Lost In The Parallel World

-CHAP : 4

I was going through the biggest crisis of my life- choosing clothes from the girl who resembles me. Her choice of clothing was awful- loose baggy shirts with skulls printed on them. I couldn't find any decent clothes. Banging my head against the wooden door of the wardrobe, sighing in self-pity. I finally chose a shirt that was less baggy and decent. It was blue half sleeves shirt with white stripes on them and a white bow at the corner of the neckline. Surprisingly her clothes fit me perfectly.

Running my hand through the wet locks of my hair, I walked down into the kitchen. To find my doppelganger mom making breakfast and my siblings huddled around the kitchen.

"Hey dear. Your breakfast is ready." Mom said, softly with a smile on her face. Her eye was getting an angry shade of purple from the bruise. I winced at the sight and walked toward her.

I grabbed her chin and inspected the wound. It was healing not much damage was done.

"What is it?" She asked, confused.

I shook my head and gave her a kind smile.

I sat beside the boy who happens to be my brother. He just looked at me and went back to eat his food. I slowly ate my sandwich, which was shockingly good. I happily ate two of them. The boy looked at the empty plate and then back at me, nodding his head to himself.

He must be reassuring himself about how I was not his sister. It was confusing to me as it was to him. I couldn't grasp the situation how could this happen?

"Jakey, would you play with me?" The little girl who surprisingly looked like a twin to me.

So the boy's name was Jake. I smirked as I looked up at him as he rolled his eyes.

"No Eleanor. I have to go to work. You can play with Esme." He said, giving me a smug look.

Eleanor looked at me with her big doe eyes which were softening my heart slowly.

"Sorry baby Ele, I can't I have to go to work too," I said, softly giving her a soft smile.

Eleanor looked at me with wide eyes as I finished my sentence. I frowned and looked towards Jake and found him sitting with his mouth gaping open. I raised my eyebrows at him in question.

"Are you feeling okay, dear?" Mom asked, her voice held a surprise.

"I am fine Mom," I said, still confused.

"Come on Esme, let's go," Jake said, standing up from the chair and walking towards the sink with the plate in his hands. I followed suit and washed my plate after him.

Picking up my jacket from the chair, I walked out of the home. Jake is hot on my heels.

"I thought I was hallucinating. But, indeed, you are not my sister." He said, voice laced with surprise and wonder.

"That's what I have been telling you since yesterday, get it in your empty head. I am not your sister!" I said, rolling my eyes and making him look at me as I spoke to him.

Jale nodded his head while keeping his mouth shut.

"But I can't understand how can this happen. My sister disappeared into thin air and you appeared out of nowhere. What the hell is even going on?" He said, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"It's alright. I have been going through all the scenarios since yesterday and I haven't gotten anywhere. But I will find it out and go back home- my real home." I said, sighing, my heart felt heavy at the thought.

I missed my parents, Jasmine and my room!.

He stayed silent as we walked side by side, must be processing all the things.

As we were passing by a market, I saw a beautiful dress through the mirror. I stopped and walked towards it like it was calling out to me.

Esme, come and take me.

"What are you looking at?" Jake questioned, shuffling closer to where I stood.

I looked down at the price tag, it was reasonable for me. I took out my wallet and opened it up to see how much money is left behind.

"What!? Are you going to buy this!? It's too expensive! It costs more than my life!" He said, mouth hung open and eyes wide with shock and excitement.

"It's not a big deal for me. I have hundreds of clothes costing higher than this. It's a piece of cake for me." I said, nonchalantly with a shrug on my shoulders.

I counted my money, adding to my bad luck today. I didn't have enough money left. I blew air out of my mouth in anger and frustration. I glared at the sky, cursing God for his selfish twisted plans for me.

What did I do to even deserve this!?

"If you are so rich, why don't you help us? I will help you go back home." Jake proposed as he leaned closer with enthusiasm.

"Right now, I don't have much money. But I have a plan. Deal?" I asked, pushing my hand toward him.

He looked down at my hand in wonder and back at me.

"First tell me about your plan." He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rolling my eyes, I pocketed my wallet and grabbed him by the jacket to drag him along with me as I started walking.

"The plan is I will work and earn money and give half of it to you. But in return, you have to do whatever I say, for me to go back." I said, looking at him sternly and seriously.

His nonseriousness washed away from his face as he caught the look of an unyielding grave on my face. He nodded his head sturdily and shook my hand sternly.

