9. Ella

"I am not like someone who steals from people" She almost said his name in the place of someone. "Answer me what I am asking for. Don't beat around the bush, Ella" Ella he said. He said her name. He knew her name. Ella couldn't proceed for a few seconds. She doesn't remember telling him her name. She doesn't remember having any sort of interaction like that with him

"Where have you gone?" He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. Ella blinked her eyes and zoned in "Listen, Alex, I have not taken your money and I don't know what the hell are you talking about" She should have thought a little before announcing his name to him "How do you know my name?" Alex asked, arching a brow. She looked down, called herself a fool a million times, and "You are Julie Clarkson's boyfriend. Of course everyone knows you" she said, trying to sound as confident as she possibly could while lying. Alex nodded, a soft smile hit his lips and she hated it. "Don't play with words, Princess, if you don't want me to get your boss involved."

"Fuck" she tried to keep her voice inside but it was as similar as a scream.

Ella didn't, even in her imagination, want to take this matter to Hunk because he might kill her "Okay, you don't believe me. Let's check the CCTV"

"I don't have a problem but I wonder whom you will have to get the permission from" Alex was talking as if he knew everything. Maybe it was common sense because she would have to go to Hunk if she wanted to get access to the CCTV footage.

She engulfed the cold air like her cold fate. She was doomed and there was no way out.

After an instant, Ella decided to speak the truth "First, I didn't take your money. Second, I don't have money" Alex smirked as if he knew she was telling the absolute truth "That's not my problem" Only if she was in a good position, she would have beat the living hell out of this person. There was no point in arguing, worse, what if he announced this matter to the entire school? She would lose the slightest chance of taking a calm breath there. That felt horrible to even imagine. She has to slip out of this situation "Okay," she took a frustrated breath in "Give me some time. I will earn it and give it to you" This was the only possible solution she could think of but it will only work if he agrees "Nope" you freaking inhuman, monstrous thug! She just inhaled the voice "What do you suppose me to do then?" She did not expect a straight answer from him but "Be my tutor"

"What the hell?" her brain stopped working for some seconds because, exactly what the heck was happening there right now? Alex was so random and a little crazy. Maybe he had hurt his head in the fight this afternoon "You are the top student of the class right?" She nodded her more confused than frustrated face up and down "I suck in maths so teach me maths" For a minute she just stared at him and then for another minute and then she laughed. She laughed pretty loudly "What the hell are you talking about? Since when do thugs want to be good at studies?" Sometimes she doesn't think before she speaks. It was one of those times and she screwed up "Excuse me, Princess? Did you just call me a thug?" Ella shook her head so fast that a sharp wave of pain shot through it, she couldn't care. "Haha, you are hearing things" she laughed just by the voice. Her eyes were only in fear, begging him to let it go

"I am sure I heard it right" Ella shook her face to the side, she could swear that she never said anything like that "Anyway, is the deal done?" There were absolutely zero other options to make it alive out of this conversation. So, "Yeah" she nodded and the life-threatening situation came to an end.

Alex finally put that credit card- that had been a hanging rope to her- in his pocket. He picked her favorite ice cream up, tore a box from the pack, put it on the counter, and said "This one's for you" his tune was nowhere near mocking but a pure ray of anger ignited in her body "I don't need it. Take it back" her voice was dry and he did not listen "You got no right to oppose me. You are in debt to me" he said and walked to the door.

Ella was now fuming with anger. It felt like he was calling her poor. As if he was doing some sort of charity to make himself look good. "Alex!" She yelled his name as he reached the door. Alex turned around and with every ounce of force she had, she threw the box of ice cream at his face. Alex stumbled as the box hit him in the forehead, making it bleed "By a funny lie, I might be in debt to you but I am not your tool, Scumbag!" Ella growled with fire in her eyes. Her chest was rising and falling fastly. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had been this angry.

Alex didn't say anything and it was shocking. He stared at her with nothing in the name of anger on his face.

The blood started to drop but he didn't wipe it off.

After a moment, Alex left.

