+ thirty nine

Narda got her rest and met up with Florencia and Jongdae the next day. Since Narda was not allowed in the SM dorms anymore, she just went next door where they had agreed to meet up. When she left her apartment and knocked on Florencia's door, her friend opened it and Jongdae was already there. Her mother, Mrs. Orizaba, had gone back to Mexico for a few days to help manage her eldest daughter's acting career. Acacia was also nowhere to be found, probably out with Jongin.

"Hey Guti." He smiled and waved a greeting towards her.

Florencia led Narda into the apartment and they went to sit on the living room couch. On the coffee table in front of them were two cups, one with tea and one with coffee. Scattered around them were pamphlets with the words Free Smiles Club writen across them. Florencia offered Narda something to drink, but she shook her head refusing. She had just gotten up and she had a snack right before she left the apartment.

"So Sehunnie told me about Jong's charity work at his church, and I thought he would be the perfect person to help me pitch this idea to SM." Florencia started to explain. Narda only nodded. She remembered reading about Jongdae and his charity work. It had gone unnoticed for years, but when people found out that he was donating thousands of dollars to the catholic church under the name Mateo Kim, he got praised for it. Not that public praise was something he was seeking. "Back home, I have this organization called the Free Smiles club, which is funded by my parents and also donations. Our mission is simple. We work to bring happiness to children, teens, and young people in the hospital. Jong said you would be perfect for this since you work at that primary school, and SM already promised their support for us to start a Korean branch of my organization."

A charity organization.

That was what they were working on together, which had cost them the spreading of rumors being started about them. But neither of them seemed to care because they were doing something good.

"Jong and SM Entertainment are helping with some donations to get us started, and I contacted my parents who will be glad to contribute with a monthly stipend. But I need someone to manage the organization with me." Florencia added with a glint of excitement in her green eyes. Both had their eyes trained on Narda, waiting for her reaction. 

Narda thought about it for a moment, but she made her decision almost instantly. "Of course I'll help, Flor. We should ask the other boys to help out too. I'm sure they'd be willing to do some volunteer work or donate something."

Florencia grinned as she nodded her head. "I'm already working on getting Sehunnie to pledge his help." Raising her index finger, she added, "Oh, and we've already rented a place to have our offices. So now we'll have the free dance classes taught by me, and the Free Smiles club. I'm so excited to start already."

"I'm excited to get started too." Narda said, and she saw a little white dog with fluffy curly fur sauntered into the living room.

It saw the familiar faces of Jongdae and Florencia and wagged its tail, walking over to the couch and climbing onto it. Florencia immediately scolded the dog. "No Vivi. Off the couch right now. You're gonna get your fur all over it." The dog ignored her and refused to budge from the couch. Florencia heaved a frustrated sigh. "This dog is the literal dog version of Sehun. Look at that resting bitch face." 

She picked Vivi up and turned him around for Narda to see. On his face was the very same expression that Sehun always had. Narda and Jongdae laughed at Florencia's comment.

"Its true that pets look like their owners." Jongdae said with a chuckle.

"Why is Vivi even here?" Narda wondered with curiosity.

Florencia set Vivi down on the floor and he walked over to Jongdae, climbing up onto his lap. Jongdae immediately started petting him subconsciously.

"They don't allow pets in the SM dorms, and his parents just don't have the time to care for Vivi properly." Florencia explained with a sigh. It was the same explanation Sehun gave her when he dropped off Vivi days prior, only that conversation had more bickering and complaining in it. A dog is like a baby, Florencia whined to Sehun. Why do I have to take care of your baby? "So he brought him here, asked me to watch over him, and let him stay here with me. I watch him on my free time, and Acacia watches him while I'm gone. This will sound paranoid and crazy, but I think Vivi is jealous of me. He scratches my walls at night and doesn't let me sleep. He never listens to me and every time Sehun comes by, he'll try to get all the attention for himself."

Jongdae let out another laugh, this one more amused than the last. He shot Florencia a taunting comment as he poked fun at her. "Your arch nemesis for Sehun-ah's love is a dog."

"Laugh all you want Jong." Florencia retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. Gesturing to Vivi who was sitting comfortably on Jongdae's lap, she added, "But that dog is out to get me."

-

Jongdae left them to tend to his schedules for the day and Florencia called one of the company cars. As an SM model, she was allowed to use them whenever she wanted and her schedules always seemed a bit more relaxed than the ones the other idols had. Perhaps they were trying to ease her into being an SM idol--or SM slave, as Narda often put it. 

For the time being she had a few photo shoots each week and some commercials to film. Whenever she had no commitments, she was required to the SM Town building for dance practice, Korean lessons, and acting lessons. 

They were even starting her on vocal practices and instrumental practice when Florencia wasn't even interested in becoming a singer. But she had been told shamelessly by her temporary managers at SM that if it brought them any revenue, she would have to become an all around idol. The dance lessons were two sessions, one with an SM dance teacher and the other one was with Sehun, mostly for show. It was the same with her Korean lessons. 

Even though she was doing less than half the work that the other idols did, Narda noticed that she appeared a little more tired. There were dark bags forming under her eyes, and her smiles was at times a little forced when she talked about the activities she had planned for the day.

The car dropped them off at a location near the SM Entertainment main building. Narda could see their giant town from where they stood. SM Town Studio: The Future of Culture Technology.

