Chapter 11: Reason

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay sweetie?” mom asked with a frown on her face. I nodded to her and swallowed painfully. “Yeah mom don’t worry about me. This is just a silly cold. After I rest for a day, it will be gone like the wind.”

She grabbed the comforter and settled it near my chin. “I can always cancel Dulce.”

I shook my head and stopped immediately. The whole room spun. I shouldn’t have done that. “You can’t cancel on work mom. You told me that this is an important client right? They’ll think you’re bailing on them or something. I’ll be fine while you’re in New York.” I gave a reassuring smile.

She sighed. “I can’t believe you got sick right before I’m leaving for the week. Can’t Patty or Tim take care of you? I hate leaving you like this. You don’t usually get sick but when you do, you turn into a crybaby.” She sat on the bed and placed her palm on my forehead.

“Patty is sick too,” I said. “And Tim had an emergency to take care of. I’m a big girl mom I can handle it.” I fought the urge to cough so she wouldn’t get worried. Well more worried than she already was.

She removed her hand from my forehead and nodded. “I’ll ask the neighbor to check on you from time to time.” She stood up. “Call me if there’s anything you need at all. I mean it Dulce.”

“Yes mom,” I croaked. “Have fun in New York. Spot a cute one for me,” I added.

She gave me a stare. “I doubt anyone is cuter than Glace honey.” I blushed but she didn’t notice since I was already red from fever. She glanced at her watch. “I need to go now if I want to catch my flight. Don’t forget to drink medicine and water.” She pointed her head to the direction of the door. “There’s money on the kitchen table. Just order Chinese food when you’re hungry.”

“Go,” I said impatiently. “Your flight won’t wait for you. I’ll handle myself.”

She nodded and kissed my cheek before turning around and leaving my room. After a couple of minutes, I heard the front door below slam shut. The cough I’ve been holding finally broke free and I swallowed painfully when it subsided.

What rotten luck, I thought. I caught a cold and had to be absent from school. Aside from the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see Glace, I felt really awful. Emphasis on the word awful. My head hurts, I was running a fever, and God knows how ugly I look right now. I haven’t taken a bath this morning since I couldn’t get out of the bed. Yay me!

I raised my hand and tried to search for my iPod without glancing at the bedside table where it was located. When my hands felt its smooth glass, I grabbed it and settled the earphones in my ear. Skylar Grey sang one of my favorite songs called Invisible and I let its calming rhythm lull me to sleep.

I was awoken by something or someone prying the earphones from me. “Nooooo,” I said groggily. The person didn’t listen and took the iPod and headphones. I felt that someone sit on the bed and place a soft hand against my forehead.

I drifted back to sleep and didn’t mind the presence of the intruder. My body was so fatigued and sick to even think about defending myself. I didn’t know how much time have passed but after a while, a cold wet thing brushed on my forehead. My hands automatically went to it and I detected a soft cloth settled there.

My eyes fluttered open and Glace stared back at me. I smiled widely at her not minding my sore throat and current state. “You’re so pretty Glace. Can I keep you?”

She gave me a look that said I was crazy and walked out of the room. I shook my head in annoyance. I was so sick that I imagined her here. How pathetic was I? She came back after a few minutes and this time she was holding a bowl. She placed the bowl on my bedside table before she turned to me and helped me up.

I was confused as hell and felt like a complete mess. “Why are you here baby?” I asked. “This is a hallucination right?” She didn’t answer and fixed the pillow behind me so I could sit comfortably. I touched her face with my right hand when she leaned in. “Since I’m hallucinating anyway I’ll tell you exactly what I think of you.”

Glace’s illusion stopped moving and stared at me with wide eyes. I continued speaking. “I have this huge crush on you and I’m secretly hoping that you’d get over your first love and just go for me.” I cleared my throat which was very painful at the moment. “No it’s not simply a crush. I’m falling for you and I hate how vulnerable I feel because of that.”

“You’re beautiful, amazing, and all the great adjectives in dictionary. But I also hate how you never notice my feelings for you. You’re a very stupid girl Glace McKenzie but I still like you no matter what.”

My eyes closed on its own and I soon fell asleep. It was already morning when I woke up for real. Someone breathed gently beside me which made me froze in place. What the heck? I imagined Jason from Friday the 13th and gasped. Oh God. My head slowly turned and I saw Glace sleeping soundly on my left. I relaxed immediately.

When did she get here? I glanced around the room and noticed a black duffel bag sitting on the floor. Whose bag was that? A scan on my body revealed that I was wearing different set of clothes from what I had the other day.

Let me rephrase that. A glance downward revealed that I was wearing a different shirt but no pants or shorts whatsoever. She changed me. Again. I groaned to myself. How many times would she have to see me in my underwear? It was really getting out of hand. My dignity went out the window.

