Chapter 136: The Stories We Fabricate

Ambryan stepped down the hill. 

Golfing had been erased from his mind. Richard debated whether to follow to stay put. On one hand, he wanted to know what was going on as well. On the other, he didn't want to overdo it in case his friend was still in a bad mood.

That golf ball might fly towards him instead of the ground.

"Elaborate," Ambryan commanded, stopping after a few meters.

Wen gave a brief summary of the ongoing events. The internet had been divided into two. Speakers from their side like Luna and Avery also added their statements. With Mikael taking the initiative, they saw it as a sign to back up his words.

But, most of the other parties still refused to surrender. The video led to new theories and stories. A few suspected the blossoming romance between Evangeline and Mikael to be true. It was one thing for Mikael to say they had no relation.

It was another to defend her publicly.

This side of the frenzy was also further divided—of those who were in favor of it and of those who were not. The situation encouraged more fanfiction. After the first one's success, others became encouraged to try and this development gave them the inspiration they needed.

"They're still more coming up. Generally, Mr. Davis' actions had given a push to suppress the other parties," Wen began to conclude. "But they are still going strong. Do you have any further instructions? We're all ready to investigate if needed."

"No, we stick to my original plan." Ambryan declined. It was tempting but the situation hadn't escalated to require it just yet. "Continue to monitor what's happening and report to me as soon as possible."

"Noted, Sir Hathaway."

Although he said that, Ambryan still felt uneasy. His hit on that golf ball wasn't coincidence. Richard had read him well. It frustrated him to be cast aside. Was he to stay here and do nothing? What kind of boyfriend would that make him?

The phone weighed heavily in his hand. 

Then, he navigated through his apps, choosing a camera colored in rainbow.

"Since when did you have Slowgram?" Richard asked behind him. The phone call had already ended so he approached his best friend. The icon was hard to miss—especially with how little apps the phone had.

"Since today."

It took some time but Ambryan was able to figure out how the app worked. He had created a random name for his user and only followed a few accounts. The colorful frame circled around the profile picture in lines and dots.

Then, Cale appeared on his screen, eating a cookie. Crumbs coated the corners of his lips. The sun shined behind him. It made his aqua blue eyes darker. "I can't describe to you how good this is. I also can't say how much weight I just gained for the past few minutes. I had been trying cookies from left to right. Everyone is so nice! You're all missing out."

He stuffed the rest into his mouth and moaned. "OMG. I definitely saved the best for last. Evangeline and that little girl did really well. Ugh, so good. I want to eat more but I need to watch it. I wonder what the bakery has in store next?"

The focus switched from the front camera to the back one. The crowd ate cookies together. Children exchanged each other's creations. Adults chatted casually while the kids were distracted. It gave a warm feeling even through digital screens.

"Hope you didn't finish your cookies yet because we have cold milk right here!" Andie announced. She walked around the bakery, carrying a tray and handing out paper cups filled with milk. "Evangeline also has something for us. Listen carefully if you want more cookies."

Eve almost spat out her drink. 

They hadn't talked about anything like this. She sneaked a peek outside. There were less reporters and a few had stopped taking photos. Nothing had happened since they got here. They merely waited for her to leave so they could corner her for an interview.

The air pressure suddenly shifted intensity. 

"Is it a story?" Ede gasped, skipping over. "My sister always does that. We always eat cookies and drink milk too while she reads to us. I sort of miss it. I'd be very happy if you can do it."

Eve opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish. They hadn't done that in years. She didn't expect her younger sister to miss it. Before her, it was their mother who told the stories. The twin would sit on their beds with the milk and cookies. Eve would do the sound effects whenever needed.

It was a fun time.

Of course, the twins loved it because they get to stay up late. 

"Is it a love story? We love romance," Eri added. Her torso twisted from side to side, ruffling her skirt. Her brown eyes stared up innocently. 

"How can you be thinking about romance at your age?" Eve demanded, placing her hands on her hips and squinting her amber eyes at the two. Crushes she understood but it couldn't be taken seriously just yet.

Their priorities should be in their studies.

"Well, it's much better than watching princesses fall in love with the first male they see."

…

…

…

'They do have a point,' Eve commented to herself. She created a mental note to bring these bedtime stories back. There were more things the twins could learn. The stories should match their age as well as their next phase in life—like middle school and high school.

"I think a story would be nice," Georgie supported from a few paces away. "It's been a while since I heard a good one. I'd be fine with anything to be honest. What do the other folks think?"

Eve started to wonder if the mother and daughter pair set her up for this. 

Parents and guardians uttered their agreement. Anything that could keep the children's attention worked for them. Andie arranged the setup. The kids stayed out front while the adults claimed seats at the back. It took awhile but eventually, she managed to discipline the children enough for them to stay still.

Then, they started speaking.

"What is it about? Pirates?"

"Aliens?"

"Mutations?"

"Is it anime? Games?"

"Is it a doll house?"

Eve gestured for them to stop. Her mind raced for a story idea. She couldn't recycle any of the old ones unless she wanted to get caught. Even if she managed to compose an explanation, her sisters would definitely stay suspicious.

Sitting on a chair, she smiled at them gently. "What about a family that has 10 children?"

"10?!" Ede scrunched up her nose. "That's way too many."

"Maybe… but not for long," Eve teased.

A random boy sucked in his breath. "Is this murder mystery? I really like those."

Eve glanced at the ceiling and rubbed her chin. When she flickered her gaze back on them, there was a new glint in her eyes. "Hmm. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. There are 10 children in this household, all of them close in age. One night…, they vanished into thin air."

Collective gasps came from her audience.

She suppressed a laugh. It was too cute.

"They woke up in different places," Eve continued, using a dramatic voice. She bent forward and waved her arms to match the tone of the story. "A blue digital screen popped up in front of them. It said that they needed to find their home in 3 days or… it would be destroyed."

She clapped her hands, making them jump. "There won't be a fridge anymore. There won't be a kitchen. No food, no cookies, no chocolate… no toys, no dolls, nothing. They would all be taken it away if the children failed."

"One of them woke up on a ship with phantom pirates. Another in outer space, prisoned by a group of aliens. The third child was down in the sewers surrounded by failed lab experiments. The fourth and fifth were twins. The older one found himself in an anime while the younger twin ran for his life in a video game."

"The sixth child lived a lavish world in a dreamhouse. The other toys had come to life and welcomed her into their lives." Eve spotted the girl who asked about a dollhouse. The latter's face lit up from her words. She hid a chuckle. Then, her voice dropped to a hiss. "The seventh one lied on a cold and wet street. When he got up, he found smears of blood in his hands."

Her fingers curled like tentacles. The children focused on it more than her face. Silence had shrouded the room as everyone became invested in the story. Eve told the story of each child and how they overcome their obstacles. It was a last minute idea but…

Boy… did she put herself into a lot of work.

Rather than 1 story, she needed to come up with 10.

Cale watched from his phone screen, making sure to capture the best parts from the best places. Comments flooded his live stream. The number of participants also rose.

"How's it going?" Andie whispered beside him. She too watched from the same screen. Her stormy blue eyes read the comments. A smile bloomed on her face.

It was progressing well.

Then, one remark appeared.

``thatretrohair: Oh, ho. What a stunt. Is she making this on the spot? Goes to show how skilled she is at fabricating things.``