✫✫✫

I breathed heavily and slowly bent my knees, letting my elbows reach my thighs. The weight in my hands was tolerable enough, but even so I felt like I was carrying the whole world. It didn't help that flashes of camera lights were being pointed at me as I tried to finish my exercise with no hint of struggle.

Please make them go away, I pleaded in my head. I should've asked Meredith to pick a workout schedule wherein there weren't much people. Ugh.

Speaking of, I only got the memo this morning. And it wasn't pleasant to say the least.

"You want me to what?!" I yelled, watching Meredith sip from my mug on the family couch. She had unceremoniously welcomed herself inside my home at freakin' 5 in the morning.

"Wear gym clothes and come with me. Hurry up." She said, relaxed and not at all fazed with the looks my family and I gave her. Dad was groggily gaping at her, Paul looked thoroughly unamused, Tracy looked very excited, and I was, well, annoyed.

"I don't want to." I pressed. Even though Meredith did ask me to pick a sport or find some sort of physical activity last week, I just didn't feel like moving a muscle. I was already busy with school and my career, so I found it a bother to exercise.

"Well you don't have a choice, I already enrolled you." She said. I was taken aback, knowing that Meredith usually didn't do things that included me without consulting me. Tracy looked at me with sparkles in her eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "I told you, I'm perfectly fine with my—"

"You won't be saying that when you're looking for a dress for the music event and find yourself wearing a six years old's gown." Meredith replied, taking another sip. Her word's stung, obviously implying that I had the body of a kid. It even shocked me because Meredith didn't really say anything bad to my face. The worse treatment I usually got was a gaze that could question my worth in the world.

In the end, I was forced by both Meredith and my family—who only agreed because I was messing with their precious sleep. I call that a load of betrayal.

"Excuse me, please go back to your businesses. Miss Vloski cannot concentrate with many eyes on her." Thankfully, one of the gym trainers must've felt my uneasiness and pushed back the crowd surrounding me. With a few more shoos and snaps, I was finally left to my own devices.

"Just a few more reps, Miss Vloski. You're doing great." The gym trainer said, smiling at me. I felt considerably skinny next to him, with his muscles peeking through his shirt. If anything, I was doing really bad in my state.

"You're doing awful. Keep your back straight. People are watching." Out of nowhere, Meredith appeared next to him, her arms crossed and her stare judging me. I fought the urge to throw the weight in her face.

"Just think, you're going to lose that ugly physique of yours and become beautiful in the future." Meredith said. The trainer's eyes went wide, but he didn't say anything. I only bit my lip and continued my exercise.

"I won't let you stop going to the gym until I see results. You need to look perfect." She added, and that made the trainer stutter out incoherent words.

"I-I don't think that's one way to motiva—"

"Just look at that skeleton frame! I'm so glad we'll be able to see some fat on your bones soon." Little by little my patience was getting thin and the trainer tried to defend me but Meredith wasn't having any of it.

She made the trainer leave and continued giving me her piercing stares, and with that my irritation grew. I huffed and tried to speak. "Is this what you all managers do? Make your clients feel insignificant and worthless?"

Meredith scoffed. "Please, if I wanted to make you feel worthless, I wouldn't have made you enroll in the gym in the first place. I want you to become healthy and fit."

"Well sorry, but you could've explained that to me before making me assume that you just want to make my life horrible with the words you said."

"You really don't get my intentions, do you?" She pinched the bridge of her nose before speaking. "This is all for you! I'm forcing this on you because you don't show any initiative of becoming a great artist in all aspects!"

"Great artist? All aspects? You're gonna force me and make me feel worthless until I end up dying like the great Gloria Adeline, is that what you're trying to say?" My voice rose a little. I didn't want to name names, but Meredith was really pissing me off. She didn't know the difference between an encouragement and an insult.

I set the weight onto its place, finished with the task. I had my eyes set on Meredith's, filled with anger. I didn't care if she woke up on the wrong side of the bed today; explaining why she's gotten so hot headed and sharp-tongued. She has gone too far.

"I'll have you know," she breathed, inching towards me. "That the reason Gloria frickin' Adeline died wasn't because of me. She broke off our contract as soon as another 'better' company demanded for her. She died while being signed to them, not me."

The new information startled me, but I didn't show it on my face. I raised an eyebrow at her. "You want an award for that?"

When she didn't speak, I shoved past her and grabbed my stuff, heading out of the gym.

"Hey, you're not yet done here!" Meredith yelled.

I wore a cap to hide my face and didn't look back as I opened the door. I ignored Meredith's calls and ran out as fast as I could.

Unfortunately, doing that made me bump into the first person I saw outside the building.

"Sorry." I muttered, looking up at the person I bumped into. It was a familiar face.

"Gigi?"

