11 X - Kadena

She just stood there panting, running out of breath as she tried catching up to explain it fast. "I met her-"

"Who, Cheska?"

She shook her head and handed out the notebook that has the celebrity's signature on it.

Isaac took it before his face forms a shocking image with his mouth wide open, "Holy crap is this for real?"

Denise is too tired to laugh at his eyes bulging out of his head, but now is not the time even if she has enough energy to react to it, instead, she gives a deadpan serious expression as she looked down wiping off her sweat with her sleeves. "Read it again."

And that quickly shut him up, he brought the notebook closer to his view, "Oh my god," and his bulging eyes went half-lidded squinting as he puts on his round glasses. "This looks like a Morse code for..."

"S. O. S, she needs help."

His finger soothingly traces the illustrated morse code, his index detects that specific dented part of the paper from the repeated shading of dots and dashes. "She really did draw it," He mutters, "What happened?"

Denise fixed her position before looking back at the open exit, the limo is no longer found nearby.

It's gone. "I don't know either, I was too late to find it out."

"Why did she have to draw it in Morse code? She could've asked you directly for it while she had the chance."

"She's an actress, Isaac, she probably doubts that people might've misunderstood her as a staged prank or something."

Agreeing with his full undivided attention pinned on her statement. The papers are grazed with his fingers, sensually observing the illustration to make himself more convinced of her saying. "But there's something I still don't understand, her family was and still is one of the richest people in this country. There's a huge possibility that she can just manage it herself."

His opinion caused her to put her hands on her hips, shaking her head "We can't be so sure, looking at the incident earlier there must be something wrong that she cannot control."

His head bops up and down thoroughly while she's talking, and his full undivided attention soon changes when he frantically fidgets, seeming in a hurry.

When she finished, he gives the notebook back to her in a jiffy. "Okay okay but we'll have to talk about that later," His hands over her shoulder, shifting her around to the exit "Everyone's gathered outside, we gotta go."

His joking push towards the huge opened door caused Denise to tromp with her heels squeaking on the sparkled clean floor, sighing for she can't find what help she can do. And it seems there's not much time to do so.

He leads the way and goes first, but before she could follow, she sees a tiny pink speck in the distance.

The speck's dark, flowing shoulder-length hair barely covered their disgruntled appearance, but good thing the pink two-piece set outfit helped it overlook the mood.

It's Cheska, the way how heavy her feet looked when she scuffs her white wedge heels across the concrete, dawdling on her way in the same direction they were going.

Isaac turns his back seeing not only Denise isn't following him, but also it's her finally getting to see the person she was looking for. "Oh, there she is."

They curiously watch her approaching closer, the boy with glasses however hurriedly wants to move on as he's moving already one step further ahead away, "Okaaay, let's go-"

"Wait..."

Denise decides to butt in, causing the boy to wait for her one more time with a confused look on his face, "Cheska, where have you been?"

The pink speck gets nearer the two, and no matter how clearly Denise asked the question, the silence still flows on standby.

Impatient Denise has gotten, she blocks her colleague's way "Hey, I'm asking you a question."

Stopped right by in her tracks, she answers nothing but a cold reply, "What do you want from me?"

"I think it's obvious," She added "I was making sure that you were-"

Just as the pink girl predicted accurately, she immediately retorts with her eyes rolling, "That I'm what, embarrassed, humiliated, hurt? Are you stalking me?" Cutting the conversation while she bumps her way out from Denise.

She has pushed aside, hopelessly left nothing to find how else she'd stop the other girl, "I was going to say if you were doing-..."

"Fine. I told you she's doing fine." The friend scooted closer, whispering his thought on her behalf. They both shared expressively with their eyebrows furrowed because of the pink girl. Giving up, they shrug as both walks off together at the designated grand catering.

With Isaac who couldn't wait to get there, he's marching in a rush, Denise only waddles her way behind him. No interest, she watches her feet slide on every step onto the hard ground, as she's internally occupied.

Detailing every plan after her first yet concerning encounter with the celebrity in the restroom.

The celebrity on other hand rests with the silence of the ride, she doesn't live too far but the early traffic by 8 in the morning lengthens the time of their journey. The road under the terminal had already filled up with a lot of variation of conveyance in the avenue.

Cars, trucks, and not forgetting one of the most popular public transportation in the country is the Jeepney.

No, not Jeep Wrangler.

The uniqueness in every design covered on the minibus-like utility vehicle, most of it went for casual calligraphy naming its destination and tame tones. But some bring out its color in the middle of the busy road, some had its parts tacked with a painted landscape or a character.

Attracting the passengers from its fun appearance, so is the celebrity leaning on the car window. The best part of this transporting nearby the heart of the country's collection of history; is that it allows the Jeepney owners to portray the combination of art and culture through one machine even outside the museum.

Workers, students, and families climbed through the end of the vehicle, including the tourists too. For the first time, the luxurious passenger seems to be enjoying her time in the traffic.

Highlighting it as well with the decent morning weather, no clouds interrupting and letting the ball of light give a shine.

Tired Naria watches the motorcyclists passing by with their heads turned on the unusually, shaped vehicle, it makes her smile at their innocent curiosity. The limousine is a bit longer than a normal car and it doesn't attract much attention, except for those who'd notice it closely.

During the few minutes of quietness, the sublime of the atmosphere shall change when the driver decides to make a noise by asking his passenger a question "Excuse me, ma'am."

Naria without looking, responds with a hum "Hm?"

"I apologize for saying this late, may I know why you're leaving early without Mrs. Elyas?"

The celebrity's smile vanished as soon as she heard that name escape from his lips, beside her is supposedly a seat for her aunt. However, the only thing she has with her now in the seat is the snake-shaped hair clip, separated from its user.

She sighs, with her eyes pinned on the beaded head accessory, she took quite some time before she finally answers his question "I want to find lola."

Before it gets quiet again, she adds with a sharper tone "She's supposed to be the star, the center of attention on this anniversary." And yet it somehow laces with a subtle contempt in her voice, with the clicking sounds of her phone typing on the mobile keyboard.

The phone began to ring and placed the screen nearby her ear, later the call is answered.

"Hello?" A familiar croaky voice was heard loudly in the speaker.

"Hey, It's me."

"Oh! Nari, dear, why call me so suddenly?"

"Just want to check up on you and dad."

"Ah we're doing just fine, I'm almost finished cleaning up the house today until you called. So, how's the celebration?" Her voice rose with eagerness as she asks, causing Naria to take longer to reply again judging from her wincing, she seems to be grown hate on recalling the incident earlier.

"Um, it's full of surprises I guess."

"That's wonderful!"

Naria was displeased by both of their replies in the call, full of lies and the nanny doesn't know.

This time she'll put a halt to these chains of secrets by saying "But I wouldn't enjoy this as much without my grandmother, right?"

Now it's the nanny's turn to pause, Naria looks at the driver back and forth to the phone, "I'm going back as you can see."

"...To your 'grandmother'?" Confusion and nervousness can be heard in the old lady's shaking quiet voice.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no no, it's just..." the nanny stutters, "I didn't expect you to leave so soon, your father is not home yet, including your lola, remember?"

"Then tell me where they are, after all, I'm in the limo already."

"What, why?"

"I think you know why; you told me you'll tell me everything after I get home anyway."

"But Naria you shouldn't even be at home during this time-"

She couldn't take it anymore, the lady grips onto her phone tight and snapped immediately before the nanny continues, "You all thought you can keep hiding the fact that lola is dead for much longer?" That was the last straw.

The silence was there only left.