Chapter 8. Pretense

Chapter 8. Pretense

It wasn't everyday that I got to save someone famous. It wasn't everyday that she asked me out for dinner. Uno didn't really count, did she? I've sort of known her all my life because of mom. As Carter said, it was like having an honorary sister. Bianca in the meantime was a stranger to me. It was surreal to have her by my side.

"Hold that thought," Bianca said. She took her phone from her pocket and answered a call. I didn't hear it ring. "I got out," she said in a relieved tone to the person on the other line. "Someone helped me." She nodded to herself. "Yes I'm safe. You did a good job." 

I looked the other way while she continued to talk on the phone. Bianca was as famous as Uno. Maybe a teensy bit more. If there was one thing that I knew she had that Uno didn't, she has always won the popularity contest. Her fans easily outnumbered Uno's, solely because she had a squeaky clean image and was known to have tons of charities under her name. There was a rumor that she donated one of her kidney's. How could Uno top that? How could anyone?

Bianca looked disappointed when she tucked her phone back in her pocket. "That's my manager," she said. "I was supposed to do a guesting for tonight's show. Word got out and somehow some of my fans broke inside the building. My manager let me escape in the main lobby." She fiddled with her hands. "He will pick me up soon. I'm really sorry to cancel the dinner like this."

Oh. So that's what was causing the sad face. I put on a bright smile. "It's not a big deal. I mean, we're both busy and all."

"You are?"

I thought about Uno, sitting alone in her room. Maybe it would be best if I didn't mention her to Bianca, and vice versa. Not until our situation was more stable, and I was officially Uno's manager. If there could be something more official than our signatures on a piece of paper.

"Yes. I'm a college student," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. If I were to work for Uno, I should learn to keep my cool around celebrities. "You know how college is. Full of activities. I'm Riri by the way."

"Bianca. But you probably knew that." An SUV stopped dangerously close to the bushes where we were hiding. Bianca stood gladly from our hiding place. "That's my manager," she said. "I instructed him where to go." She smiled apologetically. "I really need to get out of here before people see me. Thanks again." There was nothing more to be done except for a subtle nod as she bolted to the SUV and waved goodbye.

I stood on the same spot for a minute after their sudden departure. Thinking that I should go home, and Carter was worried about me, I shakily moved from behind the bushes. My foot landed on something uneven. I managed to steady myself before I fell. "What's this?" I murmured as I leaned down. I inspected the brown colored pill bottle. Bianca must have dropped her medicine. I tucked it in my pocket. If we did run into each other one of these days, I'd give it back to her.

"You'd never believe who I met," I said to Carter when we were safely in the truck, on our way back to the boba shop.

"Who?" He was only mildly interested.

"Are you ready to know? Okay get this, it's Bianca. The Hollywood celebrity Bianca. I helped her escape the mob." I saw my smiling reflection in the side mirror. Mom would have done the same thing. 

"You're right. I don't believe you." 

"Oh really?" I tickled his side. 

"I'm driving," he said grumpily.

"You're jealous because I saw her and you didn't." I poked his ear. "Admit it. Admit it Carter."

"Man, I hate it when you're like this." He sounded exasperated. "Okay, I admit that I'm jealous, but only because you forced me. Now tell me everything in detail." I saw his smile when he glanced out the window. 

In my haste to go back home, I've forgotten to do the grocery. I collapsed on the bed and woke up the next morning. The sunlight pierced through my bedroom's glass wall as I jumped to the floor and prepared for the day. I didn't like lingering in bed. My routine in this household was comprised of waking up and cleaning after myself, cooking, delivering the food to Uno's room, eating alone, thinking of ways to make money, cook, eat, repeat. It wasn't the plan today. Like it or not, Uno would have to leave her bedroom. I'd force her until she said yes. 

"Good morning," Uno greeted when I entered the kitchen. She was seated by the island, a carton of milk in front of her. I was so stunned by the sudden development that I paused to stare at her. "Don't look at me like that," she said. "What's for breakfast?"

I went to the cabinet to grab a pan. What's with her? "Are you done with your self-journey?" I asked.

"I'm on a leave. And might I add, you're looking happy to see me."

I placed the pan on the stove. "Someone is full of herself," I said. 

"And someone is in denial. Just for that, I think I'll extend the leave."

I turned to look at her. She smirked at me before sipping directly from her carton. "I thought you don't drink milk, only coffee?" I asked. 

"Are you kidding? Coffee sucks. I'd take milk anytime," she said. 

I frowned as I left her to go to the pantry. I grabbed the ingredients I needed, thinking to myself that Uno was being irrational again. When I came back to the kitchen, she was grabbing another carton from the fridge. "I forgot to ask if you've already spoken to Doctor Sanders. She was insistent to see you." I lined the pancake mix that I've placed in a plastic container among the other ingredients on the counter.

Uno shut the fridge and went back to her seat. "Yeah, I've spoken to her."

My curiosity got the better of me. "What did she want to talk about?" I made it sound like I wasn't interested at all, but the topic has been nagging at me for days. So were the other questions I had. I couldn't just blurt it in the open could I? She'd know that I was snooping.

