Eva Hunt
Eva's long fingers glided swiftly across the keys as she typed, completely immersed in the new story she was writing. She had a tendency to do that. To fully loose herself in the story, that she often stayed for hours in front of her decrepit laptop, which was quite outdated.
But she didn't care.
It was the only item of hers that held much value and more so, it allowed her to escape the reality of life, even for a moment.
She loved how the internet gave her a chance to be a completely new person. Online, she lived a different life altogether. She could forget all her troubles and pains, and that was probably the only thing that kept her going right now. To know that there were people out there who cared about her as a person asking things like how her day was.
Granted they didn't know who she really was as she kept her full name a secret, but the amount of people who read her work was rewarding enough.
Undoubtedly, if her followers did know the real her and how utterly poignant her life has been, they would have judged her right away. And she planned on keeping her identity a secret for as long as she could, no matter how selfish her reasons were.
The distinct smell of alcohol invaded her senses, bringing her out of her element.
She grudgingly looked up to see her roommate, Gemma, staring at her through red rimmed eyes and a mischievous smile on her face.
Eva closed the lid of her laptop and knew that she couldn't write anymore even if she tried. She didn't like to be disturbed whilst she was writing and knowing her, she couldn't keep an eye on her toxicated roommate if she immersed herself into obliviousness anymore.
She let out a long sigh, tugging her loose ponytail tighter. "What do you want, Gemma?" Her voice was hoarse. Most likely from the lack of use as she had spent most of her day on her trusty laptop.
Gemma gave her an uneasy smile as she shifted on her other foot, trying to keep her balance.
"Was gonna ask if you have some money I can borrow love?" she drawled on the word love and Eva cringed a bit from the word. She hated endearments. "I'm a bit short and I have to pay some ... deliveries."
Eva's eyes filled with rage. She wasn't naive. She knew all the things Gemma got up to but couldn't persuade her enough to stop it. She hated how her flatmate would always glide into her room, asking for money when she worked so damn hard for it.
"I don't have anymore money to lend you, sorry," she lied.
Gemma scoffed and looked down at her fingernails. Like inspecting them was far more important than talking to Eva; like she didn't want to talk to her at all. "And what do you have to spend it on? You spend all your life cooped up in this room and in front of the rotten computer of yours."
"My money," She hissed. "Is spent on paying for the house rent and other bills which you don't give a damn about. If it weren't for me," she pointed at her chest. "we would be both on the streets right now. And all you care is that god forsaken boyfriend of yours who get you to do things you know is wrong."
"I--" Suddenly, there was a glimpse of her real self as she processed Eve's words . Gemma's head was bowed down in shame. "I can't stop. I want to... but I can't. I'm too far gone."
"I thought I told you to stop, Gemma." She said softly, knowing that deep down, Gemma knew better.
Her friends eyes lightened at her concern. "I can't. You know I can't." Her voice was filled with emotion as she grew weak.
"Leave him." Eva was talking about Gemma's good-for-nothing boyfriend. She hated how he had her wrapped around his finger and that Gemma was too much of an idiot to notice at how she was being manipulated.
This was exactly how her mum was like. Too caught up in a world of love and lust that she failed to notice anyone other than her bastard of a boyfriend. She achieved in neglecting to fullfil her role as a mother to her daughter though.
Eva hands clenched as she thought about her mum. Not matter what her mother done to her, she couldn't find it in herself to hate her.
"Who are you to tell me what to do." Gemma seethed at her, her hard exterior back up. Things turned around a 180 as quick as a flash. "Like your mother is any better."
Eva flinched, expecting the comment but still it had affected her.
The doorbell rang before she could reply, probably the best for both of them.
She walked to door, straightening out her ruffled clothes. She tried to regain her composure and not show how much that last statement about her mum had affected her.
