By Your Side

5

Gracelyn

I stare at the tiny cockroach that's hanging peacefully on the ceiling. My bathroom ceiling.

It's the same lovely surprise I had the pleasure of waking up to this morning. To say that I nearly had a heart attack is an understatement and I still have no idea how it even managed to get inside my room.

What if it had been there all night while I'd been sleeping? I shudder in horror at the thought.

"That's it," I say to Elise, another one of the Pearce family's staff, who's worked here for the past four years. Elise is two years younger than me and given our similar age, we have a very casual dynamic between us. "The cockroach has officially claimed my room as its territory. It's time for me to pack my bags, move out of here, and then flee the country." 

"I'll come with you," Elise dryly replies, before a look of horror suddenly flashes across her face. "Oh God, I think it just moved."

I pick up my hair curler as my weapon of choice. "Get out of my room!" I exclaim to the cockroach. Yes, I'm aware that isn't very helpful but I'm grumpy that an insect is interrupting my morning and I need a vehicle to release my frustration.

If it wants to stay here, it should at least be paying rent.

"I don't mean any offence or to stereotype but I thought you might have more experience dealing with insects since you're from Australia?" Elise sheepishly asks.

"That is definitely not true," I groan.

"Okay, I think we just—"

Elise is cut off when the cockroach suddenly jumps as though it's in some kind of long-jump competition to another spot on the ceiling, and I swear I can feel my life-span shortening within that split second.

"Oh my God, just get out!" I cry while waving my hair curler around aimlessly. 

This time, it doesn't move but I swear it's secretly laughing at me.

"I'm calling Joel," Elise says, referring to my current driver now that I've moved back to the Pearce Manor. Joel is also around mine and Elise's age.

Less than two minutes later, Joel casually strolls into my room. He acknowledges me with a friendly smile and then turns to Elise with a smirk. "Need my help?"

Elise rolls her eyes. "Yes, please. And how did you even get here so fast?"

The smirk on his face doesn't disappear. "I'll forever be at your service, Elise." 

My gaze darts between the two of them because I'm pretty sure Joel is flirting with Elise and she's blushing right now. "Is something going on between you two?"

"No," they both immediately say at the same time, turning to face me.

I'm definitely not convinced, but right now, the cockroach situation is more pressing.

Thirty minutes later, my bathroom is cockroach-free and I've changed into a yellow minidress, topped off with my everyday make-up look and my hair curled into loose beach waves.

As I head out of my room and towards the spiral staircase of the house, I spot my mother in the foyer talking to a dark-haired man who's wearing all black. Beside him is a gray suitcase and travel bag. I can only see his back right now but a feeling of deja vu washes over me, as though there's something familiar about him.

I'd almost forgotten due to the cockroach incident, but Mom mentioned during dinner last night that my new bodyguard starts today so this must be him.

My high heels tap against the marble staircase as I begin to make my way downstairs, and my mother is the first to see me. "Ah, perfect timing!"