(2 months later)
The 'Western ExecuTrain University' is a three-story horseshoe-shaped structure that encloses a large courtyard. In front, there are two medium-sized trees on either side of a sidewalk that leads up to the building's entrance. This university is one of the most prestigious in New York, and admission was not easy. But, thanks to Mathew, Scarlet's father, I was able to enroll here. A few students were milling about outside the building, with laughter and chatter filling the air.
“Are you ready?” Scarlet inquired, bouncing on her heels beside me in delight. With a smile on my lips, I looked at my best friend.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Daddy inquired. I was hiding behind daddy's leg, overwhelmed by a large number of students my age. Some were crying, unable to leave their parents' side, while others appeared unconcerned. Scarlet's father was attempting to cheer up the crying Scarlet. To say I was nervous about our first day of preschool would be an understatement.
“Daddy, I don't want to go,” I said, looking up at him with saddened eyes.
He sat on his knees and rested his hands on my shoulders. “Don't be concerned. I guarantee you'll enjoy this location. Give it a shot, sweetie. So, what did I say-"
“The secret to success is to never give up,” we said in unison.
“That’s my girl” he kissed my forehead. “Besides Scarlet will be with you the whole time. So you won’t be alone. Always be there for each other okay?”
Scarlet has been my best friend since I was a child. Her parents and mine were good friends, so we were naturally linked. We did everything together, and our friends and family in Worcester dubbed us the "two musketeers." Scarlet's father got a better job in New York when we were fourteen. Even though we were heartbroken that we couldn't see each other anymore, we continued to call each other on weekends and shared everything that had happened in our lives.
I can't deny that Scarlet was one of the reasons I came to New York. After my parents, she is the only person to whom I am particularly close.
“I'm nervous,” I told her, lightly chuckling. She hugged me and promised to be with me today as she didn't have any classes. Scarlet began her class last semester, and it was during that time that she met her boyfriend Andrew.
***
"Hey, Kitten!" someone called out from behind me. I rolled my eyes and shut my locker before turning around to face Andrew. My class ended five minutes ago, and I was packing up my belongings.
““What are you looking for?” I inquired, irritated. I was highly skeptical of him from the start. Andrew is a flirt, and he flirts with anyone who has a breast. I tried to warn Scarlet, but she's completely smitten with him. When Scarlet wasn't around, he even tried to seduce me. I was disgusted with him from that day forward. I can feel him undressing me with his eyes whenever he looks at me.
“I will drop you at home” he offered.
“No thank you. I’m heading to my workplace”
“Oh, then I will drop you there. I can't let my girlfriend's best friend take a cab when I'm available,” he smirked.
“I’ll manage. After all, don't you have class in half an hour?” I inquired, recalling his schedule that Scarlet had shown me this morning.
“Half an hour is plenty of time, kitten,” he said, throwing his arm around my shoulder. I shrugged his hand away from my shoulder and stepped away.
“As I said, I'll manage,” I said as I walked away from him with a tight-lipped smile. I despise the way he talks and don't even get me started on the nickname he calls me when Scar isn't around. I swear he'll get himself into trouble one day. I'm just hoping he doesn't drag me along for the ride.
********
Evenings at 'Petit Monde,' the cafe where I work, are always busy, but today was especially stressful because one of the employees was on leave and I had to manage his table as well. I was already tired and my feet were aching from the high heels. I didn't like the heels that were part of the uniform here, but I can't exactly complain to my boss about it, can I?
“May I take your order?” I asked, holding my pen and notebook.
“A plate of waffles for this little princess here” a lady ordered. I smiled at her cute daughter who looks around 4 or 5 years old.
“Is that all, ma’am?” I asked.
“Oh, can you please give me a glass of wine right now?”
“Sure,” I replied, returning to the kitchen to fill a glass of red wine before going back to the table. However, on the way, a mischievous boy stuck his leg out, causing me to stumble on my heels. The wine in the glass I was carrying spilled out, and I let out a small screech.
In horror, I looked up to see a young man glaring at me, red wine spilled all over his expensive-looking suit. His tablemates, who were all dressed similarly in expensive suits and watches, had a horrified expression on their faces. Uh-Oh! He got out of his chair and, man, he's tall. I can barely reach his chest, which is terrifying in and of itself.
“Watch where you are going” the young man spat out, his fist clenched.
“I’m so sorry sir, I’ll clean up the shirt for you” I apologized quickly. People around us started staring at our little commotion and I wasn’t comfortable with the attention.
“Call your manager” he gritted out.
“But sir, I can-”
“I don't want to speak with you. “Call your manager,” he said loudly, and I took a step back, a little intimidated by his authoritative tone. My gaze falls to the floor, and I nod, my hands trembling slightly.
I waited near the corner, nervously biting my nails, while my manager spoke with that man. I'm still not sure why he's making such a big deal about it. I apologized several times to him and even offered to clean his shirt. It's not as if I did it on purpose. But he isn't even willing to listen to me. What a jerk.
After ten minutes, my manager returned back. “So?” I asked, crossing my fingers tightly.
