Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Isabella's p.o.v;

Saturday morning,

"Belle, What are you doing here?" Sophia was shocked to see me in her room.

"Came to see you? Why? Shouldn't I give a visit to my friend? Do I have to ask anyone's consent to meet ya?"

"It's not like that. You know how my brother responded when he saw you in my place last time?"

"I don't care about him. I just wanted to see you so I came. So what are you doing here?"

I jumped into Sophia's room through a window since his brother hates me because I fought with him during our middle school for... I don't remember the cause of the fight since it's been years but he still remembers, I think because he hates me whenever I'm with his sister. The reason why I jumped through the window to see Sophia, It's not because I'm scared of him but I don't want to cause trouble for Sophia so I visit her secretly.

"Every time you jump through my window, it feels like you and I are dating," Sophia said while organizing some of her things.

I laughed and continued, "What are you doing by the way? Are you cleaning your room?"

"Yup! I'm throwing out all the old books and stuff which I don't use anymore."

"Yard sale?"

"Nope! It's taking a long time to sell a thing so I'm thinking about donating them."

"Okay. Do ya want my help?"

"Yeah, help me to tie this up!"

I helped her tieing the books together while she was sorting out the books.

"What about your assignment? Did ya finish?"

"Yeah, Liam helped me."

"How're things going between you two?"

"Liam and I? There's nothing. He's just teasing me."

"I don't think he's playing. He's been after you for almost two months. It looks like he's really into you."

"I don't know. I don't feel anything towards him more than a friend."

"Then say you don't like him. Why aren't you doing that?"

"He's my friend. How will I say that I don't like him to his face? Duh!... He'll get used to it and let go at some point."

"By looking how he's into you, I don't think he'll let go easily."

While we were talking, someone knocked on the door, I turned to Sophia and asked, "Is it your brother?"

The voice behind the door, "Sophia, did you finish packing all the books?"

I whispered to Sophia, "Why didn't you tell me that your brother is home?"

"You didn't ask me." She whispered back.

"I'll get going then."

I stood and climbed to the window. When I was about to open the window Sophia grabbed my hand.

"What is it?"

"A-Are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Yeah, I am. Why?"

"My friend invited me to a party. I don't want to go alone. Will you come with me?"

I patted her head saying, "I'll be there. Message me the place and time."

I jumped out of the window and landed on a branch of the tree and climbed down. Since I started climbing trees during my childhood, it's helpful for me now. Haha.

I don't have many plans for the weekend. I visit Sophia's or Noah's place, go to see my mother at work, do assignments if I get one, and take jobs for hourly payment. I can't go to regular jobs since I have school to attend so I took the jobs which offer payment for hours. I worked in many places like helping carry heavy things, being a waitress in cafes and clubs, helping people at orphanages, hair salons, spas, and sometimes construction sites. Since I play basketball as my sport, I'm kinda stronger than the girls in my class. Taking a stroll while looking at shops if there's any notice about hourly payments has kinda become one of the routines.

After a while, I spotted a shop offering a job just like how I wanted. After taking a closer look at the notice outside the shop, I came to know that the payment is twenty dollars per hour. Good.

I entered the cafe shop. When I took a look inside, wow! The vibe here feels so relaxing. I like the place.

I asked the barista, "I saw the notice that you're paying hourly payments."

"Well, there'll be a guy reading a book over there. You can approach him regarding the job. He's the owner of this cafe."

"Thank you."

I walked among the tables in the cafe and saw a guy like how the barista described.

"Hello, good morning."

He gave me a nod like he wanted me to continue.

"I came across the notice outside of your shop wanting a waitress. I would like to apply for the job."

"It's not a permanent job."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I wanted the job because I'm a senior High-Schooler."

"Okay. Come for the interview tomorrow. You may leave now."

"Um... Can I have the interview now because I have to be somewhere tomorrow?"

He stood from his place and walked away. Did he just walk away?

I stood from my place and shouted at him which made people in the cafe look at me, "Wow, did you just walk away? Do you treat everyone who's coming asking for a job like this?"

He didn't give a response and talked to the barista.

I walked to him and said, "I've worked in so many cafes and seen every kind of attitude. So yours is not a thing for me."

I made my way out of the shop. I'm so pissed off. Why does my day have to be like this?

