Horoscope
Summary: So not fair, my horoscope says today is a good day. Now, explain to me why am I forced to go to a horribly diverse college? And the worse, the owner of that school is the guy I shamelessly flirted with. Oh, and he recognizes me.
--
CREDIT CARD IS DECLINED.
"Oh hell no! This is probably a horrendous mistake," I couldn't believe this, I really couldn't. In my eighteen years of living, this was the first time my credit card had been declined. First time.
I regained my composure from the shock. I politely smiled at the saleslady and said, "Can you try again?"
She slid again my VISA card and looked at me after, "Sorry, ma'am, it really isn't working."
"Okay," I breathed in and breathed out. This was first, embarrassing, and second, really frustrating. "Can you hold all of these for me? I promise I'm going to be back here in no time."
"I apologize but we can't hold anything," the saleslady said, but I was desperate. "It's first come, first serve."
"Please, please, please," I tried to beg. As desperate as I was now, I continued, "I'll double your salary for the whole week, just hold these for me."
"Um," the saleslady was hesitant but still agreed.
"Thank you so much," I couldn't thank her enough. "I'll be back within an hour at the max."
--
I stepped outside the store and entered the ladies' room. I must done two things – first was to retouch my make up; second, and most importantly, call daddy.
I took out my foundation and concealer from my makeup bag – mind you, it was CHANEL, looking as fresh as ever was one of the most important girl's goals. I retouched my makeup and feel a little better after retouching.
Now, to call daddy.
He answered his phone within 3 rings, as expected to a business man. Businessmen answered their phone really fast.
"Sweetheart?"
"You owe me big," I said. He better got the hint. "I don't need explanations; I just need my credit card back."
"No way," was his mean response. My world had crushed; did he just say no to his only daughter? Again, only child. This was the saddest day in my life.
"Why not?" I answered him, I was low-key mad. "Why are you making me so miserable, huh?"
"Simple, because you ditched your engagement party," he had something more to say. "For the third time."
"Dad, that guy's breath is horrible; trust me," I argued; I was not even lying when I said that he'd got a bad breath. "Do you want me to die soon? Do you even know that I don't breathe at all whenever he talks?"
"That's terrible indeed," he stated. A little more push and I'd be able to get my credit card back. "However, are you saying the truth?"
"Absolutely, daddy," I said. Convincing my father was as easy as breathing. "Your princess will never dare to lie at you. Never, daddy."
"Alright then," mission accomplished. "Go back to that store and be surprised."
Then he hung up the phone. What did he mean 'be surprised'? What I loved about my father was he loved surprises and although I always embarrassed him by ditching the guys I was supposed to marry – he'd never got tired of me.
--
I went inside the LOUIS VUITTON store that I was in earlier and the manager of the store had approached me. "Ms. Yamanaka Ino?"
I smiled. "Totally."
"Please follow me," I did as what she said. But I was really wondering why. Was I in trouble because she found out that I told one of the salesladies that I was going to double her salary this week if she'd hold my stuff?
Oh my God.
My dad was the best dad, I swear he was. In front of me, there were several boxes and shopping bags that were labeled LOUIS VUITTON or LV, and they were all filled in with the latest LV products this season.
"Your dad said he's sorry that he cancelled your VISA card," the manager said. Well, my dad was forgiven. "The ones you wanted are all in the boxes – ready to go; and everything is paid. All you have to do is call your driver and ask him to help you to carry all these."
"Thank you," I grinned at the manager. And then she walked away from me. I walked towards the saleslady I asked to hold all the things I wanted to buy.
"Hey," I smiled at the polite saleslady. "This is for you."
I gave her a check with signature and then she looked at me in disbelief, "Ma'am, what's this for?"
"For holding all my stuff."
"But I didn't really hold them."
"Then I guess it's a tip," I smiled at her. "Cause you were really nice."
"But this costs like my salary for the whole month."
"I have to go."
My driver picked up all the stuff my dad bought for me and we headed on the car.
--
"Oh what the…?" I said after I stepped out of car – just tell me why was I in a college when I just graduated like… a week ago? Wasn't supposed to be summer?
"Your father wants you here," the driver said while putting down all the stuff that I bought in LV boutique – and oh yes, like other girls, I'm into bags and shoes. "He said that all your things are already in your dorm."
"Wa-Wait," I was starting to get pretty frustrated. "But I just started my vacation, didn't I?"
"I have to go, ma'am," he said. "Just talk to your father."
Without hesitation, he hopped in the car and just drove off, leaving me behind sad and miserable. I pulled out my phone and tried to reach daddy, but he wouldn't answer.
I looked around and I felt the feeling that I had to compliment the campus – it was a beautiful campus alright. The style of the campus didn't look like Harvard's or Yale's but still… it didn't look medieval, definitely not, more on Mediterranean with the touch of some modernism.
I walked into the building that said 'ADMISSION OFFICE', not like I actually had a choice, and went directly to ATTENDANCE OFFICE to register and confirm what was up.
--
I smiled. Having a good composure, I smiled at the lady who approached me, "I assume you're Yamanaka Ino?"
"Of course," I replied, "that's me. I think you know why I'm here."
"Oh, absolutely," she scanned some files and gave me some papers. "Please bring these, and you're all set. Just go to your dorm."
