The Royal Contract

Nobody yet had recognized her. Who would think she was a famous star in this plain clothing with no make-up and messy hair? Definitely, not her fans.

And hopefully, not the paparazzi. The last thing she needed was them following her around with their nosy cameras.

Serena walked on the pavement of the busy downtown among the buzzing crowd. She wondered if this city ever became dull as she looked from left and right where people came and gone.

Luckily, she remembered to bring in some cash as she felt her stomach grumble, demanding replenishment. From the corner of her eye, she saw a line in a hotdog stand.

They said one had not lived in this town unless one had tried their famous street food stands.

“One, please.” She ordered, remembering loving them when she was young. “Put everything on.” She added, handing her payment to the vendor.

.....

Then, she took a big bite of the delicious, juicy hotdog on the planet, letting it fill her mouth with its savory taste. Truthfully, no one could claim

to have lived in this city without eating a handful of this sumptuous treat.

She munched every bite with gusto, even brushed her lips and fingers with her tongue to scrape the greasy juice off her skin when done. As they said, it was finger-licking good.

It was great to feel a bit of freedom.

She decided to explore some more, wondering what else had changed in this place since she had been gone. Then, she turned to a familiar diner she remembered visiting a few times when she was young.

Then, something hit her hard, bumping into her arm and shoulder. “Watch it!” She yelled at the man, but he did not even turn around to apologize as he went on his way, walking even faster.

Suddenly, she remembered why she hated walking on this street. It was because of people like him. Nonetheless, she believed it would be useless to waste her time on assholes like him. It was better to continue on her trip to memory lane.

“Stop!” She heard someone shout behind her, making her turn around. She observed a commotion behind her. Of course, she had no plan to stick around and joined the chaos as she sauntered faster out of there.

“Miss.” She was already walking away when someone approached her from behind and called her attention. She found a boy trying to catch up with her. At least, she believed he was referring to her.

She wondered if she should stop, thinking he might have recognized her and wanted an autograph or something. Of course, it would not be wise for her identity, revealed in the middle of this bustling crowd.

“I think this is yours.” The boy tugged her back when she did not stop.

When she turned around, having no choice, she found a young boy, probably thirteen, showing her a small pouch. Of course, she recognized it. “Yeah, that is mine.” She was surprised that he had it.

“Here.” The boy offered it to her, shoving the object into her hands.

“Thanks!” It was her initial response. “Where did you get it?” She asked, wondering how the boy took possession of her thing. She looked around them, slightly paranoid that other people might be watching them.

Thankfully, everyone seemed to mind their business, not bothering to look in her direction. As much as possible, she did not want any attention, especially the one this boy was making.

“You’re welcome.” The boy continued as they both stood at the center of the pavement. “I saw the man pick it out from your pocket.” The young man informed her, making her realize it was the man who bumped into her.

“Oh!” Truthfully, she was more surprised that this young boy decided to return it. Someone else might have kept it for themselves.

She was not pessimistic but lately, finding good people was getting more difficult each day. But she was hopeful that a few good men still existed in this world and this boy would not turn out like the monsters she had the unfortunate stroke of luck to meet in her lifetime.

“How did you get it?” Serena was more curious, more than anything else. If the man took it, how did it end up in this boy’s hand?

“I did not steal it if that is what you are implying.” The boy quickly defended himself.

Serena stared at the boy, debating whether to believe him. “Did you take it from him?” She rephrased the word, avoiding accusing the boy of stealing it.

But she remembered that the man who bumped into her was bulky. So, she doubted that the boy struggled to get it from him unless they were accomplices working together to scam her for more.

“Sort of.” The boy finally confided, shrugging his shoulder like it was not a big deal. “You should be careful when walking along this street.” The boy warned her before turning away in the opposite direction.

Did this boy steal for a living? Did he grab her purse from that man? That was the only logical explanation as she stared at the young boy before her. “Hey!” She shouted. “Are you here alone or with your parents?” She asked, stopping the boy from getting far.

Judging from his appearance, she would guess that this boy had been fending for himself. He seemed to be intelligent. Street-smart might be a better word to describe him. But she doubted he was a tourist roaming this street with adult supervision.

“Definitely with my parents.” The boy was lying, she could tell. “They just went to buy something. They would be back soon.” His face was quite convincing.

She knew when someone was acting, recognizing talent when she saw one. And this boy could probably fool many folks, but not her. The boy seemed to be used to scamming people. But was he helping her or scamming her? That was the question.

“Ok. Thanks again for returning my money.” Anyway, she better leave before anyone started to recognize her. She peeked inside her purse, seeing that her money was still inside.

She was about to walk away when she felt guilty. The boy deserved a reward for his good deed, even if he was a pocket picker. He did not need to return her wallet, but he still chose to do the right thing.

“Hey, wait,” Serena called again, stopping the boy from leaving. “Would you like to eat lunch with me? My treat.” She could see that the boy was thinking, slightly seeming reluctant to join her.

Maybe just like her, he did not easily trust anyone. She could not blame him since the world was full of bad people. She was glad that the boy was a cynic. It meant he would not be easily duped and abused by the people around him, unlike her.

“Maybe some other time.” The boy said, deciding that it was not a good idea.

“But there might not be another time. We might not see each other again.” She insisted as she tried to convince him. “Come on, just a snack. And besides, you seem to know your way around here. Maybe you can show me around while your parents are not back yet.”

She figured it might be nice to have someone to talk to while exploring the city. It would be so much better than walking alone. “Besides, I need someone who can protect me.”

“I think something is wrong with you.” The boy shook his head. “You easily trust people. But fine, I will show you around while my folks are not here.” The boy seemed to continue with his charade, so she just accepted it as it was.

“What food d you like? Ahhmmm...” Serena asked the boy, but she had no idea who he was.

“Neil.” The boy introduced himself. “I know a place that serves nice Chinese food if you like those stuff.” He inquired as he led the way while she followed.

“I am...” She paused when she almost said her name. “Claire.” Deciding to use her assistant’s name instead. “Chinese is fine with me.”

Soon, they were walking on the busy street of the lower east side, where most middle-class people liked to hang out. She had never been to this part of the city before, but she did not mind.

She just had to keep up with her pretenses. Then, she would be ok. Besides, she had Neil to protect her. Of course, that was just her bravado reassuring her. But what could a skinny boy like him do when a mob of people started attacking her?

Soon, they were both sitting in the busy Chinese restaurant, which she believed was in the middle of Chinatown. The restaurant looked fine. Not the usual food place she went to, but it looked interesting enough as she watched the cooks display their mastery in making their noodles.

“You don’t look like a Claire.” The boy said as they waited for their food. He sat opposite her with his eyes closely studying her face.

She could only wonder if he had any idea who she was. But he was young. He might not be aware of her as an artist. Besides, most of her fans were in the young female demographics. So, it was not likely he would know her.

“Well, you don’t look like a Neil either.” She finally confronted him with her suspicion. “But we can still be friends, right?” She added, knowing they were both carrying a secret that neither wanted to share.