Chapter 10: Meeting the Grandparents
She unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone as she answered. "Back off, Fred." 'I humbly suggest that you must take your words,' his using that dangerous to Fera. That was a warning for her. She was doing illegal and dangerous. "I know what I'm doing." 'Of course! You're not dumb to jump in such a dangerous pool, Fera. Bending a bent law by those powerful dirty players was safe for you!' She took a huge gulp and breathe for her tensed lungs, sarcasm had perfectly fit his words to tug a guilty feeling in her heart. "I know, just this once." "Interesting," she annoyingly rolled her eyes hearing it from Fred. "He must have something to do with you, why would you help a man, Fera?" "Nothing, don't make this a big deal." She hissed in an attempt of shaking the topic off. "It is a big deal! This wouldn't stop here, after you meddle with Constancio's business he will hunt you down." She took a deep breath and looked up. She knew that it was all true. "You can fix it, though." "I am not your knight in shining armor, Fera. I can’t fix every mess you do all the time." He roared and made Fera's mood down to her lowest. "I'm sorry, but you can take the company, even the properties that were named after me. You can even take seventy-five percent of my parents' money, I just need some to start a new life. After that, I'll have a part-time job to sustain my financial needs," said she. 'Is that your plan?' His voice turned low and calm. "If things went cool, I'll stay here forever. I love it here, peaceful and calm, away from chaos, noisy city." 'You are willing to leave these products of your parent's hard work?' While her phone was on her ears her other hand flew to cover her mouth. She took a few moments before answering. "Everything that they own will just remind me of them." 'I don't need anything from you. I step in 'cause you need a break but this is all yours. Don't put your parents' hard work to waste.' She fell into deep thoughts before finally answering. "I maybe need a few days to think." 'Sure, but you know that giving up is not in our vocabulary.' "Yeah," 'And that Nick, be careful. Only foolish fall in a trap.' After saying those words, he hung up. "I know." She mumbled while looking at her phone. "Why am I doing this in the first place?" She couldn't believe what she was doing. 'Maybe because he'd been the good friend and he cooked for me,' she answered her question. ---- A LOUD KNOCK resounded while she was eating a loaf of bread and dipping it into a hot chocolate. "Hey," Nick greeted as she opened the door. She noticed his wounds had been treated already. "Hey too," she answered and let go of her door, she left it open for Nick to come inside. "You need something?" she asked as soon as she took her seat and continued eating. "Do you have plans for today?" It was Saturday morning and they don't have classes. "I do have a lot." And she glanced at her laundry basket. "I see, I was planning to visit my grandparents' farm and I was thinking of tagging you along so you could explore the town." He still tried his luck. And Fera did stop for a second to think. She turned to her overflowing laundry. "We can drop by the laundry shop." Yet Fera hasn't spoken. She looked turned and weighed things in her head. "There's always a next time if it can't be now," he offered. He had given up, Fera looked like she was in serious confusion. "Well, burdens can wait." She finally answered and drank her hot chocolate. "Cool, alright. You will love it there." He said while smiling ear to ear. "How's your case, detective." She finally brought up the topic. He walked to her island and got himself a mag then poured hot water into it. "It went not well, as you can see on my face." And Fera tried to hide her amused smile. Without even permission, he made himself a coffee. "And you know who is this Constancio, right?" "Came from a prestigious family, wealthy and powerful." She nodded continuously as he enumerated all of it. "And you sure you played safe." And he stops from stirring his coffee. After a few seconds, he shrugged off his thoughts and continued stirring. "I don't know," he answered. "Do you know why heroes in history books died at an early age?" Nick turned his gaze on her. "No," good thing he didn't decide to burst her bubble. "Because they help without playing fair to their enemy. They fight despite a penny possibility of winning." He was looking straight into her eyes and listening to every word she spoke. "Now think twice, do you want to be just a hero or do you want to be the villain's enemy." "What's the difference though, if you help those unfortunate and fooled by those, let's just say bastard, you'll be their enemy, he concluded. She took a piece of bread and tore it into two. "Not at all. If you want to be their enemy, you would be more careful, your main goal is to put them down no matter what. You might play how they play and study how they think to corner them but if you only want to be a hero, your main concern is the safety of those people you want to help." Nick stared at her and he rarely blinked. "Good point, but how old are you again?" "What kind of question is that?" she asked back and bit her bread. "How did you get that mindset?" She instead raised her left eyebrow. "None of your business." SHE WAS BRAIDING her hair up in front of her mirror after that she was