"Academic stuff," she said, as if it was no big deal. "Are you doing anything for tonight?"

"I don't know. I'll check my schedule first." She raised an eyebrow at me. "If you must know," I said, placing a hand on my waist. "Cooking for you is not an easy thing. So is collecting the fallen leaves outside. I haven't even started cleaning the house yet. It's so big that sometimes I wonder if you're keeping a secret room."

It was meant to be a joke, but I didn't miss the gleam in her eye. She pushed herself off the seat and walked steadily to me. "Be careful with your words Riri. For all you know, you might be living with a serial killer." Uno leaned close and whispered, "One wrong word might set me off." We stared at each other without breaking eye contact. "GAAAAAAAH!" she screamed. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find and flung it to her. Pancake mix puffed in the air. We both coughed.

She fanned around her face, trying to rid us from the white cloud. "You're savage!" she said. "I was kidding. You shouldn't be so serious all the time." 

I fanned using my hands while she tried to catch her breath. "What could I do? It's your fault for surprising me." We waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, I saw white powder on her cheek. I took a paper towel from the counter, wet it with water, and wiped Uno's cheek with it. She stilled while I rid her face from the mix.

"You're always this jumpy?" she asked.

"Who wouldn't be if they're living in a big confined house like this?" I stepped back when I was done to look at her. Uno wasn't wearing any makeup, but she still looked like she was ready for a pictorial anytime.

"You think I'm pretty right?" she asked out of the blue.

I clicked my tongue. "You sound sure of yourself."

She narrowed the space between us. There it was again, her appealing rain scent. It sent a pleasing electric sensation all over my body. Weird. "I'm stating a fact," she said. "For example, it's an absolute certainty that I find you beautiful too." The electric sensation ignited into flames, causing the temperature in the kitchen to turn up. "But you do realize that physical beauty is not all there is to it right?"

I blinked at her. She was too close for comfort. "Huh?"

Uno turned her back to me. "I'm saying that if we're talking about the totally of beauty, you surpass me in every way."

"You lost me," I said. "Why are we talking about this? One minute you're asking me about my schedule. The next you're scaring me. And now you're giving a lecture about beauty." I seized her arm. "You don't make sense."

She glanced at me over her shoulder. "Sometimes pretty things are only good to look at. Sometimes they're not meant to be pried and prodded, because if you do, you'll be surprised at how ugly they are. Do you get what I'm saying?"

There was an undertone in her voice that I understood as clear as day. She was asking me to back off from making jokes like the one I said about secret rooms. "Yes I get it," I said a little too fast. Did she somehow know that I knew?

"Great then." She swung around with a huge smile, like this was all a game to her. There was no trace of malice in her eyes or threat in her face. She was simply happy. Maybe she didn't really know. Maybe she was scaring me again. I relaxed. "I was asking you about the schedule because we've been invited to an event for tonight," she informed. 

"We're both invited?"

"Technically, it's just me," she said. "But the invitation said to bring a date."

I pointed to myself. "I'm your date? Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"No. Do you?"

My face burned. I haven't been asked such a question before. Mom and Carter, the two people who counted most in my life knew that I was forever single. "Err. . . No."

Uno had an amused glimmer in her eyes. "Hmm. . . I take that no one has caught your fancy then." She looked me up and down. "Because any person interested with women will have a hard time refusing you." She touched her chin thoughtfully. "I think it's your decision not to be in a relationship. Am I right?"

I thought about it and shrugged. "Guess I'm not in such a hurry like people my age. And I have to arrange my life. I mean look at me. I don't even know what's going to happen." I glanced downward. "Mom will haunt me in my sleep if I think about those things this early."

"I agree. Manager will not like it," she said. Uno stepped next to me and draped her arm over my shoulder. It was strange standing beside her like that. I've only known of mom and Carter's friendly touch. Hers was unfamiliar but comforting. "I've decided," she said. "I need to be your girlfriend while you're still single."

I jerked my head to face her. "That makes zero sense." And why did it suddenly feel like butterflies multiplied in my stomach?

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "You're my manager. I'm your girlfriend. If someone courts you, and believe me, there are a lot of douche in Hollywood that will try, just to steal your v-card, you can point to me and say you're my girl. That way, Manager Chance will not haunt both of us."

I wrinkled my nose. "Why would she haunt you when I'm the one being courted?"

"Because you're young and naive. As your guardian, I should be protecting you. Manager Chance is counting on that."

"Young and naive," I mumbled under my breath. "Speaking of age, I'm seventeen. You're not allowed to be my girlfriend."

"Age doesn't matter baby." She winked. 

"Ha-ha," I said with a roll of my eyes. "Your plan to tease me is not working." I removed her arm from me. "And why don't you have a boyfriend yourself? I'm sure people would kill to be seen with you."

She hopped on the counter. "I'm not interested in those things. Relationships would be too much of a bother for people like me. Maybe someday you'll understand." Her stomach growled. "About that breakfast."

I didn't push on the subject. "Okay, okay I'm cooking."