Chapter 52: A Familiar Face
CHAPTER FIFTY:
A familiar face
--
Dave leans on the table while looking at the dancing crowd in the center, casually sipping the alcohol
he has in his hand. His head was bobbing along the music that was airing on the air. His eyes caught
Aaron who was walking towards him. He straightened his back and ced the ss of alcohol back on
the table.
He looked behind Aaron and saw that she was not there, he curiously asked. “Where is April?”
She was with him just a while ago, Aaron was dragged by her to somewhere Dave knows nothing
about and was excluded by the topic they were talking about.
Aaron was silent for a moment before opening his mouth, “She run off after saying she has to prepare
for the surprise.”
“What surprise?” Dave asked again. The feeling of being left out was really suffocating. If only they
included him on their discussion too, he will not be asking questions.
Aaron, aware of what was going inside his mind, shook his head and replied with helplessness in his
voice. “I don’t know either, Dave. She didn’t mention anything about it to me.” He paused for a good
second before proceeding. “She did say something though.”
“What?” He was disappointed by his words but caught his self-back. “What was it?”
A small smile- which resemble of ma merely ufortable twitch of his lips- surfaced on his lips. “She
said to sit back and watch the show she made unfold. And, as we wait the three meets again, we have
to see a small surprise she made for the other two.”
“Small surprise?” Dave unconsciously let his eyes wander towards the two who were sitting on the
round table, surrounded by others.
Tyler was as stoic as he was- aplete opposite of someone he -knew from the past. Sheryl was still
smiling as how she used to be- but her smile has the hint of something he cannot understand.
They had changed. Dave asked himself; how about her? How much did Althea change?
He averted his eyes away and talked again to the person next to him, “How will she find her?”
Aaron paused, “You don’t have to worry about that.”
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“How so?”
“She’s the owner of this hotel, of course she’ll know.”
Right, he forgot about that certain fact. Daveughed. “Then while we wait for her little show before the
bigger show, what should we do?”
Aaron shot him a sideway nce before looking at the two who were the center of the attention. “For
the time being, we need to stop them from leaving the area.”
-
“Hi,” April greeted a chubby former ssmate of hers. “How’s the program so far?”
“April!” The chubby person said in delight. He wiggled along the music and he beamed at her while
carrying the microphone. He was the mc of the night. A bubbly person. Every time he dances, he looks
like a human size gummy bear in April’s eyes. He looks cute.
“Everything’s fine so far!” he shouted against the booming music. “Is something wrong?”
April smiled at him, “Nothing! Just… Is the next part being the slideshows of photos?”
“Hmm!” He nodded his head. “It is indeed that!” Heughed loudly and wholeheartedly. “I really like this
part of our get together. A perfect time to expose dark things from the past!”
Heughed again, April alsoughed along and said, “Not only that though. Showing the pictures in our
high school days also meant one thing.”
Ever since high school, April was very good at baiting people into the discussion she wants. The mc
was caught by the bait and he leaned in, trying to absorb everything she will say. “What? What is it?”
April showed a sly smile and leaned in, as if she were about to expose a nasty secret of their
government. Then, she said very slowly, “It’s also a perfect way to dig up the memories of the past that
one of the people you hate will get annoyed at frustrated at.”
The mc gasp and backed away, with his hands covering his mouth, he stared at her wide eyes. “That’s-
that’s perfect!”
April handed him a USB sh drive with a scheming smile. “Here.”
“What’s this?” The oblivious guy epted the stick-like stic.
“A USB sh drive,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice.
“I know that!” He gave her a small re. “But why are you giving this to me?”
April smiled again, “I want you to use thister.”
He gave the other a knowing look, “Does this contain a memory of the past that the person you have
does not want to remember?”
“Hmm…” She hummed and tilted her head, slightly looking at the person she hated then looked back at
him with crescent eyes and small smile in her red, luscious lips. “I suppose…”
This also made him grin. He loves dramas the most. “I just hope this won’t destroy the party tonight.
This is a rare chance of us getting together after all.”
April did not give any response about that, instead, she patted his fleshy shoulders. “Then I’ll be
entrusting that to you for the time being. I hope you’ll execute it properly.”
