Tongue Tied
~
January 2nd, 2019
New York, New York
Day After New Years
Vera's P.O.V.
12:18 pm.
"So at the party, there were these two guys. One of them is the guy you met yesterday." Lilly began as we were watching T.V. in the living room.
I nodded my head while scrolling through my discovery page on Instantgram. My humor has been terribly destroyed by memes. I'll laugh at the smallest things the internet has to share.
There was this one meme with this youtuber. She was singing on Geni, and the way she sang had the internet explode. A lot of people made edits to the original video to make it more hilarious. It was the highlight of my week.
"Are you even listening to me, guys?" Lilly asks which catches my attention.
I gulp and decided to stay still because I wasn't listening to her.
"No," Norah mumbles after I barely shook my head at Lilly's question.
I chuckle but quickly quieted down when Lilly shot daggers at me with her eyes.
"Sorry. I was thinking about-" I paused. If I tell her I was thinking about memes instead of listening to her, then she'll be pissed. "-about my work back in Los Angeles." I grin.
She squints at me. "And you were smiling about it?"
I purse my lips before nodding. "I love work. You know that. I love working so much." I lie with a soft uncomfortable grin set on my lips.
Lilly rolls her eyes. "Okay. There's no point for me to go on. No one's even paying attention to me." She sighs as she throws her arms gently in the air.
I glance at the T.V. where we played Polar Express. Norah was really into movies, as always, but I never understood this movie ever in my life. I never got the plot behind it.
Have you seen the memes on the Polar Express though? It's hilarious. It was about that one conductor with the mustache.
Poor guy. I couldn't imagine being a train conductor, especially if the passengers were screaming little children. I don't know how he does it. I'm glad I am a fashion designer's assistant instead of being a babysitter on a train to wherever it was supposed to go.
Even being an assistant was tough. I always liked fashion, but my father never approved. His main goal was selfish, and he never cared for my dreams. It was as if he thought that since I was conceived; that it was his decision for everything in my life like I had no purpose.
Not being around him for a few years had made me confident for who and how I am. I was proud of where I was standing on my own. I've gotten rid of most of my fears, and I felt accomplished.
Sitting here on this plush sofa, gazing out the window into the big city, I wondered how will I go back to Los Angeles, now that everyone has eyes on me?
"Vera?" Lilly calls out.
I shake my head a little bit before my eyes finding Lilly's. "Yeah?"
"I called your name like five times."
I furrow my eyebrows, mumbling a 'sorry'.
She shrugs. "It's fine. I was just wondering what has work got you thinking so much? You keep losing focus like you're in another world, or something." She says as she's opening her fruit parfait she must've got from the fridge while I zoned out.
I sigh. "Not just work, I guess."
She gave me a confused expression. "What do you mean?"
"We can't go back home," I mumbled.
She hummed while eating the parfait. "Yeah, I know."
Now I was the one who gave her a confused expression. "Wait for what?"
"Well obviously. I knew the second we left LAX, we would never go back to the way we lived. You're in the spotlight now, and no one will let you out of their sight again. I mean, come on Vera, you seriously didn't know?"
I blinked. "I-I don't know. I really never thought about it. I thought we would just come back and leave again like last time. You're right. I'm sorry. I know how much you loved our lifestyle back there." I sigh.
She shrugged. "We can't keep running from our problems. This is our life. We have to suck it up for a while."
I sigh before pulling my knees up to my chest and dropping my head down. Even if we go back to Los Angeles, they would find out where we lived. "I don't want anyone to know where we used to live. I want that to stay as our own place." I mumble.
I felt her shift on the couch. "Where would we stay then? Are we going to have to get a new place or something?"
Suddenly, a light bulb turned on in my head.
~
January 5th, 2019
New York, New York
The Next Day
Vera's P.O.V.
9:26 am.
I grabbed the two coffee cups the barista placed on the counter and walked to my table where my mother was waiting for me. We were currently on the first floor in my parent's hotel, sitting at the mini café they had built a couple of months ago.
"Here's your cappuccino, mom," I say before placing her cup on the table as I take a seat across from her.
She smiles before taking a sip. "I'm really torn between something" I mumble.
"What about?"
I sigh after taking a sip of my mocha.