I plopped back on the bed and just stayed there until she stirred awake. “You’re up already,” she murmured before sitting up and sliding out of the bed. Her absence made me cold and I shivered. She noticed me trembling and covered my body with the comforter. “Want me to increase the temperature from the heater?” she asked.

I shook my head. “When did you get here?”

“Last night. You were absent in school so I asked the teacher why. When he told me that you were sick, I came here.” She shrugged and reached for a hair tie that was placed on my table to the right.

“How did you get in?” I asked with a hint of suspicion.

She smiled and brushed a stray hair away from her face. “I asked the neighbor nicely if she knew where the key was.”

I rolled my eyes. Of course the neighbor would tell her. She was freaking Frio the celebrity. “You’re in your underwear again,” I said sourly.

“I already told you that I sleep in the nude. I actually did you a favor by not removing everything.” She smirked and leaned over me. I noticed her cleavage and looked away shyly. “You don’t remember saying anything last night?”

“What are you talking about?” I replied indignantly.

“Nothing,” she mumbled and stood up straight. “What do you want for breakfast Dulce? Soup? Chowder? I’ll try to make anything for you.”

I turned to her and scanned her body with my eyes. “You’re going to cook in that black skimpy lace?”

“Judging from your smart mouth, you’re already getting well,” she said with satisfaction and walked to me. She tried to feel my forehead with her palm and frowned. “But you still have a fever so let’s work by getting that down.” She headed to the direction of the duffel bag and rummaged through its contents.

When she finally found what she was looking for, she smiled in satisfaction and quickly wore the blue silk bathrobe. “Tell you what,” she said. “If you still have fever by the end of the day, I’ll sleep beside you completely nude and embrace you while we sleep.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I protested.

“Don’t you know that sharing body heat can be good for you?” she chuckled. “Besides, I hate the whole look but no touch thing.” She winked.

“You’re a pervert,” I said with a small smile. I couldn’t help it. She was too charming for her own good. “Only with you,” she murmured before disappearing behind the door.

When she reappeared, she already has two steaming bowls of soup in her hands. She set it carefully on the bedside table and helped me up. The gesture was eerily familiar but I dismissed it. “I’ll feed you first before I eat,” she said.

“I can do it for myself thank you very much,” I said stubbornly.

She didn’t listen and took the bowl. She stirred it a little before bringing the spoon to her lips and blowing gently on the soup. “This is chicken soup. Not only is it good for the soul, it will make you feel great too.” She laughed softly and brought the spoon close to my face while holding the bowl underneath my chin to catch it when it spills.

I rolled my eyes but sipped on it nonetheless. She was too cute for words and I didn’t have the right to refuse her. Not when she was taking care of me like this. I secretly hated her for it. Because of her sweetness, I like her more and I knew I shouldn’t. When both of us finished eating, she took a shower and dressed in shorts and a red tank top.

“I don’t think we can wash you yet,” she said with a glimmer in her eyes. “So I’ll just wipe your body with a wet cloth and help you brush your teeth. How does that sound?”

Blush crept in my face due to embarrassment. “I can do that,” I said quickly. She shook her head. “Don’t argue with me Dulce. Or I’m going to call your mom and tell her that you’ve been a bad girl. She knows I’m here. I spoke to her on the phone while preparing the soup.”

“Does she know that you’re harassing me right now?” I arched my eyebrow and waited for her to reply.

“I haven’t even started yet,” she smirked and sat on the bed. “Look. . . You’ll feel so much better once we’re finished. I won’t peek I promise. Scout’s honor.” She raised her three fingers and nodded solemnly at me.

“No way. . . You were a scout?” I asked curiously.

She lowered her hands and smiled sheepishly. “No. But I saw it in movies and I’ve always wanted to do it.” That made me laugh. “You’re such a dork Glace. I bet your thousands of fans don’t know that.”

“It’s millions of fans,” she corrected while wriggling her eyebrows. “And who says I was cool anyway?” She touched my right arm gently. “I’m going to get a basin now so I can wipe you. I’m not taking no for an answer.” She stood up and walked briskly out of the room before I could object.

When she returned, she brought the basin as promised and a blue hand towel. The basin was filled with tap water and ice. I shivered just from looking at it. She placed everything on the bedside table and turned to me. “Let’s remove that shirt,” she said.

Knowing that I couldn’t do anything about it, I raised my arms and turned my head away while she removed my grey tee. I felt like a kid at the moment. A kid who has a drop dead gorgeous celebrity staring at her while she was sick and in her underwear. I didn’t know what was worse, the fact that I haven’t taken a bath yet, or Glace seeing me like this. I decided that both merit an embarrassing award.

