ANNOYANCE

MAYAH’S POV

It was almost as if my heart would pop out of my chest as I left Kalex. My mind went blank for a moment. There was a dry tingle in my throat, and my lips trembled from his freaking presence as if I were a slave. Where is it coming from anyway? When I place my palm on the top of my heart, the fluttering of the blood returns to normal. As I exhaled, I let out a sigh of relief.

But Kalex’s face remained in my mind. As if I were haunted, I felt like I was being watched. There was a darkness in his eyes like the darkness of a night. His soft, full, pouty lips were perfect, like the shape of his face. I’m nowhere near as good as his hair regarding length and shine.

The pedicab approached our school and stopped in front of the building. As I gave my fare to the driver, I smiled at him and thanked him for his service. I entered the university, and our guard greeted me. The canteen was nearby, so I headed straight there for lunch. Someone covered my eyes. I know exactly who it was. My best friend Cleah.

“I am hungry stop messing around, Cleah!” I said in an irritated tone that I had no clue why I was upset.

“Why are you so grumpy, sis?” she asked me with a curious look. I wasn’t like this not until this very day, my first day at work.

“Nothing, it was just this guest I met a while ago. He is a conceited and self-centered guy.” I turned my gaze to her. When I looked at her, I could almost see her eyes coming out of her eyeball, and her mouth was wide open. 

 “Oh, my gee sis, you have your first-ever crush! I was so happy for you!” she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling as if she had won the lottery. I ignored her and left her standing at the counter, and I managed to find a vacant table where I could eat my meal.

I checked the time on my watch. It was two twenty in the afternoon. There is enough time for me to finish my lunch. We both graduated from the same high school, and Cleah was one of my best friends. Cleah was frowning in front of me. She crossed her arms on her chest. As if she was studying my face or my reactions.

“What! I don’t like what you’re thinking,” I show her my annoying face. Still, I was pissed. She is now grinning and pierces her index finger on my cheek. As if she was thrilled because I was pissed for the very first time with a guy.

“Nothing at all, my friend! Just finished your lunch, and our class will start soon!” At this point, the smile on her face never left, even for just a moment. There was no doubt that she was observant of every mouthful of food I was eating. I shook my head and hurriedly finished my food. 

As I walked away from her, I heard her burst into laughter. Now I was displeased because of her reaction. As much as I regret telling her what happened, I am glad I did. The result is that she has now started teasing me and she is amused every time she gets on my nerves.

Our class finished at nine in the evening. For sure my brother is waiting for me outside the school. Thankfully, I was able to push him away from my mind and focus on my class instead of thinking about him. It hadn’t occurred to me that our class had already ended. Cleah held my wrist and pulled me up.

“Let’s go! The only thing I want to see is your yummy brother!” I rolled my eyes, and I took my lead. There was great excitement in Cleah’s eyes when she saw my brother. I like her for my brother. Unfortunately, my brother has a girlfriend, but there is nothing I can do about it. 

A moment later, I saw my brother leaning on his motorcycle. In addition, he had his attention firmly fixed on his phone, smiling at the person he was texting. No doubt it was his girlfriend.

“Ahem!” As he reacted, he became more stiff and serious. I was standing in front of my brother. Cleah snakes her arm around mine. She smiled wide open, eyes twinkling like a star in the sky. But sad to say, my brother ignores her presence. I pinched Cleah to wake her up in her dreams.

“Shall we!” my brother asked me, looking straight into my eyes. Still, he doesn’t recognize Cleah’s presence. I feel bad about it. 

 Cleah, I will miss you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I hugged her and whispered my apologies for my brother’s behavior. She just nodded, and she let go of our embrace. When Cleah turned her back on me and headed to her service. I punched my brother in the arm.

“Mayah, what was that for?” He was mad at me because of what I had done to him. However, I stare at him with a fierce look in my eyes. He shook his head and put my helmet on. As I turned around, I noticed the familiar shape of someone I had met earlier today. There was chaos in my heart once again. I hop on my brother’s motorcycle. During the whole time that he was standing there, I never glanced back at him. There was something creepy about it.