"So yesterday, Lilly and I talked about our living situation. . ." I start out avoiding my mother's green eyes.
"And?"
"We discussed that Los Angeles should be our place, for no one to know. And I thought about staying here in New York. Lilly will stay back there though."
I fumbled with my fingers as my mother stayed silent. It was a difficult decision to make, but I think it's good for me to stay here. I just started a career that could be easily switched to New York. I've been thinking about the pros and cons all night with Lilly.
"You sure, Vera?" My mother asks quietly as eyes outside the window began to notice us.
I took a deep breath in and letting it out before nodding. "I think it'll be good that I'll be back, and besides, it'll be difficult to go back to the way I was before. It's about time anyway."
My mother was tapping her fingers on the table.
My eyes wandered across the hotel, feeling my heart pound when I accidentally saw something, more like someone.
There he was, walking into the cafe as he hands his suit jacket to his bulky bodyguard. He was wearing a light blue striped dress shirt with black slacks. His dark black hair slicked back. Images of me pulling on it a couple of days ago had rushed through my mind instantly.
I noticed there were a few hickeys on his neck, left by me. He wore them proudly and didn't even try to hide them. On instinct, my hand unconsciously cupped my neck gently, feeling his lips on me again. I remembered I covered them with concealer this morning, but if you really focus on my neck, you can tell there's bruising there.
I closed my eyes to get rid of all the dirty thoughts swarming my head. I couldn't think about him like that at a time like this. My heart shot out of my body as he began to turn from the register after he took his order. I quickly turned my head to hide behind the booth from him. I felt my heart racing. I didn't want him to see me.
Gathering my thoughts, I glanced at my mom, seeing a tear falling onto her cheek. "Mom?"
She sniffles before wiping the tear away. "You have no idea how good it feels to have my baby back home." She smiled at me with her watery eyes.
I smiled before my own eyes became glossy. Thoughts of Ezio had left my mind.
~
January 7th, 2019
New York, New York
Two days later. . .
Vera's P.O.V.
8:49 am.
"Rise and shine, everyone!" I shout as I stepped out of my room.
I start to walk up to Norah's room since she was closest to me. I pressed my ear up against the door hearing groans. I furrow my eyebrows.
"She must have her boyfriend over," I mumble to myself as a joke.
I grab for the door handle and barge into her room immediately.
I screeched once I saw a bare butt in my view. Norah's boyfriend must've heard my loud screech to which he got startled and fell onto the floor. I quickly scramble to grab the doorknob to shut the door.
"I'm so sorry!" I shout from outside.
I heard Luca, the boyfriend, groan from the impact when he landed on the floor. "It's fine!" He replied before groaning again.
I stayed still because I was sure that he was not fine. I was feeling nauseous. I feel like I could throw up any second now. Why does my body overreact to certain situations like this?
"Babe, I hit my díck at the end of your bed." He mumbles.
My eyes widened before retreating from the door. I'm sure he will be fine. I don't know anything- "What the hell is going on this early in the morning?" Lilly mutters as she exits her room, rubbing her eyes.
I put my finger over my lips before shushing her before pointing towards Norah's room. "I walked in on them doing it," I whisper.
Lilly squints her eyes at me. "What are you? Stupid? Did you not hear them?" She whispers sarcastically before walking back a bit into her room to grab her robe.
I shamefully nodded. "In my defense, I didn't see him at all yesterday." She gave me a boring expression as she tied the knot on her robe. "But you heard them?"
I pursed my lips before Lilly rolled her eyes. "Listen, in my defense-" I began but shortly interrupted with a door being opened at the end of the hall. I turn around seeing Norah and Luca walking out with a robe. I glance down at my similar-looking robe.
Why wear only a blanket that keeps on falling off of you when you can wear a robe that's equally as comfortable as a blanket?
I awkwardly look around, trying to avoid Norah's annoyed eyes as well as Luca's sympathetic ones.
"Lilly? Breakfast?" I ask with a high pitch tone.
She pursed her lips and nodded. "Great! I'll call room service!" I gleefully say, trying to get out of this awkward situation.
Norah rolled her eyes as Lilly and Luca tried to stifle their laughs.