I walked into the alley and looked on either side of me to make sure no one was around. After checking there wasn't any, I took the cigarette out of my pocket and lit it using the lighter. I took a puff and relieved myself. I'm not a regular smoker but I smoke now and then. And, no one knows about this except me. I got this habit after taking smoke from a stranger while I was working in a nightclub.

After finishing the cigarette, I threw it into the alley and walked out. Where should I go now?

I looked at my watch to check the time. It's noon.

Should I look for jobs or should I head back home? I thought for a while and an idea struck my head.

Let's give a visit to Mr Martinez's house. It's not like there's a rule to go to his house only on the days that they mentioned, right?

I took a bus and walked for some time and came to Mr Martinez's house. I looked at his house. Why does this place always look new whenever I'm coming here? I walked through the entrance and made my way to the main door. Where's everyone? Weird.

After ringing the doorbell so many times, I walked around the house to find another way to enter the house.

The garden looks big when looked closer from here. Woah!

"What are you doing here?"

When I turned in the direction from which the voice came, I spotted some figure inside the garden.

"Who's it?"

I walked into the garden to check who it was.

"Mr Martinez? Is that you?"

I was surprised to see Mr Martinez in the gardener's clothes.

"Why are you here?" Asked me while he was trimming the grass.

"And, what are you doing here? In these clothes? And where is everyone? Why is the front door locked?"

"Do you always talk a lot?"

"I'm talking a lot? You're the only one saying that. People always say to me 'Why are you always speaking less? 'why are you being quiet?' 'Do you feel shy?' You should hear them out!".

"I think they are dumb."

I let out a chuckle, squatted down beside him and asked, "Well, what are you doing here? Can I help?"

He stood and walked away. I don't know why but it hurts.

"Aren't you helping?" He called me.

I smiled and stood, walked to him asking, "What do you want me to do?"

"Carry these." Gave a big bag of trash and walked inside the garden. "Follow."

I walked behind him while thinking, 'Why is he only using two or three words? Doesn't he know how to construct a sentence?' and giggled.

He made a stop in front of a big pit and said, "Open and drop it inside."

I kept the bag down and opened the top knot and pushed it a little and dropped whatever was inside the bag into the pit.

After emptying the bag, I asked him, "What is this place for?"

"Haven't you seen a compost pit before?"

"Ohh, yeah. That one! We made one for our project in school. So you're making your compost for the garden? That's amazing. Now I know why your garden looks so good. Natural fertiliser. Good idea."

"Come with me."

"What are we doing now?"

"See the pit there, is it full?"

"No..."

"We're going to fill it."

"What!? Are you kidding me? To make it full, we have to dump a lot many times."

"Yes. Don't you want to help?"

I remained silent.

"You can leave if you want to."

He continued collecting the dried leaves from the garden. Why is he doing this alone? If many people are here, the work will be easy, right? Since I don't have anything to do today, let's help him and I'm the one who offered him my help though.

I started collecting the leaves along with him.

He gave me a garden shovel saying, "Use this. It'll be easier."

"Okay."

I tied my hair together and used the garden shovel to start collecting the dried leaves.

After a while, dumping the leaves into the pit, I got tired so I took a break and sat under a shade. Mr Martinez was still collecting the dried leaves. I drank water and continued working with him.

After we finished, we sat together under the shade.

"Why aren't you wearing a mask now?"

"No one's around."

"So you put your mask on when people are around you?"

He gave a nod and said, "You got pretty good stamina there."

"Ah! That… Since I've worked in construction sites, dumping the waste into the pit wasn't a thing for me."

"Your physique doesn't look like you do tough jobs."

I laughed and continued, "I get that a lot, Mr Martinez. But there's a saying, 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. That quote suits me. There's a lot of things I do, Mr Martinez."

"You can call me Alex when no one's around."

"Uh-huh... Okay. After this, what are you going to do?"

"You can leave."

"Before that, where is everyone by the way?"

"Maid's and Butler's don't work on the weekends."

"Ohhh."

"Aren't you leaving?"

"Why are you rushing to get me out of here? Are you going to do something illegal when I'm gone?"

"Do whatever you want to." He left.

I followed him to the front of the house.

Mr Martinez... I mean Alex opened the main door and went in. I entered the house after him and looked inside.

"Where did he go?"

