Make Your Move Katherine

Who put on the sun

The intruder made himself known again, two weeks later, while she was having lunch with another one of the female-models, who was going to be the face of the latest lip gloss that a top company had come out with. She wanted to be seen by the public at a ‘regular’ restaurant- having a ‘regular’ meal like everyone else. Her publicist thought that her fan base would grow wider if she was highlighted as a person who was not picky. That always worked, in Kat’s short experience with the celebrity’s lifestyle.

He was dressed in the same get-up, only navy blue this time, down to the facemask matched. He pulled out a chair and sat down just as the model got up to use the ‘powder room’ as she called the restroom. Kat didn’t think much of it at first, for she thought he was with the model’s team who was sitting a few tables away from them until he pulled his facemask off.

Kat shrieked, recognising him immediately as the perv and immediately stood up, ready to run when the man got up holding his chest with one hand as if she was the one that had scared him.

“Take it easy, do you know how long I had to wait for her to get up?” He motioned with his hands open- palm out, levelled to his chest and continued, “I just want to talk- I figured here is better for you in public, rather than your apartment.”

It was then she noticed two men in black suits at another table standing up, glaring at her.

“It’s fine, you can meet me there,” she lied and turned to walk away for she was no longer there as she had moved to the floor above, just yesterday. She still figured the mayor or his wife had hired people to go after her since the story about his infidelity was published a week back- although her identity was kept secret.

The men dressed in black took one step closer to her but kept their ground, unmoving. It was then she grasped that they were with the man at her table and doom washed over her.

“Kat- it’s me- Oscar- gosh. Are you serious?”

Oscar? She only knew one Oscar and that creep was- wait. Slowly Kat turned around and looked at the man’s face once again. Was he? She stared at his face not seeing any trace of resemblance of her past friend in the man before her.

“Kat-”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Reserved for your special friends, right? You’re still full of sh*t Kat. Grow up,” he twisted his head as if she irritated him and scoffed.

Yup, he is Oscar Julian alright. How did Oscar get such a defined bone structure? He was- chubby. She sat down, placing her purse on the table where it previously was, and stared at him. She did feel something was familiar about him, in her bedroom but Oscar?

“I was telling you the truth- the King is dying and my time is running out. You need to come with me or I will lose all my power- strength I mean. They need me to rule as strongly as I can in this war or the people will suffer Kat. You are my only hope.”

‘How did he lose the chubby cheeks? Did he kill himself out at the gym? He couldn’t even make one lap before. Or-surgery- he had plastic surgery. Or was it liposuction? Definitely a face-lift.’

“Are you listening to me?”

Kat blinked several times before she answered, “Uh- yea.”

‘Even the eyebrows are different.’

“Do you agree?”

Suzy, the model- not her real name, came back and re-joined them at the table and her eyes showed that she appreciated the sight of Oscar. “Well, hello.”

“Do you agree?” Oscar went on, ignoring her.

Kat did not know how to reply to the ridiculousness that kept coming out of his mouth so she was trying to make up her mind on who to call. It was such a pity that his handsome face might be hidden away in a psych ward somewhere. The man had broken into her place to propose?

The moles on his face- that’s what she recognised on him!

“Uh, rude much?” Kat heard the nineteen-year-old, say beside her.

Kat and Oscar turned to Suzy and Oscar in a soft but clear as water tone of voice murmured, “Sorry, trying to get her to marry me.”

Kat’s eyes widened as she heard his words. Suzy’s jaw dropped open and her face held a happy smile as she did a silent clap with the tips of her fingers. “Oh, I’m so-”

“He’s joking,” Kat interrupted and got up, “Suzy let’s meet again tomorrow to confirm for the photo shoot?” she’d requested a chance in celebrity featurette, after her scare with the mayor that had nothing to do with him and everything with the man here.

“Sure- I’ll pay the tab.”

The next day.

Kat is drunk. She had too many bottles of wine and not enough food, in her stomach and it wasn’t even- what was the time? She tried to pull the sleeve of her blouse up to look at the watch on her wrist, blurry-eyed and ended up dropping the empty goblet on the kitchen floor. The glass shattered and was scattered everywhere. She scoffed- well thank goodness she was consuming the wine in her apartment and not outside.

‘Well time isn’t important- it is dark and time to sleep.’

