Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Isabella's pov;

"How's your preparation going for your final exams?" Noah asked me during the class.

"Ah! I totally forgot about that."

"What do you mean forget? You sound like you haven't started yet?" Sophia said to me.

I looked at Sophia and said, "Yup!"

"Are you serious? What are you doing these days? Did you plan to spend another year in high school?"

Ms Devlin walked in so everyone went back to their places. Escaped!

When the class got over, I put my books into my bag and tried to leave for the next class but my friends surrounded me and gave me a stare.

"What?"

Evelyn asked, "Join us in the study session."

"Whaaat? No!"

Sophia said, "Playing basketball can give you points but it won't give you marks."

Noah gave a stare at her and said, "Really? You could have given some other example."

Sophia said to him, "Seriously, are we going to talk about that?"

While they're arguing with each other, I tried to escape but got caught by Liam.

He asked me, "Where are you going?"

I let out a nervous chuckle and said, "Nowhere." And sat in my seat.

"Are you preparing for the exams?"

I shook my head and said, "I haven't even started yet."

"Why? Don't you have time?"

"It's not really like that."

"I heard that you joined the club again."

"Where did you hear it?"

"Peter saw you working in the nightclub in which you quitted. Why did you join again? Are you running low on money?"

I let out a chuckle and said, "It's not about money. It's something complicated."

"Seems like you're not interested in talking about that, right?"

I let out a sigh and said, "Yeah."

Sophia interrupted, "Did the lovebirds finish with their conversation? Can I talk?"

"Yeah, we finished. What do you wanna talk about?" I asked her.

"Like Evelyn said, join us in the study session."

"What time?"

"You're coming?" Noah looked surprised when I asked for the time.

"I know you won't let me go even if I refuse."

Evelyn said, "Then it's decided. Isabella will be joining us in the study session from the next class."

"You didn't mention the days yet."

Evelyn said, "Coming to that part. We'll be having classes on alternate days like Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Is that fine for you?"

I work Tuesday and Thursday for Mr Martinez so it sounded fine to me so I accepted it.

After school got over, I was walking to the candy shop where Mateo will be waiting for me.

Someone tapped on my shoulder and jumped in the front. Harry?

"Going home?"

Not home but since I stay there, it's like a temporary home so, "Yeah."

"Did you have a thought about us?"

"Us? What's there to think?"

"If you forget, I will make you remember that I confessed to you."

"Ha! That one! I thought you were playing like how you played before so you really meant it, huh?"

"Don't act like you don't know."

"I'm not acting though."

"Even if you act like you don't know I'm not going to stop."

"You'll get bored soon."

"No, I won't!"

He pulled me into his arms and hugged me by wrapping his hands around my waist and was holding my head into his chest like saving me from something.

I struggled in his grip and whined, "What are you doing? Leave me! Let go of me."

He broke the hug and said, "There was a bike."

I turned and saw a bike passing us in a very fast way. He wasn't lying. What should I do now? Should I apologise or thank him? No! Even if i did either of them, he'll take advantage of it so i walked away from him.

He asked, "Aren't you going to thank me for saving you back there?"

"Why should I?"

"If i got caught in the pranks of my friends, you would get mad and start spouting nonsense at me but now, i saved you and you didn't even thank me. How is that fair?"

I ignored him and continued walking.

"Did you even hear me?"

I let out a sigh and said, "We're in the second grade of highschool. Final exams are around the corner. We're going to go apart after some days. And here, you want me to accept your proposal?"

"Are you worried that we can't see each other after school ends? We can still see each other if we go to the same college, right?"

"You rich people can afford any colleges you wish but we're not like that. We have to be sponsored by someone to get into a college. Don't speak like we all lie in the same straight line."

I saw Mateo's car standing in front of the candy shop. What if Harry saw me while I'm getting into the car? What should I do now? Okay.

"Harry, you wanted me to answer, right? For the confession?"

