Control

Chapter 7

Ella

I concentrated on my breathing as I sprinted the last quarter-mile to the apartment. As the endorphins pumped through my blood, I walked around the parking lot a few times, slowing my breathing and cooling down my body. I loved running almost as much as I loved music. It was something that made me feel in control of my life and I felt as though I could leave everything behind for at least a short while.

After my encounter with James, I hurried home in a panic. Before I had a full-fledged panic attack, I focused on breathing until I could change into my running gear, blast my music and escape. I ran for over two hours, hoping that by then I wouldn't return to an empty apartment and I could beseech Allison for some much needed advice. My run didn't give me any ideas or really clear my head, but I was able to escape and calm down a bit.

I walked into the apartment and crashed onto the couch where Allison was studying feeling drained in every way possible.

"Gross- sweaty, much?" Allison teased.

I sat up, sighing before looking at her.

"Elle- you ok?" She asked, voicing her concern. I am sure I displayed all of my worry and anxiety as I peered at her.

"No," I sighed. "Al, I don't know what to do!" I rested my head in my hands, gripping my hair as I recounted my experience with James this afternoon. "I swear, Allie, if I have to interact with that devil every day, I am going to lose my mind! Why me?! If he's not being a pompous pervert and lusting after me, he's terrorizing me like a schoolyard bully!"

"What a creep!" Allie exclaimed. "Ella, I have the money if you need, but I don't really see him taking it at this point. So, I actually have an idea. But you're going to hate it."

I eyed her skeptically and before I had a chance to speak, she continued on.

"OK- so he likes this Ella, right? The one with the beautiful red hair and who doesn't look like a bag lady." I let out a snort of indignation before she gave me a knowing look. "Look, you know I'm right. But listen, he has no idea that you're the same person. And I don't think he'll want to make you his personal slave if he wants to get into your pants."

I didn't like where this was going.

"So, all you have to do, is meet him where and when he told you, but show up as this Ella. Explain to him that you're the same person, and I think he'll let you off the hook! Or we could just call his bluff and you don't show up at all and risk getting kicked out. But I kind of believe that he does have the power. Jack told me that James is the heir to this multi-billion-dollar company and the school is a great benefactor of it. He would only have to fabricate some he-said, she-said story and you're gone." Allison finished her speech and we sat there in silence as I contemplated my options.

I could either live through three weeks of hell, agreeing to his terms, somehow come up with three hundred dollars (although I agreed with Allison, I highly doubted he would take the money without extracting some other type of punishment), risk getting kicked out of the school, or I could face the world without my armor. I felt utter distress at my bleak situation. No option seemed like a good one.

My distress started to morph into annoyance. As I remembered his smug smirk and arrogant attitude, my smoldering annoyance burst into flames of anger. I squared my shoulders and nodded.

"You're right. I have to use the only thing I have that he wants. I am going to do it. But I need your help."

As I spoke, I felt my resolve waver, and fear found its way into my countenance once again. How on earth could I pull this off? I started going through all of the what-ifs.

What if he thought I liked him and asked me out?

What if he was still upset and made me still be his personal assistant, but required I lose my disguise?

What if he is even angrier because it seems as though I deceived him?

What if he makes me...

"Ella, stop spiraling!" I am cut off from my destructive thinking by Allison gently shaking my shoulders and promising to help me out. "We will practice word for word what you will say, alright? I promise this will work. Guys will do anything to get laid, and if you let him think that it's even a possibility, and don't worry, I know it's not, then he will back down and try to charm his way back into your good graces. Not that he was ever there," she concluded with a chuckle.

I meekly nodded and we got to work.

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It was 3:48 PM, the moment I have been dreading for the past 24 hours was only twelve minutes away. I rushed into a restroom near the spot in the library I would have to meet him. I removed my wig, glasses, and sweatshirt. I changed out of my converse and into some simple black flats and put on one of Allie's silk blouses over my dark skinny jeans. Following through on my promise, I quickly applied a bit of mascara and lip gloss.

Looking down at my watch, I didn't let myself delay any longer, in fear of retribution for being tardy. I quickly walked over to the table and got out a book to seem busy and hopefully quell my nerves a bit. It didn't work.

"Ella?"

I looked up as James sat across from me, applying his signature smirk to his smug face. I wanted to slap it off of him and then head for the hills, never to see it again. But I stood my ground. I gave him a small forced smile, which I am sure looked more like a grimace, and then handed him an envelope. Allison and I decided to try and pay him back, just in case he took some sick pleasure in still inflicting his sentence on me, so I had borrowed the money from her, promising to pay her back as soon as I could.

I could see confusion cross his features as he took it from me and opened it.

"300 dollars." I stated simply, not trusting my voice to say much more without a tremor.

He frowned and shook his head slightly. "I don't understand-"

"I'm very sorry about your shirt. I got the money and I hope you will accept that in lieu of me becoming your personal assistant. I apologize, but I do not believe I have the time to do so as I already have a job and am attending school full-time," I explained it all in one breath. I had repeated those two sentences in my head over and over again all day. "Anyway," I quickly continued, "I hope you have a good afternoon."

I stood as thought sitting on a springboard and went to exit as quickly as I could. Before I could walk away, his hand firmly grasped my wrist, causing me to look back. It seemed as though he had gained back his composure, as the infamous smirk once again donned his face.

"Oh no, sweetheart," he chuckled darkly, "we are not finished here.