| Fan Fiction |
by W99
But inside, her heart was hitting roughly two hundred miles per hour, and her stomach felt like a hot house providing shelter for about a gazillion, million butterflies.
The food she was chewing on tasted like paper, but it was either painstakingly go through the motions of eating, or remain idle which felt even more torturous to her. She wanted something to do, she needed something to do. If she couldn’t find anything to distract herself with, she would fall apart and cry.
Which was why, on this fine sunny Tuesday afternoon, Ella Chen could be found sitting in a dressing room, munching on food she didn’t have the mood to swallow, swinging her legs to and fro, to and fro, to and fro.
“Ella, we’re ready for make-up now. We’re due on set in half an hour,” one of the stage coordinators popped in, flashing her a brief, friendly smile before disappearing from the door.
She sighed, setting her lunch box down. Just as well, she really couldn’t stomach any of the stuff further. Picking her way carefully through the jungle of wires and equipments, she slowly walked towards the make-up area, where Selina was already seated, having her hair done.
“Hi El!”
Ella returned her greeting, settling into the seat next to Selina’s. She shot a friendly smile at the make-up artist responsible for her appearance that day.
Selina glanced at Ella out of the corner of her eyes, stifling a small sigh as she took in her tired, swollen eyes and tensed, anxious movements. Ella hadn’t slept well last night.
And no wonder. The both of them were due for a meet-and-greet-the-fans session with none other than one half of the very well-known, very famous boyband, Fahrenheit, in approximately twenty-seven minutes time. No prize for correctly guessing who would be considered within that one part.
It was the meeting that all parties had been dreading. Looking at the last time Chun and Ella had been in the same room, it was painfully obvious that the both of them couldn’t carry out a decent, civil conversation with each other without one of them rupturing a vein first.
Selina glanced down moodily at her perfectly manicured fingernails. It would take a miracle for the four of them to emerge from today’s confrontation alive.
“I know I know, I’ll give Arron a ring later and tell him alright?”
She glanced up, startled when she heard male voices drifting through the partially opened door. A laughing Calvin pushed the door fully opened and stepped carefully over some coiled-up cables into the room. His smile abruptly faded from view, however, as his gaze fell on to the occupants present in the room. His line of vision swivelled first from Selina to Ella, than back to Selina.
Selina gazed wide-eye back up at him.
Realization flared up in their eyes almost at the same time. Calvin quickly turned, desperate to avoid the confrontation that looked to be rearing up any second. “The room’s occupied.”
“What?” Chun’s puzzled voice could be heard, even by Selina and Ella whom was sitting a good distance away. “They told us to come here.”
“I’m guessing we heard wrong? Let’s go check with them again,” Calvin threw a glance behind his shoulder before he left, checking to see if things were alright.
Selina flashed him a grateful smile, thankful that he had been quick enough to deflect off a messy situation.
He smiled back at her, than quickly pulled the door shut.
She heaved a sigh of relief. It had been a close call.
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Calvin shook his head lightly, glad that he was able to discourage Chun from entering the room. It would have been painfully awkward if Ella and he were to lay eyes on each other.
Yes, he knew the two estranged ex(s) were going to have to face each other sooner or later. Sooner in fact, fifteen minutes sooner, judging by the hands on his watch. But if he could find a way to limit their contact, than he would definitely be happy to seize the given opportunity.
He just didn’t want to see his friend suffer any more emotional trauma than necessary. It had been selfish and heartless of HIM to force both Chun and Ella to work with each other, and if Calvin could help lessen any anguish, than obviously, he would try his best to.
He deposited Chun in front of a pile of camera equipments, making sure that his friend was reasonably occupied in his discussion of the afternoon’s program with one of the stage coordinators before hurrying back to the changing room, thinking to tell their make-up artist that both he and Chun had decided to prep up in another area. He pushed open the door and literally bumped into an unsuspecting Selina.
“Oh!” she squeaked in surprise.
“I’m sorry!” he hastily reached out to grab her shoulders, steadying her until she got back her footing.
She raised her head, recognition flashing in her eyes. “Calvin.”
His trademark, sunny boyish grin stole into view as he let go of her. “Hey!”
“Listen, I want to thank you. For earlier,” Selina shyly lowered her gaze to the floor. “It was unbelievably nice of you.”
“It was nothing. I, for one, am not looking forward to any uncomfortable atmospheres. The farther we can keep them from each other, the better,” he waved his right arm airily.
Selina nodded, glancing up at him before looking away. “I know you must dislike Ella for this,” she began hesitantly. “For this whole Chun and Ella fiasco. I completely understand---” she was cut off before she could finish her sentence.
“I don’t blame her,” his tone was quiet.
“You…you don’t?”
He slowly shook his head. “No. I’m sure she has her reasons. I can’t say I’m very happy with the whole thing. And it was hard to see how depressed Chun was the first few weeks after their break up, but I know El has her own troubles to deal with. I mean, who am I to judge her actions when I don’t even understand her side of the story, right?”
Selina nodded haltingly, feeling immensely guilty for some reason. “I feel very sorry about Chun,” she wouldn’t say any more than that.
“I do too,” Calvin cocked his head to one side in a strangely endearing way.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. What a muddle.
There was a small silence before Calvin suddenly straightened up, his manner turning brisk. “Anyway, I came in here to look for our make-up people. But it seems like they’re not here anymore. I’d better go look for them somewhere else then.”
Selina nodded, watching him turn away. “Wait, Calvin…”
He turned back, a quizzical expression on his face.
“I…I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. For trying to understand, for giving Ella the benefit of your doubt, and…and for just now,” apart from expressing her thanks again and again, she didn’t know how else to show him her gratitude.
A brief smile drifted across his face. “It’s nothing. She’s my friend too,” he quietly pulled the door close behind him, leaving Selina behind to ponder over the strange, unidentifiable emotions stirring within herself.
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Yay, I've reached Chapter 8! =D
-W99