My Phony Ladylove

03. Her Secret Crush

"GOOD MORNING! Why didn't anybody wake me up?" Keira said upon entering their living room, wearing an accusing look aimed towards her family.

"Mom told us not to. Besides, it's a weekend. You deserve to rest more," said her fifteen-year-old sister, Ella.

"Oh, honey, that's so sweet. But if you think of buttering me up so that you can attend that concert you've been blabbing about, you're clearly mistaken. Your finals are fast approaching therefore no distractions," Keira replied with an air of finality.

"But—" her sister tried to reason out but was interrupted.

"Ella, you heard your sister," their mom said. Ella puts on a pout.

Lincoln, Keira's five-year-old brother, saw his sister, Ella, sulking. He squeezed her hand to comfort her before looking at Keira in confusion.

"Did you make Ella sad?" he asked.

"It wasn't intentional, baby. I was just about to tell her that I got her a ticket to her favorite band's album signing instead, which is, fortunately, a day after her week-long exams but since she's all sulky, I might return the ticket." Upon hearing Keira, Ella's face immediately brightened. She then lunged at her sister before showering her with hugs and kisses.

"I promise to ace my exams!" Ella said. Keira told her to keep her promise while proceeding to the dining room.

"Hungry?" her mom asked, putting down a plate filled with food before her.

"Famished. Thank you, Mom. I love you!" she replied before taking a seat.

"I love you too, anything for my lovely daughter. Anyway, until what time did you have to stay up? Look at those bags under your eyes," her mom said worriedly.

"Don't worry about it, mom. It's nothing that a little make-up can't fix," she reassured.

"Why don't you give yourself a break? I can manage the shop for a day or two. Besides, your siblings are here to help."

"I can't take a break when it's peak season. We need all the money we can get before the bank starts hounding us again. Besides, Ella and Lincoln need to focus on studying. Their exams are just around the corner."

"It's not your burden to keep, dear. You should at least have had a normal life like those young ladies. Take time to have fun and spend it with your friends."

"Mom, please stop thinking like that. You've done a great job of bringing us up by yourself. Please just let me share your burden, okay? We're all in this together."

"I just feel like you deserve so much better. I'm so much blessed to have you, my little monsters."

"I am not little anymore, mom. Also, I do spend time with my friends. In fact, I'm going to Mia's birthday party tonight. You're okay with that, right?"

"Definitely! I should thank your dear friend for always pestering you to go out with her. If she didn't, you could have probably turned into a hermit already," her mom said before chuckling after seeing a scowl on her face.

"Greet your dear friend for me, okay?" her mom continued. She just nodded.

"I have to go. Before you leave, I left a basket of flowers on the table in the living room. Please deliver them to Mrs. Jung's office."

"Will do. I'll drop by her office before submitting my job application papers. I'll probably be at the shop before noon," she replied before bidding her mom goodbye.

Wanting to watch television before starting her day, she decided to continue eating her breakfast in the living room. She changed channels before stopping on a news program. She watched as one of the anchors started reporting.

"Let's proceed to Business News.

"Following last year's 'Corporation of the Year' in the commercial products sector by the Suppliers Development Council, Forbes magazine's inauguration as part of the "Platinum List" of the Top 100 best managed, large companies and receiving a National Business Award in the Company of the Year - Consumer Products category, Dimitri Group of Companies has been named the most respected company in the tenth annual business awards in Singapore. The said group of companies made big money in the first half of the year as their record-high stocks shot up to almost sixty percent.

"After President and CEO, Theodore Dimitri, received the award, he shocked the whole business industry when he announced that he'll be stepping down from his position early next year. Business experts were shocked to hear the news. Many were also curious as to who will replace the current CEO in the company. What will be the future of the leading company without Theodore Dimitri?"

Keira's intellectual curiosity allowed her to be well educated and updated on current events. She expressed her opinion on the issue with a frown on her face, "That company will definitely be okay. It's predictable though. The CEO position shall be given to someone as capable as its current executives or even better. He wouldn't be thinking of stepping down if it weren't the case. People are sometimes overanalyzing things," she said. Another anchor was then showed on the television and began reporting.