She tossed the shirt in the hamper next to the door and dipped the hand towel in the basin. After she squeezed it tightly, she sat down in front of me on the bed and proceeded to wipe me. Her strokes were gentle and both of us were quiet while she cleaned my body. All the while my heart nearly jumped out of my chest because it was beating furiously.

“Glace,” I murmured.

“Hmmm?” she said while wiping my neck.

“Why are you taking care of me?” I looked her straight in the eyes and searched her coffee colored pupils. She stopped what she was doing momentarily but continued after a few seconds. “I don’t need a reason to do it,” she said.

I swallowed hard. “Is there a chance that you’ll stop loving your childhood sweetheart and fall for another person?” A frown crossed her face. She dipped the hand towel on the basin and squeezed it again before answering. “No Dulce. I don’t think that will ever happen. I’ll always be in love with her. She’s the reason for everything I do.”

I bit my bottom lip and stared at the window on my left. “If that’s the case then please stop being nice to me.”

“Why?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I have my reasons.” I took a big gulp of air and forced a smile on my face before looking at her. “Hey let’s play a game.” She soaked the hand towel. “What kind?”

“You choose,” I said. She went lower to my legs and started wiping there. It tickled a little but I held it in. There was no reason to embarrass myself further by looking like an idiot in front of her. “Let’s exchange facts about each other,” she said. “For every information that I tell you about me, you need to give me one about you. The fact should only be known by you and no one else. Kind of like trading a secret.”

“Sure,” I agreed. “You first.”

“There are three reasons why I became a celebrity,” she said with her brows furrowed.

For my turn I said, “I secretly like Disney movies. Especially the one called Brave.”

She smiled. “I liked that too. The girl kicked ass.” She reached for my foot and started wiping it. “Okay the next fact about me is that my first reason for being a celebrity was because of my mom. She was a star too and I wanted to follow her footsteps when she died.”

I touched her right leg. “I’m so sorry Glace. She must have been a good mother.” She nodded. “She was. Your turn Dulce.”

I cleared my throat. “The second fact about me is I kissed a boy before but I didn’t really like it.” Glace smiled in amusement. “Oh really now?” she snickered. I nodded. “Yeah. His mouth was too big and his body too muscular. It didn’t suit my taste. I prefer a woman’s lips and body.”

Glace stood up and placed the towel inside the basin. She rummaged inside her duffel bag and found a white towel- in big size this time. She plopped back on the bed and started wiping me dry. “The second reason why I became a celebrity was so my father would notice me.”

I stared at her with wide eyes and didn’t speak. She continued. “When my mom died, my father ignored me totally. It felt like I lost two parents at the same time. I thought that if I became an actress, he’d finally notice me and love me.” She gave a small laugh. “But my dad was a jerk and never wanted to speak to me so that’s that.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I murmured. She leaned nearer and wiped my back gently with the towel. “You don’t have to say anything about it. But you do need to tell me the next secret about you.”

I sighed. She was so persistent. “I hate heights.”

She leaned back and looked at me. “Why?” I tucked a stray hair behind my ear. “You’ll have to tell me your next secret in order to find out.”

“Fair enough,” she said. “The last and most important reason why I became a celebrity was due to a promise.” I cocked my head to the side and listened. “When I was 7 years old, I was a very ugly and insecure child,” she snickered.

“I doubt that,” I countered. “But I was,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I hated myself for it. Anyway, I met this beautiful kid. I was crying that day because it was my mom’s funeral. The little girl and I talked for a long time. When it was time to go home, we both knew that we’d never see each other again.”

“What happened?” I asked with bathed breath. Glace’s lips curled upward. “I promised the girl that I’d become a strong woman and find her no matter what. At that time I didn’t know what being in love means because I was a child. But I still kept my promise because the words she said to me that day made me survive everything that came my way.”

“I did it all so that someday when I confess to her, I can proudly say that I became strong for her. Nothing will make me happier Dulce,” she said with wistfulness in her voice.

“And did you find her and confessed like promised? Was she everything you dreamed of?” I asked.

“The funny thing was when I decided to drop everything to locate her, she found me instead. I never believed in serendipity, destiny, and all that cliche before. But when she fell right into my lap that day. . . It felt like the stars aligned for us.” She sighed. “And yes she was everything I dreamed of. No. She was even better.”

“I can’t believe you waited that long for a girl,” I scoffed. I groaned inwardly. Now I don’t really stand a chance against her sweetheart.

Glace gave a heartbreaking smile. “What can I say? She was worth the wait. And if I have to patiently wait some more for her, then by all means I’ll do it.”

“What if she falls in love with another woman?”

Glace’s smile was wiped away. “Then that will break me into pieces,” she whispered.