A Face in the Crowd

1

-'You just couldnt hold you dick still, could you?' Gaga sighed, leaning on the kitchen counter and complaining to her husband for the millionth time about this third baby on the way, -'Hey, come on. We agreed on this!', -'I know, I'm just joking...this is my last kid I swear to God and the high heavens...youre lucky it's a boy' she chuckled. Bradley shrugged, -'Fair enough, two seems fine to m-', -'Two? *I* have THREE kids. THREE! Well, almost three. That's like a tribe', -'Yeah but come on baby, Gi is what, 6 years old. Joanne is 2, it was time! I mean you're 36, you're not getting younger and-', -'I know, baby. Chill' she smiled, holding his neck qnd kissing him hard, -'After this, I'm gonna tell Michelle to tie my tubes I am seriously done with kids' she sighed, kissing his cheek and leaning against the kitchen door, -'You know whTbyou remind me just now?' Bradley asked, -'What', -'That last movie role you did...the incredibly sexy one?', -'Really? I'm 150 pounds. I'm a whale!', -'You're the cutest whale around then', -'Yeah yeah' she chuckled, -'People really liked that role of mine. What was my name, Maria? Men really loved that role. Critics were raving', Bradley nodded, -'They even sent you love letters for God's sake', -'If they only saw me now!', -'They'd fall even more inlove with you'.
****
-'Joanne you know mommy can't hold you up anymore! Stop crying come on', Gaga sighed while her small blonde daughter sobbed on the couch, -'Come on we'll be late for your little nursery school' she rolled her eyes, Joanne had grown very spoiled due to Bradley complying at her every tantrum and that irritated her mother a lot since she raised Gianluca to be the exact opposite, -'Here, drink your little juice, lets just get into the car'. Gianluca was sitting on a park bench outside their garage petting their cat and waiting for his mom and sister, -'Did she stopped crying mommy' he asked, -'Kinda...come on baby, get in the car, strap yourself in okay?', Gianluca nodded and stroked the beautiful siamese cat one more time, -'Go inside, Millie' he ordered, before hopping into Gaga's white Range Rover and strapping himself in the child's seat.

-'Mommy', -'Yes Gi?' Gaga answered while driving, -'When is Alex gonna be here?' He asked, referring to his unborn brother, Alexander; -'In the next couple of weeks, son. Very soon!', -'...Does this mean we will have THREE car seats?' He asked, quite amused, Gaga chuckled and nodded, -'I believe so! Are you excited to have a baby brother?', -'YES! I only have sisters and it's boring' he rolled his eyes and looked over at Joanne who was biting her plastic baby doll.

They arrived to Gianluca's little beginner's first grade school first. Among the crowd of soccer moms stood out a man, quite scrawny, about 50. Now that she was a mom Gaga was very much aware of everyone around her children. She noticed he had a camera hanging from his neck but he was not a paparazzi. He was just standing there by the school. She frowned and hurried her children in, -'Come on Gianluca, you'll be late' she lied, trying to get them in as soon as possible.
She kissed Gianluca goodbye and wished him good luck. She then grabbed Joanne's hand tight and walked quickly into the car. She put Joanne on her baby seat and grabbed her phone, dialing her bodyguard, -'Hey Pete, can you come pick up gianluca along with Scott at about 1pm in his little school? There's just this guy outside of it just now and he's making me a bit uneasy so it's better to prevent anything'. She smiled as the bodyguards agreed, -'Yeah...yeah you can treat him with McDonalds later, yes of course. Okay thank you so much, bye'.
She sighed in relief. She knew two 6ft4 men in suits were much more intimidating than a 5ft tall pregnant woman. She just wanted her son to be safe.

-'Okay Joanne, here we are!' She sang, the little girl squealed in happiness as she recognized the colorful place she went for nursery, Gaga chuckled and went in to leave her daughter in the little playroom. She talked with the nursery carers for a bit about Joanne's progress with her motor skills and words and was very pleased with what she heard. Joanne had to be put in early nursery because she was having trouble adapting and evolving with just life in general. Her and Bradley feared that she might have had some kind of disability or even autism but that wasnt the case, luckily. She just needed help from professionals in the field; -'Thanks again Lucy, of course we will continue with the therapies' Gaga smiled brightly at the teacher, -'I'll be here at 3pm then'.

On her way out, Gaga got distracted with a phone call as she walked to her car when she suddenly felt a hand grab her by the arm. Her breathing stopped for a second, she went completely cold and dropped her phone on the concrete, -'Oh sorry' she heard from behind her. Shit. She hated when people were behind her, -'I made you drop this'.
A scrawny, kind of fat 50ish year old man looked at her in the eye. He had a Nikon camera hung by a lanyard around his neck. He held up a pink iPhone with a shattered screen, -'Right' she squealed in absolute panic, -'Thank you' she whispered, grabbing the device quickly and turning around to leave, -'Please stop touching me' she sobbed. She noticed the man was still grasping her arm, -'Oh sorry I just want a picture, I totally loved you as Maria', -'...Right. Of course' she complied with a shaky voice and smiled forcefully at the camera lens. The man smiled satisfied, -'It was nice to finally meet you' he said, STILL NOT LETTING GO.
-'Okay, nice to meet you too. I have to go now', -'Okay, away you go!' He giggled, letting his hand travel all along her forearm and finally touching the baby pink Chopard watch on her wrist. This made Gaga's skin crawl.
She walked fast into her car and locked herself in, erupting into desperate cries. Gaga suffered from PTSD as a sequel to her sexual and psychological mistreat through the years in the industry and encounters like these triggered a slew of terrible emotions. She gasped for air and knew she had to call Bradley to tell him right away.