"Good, now tell me. In which shop should I work? This or that?" I asked him with a finger on my chin as I pointed in the direction of two shops that I liked.

He looked at the shops and back at me, giving me an are-you-stupid- girl look.

"What?" I was perplexed, forehead creased.

"Have you ever worked before? From the looks of it, you don't have any idea right?" He asked, more of confirming his fact.

I nodded my head and a blush crept to my neck in embarrassment. He sighed and shook his head at me. He was acting like my dad, who is disappointed in me.

"First, tell me do you know how to cook?" He asked, taking a seat on the bench in front of the shop.

Following suit, I spoke," Yes I know. I do know quite a few things but I am no expert."

"That's perfectly okay. Do you know how to assemble things?" He asked like I was a baby.

I hit him on his arm lightly as I glared at him.

"I am not a baby! I know these things. I am rich doesn't mean, I sit on the throne and order people to do my work! My mom taught me everything so that I can be independent! Yes, I haven't worked before because I never needed it. But I am willing to do anything to return home." I said, holding back my tears but the c***k in my voice gave it all.

The emotions I have been trying to keep at bay finally started to let loose.

His eyes widened at me, he looked lost. He was about to hug me but then held my hands. His actions were so cute that I giggled at him.

"It's okay. I am fine." I said as he looked vulnerably at me. I smiled at him to which he returned with his own.

"Okay so let's get you a job!" He said, enthusiastically, grabbing my hand and pushing me to walk along.

We talked about random things as we made our way to his working place where he will talk to his boss about me and help me get a job. Which I hope works.

"He thought he could get away so easily." He said, cracking his knuckles, and gave out popping sounds, which oddly satisfied me

"But you should not pick fights which you can't handle. He is the principal's son so better watch out. Take my advice, don't get involved with him." I told him as he was narrating to me about his high school stuff. The usual things- the school bad boy and his minions, fake platinum blond girls drooling over the boys, nerds keeping to themselves, crazy biochemists trying hard not to blow up the laboratory, and the lone wolf who stays away from all the drama.

He shrugged nonchalantly, not taking me seriously. I pursed my lips and thought he will understand once he gets involved.

"This is where I work." He said as we stopped outside of the restaurant- The Capital Grille, as I read the sign.

"What do you even do?" I asked, confused.

"I didn't tell you!? I am a chef." He said, proudly.

I was impressed and gave him a kind smile.

We walked inside the restaurant, what surprised me, it was getting crowded at this early hour.

"Is this place famous here or something like that?" I whispered as we passed people.

"Yes, it is one of the top restaurants in the city." He said, proudly.

I nodded my head and looked around the area. It had a lavish and cozy atmosphere at the same time.

He walked us toward his boss's office. Knocking on the door, we waited. He entered the room upon hearing a yes from inside.

The boss was an elderly man, with grey hair and laugh lines on his face. He seemed like a gentle grandpa.

"Come child. What brings you here?" He asked, looking at Jake and then sliding his blue eyes toward me.

"Boss, this is my si- friend, Esme. She needs a place to work. Will you suggest places where she would fit in?" He said, politely.

The old man hummed and looked at me. He was studying me, which made me a bit uncomfortable.

"Please take a seat." He said, and we both sat down.

"Can you cook?"

"A bit," I said, fidgeting in my place.

"How about organizing things and basic computer stuff?"

"Yes, I can do that," I said, confidently

"Do you have a sense of fashion?" He asked, looking down at my clothes.

I wanted to scream and tell him they are not my clothes! That's not my style! I bet he was judging me.

"Well, I am a fashionista. I did a project where I had to work under a designer. So I know a lot of stuff." I said, nodding my head at myself in appreciation.

He looked unsure but believed my words and nodded his head.

"I will have to make some calls and let you know." He said and we were dismissed.

"You should wait here until he tells us something," Jake said, leading me towards a seat at the corner of the restaurant.

"Okay," I said, taking a seat as he went back to his work.

I leaned my back against the seat and put my leg over my knee. Fingers drumming on the table, as I looked around. Sometimes watching out of the window, observing people. I asked a waiter for a paper and pen, which he gave me kindly.

I jotted down the things which I needed to do;-

- find out in which city I am.

- work and earn money.

- Find Esme's friends and ask them about her.

I was chewing the back of the ball pen as I was deep in thought when I heard a thump of the plate slightly hitting the table. Blinking, I looked up to find Jake with food in his hands. I gave him a toothy smile as I looked down at the delicious food. It was white sauce pasta with shrimp and cream laced in every single aspect of the pasta. I was drooling.