He looked happy all of a sudden and said, "Yeah!"

"Then, let's meet tomorrow in class. Got to go. Bye."

"Wait."

He held my hand and asked me to stop.

I turned and asked him, "What?"

He held both of my shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

He let out a breath and came closer and kissed my forehead. Did he just kiss me?

"Wha-What was that for? W-Why did you kiss me?"

He gave me a smile and said, "You started to like me. I can see that."

"What!?"

"I have a surprise for you but you have to wait for a week to see that." Said with a bright smile on his face.

"For your information, I don't like receiving gifts."

He let out a laugh and said, "I don't think you can carry it though. It's not a gift but somewhat closer to a surprise."

"Can I say something?"

"Come on, say it."

"You were better when you were a bully." And walked away from him.

After walking for some steps, I hid in the nearby store and looked at Harry in the distance. It looked like he was waiting for someone. A car came. He got in and left.

I let out a sigh and came out from hiding behind the tree. Started walking towards the car and got in.

At Mr Martinez's house,

"You came early." Big brother asked me.

"I didn't have basketball practice today so I took off early."

"I wanted to ask this to you, but forgot it totally. Don't you hangout with your friends?"

"I do. But since we're in the phase of final exams preparation. We couldn't hang out together much. And, I have jobs on weekends so I'm pretty busy." And laughed and started to walk to my room.

"Where are you going? What about lunch?"

"I had one in the school, Big brother."

"Okay. Bring your books to the study room after you got refreshed."

"Big brother, can I get some rest today? I feel so tired."

"Okay. But tomorrow you have to study for double the time."

"Got it! Thank you Big Brother."

Mr Martinez said, "Why are you so lenient with her?"

"What's wrong with Big brother being lenient with me? Are you upset that he's not with you, Mr Martinez?"

Mr Martinez turned to Big brother and said, "She looks like she wasn't tired."

"No, no, I'm so tired. I'll go to my room and take a rest." And ran upstairs.

After walking up from my sleep, I came out of the room since I felt hungry. While I was walking across the hallway, I saw light in Ethan's room. Who's inside Ethan's room at this time?

I slowly pushed the door and found no one. When I was about to turn off the lights, I heard noise from inside the bedroom. Why does this house give me chills again and again? Who's inside?

I walked to the bedroom and saw no one. Where's that sound coming from?

"Bella!"

I tried to scream but someone closed my mouth and stopped me from screaming.

"It's me, Ethan."

Ethan?

"Will you be silent when I let you go?"

I nodded and he let go of the grip.

"What are you doing? You made me scared!"

"Sorry for that."

"And, what are you doing in the middle of the night? Are you trying to scare everyone?"

"I came to take the files."

"Is the conflict still going on in your office?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah. It gives me a headache."

"If you really have time right now, can you please explain what's the problem in the office?"

After he explained, I kinda got light on what's going wrong.

"Can I give some opinions?"

"Go on, I'm open to any suggestions right now."

"You said half of your employees left because of the downfall of your company. Why don't you give the income of the people who left to the people who are still working?"

"How does it help?"

"Actually, I'm a worker. Not an owner. I worked a lot of jobs. Being a garbage girl, kitchen assistant, waitress, bartender, works in construction sites… in every job, there are a lot of problems I face. For example, the boss's attitude. The most common issue I've faced is income. I got into fights because of that too. My higher ups get more and more income even though they just joined for some time but i get somewhere low. So that was the reason I quitted too. So here is the point, give income equally to everyone and give extra only when they finalise a project so there won't be any misunderstandings about the income."

"Will it work? Because I thought of raising income for everyone so as not to let them go."

"That's totally bad."

"For them?"

"For you! Ethan, If you double it, you will go bankrupt soon. Don't do that. It'll only backfire you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, think about it. Talk with someone about it."

"Okay." And tried to leave.

"Aren't you staying?"

"No! Got to go. I'm staying at…"

Before he finished, I said, "Yeah, Big brother said that you're staying at the office. Take care."

