The Sun, Moon & Stars [GxGxG]

5. Woman of the People

Monday, October 21st, 2024
(Present)

I arrived half an hour late to my therapy session courtesy of the day's work, which had caused my evening to run longer than usual. Penélope, too, was busy with her obligations but set them aside when I appeared.

"Miss Hunt. Welcome. Have a seat. We'll get started shortly."

While I settle and gather my thoughts, she wraps up what she'd been doing to the best of her abilities. November would soon be upon us, and this time of year was crucial for the company. Next month, we'll be receiving our annual reports and conducting conferences regarding our numbers. It was always a little nerve-wracking and highly anticipated, like a grade you're waiting to receive on a project that could go either way. Whatever we got back would be analyzed and reviewed by the big three - Xenia, Aurora, and myself. It'd be interesting to see this year, considering our standing.

"Alright. Where were we?" Penélope asks, having readied herself with a pen and paper.

"The dinner."

"That's right. They caught you spying on them, yes?"

I nod, shifting nervously. My body hadn't forgotten the feeling of the moment: embarrassment, humiliation, and shame.

"I want you to take your time with this, okay? And let me know if you need a break," the therapist says softly. "You may begin when you're ready."

"Okay..."

***

Sunday, November 7th, 2021
(1,065 Days Ago...)

The fear that came with being caught was damn near paralyzing, but it wasn't anywhere near as intimidating as their stares. They'd found me trying to slink off after disrupting their interaction and now were interrogating me in Xenia's bedroom, which was incredibly ironic - I mean, I'd be laughing if I wasn't so scared. I kept my eyes downcast on instinct, but I could feel their burning into me.

"Fuck. This is bad."

"Yeah, you don't say."

"It's not funny, AJ!"

"I'm not laughing, Nia."

"What are we gonna do?" Xenia groans. "Fuck. How did this happen?"

"We got careless," Aurora sighs. "The only thing we can do now is deal."

"How?"

"I don't know, but we should start with her."

The one Aurora referred to was me. I knew that much, but by 'deal' and 'with me,' well, I didn't know what to make of that.

Assuming the worst, I plead my case - emphasis on pleading. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to snoop. I didn't know what to think when I heard the noise."

"So you go towards it?" Xenia scoffs. "Esa es la mierda de los blancos."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you are sorry."

I shrink at her tone, but where I falter, AJ steps up. "Hey, lay off, would you? Be mad all you want, but this one's on us."

Xenia's nostrils flare. "No, Aurora, this is on you."