“Execute what properly? I will just lend this to the technical.” He mumbled while looking down the ck
stick on his hand before realizing something. He looked back at April and asked with a small from on
his face. “Where are you going by the way? “
“Oh, I’ll be back don’t worry. I will just guide a lostmb to its herd.”
--
There was a sshing sound heard and noises of mors and gasp rang.
“i-I’m sorry ma’am-“ a panicking waiter. “I didn’t mean it!”
“Goodness!” It was Victoria’s startled voice. She approached Althea and asked in worry, “Dear- are you
okay Althea?”
Althea grimaces a little, looking at her wrist that was soaked by hot water. It hurts- but not really. It just
stung her a little bit. She pursed her lips before shaking her head. “I’m okay.”
“I-I am really sorry ma-“ he was cut off short by Victoria’s sneer.
“Hush it, youngd!” She said with a visible scowl on her beautiful face. “Why were you rushing earlier?
Are you stupid? And why were you holding a bowl of hot water in here-“
“Hey!” A drunk man shouted from afar. Victoria and Althea looked over only to see an old fat man with
his face red, pointing his fatty finger towards the waiter who was cowering in fear under the gazes of
big people inside. “Where is my hot water?! Hurry!”
The waiter almost shrunk down on his own body in fear, he casted his gaze down and his mouth was
refusing to open. Even though it does, he will not, knowing that only sobs wille out.
Victoria immediately understood the behavior of the waiter who carelessly brought a bowl of hot water
with him while walking in great speed and failing to look in front of him. She red at his direction, the
drunk noticed it and begun yelling at her.
“What are you looking at? Don’t you know who I am?” He sneered. “Keep that look of yours and I’ll
make sure that youpany will face bankruptcy!”
Victoria can feel her blood boil and rush to her head as she continues to look at the bbering man in
front of her.
The audacity to threaten her! He will be the one who will face bankruptcy instead! The other guest
cannot help but look at the drunk man with sympathy. If only he was sobber, he would choose his
words wisely and will not dig his own grave.
“You-“
“Victoria,” Althea called out, tiredness in her voice. “Stop.”
It was as if her words were magical, Victoria indeed stop. She frowned at her then caught a glimpse of
her hand covering the wrist that was identally poured with hot water with white, thin handkerchief.
Victoria groaned inside before rolling her eye elegantly. “Hmph,” she controlled herself because Althea
needs the attention first than this guy. Instead of dealing with him personally, she signaled her guard on
standby to drag him out.
Then everyone in the venue looked at the spectacle.
After the eyesore left her eyesightpletely, she turned to Althea. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Altheaughed. “No need it wasn’t even that painful. I don’t think I got burned too.”
Victoria refused to believe her, “No, we have to go.”
She shook her head. “Don’t bother, really. I’ll just wash it in the bathroom instead.” Seeing that she was
still not letting her go, she sighed. “I’m fine, really.”
“… Okay then, I’lle with you.” She said with a great reluctance.
Althea sighed in her mind again, what is with her and her worry for her? It is not that they know each
other for a long time.
“No, I’m fine. I can go by myself.” To not let her have a word she left after saying another goodbye.
Victoria just watched her retreating and sighed. She is stubborn, and she can say that to herself too.
She nced sideways and discovered that the waiter was still there, standing like a statue. She
frowned and dismissed him, he left without any second thought.
--
Althea walked through the corridors towards the path where the bathroom leads, as what the attendant
instructed her. She noticed the details of the walls of the hotel, and she can’t help but admire it. When
she arrived, there was no one inside.
‘Perfect’, she went in and stood in front of the mirror, putting her purse on the sink and adjusted the
sleeve of her right hand. It was where the hot liquid was poured. Like what she thought, it didn’t even
burn her skin. It was not really a boiling water or a water that was fetched out from the kettle after it
boiled. It was lukewarm, and it makes sense since a person will be using it.
Althea opened the tap and puts her arm under the running water. The rushing of water was the only
noise inside the big bathroom and Althea’s mind even wandered away as she stared at the cold liquid
touching her skin.
That was when the door of the bathroom opened.
Startled, Althea looked back only to see a woman, by her age, stand in front of the door with a smile on
her face.
It was weird.
And oddly, she looks familiar.