"Please, please, Kelley. I really need you to do this for me. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't have any other choice. Please. I can't lose my best friend." One of my closest friends, Anna, begged me.
"Anna this isn't just a little favour. This is huge. This could change my entire reputation, end my career if this information got out."
"I know Kelley but I'm begging you. She really needs this life."
The passion and emotion that Anna felt was clear from the tears running down her face. Not only was her voice shaking as she spoke to me, but so was the rest of her body. I could see she was trying to desperately hold in her emotions and come across composed but at a certain point, some emotion had slipped out. She had called me out of the blue around an hour ago saying she was in the area and needed to speak to me urgently. Of course, I invited her to come straight over to my house in Washington, where I had decided to call home during my off-season, but I could never had anticipated her to asking me to do this.
"Okay, I need you to explain it to me once more. Why do you need me to marry your best friend?"
"Rachel came to the US to look after her Aunt while she was sick but her visa is away to expire and she doesn't have any of way of staying except if she married an American. You're not famous enough that everybody knows every aspect of your life but famous enough that it wouldn't look suspicious that you haven't flaunted a relationship all over social media. Plus, you're gay so you could marry a girl without anyone getting too skeptical. I know you'd be risking everything for her, and for me, but I couldn't not ask. I've got to try everything I possibly can to keep her here- what sort of a friend would I be if I didn't?"
I sat and listened to her and my heart truly did break for her friend. I couldn't imagine being deported but I honestly didn't know if I could be the one to do this. A sham marriage? If someone found out about, my life would be over. But just the thought of having to try and risk everything though in order to live here made me want to meet her and understand how distressed that girl was.
I had known Anna for many years and she really was one of my closest friends from back home so I knew she must be desperate if she was asking me to do this. Anna explained that her friend worked but she wasn't in a high paying job and never attended college so wasn't a graduate meaning her application for permanent residence in the US would most likely be overlook and denied. I knew people came from all over to try and make a better life for themselves here, I mean I probably would have picked somewhere else myself but hey. I also knew the chances of her ever being able to return if she got deported were extremely miniscule.
"I'm not saying yes just now but I will agree to at least meet the girl and see if there is any possibility of this working and not backfiring." I told Anna who jumped up and hugged me, thanking me over and over.
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Anna and I had been texting back and forth and after some googling from myself around the idea of visas and the best way to get permanent residence in the United States, we decided to all meet up in a small coffee house not far from house. It had been a week since a distressed Anna had turned up at my house and I thought I at least owed it to her to discuss the girl's proposal, literally.
I arrived at the small coffee house early and took in the environment. Although it was extremely close to my house, I had never been here as it was really on my route to anywhere but I decided I very much liked the atmosphere. It was cozy but quiet with only one young woman working behind the counter. I ordered myself a coffee and went and sat in an empty booth and waited for the other two women to arrive. I slowly sipped my drink and glanced at the other customers, a young-ish guy typing away on a laptop with his headphones in and an older couple who were quietly chatting away to each other, other than them, the place was quiet meaning we would be able to have our serious conversation in peace.
I heard the cafe door open and looked to see Anna coming in with a girl I assumed to be Rachel, following behind her. From the moment that they walked into the cafe, my eyes were glued to Rachel. Throughout all our conversations, Anna had failed to mention that her friend was nothing short of stunning.
"Kel, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is the Kelley O'Hara." Anna introduced us after they had bought their drinks and I stood up to hug them both.
"Just Kelley is fine."
I took another opportunity to take in Rachel's beauty. She was tiny in every way. She was short and thin with tanned skin and dirty blonde hair that was tied up in a messy bun. Although difficult to see with her head constantly tilting down, I could just about see these bright, green eyes that seemed to shine past her long eyelashes but I could tell she was nervous by how she was playing with her fingers.
Anna must have noticed me staring and coughed loudly before suggesting we sit down to discuss the arrangements they wished to come to if I agreed. Rachel spent most of the time quiet and staring down at her feet as if the flooring was the most interesting thing in the world. Anna started to explain the plan they had come up with, why they wanted me to marry her and what not but Rachel didn't speak a word which infuriated me. Why want me to risk so much but not even ask me yourself. This would be classed as fraud- I could go to jail for this and she won't even talk to me directly.
"Why are you doing all the talking? Can you not speak for yourself Rachel?" I spat out maybe a little too harshly but how she was behaving was really pissing me off. I leaned back in my seat and crossed my arms, almost certain now of what my decision was going to be.
"Kelley! Rach has a difficult time speaking to new people. Be nice." Anna shot to her friend's defense.
"We're hardly going to seem like we've been dating a year if she can't talk to me Anna!" I replied just as quickly.
"It's okay Anna." She said so quietly that I could barely hear her. "Kelley's right, I, I, I should be speaking. So, I, umm, I have around a year left on my visa which gives us some, err, time to work with. Ideally, we would get married around three months in and then, umm, then just spend the rest of the time cohabiting together and then apply for a new visa with an attorney's help. I, I d-don't have many friends or any family so it would just be about, about, umm, convincing yours."
"Why do you want to stay here? What's so bad about your own country?" I asked genuinely intrigued about the young girl's situation now that she'd finally started to speak up for herself.
"My umm, dad was Cuban but my mom was Canadian. They died when I was little and I was tossed about from home to home. After, after my Aunt died, this is the only place that ever felt like it could actually be home." She said her voice dropping even further at the end.
I honestly did feel sorry for her. Anna knew me inside and out and knew that if I just met Rachel, I would want to help. I knew Anna would do anything for me and knew she wouldn't ask me unless she absolutely had to.
"Okay. I'll do it but there will be conditions."
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So this is chapter one and I would love to know what you think...
I aim to update this book on a pretty regular schedule, most likely every Sunday so look forward to more chapters.
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For Better Or For Worse
Fanfiction- "Please, please, Kelley. I really need you to do this for me. I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't have any other choice. Please. I can't lose my best friend." One of my closest friends, Anna, begged me. "Anna this isn't just a little favour. Thi...
