The A-List Rumor ( English )

PROLOGUE

“This is not what I wanted for you to do Victoria! You’re not entering that modelling industry you were talking about and that’s final!”

Victoria wipes the tear that fell from her right eye as those words echoed again through her head. She just had an argument with her dad after she told him that she wanted to be a model and not hold their family business. Ever since she was a kid, she admired the models she had seen in the television. Her mother is a fashion icon and has her own clothing line. Her love for modelling started when she was once asked to substitute a model that suddenly didn’t showed up the last minute.

Her mom was so stressed that time because the show was about to start and the model backed out. In the middle of all those chaos at the backstage, Victoria was just sitting in a corner listening to some music. Then suddenly someone tapped her shoulder, her mom’s gay best friend who asked her if she can do them a favor and model some of her mom’s clothes for that event. And everything after that was a blur.

After the event, a lot of famous agencies asked about her. Even without knowing she is a Walton. People are flocking over her and giving her their calling cards and offering her contracts. Victoria gladly accepted it all and thanked each and every one. She was so happy that time because of the experience she just had to feel any negative moods with all the people flocking over her.

After that she started training and became a part-time model. At first it was just a hobby until she fell in love with it. She wanted to pursue it as her career.

She was snapped from her deep thoughts when harsh and heavy footsteps can be heard from her right side. She was currently sitting in a park just outside their subdivision. It was already dark for it was already 10 in the evening. The park was dark with just a little light coming from the light posts, the evening wind giving her little chills.

She saw a shadow of a person walking fast towards the bridge at the center of the park. It wasn’t a tall bridge but below it was deep water with a very strong current in the middle. She watched silently as the person continued their way and halted. For some reason unknown to Victoria, she felt a little fear creeping down her spine as negative thoughts enters her head. She was trying to shake all those bad thoughts away when she saw the person started to climb up the bridge’s parapet.

Victoria stood up abruptly and without second thoughts ran fast to where the person is. The closer she got the clearer who the person is. It was a guy wearing a white long sleeve polo shirt and slacks. She almost reached his shirt to pull him back when he suddenly fell. A piercing scream came out of Victoria’s mouth disturbing the silence of the night.

A splash can be heard and after that another splash followed. Victoria with her pajamas on jumped off the bridge too in hopes of saving the guy. Cold water engulfed her body as she struggle to come back up to the water ‘surface and looked for him. She looked around for a minute, struggling to swim opposite the water current’s direction to go to where the calm part of the water is. She spotted the guy floating not far from her at the side so she started swimming to him.

With no second thoughts, Victoria grabbed his arm and started dragging him with her to the banks. Wasting no time, she performed CPR procedure to the unconscious guy. She learned how to do it from school for she was a part of the girls ’scout at some point. In no time, she heard the guy coughing and stopped what she was doing. She lied down beside him, exhausted.

For a full minute or so, all that is heard are the guy coughing and Victoria’s ragged breathing. When he finally stopped, he turned to his right and looked at the person who saved him. It was a girl. And she’s breathing heavily with her eyes closed, the moonlight softly illuminating her face.

For a minute, Hyatt thought he saw an angel. But those beautiful eyes suddenly opened and glared at him.

“Are you insane?” she half shouted at him.

Hyatt was taken aback by that sudden question and for a second he stared, gaping at her.

Victoria stared back at the handsome suicidal guy she just met. His wet clothes sticking to his sculpted body and his dark hair wet and drops of water are slowly sliding down to his very defined jaw line. She can’t deny that he is indeed looked like a god. She slowly shook her head and looked away.

“Don’t do that again and I’m sorry for shouting at you.” Victoria softly whispers, her eyes on the moving water.

The guy still did not say anything. Minutes have passed and she felt the cold finally sipping in her body. She looked at her wrist watch and saw that it was already 11pm. She stood up and silently walked to the guy.

“Come on. It’s cold.” She offered her hands to him to help him stand up.

He stared at her hands and slowly lifted his eyes on hers. She forced a gentle smile on her face even though she’s still a little irritated about his little stunt. But she has to understand that he must be going through a lot right now for him to do that.

Hyatt felt his heart beating faster again after just having it calmed down when he saw her smile. She was like an angel that fell down from earth to save him. Her straight slightly wavy hair sticking all over the places and her pajama top and shorts hugging her curves along with her also wet cardigan. Her gentle beautiful eyes looking at him, waiting for him to grab her hand on which he unconsciously held as she softly pulled him to his feet.