ready to go. She wore white long sleeves and black jeans paired with boots. Got her key and wallet in her pocket. She heard a roar of a motor so swiftly ran down the apartment. "Again?" she raised her voice while looking at the motorcycle. "Yeah, again. Or else you rather walk." She was about to say yes. "Alone." But Nick added that word. That made her hissed in annoyance. "How about your laundry?" She carefully climbed on the motor and hold his shoulder. "Forget about it," she annoyingly said while settling herself behind Nick. "Wait, wouldn't your grandparents worry about those bruises on your face?" "They already heard about this. They demand me to visit them." Fera's eyes got widened at once. "So you will be bringing me so that your grandparents might think twice upon scolding you in front of his classmate." "Partly," he answered and he got a solid slap on his back from Fera. "I feel so betrayed," they drove off while Nick was laughing his ass off. Fera enjoy watching tress all over, they passed some rice fields too. Until they passed some mountains. Then a huge gate came into her view. They slow down a bit but the gate started opening wide enough for them to enter. The guard gave them a nod and Nick responded with a horn. They stopped in front of a mansion, but her eyes fell on the fruit tree which was full of red circular fruit. "Let's go," Nick entered the huge wooden main door. She was following him the whole time. He was walking too fast so she tugged his shirt slightly. He turned to her raising both of his eyebrows, asking her what was the matter. "Slow down," he grabbed her hand and continued walking upstairs. "Have you seen Lola?" he asked a housemaid they saw. "In her library," the maid answered. "Kingston," they turned their head down. Fera saw a man with white hair and wrinkled skin. "Lolo," she saw how his face lit up as he said lol. He instantly went down and took the old man's hand and she watched how he bend and his forehead touched the back of his palm. "Another trouble, huh?" The old man's lips stretched and revealed his complete white teeth still. "Not much." But the old man laughed so as Nick. "This is Fera, Lo. Fera this is my grandfather, Lolo Nicholas." Fera figured out that what Nick did was a sign of respect for them so she took the old man's hand and did what Nick did. "Good afternoon," her soft voice came out lower than it should. It was her first word after the whole ride. She never dare to speak the whole ride 'cause she feel betrayed. "Good afternoon, hija. Your grandmother would love to meet this fine lady, Nick. But you both are still young, enjoy your youth children." The old man got it wrong, Fera silently concluded but refused to speak. She was expecting Nick to correct the wrong idea about his grandfather. "Nick Kingston!" A raging voice resounded and they found where did it come from. A woman with white wrinkled skin came down the stair, she had pearls on her neck and a classy dress on.Chapter 11: False Alarm "Look at your face! So it's true that you broke into Constancio's private rest house!" Fera immediately stepped back and create a distance from Nick. She doesn't want to be noticed by the lady as soon as possible. "I'm sorry, Lola." The only thing that Nick afford to utter."How many times do I have to remind you that you are sixteen!" Nick was indeed troublesome."Seventeen, Lola," he still has the nerve to answer despite his grandmother's annoyance."Minor! A Constancio can easily kill you. Nick this is serious trouble, this is not fun anymore." Fera awkwardly looked around, 'I think going with Nick is a bad decision, I should have stayed at home.' she mentally hissed. "La, I have my classmate with me." And the lady turned to her. She put herself together and awkwardly stretched her lips into a tight smile."Clever, very clever! You brought a classmate so I would prioritize her over your trouble. Not this time, no motor from now on." The ol
Chapter 12: I don't like HerWHILE DRYING HER hair, she got a message from Clarita. 'He's home, it was a false alarm.' After reading it she checked what time was it. Six in the evening, she swiped her phone and texted Lora.'Good Job,' just that. It was laced with sarcasm and partly genuine. She was thankful that she did what she was asked to but she couldn't let the part that Lora betrayed her by informing Fred too. She was already in her apartment, their driver send her home at three in the afternoon. As her eyes fell on her painting materials, she seemed hypnotized by them. She put her blower down and got her paintbrush and started mixing paints. While dipping her paintbrush into a bloody red shade of color, she was staring at the white Oslo paper on her painting stand. She was already imagining the image, she carelessly stroked the red paint on it. There has no definite direction it was messy in the center. After drying it she got her black ink, using that ink for her pen
