Chapter 2: On the Run
Cagalli is running as fast as she could to get out of the place. Athrun was not able to follow her after being mobbed by the press. Lacus is after all a popular singer with millions of followers.
Good thing there is a nearby coffee shop around the area. She looked around first if someone followed her before entering the Café. Cagalli choose a table in the corner where she will be less noticeable. Taking her phone from her clutch, she called her close friend Miriallia "Mir! Mir! Can you hear me? Can you pick me up here? I screwed up!" panic can be heard in her voice.
"Hey Cagalli, I saw what you did on twitter. You are now trending Oh my God!" surprisingly Mir sounds happy and victorious which made her frown. "Where are you? I'll pick you up. I need firsthand information."
Once she told Mir her location, Cagalli open her twitter to check what Mir just mentioned earlier. And she confirmed it herself, she is actually trending number two next to Lacus who's the top trending topic in PLANTS.
Now that she is alone, Cagalli now realizes what she just did. But she doesn't feel regretful. In fact, she was relieved. Smile broke from her lips when she remembered how dramatic it was. She can admit, her mind was very creative when she chose to drop her wedding ring on Lacus' champagne.
Then, her phone rings. The screen registered "Athrun Zala". Cagalli immediately cancelled the call. The last thing she wants now is confrontation. She is not going home tonight and plans to stay on Mir's apartment overnight.
He keeps on calling her but she instantly cancels on the first ring. Cagalli dialed Mir's number again. "Where are you? I need to get out of here. Athrun keeps on calling me."
"I'm almost there. Come out now." Mir replied.
Cagalli immediately got up her from her seat. In front of the Café, a silver car stopped. She looked around first before taking the shotgun seat.
"Here, I brought you change clothes and a hoodie. We can't go around with you wearing that dress." She handed her a paper bag.
"You're an angel Mir. Let's go to your apartment. I will change there."
"No. We can't go to my apartment now. Athrun will definitely look for you there. I know a place. I've been wanting to go there."
Mir has a point. Athrun will knows that Mir is her bestfriend. "You're right. Let's switch off our phone for now. He will call you for sure".
"Here, switch it off for me" Mir hand her the phone. "I'll stop by that convenience store first. Beers are necessity for long overnight chat.
Mir never fails to make her laugh. "Go ahead and add potato chips too!"
Thirty minutes after, they stopped in front of what appears to be a Hostel. A prison turned into hostel to be more specific. After getting their keys, the receptionist assist them to their room.
"Hey, Mir, this is cool, indeed." Cagalli commented while looking around their room complete with steel bars and bunk beds. "I'll just do a quick shower."
After ten minutes, Cagalli went out of the shower in a hoodie and feeling refreshed.
"Come on, now tell me the details. You know, you looked really cool there." Mir hand her a freshly opened canned beer.
Cagalli drank her beer then sigh. "It was what you saw on twitter. Honestly, I still don't know what pushed me to do that. Maybe I've had enough already and realized we are just wasting our time on this marriage. Or maybe I felt insulted that his full attention tonight was only for her. Or probably my hate for them just reach its boiling point."
Mir looked at her friend whose staring blankly on the curtained steel bars of their room. "You know I can understand you action not because I am your bestfriend, but as a woman. They've been acting like a couple even though everyone knows that Athrun is very much married to you for half a year now. You know most of the comments on twitter supports you. This could be the end of Lacus' career as a singer."
"You think I did the right thing? You know they were together before I entered the picture" she asked Mir with a confused face.
Mir sip on her beer then slap her shoulder with a littler force. "Of course that was the right thing to do. It was reminding her of who you are and her place on Athrun's life. You don't have to feel guilty. Instead we should celebrate for getting back at them. I know even if you don't tell me that they are hurting you. Of course you liked Athrun ever since high school."
Cagalli finished her beer. "You know you are right, we should celebrate. Because I am getting back my freedom soon".
Mir smiled at her friend "Now you're talking. Come on, we still have to finish five cans each."
"What do you think should we do tomorrow?" Cagalli asked her friend while opening her second can of beer.
"Hmmm..do you have his credit card? Let's go shopping and put a hole in his bank account." Mir suggested.
"You know very well that we can never put a hole in his bank account. Zala Group is global. And besides, shopping is not my cup of tea. I think designer items are just a waste of money. I'm still a jeans and sneakers type."
Mir smacked her forehead "Don't be stupid. Sooner or later, you have to face Athrun. And when that happens, you need to be at your most confident. I have friends who can help us. I've been doing photoshoots with magazines and few brands. As you said, you are getting you're freedom back."
"Yeah, we can do that. My photos are currently circulating on twitter. I don't want to look ugly on my next ones."
It's been almost ten years since I wrote this fanfic. I got busy with work for the last decade. This quarantine thingy is taking me back to my old self - anime, fanfic, etc. Since I am currently working from home, I have more time to read and write fanfics. I hope I don't lose my inspiration in the coming days.