Exiled (AmBw)

Chapter 44

Completely high and happy off of pain pills, I was in a great mood. I finished my last interview, for this trip, I was able to send in my article to Caroline, and on top of that, I even had time to be a bit devious. Getting payback on Chris for trying to swipe my interview, I called into Chris' office posing as my interview's assistant and set up an in-person meeting for the day I leave Japan. If I planned everything correctly, our paths should intersect at the airport. Where I planned to confront him and inform him that he just flew fourteen-hours for nothing because I had already done the interview and completed the article. Usually, I wasn't a petty person, but getting stranded in a foreign country, changes a person. Fully accomplished for the day, I rested back for the first time today and exhaled. Hearing the rustling of keys, I immediately sat back up, excited to hear how my sister's day went.

Crystal: "Hey there, how's the patient?" She said, putting her things down before walking over to me.

Layla: "Drugged up." I said, smiling.

Crystal: "Good." She said, sitting on the bed next to me. " You hungry? I got take-out." She said, offering me food.

Layla: "Oh, I was wondering what that glorious smell was." I said, my mouth watering.

Crystal: "I'll make you a plate." She said, getting up.

Layla: "Oh, forget about that. Just tell me how things went at qualifiers." I said excitedly.

Crystal: "Uh, it went ok, I guess." She said plainly.

Layla: "Just ok?" I asked, concerned. "Anything crazy happened?" I asked.

Crystal: "Not really." She said indifferently. "Although maybe next time I fill in for you, you could warn me about your bully and your boyfriend." She said, fluffing the pillow that was elevating my foot.

Layla: "Bully?" I questioned. "Oh, Mika. Did she unfair you?" I asked, remembering how relentless she was.

Crystal: "Ha, Unfair? Me? I can't believe you just used those two words in the same sentence." She said in a cocky tone. "Don't worry about me. I put her in her place." She said, putting the pillow back under my foot.

Layla: "How?" I asked.

Crystal: "I may have heavily suggested that I'd cripple her if she kept trying me?" She said, not batting an eyelash.

Layla: "Oh my god. Where have you been my whole life?" I said in awe of her no-nonsense attitude. "I want to be you when I grow up if that's ok," I said, wishing I had her confidence.

Crystal chuckled before shaking her head.

Crystal: "I don't know about all that." She paused, thinking for a bit. I have a cat and a chocolate addiction. You have a man who is so into you that he recognized I was an imposter," she said, chuckling.

Layla: "What? Who?" I asked.

Crystal: "The guy from J. Soul Brothers. Naoki or Na..." She said, trying to remember his name.

Layla: "Naoto?" I said, cutting her off.

Crystal: "Yeah, him, he literally wrestled me into a supply closet, to interrogate me." She explained.

Layla: "How did he know you weren't me?" I asked, shocked.

Crystal: "I don't know. Something about my smile doesn't reach my eyes like yours does, and that you would have had to be drunk to do the dance I did for the judges." She said, walking over to her bag to get her phone.

Layla: "My smile reaching my eyes?" I said, confused. "Wait, what do you mean by 'I would have to be drunk to do the dance you did.'" I said, afraid to find out.