"Are you feeling bad for him?"

I heard Mr Martinez's voice from behind me. I turned and looked at him and said, "Can't you help him? He looks like he's struggling so much. It looks so bad, Mr Martinez."

"Rodriguez wasn't under me anymore."

"Why are you being so professional? Don't think like a CEO. Think as a brother to Ethan. Help him with his issues. Can't you help him?"

"Why are you taking his side? Do you like him?"

"What does that have to do with this? I'm asking since he's my best friend. Can't I ask for help from my best friend?"

"He's older than you."

"Argh! I don't understand any of the words you're uttering to me. I'm hungry. Don't make me lose my aptitude." And walked downstairs.

I came to Dining hall and looked for some food. Did they clear everything out? I don't even know how to cook. What should I do now? I'm feeling so hungry. Let's dig in the refrigerator. I took a milk carton out and poured it into the glass. I added some sugar and stirred it.

I raised the glass in the air and drank it. Why does it taste different?

"You have to boil the milk."

I got choked up and spit the milk into the sink and saw Mr Martinez standing, "Can't you speak like normal people? If it was some guy with heart issues, he would have died by now."

He walked over and took the glass of milk and poured it into a pot and kept it on the stove.

"If you had instant noodles, I would have eaten it quietly."

"Instant foods are not good."

"Duh! It's the tastiest food in the entire world."

"Do you still want the milk?"

"Yeah, yeah, I feel so hungry. Did it get cooked?"

"Milk boils. We can't cook it."

"Whatever."

"You got so comfortable with me. Forgetting all the honorifics and started teasing and scolding me."

I stood from the chair and bent, giving him a bow like we do the older people.

"That's called exaggerating."

"I'm sorry, Mr Martinez."

"It's fine. You can talk however you want. I don't mind."

He placed a glass filled with milk in front of me telling me that it's ready for drinking.

I sipped slowly since it's hot.

"You got a cat tongue?"

I nodded and said, "I can't drink hot drinks."

He gave a nod.

"Can I ask you something, Mr Martinez?"

"Apart from Ethan, you can."

"Are you an introvert? I don't see you talking a lot. You leave only two or three words or don't you like talking?"

"I only talk about necessary things."

"What!? Mr Martinez, did you realise that you just mocked me?"

"What?"

"By what you said, do you mean that we all talk about unnecessary things?"

"Not everyone but you do."

"You just mocked me twice. Do I talk unnecessary? I talk a lot? What do you mean I talk a lot? I never talked a lot. Like you, I too speak what's necessary and what's important to people. When did you see me talking a lot? Can you give me an example? You can't because I don't talk a lot. If you address me as a talkative person then what will you say about my friends? They're the ones who speak a lot."

He said, "You just did."

"What did I do?"

"Talking."

I stopped talking and continued drinking my milk.

"Is the sweetest in the correct level?"

I gave a nod and continued drinking the milk.

"Why aren't you talking?"

"You said I talk a lot." And pouted my lips.

He smiled and said, "Yes, I did but I didn't say I hated it." And patted my head and continued, "Don't pout your lips or you'll bleed." And smiled at me again.

"Mr Martinez… why does it feel like a dejavu?"

"What?"

"Your words, your pat… it feels like it already happened to me."

"With whom?"

"I don't remember it clearly but I think it happened to me before."

He got a call on his phone but he ignored it and asked me, "Can you remember when?"

"No, I don't remember…"

His phone rang continuously.

"Mr Martinez, your phone is ringing. Aren't you going to take it?"

He walked out of the kitchen to attend to the phone.

Why does it feel like it's already happened to me? Did someone pat me like that while saying that? Who could it be? Was it my father? No! I heard that my father never showed love to me. He was always mad at my mom and me. Other than him, who could it be? Some stranger? There's a chance since mom said i looked cute and plumpy when i was a child. So it is a stranger then. He must be a good person.