Helping Mr. Weirdo

Mela's pov

I was completely stunned when I saw that strange guy at the same bar Mira and I were at. She had dragged me out, saying I needed to stop isolating myself and have some fun.

I couldn’t say no to her because I knew it would hurt her feelings, so I went along. Thirty minutes after we arrived, I was so bored that I told Mira I wanted to go home. She started arguing, but I gave her my usual "don’t even try to change my mind" look, and she got the message. Just as I got up to leave, I saw Mr. Weirdo lying on the floor, clearly drunk and in need of help.

Before I could react, he tried to get up but fell again. I couldn’t help but smile at how clumsy he was when drunk. I had to walk over to help him, but Mira wasn’t ready to leave. I had to drag her along, but by the time we got to him, he was gone. I figured someone must have helped him while I was convincing Mira to come with me.

I made my way to the exit, only to find Mr. Weirdo leaning against the door frame, trying not to fall. I gave him a look of disbelief, but he didn’t seem to understand. His cold, emotionless emerald green eyes gave off an eerie vibe, as if he was devoid of any feelings. Glowing even more but it became slightly darker.There was a strange, dark aura around him. I grabbed his arm, put it around my neck, and helped him stand up. He looked surprised by my actions, so I reassured him I wasn’t kidnapping him. Still, his demeanor remained unchanged. I asked him for his address.

The whole situation felt odd and pointless, but for some reason, I couldn’t leave him there. It didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t let him stay in that state.

Mira was watching me like a hawk, and I nodded towards the weirdo, hoping she’d help me. He looked like he has the normal men body size, but in reality, his mesomorphic build made him heavy, and I needed Mira’s help to get him into the car’s back seat. But she was too busy mumbling to herself, so I had no choice but to do it on my own.

The car ride was quiet. I bet Mr. Weirdo was already asleep. Mira broke the silence.

“Why did you pick up a stranger we don’t even know? What if he’s a thief, a gangster, or some kind of criminal?” She asked, clearly annoyed.

“Mira, calm down. He’s not a stranger. I’ve met him a few times, and don’t worry, he’s too drunk to hurt us. He won’t even be able to move.” I explained, trying to convince her.

But deep down, I wasn’t sure if I believed myself. Something about this guy made me feel uneasy.

When we arrived at his building, I was in complete shock. It wasn’t just a house, It's more of a mansion perhaps villa because it's way too big. A huge one, with plenty of guards outside, which probably meant there were more inside.

"Come on, Mel. You live in a mansion too." My inner voice said.

"Yeah, but not one this big." I thought back.

I turned to Mira. "Do you really think someone living in a mansion like this could be a thief or a gangster?" I asked, sounding sarcastic.

She looked at me apologetically. To be honest, I didn’t know why I was defending him, either. I turned back to see Mr. Weirdo sleeping in the back seat, so I woke him up.

“We’re at your house.” I told him.

We helped him out of the car and handed him over to one of the guards. Mira and I explained how we found him at a bar and brought him home. The guard didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was surprised to see him in this state.

"Thank you for bringing him back." The guard said, sounding cold.

“It’s nothing. Goodnight.” I said before leaving with Mira.

We walked away in silence, both of us still stunned by the mansion. I knew my family is rich, but this was something else.

When we got back to the car, Mira started talking again, and as usual, she couldn’t hold back.

"I’m going to make sure he falls for me. He’s cute and has those mesmerizing green eyes. And he’s rich too. It’s like buying a box of pizza and getting one free." she said, smiling.

I was shocked. Mira’s dad is incredibly wealthy, and she is beautiful. She could have any guy she wanted. So why this weirdo?

Still, I didn’t really have a right to judge. But I had to ask, "But Mira, what about your crush? The one you’ve been head over heels for? Would you just give up on him?"

Mira scoffed. "Come on, Mel. He doesn’t even like me. I’m not going to waste my time on him."

"But—" I started to say, but she cut me off.

"No 'buts', Mel. It’s his loss, not mine. Anyway, you said you’ve met this guy before. So, what’s his name?" She asked, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Uh... actually, Mira, I’ve seen him a couple of times, but I don’t know his name." I admitted.

Mira burst out laughing. "How is that possible, Mel? How could you meet him a few times and not even ask his name?"