"Dig in." He said, as he took his seat and grabbed his fork.

I put the pasta in my mouth and the cream coated my taste buds making me moan in pleasure.

It was so damn good.

"Umm.. it is..." I tried to speak while chewing but the taste was not allowing me to focus on anything else.

"Relax, food is not going anywhere." Jake chuckled as he took in my hungry state.

"I can't help it! It's so delicious! Who made this?" I asked, after a debate within myself, I put the fork down and focused on Jake.

"I did." He said, straightening his back, a look of pride decorated his face.

"You are good at this, Jake! Though I am not your sister, you are doing a great job at such a young age makes me happy." I leaned forward and patted his shoulder in a sisterly manner.

His smile dropped a bit but he gave me a sincere grateful look.

We continued to eat and enjoy the moment.

"What is this?" He asked once he was done with his food.

His long slender finger pointed at the paper which was lying on the side of the table.

"Oh, it's the list of things I need to do," I said, tapping my mouth with a tissue gently.

"I need you to tell-"

"Sorry to disturb you, Jake's boss is asking for you." A waiter said, cutting me in mid-sentence.

Jake nodded his head and left. I grabbed the list and thought what more do I need to do?

"Hey! Hurry up, you got an interview!" Jake said ecstatically as he came back and grabbed my arm.

"Oh really! Where?" I asked as I walk-run along with him.

"Its name is Vintage Violet. A designer shop, a famous one especially. They were looking for an assistant for the manager and the boss managed to grab the opportunity by using his connections." He said, looking happy.

"Why is your boss so kind towards you? It's not a bad thing but unusual." I questioned, with my eyebrow raised as we crossed the road.

"A few months back, I saved the shop from going bankrupt. A few low-key gangsters came and were robbing every penny we got by blood and sweat. I was at the back of the kitchen when all this happened. I managed to escape from the back door and called the police and informed them about the situation. They were arrested and are now going through court things. So boss told me to come to him whenever I need a favor or help." He said, moving his hand up and down as he explained the whole situation.

"That's wonderful, Jake! Mom and your siblings must be so proud of you." I said, with a soft smile on my face as I ruffled his hair.

He glared at me for doing that and shook his head.

"You didn't tell me, from where did you learn such fine cooking?" I asked, pushing my baby hair out of my face.

"Mom taught me." He said as we took a turn towards our right, and in front of us stood a towering building.

The Vintage Violet

I read the shop's name and looked at Jake.

"I need to change. I can't go in looking like this!" pointing towards my- Esme clothes.

He pursed his lips and nodded his head.

I looked around and found a store nearby. Wasting no time, we almost ran to it and quickly picked up a decent piece of dress, I went to change. It was a simple black dress that came below my knees and had a boat shape neckline with puffy shoulders that cascade down up my elbows. Using the mirror of the changing room as my own, I ran my fingers through my hair to make them look presentable and I pull out Esme's lipstick from my pocket and applied it to my lips and my cheeks as a blush.

I came out with previous clothes in my hand and found Jake waiting impatiently for me. He heard me coming and nodded his head.

"You look good," He commented and suddenly started dragging into an aisle. There were shoes lined up in the rows.

"You can't wear joggers with this dress," Jake said, looking down at Esme's shoes.

Nodding my head, I went for the basic and cheapest heels I could afford. After dumping my clothes in a brown bag, we went to the shop.

He gave me a thumbs-up and a smile. I nodded my head. I was quite nervous but I was confident I would get this job.

"I am waiting for you here." He announced as he walked towards the nearby shop.

Walking in, I made eye contact with the girl sitting in the reception.

"Hello, Maam. Welcome to Vintage Violet. How may I help you?" She said politely. She was cute with sandy brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Hello, Sandra. I am here for an interview." I told her, I read her name as soon as I walked up to her. She asked me for my name and a surprised look coated her features. But she didn't say anything, keeping it professional.

She must have found a new candidate out of nowhere and it wasn't hard for her to connect the dots that I got in through some connections.

She nodded her head and led me toward the elevator. The building was beautiful as it was from the outside. Everything was immaculate and meticulous with designs. I was in awe at all the things.

"Please enter this room." She said as we stopped near a wooden door. I nodded my head and thanked her, to which she smiled and left.

I knocked and entered the room, gently opening the door. I found three females sitting around a table. They all looked up at me and nodded for me to come in.

"Name." Lady who sat in the middle asked,

"Esme" I spoke with my arms crossed behind my back.

