บท 7: An old friend

On the fifth day, she was officially going out of her mind. She had to get out and buy some things she would need to survive on this island. She needed an activity or do something besides lounging around the house or out on the beach.

"Lindsey, I heard from Gerry that you know how to cut and dye hairs," Sky asked her while Lindsey was busy preparing her breakfast.

"I can do a decent job, I think. Why?" Lindsey asked uncertainly, speculating where the question was leading to.

She moved from the sofa towards the kitchen island and sat on the stool. "I was kinda considering changing my hairstyle. Can you do it?"

Lindsey's eyes almost bulged out of its sockets, shocked at what she was asking her to do. "I can't do it. I'm afraid I might ruin that beautiful hair of yours."

"Don't worry. I had sported different kinds of hairstyle in my line of work. Nothing you'll do can ruin it. Trust me." Sky started bugging Lindsey until she finally conceded to cut her hair and changed its color.

Sky was born with beautiful straight blonde hair that her hairstylist usually changed every few months depending on her current project. Now, she wanted something different. A red one, she thought would be a perfect disguised. Something short, maybe a pixie cut. She had not tried that before because most of her roles required long hair.

"Let me get some of my things and buy what you need." Lindsey left her alone to eat her breakfast as she started planning what she would do today after her transformation.

A few moments later, her phone rang. She quickly snatched it, excited to see the name of the caller.

"Hi, beautiful. How's the life of an asylum." The man on the other line teasingly said.

She transferred to the patio outside as the breeze softly blew. "I'm bored out of my mind." She confessed. "Why don't you come here and joined me."

The line was silent for a few seconds before the man answered again. "I wished I could, but there are a lot of problems that I am dealing with right now. However, I am sending you a gift. Expect it to arrive by tomorrow."

"I wished that you are the one inside the gift." She pouted like a child who was about to throw tantrums.

"Hahaha!" The man laughed as he started blowing loud kisses over the line. "I missed you to honey, but I can't get out of here."

She sighed, knowing that she could not expect him to drop everything and follow her on this lonely island. "I understand, but I miss you too."

They talked more about his new project and how he wished that she was there to support him. After a few minutes, she could hear someone calling his name. It was their cue to end the call. "Sorry, but I had to go. Love you, Sabrina!"

"Love you too, Jacob!" Then, the line was dead again.

Jacob was the first director who handled her first movie. After they finished filming that movie, they immediately bonded and became very close. She now considered him her closest friend. She missed him dearly.

After a few hours later, she was now sporting a new look. Looking at the mirror, she still very much looked like Sabrina, but with a few changes in her makeup and new sets of clothes, and then she would be unrecognizable. She was sure about that.

Checking her wardrobe in her room, she realized that there was a problem. Those were Sabrina's clothes. She needed new clothes that would match Sky's look. Then, she spotted Lindsey cleaning the kitchen as she went out for a glass of water.

"Lindsey, would you mind if I borrow a pair of your clothes." Looking at her with her sweetest smile.

Lindsey, once again, was eyeing her suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

"Ok. I want to go out. Go to town and buy some stuff." She finally admitted to her.

Lindsey went closer to her. "But I can do that for you. You don't need to go to the market."

"You don't understand. I am sick and tired of sitting here all day. I just want to experience going out. I am wearing a disguise so people won't recognize me." She explained as if that was a good enough reason for Lindsey to lend her some clothes.

"You are a big star, even around here. People may easily recognize you and then what. You will be risking your peace and quiet for a day out." Lindsey tried to reason with her, worried that her plan might only cause problems for her.

"Yes, I will if I have to. I need to go out before I go crazy." Begging her to get along with her plans.

She finally convinced Lindsey, but with the condition that Lindsey would tag along with her, with Gerry as their driver and bodyguard.

It would be her first trip outside the resort ever since she arrived, so she almost jumped in excitement when Lindsey told her that it was time to leave. She was like a child on her first time on a field trip. Not that she was able to experience that in her childhood.

The first stop, she told them, was shopping. She needed new clothes if she wanted to do this again. She had to be Sky while she was here on the island, and she planned to play the part to the last detail.

Lindsey and Gerry followed her around the small town, looking for all the things she would need for her transformation. Her disguised, which consisted of her new hairstyle, a different makeup, Lindsey's baggy pants, a crop top, a sneaker, and a baseball cap, seemed to do the trick.

She managed to get from one store to another without anyone noticing who she was. When someone saw Lindsey, she asked if she was a relative vacationing in town. They easily lied and told the old lady that she was a distant niece who was visiting.

After a while, she informed them that she was hungry and thirsty. She invited them to join her for a snack in one of the cafés she saw earlier, but the two declined.

"Why don't you go ahead while I do my grocery shopping. Gerry would wait for us in the car." Linsey instructed.

"Oh, Ok. Are you sure you guys won't join me?" She asked again.

"Go ahead. Don't mind us. Just don't go anywhere else. Anyway, if you need Gerry, he is just over there", pointing to their vehicle parked on the other side of the street.

She went inside the café while the two went on their way. For the first time, she felt normal. No one was buzzing around to serve her. She was now standing in line like the rest of the customer, waiting for her turn. When she finally arrived at the counter, she ordered one cappuccino and a delicious chocolate cake. She only paid in cash since her cards might give away her identity.

She chose a seat outside the café to observe the people of this town. It was refreshing to be out where no one was taking her picture or asking for an autograph. The worse part was people staring as if she was an art exhibit.

She was tired of always being at her best because people expected that from her. The paparazzi, like a constant nuisance, was waiting for the right moment to catch her unaware and to capture her blunder. She always dreamt of a break from it all, finally, it was handed to her in this odd circumstance.

For the first time, as far as she could remember, she was free to be herself. She began to ponder what it truly meant, to be herself. She had lived in this lifestyle with people telling her what she should do and not that she forgot what it was like to make decisions for herself.

"Hi!" She noticed the pretty girl from the next table smiled at her. The little girl waved in return. She was too young to recognize celebrity stars, so she did not mind if she stares.

She was almost finished with her drink when something bumped her hand and spilled the remaining coffee on her shirt. "Oh, crap!" she exclaimed, but after seeing a familiar figure, she immediately smiled and forgot about the mess that he did. She was just happy to see an old friend.