Chapter 1

August 29, 202X 

 

“OH FUCK, OH GEEZ, I’M LATE AS FUUUUUUUUCK!” A young woman in her mid-twenties came barreling out of her bedroom. She got dressed in a button up,  slacks, a hoodie, a face mask, some sunglasses, gloves, with boots, and grabbed her keys. She checked herself in the mirror. Taking note of all the items that piled fully onto her six foot two inch frame. She could see everything well enough. No gaps of her body showing in sight. She nodded to herself, 'all good,' she thought then turned to all the scripts and official paperwork strewn across her desk. She stuffed all the papers into her bag.

 

At that moment, her stomach grumbles. She quickly curses to herself and runs into the kitchen. The refrigerator door pops open and lays itself bare to the young woman. Nothing, not a single item was sitting in her fridge. She roughly closes it, as if it had offended her. She hurries out through her front door, fiddling around with the lock. Quickly, she dials up a number on her phone. 

 

click

 

"Hello and thank you for calling Galaxy Cafe where we make a cup o' joe a day to keep your inner demons away." a tired young man rambled as he went through the usual slogan of the company he works at.

 

"Yes, ‘ello can I order a berryberry hibiscus with guava juice and an addition of strawberry bits. Venti with less ice, please." The frantic woman responded hurriedly as she practically threw herself into the driver's seat of her vehicle. Her bag strewn on the passenger's seat.

 

"Okay ma'am, that'll be $5.56 and the name for this order?" The young man seemed to be tapping on his machine as they both spoke. Lio could hear his fingers make a steady paced click, click, click sound as he typed on the keys of the cash register through her phone.

 

"...Lio Gardener" she replied, hesitant.

 

"Alrighty, your berryberry hibiscus and guava juice with strawberry bits order will be done in 15 minutes."

 

"Thank you" and with that she hung up. She tosses her phone in her cup holder and turns the key to her car to bring the ancient thing to life. She slams her foot against the pedal and books it away from the parking lot. Her route set straight to the cafe.

 

Tap, tap, tap. She's stopped at a red light. Her finger idly moves in a rhythmic motion. Her stomach grumbles again. Her brow furrows, ‘Ah fuck it.’ She thinks. She grabs her flip phone once again.

 

"Hey Tony! I'm gonna need you to set aside twenty packets for me, please…. uh huh. Yeah. Thanks!" She sets aside her flip phone. 

 

'Okay, okay, that should keep me good for a while.' she thinks. ‘This will take care of my hunger.’

–-

 

Inside the cafe, she notices how packed it is. She hates it, but she needs to get this drink to help make a good first impression.

 

She strolls up to the order pick up side of the counter. "Hello, I'm Lio Gardener here to pick up the berryberry hibiscus drink." The young man at the counter nods and looks around.

 

"Here you go! You berryberry hibiscus, oh and by the way I love your hoodie! Very colorful!" The young man comments.

 

Lio nods, not knowing what to say and feeling completely out of her element. "I- uh- thanks." She replies, feeling embarrassed of her social skills being next to nothing. They stare at each other for a second. 

 

"I need to get back to my job…" the awkward barista states.

 

"Oh, r-right." Lio grabs her cup and swiftly leaves out of the shop's doors.

 

'At least I don't need these kinds of drinks on a daily basis. Won't be going there for a few years.' Lio thinks as she glances at the styrofoam cup. 'Let's hope this new guy likes it.'

 

—

She turned the ignition off from her car and took the drink out from the cupholder. Walking into the auditorium, she realizes how packed full of stage crew, sound designers, costume designers, and other hands there are to help along for the big screen. Lio, with the berryberry drink in hand, snapped her neck to and fro looking for the one person she needed to see.

 

"Damian Eliud! We need you on set!"

 

"Ah, I’ll meet him over there," she thought, but before she could make a full 360 turn- 

 

Splash! The contents of the drink was splattered all over the two. Lio blinked and there he was in all his five foot two inch glory. Damian Eliud, the main star of the show, was now soaked from head to shoulders in berryberry juice. His hands were raised up in a show of indignant shock. Then his demeanor changed as he looked up. His eyes become unreadable as he stares at Lio. The eye contact pulled Lio out from her shock.

 

"I'm really sorr-!" Lio began, but she was quickly shushed as Damian held up his hand to stop her.

 

"I'm quite alright, I'm not injured so there's no need for apologies," he smoothly replies. He smiles at her warmly and walks away heading towards his private dressing room.

 

Lio watched dazedly at him. 'No wonder he's all the craze! Those spinsters on "The Gossip" magazine were right! He is the most!' she thought to herself. Lio looked around and grabbed some napkins off of a snack table. Dabbing at the juice that spilled all over her.

 

Ding! Ding! Lio looked down and quickly flipped open her flip phone. "Hello?"

 

"Oh good, I thought you had slept in." A familiar voice replied.