She looked impressed at my stance. It was a look of respect for your seniors.

"Do you have any experience with a clothing brand?" The lady with a high ponytail questioned, her hand wrapped around the cup which sat in front of her on the table.

"Yes, I have. I had a project in my college where I had to work under a designer, observe her work, and learned a few skills."

They all nodded their heads.

"Bring out the clothes!" The last lady said loudly, and two workers appeared from beside me where a small door was located.

"You have 3 minutes to choose pieces of clothes among them and make a complete look. It can be either causal or formal." She explained as the workers put different clothes on the table beside me.

I nodded my head, adrenaline rushing within my blood with excitement.

I can do this!

The beeper started, and my mind and hands did their work. I grabbed different pieces of clothes that fit each other and put them aside. I was done within 3 minutes.

They all stood up, heels clicking on the tiles as they approached the table. They all analyzed the clothes and nodded in between. Which I assumed to mean I did a good job.

"You did a good job. I am impressed." The lady with a high ponytail complimented me and gave me a little smile.

I finally felt something good was coming into my life.

"Please wait outside. We will announce the result."

I thanked them and walked outside with a proud smile on my face.

Sandra, the receptionist, found me lost on the way around there. She led me toward the mini-cafe that they had within the building. We were allowed to eat there. I wasn't hungry after eating pasta, but I was thirsty. After getting a water bottle for myself, I took an empty seat in the corner of the room.

Damn, I need to buy a phone.

I looked at the money in my hand, I think I could myself a decent phone with these. I need Jake's help with that.

"Miss Esme, please report to the reception right now. I repeat- "

My feet walked on their own as my mind was lost in thinking what was happening.

I gave Sandra a small smile as I stopped in front of her.

"Congratulations! You are chosen! This is the form you need to fill out and submit to me right now. This is the list of things you should have with you." She explained, handing a large plastic bag that held all the things.

I beamed at her with happiness and took a seat on the sofa to fill out the form. I found looks of jealousy and looks of admiration thrown at me by the participants as they made their way out of the building. I held my head high and smirked at those who glared at me.

I quietly filled out the form and read the list.

- A mini diary

- Must remember the names of VIPs.

- Phone must be on 24/7 for VIPs.

- Not sharing details with unauthorized people.

And some other stuff. I signed the contract, which was also there after reading all the rules and regulations. I was fine with everything and guess what was the best thing about this!. They were paying me 55,000 Dollars!

I could easily manage my things here. I handed the things to her, and she congratulated me once again. I was to come to work tomorrow morning at sharp 8 o'clock.

I walked out of the building and found Jake waiting for me outside.

"Jake!" I shouted happily and ran towards him with a toothy smile.

He looked confused as I was approaching him. He held his hand in front of me, indicating to me to stop whatever I was about to do. But I didn't care. I was so happy.

"I got the job!" I said, as my arms wrapped around him.

He stood still and didn't hug back, which was fine by me.

"Uh, congratulations. But please move aside. It's awkward to hug my sister's doppelganger." He said, pushing me away.

"Whatever. I am just so happy!" I said, shrugging my shoulders. My face still had the beaming smile.

He looked genuinely happy for me as he passed me a smile and a thumbs-up.

"What's the pay?" He asked as soon as we started to walk.

I rolled my eyes, not expecting anything else from him.

"55,000 dollars," I said with a proud look.

He stood still with eyes open and mouth gaping open.

"Wh- oh, s**t- What! 55! 55 thousand dollars!" He yelled, disbelieving in his eyes.

I laughed at him and nodded my head.

"Shut up! People are looking" I said, as he kept repeating the same thing not so loudly but loud enough for people to hear who passed us.

"Can't you see, I am shaking! I didn't know those bloody designers pay you that much! If only I had known I would have taken classes in fashion!" He said, cursing. I grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him so his concentration was on me solely.

"Hey listen kid. You have a long way ahead of you, stop thinking like that. Study well, go to college, and get a job. It takes baby steps to reach where you want to be and a lot of hard work. I so agree, money can solve most of your issues but to make money you need a mindset, and a proper way to do it. Getting my point?" I said, softly.

He didn't blink for a while and then nodded his head. He looked so vulnerable in front of me, making me realize he was just a kid and was going through so much to feed his family. Making my heart break for this poor boy.

"Let's go buy a phone for me. I will buy you an ice cream." I said, patting gently on his back as he smiled at me.

Finally, i got him cheered up in a way.

-----