Chapter 14

"KATIE?" Alice screamed jumping. "What are you doing here this afternoon?"

Katie smiled. "I got a phone call from Emma. You do know we are going to do our first YouTube video."

Alice blushed. "Really? Oh, yeah, I forgot about it!" She exclaimed. "Okay, let's go! Off to Emma's dorm room!"

Alice laughed and grabbed Katie's arm dragging her. Katie followed Alice, still in shock.

Katie exclaims, "You didn't answer my question. Why did Mr. Johnson give you a ride to school when you can catch a taxi?"

Alice grinned mischievously and said, "I asked him for a favor. He was happy to help me out."

Katie was still suspicious and asked, "What kind of favor did you ask him?"

Alice could feel her cheeks redden. She stammered, "I-I just asked him to drive me to school."

Katie narrowed her eyes. "That's it?" Alice nodded. "So, like? You didn't spend the night with him?

"WHAT?! OF COURSE NOT!" Alice replied. "Why would I do something like that - I mean we just met yesterday."

Katie sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I was worried you'd do something stupid."

Alice smiled. "Come on Katie, I'm smarter than that. I won't let his handsome looks fool me."

"So, you admit the teacher is cute?

Alice blushed. "I didn't say that!"

Katie laughed. "It's okay, Alice. I think he's cute too. But jokes aside: he's a grown-ass man and he'll be charged with grooming if you flirt with him."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. I'll back off." She smiled. "But you have to admit, he's really cute!"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. But I think his already taken - I mean a guy like him could have at least a dozen girls after him. Just stay away, okay?"

Alice did not reply, just nodded and proceeded to walk with her. But Alice didn't want to stay away from Mr. Johnson. She has admired him since meeting him. She envied him from a distance. She had to find a way to get his attention without any of her friends noticing. She was determined to make him hers.

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Emma's dorm has been reached by two teens. Katie knocked on the door, and Emma opened it. Katie and Alice stepped inside, and Emma welcomed them warmly. They exchanged hugs and chatted.

While Jane was playing her guitar on her bed, both Katie and Jane exchanged glances until Katie looked away. Emma offered them something to drink as they sat down. Jane joined them and they all discussed their plans.

"So, yesterday, we all decided to write our bucket list and we'd do each item on it together for our Youtube channel," Katie said. "Emma, have you instructed everyone to write their list?"

"Yes," Emma replied. "I already received Rose from a text. Everyone has their list ready."

"By the way, where is Rose? Is she running late?"

"She should be here soon," Emma replied. "I sent her a message to remind her about the meeting. I'm sure she'll be here any minute now."

"I hope she will. She has a tripad after all." Katie sipped her drink. "Anyway, while we're waiting, who'll show the bucket list first?"

No one spoke. Alice, Emma, and June looked at each other as they scanned their lists on the chest. Maybe they're too embarrassed to share. Or maybe they were waiting for someone else to go first. In any case, Katie looked around the group expectantly.

"Come on, I know someone here has a great story to tell!" Katie yelled.

Silence filled the room. Finally, one of the group members cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I will," said Alice. Grabbing a stack of papers, she read them out loud. "How about exploring a cave? This weekend, we should try cave exploring. We can leave early in the morning and return by evening. Who's in?"

After looking at each other for a moment, Katie coughed. "And where will we find a cave?"

Alice smiled. "I know the perfect one! It's a few hours away, and I think it will be an awesome adventure!"

The girls looked uneasy. Emma and June glanced at each other before Emma spoke up. "Alice, do you think exploring a cave offers us better views? Remember, this is our first Youtube video and we need to make it a hit."

"Yeah, and I don't think we have enough time for that," Katie added. "Also, it's boring as hell. We might even get lost."

Alice asked annoyed. "Does anyone have a better bucket list?".

"We could try camping instead," suggested Emma. "It's a lot of fun and we can still explore the outdoors."

"Really? That sounds fun! I can see us roasting marshmallows over a campfire. And maybe we can even go for a hike in the woods!" Alice cheered.

"Uh, no. We don't have time for camping and I'm a city girl, I don't do outdoors." Katie sneered.

"And I have nothing to wear. Besides, I don't even know how to set up a tent." June added then read her bucket list. "How about we try something simple like baking a large cake?"