 

"Oh. Well if it isn't Meredith, good of you to actually call me! And you know what? I think 

this is actually my most favorite of my many odd jobs I've taken of all time!," Lio responds enthusiastically. 

 

"... You haven't met him yet, have you?" Meredith asks.

 

"Oh I have actually! The kid seems to be a fine gentleman, I'll say! I don't think I'll have a problem with taking care of his paperwork and other menial tasks since he seems to be such a sweetheart!” Lio gushed. 

 

"Hm, well then. That's great Lio. I am very glad that you have accepted this job."

 

"Well I mean, all I'm doing is fulfilling that favor I owe you, so." Lio drawled, leaning her back against the wall as many stage crew staffers bustled about. 

 

Meredith chuckles at that, "okay Lio, I'll contact you later when you are more…situated within your role as his manager."

 

Lio nods, "Yeah, okay! See you then Meredith!" With a click, Meredith had hung up.

 

Lio skipped on over to the private dressing room. The door is closed and on the outside of the door reads, "Damian Eliud" in large black bold words. A golden star gleamed brightly behind his name. Lio knocked on the door confidently.

 

"Come in," A honey-like voice replied. Lio opens the door joyously, her eyes already looking for the 'lil fella.There he was, sitting politely next to the vanity. He was fiddling with his hair, taking care to not mess it up. He smoothed some curls down with his palms and some hair gel.

 

He then glances at Lio and suddenly his mood changes. Face, once again, unreadable. Lio saunters up closer to him, hand readily extended towards him. "Hiya! I'm Lio Gardener! I'm your new manage-!"

 

"You're fired." He replies coolly. Cutting off Lio. "If you're my new manager, then leave. I do not want you working for me. A clumsy person like you is not fit to be in my care." He gives her a once over, "especially if you can't keep your appearance maintained either." He looks back up at her, giving her a cheeky smile, "Now," He folds his hands neatly into his lap. "Get. Out."

 

—-

 

"And and-! He called me ugly!" Lio cried. "Kids these days are so disrespectful!" 

 

Meredith laughed on the other end of the line. "You know, I didn't expect you to care so much about your appearance dearie." She laughs again, "but don't worry, you're not fired. He has no power to do that. Only I do." Meredith's sudden change in attitude makes Lio snap to attention, her words said matter-of-factly. "This is his 54th time, he's become far too picky over his managers. It's become utterly inconvenient for my staff and I to deal with his little squabbles. So I hope you can help me with this issue, Lio."

 

Lio jolts at Meredith's sudden irritated tone. "O-oh! I see! No problem Meredith! I hope we can see each other in person soon, would love to have a glass or two of Spirytus with you-"

 

"Lio"

 

"Ahem!" she coughs. "Well, don'cha worry! I'm gonna see what I can do to make this brat understand that the world does not revolve around him!"

 

"Good." 

 

click.

 

 'Ah, she hung up.' Lio thought.

 

Lio looked around herself. She was outside of the main building of the auditorium. Having taken a nearby exit to call her boss. She looks up and realizes the sky is bright blue with its sun blaring down on Lio's form. 

 

She adjusts her sunglasses and walks back inside. The auditorium had people slowly funneling out the door for the end of the day. Lio stumbled through the crowd of people as they tried to make their way out of the building, from out of nowhere someone bumps into her. She mumbles a curt, “sorry,” then keeps walking until she gets to the 'lil diva's dressing room.

 

She sweats, hand hovering above the doorknob. ‘How should I do this? I’ve never really cared enough about anyone else to really try to scold them or tell them off. What should I do? Should I try to appeal first? Then lecture?’ Her mind was racing a thousand miles per millisecond until suddenly she heard hushed voices beyond the door. 

 

“I said that you should think this over! Let’s get back together yeah? I-” an angry sort of muttering came from beyond Damian’s door, the voice sounded feminine. The next thing Lio heard was a whispered reply, it must have been Damian. Lio pressed her ear to the door to hear him better. The voice was calm, too calm. 

 

"Be quiet." 

 

"Wha-"

 

The sharp smell of blood entered her nose. Her mouth twitched and she slapped her hand over her mouth. Trying to focus more of her attention on the door.

 

Silence, only silence, so she waited… and waited… and waited. But she didn’t hear anything else after that. It was quiet, too quiet, as if the person that had been talking to Damian wasn’t even there anymore. Though, how could that be? Lio clearly heard someone there and there were no windows in that room, ‘what happened to her now?’ She wondered. Slowly, she pulled herself back from the door. Then gripped the door knob. 

 

“ ‘ello! I’m baaaack!” Lio shouts in greeting as she swings open the door. Only to reveal Damian sitting placidly at his vanity, reading a magazine titled “Men’s Fashion”. She looks left and right, seeking out the other voice she had heard before. A pit starts to form in her stomach. 'Where is she?' No blood, no body, nothing. Except for the lingering smell of iron in the air.

 

Damian's voice snaps her out of her thoughts. “Oh, it’s you again.” He deadpanned.

 

 

 

 

 

End Chapter Notes: