𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴

𝕬 𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖞 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙

I jolted awake from a loud banging sound, realizing that I had fallen asleep in the living room. My immediate response was to head to the front door to check the peephole, but once again, no one was in sight. I remembered that Georg kept baseball equipment in the garage, so I decided to go grab it. As I walked, I tried to piece together what had happened after I found the note, but it was all a blur. Fortunately, I didn't have any assignments to worry about at the moment. I took the baseball bat from the garage and began to make my way back.

Then, I heard the banging again, and this time, it was unmistakably coming from the front door. I rushed back to check the peephole, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had been haunting me. But, once more, I found no one outside. Holding onto the baseball bat, ready to strike, I cautiously unlocked the door. I cracked it open slightly, but there was no one in sight. I glanced down, searching for another note, but instead, I discovered a mysterious basket. It seemed suspicious, but I decided to take it inside with me and locked the door behind.

I leaned the baseball bat against the wall and carried the basket to the kitchen counter to investigate it. Just to be carefull, I put on a pair of yellow kitchen gloves and then cautiously opened the basket to see what was inside.

My eyes widened as I discovered a tiny furball nestled inside the basket. I was trrified that it might be lifeless, but to my relief, it raised its head and locked its blue eyes with mine, instantly melting my heart. I carefully removed the yellow gloves, not wanting to startle it, and extended my hand toward the kitten. It sniffed my fingers cautiously at first, unsure of the stranger, but then it nuzzled its tiny cheek against my hand.

With my other hand, I gently scooped the tiny feline out of the basket. Its fur was mostly dark, with a lighter tummy and tiny, adorable paws. I took a closer look and realized that I couldn't determine if it was a boy or a girl. I decided on a name right then and there. "I'm going to call you 'Bee.'" I whispered as I cradled the kitten on my shoulder. It immediately dug its tiny nails into my shirt, holding onto me.

This whole situation felt strange and unsettling. Markus had made it clear that he wanted to hurt me, so why would he do something like this? Unless it's not him who did this. Maybe it's someone else, but who? Nobody knows me around here, and the only person I introduced myself to ended up blackmailing me.

I can't leave Bee alone in the house, and I need to go to school soon. I made up my mind – I'm taking the cat with me. If people can attend lectures half-naked, I can bring my cat.

I rummaged through some of my still-unpacked boxes, hoping to find something I could use to transport Bee. I pulled out a black Juicy Couture bag, though I didn't remember packing it. Strange. Just then, I received a call from my mom.

"Hey, stranger! Haven't heard from you in a while," she chirped.

"Hey, Mom. Sorry, I've been busy," I responded. "Did you pack the black tote bag for me? Because I don't remember taking it."

"Yeah, about that..." She began.

"Yes?" I asked, not bothering to hide my impatience. I still needed to get ready for school.

"Did you receive your gift?" she asked.

"A gift? You sent me a gift?" I was genuinely surprised. Why would she send me something? "You mean the cat?"

"Yes, I heard about Georg being in America, so I decided to give you something so you don't feel alone," she explained. If only she knew about Markus, she would drag me home immediately. Because of him, I don't feel so alone.

"I knew that you wouldn't expect it, so I asked them to pack some food for it as well. Did you name it yet?" I strolled to the kitchen and examined the basket closely. There were three packs of kitty food, thankfully without fish, so it won't smell as bad when I have to feed the cat at school.

"Yeah, I'm calling it 'Bee,'" I told her. "How's Dad?"

"He's found a new hobby; it's called 'getting on your wife's last nerve,'" we both laughed. That sounded like something he would do.

"Now that I'm not there anymore, you're the only person left for him to annoy."

She sighed. "Miss you, Lolita."

"Miss you too, Mom."

After finishing my conversation with Mom, I went to get ready. I carefully placed Bee on my bedroom floor and headed to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and added a touch of mascara and lip gloss. After styling my hair in a slicked-back ponytail, I went to change my clothes.

I opted for black flared jeans and a pink cropped Juicy Couture jacket. I put on my Adidas shoes and went to get some newspaper to place inside the bag. Then, I gathered everything I needed for school in my black backpack and gently placed Bee in the tote bag. Finally, I grabbed my keys and headed to the garage.

I placed my backpack and the bag with Bee on the passenger seat and started the car. As the garage door slowly opened, I noticed a few people gathered in my driveway. I put on my sunglasses and decided to ignore them since I was running late. Driving out, I made sure the garage door had closed properly.

While passing the crowd, they started flashing their cameras at my car, but fortunately, the windows were tinted. "It's her, guys, it's her," I heard someone yell.

Confused and uneasy, I drove to school, unable to shake off the feeling that something was off. How did they know who I was? Had they mistaken me for someone else? Questions like that kept running through my mind, and I feared that everyone might have found out about my connection to Tokio Hotel. I've always wanted fame, but I also knew how dangerous it could be.

Upon arriving at the school parking lot, I noticed another crowd blocking the entrance. They seemed to be waiting for someone, so I decided it would be best to find another entrance.

I parked the car at the far end of the parking lot, grabbed my backpack, and Bee's bag. Keeping my sunglasses on, I headed to the back entrance of the school. I was grateful that I had taken the time to explore the school the day before, as it meant I could go directly to my first class without having to interact with anyone to ask for directions.

As I entered the classroom, all eyes turned to me, and I felt the weight of their curious gazes as I made my way to a free chair next to an easel and placed my backpack under the seat. Bee's bag was still hanging on my elbow as I didn't want to leave her alone. The teacher eyed the tote bag but kept silent about its contents. She explained that for the first lesson, she would provide us with the necessary supplies and gave me a list of items I needed to buy. She also handed me a key to one of the lockers in the supply room to store everything. I thanked her and returned to my seat, placing Bee's bag on the floor beside me.

The teacher set a ceramic vase on a small table and instructed us to create an abstract painting of it. The challenge was to depict the vase in a way that went beyond a simple representation but without including any additional objects in the artwork.

During the day, I went unnoticed since nobody really knew what I looked like. However, as I left school the same way I came in, I encountered a group of people with cameras gathering around my car. I took my keys out of my backpack and approached them.

"Would you mind moving?" I asked, tapping one of the women on the shoulder and gesturing toward my car.

"Are you Lolita Listing?" she inquired, pointing her camera at my face, which I blocked with my palm.

"No, you've got the wrong person," I fibbed, hoping to stay under the radar. Unfortunately, that seemed to grab their attention even more.

"We know it's you, and now you won't be able to hide," one of the men said, taking pictures as the others joined in.

I pushed my way through the crowd, unlocked my car, and quickly got inside, locking the doors behind me. I placed Bee's bag on the passenger seat, and my backpack in the backseat. I fed Bee one of the food packs while I had a lunch break, and now she was peacefully napping.

I started the car and drove to McDonald's to grab a meal and to call Georg before my shift began.