So does anyone have a guess as to who the guy in the aviator jacket is? Of course you do. Hahaha.
The Next Day…
Calla
Bam! The wind was knocked out of me as I landed on a thud onto the ground. I leapt up, landing on the balls of my feet. The sound of a crash snapped me out of my sleep. Warily, I crept to the door, opening it very slightly. Just enough for me to squeeze through. Padding down the hall of the penthouse, I neared the corner and peeked out, expecting danger. Nope. There, in the middle of sleek kitchen, stood Skylar and surprisingly Grayson, laughing, as they cleaned up a broken cup, which must have tumbled off the island and caused that noise. Their hands grazed each other as they reached for a small shard of the pale blue coffee mug. They stared at each other's eyes, gray meeting blue. Their faces neared each other, both slowly closing their eyes. My eyes widened as the realization dawned on me.
"Woah. I did not come on this tour to see my manager make out with a guy in our hotel," my voice seemed to echo throughout the large penthouse.
They both leapt away from each other, eyes wide, mouths agape. Skylar was moving her lips, but nothing seemed to escape them. I sighed, waving my hand dismissively. I headed back into "my" room, leaving them in confusion and embarrassment. Probably. Maybe they're sucking lips. I don't know. Frankly, I didn't care as long as I was no where in view of the -uh- lip sucking.
Might as well do something productive, I thought, distractedly. My mind was entirely here. That tended to happen a lot. I grasped my enormous set of suitcases. You'd be surprised how much stuff you need for a tour, especially if your manager was as obsessed with clothes as she was. I neatly packed up my clothes, besides the outfit I will be wearing today. Once I was satisfied with my work, I patted my thighs, knocking off any dust. I darted into my bathroom, somehow managing to carry my heap of clothes. I locked the door before turning on the shower to a nice steamy temperature. I stepped in immediately relaxing under its intense steamy pressure.
I scrubbed my hair with jasmine shampoo and conditioner. The soap rained down my hair before sliding down my back and into the drain. I cleansed my skin with a vanilla honey scented body soap. I let the water beat down my back, loosening the tight muscles. Touring was stressful. After a few minutes of relaxation, I stepped out, wrapping a fluffy white towel around my body. I flicked the button to stop the water flow. I dried myself off, hastily, the water trickling from my hair down a trail until it reached the bottoms of my feet. I slid out of the towel and wrapped it around my head to remove any excess water droplets. Immediately, I changed into my clothes. It was plain blue shirt that matched my eyes beautifully that had a nice sweetheart neckline. It hung loosely around my curves. I slipped into black skinny jeans that would match my black leather jacket, which yes was the jacket Percy bought me. Slipping my feet into a pair of black combat boots, I started focusing on my mess that I call hair.
Steam clung to the mirror, rising and falling depending on the changing temperature. It blurred the image, misplacing my features. I ripped the towel off my hair, trying to dry the small clumps that were still soaking wet. Finally, I grasped my brush, yanking my hair as some of the knots decided to be stubborn today. Fine! I thought, yanking even hard till they loosened. I smirked at my hair in satisfaction. With my hair free of tangles, I braided to one side of my head so it hung limply on my right shoulder. I sighed before adding a blue lily to my left ear adding some color to the dull brown. (Well, it's not dull. It's more of a chocolate brown color. Shiny, actually.)
Quickly, I brushed my teeth to extinguish that disgusting morning breath that I was always plagued with even if I didn't eat breakfast. Before exiting my room, I covered my eyes with my Ray-Ban shades that covered more than my eyes, but they were awesome! I strutted to the kitchen before hesitating. They better not be kissing in there. I held back a gag as I entered the room. Fortunately for me, they weren't sucking lips, but instead discussing my trip to the airport.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Skylar said, smiling warmly at me. I raised a brow, but decided against commenting on it.
"Morning. So… Are we ready to leave? 'Cause I would love to get some coffee at Em's before we go," my voice sounded slightly whinny, but I needed coffee! It was the only thing that kept superstars going without collapsing on stage. That would be a nightmare. I pursued my lips as I waited for an answer.
"Sure. Grayson already brought my luggage to the car for me and told the attendant at the desk that we're leaving, so let's get yours done and go." Her eyes drifted toward Grayson, the sky blue hue sparkling like stars in the night sky. She was tried to make sure it was noticeable, but it was. I would have to be blind not to see it. I almost snorted.
"Let's go, then."
Hours Later…
Calla
I stared at the ground as our private jet's landing gear lightly brushed the landing strip in New York. I smiled, excitement and dread settling deep within my stomach. The bell chimed, signaling the plane has landed and it is safe to move around. I unbuckled myself from the comfortable plush seats. Grayson, for some unknown reason –Yeah, right!-, decided to join us on the rest of our tour which ended here in Manhattan. He guided us through the airport once the jet stood still against the boarding dock. New York had the largest/nicest airport I have seen yet on this dreadful yet exciting tour.
