CHAPTER FOURTEEN- I AM... GOING TO BE ON TV!

Flashback 

In Angerine's church,

Lokoja, Kogi,

Nigeria.

Sunday, February 13.

Sam and Uyo could be seen laughing over a joke on their way to Self-Control class when they noticed that one of them hadn't joined in thier laugher. Turning back, they were suprided to see Angie lost in thoughts, her eyes glued to the guest list as she sluggishily shuffled towards them like a zombie in.

"Angel, what's up?" Sam asked, throwing his arms over her shoulders, trapping Angeline inbetween them. 

"Yeah, what's with the Aristotle face?" teased Uyo, on her other side.

"Em, have you guys ever heard of a Long Arthur Baidi? I don't know why but the name rings a bell!"

"You bet it should! " Uyo exclaimed, excitement written all over her face as she brought out her tablet.

"Mr. Long is one of the most successful Asian-American businessmen in the world. As a busy multi-billionare, he's not only the Executive of his family's global enterprise, The Longolomaretes aka The Den, but also the patriarch in thier family's reality TV show, Living the Long Life, popularly known as, LLL!" Sam lectured as Uyo controlled the visual presentation with a slideshow on her tablet.

"Hot Gossip has it that all the members of the League Of Legends are all his grandchildren. Just look at these hotties!" Uyo squealed, shoving the picture of five handsome k-pop artists in her tablet in poor Angel's face.

Angel couldn't deny their musical prowness as she had heard most of their songs but her bright face soon fell in dissappointment when Uyo began to analyze the pieces of each accessory all the band member wore. Put together, it was worth billions of dollars.

"Urgh, okay" Angle hissed, the end of Uyo's explanations.

"Stop pretending you hate them, Angel" Uyo scolded. "I Know you've sang some of their songs before!" 

"I'm not pretending to hate them! It's just that...." 

"That what?!" Uyo demanded. "Why do you always go bitter when you see how rich pople spend do you thier money..."

"I'll go wait on the kids!" Angeline interuptted, ignoring the half-question.

"You know what? Forget it!" Uyo scoffed.

"I'll see you later?" 

"Whatever!" Uyo said, with an eye roll, dragging Sam away. 

"I don't hate them!" Angeline protested softly, after waiting for them to leave before bringing out a tiny cutout picture of the five demigods with the letters LOL etched on the left button corner. 

"It's not a crime to be moderate and anti-ostentatious so why is Uyo going overboard? I admit that they are handsome but what's the use of falling in love with people who don't even know I exist... the banes of wealth!" she added in spite, her eyes getting teary and red.

 ***

San Diego International Airport,

San Diego, California,

USA.

Tuesday, February 15

4:19 PM 

Angeline 

"C'mon, Angie!" Ari squealed in excitement as she dragged me down the stairs, oblivious of the roaring crowd and flashing lights.

"How can she be so carefree when millions of eyes are on her?" I thought.

"Don't worry nanny! I'm already used to this and you will too!" she reassured me, as though she had just read my mind. 

Creepy! 

But to be honest, I was quite taken aback by the vast number of people who had turned up at the airport to welcome the Longs back. Even the barricades put in place looked as though it would break any second now. Good thing, there were bodyguards, looking smart in their crisp white suits and dark shades, had formed a human shield around the baricades of the red carpet and the entorage at the end waiting for us. 

The entorage comprised of three black limos with white dragon emblems on their doors and hoods, with a few people waiting for us outside the cars. 

Amongst the people waiting for us was well dressed lably posing like a model for the cameras. She looked stunning with her dark long hair and brown short gown. My throat went dry as she caught my gaze and set a wink at me. 

Luckily, the flashes of light brought me back to earth and I was able to catch myself in time before I began to drool. I then become more self-concious when we past some crazy reporters who kept hurling questions upon questions at me without giving me the chance to answer them. They were like:

"Miss, who are you and why are you holding Robin and Cleo?"

"Can you tell us your name, miss?"

"Are the rumous true about you being the newest cast in LLL?" 

"Is it true you begged Cleo to get you the job you have today?"

The last question slapped me hard in the face but just as I had paused in my tracks to snap at him, Ben and Ari recognized the lady that was waiting for us. 

"Akiara!" they squealed, releasing me as they ran so hug her. 

I smiled jelously at them but thankfully no one noticed because at that moment Mr. Long had just stepped out of the jet, with his two handsome grandsons behind him, causing the crowd to go wild. From the cheers, it was obvious that two-thirds of the crowd's population were die-hard female fans of LOLs. They were like:

"Marry me, Damien!"

"Oppa, I love you!" 

