First Love

Chapter 11- Paparazzi

Malcolm got to Perry's apartment in less than five minutes.

He looked cautiously at the environment before going down to ring the doorbell. He let his hair cover his eyes as he looked down at his feet.

There was shuffling heard inside the house for few seconds before the door was opened.

Vee reached for his hand and pulled him inside as she looked outside cautiously then closed the door.

She sighed and turn around, she was putting on a short reaching her knees and a tank top.

"So what's happening?" Malcolm said, his voice inquisitive like a very naive child who seeks to learn.

Perry who had been sitting on the sofa all these while, still putting on the outfit he did when he left, brought out his phone and gave to Malcolm, "this is happening. You can't tell me you've not heard anything about it."

Malcolm took the phone from Perry, his face filled with shock, "how did this happen? Why haven't I heard anything about it?"

Perry squinted his eyes at him in disbelief, "did you do this to force me to be in your dumb video?" He asked.

"I wouldn't stoop so low." Malcolm fired back in displeasure. "Why don't you want to anyway, Veronica asked you not to?"

"Vee has nothing to do with it, she's not as self centered as you."

"You guys, stop it." Vee said, already feeling extremely tired. "There's a very serious situation on ground, fighting won't solve anything."

Malcolm gave Perry back his phone, "come to New Age tomorrow at 9. My manager will deal with it." He said as he pushed all the responsibility to Philip.

Philip who had just got to his apartment had a big sneeze.

"Where is that?" Vee asked as she looked at the calm Malcolm.

"Perry knows it, let him take you there, I'll be on my way, it's getting dark." He turned to leave without looking back.

"Nice talk." Perry said to Vee with a smile as she walked back inside the room.

*****

The next day, Vee and Perry were already set to go. She stood by the door of the apartment looking through the peephole.

"No one is watching you, geez," Perry said, his black hair packed in a ponytail.

"I'm kinda famous now so…" She did not finish her sentence as Perry pulled her back and opened the door. "See? Nobody." He said, laughing at his best friend.

They both went out to the open garage and Perry drove the car out.

Four minutes after leaving the driveway, Vee's phone started ringing. She looked at caller ID and saw it was Derian. "Hello, dummy," she said when she answered the phone.

"Idiot, check the news." Derian said. Vee checked the net as she saw pictures of her and Perry leaving the house, entering the garage and driving out. She was creeped out as cold sweat seeps from her back, "how?" The photos were being updated and every time she refreshed the page, she sees new pictures of herself. It was so scary like a sniper being pointed at her and she did not know the direction. She ended the call with Derian.

"P-Perry" she stuttered and showed him the pictures when he looked over.

"Don't worry, we're almost there." He tried to calm her down. "Don't you just love being famous?" He joked.

*****

At New Age, Philip was outside the building waiting for them, he finally spotted a black Rolls Royce and sigh in relief. Malcolm had told him everything about how he called the photographers at the pet shop and that it was best if he says nothing to Vee and Perry.

As they came down from the car, Philip took wide strides to welcome them, "Hello I'm Philip Strongman, Malcolm's manager." He looked at Vee, she was even more beautiful in real life compared to those pictures, her long hair was tucked behind her ears, falling down to her waist, her fair skin too smooth and her cherry pink lips soft. She looked every inch like a natural beauty. She was putting on a very big T-shirt reaching her knees, obviously not hers. She had to wear Perry's clothes since she did not pack much.

Then there was Perry, the man he has wanted to recruit for a long time, his bushy eyebrows complimenting his deep blue eyes. Looking like her knight in shining armor. He had met him before but he still wondered how a subtle beauty like this could hide from the crowd.

"Shall we go inside?" Vee said, not bothering to greet the middle aged man in front of her, "I'm being followed."

"Yes, yes, come in. I'll show you to my office." Philip showed them in, not offended by Vee's manners at all.

There were eleven floors in the building and Philip's office occupied the tenth floor. He opened the door with his biometrics and they entered. Malcolm could be seen sitting on one of the sofas, "took you long enough." He said looking at Perry.

Perry rolled his eyes at him, "can we get this over with?"

"You may sit," Philip said, he honestly had no idea how to solve the situation for now but he had to act calm and go with Malcolm's plans.

Just as he was about to address them, the door pushed open and three people walked in.