Chapter 7

I sighed when I returned to my room safely. Just as I was about to open the door, it opened itself without my intervention. I gave it a disapproving look, it was indeed open. No way, I could still remember locking the door a few minutes ago. Nervousness crept into my chest as I approached the door and slowly opened it wider. Was I being robbed? Did they get my money?

I took my time putting what I bought on the table and walked quietly. I was immediately alerted when I heard a crack coming from the other room. I bit my lower lip and held a broom from the side of the room. I was confident that this broom would do little damage to the thief, but it was the only weapon I had. It was preferable to have something rather than nothing at all.

Despite being nervous, I continued to walk with confidence. As I got closer, the crackle became louder and more noticeable. With the exception of my backpack and money, I didn’t have any other belongings in the room. There was a possibility that the thief already took everything!

I took a few deep breaths and then came to a complete stop. Aurie, you must show courage in this situation. You’d lose your money if you didn’t.

“Thief!” I screamed as I walked into the room and stomped on anyone who tried to get my belongings with a broom.

“O-Ouch! Stop it! What the hell are you doing?” I came to a complete stop. My eyes widened even more when I saw the person infront of me.

“What the hell is going on? Why are you following me, Ms. I don’t know your name?” I exclaimed, completely taken aback. I slid the broom to one side and sat down on the bed, gasping for air.

She was the lovely lady from the bank. What gave her the idea that I was here? I didn’t remember telling her where I was going to stay for the time being. I didn’t even know where I was going to rest when I was talking to her yesterday.

She twirled a finger through her hair with a sarcastic grin on her face. “Yes, it’s me again! And my name is Iris, duh?”

“All right, Iris. What do you need? Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you my reason? What else do you want to know?”

“Uh, nothing. Is it a bad idea to visit?” Visit for what? I didn’t even know her. I couldn’t remember being friends with her yesterday.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you are, so yes, it’s a bad thing.”

“Seriously? Is that what you’re going to tell me after I’ve spent hours looking for you? I even went out and bought groceries for you!” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with resentment. My brows were furrowed even further. Groceries? I looked around the room, hoping to find the groceries she mentioned, but I couldn’t find anything.

“I left it in the kitchen; it’s sitting on the sink, okay? You won’t see those here.” I quickly left the room to go to the kitchen. I didn’t wait any longer to what she would say; I was more interested in what she had purchased. She was right; two paperbags were on the sink. I walked up to it and peered inside. What are these?

“Lotion? Makeup? Skincare products?” I asked as I opened the first one. Disappointment rushed through my chest when I saw they were concentrated specifically for the body. I should be grateful that she purchased these items for me, right? However, I didn’t need nearly all of these! She should have simply bought food.

“Did you like it?” she asked, her arms crossed in front of her chest. I gave her raw smile and nodded.

“Thank you, but those aren’t the ones I need, Iris. I don’t even know how to apply lipstick to my lips; what am I going to do with those?” I crossed my arm in the same way she did. She rolled her eyes and walked over to me lazily.

“I can teach you, duh? You need those bath essentials because your skin is so dry. I mean, it’s not dry but not as soft as mine. You also need the skincare to take care of your skin. Those products prevent aging and breakouts. I’m sure you’ll be depressed if your skin broke out. You’ll thank me later, Aurie.”

My brow furrowed once more.

“How did you know that’s my nickname? That’s also what you called me while we were still at the bank. Only my family members call me that. Do I know you before?” She raised an eyebrow and laughed. She looked at me without a trace of levity and approached me.

“Girl, your necklace says it all,” she said, grabbing my necklace and showed it to me.

I forgot.

I was wearing the necklace that my mother had given me before. She was at loss for what to call me yesterday; fortunately, I had this one.

“You’re like the real Aurora, Aurie. You’re both sleeping beauty.” She laughed and gave me a teasing look. I smiled and gently pushed her. Her eyes were not filled with pity; they were only filled with pure teasing.

“What are we going to do now? You came to visit me for what? There’s nothing interesting to do inside the apartment.” I stepped closer to the table and began serving the food I had bought. Lunch was approaching, but I hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet.

“Nothing. Should we clean our room? It’s a little dusty in here. Although it appears to be clean, there’s a significant amount of dust hiding. The layout of the living room is also unappealing to me; I don’t like it.” I came to a complete stop and raised an eyebrow.

“Can you explain what do you mean by “our”?” I asked, a little perplexed.

“I am referring to the two of us. Together. Hehe, I’d like to live with you until you die.” She smiled gracefully as she looked at me. I sighed and got back to work on my food. I sat down and began to eat my meal.

“What is it that you want to do? Don’t you have anything to do in life?” Iris was a big advantage if we were to live together. She had connections, and she appeared to be a lot of fun to be around. She wasn’t sympathetic to my plight; instead, she was amused by my situation. One more thing: I was in desperate need of friends.