When we arrived home, my mom stood at the door, waiting for us. Her face lit up when she saw me coming down the motorcycle. I hurriedly walked to where my mother was.

“Mayah, did you eat?” she asked me with a concerned expression on her face. It was as if I had been deprived of food for a long time. But I couldn’t help but smile.

“The favorite princess is home,” Amelia’s said in an envious voice. There was a clear sense of sarcasm in her tone. But my mom scolded her. 

“Amelia!” I heard my mother’s warning voice, which was enough for me. Suddenly, my sister stopped and turned back to me, murmuring to herself. My mom waves goodnight to me as she gets ready to sleep. There are three bedrooms in our house. My six-brother built a cabin where they sleep. On the ground floor, my mom and dad’s rooms were located. The second floor of the house has two rooms. The first room was for Amelia. The next room was mine. I finished my evening routine and lay down on my bed. It is hard to take my eyes off the ceiling as they are fixed on it. I saw Kalex’s face smiling.  Argh!  I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, shook my head, and took a deep breath again. 

The next morning, I woke up early to prepare for the day. As soon as the alarm went off, I got up. The last thing I want is for my mother to call me out. It is time for me to get ready for my work. After showering and putting on my Chinese uniform, I was ready to go. I took my extra school uniform and put it in my backpack. As I walked downstairs, I saw my mom preparing my packed lunch. Throughout my childhood, my mother made every effort to ensure I had everything I needed, and as a daughter, I was grateful for her efforts. I can’t imagine what I would do without her.

“Good morning, mommy!” I hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. She giggled and smiled from ear to ear.

“Good morning, baby!” she said with a smile on her face. I make a face. There is nothing I hate more than being called a baby.

‘Mom, come on!’ I am a woman now!” I replied with a sullen tone. After turning around and pecking my cheek, she turned around and kissed me on the cheek. 

“You’re so cute, aren’t you?” No matter what age you are or whether you are married or have children, you are still my baby.” With a sweet smile, I hugged my mom once again.

“That’s why Mayah grew up being a brat because of your treatment, mom! “You spoiled her so much!”  There was jealousy in Amelia’s voice as she said those words. 

 It is obvious that you are jealous of me. Is there a reason for this?” There was a defiant tone to my question.

“Oh, come on, Mayah! In your dreams! Me? I mean, really. I wonder where you got that silly idea, dear sister?” When I looked at her face, I saw horns and a demonic smile.

“You two, that’s enough!” My mom reprimanded us and told us we had to stop. I took my packed lunch and kissed my mom goodbye. I heard my mom’s deep breath. Because of the constant balderdash that my sister and I were having, I felt sad. I know we’re supposed to be best friends, and we should be very close, but the reality is very different from that. I saw my brother again outside the house and smiling while playing on his phone. 

“I don’t need to be taken to work, brother; I can manage myself.” He smirks as he turns on his motorcycle and quietly puts on my helmet. There was no choice but to sit behind him, so I did so. When Amelia and I get into a senseless argument, it gives me the worst feeling.

It was about a ten-minute drive from the house to the hotel where I work. My brother took my helmet, and I went down. Our hotel was one of the most luxurious in the city. To begin my time-in routine, I went to the Bundy clock and proceeded to the comfort room to put on some light makeup.

Upon the beginning of my shift, I began my work by cleaning the countertops and arranging the utensils, plates, and goblets in an orderly fashion. I saw our waiter wiping the table, and my other colleague made iced tea juice. Our dispatcher arranged the food from Filipino to American breakfast. Then one by one, our guests enter the restaurant for their breakfast. 

There was a person I was looking for, and I was squinting my eyes around in search of him. I saw Kalex’s friend, but he was not there to have breakfast. When I wasn’t able to see him around, I was filled with sadness. To keep myself busy, I assisted our guests wherever possible. The purpose of this is to remove him from my mind.

I gave our guests the menu so they could choose their breakfast. The last order was successfully served to the guest. I turned around, and I crashed on the hard chest. I was outbalanced and almost fell to the floor. I shut my eyes and waited for my face hit the floor. But someone grabbed my waist and caught me. I stopped breathing, and my world ceased to exist. We stayed in the position for some time, then our eyes locked, and no one dared to talk or move. Not until someone whistled. 