"Baking a large cake? Are you serious?" Katie raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, why not?" June said. "It's going to be fun. I'm sure we can figure it out online. Hell, we can make pizza or bake a large croissant. It's not like you have any "better" suggestions."

"I do." Katie smiled confidently. "How about we throw a wild house party? We'll bring all the snacks, invite our friends and cute boys and have a blast! What do you think?"

"I think that plan is dumb. How will we find a house to organize a house party?" June said. "And why is throwing a party on a bucket list? Everyone can throw a party at any time."

Katie and June glanced at each other for quite some time while Alice and Emma feel uneasy tension between the two. Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

"Um, hello? It's me, Rose."

Katie and June broke eye contact and the room tension faded. Alice and Emma let out a sigh of relief as Katie opened the door to let Rose in.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I've had some car trouble this morning and had to get it fixed." Rose said as she walked in. She dropped a tripod on Emma's bed. She was out of breath. The others in the room watched her set up her equipment.

Katie hugged her and welcomed her into the room. "No problem, you're just in time to read out your bucket list anyway."

"Oh? Really? Um, okay!" Rose smiled and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. "How about we make a dance video? I know it's not an ideal activity, but it's something I've wanted to do for a while."

Everyone exchanged a glance. "And what type of dance are you in favor of?" Emma asked.

Rose thought for a moment. "I was thinking something like hip-hop or salsa. That way we can all feel the beat and enjoy it together."

"Or we can try the 143 dance." Katie grinned.

"143 dances? What's the 143 dance?" Emma asked.

Katie explained, "It's a TikTok dance that is trendy right now. "143" is a code that means "I love you" and is a simple dance. All you have to do is make a heart shape with your hands and move your body to the beat. Here let me show you."

Katie played a song called "Talk About Love" by Diegosan on her iPhone and demonstrated the dance and everyone watched in admiration. Alice, Emma, Rose, and June all tried to dance. They laughed as they tried to imitate Katie's moves. Katie smiled and nodded in approval.

"Swing your hips more Rose!" Katie yelled. Rose followed her advice and tried again, this time getting the moves right. Everyone cheered as the four finally got it right.

"Man! Those moves are so difficult!" Rose said, relieved.

"Yeah, well it was fun. Let's try it and post it on Youtube!" Alice cheered.

"Yeah! It was so fun and I'm sure it was going to be a hit." Emma agreed.

"Okay, but if we have to post ourselves dancing, we have to pick our choice of clothing," Katie suggested.

"And I have the hottest choices!" Emma screams as she dashes through her wardrobe. She quickly grabbed a few of her clothes and put them on the bed. She began to mix and match, creating unique combinations that she felt confident in. "This will be perfect!" she smiled.

"Wow, Emma. You have some taste in fashion." June said admiring Emma's clothes.

"Rose, how do you set this up?" Katie asked while setting up the tripod and holding up her iPhone 9. "Should we use a tripod or the right light?"

Rose adjusted the iPhone 9 on the tripod and said, "Let's use the tripod and the natural light from the window."

Katie agreed and said, "Yes, that should work. Alright, let's get dressed and start the video!"

They quickly changed and took their positions in front of the camera. Rose hit the record button and they began the video.

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"So, what do you think?" Emma asked. The video was playing on Katie's phone as everyone checked it. They'd been practicing the dance moves for a couple of hours and were finally ready to upload a video.

"I think it looks great!" Katie replied. She smiled as she looked around the group, proud of the exemplary work they had done. "Let's upload it! But first, we have to send the video to our editor."

Katie quickly emailed the video off and waited for the editor's response. It didn't take long- within an hour they had the edited video back, and it was just right.

"Wait, you already had Liam's phone number?" June asked checking Katie's phone.

Katie smiled as she scrolled through her emails. "Yup," she said. "I guess I'm just that talented."

Soon enough, they uploaded the video to their website and shared it on Youtube. The title of the article is 143 dance challenges from "Girl Diaries".

"Well, that's it. We uploaded our first video." Katie sigh. "Well, I'm off to my swimming classes. Thank you guys for your time and I'll see you later."

The group waved goodbye, and Katie left the room.

"Yeah, I'm better to get going. It's getting late and I'm really tired. I'll see you all tomorrow." Alice smiled and waved one last time before leaving.

