Perfect Disguise

part two

"No"

This is the fifth time I rejected him and still, he continued to bribe me with words, which were actually somewhat flattering, but it didn't worth much since the only thing I needed was to have someone to do this goddamn quest. However, my oh-so-lovely uncle decided to throw me under the bus because he thought that I was the perfect actress. Sure, I used to go to acting school before chaos happened, but that shouldn't classify me as the "perfect actress".

"What do you think of Los Angeles?"

Slightly caught off guard, I squinted my eyes, pushing my glasses up and looked for the source of sound and not-so-surprising, it was Arthur. But the last time I recalled, he was complimenting me while also criticizing my hair, because it was "too brown". I guess he preferred switching subjects faster than my grade 8 science teacher switching between sections of the book.

"LA is amazing. I wish that I can move there someday"

"Would you like to live there?"

"Sure, if I get to"

He just slightly nodded to himself and got of the room before I had a chance to ask what was on his mind. But Arthur was a man of surprise. He could show up in front of my flat at 2:27 AM and asked if he could get some pancake mix for his "late supper". That happened 2 months ago and ever since, whenever I decided to go grocery shopping, the pancake mix always sit at the bottom of the shopping cart, indicating my dedication that made me swerved to the pastry section first before even checking my list.

Right now, he could have do anything. Maybe he was feeling generous and decided to buy for me a one-way ticket to LA, along with a flat in the city? Or he could ask someone else to finish the weird task of "making Ashton Iriwn fall in love with better person"? People said that it's either this or that. But of course, I wanted both. They were so tempting though.

Anyways, he would probably do none of them, which meant I had to prepare things myself and by things, I meant figuring out how to magically make a famous drummer fall in love with me - a clueless person who had never been in a relationship. Oh lord. This was going to be hard.

As I was planning, not to make Ashton love me but escape this country, Arthur's secretary - Christine stepped into my office.

There's a goddamn door with the phrase "please knock before entering" in front of it and people weren't so hesitant before barging into my workplace

"Miss. Ellsworth"

She nodded as a hello before continuing her little speech

"Mr. Ellsworth is currently attending an emergency meeting so I'm going to provide you information about your latest task"

Out of boredom, I grabbed mint gum from my secret drawer, which was no doubt, filled with junk food and sometimes, a pack of cigarette was carefully tucked down all the unhealthy packed snacks, and took out one to chew. However, I wasn't selfish, so I offered Christine one, but she politely turned down and started informing me.

"First of all, until next week, you are off-duty. However, meanwhile, you'll have to pack the essentials, or maybe anything that you'd see yourself bringing across the globe for a very long time-"

"Wait across the globe? Moving away!?"

"Yes. You're moving to Los Angeles"

I nearly jumped of my seat with eyes widen. I couldn't believe it. I was about to move to America and only noticed a few seconds ago.

Happiness erupted within me like a bursting bubble. I was so happy I thought I was going to hug Christine, however, I did not. Then, I started to be frantic.

What am I going to pack?!

How long will it be?!

Is one week enough??!

Am I going to see my weird uncle Arthur again??!!

Questions, raised by myself, were revolving in my head. Thoughts jumbled. My heart was beating so loud I thought Christine could even hear it.

"Calm down Sierra. Everything is going to be fine"

I breathed. In and out. In and out. Finally, after a couple of minutes, I was ready to take in more important info.

"You are going to work in Modest! Management while staying in America and no, you only act, not actually work there. Your job in Modest! is 5 Seconds of Summer personal assistant. The job is only the disguise for you to charm Ashton Irwin, making him forget Marcelene - his ex.

Then somehow, break things off. However, there's only one year for you to finish everything"

I sighed. I did acknowledge that breaking his heart was straight out cruel, but it was an order; an order that I might went against to stop Ashton from going through a heartbreak again.

I don't know why, but there was the urge to protect him, although it was clear that I'm a year younger than him. It was probably my wish to become a therapist that influenced the way I wanted to silently cure him, not break him again.

Easier said than done, I still hadn't thought of a way to cure him and easily break up without hurting him. Hell, I had never been in a relationship. How could I even break things off before something ignite?

Honestly, why was I even chosen for this impossible mission? Arthur knew damn well that I had never been involved in a relationship and now he thought it was wise to put an inexperienced kid on this task.

"Don't worry too much, okay? You have a year"

It was nice of Christine to reassure me, but a year was much shorter than anyone would think. With a whirl, a year could pass by easily and by then I hoped that Arthur would realize that he had chosen a wrong person for this project. Hell, I hoped while having an emergency meeting, he had rethought and chosen Zoe — the belle of our company. She had desired features that would literally lure anyone in, even myself couldn't deny the fact that when Zoe had a job interview with this company, my eyes couldn't help but linger on her for let's say, quite a tiny while. Needless to say, she was an expert at relationships. There was no way that girl couldn't fit more to this mission impossible.

The more I thought, the more I found myself right about choosing Zoe. Hence, I was too engaged with my thoughts to even listen to Christine about whatever she was talking, but I didn't mind.

"Ms. Ellsworth, by-"

Christine was suddenly cut off. I noticed because her voice before was filling the atmosphere, now there was only silence, eerie silence. My train of thoughts was cut then. I was focused more on the surrounding, on the person in front of me, on the person who I waited for years.

"Sierra"

—

a/n: leaving it there...