Chapter 13: Cheese Burger Fera on the other hand tightened her grip on her pen. 'This idiot had a bad tongue,' she remarked silently. In her side vision, she saw that Nick turned his head toward that girl. At the end of their first subject the girl waited for Nick at the doorway, Fera pretended as if she saw nothing, it was not a big deal, and she care none.But the conversation between them was much clearer than her footsteps. The girl asked Nick to go with her to buy something in the canteen. Together with some of her classmates, they head to the next subject. In the room, she found Tunner in there.As Tunner saw her a wide smile escapes from his lips. He tapped the desk of a chair next to him, it was the first time that someone offered a seat to her. She awkwardly walked towards him and sat down."How was your weekend?" he asked with a full smile."It was fine," socializing wasn't her thing the reason why she found it awkward upon talking to someone she wasn't comfo
Chapter 14: NicknameFera realized what she said and Nick turned to her. "Sorry?" he asked. Then is followed by an awkward silence. "Did you just say, Nicky? I am not a gay." He saved her from feeling embarrassed. "I thought you are, Nicky." She loosened up eventually and felt comfortable with his response. "Disgusting," he blurted which made Fera laugh. While he hold his smile back looking at Fera who was laughing. She rarely laughed and he treasured every laugh she did with him."It's great, Nicky," she giggled."Don't call me that," he even pretended not to like it."No one tells me what to do,""That's unfair."They reached the apartment before dark and Fera peacefully cooked her dinner. This time she browsed how to cook step by step with video. She couldn't risk her apartment anymore. She tried to fried the chicken coated with flour. When someone knocked on her door, her face turned into annoyance. She had been struggling to do it right, she was afraid of thos
Chapter 15: Rain Drops WHILE WALKING INTO the gate someone was eyeing her like a hawk, her hair was dark as night and plain shiny hair. Fera noticed her stares, yet she acted unbothered. She was heading straight and the girl who was eyeing her stepped in her way. She tried to walk passed her yet she stopped her. Her frowned face turned into confusion. She flashed an innocent face before looking at the girl in front of her."Yes?" she asked. She took a step back to make her feel superior. "You are Fera, right?" She asked with full blunt, thinking Fera was an easy prey. 'What is her problem?' she mentally asked. It was the girl who hugged Nick yesterday. She dressed just fine for Fera's judgment. She wore a gold necklace, branded bag, and shoes. Flashy, all she could comment."Yes, I am." She politely answered in her most submissive tone. She was trying to avoid trouble at all costs. She couldn't risk her identity for a small petty fight."Could you stay away from Nick? I
Chapter 16: Fever"Oh! I do, fantastic. And look! It's nine pm here when you're supposed to be home at six." He flashed a fake smile that made him more sarcastic. "Get in," Fera was far from afraid, she only raised her eyebrow and got in while not letting Nick's hand go."Children, let me remind you that it is not safe to play at night, especially you Fairly." He glared at her through his rare view mirror. He started the engine and drove off. While Nick felt her annoyance, he regularly glance at her and the man who was driving. Different theories flashed in his head like he might be her brother or relative."You're not my father, Fred." She lost her mood when he called her Fairly, Nick wasn't dumb not to realize it was her name. Nick bit his tongue to lessen the awkward feeling."Cause he's dead and I am left to a hard-headed daughter, I was fucking tired from work an-""Enough!" she cut him off. They both knew that it wasn't safe for them to talk about it in front of Nick
Chapter 17: Taking Care Of HerFROM HIS DEEP THOUGHTS he noticed the paintings around. Her walls were almost covered with paintings. It was dark and sorrowful art. One was a hand holding a piece of broken mirror, and there was an image inside the mirror, an eye, with smudge eye shadow and it was teary-eyed. The other was a girl with curly hair with a smile on her lips yet her eyes were full of sadness. And he also noticed that the hair on that painting was sentenced, where the sentences were negative comments and criticism that the girls commonly receive. Such as she was ugly, fat and any other negative words that ruined every girl's self-confidence. He turned to her and touched her hand. While his eyes wander around her face, from her naturally thick eyebrows down to her pointed nose and her full lips. She was peacefully sleeping, while Nick felt his heart rate increase. A guy, when they want someone, they'd never deny it. And Nick knew what those heartbeats meant.A weak sm
Chapter 18: Somewhat a Deep Talk"Where are you?" Nick heard him ask. I couldn't answer right away since he was hesitant. "Let me guess, you're sick," he continued. Nick turned to Fera, he thought of waking her up to answer the call but he knew she needed to rest."State your temperature, I'll send Lora to take care of you." His bored voice spoke from the other line again, he did hear some noise of papers too."Thirty-nine," Nick answered and the other line went silent, it was awful silent."Where's Fera?" The only thing he spoke."She's-'"Give that phone to Fera," his monotone voice seemed deadly that didn't even let Nick finish what he was saying."She's sleeping," he only answered and instead of giving the phone to Fera, he went out of the room and lean on her door."Nick Kingston Hernandez," Fred stated his name which made Nick's face into a grim expression. "Seventeen years old, detective wannabe, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Hernandez who both died in a car accide