I immediately let go of Kalex’s hand. I apologized to him for my actions. He nodded and walked to the next vacant table. The expression on his face was emotionless. It seems that he is stiff. No more playing jokes, like yesterday. It was as if he had become a completely different person. I took my order pad and I stood in front of him. 

“Sir, good morning. Could I take your order?” I questioned him politely. As he looked away, he averted his gaze. His attention was then drawn to the menu on the table.

“Can I have beef, fried rice, a scrambled egg, and a banana for my fruits? My throat felt dry as he spoke. I quickly gulped.

What would you like to drink, sir? Would you like coffee, hot chocolate, or juice?” I nervously asked him. On the table, his fingers are tapping rhythmically.

“Uhmm, I was wondering if you could make my hot chocolate for me?” I am not sure if Kalex was pleading that I should be the one making his hot chocolate or a request I am unable to decline. I nodded and took the menu from his hands. Then out of the blue, the old Kalex from yesterday shows up again. 

“Great! I missed it already.” I didn’t say anything. I excused myself and prepared his hot chocolate after finishing preparing his hot chocolate. I called our waiter to have it delivered to sir Kalex’s table. I glanced at him. As soon as he saw me, he gave me a deadly glance. I suddenly look away.

 I haven’t noticed the time. It was lunch already. Our guests kept coming in. We had a reserved birthday party in the function room. Then our hotel guests are fully loaded. Then, the phone rang, and I answered it calmly.

“Hello, my name is Mayah. How may I help you today?” No one is talking on the other end of the line. This is the same situation as yesterday. I have a hint about who, but I remained calm.

“I like hearing your voice, Mayah!” then he put down the receiver, and the line was cut. Left me dumbfounded.

***

I found myself replaying Kalex’s last statement on the phone over and over again in my mind. It was still puzzling to me what he said. As sweet as it sounded, I did not know how to react to it. I was left hanging. Just a few minutes before my shift ends. The phone rang, and I answered it.

“Hello, this is Mayah. Is there anything I can do to help you?” I wanted to put the phone down, but I patiently waited for the other line to speak.

“Hello?” I repeat. To get the other line’s attention.

“Yeah, can I order room service?” he asked me.

“Sir, we do not have a delivery boy available at this time. Would it be okay if we waited for another shift before we took your order?” I politely asked him. He responded to my question in a way that surprised me.

“Would it be possible for you to bring it to my room?” There was a persistent tone in his voice. But I felt like I had lost consciousness. 

 “Let me see what I can do, sir. May I take your order?” I ready my pen and order pad. After he told me his order. I went to our manager’s office. I need to ask for his permission on what I should do. I knocked on the door. Then I slightly opened the door when I heard come in. 

“Sir, I would like to ask you what I should do regarding our room service. We have no one around to bring the guest orders.” We lack workforce because we have a birthday party in the function hall.

“Do you mind bringing the order to the guest, and I will take care of the counter if that is okay with you? Just lock the cashiering machine” I nodded, and our manager followed me. When Kalex’s food is ready. Then I brought the order to him. I knocked.

“Room service.!” My voice echoed as the door opened.

“Come on in!” Kalex said with a smile. I went inside. As I placed his orders on the table, I took the receipt from my pocket and handed it to him so he could sign it.

“Here you go; please sign here, sir.” He looks at the receipt and looks at my face with a smile.

“I will sign that as soon as you give me your phone number!” he said firmly. He was so serious. We only have a limited time frame for food delivery to our guests. I will be liable for a backlash if I go ahead without the guest’s signature.

“Fine!” I hissed at him. He handed me a pen as well as a notepad. It seems that he has always had this plan in mind.

“Make sure you will give me your correct number, or you will regret it!” The threat in his voice made me shiver with fear. I didn’t answer. Then, after I had written down my number, I handed him the order slip for him to sign.

I turned around and reached for the knob. However, he quickly pinned me there and whispered in my ear.

“I will make you mine, Mayah!” His voice was full of menace. I was frightened, but I kept it to myself. He slowly opens the door for me. I breathed a sigh of relief when I came out of his room.