Knightess In Shining Armour

‘You want to know if Austyn’s secretly married?’ Kira studied Janessa’s flushed face. ‘Yes.’ Kira nodded and put out her right hand, palm up. Janessa threw up her hands, exasperated. ‘Fine. Thirty bucks, that’s as high as I’ll go!’ Kira smiled and shook her head at the same time. ‘Honey, don’t be so naïve. The answer to that question is worth at least an even thousand.’ ‘This is such a scam!’ Janessa was outraged. ‘It’s a trade, honey, entered into with mutual agreement. You give me money, and I give you information. I can name my price. If you’re not okay with it, you can always walk away.’ Kira flicked the wad of cash in her hand. ‘It’s just business. Don’t take it personally.’ Janessa glowered at her classmate with mock indignation. Kira waved to her, still smiling. ‘See ya! You can always come to me if you have more questions.’ She spun on her heel and started jogging away. ‘Wait, Kira, come back!’ Janessa shouted. ‘Send me a text if you’ve more questions!’ Kira picked up her pace. Janessa stomped her feet. ‘At least tell me how you got the answers!’ Kira was a model student, always keeping on the straight and narrow. She seldom took part in their gossip sessions and never wasted a cent on a tabloid. How could she know so much about Austyn? The man guarded his privacy fiercely. Even Janessa, who prided herself as the fount of knowledge on Stamford’s upper class, knew none of the answers. ‘Stop, Kira, get back here! Tell me! Or at least give me back my money!’ Janessa chased after Kira. ‘Uh-oh,’ Kira glanced over her shoulder and saw Janessa gaining ground on her. Just as she fretted about having to cough up her hard-earned cash, a voice sounded behind her. ‘Janessa, knock it off!’ It was music to her ears. Kira bounded over to Giana Mills and hugged the girl. ‘My knightess in shining armour!’ Giana started taking lessons in taekwondo when she was five. She now held an eighth-degree black belt. Janessa, on the other hand, counted climbing two flights of stairs as exercise. She’d stopped short at the sight of Giana. The latter planted her feet firmly on the ground, with Kira clinging to her arm. Janessa squirmed under Giana’s gaze. She knew better than to go up against the martial arts master. With another look at Kira that said ‘This isn’t over,’ Janessa departed reluctantly. The grateful Kira was prepared to give her guardian angel a kiss. Giana shot her a look that stopped her mid-motion. ‘Follow me.’ ‘Okay.’ Giana was Kira’s best friend. And a goddess to the boys at school. Her lean, lithe and shapely figure beckoned, but her glacial look kept the admirers away. Giana led Kira out of school and turned left to a food stand. She seemed quieter than usual. Kira wondered if there was something on her bestie’s mind. She did not notice a black Hummer rolling down the street in her direction. The food stand served only noodles. ‘My treat. Order whatever you want.’ Kira proudly plopped down the stack of cash on a low table. Giana extracted a pair of chopsticks from a bamboo holder. ‘So you’re rich now?’ There was a faint trace of a smile on her face. ‘Ha, richer than I was half an hour ago.’ ‘How much did you make?’ Kira counted her haul. ‘Janessa is a shrewd customer. I couldn’t get more from her—’ ‘Kira Hewitt!’ Giana raised her voice. She slammed a palm on the table, making the bamboo holder jump. Kira jumped with it. She blinked rapidly, startled. ‘Um, what’s wrong?’ ‘What’s wrong is seeing my best friend stooping to such pathetic work for a few extra bucks!’ Giana fumed. ‘When will you stop demeaning yourself?’ ‘It’s not demeaning,’ Kira objected feebly. ‘It’s a business, and it’s quite profitable—’ ‘Business?’ Giana shot her friend a look that could have killed. ‘When it’s freezing in winter, you fetch delivery for your classmates at two bucks a trip. In Summertime, when it swelters, you run to the store to get drinks for them for a one-dollar tip. You even help them buy sanitary pads. And condoms! Ugh!’ Her face flushed with embarrassment, Kira hastily put a hand over Giana’s mouth. She whispered, ‘Keep your voice down, please. Other people are staring at us. Let’s not make a scene.’ Giana was lost for words. She couldn’t speak, anyway, muzzled as she was with Kira’s hand. Kira batted her eyelashes and gave Giana her best imitation of the doe-eyed look. ‘It’s just a gig. I promise I’ll stop. The summer holiday’s coming, anyway. The campus will be a ghost town. I’ll go out and find a proper job.’ Her face lit up at the thought of having a steady income. Giana sighed and gently shoved Kira’s hand away. ‘Why would you hire yourself out as an errand girl in the first place?’ Kira lowered her eyes and forced a smile. ‘Classes are boring. I can sail through the tests with my eyes closed. I needed something to occupy my time. What’s the harm in running a few errands for my classmates? They get convenience; I get pocket money. It’s a win-win.’ The truth was, she needed money. Her father was still lying in the hospital. She had to pay for her living expenses. And there were the tuition fees. Kira couldn’t keep skipping classes to go to work. If her attendance dropped too much, she would be suspended by the school. Running errands on campus was the only paying job she could think of. The earnings weren’t much, but she could scrimp and save. Every dollar was a drop in the bucket she hoped to eventually fill. Things would look up once she graduated and found a well-paid job. She could take care of her father by herself. And make enough money to pay off her debt to Mr McCarthy. Then she would be free.