Hashtag Mr. Celebrity

#Chapter10

I was just guessing
Numbers and figures
Pulling your puzzles apart
Questions of science
Science and progress

I wake up to the sound of The Scientist with my eyes heavier than usual. If it's the second verse of the song already, then my alarm must have been ringing for quite a while. With urgency, I check the time on my phone. What I see makes me jump from the bed. It's 11:27 am. Freak! It's the latest time I have woken to on a working day! No matter how fast I prepare, I am already late and it'll be a miracle if I'd be able to come to work for at least half day. I am not a heavy sleeper, and I am normally awaken with just some rings from my alarm. It must be due to the anti-allergy medicines that I am taking. Some rashes appear on my face, and the doctor prescribes meds for allergies. I am still waiting for the allergen test result to determine what has caused these not so lovely creatures on my face. Meanwhile, the meds are killer. By killer I mean it makes you dead sleep, whether at work or home. The food restrictions are also annoying. Plus, I have to wear a mask because it's not the prettiest sight.

I go back to my bed with the phone on my hand. (That's rhyming though.) I want to call in sick today. I notice that I get a lot of missed calls from Tina and our company phone. I check the messages.

08:45 am, Tina: Are you coming today?

08:52 am, Tina: Are you sick or something?

09:16 am, Tina: Hey

10:34 am, Tina: Belle?

11:07 am, Tina: If I don't get any notice from you until 12pm, I will report you as missing to the police!

The last message has made me laugh. It's so her. I return her call, and it is only a few rings when I hear her on the other line.

"Belle! You have me worried! What exactly happened to you? It's not so you to be late and to go AWOL!" Her voice has raised some decibels for sure.

"Yes, I'm so sorry." I explain and inform her my sick leave plan for today.

"As much as I want to tell you to take an off today, Mr. Han is here. He arrived this morning and wanted to discuss something with your department. That's why I was so frantic trying to reach you."

"Wow. Here I thought you were really worried about me." I tease her.

"I was, but it increased when I found out the discussion with Mr. Han."

I can't say no, can I? "Alright. I'll be there around one."

"Super thanks. I owe you this."

"Let's collect all those brownie points someday."

"I so know what you mean."

I start to prepare going to work. I am feeling really hot, especially on my face, so I decide to wear something cool. I choose a pink chiffon blouse and tuck into a navy blue pencil skirt and nude pumps.

If it weren't for the president's sudden arrival, I would just wear a plain shirt, but I have to be somehow presentable. My next problem is my face. It's the doctor's strict order not to put anything on my face unless the rashes have completely faded. I look so ill with the mask on, but I have no choice. I check my face once more in the mirror. It is not as severe as during its first occurrence, but still, it is notable that something's wrong.

I arrive in the office a quarter before one. The first week after coming back from Korea was a pure torture in the office. I was the talk of the town regarding my sensational picture with Jaden. The online bashing has not stopped either. I promise to myself that I must refrain from opening my social networking accounts, and I have succeeded so far. Some people that I run into on the streets on the way to work would look at me, and I could see recognition in their eyes. They would just stare at me and wouldn't say anything. It's not like I am a star or anything for them to say hello.