CHARLIE

I was lounging on a plush white sofa, enjoying its low and comfortable embrace one evening.

Piles of papers covered my lap as I jotted down questions, engrossed in my work. Suddenly, my phone on the table jolted me out of my reverie with its insistent ringing.

“Who could it be this time, huh?”

There were calls made for some phony news and perspectives, there were people who demanded favors that were beyond of my authority, and there were even some death threats that were made.

It was and has always been like that ever since I joined the tumultuous world of media.

They would contact me so early in the morning that it would interrupt my sleep on occasion, and other times they would even call me at midnight. There were times when I answered the phone and there was complete silence on the other end of the line.

It was just the sound of the crickets or perhaps the sound of someone breathing, but there was never a single word or a hazy speech.

"Kids nowadays really know how to make fun of other people huh," This is what I thought every time I accepted or before ending some of the said phony calls.

I extended my arms and placed some papers down on the sofa before stretching. I was being obnoxious by reaching for my phone, which was sitting on the end table.

I attempted to ignore it, but the call persisted even after that. It was relentless in its pursuit of snuffing out my momentum on thinking and writing, but just when I was ready to switch it off, a message suddenly popped up from an unknown number.

'Princess Mirabella' these two words appeared as a message on the screen in quick succession.

"Princess Mirabella?" I read silently with a frown.

I was taken aback by the strange messages that I've been receiving as of late. Even though I didn't have the slightest clue as to who the sender might be – I couldn't help but wonder if they were making fun of me or if they were just sending random texts to the wrong people.

I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed some answers and needed to figure out who was sending me these strange messages. I didn't even have a single idea as to who the sender might be.

When I read these words again that appeared on the screen, I felt a tightening in my chest, and I couldn't quite put my finger on how to describe the sensation accurately. It appeared to me that I had a connection to it, and I felt that connection.

“Princess Mirabella…”

I inhaled deeply before pushing myself off the sofa and standing up. After tying my hair up and grabbing my coffee cup from the table – which had been piping hot only an hour earlier but was now ice cold – I made my way to the window.

I paused for a few seconds to gaze out the window. Outside, there was nothing but complete and utter blackness. After a few more deep breaths, I attempted to recapture the momentum that I had been losing as a result of the distressing and weird phone calls and texts that I had been getting.

“Focus self. Focus!” I mumbled to myself while taking a gulp of my coffee.

On the other hand, the reverse occurred, as instead of finding clarity, a rush of memories flooded my mind.

Flashes of my brother Alejandro chasing me in our garden. We were playing together, and he never wanted me to get injured in any way. He was such a gentleman in a young age.

I looked over and saw my mother and father standing in a gazebo. They were yelling at us to come out of hiding because they said it was going to start raining and we needed to get back inside as soon as possible.

A resumption of my brother's pursuit coincided with the beginning of a loud ringing sound coming from my phone. My body felt as if it had been brutally kidnapped and yanked out of a foreign dimension – maybe a realm of unwelcome flashbacks – but anyway, it caused me to be jolted out of reality, and I was horrified as a result.

As soon as I tasted the delicious coffee that had been turned into a sour one, I thought to myself, "This coffee is no longer helping."

As my anger level rose, I hurriedly placed the item back where it had been and reached for my phone instead. I was quite fortunate that it was not yet another call from an unknown number.

When I saw her name, some of the tension in my body began to release. It was Avery. Avery Guavez. She was my best friend and one of the only individuals in my life whom I trusted and who stood with me throughout my struggles.

She was gorgeous and our height was the same, and I really appreciated her laid-back, calm attitude toward life. I can say that she’s, my constant. Her calm and easygoing nature always brought me solace.

"Hey there, Charlie! What’s up?" Avery's voice greeted me with enthusiasm the moment I answered the call.

"Oh, hi there," I still wasn't able to come up with the words. I was still feeling a little amount of frustration as a result of all the ideas that had been going through my head because of the phone calls that seemed to have already damaged my eardrum and brain at the same time.

“What’s with that tone, girl? Are you okay?” Avery asked, concern was evident in her tone.

"Hmm, just tired, I guess. This evening had been a little bit hectic. As per usual, I'm working on my papers, and it’s giving me headache now. But, thank goodness you called, because I really need some rationality right about now. You are my savior, Avery!” I joked, trying to downplay the chaos in my mind.

"Just a little bit hectic, huh? Are you sure it was just a bit? Oh, come on, dear friend, don’t fool me!” she exclaimed, still concerned.

I just made a soft giggle as a response and then before I could even say a word, she continued talking.

"You never stop saying that, Charlotte! It’s not a bit, you are super busy. And now, you sounded like you were under a lot of pressure. Perhaps you might benefit from a little diversion!”

“A little diversion? What do you mean?” I inquired and I heard her heaved a sigh on the other line.

CHARLIE

“Well, you know, have some fun! You've forgotten how to enjoy yourself! Sometimes, you need to shake things up a bit and then return to your path," Avery suggested, her voice taking on a more serious tone. She really understood the pressures of my job.