“I’m sorry, you’re fired,” he said and my mouth opened in shock. F-Fired?
“What-Why?” I spluttered out still in shock. Just because I spilled wine on him, accidentally mind that, I’m fired?
“He precisely asked me to fire you for your substandard behavior”
“It was a mistake. I apologized to him”
“I did my best to convince him. But…” he shrugged his shoulder.
“Please don’t fire me. I will be extra careful next time” I begged. It wasn’t easy to get a job in New York and when I got it, I’m fired? Fate must really hate me.
“He is a regular customer with a lot of clouts. I don't want to jeopardize my business because of you if he finds out I disobeyed him. He's not very good in these matters,” my manager said.
“B-But, please-”
“Please leave. I’ll settle your salary right now” he said and left. I let out a sigh in disbelief.
My perplexity quickly turned to rage as I received pity looks from my coworkers. I was fuming with rage by the time I changed back into my regular clothes. I couldn't believe that man had gotten me fired. What the hell is going on?
I went up to that young man, who was still enraged after my payment was settled. As soon as I got close to him, he looked up at me. Anyway, I got fired, so I might as well give him a piece of my mind.
“Thank you so much for getting me fired. I really appreciate it” I said to him sarcastically. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“You deserve it. Your silly mistakes can ruin this restaurant’s reputation” he said shrugging his shoulders.
“Deserve?” I said in astonishment. “Listen here asshole, I said it was an accident. But it appears that your thick-headed brain does not comprehend.”
“Mind your language miss,” he said, a vein on his temple bulging out.
“You are an asshole,” I said, and I did something I would later regret. I snatched a bowl of pasta from his table and threw it on his head. Everyone was staring at me in horror, and that man had his eyes closed and his fist clenched. I dashed out of the restaurant before he could do anything to me.
I kept running, and it wasn't until I was a good distance away from the restaurant that I slowed down and began laughing. Is that what I did? When the hell did I become so ferocious? I couldn't believe I'd done it. It was an unfamiliar action for me, but it made me happy.
***
“Oh my god” Scarlet started laughing so hard as soon as I finished telling today’s incident.
“Oh, I wish I was there to see that,” she said, still laughing.
“I kinda feel bad for him,” I said, chuckling.
“Well, he deserved it. You lost your job because of him,” she said, huffing. I nodded my head, agreeing with her.
“Now put your worries aside and eat your food. I see you haven't eaten anything since getting home from work.” She said this as she handed me a plate of scrambled eggs and toasted bread. My stomach grumbled, and I dug in with a toothy grin.
(Two days later)
“Karrie,” I heard the distant voice of Scarlet from afar which made me turn around. I waited for her to catch up before walking towards the last class we have for the day.
“Did you hear about the club party that Queen Bee is hosting tonight?” She asked me while catching her breath.
“You mean Queen Bee as in Melissa? Yeah, I did, what about that?” I asked her having a slight idea of where this conversation was heading.
“Aren’t you coming?” She asked me with expectations evident in her eyes.
“Umm... No, I guess I'll pass.” I replied with little interest.
“But why? Aren’t you interested in coming? I know you haven't been to a club before. So this is the chance, Karrie.” I made a face that clearly showed my reluctance.
“Look, I know what you’re afraid of but I promise you it won't happen. You're safe, trust me,” she said with determination in her eyes.
“But-”
“You’re coming. Period” she said before leaving me dumbfounded in the middle of the hallway.
Huh? What have I gotten myself into now?
As I stand in the middle of the Cielo club, the red and green lights blind my eyes. The knee-length dress that is hugging my body and that I put on after much deliberation appears to be nothing compared to the revealing dresses that the other girls are wearing tonight here.This is a relief to me because I was hoping that my attire (chosen against my wishes by my so-called best friend) wouldn't draw the attention of the male audience because, to be honest, I'm not looking forward to kicking someone's balls because they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. I'm not a fan of fancy clubs and partying. I've never attended one. I wasn't aware of many clubs in Worcester, and to be honest, I wasn't interested in that type of social activity. Furthermore, I've heard and seen enough news about all the girls who are drugged and used in these types of activities to keep me completely away from it. Scarlet reassured me that it only happens to 20% of the girls and that in
The wind whipped against my face as I ran into the cold. I shivered, but not once did I slow down. I don’t know where I was running with my belongings, but it was somewhere that is new to me. After walking for an hour, my legs started to ache so I sat on a bench on a sidewalk,bringing my knees up into my chest. Scarlet's face paled as soon as she saw me leaving and begged me to stay. But I didn't listen and walked out of the apartment with a stone face. Pride is something I inherited from my father. And my pride wouldn't let me stay any longer, knowing that my only friend had trust issues with me. As soon as I stepped out of her apartment, I was overcome with feelings of helplessness and fear, but as I previously stated, my pride drove me to walk in the streets with my belongings at this hour of the night. Scarlet is so enamored with her boyfriend that she believes everyone else is wrong. She's a very vulnerable girl, and everyone uses this to the