"Off to Showbiz News.

"Unimusic Group's hottest and new boy band, The Breaking Dawn, is now ready to take over the world. After the survival program, Boyband, which the CEO of Unimusic, Will Adams, produced, the band will have their grand debut stage at the Global Music Awards that will be held at Madison Square Gardens.

"Is that Aiden Davis?" Keira almost dropped her utensils when the video footage of The Breaking dawn's vocalist, Aiden Davis was shown.

She then went near the television to get a clearer view of her male crush since ah... let's say since God knows when? Yeah, that's right. He's the only guy she's been crushing on since grade school. He was a year younger and was one of the popular boys, who would always be asked to perform in every school event. And she would always be there, watching and supporting him from afar. She remembered the past as she stared at his handsome face.

┅

KEIRA KEPT ON CRYING. If there's something she's definitely afraid of, it's being left alone in the dark.

After her class ended, she rushed to the library to work on her book report but she fell asleep while doing it. When she woke up, it was already dark and the lights were already turned off. She tried to find her phone just to find it out of battery.

Left with no choice, she decided to run her way out. She sped towards the door of the library and ran towards the corridor as fast as she could. She kept on running while her body was shaking and with tears falling from her eyes. She was so afraid. She hated dark places so much. She was trembling as she was rushing to get to the end of the corridor when she slipped off the floor and fell down.

"Ah!" she screamed in pain. She tried to get up but pain shot down her ankle. "Why... Why am I so unlucky?"

She continued to cry, still sitting on the ground and unable to move because of too much pain when suddenly, she heard someone talk, "Stop crying."

She then started to cry out loud. "Please don't do anything to me. I didn't mean to disturb you. Please spare me. Please, I'm begging you!" she said while closing her eyes, afraid of seeing a gruesome creature before her. She then heard a laugh before hearing footsteps, coming towards her. Afraid for her life, she wailed loudly, hoping that someone would hear her.

"Keep quiet. I'm not going to do anything you," he said, frustrated. She finally calmed down and slowly looked at the voice's direction only to find the handsome and gorgeous boy she's been eyeing on a lot, Aiden Davis.

"Y...you?"

"Yes, me. What were you thinking? It's not like I can eat you or something. I don't eat humans, you know."

She hiccupped— "Sorry. I just" —and hiccupped—"thought you were..." —and hiccupped.

"A monster?" he asked before chuckling.

She lowered her head in embarrassment. He got it right but there's no way she's going to tell him. How old is she already to believe in such ridiculousness?

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"Kind of."

"Let me see," he said as he used his phone as the source of light to check her ankle. When he touched her ankle, she immediately flinched.

"I think you tore a muscle. Does it hurt that bad?"

"A bit," she answered. It actually hurts like hell but she didn't want to bother him more than she already had.

She was still contemplating how to go about her situation when he suddenly went in front of her and offered his back.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Get on my back."

"What?"

"I said, get on my back."

"But..."

"Come on. It's getting late. We don't want our parents to worry, right?" he tried to convince her. She was a bit doubtful at first but she just shrugged it off and got on his back.

"Am... am I heavy?"

"Not really. I just think you ate loads of food today."

"Hey!"

"I'm just kidding."

When they arrived at the school gate, they saw Aiden's driver immediately and offered to bring her home. While they were traveling, Keira kept mum—ashamed and too shy to speak. Before she and Aiden parted ways, he reminded her to apply a cold compress on her ankle. He immediately left so she didn't even have the chance to thank him. That was probably the last time she saw him because she was forced to transfer to a less expensive school after her father's death. She heard months ago that he's an artist under Unimusic and was preparing for his debut. Upon hearing that he will be a part of Unimusic's survival show, she patiently waited for the premiere of the program. She didn't miss any episode and watched from the first episode up to the last. She rooted and cheered for him. She even convinced almost all the people she knows to vote for his team. Thankfully, all her hard work paid off. After 3 months of non-stop battle against another team, Aiden and his team won the hearts of their viewers and they're now ready to conquer the world.