Denial 3

Denial 3

LEXI~

I take a step back, adjusting to my surroundings. “Aya? What are you doing here?”

            “What are you doing here?” She stares at me coldly, carrying a black briefcase in one hand and a gold umbrella in the other. “Because I’m on top secret business.”

            Gabi looks picks up Pickles, who is still barking at the poor terrified woman on the other end of the room. She glances at me, her eyebrows raising under her sunglasses somehow. “Lexi? Who’s she?”

            “Um, old friend from high school,” I laugh nervously.

            “Ah, okey-dokie.” Gabi doesn’t seem to buy it, but she shrugs it off. “So, there’s room for all of us in this elevator, huh?”   
            Jaz squeezes into the elevator behind us, rapid-fire talking on her phone. “I remember when I played Nintendo as a kid…yeah, yeah…Starr, cuz I really don’t need to hear about it…I know he’s sexy…uh-huh…you can stop now…” She hangs up, annoyed.

            “Tom?”

            “Yup.”

            “Wait, who’s Tom?” Gabi laughs, “I totally haven’t heard oh him.” I laugh along with them, but deep down I know that Aya is watching, silently.

            “So, what’s the work you’re doing?” I ask, cautiously.

            “I told you, it’s top secret. It’s been so long…”

            “I was in a coma! Leave me alone!”

            “Wait, why were you in a coma?”

            “I don’t know why! I was in a coma; I don’t remember anything…and if you ask me one more question…” she points her umbrella threateningly at me.

            “Whoa, there, that’s not a weapon!” Jaz comes to my rescue now, staring at Aya, “No, seriously, Lex, who is this chick?”

            I sigh. “For one, don’t call me Lex. Two, none of your business. Three…there is no three.”

            “Okay, okay!”

            “You would be surprised what Sixty-Three armed this umbrella with.”

            “Wait, who the fudge is 63?”

            “None of your business, Alexa.”

            “What, am I a home assistant now?”

            “No, you’re smoking weed outside Seven-Eleven.”

            “Shut up.”

            “You shut up, Alexa, or I’ll use this. I also have a knife and a taser.”

            “What are you doing in a coma? What happened?”

            “I also don’t know you, so please go away.”

            “I’m at my floor. Thank you,” I say stiffly, turning to Jaz and Gabi. “Come on.”

---

            “That’s actually my sister—well, we grew up together.”

            “Day-um!”

            “What?”

            “Damn, Daniel!”

            “Knock it off, Jaz,” Gabi parks the car, still blaring BLACKPINK, “I can’t her you over the music!”

            “Gabs, she said that anime Siri with an umbrella was her sister!”

            “She grew up in a sewer. What else is new?”

            “Stop it, okay?” I get out of the car and check my phone. Five new notifs from Instagram, ten from Snapchat.

            “You gonna film this?”

            “No, Jaz,” I sigh, as I put my phone back in my pocket. “Come on.”

            “You aren’t gonna like this,” Jaz swings open the door to the Starbucks.    

            “Hi, what can I get you today?”

            “Wait, you’re the barista?” Gabi stares at Starr, who seems to be writing something in a notebook.

            “Yup. What can I get you, today?”

            “More wet kisses from Tom Hiddleston? No?”

            Starr rolls her eyes, “I’m working.”

            “Okay, okay! I’ll take a tall vanilla bean Frappuccino.”

            “No, caffeine, wimp?” Jaz jabs Gabi with her elbow.

            “Ow! And no, I have anxiety.”

            “Just a black coffee,” sighs Jaz, “Vente. And an Ariana Grande chai tea for Lexi.”

            “Hey, how’d you…?”

            “That’ll be right up!” Starr turns to make the drinks as Jaz starts laughing hysterically, “Tom Hiddleston! You wouldn’t believe what she said earlier!”         

            “What?” groans Gabs, clearly not listening, “She said that her Aunt is British, and she was on Britain’s Got Talent, and some weird thing about wanting her aunt to use her award money to fly her to England!”

            “Okay, okay, we get it!” shouts Gabs, maybe a little too loudly. “I’ll just be on my laptop watching BTS.”

            “Ew, whatever, weirdo!” Jaz pulls out her chair from the table as far as she can, and pulls out her phone, just as mine starts vibrating.

            “I’ll be right back.” I jump up from the chair, knocking over my Ariana-Chai in the process. Awk-ward. But there’s not much I can do about it right now, as I might need to take this call. After all, maybe it’s about the job at the press. Full time! And I’m freaking out…”

            I step outside and turn the phone on. It’s a ringtone I’ve never set before, “Never Gonna Give you Up.” What? I freak out, trying to turn it off. How did I change the ringtone by accident? I pick up, scared, “Hey, this is Lexi?”

            “Hi.”

            “Who’s there?”

            “It’s Aya. Also known as Sixty-Seven, don’t say anything.”

            “Oh, Aya. Thank goodness…OMG, I think my phone’s been hacked! The ringtone was…wait, how did you know my number? I didn’t have this phone the last time…”

            I hear nothing but silence on the other end of the line, and I freeze, “Did you hack my phone, Aya?”

            “And why would I do that?”            

            “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you changed my ringtone!”

            “Look, I have some very important work to do.”

            “I’m sorry. I can, um, I can go now. I’ll just…um…I’ll call Apple. Yeah, I’ll do that. Maybe I’ll change my password….”

            “Oh, I wouldn’t hurt you, Alexa.”

            “You don’t sound like yourself. What’s up? Tell me, we’ll go out to lunch or something. Um…you have my number? I can give you my backup email in case…you know, I’m sure you didn’t hack me, but somebody did, so…”

            “I’m afraid I can’t go to lunch, Alexa. I’m on a mission.”

            “Uh, okay…I guess I’ll call you back?”    

            “Do not use this number again. Your phone will self-destruct in sixty seconds.”

            “What? Aya?”

            “Your phone will self-destruct in fifty-eight seconds.” The automated robot voice swells and breaks crackles through the speakers. “Uh, guys?” I shout, at the Starbucks. Jaz comes running, Gabi following behind, still sipping on her drink.

            “My phone…it’s acting kinda weird!”

            “Your phone will…” suddenly the sound cuts, and a new, low voice comes over the speaker. “A message…*crack*…world order…we are the illuminati. We are coming! Be prepared. We are coming out of the shadows; out of hiding. If you do not call back in five seconds after the tone, you will die immediately. Sincerely, Fonsi.”