Today's surroundings appear to be quite peaceful and warm, so instead of taking the bus or traveling with Scarlet to university, I decided to walk. I appreciated having this time to prepare for my presentation. Within minutes, the weather changed, and the blue cloud turned dark grey, and raindrops began to fall. "Great," I grumbled to myself as I gazed up at the grey cloudy sky. When I didn't have to walk around in it, I enjoyed the rain. I drew my hoodie over my head and began running. "If only I had brought an umbrella, I would have enjoyed this," I grumbled as I rounded the corner. I looked up at the shops that lined the streets and the people who were either seeking shelter or simply enjoying the rain. My clothes were adhering to my body like a second skin, which irritated me. I dashed to a small bus stop just a few feet away. I stood beneath the awning and placed the bag beside me before squeezing the water from my hair. I
"Hello," Scarlet said, nervously fidgeting in front of my table. I was eating my vegetable sandwich at a round wooden table under a large maple tree. "Hey," I said quietly. I didn't want to show any emotion in response to her presence, so I kept my face expressionless. “May I sit here?” she inquired cautiously. Before returning to my sandwich, I nodded. She took the bench across from mine. “How are you doing?” “Had seen better days,” I said casually, and she nodded, guilty-looking. “Are you still upset with me?” she asked softly, and I sighed deeply. “I'm not angry, Scar; I'm just disappointed.” I leaned forward and clicked my tongue. "Do you honestly believe I'll do that to you? That I'll cheat on you, and with that jerk?” “I know you won't,” she said, shaking her head. "I'm not sure what hit me that day. Maybe it was the alcohol,” she exhaled deeply, shaking her head, “I know that's not a good reason, but please accept my apo
Karolia's POV “Hey,” someone said in my ear from behind me, and I shrieked as fear ran through my body and I turned around. “Scarlet!” I unintentionally pushed her face away from mine, which was very close to mine. “I didn't mean to scare you,” she quickly admitted, her eyes widening and her hands raised in surrender. To calm my racing heart, I took deep breaths. “Anyway...” she began, her face breaking into a smile, immediately changing the subject. “I have a surprise for you,” she exclaimed, her blonde hair dangling from its usual ponytail. My brows twitched in bemusement as she took two tickets from her bag and handed them to me. “I got UFC tickets!” she exclaimed, bouncing on her heels. “UFC?” “Underground fight club,” she squealed again, and I looked at her blankly. “Ithink you're crazy” “Nope,” she replied, popping the letter p, which irritated me. “What makes yo
Logan drove around the corner into the familiar picturesque and sophisticated neighborhood. “Logan,” I said, sitting up straight and resting my hands on his shoulders. The heavy rain has stopped and it is now just drizzling. “Please take me to Scarlet's apartment,” I requested. He ignored me and drove down the streets until we arrived at the gate leading to Watson Mansion. I shook his shoulders in frustration because he was ignoring me. He grumbled, "Couldn't you have told me when we were on the main road?" He entered the gate passcode, and the massive gate slowly opened to reveal the stone path. “It slipped my mind,” I admitted, feeling guilty. I was so engrossed in the ride that I completely forgot about it. “I told Grecia I was going to spend the night at a friend's house, and she will be suspicious if she sees me for breakfast,” I said quickly. “Then don't leave the room until mom leaves,” he said impassively as he parked the Ducati in the opulent
"If you take more than two minutes to finish that small burger, I'll leave you here and be on my way." Logan's arms were crossed as he glared. "It's not my fault you ate the food as soon as it arrived," I mumbled as I cut a small piece from the burger and placed it in my mouth. I raised an eyebrow when he gave me a strange look. What! We can also eat a burger like this. "Lord," he said as he threw his napkin on the table and stood up, taking his keys and phone with him. "What are you doing?!?" "Enjoy your leisurely time here," he said sarcastically. "I've got work to do," he said as he walked away. After taking one more bite, I huffed and stood up, sprinting to catch up with him. "Such a jerk," I mumbled as I wiped my fingers with tissue paper. "Heard that," he said as I walked alongside him, and I rolled my eyes. As if Icare! "Karrie!" When I heard someone yell my name, I turned around in disbelief. Scarlet waved from af
WARNING: There are a few thoughts on the idea of cutting. So read it at your own risk. Sorry :) "Kill you, kill you, kill you," the green-eyed man yelled into my ear repeatedly. I tried to cover my ears with my hands, but I couldn't move them. They were all tied to a pole above my head. I tried to scream, but there was no sound coming out of my mouth. I tried to move my legs but couldn't feel them move. I tried everything, but my body was numb and unresponsive. I'm feeling helpless. The green-eyed man scowled at me and drew a knife from behind. The knife's silver color glistened in the bright moonlight, its sharp edges sending shivers up and down my spine. He raised his hand to the sky before stabbing me in the chest. But I didn't feel any discomfort. I didn't have any feelings. It was as if souls had been reversed. My mother was the one who was tied to the pole instead of me. She screamed as he pierced her chest with th