"I didn't think a little distraction was what I needed, perhaps… maybe I just needed a little more focus?"

We shared a giggle as I cautiously balanced my phone on my ear with the shoulder of one of my hands.

I was anticipating an offer to hang out with her, and it was possible that she might want a movie night at my house as well, so I did some light cleaning and attempted to retrieve the papers that I had thrown on the sofa earlier.

I was only trying to tidy up a little since I knew it when Avery talked like way. It's not like we aren't comfortable with each other yet to see each other's homes in disorder or in a complete mess.

She was presumably up to something - something that would need me to quit my work for a while and shake things off a little bit, and as soon as I thought of that, she simply spoke with excitement.

“No! You already focused enough with your work, Charlie. So for now, you need to have fun. And I am sure you’re up for it!”

"Yeah, right. When will I ever learn to say no to you, Avery?" To alleviate some of the uneasiness, I let out a lighthearted chuckle.

All my worries, I didn't really want to speak about it just now — neither the odd phone calls nor the ludicrous text messages that I've been getting a lot more often recently.

In addition, since I was working as a journalist at the time, I made an effort to classify them as belonging to the category of "normal."

To allow these things to impact me in real life and, of course, in a more intimate manner, I felt it could be unprofessional of me to do so because of the nature of the relationship we had.

My first reaction was that it was probably not essential for me to become involved with or immerse myself in these straightforward hoax calls and texts.

“Yes, and it sounds like a lot of fun! Trust me!" Avery exclaimed once more.

"Okay, fine. Tell me, when will it be?" I inquired once more and I did not stop her from continuing.

“Tonight, Charlie! The celebration was in honor of Mason's birthday. One of our close pals from high school, do you remember him? Additionally, he was a student in our English class!”

I gave Mason a little amount of my attention and did my best to picture his appearance in my mind.

"What’s with the silence, Charlie? Oh God! How could you possibly forget the only student in our English class who knew twenty other languages?” Avery sneered at me.

"Mason Kingston? Oh that guy!” As soon as I recalled him, I instantly referred to him as ‘the one who always sits beside Fiona’.

“Yes! And while we're on the subject of Fiona, she would be there as well. I've heard that several of our old friends and classmates from high school will also be there! Exciting, right?” It sounded as if she was rather thrilled.

“Hmm, I see…” I only murmured as I was trying to make an educated estimate about the list of persons whom I could run into later on at the party.

"Just say yes! You already know you can’t say no to me so, I'll come get you up at nine o'clock!”

After I gave my ‘okay’, the two of us ended the call. After that, all I did was put my phone somewhere else and concentrate on getting my assignments done.

Thankfully, after I had eliminated all potential sources of distraction, I was able to complete my work well in advance of 7 o'clock and had plenty of extra time to get ready for the party.

Just now I was wearing a form-fitting cocktail dress. It was dark in color and had a seductive slit along with a little bit of glitter on the bottom part of it.

Avery came to get me at 9 o'clock that night, as we had previously arranged, and we drove to a lavish penthouse that was given the name “Pentagon”.

The apartment was decorated with a sophisticated color scheme of black and dark blue.

Everything, from the floor to the furnishings, and even the strobe lights, was a rental. Avery and I went outside, up to the rooftop, where there was a large bar that seemed to be rather elegant as well as a pool.

On the edge of the rooftop, there was a seating area with sofas that gave off an upscale appearance, while another was located by the pool.

A lengthy bar had been stocked with expensive bottles of booze in neat rows. Because the volume of the music was higher inside than it was here, we decided against going back inside initially.

I was a bit self-conscious since there were a lot of people around me whose faces I didn't remember, even if some of them seemed somewhat familiar. In contrast to Avery, she seemed to be smiling at everyone she saw as if they were all old good friends.

"Gotcha! There he is!" Avery exclaimed and pointed to a guy who had a wide back with his finger.

To my surprise, I struggled to recognize the resemblance between our dorky high school classmate Mason and the striking figure before me.

“That was Mason, right?” I spoke to Avery in a hushed tone.

CHARLIE

"Unbelievable, right? But yeah! It was him all along! He has gone through a lot of transformation and has become a lot more gorgeous as a result!” Just now I became aware that Avery had begun drinking when she waved to Mason while holding a bottle of vodka in her hand.

Mason approached us with a kind grin, instantly putting me at ease. "Wow! Hey, there! Charlie Caivano and Avery Guavez, right?"

“Yeah! And last but certainly not least, the unrivaled Mason Wickson! What a wonderful birthday!" Avery gave Mason a bear hug, which made it uncomfortable for me to not reciprocate, so I gave Mason a little bear hugs out of embarrassment instead. Mason seemed to appreciate the gesture.

"You caught me off guard! You both look amazing. I wanted to catch up, but more guests keep arriving. Let's reconnect with our old classmates later. For now, just enjoy the night," Mason said graciously before excusing himself to attend to other guests.