He wanted to thank her for helping him get up and also for saving him. But he couldn’t find his voice for some reason. He cleared his throat as to say something when she suddenly started pulling him to walk and go up to the pathway of the park. He looked at their hands together and he felt her warm sipping through him.

He never felt something so warm for a while now and weird as it may sound he didn’t want that warm to go away so soon. He didn’t know where they are going. But she suddenly halted causing her to bump into her slightly because he was spacing out causing him to blush out of embarrassment.

He heard her slightly chuckled.

“S-sorry...” he stammered not looking into her eyes.

“It’s okay. Do you want some hot choco? Cause its cold and I don’t know anything near that will warm us both.”

He softly nodded his head, still blushing like a school boy. He reprimanded himself when he realized what he was doing. He was already 18 and is already handling their family business. Trying to survive from all these people that’s surrounding him and doing everything they can to bring him down. He can’t show any form of weakness.

A cup of hot choco was thrusted on his hand. Looking up he saw her paying with her wet money to the store owner. Gently smiling as she apologized for doing so. The owner just smiled at them and nodded her head.

He almost choked on his hot choco when she suddenly looked at him still smiling. Everything felt like those cliché movie in slow motion as she walked towards him slowly.

“Are you feeling okay now?” she asked as she brings her own cup to her lips to drink.

“Y-yes. I’m fine, by the way, thank you for saving me then helping me to get up and now for this hot choco. How can I repay you?” He softly said and also brought the cup to his lips to take a sip.

“I didn’t know helping someone requires payment after.” She jokingly told him.

He can’t help but look at her. “She’s... different," he thought.

“But I don’t want to be indebted to you. It might become a hassle for me in the future.” He said coldly.

Remembering all those people who stayed by his side when his parents died and took care of him. Finding out later on that they just wanted to stay with him because of his inheritance and the things they’ll get from him.

“Who told you we’ll meet again?” she asked as she smirked at him softly, teasing him.

He shook his head, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips.

“The world is round as they said. So, what makes you think we won’t be seeing each other again?”

“I don’t know but it’s still a possibility that we might not ever cross paths again.” She shrugged.

“Makes sense. But I still don’t want to be indebted to someone. Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.” He said looking up at the sky while drinking his hot choco.

“Anything?”

“Yes anything,” he said and turned his gaze to her and seeing she’s already looking at him. His heart skipped again.

“Stay alive until we meet again.” As she slowly tore her eyes away from him and looked up at the sky.

Her eyes slowly lighting up as the fireworks gracefully lit up the sky, illuminating her face. The silence that once was there was gone, the noise of fireworks and other firecrackers setting off. As the sky becomes colorful, he continued to stare at her. And that moment he lost his heart to a very beautiful stranger.

A stranger who had saved him, giving him a second chance at life. Without her even knowing, she gave him hope to continue.

“Happy new year stranger things,” she said as she looked at him again, winking.

He laughed for the first time in the past 8 years. He never felt so light and carefree not until today when he almost lost his life. He doesn’t know why he felt happy today when he’s supposed to be mourning. For today is the death anniversary of his parents. But for some reason, this pretty little angel he just met made him forget about all the pains that he’s feeling for a moment and reminding him that he can still be happy.

Shaking his head gently, as his laughter slowly died down.

“I thought super heroes wore capes but you wore pajamas, very classy. Happy new year, my savior.” He softly said to her.

She laughed at that and looked back at the sky. They watched the fireworks display together silently. With empty cups in their hands, smile in their face and a heart that is swelling of happiness from the nice feeling they are both feeling right now. A sense of calmness took over them as they continue to look up. Both of them appreciating the sky at it changes from one color to another.

As the fireworks slowly came to an end, they both started to walk beside one another going back to the park’s entrance. They talked about random stuffs and joked about silly things. Hyatt was glad that she never once asked about why he did that a while ago. She was very sensitive and knows not to ask, something that he appreciates about her.

He insisted on walking her home for it was already one in the morning. She refused at first but finally after a few more persuasion and assuring her that he’s not some creep. She finally agreed. They talked some more until they arrived at the gates of her subdivision. Where they both agreed that will be where he stops because it’s safe already once she gets in.

“Thank you for walking me home.” She slowly smiled at him and waved. Turning her back on him and started to walk inside.

“Wait!”

She stopped and looked back as she hears his voice.

“Can I at least know your name?” He asked, touching his nape which made her smile once again.

“It’s Victoria.”