Midnight Memories || ONC 2022

Chapter 14

Opening my eyes, I find myself on a bed that is not mine. Feeling the texture of the sheets, I am reminded of my past. I've taken so many different names from my birth name Liviana to Rebecca; I sit up to look around the around. I find Mr. Elsher near the window deep in thought. I am not normal, ever since that Midnight I went to visit my brother. 

When I move to sit up correctly, Mr. Elsher hears me, "Are you O.K?"

I don't look at his eyes, because I am reminded that I have deceived everyone. "Where are we?"

"Its the Hotel we were supposed to check in on Monday."

"Its Monday?" He nods.

"What happened back in the hotel?"

He takes on the edge of the bed, "When I left the room, I heard shots and screams so I decided to check on you. When I got there, you were on the floor with stabbing wounds that were-"

Healing. I was healing when he got back. "And you brought us here?"

He nods. 

"Thanks. I am sorry for all of this Mr. Elsher-"

"Can you stop calling me Mr. Elsher, my name is Andrew."

"I know, but I have to do-"

"How old are you?"

I know he's not asking what age I go by. After a while of telling people I meet I was twenty-two, I had to keep my age up to date. "I am twenty-two."

"How long have you been twenty-two?" He looks at me intensely.

"A while."

"How long is a while for you?"

"Andrew, I can not say. Nor do I want to tell you anything that you shouldn't know. Trust me, its to protect you. If I were to tell you people would-" target you more than they do already. I when I joined the phantoms, I made a friend there or at least I thought I did. But just like my brother they took advantage of how trusting I was. When they found out I could heal, they told the leader who took me to experiment on me and used me. Even since then I do not tell people what I can do. I learned the hard way. "I don't know myself why I can do what I can do, but its better not to tell you. I could never tell anyone."

"My family's name is Arison. They are the billionaire family that everyone knows. Elsher is just a last name I chose to blend in as a celebrity. The reason why I chose music is because I can get al lot of money for my mom. That song I wrote-"I look at him as he continues from his pause. "I wrote that song for my mom. So she can hear it. That day I left after the incident at the club, I went to go see my mom, She has cancer and I have been trying to spend more time with her."

He starts to tear up, "I am not scared of dying. I'm scared of living this world without my mom in it. I was born out of wedlock, so my mom doesn't get any money for her treatments. I had to pay for them somehow, but even though I went through all the trouble of becoming a huge singer, my mother doesn't have  much time to live. Every time I left you, I was going to my mom. The first time I left to the club was because I need to just drink my sorrows away. Because my life sucks. I have all the money of the world but my mom doesn't have much to live. Even though I have always run away from Mr. Shu, he never cared to look for me. Or anyone else that worked for Mr. Shu's place. They would al quit because I'm a handful. You're the first person to go out of your way to look for me and to even compromise. "

I hold back my tears because I understand his pain. The love of my life died and I couldn't do anything. I was left alone, paying for helping my brother. The feeling of loneliness is intoxicating that you want to die. "Andrew, I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you because the person I wanted to be with died. And I want to spend the rest of my life him. I had to watch as everyone else left this earth, but I kept living. All I can promise you know is that I will not let anyone kill you."

"That's the thing you don't understand. I have an older half sister. She wants my place at the heir. I told her that I do not want it but because I am a man, I get dibs. For her to have it, I need to be gone. That's why when I met you the first day. I was confused. Why would they hire a woman to be a bodyguard for a celebrity that powerful people want dead."

My hands start to unsteadily shake. Those attempts to kill Andrew are from his own family. My mind has too much information to process, " Andrew, where did you here about Dazzling Night, or what ever the club was called?"

He cleans his dried up tears, "I found it in-"

We get interrupted by the door opening abruptly to which Mr. Shu steps inside. Andrew and I look at each other surprise to see him here. 

"Mr. Shu, What are you doing here?" I stand up. 

"What I am doing here? I have gotten calls that you, Ms. Tuffin haven't been keeping to the schedule and even find the client in the news about a break in. Tell me, Ms. Tuffin, what do you think I'm here to do?

I am too stunned to speak that Andrew steps in, "You've never cared about that before. Why is it such a big deal  now?"

"Quiet, Elsher. I am talking to Ms. Tuffin not you. I have to say Ms. Tuffin I am really disappointed in your performance. I gave you simple instructs to follow was that not clear enough."

"Mr. Shu, Andrew and I started on the wrong foot, but we are making it work now," I try to explain. 

"You just called him Andrew? He's your client not your friend." He crosses his arms, "Making it work? He missed all of his morning appointments today. Is that what you call making work?"

"We had a minor set back this morning. There were men trying to find Mr. Elsher-"

"If you weren't able to handle that situation, I do not think you are reliable enough to handle this job."

"Sir, please. I have a few weeks left until I complete the assignment."

He scoffs, "Complete the assignment? You are not completing anything. You are fired."

Word Count: 1117