I hadn't expected him to have such a large circle of friends. In high school, Mason was an awkward dork, rarely seen with companions.

He hurriedly turned around and entered the penthouse before leaving. He had a lot on his plate between mingling with the freshly arriving guests and walking about.

"See? I told you he was so adorable now!" Avery chortled and dragged me closer to the water as she glanced about for a spot to sit down.

"And when did you start admiring nerds?" I teased.

"Oh, for God's sake! Just take a look at him now! He is not like anybody else!” Avery replied.

“There!” She continued right away while pointing to the large sofa that was next to the pool.

"You know what, Ms. Journalist? Instead of second-guessing your preferences, why don't you fetch us some vodka?" Avery settled onto the sofa, gesturing toward the bar. As Avery relaxed into the party, my shyness waned. I agreed and headed toward the bar.

I approached the bartender who was standing closest to the edge, despite the fact that all of them seemed to be in good grooming.

"Vodka for two, if you could, please!" The bartender seemed to be no more than 20 years old based on his appearance alone. After receiving the order, he began preparing the beverages.

"Yes, two vodkas coming right up, for you lovebirds," the bartender joked as he started preparing the drinks. I waved off his comment, not wanting to entertain any romantic notions.

“Love birds…” I began to say, but before I could finish, a familiar voice interrupted me from behind.

To my utter astonishment, I recognized an old friend. A tall, gorgeous man who wore a suit that seemed like it cost a lot of money – almost as much money as the broad grin he sported on his face while glancing at me.

"Hi Charlotte!" I was speechless, my jaw dropping at the unexpected encounter. Memories flooded back, and it took a moment for me to regain my composure.

I had no way of forgetting that this person was involved. It took me a few seconds to blink before I understood that he was listening for me to make a comment or question.

I gave myself some time to process the fact that I was gazing at Julius for an extended period of time. I was really captivated by him. It was indeed him, right in front of me.

‘Julius Ferguson.’

However, he was not like any of the other students in our high school class. He was one of a kind of our classmates.

In my mind, he was never just an average student who shared the same classroom as I did and sat next to me. He was priceless to me; he was a star, serving as a fascinating inspiration and a source of motivation for me throughout those days, and I could tell... maybe even till today.

“Charlotte, I apologize for appearing out of nowhere like a specter here. Have you forgotten me already?" Julius grinned and walked closer to where I was standing.

"Oh hello! Julius! It was –" Even though there was no genuine cause for my nod, I nevertheless gave it. "It was wonderful to have you with us today. I simply... didn't really expect to see you around"

As I blurted out my response, I was aware that my face was becoming pink. So, I had to look away.

"You haven't changed one bit, Charlie. You still get tongue-tied around me, and I have no idea why," Julius said with a playful smile, approaching me.

"What do you mean?" I chuckled nervously, feeling the intensity of his gaze. Even looking at him was too much for me to bear.

"Perhaps because I always seemed to show up unexpectedly. But don't worry, I won't be the only one here tonight," Julius teased, walking beside me.

I slowed my pace, unable to process his sudden presence. I had no right to inquire why he was here, and I didn't want to embarrass myself further.

Julius was standing next to me as I turned to face the counter. Unfortunately, by the time I had feigned to observe the bartender, he had already finished making the drinks.

"Here it goes! Two vodkas for you, love birds!" As he was setting the drinks down on the counter, the bartender again mentioned the word, ‘love birds’.

“Uh no–” I made an aggressive motion with my hand. "He was not... my... I wasn't even his—"

When I looked across at Julius for a moment. He seemed to be making fun of me by smiling widely and giving me the impression that he was taunting me.

"Sorry, but we’re not love birds. Thanks for these, by the way!" I immediately accepted the beverages, and Julius stopped me just as I was going to make an embarrassment of myself by walking away.

“Charlotte, calm down. There is no need for you to behave awkwardly. He was unaware of it," he uttered.

I was completely taken aback by him, being here, and I had no idea what action to do next. I am not allowed to inquire why, and I never had the right to do so.

"You're hanging out with Avery, right?" After giving him another quick glance, I nodded in his direction.

"Oh, I see. Well, let me introduce myself to her!" He stated and I didn't say anything. On our way to Avery, I just let him to accompany me.

As soon as we got closer to Avery, we could see that she was already feeling a little tipsy and that she had a large number of empty glasses in front of her. There were both male and female voices heard conversing alongside her.

"What took you so long?" Avery inquired in a jovial manner, and then she spotted Julius standing next to me. As she spoke, I saw that her eyes were becoming wider.

I gazed at her, warning her not to make any fun comments or so, but to no avail.

"Oh my! Charlie, you really shouldn't have come back sooner. Now the two of you can have a good time together, in secret, if you'd like..."

It was obvious that Avery was being playful. She was aware of the fact that I had a significant crush on Julius while we were in high school together.

And perhaps, up until now as obviously, I am blushing.