CHAPTER 3

"Arien, go to the counter and get food for me. Here's my money." She ordered me as if she were my superior.

"Rhea!" Cassy shouted Rhea's name and slammed the table. I glanced at Cassy to give her a sign not to pay attention to Rhea.

(sigh) I'm in trouble again later when I get home. I whispered to myself.

"How come you asked Arien to buy your food? Is she your errand staff?" Dave frowned and asked Rhea. "No! Actually, she's my cousin. I think it's OK to ask her for a small favor, right?" Rhea proclaimed it.

"I understand now," Dave said with a different meaning.

"Hmmm?" Dave's words stunned Cassy.

"Anyway, may I have your name? Rhea asked Dave, but she didn't receive a reply. She feels awkward about it.

"I'm Rhea Holmes. Arien's cousin and the campus belle at our school. If you are new to our school, I can offer you a guide. You can ask me anything. Rhea's non-stop speech is to get Dave's attention.

Suddenly, someone interrupted Rhea by talking continuously. She backed off and murmured, complaining about why Dave treated her with a cold shoulder.

"Excuse me, Cassy...?" One of our former classmates was stunned when she saw Dave at the table where we were eating. My classmate gulped and whispered, "He's perfect."

"So handsome. Is he Cassy's boyfriend?" Cassy snapped her fingers and waved her hands in front of our former classmates, urging her to stop drooling. Then my classmate gasped and got herself back.

"Excuse me. Why are you looking for me? Cassy asked.

"Ah! Oh! About that, I am looking for Arien. Aren't you with her? My classmate responded.

"Arien is at the counter. Why are you looking for her? Cassy questioned her. My classmate quickly responded, "Our teacher is looking for her for a favor."

"She's coming here now," Cassy told my classmate.

When I arrived at our table, I asked them where Rhea was.

"She backed off. And find another table because Dave keeps on ignoring her," Cassy stated.

Our former classmate explained to me why she was looking for me. When I left the table, Dave grabbed my hand and asked for my number to contact me tomorrow related to work.

"My apologies, Dave. I don't have a mobile phone with me. I never purchased it because I couldn't afford it. When I noticed Dave's pitiful expression on my face, I told him, "I'll ask Cassy to contact you before I go to your workplace tomorrow." Dave agreed with me, so I said my goodbyes to him first. Dave said he would go back as well to prepare for tomorrow's work.

"See you tomorrow, Arien. Dave waved to us. Cassy and I then went to the school building.

I went to the teacher's office. My teacher instructed me about tomorrow's duties before leaving school. Time has passed, and school has ended. When I arrived home, Rhea blocked me in front of the door.

"How did you meet Dave? she asked.

"He's Cassy's cousin, and Cassy introduced me to him. I replied.

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

I don't know," I said.

"How come you didn't know, you had lunch with him, right?"

"Why didn't you ask him? She interrogated me about Dave's personal life.

"If you meet him again, ask him! Did you get that? She demanded me to complete an impossible task.

"I can't do that. It's impolite to inquire about his personal life." I rejected her request.

Rhea suddenly pulled me inside the house by my hair. Then, she slapped and shouted at me.

"How dare you! You know how to talk back now. Do you think you have an ally here? She became furious for not getting information about Dave.

"Rhea, I'm hurting. Please stop!" I am begging her to stop pulling my hair.

My aunt heard the commotion. What's all the fuss about? Could anyone explain this to me? My aunt asked us.

"Mom, it's because Arien talked back to me. I only asked her for a favor. Then she shouted at me and talked back." Rhea cried suddenly to get sympathy from her mother.

"Aunt, I didn't talk back and shouted at her." I contradicted what Rhea told her mother.

"Do you think I will believe your words instead of my daughter? My aunt barked at me and suddenly strongly slapped my face and I fell down on the floor.

"Ah, I know I'm not a part of their family. I'm used to their verbal and physical abuse. I am just a maid who begged them to provide for my studies. What's the use of my reasoning, anyway.Though I treated them as part of my own. It's because I believed they would change their approach to me.

I sigh and stand up to head back to my quarter while spacing out. When I change my clothes, my tears suddenly drip down my face. "Alas, why am I crying? I uttered it to myself. I sat down on my bed, looking at the ceiling without thinking of anything.

"Arien, make some hot tea for me," Rhea said. I jumped out of bed, startled by Rhea's call.

Before going out of my room. I wiped away my tears and stood up normally so they wouldn't notice I was crying.