4 iii

Several hours later...

"So she's the new ambassadress? I could take her out, " Kristen said flirtily, she was referring to Lea Seydoux whose currently on hold for an interview.

Andrea looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" Kristen asked with a drunken smile.

Andrea immediately stood up and about to splash the whiskey on her face. Fortunately, she did not and drank it, instead.

Kristen was awakened with such heart-stopping remark but never did predict a blow coming her way. Andrea slapped her hard and walked out after that.

The bartender coughed and nearly slipped off a wine bottle while juggling. Erika, on the other hand, sipped on her wine glass.

There was a brief silence at hand equitable to that scene but not until...

"Drinks on me!!! " Kristen shouted.

Hence, that side of the party went wild in an instant.

"... and the bartender is mine, " Kristen allegedly continued talking in a low voice.

After hearing that, Erika almost threw up " You ditched that girl for her?" she said with 'her' obviously refers to the bartender.

" I think that question is so lame," Kristen told Erika " Andrea is so not my type, with all her ... " eventually impersonated Andrea vlogging " She is so lame, dude! "

" Well, look at her," she pointed out 'the bartender' with her eyes. The subject is ably preparing a cocktail.

" She's so hot, dude!" Kristen exclaimed " She even looks so sexy just breaking off that damn cocktail ice. How is that even possible?" she added in amusement.

Erika ran his fingers through her hair. It was of resentment but Kristen didn't know that.

" But one thing's for sure, I loved her Mojito, " Kristen finally said and sipped on her wine glass.

Erika was outraged when she, not long after saying that, flirts with another woman behind her.

" You piece of shit, " Erika laughed and shrugged her head. She puffed in her cigarette and ran her fingers through her hair. This time she's least of resentment.

" Vodka please," she requested the bartender. She's been like that for an hour, preferably, after that scene with Kristen being whacked off.

The latter, on the other hand, is nowhere to be found.

" Hey, Erika! Wanna come with us? " said Tessa, she's a gay actress. Behind her are some actresses.

" I would love to but I can't," she refused politely " I'm with ..." and pointed the bartender with her eyes.

Tessa laughed. She tapped Erika's shoulder and said " Good Luck,"

She looked at the others behind. One, in specific, mouthed her the words 'She's so hard to get'. All of the rest nodded.

Erika laughed and said " That hard? Really?"

" Yes.I've been there, " said Tessa " So, you sure you're not coming?" she asked.

" Please. Good luck me, " Erika replied with a polite refusing tone.

Tessa nodded and left with the ladies.

" It's the fifth time. I must say, " the bartender said while wiping the wine glasses. She has a deep clean voice.

Erika looked around.

Obviously, the bartender is talking to her. She's the only one on the counter. Everyone else is dancing and popping on the floor, it's the after-party.

" Pardon?" she asked.

The bartender stared at her got her a bit speechless. Her charisma is oozing!

Erika laughed " I'm sorry, you heard that?" she said referring to the conversation she had with Tessa just a minute ago. She's right, it's the fifth time she denied an invitation that night.

The bartender smiled and said " I better be going, "

Erika almost jumped off the barstool after hearing that " W-where?" and asked a bit alarmed. The bartender kind of noticed that.

" It's kind of the end of my shift," she replied in a polite 'duh'.

" Oh right," Erika said and felt a bit awkward being alarmed like that.

The bartender bit her lip and leave her like that.

" Fuck! " Erika cursed. She completely wrecked every chance she had!

UPON gazing the stars that night... She could still remember as clear as the day how she first met Megan.

FLASHBACK

ERIKA's Point of View

I was sneaking on my battleground which is my grandmother's botanical garden. I am the new kid of the Louisiana Residential Area everyone was talking about.

I possess a small wooden slingshot. For a first try, I perched between a bunch of long-stemmed bright purple waxflowers, pointing the slingshot to a common target, a girl my age with a jet black hair. The ugliest girl I had ever laid my eyes on.

Where did she come from? She looks like crap.

I pulled the elastic strap and smirked for a release but it is too small for my high hopes and I didn't know that.

The small stone beggarly accelerated, it comes along with a shameful landing.

The ugly girl chortled upon my mischief. How dare she!

Another two weeks have passed, she came back and I'm ready for it.

When I saw her enter the mansion, I ran as fast as I could to meet her downstairs.

