I was preparing some tea for myself together with my new croissants when Austin joined me in the kitchen. He looked at me and I could see that he was both nervous and sad. I looked at him and he let out a small sigh.
"Essie… I think we need to talk" he said and my heart dropped. But I didn’t say anything.
"You don’t have to say it Austin, i’m leaving for Texas today anyway" I whispered back. He looked at me, surprised.
"I want you to know that I do love you it’s just…" he began but didn’t know how to continue.
"You don’t want all the drama, do you?" I asked and looked at him. He looked at me and then he nodded his head.
"I’m sorry, I really am… I just can’t handle more drama right now" he said. I held out my cup of tea and Austin looked surprised. Then I threw out the croissants and I walked past him without a single word.

I was on my way to the airport when I got stuck in a traffic jam. The cars was not moving and the rain started to pour down. I muttered something and let out a loud sigh. I hated the rain. It always came with bad luck. And right now I didn’t need any bad luck.
"I know you hate the rain" someone said and I let out a shriek. Next to me sat my father and he had his ugly grin on his lips. I opened the door to the car and hurried outside. I started to run away and I heard him come after me. He called my name but I just ran. I didn’t want anything to do with him. The curls in my hair got straight and soon became a second skin on my face. My clothes was drenched and I was glad that my small bag was waterproof. But I ran and ran, and soon he was gone. I ran into an alley and tried to catch my breath. For a few minutes I just stood there before I picked up my phone and called to Cory.
"Hi love, what are you up to?" he asked.
"Cory, he’s found me and… I need your help" I said and swallowed.
"What can I do?" he asked, and became all serious.

- - -

Austin’s POV


She just left. She threw out her tea and croissants that I bought for her and she left. And I regretted it. Why did I say something? Fuck.

I was over at Alan’s place together with Aaron and Phil when Tino bursted in through the door. He fell on his own feet and hurried over and turned on the tv. We all just looked at him until he finally got the right channel and we saw Cory. He was all dressed up nice and his beard was short, and he looked rather decent. We all got a bit surprised.
"Cory’s got both a tie and a blazer, what is going on?" Alan asked.
"It’s a press conference regarding Essie" Tino explained and told us it would begin in just a few minutes. I swallowed and got nervous. What was going on? Essie wasn’t in picture. It was just Cory and a woman with red hair and freckles.
"Welcome, and thank you all for coming out here today on this short notice" Cory said and everyone got quite. We all stared at the screen.
"My name is Cory Mercedes, I am the tour manager and foster father to Princess, the one you know as Essie, and I have something to share with you" he said and he swallowed. He looked sad and he bit his lip a little. Like he tried to hold back tears and I could see that it was just not my heart that dropped but the others as well. We all got scared.
"I am sorry to inform you that Essie was in a terrible accident a few days ago, an accident that took her life. Her friends, and me, will remember her as a beautiful and inspiring person" he said and we all just stared. She had what? Cory was saying what?
"I lost a friend, but I gained a daughter. She’s no longer just my foster daughter but my actual daughter. Before the death of Princess Lavender Lucas she signed the paper and became my daughter. All the money that will come in through her efforts as DJ Essie will be donated to people in need" Cory said and bit his lip again. Then the woman talked. It was apparently Carol and she told us about Essie and how she had been as a little girl. They told about her father and her mother. The loss of her mother and how she started her carrier.

The press conference ended and we all just stared at the black screen. She was dead? She was gone? What? WHAT? And just as I was about to threw something at the TV Cory called.
"Hi Cory, I just saw the press conference" I said. Everybody looked at me.
"You did? Well that is why I’m calling" he said.
"Is she really dead?" I asked.
"Princess Lavender Lucas is dead, but Esmeralda Mercedes is alive. My daughter and the one you know as Essie" he said. I got really confused.
"What?" I asked.
"You heard me" he said.
"But why?" I asked and just stared into air.
"To hide her from her father. Essie is going to leave the country for a while and hide herself, at least until the new trial against her father is through. He is most likely facing prison again" he said.
"He is?" I asked.
"He tried to kill her, not only once but twice. You apparently helped her after the first time. That is why she’s going to flee, so she can stay safe before she comes back" he said. He had tried to kill her? What? WHAT? Everything was just fucked up.
"So all that was a… cover up?" I asked.
"Exactly, and since I know you two had a thing i didn’t want you to believe that she was dead for real. You deserve to know the truth. But don’t tell anyone about it. It’s for her safety" he said.
"I promise" I whispered.
"Are the others with you?" he asked.
"Yeah" I answered him.
"I guess you can tell them, but don’t spread it out. I beg you" he said.
"I promise" I said and he hung up. The others just looked at me and I swallowed. Then I told them what Cory just had told me.