Opening the door, she saw a tall, muscular guy standing in front of her. She tried to hide any evidence of fear beneath her eyes. She lived in a particularly rough area and knew that these kind of guys were satisfied on fear. "Yes? Can I help you?" It didn't hurt to be polite.
"Are you Eva Hunt?" The man said in a guttural voice.
She was confused. How did the man know her name? "Why are you asking?" She asked, and was gradually closing the door.
"That information is only for Eva Hunt. Do you know where she is?"
Her heart rate sped up. "I don't know who she is. If you'll excuse me," She made a move to close the door.
"Miss Hunt? I'm Simon Cowell." Eva's head turned in his direction quickly, "I would like to make a proposition with you, if you may let us inside."
"I'm sorry." Eva's eyes were wide. "I know you're talking but all my brain seems to process is that you're Simon Cowell.
Simon let out an earnest laugh. "Pretty and funny. The boys will love you."
"Boys? What boys?"
"Aah. And that is what I came to talk to you about. If we may continue this inside?"
Eva shook her head to get out from her daze. She still couldn't believe that Simon Cowell, a man of vast wealth, was standing upon her modest home. If it could even be called a home that is. "Of course." She stood aside as she let them in. Along with the frightening man from earlier.
She bit her lip as Simon looked around, judgement in his eyes. She knew he was already forming a conclusion unto what type of life she lived. "So about that proposition..."
"Oh of course. Where do I start... you are the famous writer from Wattpad, yes?" He enquired.
Eva's mouth felt slack. How did these men know about her?
Simon laughed, and as if reading her thought's he answered, "Two words, my dear. Contacts and money. The two can get you anywhere in life. Anywhere."
She already didn't like the tone of his voice and wondered where this conversation was heading. Simon sounded like the typical megalomaniac millionaire who was probably itching to get out of her flat.
"You do know about all this... drama, associated with One Direction right?"
Eva nodded her head. And it wasn't good news. The band were acquainted to reports of drug abuse, alcoholic problems and other things that celebrities usually did but being One Direction, they get more publicised than the rest.
Simon acknowledged her nod and continued on, "The management and I have decided to take action on this. And you are what we have decided on, dear."
"I still don't get it."
The business man sighed as if impatient with a kid. Well she probably was a kid in his eyes.
"Due to your internet fame, you can influence other fans such as yourself to like them again. To portray them as the good people that they are and contradict these awful reports the media are giving the public."
The girl pursed her lips. "So you want me to lie to them?"
Eva didn't believe the media anyway and who was she to judge them. But Simon was basically telling her to portray the boys in a different light and she couldn't do that.
"That's the thing Miss Hunt." Simon calmly stated. She envied how composed he seemed to be when she, on the other hand, was barely holding back herself. "The boys aren't like that. I know them personally and I can't bare to watch them go down."
"I don't think I can..."
Eva began to process this information before Simon's next statement riled her up; "How much?"
Eva stepped back in shock from this. "Excuse me?"
"It is clear that you are in need of some finance help." He waved his hand around, clearly referring go her flat. He smiled at her, as if he thought she wanted what he was saying.
"You-you" Eva's mind was reeling with anger as she took on what Simon was telling her.
"Just state how much and I'll help you if you help me." he continued.
"You egotistical man!" She burst out, stepping in front and practically pushing them to the door. "I suggest you take you and your beefy sidekick out of this house before I do something I'll regret late on. You've done nothing but cause problems for me and if you and the management could stop being so stupid and realise there's more to the problem than paying some desperate girl to help you, then maybe the band won't be falling down as it is."
"Please Miss Hunt. I apologise for any misunderstanding--"
Eva cut him off. "There's more to running the band than making them perfect in front of the publics eyes, Mr Cowell. They're humans aswell, they were never perfect in the first place."
"Please-"
She began to close the door. "Perhaps you could start with knowing that."
p.s I have nothing against Simon and the management, sorry for making them seem this way
simon cow-ell- I feel like a right idiot for spelling it wrong haha thank you to those who pointed it out!