We just exited the airport where a black limo shone brightly in the sunlight, obviously waiting for our arrival. I smiled as our driver helped us into the limo. He seemed nice, but he had a mysterious aura to him. I narrowed my eyes as I tried to place a finger on it. His black hair was rebellious as it stood up in weird angles, never feeling satisfied. His dark brown eyes seemed lifeless as he peered at us. His pale skin seemed white against his black aviator jacket.
"My name's Nico. I'll be your chauffeur for your tour here in Manhattan," his voice quaked on the word, chauffeur, as if they word seemed unfamiliar and ugly on his tongue.
I squinted at him through my dark tinted shades. I feel like I've seen him before, but how? I never met him once in my life. I shrugged as he closed the limo's door. It's nothing to exert my energy towards, but the tingle of a memory tickled my mind, encouraging me to draw it out. Every time I tried, it leapt out of my reach, but continued its encouraging and pleading. It was a never ending nightmare.
The ride to my auntie Maya was silent, except for Sky and Grayson's constant yet quiet flirting as they sat next to each in the back of the limo. I decided to sit near the front by the window that separated me from the driver. It was uncomfortable just to glance at them. Are you jealous? My brain taunted. She found love so easily, never lost a single loved one, but you lost everything. Clenching my teeth, I pushed back the overwhelming temptation to cry, let it all out. I bit my lip hard enough to trigger a signal to my brain, warning it of focus on that. My problems were my own. I didn't want to burden them.
Silence enveloped me, causing my stomach to clench uncomfortable. I was sick of the silence, so I decided to chat with the driver, Nico. It was actually interesting, learning a little about him. He liked Green Day and Linkin Park, which I enjoyed to an extent. Though he might seem creepy -Well, not creepy, but mysterious that border lined uncomfortable- in some people's opinions, I found him quite interesting once he loosened up around you. He was actually pretty cute, if you were into the dark mysterious boy thing, but he was also young. Maybe 16.
"How are you a chauffeur? I know it's none of my business, but you're very young," I tried to make my voice was gentle, not rude. I wasn't somebody who pried into other people's lives, it's just I was simply curious as to why a boy who probably just received his driver license already be a chauffeur.
He shrugged. "I don't know. A friend of mine told me about you and I guess this is one way to meet you. Sorry if it sounds creepy," his voice was very quiet as if he wanted to disappear altogether, but if you stared at him very hard, you could the shadows drifting closer to him. It caused the edges of him to disappear beneath its smoky black haze. I frowned, slightly.
"No, not at all. I'm used to people wanting to meet me, but you seem the most normal which is great in my opinion." I shrugged my shoulders, staring at him through the little window. In the rearview mirror, he gave me a weird combination of a smirk and frown.
"If only you knew."
I was resting on my real bed as I stared at the ceiling. When aunt Maya met us at the door, she seemed so surprised she clutched her heart before laughing, welcoming us in. She was a caring woman, my aunt, always thinking of others before herself. She offered Nico a cup of freshly squeezed lemonade but he kindly rejected, explaining that he had to leave for an appointment though. I waved goodbye as I watched the limo wink at me before disappearing into the horizon.
Now here I am, lying in my old bed, wishing for my life I had before becoming a superstar. I almost laughed at the thought. There was nothing to return to, well besides Maya. If it wasn't for becoming famous, I would never have met Skylar, Grayson, and even the silent mysterious Nico. It saved my life from an unending despair. If I never had become famous, I would probably be in a rotting box buried in the ground, loneliness as my only friend.
"Knock, knock." I stared up at the doorway to see Maya, leaning against it. "Since the show's tomorrow, I thought we could go to the beach like old time sakes." I smiled at her, flashing my white teeth. She smiled back, her hazel eyes brightening, revealing more gold and green speckles. She disappeared back down the hall.
After she left, I dashed into my bathroom, tearing off my clothes and throwing them onto the tiled marble floor. I slipped into my sapphire blue bikini that had white swirly designs that curved beautifully in the bikini's fabric. I adorned my feet with matching blue flip flops before throwing over a plain white flowing dress that reached my knees and slipping into my black leather jacket. I grasped my shades, placing them gently on my face. Sneaking a glance at the mirror, I checked my hair, smiling at how the hairs obediently stayed in its positions. I was ready to rock and roll.
I skipped into the kitchen to see Skylar dressed in a cream throw on dress that hung loosely on her curves. A pink bikini was visible underneath her dress while her feet had on matching flip flops and brown-tinted shades. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that constrained her wild curly hair. Grayson had on black swim trunks and a plain gray shirt that brought out his dark gray eyes, always calculating everything like the world was an unending equation. They were just heading out the door, their hands engulfing each other's. I sighed. I gazed at my Aunt Maya, who wore a light brown, almost copper, colored dress. Her brown tinted shades hid her hazel eyes. She smiled at me as we followed Sky and Grayson out.
