| Fan Fiction |
by Shweta
Ariel heard the message for what seemed like a hundredth time in five days. It had been five days since Joe left her and went to Paris with Ella. It had been six days since the shoot for their show Close had been completed. It had been seven days since Joe had rubbished her confession and turned it into a joke. And it seemed like an eternity of pain was looming over her.
She stared blankly at her answering machine. She had called Joe immediately, thinking it to be a joke. He couldn’t possibly be serious about Ella? One week they had been going out and already Joe felt it was serious? She knew Joe, how could he ever get serious? He wasn’t the type. She thought she was the only one who could change him.
She didn’t know if it was over confidence or stupidity, but she believed that if she confessed to Joe, he would return her feelings. She thought, knew, and somehow believed, that he would say he loves her too. She hadn’t expected her feelings to be made into a joke.
These past seven days Jiro had been keeping her company, but he too had gone for a shoot to Hong Kong for a series of his. He was really excited about it, and Ariel wished him luck. He had asked her to accompany him, but Ariel rejected it saying it might start rumours.
She couldn’t handle rumours with anyone else but Joe. She wanted to thank the media for consistently pairing her up with Joe even though she acted with many others.
Being paired with Joe in the media, reading letters from kids asking her to marry Joe, it all felt so nice. She wanted to write back to every writer that she would definitely marry Joe someday. She wanted to scream from rooftops that she loves Joe.
But she never did any of those things, she decided to wait until Joe and her were together, but now…the media was already reporting Joe’s relationship with Ella. They had snapped his picture with her at the airport. There were stories going around about him being serious with Ella. Every other paper had a picture of him holding Ella close, of him laughing with her.
Ariel closed her eyes and tried for patience. She wouldn’t cry. She shouldn’t cry. Joe is no longer for her. She didn’t mind spending her life alone, but she didn’t want to read about Joe either.
What if Joe got married to Ella? What would she do then? Watch him grow old with her, and take care of his kids? While Joe and Ella went to some cool party and had a night full of fun?
Ariel sighed, she probably would do that. She was a doormat. Even if Joe was happily married she would stile pine for him and look after him, and give him advice, and…Ariel sighed. She really was pathetic.
Ariel got up and placed the phone back on her table. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of fresh orange juice.
“Joe’s favourite brand…Ariel, you’re pathetic.” She sighed. She looked around and realised Joe has been living with her ever since…well ever since she fell in love with him. He was there in everything she ate and drank. She never liked orange juice until one fateful day Joe forced it down her throat.
Naturally made orange juice contained citrus and tasted horrible even though you put oodles of sugar in it. She hated it. She couldn’t stand it. But Joe went away for two weeks and then the only thing that she had of him which she could hold was orange juice.
So she went out that day and bought herself two cartons of orange juice, and finished it in a day. Since then it has become a drug for her. She looked at the carton as tears flooded her eyes.
Ariel don’t cry…
Now all she had left of Joe was his memories. She looked around at the room. Joe had painted it for her…albeit he did it after she became very pissed off, but he still did it.
Ariel don’t cry…
He always took care of her, and protected her. She remembered that one time when Joe had fought with the entire press for her. A guy was stalking her and so the press followed her everywhere she went to take her reactions which she was reluctant to give.
Joe fought with a photographer and later had to fight off reports of him being violent. Ariel was touched and instantly fell for him. She realised now, too late, that he was just being her friend and nothing more.
Ariel don’t cry…
She kept repeating those three words in her mind like a mantra, but her heart wouldn’t listen. She sighed and let the tears flow. Jiro was right, she had to move on!
***
She rummaged through her mail until she found it. An invitation to a party thrown by Hebe and Selina to invite Enrique to Taiwan. She noted the date and time. It was for the next day at seven. Ariel wiped her tears and went into her bedroom to decide what to wear. Enrique stopped his car in front of the gates and handed the valet his keys. He wished he could park his own car, it was his life. The yellow Lamborghini is something he always dreamed of, but couldn’t buy because his ex-girlfriend always thought it was a bit too scary. He didn’t want to disappoint her.
But as soon as the relationship ended he queued up to buy the yellow beast. He booked a car just like it here in Taiwan. He remembered his mother’s words…’boys will be boys.’
What else will they be? He thought, a smile coming to his face. Another thought came to his mind that wiped the smile off his face.
A single, rich bachelor like him going to a party all by himself and no date, that is pretty dangerous. But he had to do it. She would be there, hopefully. By all that he read of her, she never came to parties. She only went to her press releases and award shows. Timid? Reserved? He didn’t know, but he had to know to find out. He was taking a big risk today. How else could he meet her if not in a party? He couldn’t just walk into her sets one fine day and demand that she become his girlfriend. Though the thought did cross his mind.
He said a little prayer and walked into the party scene wishing she was there.
“Hello! Enrique darling, you’re finally here! I expected you to be arriving much later.” Hebe said waving a hand towards him, her voice was loud enough to make heads turn in their direction. There was a murmur of approval and more people came to his side and greeted him.
His eyes were looking for her; they lowered in disappointment when they couldn’t find her. So she hadn’t come to this party. He thought about the rumours he read about her on the internet. It said she had a boyfriend, but now he’s dating someone else, some girl named Emma.
He was worried she wouldn’t want to have a relationship with him because she was so hung up over her boyfriend.
He hoped the rumour was false. After all he was in the entertainment business too. He knew very well about how the media made up stories some times, and how some times the people they hired for their publicity spread such rumours.
He kept her out of his thoughts for a moment and thought about what he was going to do in this party. He knew no one. Everyone here was Chinese, and he didn’t know a damn word in their language. What was he going to do here?
“Hey, dance with me?” Hebe asked him suddenly. There was no time to answer because she was pulling at his arm and leading him to the dance floor. He thought as long as he’s here, he might as well party with a beautiful woman.
“So, what’s up?”
“Oh nothing.” Hebe replied vaguely. Enrique hated that in a woman! If needed compatibility, he needed someone who could give a nice long satisfactory reply, rather than just two words.
“Well, fine.” He replied thinking of when this dance would get over. He would have to make some excuse to get out of the party soon. Maybe a headache? A pain somewhere? The untimely death of a close friend perhaps?
He sighed. He had to stay in this party for a while or it would seem pretty rude. He was trapped.
“What about you? What brings you to Taiwan?”
Enrique blushed, he couldn’t tell Hebe the real reason. But he wanted a friend in Taiwan, otherwise he would be all alone…but a friend in Hebe? He could never fathom that.
“I came for a vacation.Trying to get some R n R.”
“R n R?”
“Rest and relaxation.” Enrique replied. He was so sure she’d come to this party…why didn’t she?
“You came for a vacation in a ridiculously crowded city? Tell me the truth.”
“Well, I heard Taiwan is a beautiful city, and the crowd just makes it more beautiful.”
“Save that rubbish for the press…what’s the real reason?”
“I told you…if you don’t believe me…” He trailed off.
“Well, that’s kind of hard to believe…but I guess I don’t have any other option but to believe, right?” She smiled. “Well, I…” Hebe trailed off, she looked at something behind Enrique and her eyes widened. “Oh my God! She’s here! I can’t believe it!”
Enrique turned around and caught sight of her. In a white sundress, she looked exquisitely beautiful. He tried to control his smile. She was finally here.
***
Well next chapter is Enrique and Ariel's meeting so don't miss it. Plz comment and thnx for the response =D
I also updated when love strikes (winglin.net/fanfic/shweta10)
and A Maths Geek's super secret diary. (http://shwetastories.webs.com/amgssd.html)
Check out shwetastories.webs.com for my other stories.