•••

When she entered her home, her total bank balance was minus four hundred. "Dran, You Idiot" she yelled to herself for accepting the deal "What else could I have done there?" She asked. There was no reply.

Ella has been trying to keep the guilt away by yelling but it was going nowhere. Maybe if Alex had thrown something at her, given her a warning, or at least taunted, she wouldn't have felt this bad. "You are literally feeling back for a freaking murderer, Ella!" she yelled to herself in the empty apartment and found herself thinking about it again. The blood on his forehead made her feel extremely guilty—

Ella once again tried to ignore it and went to the kitchen.

Well, it wouldn't be fair to call it a kitchen because there was nothing to cook in it. Vegetables are expensive and this place hasn't had the pleasure to meet the luxurious meat in its lifetime. All her kitchen had were spices and some cups of the cheapest noodles she could find. All of them were near expiring, making them more budget-friendly.

She walked to the stove and turned the flame on. She boiled water, poured it into the cup, and then roamed around her room, waiting for it to be done.

Five minutes later when she was double the amount of hungry, she picked the noodles and went to her room.

This room would have been a nightmare for the person she used to be. That Ella wouldn't even have stepped into a place like this but now it was one of a few places she felt safe in. It was indeed her home that was given to her by Danial.

Ella sat on her bed and began to eat the meal. It felt better than the meat, she pleaded her mind to believe it.

Ella was just chewing on the last bite when the bell rang. She stood up, alarmed.

No one comes to her house. No one. And now at night, the bell was ringing.

She was shaken from the inside and then the bell rang with a knock on the door.

She took a terrified breath in and took some steps, filled with fear to the door.

"Who- who is it?" She asked, no one replied but the bell rang again. Her heart was throbbing in her chest. Her voice was shaking "I asked, who is it?" She asked, louder this time "Ell, open the door already" Her mouth fell open in surprise as she recognized the voice.

Ella opened the door in an instant "Danial?" she said, not believing in her eyes. It was him in front of her. It felt surreal but it was Danial. His hair was dark brown, eyes black, the sharp face just like she remembered it to be

"How are you, Ell?" she didn't reply to him. She could say a word and wrapped her hands around him. He held her, softly. "Where have you been, Danny? I thought like everyone, you left me as well" and she felt weaker after seeing him. Her voice was low "What's wrong?" he asked, she shook her head

"I am so relieved that you are here" She felt him laughing "Aw, Kiddo, it's fine. I am here now, it's going to be okay," he said, running a hand through her hair. Ella nodded, she truly believed that he would make everything better.

After a moment she broke herself from the hug and looked at him just to confirm it for another time "You haven't grown up, have you" he felt different. This wasn't what he meant to ask after meeting her for months. This wasn't what a person should be asking someone who has lost everything.

He was supposed to give her comfort and show his support for how she has been living. Maybe she was thinking a lot and it was nothing. "I missed you so much, Danny" she was smiling now "I missed you too, Ell" As Danial tried to hug her, an unusual sound was heard, something similar to breaking a glass and it came from her room.

Ella knew who he was.

She had the feeling of being watched from long.

"What was that?" Daniel asked, looking in the direction of her room "I- I think it was a cat" she said, panicking

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we check" Danial said. "No, I am sure" she didn't sound so sure herself "Lets just check in case it's something threatening" Danial was insisting and Ella was left with no choice. She followed him.

There was no one in the room and the window was open. She clearly remembers never going anywhere near that window. She didn't open it, he did and he left it open just so she could know he was there.

Shivers crawled down her body as she realized that the stalker was in her room just now.

"I don't think it was a cat," Daniel said. She tore her eyes from the window to him "What do you mean?" She tried her best not to sound startled while she was shaken badly. "The glass is shattered all around the floor. If it was a cat then it would have been just around the table and in fewer pieces" Daniel walked to the window "It looks more like someone has smashed it to the floor" he said and turned around. For one single moment, she hated how clever Danial was.

Ella chose to stay illiterate about it "It must be the cat. It had happened in the past" Daniel didn't reply, he just stared