Chapter 3

“What's with your voice? Stuttering, huh. Didn't you know your name, did you?” Celo glared at the woman who had just introduced herself and she's Eli, beautiful as her name.

Dizen turned his head and caught the staring eye of his best friend, Celo and he started blurting out, “You shut up and ready the car.”

“Yeah, right—” panicked Celo, “I mean, that's what I'm suppose to do.” He moved his feet three step backwards before finally turning his back towards the doorway out.

“Is it really all right to you?” asked Eli.

Dizen who's eyeing the footsteps of Celo, turned to face the woman. “Nope. Seeing you like that isn't all right that's why I'm inviting you to go with us so I can buy you some clothes.”

“But I don't have money.”

“Don't think about it. It's on me.”

“Okay,” she sighed, “I'll pay you soon as I got a job here.”

“Tsk. Let's not talk about that. Come on.”

They continued the conversation as they made their way downstairs and as of the moment Celo is now inside the car, waiting for the two to come out of the mansion.

“Where do you live?” asked Dizen.

“It's a place you don't know even if I told you.”

“And what's business you have here?”

“My business...”

“Yeah—”

“...is not your business. So don't ask.”

“Rude.”

Eli rolled her eyes when she finally gave in. “Actually, I'm finding, um, job, right... I already said it and, um, a house to rent. Wait, do you know where I'd find one?”

Dizen noticed the struggle Eli have had talking things she isn't comfortable to talk to. He replied, “Yeah, I know some.”

“Okay, then where?” asked Eli, watching her steps so that she won't end up stumbling or falling down the floor, or worse rolling down and continuously out of the main doorway.

Fortunately, Dizen held her hand and he led the woman. “I'll tell you later. Besides, I have a good offer for me.”

“A what? For me?” Eli's still throwing some questions even if they're now outside of Dizen's house.

And then Dizen, when he looked behind, was so nervous on what he had seen and when Eli was about to check it too, Dizen's dragged her. “Shit— let's get inside the car.”

As she doesn't have enough force to stop and loosen the grip of the man holding her forearm too tight, she just went with the flow.

At the sound of the car door closing is the moment where Dizen could breathe again. He was so dumfounded and he could not blame his self too as he forgot he brought a woman in their house. Yes, their house as he's still living with his old-fashioned father with an old-fashioned mind.

“Almost got caught, huh!” Celo throw a teasing gaze toward his friend and the woman he's sitting with right beside him at the backseat of the car.

“Whom are we hiding?” Eli asked Dizen who is now leaning his head at the headrest of the backseat.

Celo, who never know when he should stop laughing, gave an answer her. “From that old man, Eli.”

“And who's that freaking old man?” Eli's looking at the direction of the finger of Celo. She's observing the old man drinking his coffee while reading the newspaper outside of their big house.

“My dad.”

Eli was astounded that she covered her mouth by her palm and after mere seconds she removed it, playing her finger on the hair thread she got bedofe saying, “Oh, sorry... I didn't—”

Dizen cut her off, not looking at her. “Celo, just drive the car.”

“Yes, master.” Celo started to kick the engine into life and when the car is ready, he drifted along the road.

Eli did not blink her eyes and she just kept looking straight, observing Dizen's face and when the man looked at her, she did not even bothered by his glaring eyes.

They both fall into silence as if they're playing the staring challenge when Dizen finally gave in. He fixed his facial reactions as if showing off his calm and tranquil state will lead Eli into a conclusion that he is not mad or in a bad mood anymore.

And the staring game finally came to an end when Celo hardly pressed his foot on the brake of the car that almost made the two fall and hit their head in front.

“We're here.” He looked at the two from behind and he caught their firing eyes that gave him a message that if he does not look away or get out of the car without saying 'sorry' will be bad for his life, yet he still did.

The moment they made their way inside the mall and after they passed after the security guard, that was the time where Eli began to wonder her eyes as to why on Earth the eyes of everyone they passed through kept gazing on her. She need to confirm it so she thought asking Celo's opinion, she decided to ask him first rather than Dizen, as he's so stiff and straight walking plus his serious aura add some weights to the atmosphere above their heads.