"I never got the chance." I said, thinking back to the times I’d seen him—he was either yelling at me or leaving without a word, after I asked why he kept following me.

“Mela! Mela!! Mela!!!” Mira yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What is it, Mira? Can we go home? I’m tired of all this drama. I need to get back to my novels.” I said.

I knew I couldn’t sleep. My nightmares were far worse than the stress of being awake. I’d rather read all night than face the horrors of sleep. I got lost in my thoughts until Mira honked the horn to pull me back to reality.

“Mela, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re always lost in your thoughts. Talk to me. Is something bothering you?” She asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing, Mira. Just thinking about Mom, Grandma, and Riddi.” I said, avoiding her gaze.

Mira still looked suspicious, but she didn’t press further. I started driving, hoping the night would pass quickly. After dropping Mira off, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and said goodnight.

Now, alone in the dark, I hoped I wouldn’t get lost in it.

When I got home, I saw the guards outside. I parked and went inside, finding one of the maids. I asked about Grandma, and she told me she was still awake. I went to her room to find her looking tense.

"Hey, Granny, what’s wrong? Did something happen?" I asked.

“Your sister is in the hospital. She fell ill, and your mom went with her. I hope nothing bad happens to her,” Grandma said, sounding anxious.

I rushed to the hospital, where I found my mom distressed and talking to her bodyguard, Samuel.

I immediately asked, “Mom, what happened to Riddi?”

“She’s really sick, Mel. She has nausea, vomiting, and a fever. I had to bring her here.” Mom said, sounding desperate.

Just then, the doctor came out of Riddi’s room and led us to his office. He told us Riddi had appendicitis and needed treatment, either antibiotics or surgery if she didn’t improve.

“Riddi is too small for surgery.” I thought, but I didn’t voice it.

The doctor gave us the prescription for antibiotics, and we went to get the medicine. I stayed with Riddi while Mom and Samuel went to the pharmacy.

Riddi was asleep, probably from some sedatives they’d given her, and I felt a pang of fear for her.

After Mom returned with the drugs, I went home to update Grandma. She had fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from worrying. I didn’t wake her up and asked the maid to do it when I was in my room.

I went to my room, hoping not to get some sleep, and deep down, I was scared for Riddi. I read a book to distract myself, but by 3am, I was still awake and hungry. I decided to make pancakes, not caring much about the time.

As I was making the pancakes, I heard some noise in the living room. I checked and found one of the guards, of Arnoldo Fernandez, on duty.

He seemed surprised to see me up so late but explained he had heard something and came to check. I sent him back to his post and went back to my pancakes.

When I was on my way back to my room, I saw Grandma coming out of hers. She was obviously worried.

“Hey, Grandma, why are you up so late?” I asked, pretending not to know why as I hid my pancakes at my back.

“Mela, how’s Riddi? What happened to her? Did you meet the doctor?” Grandma asked, sounding breathless.

I reassured her that Riddi was fine, and the doctor said it was appendicitis. I told her not to worry, and I sent her back to bed.

It was hard pretending to be calm for Grandma, but I did it. I was exhausted, but I needed to stay strong. After eating my pancakes and taking some medicine for my headache, I went back to my books, hoping that the night would pass quickly.

By 7 a.m., I’d only slept for an hour, but I had to get up again. Mira showed up at my room, all smiles.

“Good morning, Mel!” she greeted cheerfully.

I responded and started getting ready to go to the hospital to check on Riddi.

Mira was confused when I told her what had happened to Riddi, especially since she didn’t know about it yet. She was shocked when I told her the doctor’s diagnosis.

“Wait, you’re telling me Riddi, a baby, has appendicitis? How is that even possible?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s what the doctor said.” I answered, a little worried myself.

Mira wanted to come along, and I didn’t mind. I just hoped everything would be okay with Riddi.

After I finished getting ready, I saw Grandma talking to Mira in the living room. I quickly said goodbye to Grandma, and Mira and I headed out.

Before we left, I checked with Grandma to see if she wanted to send anything to Mom at the hospital. She told me to tell Mom that Dad would be coming home soon.

That’s when I felt a sudden sinking feeling in my chest. The thought of my father coming back made me feel suffocated.