Chapter 37: Ten Things I Hate About Shrews, Part 6

"So there. I've now divulged four out of the ten things I hate about Juan Miguel Juvama. Now if you'll excuse me… I'll now focus on my application for Georgia State."

I reply, "Yeah. You have more things to prioritize over that creep. You also have a future, right? You won't let yourself get robbed of that future, and we three will prevent you from getting yourself robbed, too."

Lavian just says a simple "thank you" before Leigh and Aurora pat her shoulders and accompany her back to her unit.

And yes, while she's concentrating on her education, we'll concentrate on our music, because that's what we're good at.

***

I am Alexa Holmes.

Twenty-two years of age, and a native of Coquitlam.

I am mostly Caucasian, with a hint of First Nations ancestry.

My parents are both movie buffs, and they usually take me to the movies on weekends.

And if there's a movie they've missed, they waste no time tracking it down on DVD, Blu-ray, or on streaming sites, and watch it along with me in our living room's home theater setup.

Being exposed to cinema at an early age, I would be enamored with the performances the actors and actresses gave.

And thus, my path would be set.

I wanted to break into acting, and I wanted to enter Hollywood.

But there was a blur in my life, and I never realized how that would affect the current me… and the career path I was walking in.

I was six years old when my not-so-alcoholic dad (he just drinks whenever he is invited to parties) and my mom brought me to a family-friendly bar with them after school upon an invitation from a former classmate of theirs.

They explained to me that there were no movies worth watching that week, and they wanted to break the monotony, so they brought me there.

Due to the nature of the occasion, they dressed me up to the nines, and I looked so pretty.

Prettier than I ever was.

Dad and mom asked me to dance with them, but I didn't really want to dance. I even told them, "I'm only here for the awesome food."

They just shrugged their shoulders, got up and went to the dance floor to dance… or what others perceived as dancing.

While they were dancing, I quickly went to the buffet, grabbed a plate, and picked everything from what it had to offer, never minding how bloated my tummy would end up being in the end.

I still remembered where dad and mom were sitting, so I returned there, and started munching on everything on the plate.

I remembered that the spot where I resided was dimly lit.

No sooner did a shady-looking drunkard from a nearby table was watching me with a creepy kind of admiration.

My parents taught me to be wary of strangers, especially if their movements were suspicious.

And thus, I continued eating and eating until there was nothing left on the plate.

The drunkard then decided to approach me, and said with his breath that still reeked of alcohol…

"Hey cutie, wanna dance? Come with me."

He was gesturing me like someone would do to their pet dog.

He had a bottle of beer on his left hand and was also offering it to me.

I was already taught of the dangers of underage drinking.

And in no way would a six-year-old me drink something that doesn't suit my tastes.

And I remembered feeling extremely afraid, grasping the chair and holding onto it for dear life.

Then a blank.

When I came to, I was outside and in my mother's arms and there were lots of shouting.

My dad was incredibly furious, and the word police was being said here and there.

Up to this day, I didn't remember what happened in that gaping blank.

Ever since then, I wanted to know what was exactly that gaping blank.

And for years, that tortured my very soul.

Until one otherwise uneventful weekday evening back in grade 12.

I accidentally watched something on my dad's phone, as he quickly responded to an urgent repair and had to leave his phone on the couch pronto.

It was a video of an office lady being touched inappropriately by a man who is at least ten years older than her.

And then it hit me.

What happened on that day, that "gaping blank"…

...was that the drunkard touched me.

And it felt quite good.

Since then, I finally had an awakening.

But that awakening had to be hidden deep inside, for I would know fully of the consequences if ever it was exposed.

Picking a course for college was so easy.

I opted for a bachelor's degree in drama.

Thing went generally smoothly, and I even graduated summa cum laude.

One small mistake, however, would send me into a downward spiral.

A help wanted ad stated that I would become a lead actress in a then-upcoming romantic comedy film that would be entirely shot in Hollywood.

The offer included a free apartment unit, provided that I would move to California permanently.

It was an offer I would not refuse.

Little did I know that I would be trapped in a web of deceit.

Sure, I would land in California as stated in the ad, but I didn't land in Hollywood.

Instead, I landed in San Fernando Valley, the so-called "Porn Valley" where pornographic films were being produced.

Part of me was surprised at how I fell for that deceitful job offer, but the other part told me I should roll with it.

It was, presumably, due to that "awakening" I had inside me.

For the next eight months, I would star in roles where I acted as the office lady being seduced or seducing male colleagues.

And due to my acting degree, they paid me $2000 for the copulating scenes alone. Non-copulating scenes would earn me half of that, due to how the producers and directors were impressed at my acting prowess.