingly. "This is my cousin Jeff," Jessie introduced. "He helped you get the job," she added in a low whisper.
The man smiled when Jessie said that although she knew Jessie said it low enough for her alone to hear.
"Oh, nice to meet you, and thanks for your help," Lexi told him with a tight smile although she wanted to make it as bright and sincere as it could be.
The man shook his head with a small wave. "You did it on your own. The boss was impressed by your cv. I only chipped in a short narration of how active and smart you are."
Lexi shook her head in confusion what in the cv of a model was fit for a dean's assistant? They were all getting weirder and weirder.
The cute white dog beside his leg barked as though telling them to notice him.
She moved her gaze to the cute creature and she wanted to verbally appreciate him for reminding them that she had to go.
"That is a cute dog. I will leave you two cousins to talk," Lexi told them. She did not give them the chance to respond before hurrying toward the apartment building.
She could feel their gaze like pins on her back but she did not turn until she got into the building. She looked back and she could see them still staring at her.
She swallowed and hurried towards the elevator. They were talking to each other but they still had their gaze on her. They must be talking about her, right?
She picked up "her" phone and went to find herself on social media. At this rate, she will have to learn to live with this identity as it brought her closer to her target.
It was all confusing and crazy but she had only one goal at this moment and she was willing to blend into any scene to get it.
*******
"My cousin was being nice earlier," Jessie told her when they were eating dinner.
She had locked herself up in the room and refused to open the door until Jessie came knocking quietly to announce that dinner was ready.
She was watching her videos and she had to say she was everything anyone with the dreams she had as a teenager would want.
She went through the phone. She actually had more than a couple of million subscribers to her channel and twice that on other social media.
She had to call herself a celebrity.
"You should apologize to him tomorrow," Jessie told her firmly. She raised her head to meet her gaze and Jessie shook her head helplessly. "Could you please apologize to him tomorrow? You were rude earlier."
"I had to use the toilet should I have told him?" she grumbled as she stabbed the bowl of salad angrily.
Jessie rolled her eyes and continued eating. "Just apologize, please. You are so nice to your fans, you should know that my cousin is a big fan of yours."
"What does he do?" she asked curious about the gentleman she saw earlier. He was gentle yet, almost soulless.
"Now you are thinking of dating him, right?" Jessie snickered with a wriggle of her eyebrow.
Lexi sighed and continued eating her dinner. Jessi was just like an elder sister teasing her sister.
"No," she was forced to answer when Jessi began laughing over what she had no idea about. "Why are you laughing?" she asked when she saw Jessie's laughter continued ceaselessly.