First to clean this mess. Walking back with the scoop and hand brush Kat didn’t see the glass on the floor by the sink and stepped on it. She yelped, dropping the contents in her hands, and raised the said foot up and pulled out the glass, nearly giving herself a heart attack when the blood started to flow out quickly.

She watched the red stains it made on the cream-tiled floor and her intoxicated brain decided she needed first aid and turned so abruptly that she ended up on the floor flat on her back with shattered glass penetrating her soft skin. The drunk Kat had slipped on her own blood and everything went dark.

Blinding bright lights woke Kat up, “Ugh, who put on the sun?”

She remembered falling and the blood. She figured she must be in the hospital with this light shining through her eyelids.

“Sense of humour? I guess she’s good,” Kat heard an elder man’s voice. The doctor.

“Are you sure? She was bleeding so much?” Oscar worried.

“Oscar!” she flew up and opened her eyes and both Oscar and a man wearing a long white coat, holding a clipboard stared at her. But Oscar looked different this time.

“Yes?” Oscar answered and both men rushed to her, for they were walking away.

“How are you feeling, Miss Kathy? I am Dr. Novak,” the long-coated man said and took out a stet scope and placed it on her chest.

“Katherine,” Oscar corrected him, scoffing.

“Where am I? Why are you here?” she knew she was in a hospital but still she was confused. Why was she here?

“Hospital and I found you,” Oscar returned, folding his huge arms across his chest. Today he was wearing a regular checkered red shirt and blue jeans. His hair- this was the first time she was seeing him without a cap on… well since he resurfaced anyway. Thick and black, his hair covered his forehead very boyishly as it parted more to the left.

Kat stared at Oscar. It was him that found her? Kat scoffed again- just how did he get into her apartment again? That wretched receptionist she bets. She wanted no part of this once teenage assh*le! She could only imagine how much more he had grown into his assh*leness.

“All seems well,” Dr. Novak said to Oscar as he removed the statoscope and stepped back from her.

“I have a headache,” she replied to the doctor, without removing her eyes from the taller man and he frowned.

“That’s not good,” the doctor stated and flashed a light in both her eyelids. “Everything seems fine but let’s keep you here until tomorrow, okay? Let’s get you something for that headache. Mr. Julian?”

“No- it’s fine I should go,” she protested but Dr. Novak only smiled and walked away with Oscar looking at the clipboard notes.

Great. How much was this bill going to be now? While she wasn’t starving, she had a budget that needed to last her the rest of her life and a hospital bill would take away a lot of that funding. Her apartment was paid for by her mother before she disappeared so Kat had no worries there. But her father’s financial situation- with a baby on the way…

Where is the washroom? Did the newly emerged pompous i***t even bother to get her a toothbrush?

Kat got up with a lot of effort for her head really was in pain and along with the rest of her body. She landed on her feet, only to grab a hold of the bed she vacated to ease the weight on her foot, as pain shot through her from the s***h on the back of her heel. Kat never had pain like this in her life. Never even bruised her skin much as a child either- for her mother had seen to it that her daughter did not take part in any strenuous sport. Heck, Kat wasn’t even allowed to be out like the regular kids.

She limped along taking the saline bag with her. Maybe the doctor was right. She should get some rest. She should call work to inform them about her situation. She had to tell the stalker to get her phone, for she was sure he did not bring it.

After relieving herself, she was horrified by the reflection in the mirror. A bluish bruise was present across her left cheek. Her hair was uncombed although not tangled and her red lipstick although now gone had left a red stain around her lips. How was that even possible? Her mouth and cheek had dried saliva on them. Bending, she washed off the smeared makeup and dribbled- all the while thinking about who else saw her in that state- besides Oscar and the doctor. The nurses? Cleaning staff? Visitors- did she share a room with anyone?

She winced as she felt a sharp pain at the back of her right arm and made a pained sound as she felt the pain in her foot lancing then too. Kat knew the damage was bigger than she initially thought. Thinking the mess was finally off her face she raised her head and barely saw her reflection when she felt herself falling as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Kat tried her best to sit before she fell over but did not make it onto the toilet seat she hurriedly slammed down. Even in that state, she knew that a fall like this could lead to serious scarring when she eyed the nearness of the face basin and half-foot high bathroom edge. As another dizzy wave hit her, she hoped she did not fall on either surface.