"But I have to know why I'm here first before I go to my dorm," I questioned her. I hated this, why was I involved here in the first place? I never asked for this. "I hope my dad told you why he enrolled me here before I go to my dorm."
Oh heck no, did she just roll her eyes on me?
"Obviously, you're here to study all you need to know in business," I didn't like her tone, trust me, I really didn't. "And your dad enrolled you here to be one of the most influential business people in the world in the future. Really, to be here, you should have figured that out by yourself."
"Thank you," I faked a smile, and she sure did know it was because after that, she just turned her back on me and worked on something else.
--
This freaking campus confuses me. I'm not an observant, but I kind of noticed that each subject has always two buildings – one looks better than the other.
It took me the whole hour to figure out where in heck my dorm was, I just couldn't find it in Satan's name. Luckily as I was like my horoscope told me, there was this one guy who told me where the building was located – and luckily again, the guy was pretty hot.
I was starting to think that my dad didn't really put me into a bad situation when I saw my dorm (it was actually a suite or a penthouse) until I learned that the walk in closet in my room wasn't big enough to fit in all my stuff.
And then there was an obnoxious announcement:
ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN ENRICH DEPARTMENT, PLEASE GO TO THE ENRICH CLASSES' GRAND BALL ROOM FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY. PLEASE BE THERE IMMIDIATELY.
Enrich? The heck? Screw the ceremony, I needed my beauty sleep.
--
Whoa, I never expected that I'd sleep for two hours. I heard loathsome knocks on my door – I promise, I don't remember doing anything wrong!
I opened the door.
A familiar face revealed in front of me; I just couldn't remember when I saw this guy but he definitely was in the back of my mind.
"I was being nice ever since I entered this campus," I raised my right hand, and then he arched his brow on me. "I wasn't trying to be a bitch; it was just that the girl in the Attendance Office was… I'd rather not say but if I offended anybody I apologize deeply."
"I didn't come here because of that," he uttered blankly. "I came here to know what your reasonable excuses were for skipping the Opening Ceremony."
"Oh, shit," I was pretty shocked that I had to go and I didn't even know. "Was I supposed to go?"
"Yes."
"You see, my reasonable excuse is I completely didn't know about that because I just arrived here," I tried to be as nice as I could. "Oh I got another excuse; I didn't know I am in Enrich Department. Am I bailed out?"
"Yamanaka Ino," he called my name. "You better learn to be much more responsible."
Was he asking for a war? Did he just tell me I was irresponsible? See, if I were irresponsible I would have been pregnant by now. It wasn't like I was that flattered that a pretty hot guy like he was knew my name, really it was nothing like that. But this guy was trying to be an ass to me.
"Um, sorry?" I didn't know if I was supposed to say that after he technically told me that I was irresponsible.
"Apologizing is never enough in this campus," he stated coldly. Oh, he became more serious when he said that. It was as if that he evolved from handsome face to an annoying nasty old man. "You need to be punished."
"Punished?" I was shocked. Was he freaking serious? Speaking of punishment, it made me remember the incident earlier when daddy cancelled my credit card – and it was definitely an unappealing experience. I looked at him and said, "I know you're pretty hot but no. I will take no punishment."
"I wasn't making you choose," he said, his expression was serious. "Your punishment will be held in the library."
Library? That was not a good joke. Of all the places I'd gone, library had to be the last place I wanted to go to. Come on! I felt that I wanted to faint to see all those books in the shelves – I hated books or reading, screw the people who invented them.
"Just kick me out," I sighed and crossed my arms on my chest. "Library? You serious? You see I'm blond, right? I hope you get the point, I hate books."
"Students can't be kicked out in this campus," he looked at me heavily, like he wanted to threaten me. And I could have sworn that I wanted to call the police – his glares, I didn't know how to describe them but they were scary. "Either or both parents signed a contract that you will be here until you graduate from this school."
I was speechless. This school was a joke and I couldn't believe that these shitty rules existed. This was a totalitarian school, and I would definitely not want to be here – I would have to call daddy and tell him to cancel the contract. Immediately.
My horoscope was total bull; I was supposed to have a good day today, it said that, "Today you're notoriously generous -- and notoriously uncomfortable on the other side of the fence. So even if you really need help, before you can bring yourself to ask, you always end up doing battle with that nagging inner voice that tells you to buck up and handle it yourself. Someone you've helped in the past will come to you now, however, offering -- no, insisting that you accept -- their help. Don't be humble or modest or anything else. Just say thank you. It's your turn."
Today you're notoriously generous -- and notoriously uncomfortable on the other side of the fence.
This part was true. I gave the saleslady a tip for being nice and I was a bit uncomfortable because I was afraid that her boss would fire her if she'd found out.
So even if you really need help, before you can bring yourself to ask, you always end up doing battle with that nagging inner voice that tells you to buck up and handle it yourself.
Definitely so not true! I needed my daddy's help, and would still need it.
Someone you've helped in the past will come to you now, however, offering -- no, insisting that you accept -- their help.
I don't remember this happening, really.
Don't be humble or modest or anything else. Just say thank you. It's your turn.
Don't worry, I wasn't. I was not humble or modest when I was in the ATTENDANCE OFFICE. The bitch lady right there got some from me.
I really did need to call daddy.