~
January 7th, 2019
New York, New York
About 40 minutes later. . .
Vera's P.O.V.
9:31 am.
To say the least that Norah was upset with me was an understatement. I didn't mean to interrupt her thing earlier, but it's not that big of a deal. Once our breakfast was delivered to our room, I noticed Luca trying to ease Norah a bit whenever I wasn't looking.
He was a really sweet guy. I remember when they met each other at our high school prom after Norah was dumped by her, at the time, boyfriend. Lilly and I came rushing out of the building where the dance was being held, ditching our dates before seeing Norah crying on a guy's shoulder who we later discovered it was the one and only, Luca.
I wish I had a perfect love story like theirs, even if they were on and off again for the past year.
Now we were in the dining room, eating our breakfast in silence. Lilly was going through her phone, a few chuckles escaped her lips. I glanced at Luca trying to crack up jokes to lighten Norah up. It seemed like it was working since she tried to hide a small grin at the edge of her lips.
And me, there I was, a bit sad and jealous of their chemistry. I know that their relationship had and still has many bumps and obstacles in their way, but with a love strong like theirs, they were capable of going through it all.
I heard my phone go off. I furrow my eyebrows before grabbing it.
From Alek: Hello, good morning Ms. Popular!
I roll my eyes with a smirk.
Me: Hey, loser! How's it going being grounded?
I had a small grin before seeing my breakfast in distaste. I had been sticking with my diet over the holidays and I wish I hadn't.
I had ordered guacamole spread on toasts with sunny side eggs on top. Sure, it does sound delicious. I would be excited to eat them if they weren't gluten-free and organic. I should have just gotten it regular. I don't know what I was thinking.
My eyes gazed off to the stack of pancakes Luca had ordered. The maple syrup dripping from the sides of the chocolate chip pancake. It truly felt like I was in a dream.
"Vera?" I heard. I shake my head and look up to meet Luca's eyes. "Are you okay?" He seemed to hide his grin since he had caught me drooling over his breakfast.
I nodded before eating from my toasts silently. I felt him study me as he took a bite from his heavenly looking breakfast as he talked to Norah.
"You want some, Vera?" He asked which caused me to look into his eyes. I smile. "I really shouldn't, thank you."
Please ask again. Please ask again.
He stayed quiet for a moment as Norah continued with what they were talking about. "You sure?" He tries once more. "I have a stack that can't be eaten only by me."
I give a small grin. He knew me too well. "I mean, since you're offering, why not?" He smiles knowing I was trying to be nice when I declined but gave in anyway. He grabbed his fork and knife to grab two stacks out of his four and leaned over to place on a new plate that I grabbed. "Thank you," I whisper shamelessly.
He chuckles and I spot Norah with a small grin. At least she cracked a smile in front of me. I didn't mean to interrupt her earlier if I'm being honest. I should have known. I'm such an idiot sometimes.
"Lilly, when do you think you'll go back to Los Angeles?" I asked when the question suddenly popped into my mind. She shrugs. "In these two days, maybe. Why?" She mumbles.
I pursed my lips when I saw a notification from Alek on my phone. "I was thinking to go with you, so I can get my things and bring it back here."
She pouts. "Well let me know when and I'll book the tickets." She says the last part with distaste.
Lilly hated booking things for herself and others. It really depended on her mood, but most of the time, she hates it. Sometimes when she has to book an appointment over the phone, she starts to stutter and her mind goes blank. I would laugh at her, but I'd be a hypocrite. Anyway—
"I think I have an idea," I smirk. Lilly looked at me with a confused expression. "What is it?" I only wink at her. With that, I received an eye roll from her.
• • •
she's not what you think she seems, at least not yet ;)
also, don't get how some people write a chapter or more in just one sitting. tell me how. i write whenever i get ideas and that's not all in one sitting smh.
school's been on my ass but it's okay! i'm still writing and editing. sorry that i haven't updated in a while. the reason is that school is still on my ass and is still very much exhausting, my god. on top of that, state testing and final exams are around the corner which means most of my time will be taken up by studying to pass these damn classes.
anyway, hope you liked this kind of filler chapter.
love you all and don't have a mental breakdown in public like how i usually do—
Don't forget to Vote, Comment, and Share!
- alli