"Oppa Dorian!"

"Are those bangs for me, Dorian?!"

"Kiss me, Damien!"

"One night with me, Dorian!" 

"I love you, Oppa, Dorian!"

I scoffed as Mr. Long's baby-faced grandson blew a kiss to the girl who had just said that and all the other girls around her fainted along with her.

"Serously, do they have to be that shallow?" I scoffed. 

Judging from the eye rolling and resvolted look on the lce Prince's face, I was glad he felt the same way. I quickly diverted gaze when he turned to look at me, continuing my walk towards the kids. My heart melted at their cuteness as the lady cuddled them. Mama has always complained about the way some parents allow thier children to call them by thier first names. I vividly remember how she'd ranted on how disrespectful it was. From the looks of things, I guess Great Father approves of it but that's one thing I'd not want to try!

"Oh, Angie!" Ari gasped, pulling out of the hug. "Akiara, I'd like you to meet my new nanny, Angie. Angie meer Akiara!"

"Good evening, Ma'am." I greeted, curtsying, but I was really taken aback when she suddenly hugged me causing the crowd, which I had torally forgetten to cheer.

"Oh, don't call me that, we're pratically age-mates. I'd prefer you'd call me by my English name, Kris." she said, on releasing me.

"Ok, Kris."

"I'm glad to finally meet you in person." she said, her eyes misting with gratitude. "Thank you!"

"What for?!"

"I know you may understand how I feel because Heaven knows I lack words to express how grateful I am for you saving my baby brother!"

"I-It's nothing really. I know they would've done the same for me." I blushed, not because I was shy of Akiara's public display as gratitude but out of embarrassment due to my honest mistake.

I mean.. If you'd take a good look at her you too would think that she's way too old to be in my age grade.

"Ben has told me so much about you I feel like I've known you forever..." she twittered, faster than a weaver bird, as we waited for Great Father and his grandsons to reach were we were standing.

"Okay?!" I gulped nervously I didn't know how else to reply her.

"Slow down, Akiara!" Great Father chuckled, on noticing how nervous I was. "You are scarring over guest."

"Grandpa, we all know that she was a weaver bird in her past life so..."

"No, I wasn't!" Akiara snapped, pouting cutely while Great Father gently placed his hand on the small of my back, taking me aside to meet a few reporters silenty waitng for us. From the looks of things, I guess they might be Great Father Long's Private Media so I felt less nervous than I had been all day eventhough his hand was still on the small of my back. 

"Hello, everyone" he began, as the camera began to roll. "I'll start by thanking the people of San Diego for showing how much they love us by coming out in thier masses to welcome us back...though we all all know we all know whom they are really here for!"

"I just want to let you all know," he continued, when the laughter stopped "that my buisness in Africa went well and the fundraiser was a huge success though there were many hiccups and a kidnap attempt on us.

Great Father Long paused again as the crowd close to the reporters gasped in horror. 

"Plus, I also wish to address the rumours going on about a new cast on LLL, because they are true!" he confirmed, causing the crowd to squawk in excitement.

"Taking the role as my grandchildren's nanny, I present to you all the latest addition to my family, Angelline!"

"But y'all should call her Angie!" Ari chipped in, as she popped out of no where beside me.

This caused me to chuckle as I gave a polite wave to crowd more confident than before. After all, I am going to be on TV so I got to look good. I joined Ari in posing for some photographers when Great Father began to herd us to the limos.

"See to it that they reach home safely!" he ordered our driver before turning to leave.

"Won't your brothers use our car since we are all going home!" I asked, pointing to the car Damien and Dorian had just entered which was now speeding out of the airport, because of the mad fans that were already trying to run after them.

"Who? Them? Nah, they got a photoshoot. We'll meet them at home later if they can make it to dinner." explained Akira, as we entered the limo which soon sped out of the airport. 

Throughout the ride, I just stared out the window, drinking in the seaside sceneries while Akiara chatted with Ben and Ari. 

"Urgh, when will this torture end!" Blaise groaned within me, complaining of Akira's loud voice. 

"You just have to endure it, B. I'm suffering too!" I replied, in my mind as I put on my earpiece but it did little to block Akiara's voice.

"I'd rather be flushed down the toilet by your sister again than to stay one more second with this parrot mouth." It ranted, so cutely, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter at the thought of Akiara with a large parrot beak for a mouth.

"Angie, how's the death of my friend funny?" Akiara snapped, her eyes already red and teary.

"What?" 

"Looks like someone's in trouble!" Blaise snickered.

What's the colour of Dorian's problem?

What do you think of Akiara?