Celebrity

The Big News

Thomas's POV
I walk into my apartment after coming from class. It was late afternoon class, but what kept on creeping into my mind was that I had lunch with Ava today. I might really love being her assistant, except from meeting her boss. The guy is on to me. The memory of what happened in that office when it was just the two of us - "If I find out that you're not qualified for this, you'll never get another job again" - he said, so close to my face. I couldn't breathe. He then told me to act like we didn't have that conversation and we should act natural. So, I know for a fact I need to stay as far from that guy as physically possible.

I get some juice from the fridge and pour it into a glass. Then, I suddenly hear a knock on the door. Who could it be? I'm definitely not expecting anyone. Then again, I wasn't expecting Ava, but there she was on my doorstep. "Who is it?" I ask. "It's Max," I hear on the other side of the door. I put my glass of juice on the living room table and open the door for him. He barges right in. It takes me by surprise how eager he is to talk to me.

"Have you checked the news?" Max asks. "What news?" I reply. He holds his phone up to my face. Once my eyes get used to the brightness of his phone, I see the headline: "MYSTERY GUY SPOTTED WITH AVA WILDER." I take a step back. That's a crazy headline. "So, is it true?" Max asks. "No, it's not." "Then you were just randomly having lunch with Ava Wilder?" Max says, like it's something that couldn't be done.

Then I remember I didn't tell Max everything about how I'm back. It must've completely passed my mind. "Remember when I said Ava got me back here?" I say, trying to calm the atmosphere. He nods his head and takes a seat on the couch. I continue, "She got me back here and is paying for my fees and this place, but under a condition of being her assistant." Max just stares at me with confusion. He gets up slowly. "Why didn't you tell me this?" he says disappointedly. "You never thought that was important?" I look down at the ground because I'm disappointed in myself for not telling him what was happening.

"I'm sorry," I say finally to end the silence in the room. "I need to leave." He walks to the exit and slams the door when he leaves. I keep leaving out details from him, and I can see how that can be frustrating. But this friend thing is a bit new to me. Back home, I never really had friends because everyone in my neighborhood always thought of me as the smartest, and they tried to always teach their kids to be like me. And they hated that, and they never used to talk to me as a result.

I hear a notification from my phone. I grab it. I see a message from Ava saying, "We need to meet tomorrow." I can feel my heart beating faster. This news couldn't have come at a worse time, because I just got back here, and if Bruce finds out about me and Ava's arrangement, it's curtains for me.

***

The following morning, I see so many people online saying how Ava and I have great chemistry when they're going off one picture of us smiling at each other. Speaking of Ava, she wants us to meet at the park, which is more obvious than the cafe, but it's her decision and I'll respect it.

I head off for the park, which isn't that far from here. But it would've been closer if I was still at Harvard's dorm rooms. Sometimes I still miss that place. It isn't better than the place I'm currently living in, but there I had a roommate. Right, it gets a bit lonely.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I notice everybody is staring at me. I try looking down, but I could still feel their eyes on me. I walk the rest of the way looking down; it's the best I could do to not be seen. When I get to the park, I look around to see where she could be. After a while of searching the park, I take a seat on a bench right in front of a fountain. I sit next to a lady in a sun hat with sunglasses on.

I pull out my phone to try and text Ava. "It took you long enough," the woman next to me says. But when I look closely, it's Ava - I completely didn't even notice her. "How could I ever find you when you're wearing that?" I protest. She thinks about it for a while but then waves it off. "That's not important; what we need is a plan," she says.