"Um… Alex?" I shouted his name.

"In the kitchen." He shouted back.

I walked to the kitchen, saw him preparing to cook.

"What do you want for lunch?"

"Are you going to cook? You know how to cook?"

He gave a nod and looked like he was waiting for my answer for the menu. I shouldn't give him a tough menu.

I looked around the place and spotted some vegetables on the kitchen top and asked him, "What about vegetable soup?"

"Soup is enough for you?"

"Um... actually, I don't know what to say. I can lift and carry heavy things but when it comes to cooking. I'm so bad at it."

"I'll cook pho. Do you eat pho soup ?"

"I'm not a picky eater so you can cook me any vegetable you want as long as it is edible."

He let out a little chuckle.

"Mr Martinez! Did you just smile?"

"No." Continued prepping for cooking the food.

"I just saw a smile on your face. With this physique, this attitude, this face, I bet you'll look damn good when you smile. If you come to my school, the whole girls will be after you for sure. And my friend, Sophia, she's already a fan of yours when you came for that lecture. You remember that When you caught me in the bathroom?"

"Don't sound like I'm a pervert."

I laughed and continued, "I wonder how you're still single when you're like this. Why aren't you saying anything? It's like I'm talking to a wall here."

"Then you should leave some gap to make someone speak."

"Oops! Hahaha. I'm talkative like this before."

"Before what?"

"Before coming here, before meeting you, before the contract. Hahaha. Do you want my help in cooking?"

"It's fine. I can do it."

I walked into the kitchen and saw the vegetables he kept near the sink.

"I worked as a garbage girl in restaurants so cleaning vegetables isn't a thing for me."

I started cleaning the vegetables while he was doing something in the pot.

I gave the vegetables to him and asked, "How do you want them to be? Chopped? Sliced? Minced?"

"Chopped"

"Got it!" And started chopping the vegetables one after another.

"How much do you earn as a garbage girl?"

"Um... It differs from restaurant to restaurant but somewhat between twenty to thirty dollars."

"For a month?"

"No! I only work for hours. Did you forget that I'm a High-Schooler?"

"Oh."

We finished cooking in no time. When he tried to lift the pot, "Wait, I'll do that."

"No. It'll be hot."

He took the pot and placed it on the table in the kitchen. When he was about to sit, I asked, "You're going to sit with me?"

"You don't want me to sit here?"

"It's not like that. You're the owner of this house and I'm someone who works here. Is it okay for us to sit together like this?"

"Why do you sound like others all of a sudden?"

"I... I..."

He started eating the food like it was nothing while saying, "The food won't taste good if it's cold."

I started eating the food he prepared. After I took a bite, "Wow! It's delicious. Believe it or not, I've never tasted something like this in my entire life. This tastes so good. Yummy! I bet Mom will love this! Can I take some to my house?"

He gave a nod and continued eating the food on his plate.

"You have talent. You know what? You're the husband material every girl wants."

"Husband material?"

"Yeah, the one who cooks nicely, being protective and caring, handsome and muscular, of course being rich and more to that a CEO! Duh!"

He let out a chuckle again.

"Woah! That's what I was talking about! See! You look damn good when you smile like that! Why are you wearing a mask and hiding it? Don't you like attention? If I was like you, I would have lots and lots of girlfriends to fill this house and I'll hold a party every night."

"Are you a lesbian?"

I laughed out loud and continued, "I meant... when I'm like you. A guy... with all the things I mentioned."

"Oh."

After some time, We finished eating.

When he was discarding the vessels, I helped him while saying, "Aren't you afraid of being alone in this house? This house looks really huge with all those rooms. I will be scared to death if you leave me in this house alone."

"I'm an adult."

"How old are you by the way?"

"Servants gossip a lot here. Didn't you hear from them?"

"Yeah, I got so much information from them but I forgot to ask your age. So what is it? How old are you? You don't look that old for a CEO. You look like a CEO who's straightaway came out of the manga."

"Twenty three."

"What? You are young. We're just eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. Oh! We're six years apart?"

He gave a nod and gave me a box saying, "Take this to your home."

"Thank you. I'll get going then. My mom would've come back this time since it's the weekend, she'll always come early during weekends."

He gave a nod and said, "Okay."

After receiving the box from Mr Martinez, I left for my house.