✫✫✫

Next to Lottie's, my favorite place to chill is a smoothie bar called Sweet Oasis. Yeah, I know, the name's kinda lame, but it's actually not that bad. The establishment is like a small nipa hut with counters circling the kitchen, adorned by tropical ornaments. Not a lot of people are around though, because it's only morning. Since it's in a secluded area by the beach, I don't have to worry about being recognized or crowded by hundreds of people.

"Here's your Mango Graham Special, Gigi!" The waiter smiled at me as he laid down my drink.

"Thanks, Park. Nice to see you again." I smiled at him as well. Even before I got famous, Park knew me since I was a regular customer before. He used to give me advice about my troubles at school, which is kinda ironic since he's a college dropout, but I took every word from him to heart because he's smarter than most people I know.

"And here's your Fresh Coconut Juice, Miss Melissa!"

"Thank you." Said girl nodded at him before he left to the kitchen. She took a sip of her drink before facing me. "So, why are we here?"

Just to let you know, I met Melissa outside the gym. It's purely coincidental, but as soon as I saw her, I knew I had to drag her with me. Everything's just been so complicated and I feel like she's the only sensible person I can talk to right now.

"Sorry if I was too forward, I wasn't trying to kidnap you or anything." Melissa just laughs off my comment, so I continued. "I just need to talk to someone."

At my words, Melissa perks up. She puts her chin on her palm. "Oh, sure! I don't mind at all."

"You're not busy?" I asked.

She shook her head with a smile. "I was supposed to meet your brother awhile ago for a school project, but I think this is more important."

Inwardly, I felt touched. If Paul doesn't get this girl as his girlfriend, I'm gonna personally smack him.

"So what seems to be the problem?" Melissa followed up.

I took a deep, deep, deep sigh before dropping my head on the counter. "Everything."

"Specifically?"

"I just.." It took me a moment to let out what I've been holding in for the longest time now. "I don't wanna be famous. Not anymore. Not now, not ever."

Melissa nodded. "Those are some heavy words. Are you sure about that?"

"I—"

Am I? Am I really sure?

"No. Yes? Maybe? Ugh." I groan. "All I know is that I'm so fed up with everyone telling me what to do. I'm so tired of trying to live up to people's expectations and not be me. It seems like the only way to get rid of it is to quit being famous altogether."

"But do you like being famous?"

"Lately? No."

Melissa nodded again, processing my confession. She sat up and intertwined her fingers together. "Well you know what, I think it's a privilege to be famous."

I scoffed. "A privilege? Getting suffocated by fans? Being bossed around? Having no sense of privacy? Really?"

She smiled. "No, I mean having the platform to influence many people and help them change their perspective on things."

Oh. My lips are suddenly shut. I completely forgot about that. All this time, I was too busy being overwhelmed by the things around me.

I'm surprised when Melissa takes both of my hands and grips them firmly. "You know, Gigi? You've got a voice that has the power to change people's minds. Sure, so many other voices are around you and telling you what to do, but you should remember that the only voice that matters is yours. Treasure that."

"And while some only care about fame and money, what you should care about is if your heart is in the right place. You're not alone on this, okay?" Melissa was about to pat my head, but I chose to hug her instead.

I sigh and try to keep myself from crying. "Thank you so much."

For once, I allowed myself to be sappy. I allowed myself to be sad instead of incomprehensibly angry at everything, and just laid it all to Melissa. I ranted to her about all the problems I was facing, and she comforted me every single time. It was like I earned myself a nonbiological sister.

Unfortunately, reality came back to bite me and my phone rang.

I groaned, answering it. "What?"

"Gigi, you've got to check this out!" Paul was shouting on the other line, evidently troubled.

"Check what out?"

"If there's a TV around you, turn to the news channel!"

I looked up and saw a TV hanging at the side. "Park, can I borrow the remote?"

As soon as the remote was in my hands, I flipped through every channel. I didn't really know where I was supposed to turn to, but as soon as I saw Hannibal on Good Morning RedWood, I stopped.

"BREAKING NEWS: Artist Hannibal publicly announces his feelings for Gigi Vloski during his press conference last night! According to insiders, the male singer indeed is courting the young rising star, however Miss Vloski hasn't reciprocated. Let's hear his declaration!"

The camera zoomed into Hannibal's face, which was masked with an ominous looking expression. Most would probably call it nervousness, but I knew Hannibal. Even though he puts on a facade, I can see right through him. Those downcast eyes, those lips set in a straight line. That was the face of someone about to drop a bomb.

And a very big one at that.

"I am deeply in love with Gigi Vloski. I have yet to hear her response, but Gigi, if you're listening, I love you. I've loved you for the longest time and I just wanted to let the whole world know how much I care about you."

I dropped the remote.

✫✫✫

WHAAAATTTT

I'M BACK FROM THE DEAD AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS????

lol ha ha ha pls don't kill me

But anyway this chapter is where all the fun begins! Or drama haha

Don't worry, I've got all of this under control now. Maybe.

At this point I don't even trust myself anymore. I'm so sorry :((

Still, thank you for reading!

~Naf