"I guess I should get going," Rose replied as she packed her tripod. "But before I leave, please do not inform anyone I was here."

"What? Why?" Emma asked. "What's the issue if-"

Rose cut her off. "No questions. Just promise me you won't tell anyone I was here."

Emma hesitated but eventually nodded her head in agreement. As Rose turned to the door, June spoke up. "Yeah, Rose, where's Theodore? Your butler? Was he supposed to look after you at all times and carry all of your stuff for you?"

Rose stopped in her tracks and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I told him I wanted some time alone." She looked back at Emma and June. "I can take care of myself."

Emma and June stared at each other before responding. "Okay, take care."

Rose nodded and walked away. June and Emma watched her close the door behind her. Then they turned to each other, not sure what to say next.

Emma sighed and looked away. June cleared her throat and said, "Well, that was... interesting."

Emma nodded in agreement. "We had a blast, didn't we? All the dancing and singing was so much fun."

June smiled and said, "Yeah, it was great! But I wish we could have done one of my bucket lists."

Emma nodded in agreement. "Let's do it next time. We'll have even more fun then!"

June smiled and agreed. "Yeah... You know, I was heading to my favorite restaurant downtown. How about you join me? We can have dinner and talk about our plans for the next time."

Emma nodded excitedly. "That sounds great! Let's head out!"

The two roommates walk out of the dorm and June locks the door behind them. Then she glanced at the number on her key. "143, Huh? Who knew our dorm number code meant "I love you"?"

She smiled at herself and put the key in her pocket. Then, she and her roommate walked away, still laughing at the coincidence.

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Slowly opening the back door, Rose quietly entered the kitchen. She could feel her heart pounding, but she had to find the source of the strange noise. She crept slowly towards the living room, her eyes wide open in anticipation. As she rounded the corner, she gasped in surprise.

Rose quickly hides behind the wall, as two of her maids emerge from the living room chatting about their business. Rose watches as the two maids leave the house, unaware of her presence. She breathes deeply, relieved that the noise source was just her maids. Taking a moment to steady her nerves, she walks into the living room to her upstairs bedroom.

She closes the door behind her and collects her thoughts. Her room was dark just as she left it before leaving. She is relieved that her suspicions were wrong and no one noticed her. With a sigh of relief, she collapses onto her bed and falls into a peaceful sleep.

"Back so soon, Roseanna?"

Her eyes widen in shock as she recognizes the voice. She turns to see Theodore standing in the doorway, a stern expression on his face. She slowly sits up, her heart racing, as he stares at her.

Theodore takes a step towards her, his lips pressed together in a tight line. She braces herself, unsure of what will come next.

"Theo! How did you know I was gone?" Rose stuttered.

He looked at her steadily and said, "I knew you weren't here as soon as I walked into the room."

Rose was stunned. She hadn't expected him to be so perceptive. "Did you tell Father?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't. I wanted to talk to you first." He stepped closer and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Tell me, where were you?"

Rose looked away, avoiding his gaze. "I was just with my new friends, that's all."

"And you didn't let me come with you?" Theo asked touching Rose's cheeks.

Rose looked away, her eyes filled with tears. "I thought it was better if you didn't come," she said softly.

Theo held her closer, his heart aching for her. "My dear Rose, how long are you willing to hide from your father? He said he never approved of you signing up for a Youtube channel."

Rose shook her head, her voice barely audible. "It doesn't matter if he approves or not. I just want to do something I'm passionate about."

Rose pushed her butler away without thinking. "I just want you to leave me alone, Theo."

Suddenly, Theo pushed Rose against her bed trapping her with his body. His hand was on her neck, pushing her head against the bed. Rose was paralyzed by fear, as she felt the heat of his body against hers. Theo leaned closer, his lips almost touching her ear.

"You've been a bad girl, Rose," he said in a low voice. "Instead of following my rules, you chose to leave me. How would you feel if I told your father about your absence?"

Rose shivered, her eyes wide open with fear. She knew that if her father found out about her leaving, he would be furious. She had to think of something to say to him quickly.

"Please, don't tell Father! I'll do anything you ask, I promise!" She begged, her voice trembling.

He stared at her for a few moments before smiling creepily. "Anything?"

She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her fingers linger on his face. "Yes, anything," he said softly. "Do what you want with me...master."

Chapter end