I gasped as I noticed Nico, leaning casually against our porch. Everything from his sandals to his shades were a pitch black color that matched the shadows that seemed to encircle him. In a goth/emo way, he was H.O.T. He stared lazily at me. Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I knew they were "checking" me out. I raised a brow.
"Your aunt invited me. I'm your chauffeur, after all." A small smile danced on his lips. I smiled, playfully punching his arm on the way down.
He was cute, but again he wasn't my type. He reminded me of a brother. We walked down in mostly silence, but we chatted here and there as we made our way down to the beach. It was less than a mile away from aunt's house, which was a huge plus in my opinion. The beach was my real home. I loved how the water was constantly changing and you could never step into the same water twice. It was always different. Ever-changing.
The moment my eyes settled on the outline of the beach, I sprinted, nearly knocking people ahead of me on their butts and surprising my friends. What? This is the beach we're talking about. What do you expect my to do? The moment my feet touched the nice cooling sand –it was a little late, maybe 7 or 8, considering the sun was dipping into the horizon-, it seeped into the spaces between my toes. I breathed in the salty smell, feeling free and completely and utterly alive. I moved closer to the edge of the water before collapsing on the ground.
I watched as the sun dropped into the horizon washing out all the light. Somebody laid down next to me. I raised a brow when I noticed it was Nico. His eyes were entirely focused on the edge of the horizon.
"I didn't picture you to be a fan of the beach," I said, breaking the silence. He gazed at me, smirking.
"There is a lot you don't know about me," his voice was serious yet slightly playful, but in a friendly way. Emphasize friendly.
"Like what? Give me an example." I inched closer to him, taking of my shades so I could really see his expression. He took of his shades, too, as he sighed. Eyes are the window to the soul, my dad always told me. I bit my lip, forcing my mind away from him.
"I wish I could, but I don't know what I could tell you that's not too personal." I raised my eyebrow at his serious demeanor. His eyes slid away from mine and back to the water.
I sighed as I stared at him. I bit my lip. His eyes glanced back at me. He raised a brow, like what are you doing? I shrugged, eyeing carefully. He sighed, obviously realizing I actually want an answer.
"Fine. Um." He contemplated for awhile before continuing. "I like black," his voice and eyes were serious as he gazed at me. I bit my lip, but it didn't help. A single bit. I burst out laughing, my sides aching from the pressure. He stared at me like I was crazy.
"Gods, Nico!" I continued laughing to the point he looked uncomfortable. I decided to help him out. "I know you like black. I mean you're dressed in black and you kinda just resemble someone who likes black." Finally, it dawned on him and burst out laughing, too. His laugh was airy, soft.
"I guess that was pretty lame." As he said that, I nearly cried in laughter. He was setting himself up.
"You guess?" He shrugged before the smile rested on his features.
"Yeah it is pretty lame."
In the eyes of some people, they might think we're crazy as we laughed hysterically in the moonlight. In my eyes and probably Nico's, it was hilarious and awesome. Wiping a tear from my eye, I gaze at the beautiful ocean that churned restless. It seemed to laugh with us, but maybe that's just my imagination.
That night was perfect. It was total stress reliever as I stared at my ceiling. Nico and I laughed the entire night with the ocean until he had to go. Go where? I don't know. It wasn't my problem. I headed back when I noticed Maya, Skylar, and Grayson were already gone and already peacefully asleep in their separate rooms. I crept, silently, to my room where I collapsed on my bed, trying to will myself to sleep. But my mind was wide awake. I was playing with something on my neck when I finally noticed it was my half of the heart of the necklace Percy and I bought for each other. I hugged it to my chest.
It's been nearly six years. And I still couldn't stop thinking about him. Day and Night. He was my best friend and the brother I never had. I pushed back the tears that ached after all these years to be let loose. To stream freely down my face. I forced the desire away. Percy would hate it if he knew I was crying about him. After six years! I sighed, tossing myself onto my left side. Digging my head into the pillow, I stared at my blue wall that resembled a blackish color in the little light. I gazed at my window, seeing the moon dominate the dark sky. Stars glowed brightly, filling in the empty spaces. They smiled at me, some winking at me as they disappeared and reappeared.
If I tried my brain could sort out the constellations like pieces of a puzzle, but my mind seemed to agree with my body. Finally. I wanted sleep. I needed sleep. No. I didn't need sleep. I needed my best friend back. More than anything in the world, I needed Percy.
Dear Readers,
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love to hear your comments. If it was good, tell me. If it was bad, tell me. I take no offense, because suggestions help improve my writing. So please comment. This piece has been rewritten. If I missed anything, tell me that, too.
~Caitlyn :P