“The only thing that takes up my time is school, which I do in addition to shopping. My mother passed away while giving birth to me, and my father is always working his tail off, and he doesn’t always come home from work. He doesn’t care what I do as long as I’m doing well in my studies, which he believes I am. It will only take a simple statement from me to convince him that I want to be independent. He won’t say no to me because I’m his only child, and he loves me,” she responded. She sat on the chair in front of me and fixed me with a serious expression. Oh, I was suddenly reminded of my mother. Always occupied at work and absent from home on a regular basis. I was confident that her father would come to regret what he was doing right now. Mommy was like that back then, but after I got shot, she realized she had made a mistake.

“Even though this apartment is suitable for two people, it’s far too small for us. By looking at you, I can tell you that this is nothing more than your walk-in closet. Iris, you’re not going to fit in with this kind of lifestyle.” A soft laugh escaped from her lips as she reached for her cellphone.

“What about you? You told me that your mother is a well-known lawyer, implying that you are also wealthy. Your trust fund accounts indicate that you still have a million dollars in your account. Aurie, you have a lot of money as well. You won’t fit in this kind of life too.”

“Iris, I can make the necessary adjustments. One more thing, I have no intention of remaining in this apartment for the rest of my life. I don’t like the atmosphere created by teenagers in this building, I intend to look for another place to live.” I recalled the men who had been blocking my path earlier. This apartment was fine, but I should keep my personal safety in mind.

“Let’s go out and buy a house, shall we? The more significant one,” she suggested. I took a deep breath and shook my head.

“Do you think I’ll be able to afford it? Iris, I only have a hundred thousand dollars on hand. I still have a lot of things to do, and I’m worried that I’ll run out of money when I go buy a house. After all, I’ll only be here for four months; who will take over the place when I’m gone?”

“Naturally, I am! I’ll purchase the house and you’ll move in with me. I’m sure you’ll decline for free, so there will be a fee to live there. Your rent is determined by the size of the house. If it’s quite large, your rent may cost three thousand dollars, which is the cost of massaging me and doing my laundry every night. I won’t allow you to cook because I own the kitchen and cooking is a hobby of mine. That is all.” Was she serious? I could save a lot of money with that kind of offer.

“No. How about I take responsibility for our groceries, just as I will spend on what we need? Except for your personal things, as I will be rat poor if I am the one who purchases your bags and shoes. Additionally, I will take care of the dishes and laundry,” I proposed. She enthusiastically clapped and gave me a thumbs up. She appeared to think for no more than five seconds and immediately agreed with what I said.

“That’s an excellent suggestion! That’s what we’re going to do now? Look for a house?” she asked. Are we now going to immediately begin looking for one? However, it was too risky. I knew that mommy was looking for me. I should change my appearance. I could easily determine if I looked this way.

“Perhaps tomorrow? I want to change what I look like, Iris. Not through surgery, but through cosmetic procedures. I’m considering dyeing and cutting my hair.” Her brows immediately rose, telling me that she didn’t like the idea.

“Are you joking? Your hair is ridiculously long. Are you sure you want to cut that? How short?” She gently massaged my hair. By the way she touched it, it appeared as though she truly didn’t wish to cut my hair.

“I’d like it to be shoulder length and... I’d like to dye it black.” My hair was brown and long. I’d like to change it because this was the first thing that anyone always noticed.

“Your hair is incredibly long and healthy, oh my gosh. Are you sure about the length? It’s on the verge of reaching your legs, Aurie. What a shame.”

“Yup. After dyeing my hair, let’s rearrange the living room, as you dislike the current arrangement. That’s all.” I stood and walked over to the sink with the used plate. It was a good thing I purchased dishwashing liquid and a sponge earlier.

“Alright. I bought some hair dye earlier because I intend to dye my hair as well. Why don’t we just dye it together?” I nodded even with my back turned. Iris waited me to finish before we began.

#

“Smile!” I was caught off guard when she clicked the camera. Fortunately, she did it again, and I was already smiling when the next photo was captured.

“What was that for?”

“The photo of you with your long hair is something I’d like to have. Look, it has already been released.” As soon as I saw a photo coming out of the camera she was holding, my mouth almost dropped open. I’d never seen a camera with a printer integrated into it.

“How did this happen?” I asked, my mind still reeling from the experience. She gave me a paper that had my picture on it. I was even more taken aback when I discovered that the quality had improved. It appeared to be equipped with a filter. As soon as we finished taking pictures, she began taking the ones that would be used to cut and color my hair.

“Do you have any experience with hair cutting?” She gave me a friendly smile and nod. There was a small mirror in the living room so I was able to observe the entire procedure. I could only see up to my neck, though.

“I had previously learned from my hairstylist. You should know that I enjoy fashion. I’m interested in anything that has to do with fashion. Please, bow a little.” As she spoke, I bowed my head. Iris and I were both deafeningly quiet throughout the process.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to give you bangs. Your hair is extremely straight, the bangs will look great on you because you won’t have to straighten it every day.” I didn’t say anything and simply allowed her to do whatever she wanted with my hair. It was also over after a few minutes of slicing and cutting. I didn’t bother to look in the mirror ‘cause I was going to dye my hair soon anyway. I wanted to see a significant difference in my hair before looking.

