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「 chapter | nineteen 」
❛❛ how did we get here ❞
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"MANY FANS OF THE SAITO family— more specifically Arsyn Saito, have found out one of her biggest secrets. According to some fans who only got a glimpse of the posts, allegedly say she is a viral porn star. That's right folks, a pornstar. How does Elian Arquette feel about that? Three weeks ago, it was said that she posted another video, but uploaded a photo of her face along with it—" I shut the television off before she can say more.
"Really, Arsyn?" My father asks, with disappointment written all over his face. I would have accepted his anger, but disappointment? Sheesh. It's almost as if he didn't meet my mother in a strip club.
"Don't do that, dad. I'm an adult, I can do whatever I please."
"Yes, you can do as you please. But how could you let this get out to the public? I'm not mad that you're doing what you want to do, you're 19 years old, you're growing up. There is absolutely nothing I can do about that. But I can stop you from ruining your life." He sighs, and my heart cracks a little. "I'm going to call the news agency and have your face and name taken down from this scandal in the tabloids. Not many people know about it yet, and we'll make sure it stays like that until you're ready to tell the world you're a pornstar." And with that, he walks away.
My lip trembles as I fight to hold back my tears. There's nothing worse than your parents feeling disappointed in you when you could have done something to stop it. Maybe this is my karma for doing something so illicit when your parents are known all over the world.
I look at my mother who has a look of sympathy on her face, she opens her arms wide for me and I rush into them, hugging her tightly.
"It's okay, widē. You're an adult, and you chose to do something you wanted to do. I can't be mad at you for that." She pulls my head back, cupping my face in between her hands to wipe the tears from my cheeks.
"Did I ever tell you why I became a stripper?" She suddenly asks.
"Because you were struggling to make ends meet after your parents cut you off?"
"Well, yes. But also because I wanted to. I could've joined the family business like my parents wanted. But I didn't. I practiced pole dancing my whole life in secret before I was on the big stage and my parents found out."
"But then they changed their minds, sad about me not being in their lives so they accepted me. And I juggled my place at the company and being a stripper. And I met your father that way, so I don't regret a thing."
"Didn't people look at you weirdly?"
"Of course they did, but what were they going to say that I haven't already heard. Whore, slut, abomination? I was still making more money than they were at 18 years old. ሰዎች ምን እንደሚያስቡ ግድ አልነበረኝም።"
[ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: ɪ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ]
"I love you, sēti liji." She places a kiss on the side of my head. [ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ]
"And I you, inati." [mom]
"By the way, how is that gorgeous boyfriend of yours doing?"
"Not great, we haven't spoken in three weeks. The night I accidentally uploaded, he walked in, checked his phone then ran back out."
My mother's face shifts into a wary look. "You don't think—"
"That he knows about Syn, yes." Fuck, I literally feel my heart plummet to the ground, because if he knows about Syn then he knows about my interactions with Incognito.
But we weren't really together, so it shouldn't matter right?
I decided to stay at my parent's house for a couple more hours, not having the energy to leave. Right as I'm about to grab my food from the microwave, the doorbell rings.
I quickly take my food out of the microwave, grabbing a fork and taking a big bite of my sweet and sour chicken and shrimp fried rice. The bell rings again and I groan. "Alright, I'm coming."
I swing the door open, expecting it to be someone delivering a package, needing a signature. But who I see has my mouth dropping open in shock. My heart thumps in my chest and I'm standing there frozen. "Are you going to let me in, or keep gaping at me like a fish? I don't particularly mind." Right as I'm snapped out of my reverie, I jump into his arms, hugging him with everything I have.
"I've missed you so much, Syn." He whispers into my hair and I nod against his chest.
"I've missed you too, Rhys." I pull away from him, my mind still in shock.
"What are you doing here, I thought you were staying in England until your fourth round of chemo was—" I start but then my mind goes blank. "Are you here to say goodbye? Is that what this is? Are you dying? Because if you are, I swear—"
"No, I'm not dying Dimples." The nickname he used when were kids has still stuck.
"If you're not dying, then why are you here?"
"I beat cancer, Dimples." A wide smile bursts on my face as I jump back into his arms.
"I knew you would."
"Wait, how did you know I'd be here?"
"I didn't know that you'd be here. I didn't know your address so I just came to your parents' to see if they could help me out."
"So you left your home in England, just to tell me you beat cancer?" He nods once. Still sympathetic as ever. I've committed every single detail about Rhys Quispe to mind. His golden brown skin, his light green almond-shaped eyes, and most of all, the dimples that sit on both sides of his cheeks. Originally from the Zamalek District of Egypt, he moved to Manchester during primary school and moved to New Jersey before year 7 started. We were friends all throughout middle school before he moved back to England our Sophomore year of high school.
We would speak every now and then, but not as much as we wanted to because he was undergoing chemotherapy.
The one detail I forgot to mention though, was that we weren't just friends. We dated from 7th grade to 10th, mutually deciding to end it because we couldn't do long distance.
"So how long will you be here?" There's always a catch with these things.
"I'm only here for a week, then I'm heading to my apartment I rented near NYU. I knew you still lived somewhere near Woodbridge, so I took my chances. Speaking of University, why aren't you there?"
"I'm taking a gap year." The real reason is because I honestly didn't want to at first, but in order for me to take over the family business I'll have to continue there soon enough. I already have the right credentials, but not on paper.
"As long as you know what you want to do later on, you're not getting any younger."
"We're literally the same age."
"I'm older than you by 4 months," I roll my eyes at that, a small smile pulling at my lips.
"Go out with me tomorrow." He says and the smile is wiped clean off my face.
"Rhys, I—"
"As friends."
"Okay," I whisper, hoping I won't regret this.
You guys better not hate on my bby Rhys😮💨.
anyway, good afternoon/evening everyone. i hope your day is going as splendid as mine is. <33
- christelle