“I'm pretty, right?” Eli nudged her elbow towards Celo's.

She earned a look from him as if what she did was a foul move. They're not even close as friends anyway. “Why did you ask?”

She smiled confidently. “Because people are looking on me, I mean, they all are like that since we get here inside.”

Eli started to crept out a charming smile in her lips with her eyes that smiles too as she watched every person who threw a glance toward her.

But all of her dreams had vanised when Celo drop the bomb on her head. “Dream on. They're looking at my friend.”

Eli seemed to be knocked off of her senses but then she tried recovering again so he could argue back at Celo. “What? Why?”

“Ask him, dumb.” Celo reverted his gaze away from Eli, facing the direction in his front.

“Hey, why people keep on looking at you?” she nudged her elbow to Dizen's.

Within three seconds, she did not get any expected answers but then he lowered his gaze and turn his head on his side until he caught the eye of the woman to talk to her properly. “What do you think?”

“I'm asking you yet you answered me with a question too?” There's an obvious disappointment in that statement she had replied.

“Why don't you just guess it instead of whining?”

“I don't know— maybe you're a celebrity or a famous rich person, I guess?”

“You missed out one thing but both right.”

“What is it?”

“Ask him.” Dizen looked at Celo so his best friend gave him a surprised look. That's so all of a sudden. Dizen snickered and turned his gaze back to the front direction they are heading still.

“Hey, what was it?” Eli went back to Celo to interrogate him again. “He said, I guess it right but quite almost.”

Celo lost his patience so he couldn't argue anymore and then he replied to Eli. “He's a handsome billionaire celebrity.”

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yeah, no. Kinda.” Celo gave Dizen a glare. “And that's what you wanna heard, right Dizen?”

“Yeah, right.” Dizen turned to his right after saying that and then Celo was surprised so he asked his friend.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I said, right, right?” 

Celo scratched the back of head. “Oh, you mean turn to right? Ahh...”

“Now who's the dumb here, huh?” Eli interjected but she's just really want to tease Celo.

“You silly girl,” Celo controlled his hand. “It was you who led the way, anyway.”

“I've just tried if your brain really works and now I know.” They continued talking and arguing as if it will really gives them satisfaction.

Celo was about to pulled Eli's hair when Dizen stopped him.

“You! Ha! Take back what you said!” Celo is trying to pulled out his hands off of Dizen just to grab the woman hiding on his best friend's back.

Eli still annoyed Celo. “I said what I said, who are you anyway to dictate me? Are you my father?”

Before Celo's reply, Dizen made the two close again. “Stop fighting. Let's help her find a right dress.”

Exactly they're now standing in front of the store wherein inside are those beautiful desses yet has a beautiful price.

“I think she doesn't fit in here.” Celo whispered loudly so he will argue again with Eli. That's what I have seen.

“Are you getting into my nerves?” Eli showed and stepped on the side of Dizen with her both hands on waist, angrily questioning Celo's attitude. “You know I can kill by my bare hands if you don't stop talking shit about me?” She showed her small fist and then cracked her knuckles as if she's ready for a rumble.

Dizen in his low-registered voice. “Hey, lower your voice. People are looking at us.”

“I don't care if they're looking!” Eli still shouted, making her voice more noisy and painful. “I'm so pissed off of your friend!” She pointed her finger towards Celo.

Dizen pushed Celo the slightest force he can do and then turned to face the woman who was gone mad. “Eli, please. Can you please calm down?”

They're eyes are now locked on the same direction and they did not know why the hell they're are looking to each other's eyes for ages. When did the staring thing became their habit? When the woman let out an approving sigh, he turned back to face his best friend.

“Hmm...”

Dizen, in the most unexpected way, talked trashy toward his friend. “Hey you bastard, stop making faces I'm gonna crush your fucking ugly head if you don't... stop.” He seemed to realize his language so before the last word of his sentence, he held back and went back to his calm tone of voice. Damn, what if that's a big deal for Eli? What if he doesn't like loud guys or men with bad mouth? Before he could think of something his friend showed off his dread.