When Iris started coloring my hair, I couldn’t keep one eye open due to the excessive itching it was causing. I was worried that something was wrong with my head until Iris assured me that it was perfectly normal because my hair was virgin.

“All right, that’s it!” I followed suit and dyed her hair after me. She intended to dye the front of her hair a lighter shade of blonde. Only the front of her hair would be dyed; the back of her hair would remain black. In contrast to her, I was able to finish coloring her hair more quickly.

“Aurie, it’s been 20 minutes. Take a shower, please,” she reminded while reading something on her phone.

I went to the bathroom to take a shower. I only brought a few items of clothing, so I really had to go shopping. If I did laundry every three days, I would end up spending more money.

The coloring had gotten stuck to my skin so I took a long bath to remove it. It was small and only a little bit, but because it was black, it was difficult to get rid of. I walked out of the bathroom wiping the back of my neck. My brows immediately shot up when I saw that Iris had covered her eyes.

“I’m not ready to look at you just yet. Dry your hair first so I can determine whether I did a good job.” She entered the bathroom, her eyes still covered. I shook my head as I sat on the sofa.

Iris was in the bathroom for an extended period of time, and when she got out, my hair was already dry. She slowly drew her hand away from her eyes and examined my entire being.

“You look like a completely different person!” she exclaimed. As a result, I felt compelled to immediately look in the mirror. I wanted her to see it first so that I could hear her response. What if I believed I was extremely attractive but she believed I was not? That would be far too humiliating.

She combed my bangs with a comb. I hadn’t seen the color of Iris’ hair yet because a towel was still wrapped around her head.

“Look.” She escorted me to the mirror, where I was equally as taken aback to see myself. She was right; I appeared to be a different person. I appeared more attractive and youthful.

“Woah.” I restyled my bangs using my fingertips. I never imagined I would look so young simply by coloring and cutting my hair. With brown and long hair, I appeared to be more mature. But now, it was different. Without a doubt, I resembled a high school student. 

“How about yours? Isn’t that completely dry?” I asked. She sat on the sofa and brushed her hair. Even if it was still wet, I could already see the blonde color. It was clear that the color was a good fit for her, even though we hadn’t seen the final result. We waited a few minutes longer for it to completely dry.

“You’re sending me mean girl vibes,” I joked. It was true, though. Because of her hairstyle, she became even more intimidating in my eyes. She had the appearance of a cheerleader who enjoyed bullying the new girl on the first day of school.

“I’m a very mean person in real life, so it’s natural for you to feel that way.” I laughed even more heartily. I didn’t find her to be mean. She was extremely kind to me; perhaps she was extremely rude to other people, but not to me. To be sure, I was built differently.

We spent the entire day rearrangeing the furniture in the living room. I honestly believed that I was ineffective because I was simply doing what Iris said. As she was skilled at this, I wouldn’t say a thing.

Iris immediately fell asleep after cleaning up. It was only 4:00pm, and she was already asleep. Perhaps due to exhaustion. She was sleeping on my bed, and I was next to her. Despite my exhaustion, I was wide awake. I was thinking of my mother right now; I had a feeling that she was crying. It had been nearly two days since I fled.

I wanted to speak with her and assure her of my well-being. My heart went out to her at the thought that she was crying to Seven because she felt alone. Oh my goodness, how could I be happy without hurting anyone? My mother’s heart was broken by this decision, but my own was filled with joy. I couldn’t shake my worry, but I was content with the decision I had made. I was relieved and at ease.

I’d come to understand that everyone experienced things in their own unique way. Yes, we could all be happy, but our happiness caused sadness or rage in someone or some groups. If only one person prevailed in a fight, the other would be labeled as loser. While you might be ecstatic about your victory, you shouldn’t expect others to share your joy simply because you did. Even if something was fun for you, it might not be fun for someone else.

Dad and mom, Iris was the name of a friend I had just a while ago. She was a wonderful person, and she didn’t bully me. Wasn’t that awesome? This was the first time I’d ever had a real friend. We intended to move in together. I felt sorry for her, though. The reason she was living with me was because her house didn’t feel like home. Her father was constantly on the go due to his job. Her rudeness, in my opinion, was merely a coping mechanism. Maybe she believed that being rude made her appear fearful to others. Because if other people thought she was weak, they would hurt her. No one would stand up for her when she was bullied because her dad was always working.

I hoped I was thinking incorrectly.

I watched Iris’ face before lying beside her. I let out a giggle when she made me her pillow and hugged me tightly. This girl, who only met me yesterday, were already too fond of me.

“Aurora, are you asleep?”

“No, not at all.”

“I got a call from my father this morning...”

“And?”

“I told him your condition, but don’t worry, I’m confident he won’t tell anyone because I know, he respects every word I say. Because of his connections in the government, he was able to handle your withdrawal. They didn’t raise a single eyebrow. He told me that Aliana Jenkins is looking for her daughter, but not in public. Dad heard that your mother hired a private investigator to find you. Your mother is already on the lookout for you, so we’ll have to be more stealthy.”