As soon as I approached her, I wear my most beautiful smile. I think that was the first time I smiled like that in my whole existence.

" Come," I said and held her hand. I pulled her as we run to the kitchen and let her sit on one of the chairs.

" What is it ? " she asked. In front of us is an exotic food I tasted a year ago and it tastes awful. It is actually a fertilized developing egg embryo that is boiled called 'balut'. Damn! Who eats an embryo?

I ordered the chef to plate it neatly just to make it savory to look at.

" Go on. Taste it," I told her and hide a grin.

She shrugged her shoulders and ate a whole. I was taken aback with that bold move. She eats like a dinosaur!

I think I'm gonna throw up.

" This is balut. It is my favorite !" she said smiling after swallowing two more. There were five of 'em on the plate and there is only one left, now " The plating was so nice I didn't recognize it at first glance," she explained.

I was shocked after hearing that. I can't believe it. I thought she was gonna throw up or something!

Damn.

It has been like that every summer.

But...

Everything changes in just one click. She met Lea.

END OF FLASHBACK

ST. AUGUST UNIVERSITY

Third Person's Point ov View

Megan poured out water into a plastic bottle she bought an hour ago. She was peeking at Lea. The latter is currently in her science class.

'They look so damn serious. For god's sake, it's the middle of the summer !' she thought.

Meg glanced at her wristwatch. It's ten minutes before lunch.

Lea, on the other hand, bit her lips to hide a smile. She can see Megan doing some weird dancing moves from afar, specifically at a water fountain. She knew she was looking at her.

' That's hilarious!' she thought.

After ten minutes, she's thankful when the bell rang for lunch. She can't afford to smile like an idiot during a serious lecture.

Megan found Lea in front of the social building.

" Hey, " she said with a lazy smile as she approaches her.

The latter pinched her side.

" Ouch! That hurts! " Megan complained.

" You idiot! Dancing weird like that !" Lea shouted.

Megan laughed.

" No one's around tho, " she said and pulled Lea, closing the spaces between them " Come here, " she soothed, feeling good with such tiny remark. She's definitely better beside her.

As they walk through the hallway, She put her hands on Lea's shoulder and took the gum from her pocket. She bit it in half, chew the first one and put the other on her girlfriend's mouth.

When she touched a bit of dribble, she showed it to Lea and licked it sexily.

Lea felt astonished.

" You fucking idiot ! " she exclaimed afterward.

In the middle of their sweet facade, a loud thunderous bang roared throughout the scene. That sudden mayhem jumps Lea off her feet.

" What the hell was that ?" she gasped and looked around. There were few people around but everybody seems to be innocent. All of 'em were awestruck.

" It looks like someone must have badly slammed the poor stainless trash bin," said Megan. She smirked and pulled Lea out of there.

GRIFFIN punched the wall with all her might. She badly wants that picture out of her head... that sweet facade.

She ran her fingers through her hair in animosity.

" You can't keep looking like a mad ape every time, " Alexandria said nonchalantly while checking her clean and perfect square-cut fingernails.

Griffin stared at her in bloodshot eyes.

" Get out, " she snapped in a low enraged tone.

Alexandria shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the scene.

MEGAN dealt the cards for the last round. It's poker.

" Losing the game has rightful consequences, " she declared.

Lea furrowed her right brow, she's eating a lollipop.

Megan smirked. It's 9-9, a tie.

Lea laughed as soon as she laid down her cards.

" Damn. It has nothing but pairs! " she exclaimed.

" You have Pair of 5? Unfortunately, I have 6, tho, " said Megan as she lay her cards.

" What the hell! " Lea guffawed in astonishment " You're so good at this ! " she exclaimed and fixed the cards, afterward.

Megan glanced at her wristwatch. Two more hours before her shift and one more for Lea's Chase&Hearts photoshoot.

" So, are you ready for the punishment?" she asked and took a bottle. The one from the water fountain.

Lea nodded.

She sat and opened the bottle.

" So you have to do this and say 'ahh' " she explained and held the bottle in front of her, apparently, below her mouth.

" Yeah," Leah responded in suspicion " Give me that," she said and took the bottle.

She did what Megan told her. She put it in front of her and before she could say 'ahh' ... Megan squeezed it, unforeseen.

The water spread all over her face, thereafter.

Megan, the witch, laughed her heart out!