Narda found herself subconsciously rolling her eyes.

She had read in so many blogs how SM was evil, but now she had seen it all first hand and had even experienced it. She was surprised more of their idols hadn't abandoned ship by now. But of course they couldn't, since their contracts were air tight.

Florencia walked up to the empty little property and got her keys out. The front door was made of glass and Florencia touched the cool surface of it as she explained, "This is where we'll have our logo. I already ordered one to stick on here, and I called some professionals to install a sign up on top there." She pointed above the door where there was another empty space.

In side was the space of about a bed room and at the end was a door that led to something in the back, which they couldn't see because it was closed. Florencia unlocked the door and pushed it open. "This front area will be the reception area and waiting room, where people can make special requests for their children and we will try to grant them. In the back we'll have our main offices."

"You thought this through pretty well." Narda complimented. 

"This is how we operate in Mexico and it's worked, so I thought I would do the same here in Korea." Florencia replied with a shrug of her shoulders, nodding her head happily at the same time.

Once Narda had seen the whole place over an hour later, they were back outside on the sidewalk in front of the offices. Florencia had locked the front door and now they waited for the car to pick them up.

"Do you have any schedules to do today?" Narda asked.

Florencia shook her head and replied, "Not today. They wanted me to come here and get the final details ready here. The paint guys are coming in tomorrow. I also called this really nice furniture place and they're coming in the day after that. The sign is going to be put up on Friday, and next week Jong and I are having a press conference with SM to announce the project." She crinkled up her nose as she apologized. "I wanted to invite you, but SM doesn't know you're involed, and since you're banned, they might not be too fond about having you at the conference."

Narda smiled at her in reassurance. "The last thing that matters to me is being on television, Flor. I was just asking because we can go have lunch together." She patted her stomach which had just let out a growl to let her know she needed food. "I'm feeling hungry all of a sudden."

"Lets go back to the apartment first, so we can invite my sister." Florencia suggested, and Narda agreed.

-

The drive to the apartment felt longer during the lunch rush and they finally made it into their building. Since they lived right next door to each other, they walked the exact same path, but Narda followed Florencia into the apartment. 

Once inside, they were surprised and confused to find Acacia sitting on the couch crying, and with several little boxes scattered across the coffee table. The same coffee table where there had been charity organization pamphlets just hours earlier. As they got closer, they were able to see what the little boxes were for. Acacia raised her head when she heard them enter the apartment, but said nothing to them.

Florencia was instantly filled with concern. "What's wrong, Blean?"

She never called her sister by her middle name unless she knew something was wrong and was trying to comfort her. 

"Why are you crying?" The other question came just moments after the first.

"Jongin and I broke up the other day." She informed them through her tears.

Florencia's expression softened an octave and she hurried to her sister's side, cradling her in her arms. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Its going to be okay. This is normal. If you really like him, maybe you guys should talk things out and fix this. Or maybe I can ask Sehunnie to talk to him."

Her sister shook her head without so much as a second thought. "Save your breath, Flor. I'm not crying because of that; it was a mutual decision that we came to. We didn't even like each other all that much. He was handsome, and he thought I was pretty. It was nothing more than a physical attraction." Narda stood in the middle of the living room awkwardly, wondering if she should stay or make her exit. Acacia was her friend, and she wanted to comfort her, but Jongin was her friend too. Most break ups usually turned into a girls night of binge eating, movie watching, and badmouthing an ex. She wasn't sure if she would be able to sit through that.

"Then why are you crying?" Florencia wondered, confusion overtaking her features once again.

But she had her answer when she remembered the boxes on the coffee table. Acacia picked one up, an open one, and shoved it in her sister's face. "I'm crying because this happened." She said, showing her the pregnancy test with the + on it. "I'll never be able to show my face back in Mexico again."

She was right. Mexico was a strictly catholic country, and they looked down upon anything that went against the rules of the church. Getting pregnant before marriage was one thing, but being a single mother was something worse, unless there were special circumstances in which the baby's father died.

Florencia looked at the test and all the others on the table inside their individual little boxes. She had gotten at least twenty different tests just to be sure there was no mistake. And there wasn't. 

"Didn't you--you know--use protection?" Florencia hissed, trying to keep her calm.

"I did!" Acacia threw her hands up in the air. "Some times the system fails you."

"Maybe we should call mom, she'll know what to do--"

"No." Acacia shook her head frantically. "She can't know. No one can know about this. I made an appointment at a clinic, and I need you two to go with me."

Narda gulped at being presented with another problem. It was Acacia's body, and Acacia's decision, which she knew that well. But her own principles told her not to encourage what she was going to do, or at the very least to not be there when it would happen. But Acacia was just a scared nineteen year old. She just needed some guidance so that she could come to the final decision all on her own. 

Painstakingly Florencia agreed, and Narda did as well. Instead of calling a company car where fans might see them going to a clandestine clinic, they called an uber to get them there. 

It felt to Narda that was involved in drama at every turn.

-

since chivas won last night and im very happy and in a good mood, im going to try to write the last chapter and the epilogue tonight. this story is only two updates from ending, and looking back, this has been one hell of a ride.

i hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as i enjoyed writing it.

thank you so much for all your love and support!

-clary