Above The Fame

T w e n t y

She read through it. There was nothing for her to edit, maybe the exaggeration of her looks in the story but nothing more. It was perfect and Miracle was genuinely impressed because he was a good writer, weaving reality with fiction so seamlessly that she almost couldn't figure out what was real and what was not.

She was in the middle of correcting the only few typos she saw when she heard a knock on her door.

"It's not locked, Leila!" She yelled from her vanity.

Leila peeked through the door after cracking it open a little, a smile resting on her face. One look at Miracle's outfit and the smile is gone, replaced with the shaking of her head in protest.

"You have to change to something better." She ordered.

"It's not like I'm going anywhere. I think a large T-Shirt will do just fine." Miracle protested.

"You do have somewhere to be and someone to be with. Change into something presentable quickly." Leila gestured to her closet with her hands.

Miracle knew she had no choice but to comply. Whoever this visitor is, it sounded important and she couldn't have possibly missed Leila's excitement.

A few outfits later, she settled on a pair of light washed, wide legged jeans and a white t-shirt. Due to the weather, she also threw on a thick plaid flannel shirt.

She was done working on the project for now, anyway. She could use a break from being by herself. She met with Leila in the kitchen and after telling her she could have picked a better outfit scornfully, Leila directed her to the parking lot.

As confused as she was, she could only obey. The walk to the parking lot was short and quiet. She couldn't really think of anything, only focusing on the pitter patter of her footsteps against the concrete floor.

"Hey!" Peré attacked her with a hug. His scent wafted into her nostrils uninvited but she liked it. It was a familiar scent now – the smell of his cologne mixed with the smell of his laundry detergent. "I missed you." He said calmly after pulling away from her.

"I'm sorry, but what are you doing in my parent's parking lot? If you wanted to hang out, we could go inside." She was still confused, trying to process it all.

"I got you something and I wanted to give it to you myself." He explained, handing her a small black box.

She opened it and it was a car key.

"I don't…" She faltered.

"I got you a Mercedes Amg C-43."

"I don't think I need a car."

"I don't think you need the extra twenty rooms in your house but you have it." He retorted, taking the key from her and walking towards the car. He unlocked it and got into it. And she followed, settling in the passenger seat.

Thinking about it, it would feel nice to have her own car, one that's registered under her name. She just needs to learn how to drive.

"The interior is tan, it contrasts nicely with the black exterior. I like it." She couldn't help but smile a little. Even though she was confused at first, she was actually feeling very grateful now.

"So, where do you want to go?"

"Nowhere known. Or fancy."

And that was how they ended up in a diner tucked at the corner of the road. It would have been easy to miss if not for the flickering sign outside the small building. Perfect. They'd get to have a meal in peace, no paparazzi.

Peré pushed the door open, guiding Miracle in and towards the table at a corner.

"Does this place work for you?" He smiled. He seemed to be smiling a lot today.