CHAPTER 9

I could say that Alice was really weird. Just because she found out that her crush was in the house, she has been staring at the sleeping Andrew like a creepy person. "He might melt," I said to her. She giggled, refusing to hold back. She insisted that she will guard her prince no matter what, even though he was just drunk. She's overacting. "If Andrew melts, I'll be the one to lick him," she said, acting all love-struck. Can I kick this girl out of our house? "Girl, you are so gross!" "Just kidding, I'm just being silly. But why is my Andrew here? Maybe he wants to court you?" Alice pouted. "Well, who am I for him to court?" And then she started to act dramatic. "Huh? It didn't even cross my mind. You know, entertaining suitors is my least priority. My priority is to leave this place. I have to get back what I lost." Just in time, Andrew woke up. Alice immediately stood up and went behind me. Earlier, she almost kissed Andrew while he was asleep, but now that he's awake, she's hiding behind me. "Where am I?" he said, holding his head. I don't have to guess to know that he has a mind-blowing headache. "I saw you almost dead drunk on the roadside. I was jogging early this morning, so I asked for her father's help. He brought you here to change, with the help of our male caretaker. Your motorcycle is in our garage, so don't worry." "Oh, thank you. There was a drinking session at the mansion last night, and it went on until late," he explained as if I cared. "Do you know that driving while drunk puts not only you in danger, but also other people? Next time, drink responsibly, or have someone drive for you..." I said. "If you're feeling better, you can have breakfast in the kitchen. I have to go." I left and Alice followed me outside. "Why did you have to argue with my crush?" she complained. "I argued with him for his own sake. Imagine if he does it again, and the next time he gets into an accident, or worse, something bad happens to him? You know that prevention is better than cure, right?" She nodded. "Point taken! By the way, let's go to the village later! They're having a fiesta there. I'll also introduce you to my childhood friends who are there." I looked at her in disbelief. "You know, you're always looking for ways to put me in trouble. Besides, Logan might be there and I might get into trouble again." She laughed and playfully hit me. This girl feels so close to me, huh? "You're funny, but he's not there anymore. Why would a busy and wealthy person like Master Logan bother going there? Let's have fun! Let's go out! Do you want to just hang out at your place all day?" She made me think about what she said. "That's also an option. We have Wi-Fi, so it's not an issue for me even if I stay here all day." She pouted. "No fun, you'll get hungry and your eyes and back will hurt. Let's go, we shouldn't waste the food, and besides, it's time to explore the community." This girl was really insistent. "Fine! But don't bother me later. It's better if you just go up and see your crush." "I don't want to," she said. "Whatever," I told her. So I was saying, I went inside the house to take a shower. The water was already fixed, so we finally had some water in the bathroom. I guess I have to be a little considerate for these small steps we've taken. After showering, getting dressed, and fixing myself up, Christian arrived to pick us up. "Hi, Miss Goddess, hop on. Don't worry, my cousin can fit on the wheel," Christian said, smiling at me. "Christian, I don't want to be brutally honest with you, but can you stop calling me Goddess or beautiful? I'm not used to it, and it's embarrassing if others hear it." "Okay then, what should we call you?" I usually prefer to be called Krystal, especially by my old friends who suddenly disappeared like bubbles, especially when they found out that I no longer have the same status as before. "Just call me Krystal." If I were given a chance to talk to them, I would show them how my middle finger stands out from the rest. They were just users! "Okay, Krystal." We got on the motorbike and headed to a village. It's not the kind of village with wooden houses; it has concrete houses and looks well-maintained. There were colorful banners hung everywhere, and the whole place looks enthusiastic to celebrate their fiesta and patron. We got off at a house that looks quite big. It seems like the owner is well-off. "This is the house of our friend, Kyle in the morning, Kyla at night! Oh well!" Alice greeted a fair-skinned girl with red lips. "Oh, the crazy girl is no joke. It's Kyla now! And please add some spring rolls to my take-out." Kyla raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm easy to talk to. Just let me have your cousin Christian for a night," she said in a flirtatious tone and immediately approached Christian. "Oh, not a problem at all, even a month!" Christian quickly moved away from Kyla, and said, "Dude, you can't have me." Then Kyle, or rather Kyla, slapped Christian. It was a bit chaotic. "Dude?! You called me dude?! My lips are so red, and you call me dude? How about if I slap you with my high heels? Annoying!" Alice and I laughed at what we were witnessing, and that's when Kyla noticed me looking at her. "Oh, who is this very gorgeous person with you? Wow! So beautiful! You look like a living doll. Hi, Miss. My name is Kyla." "I am Krystal, nice to meet you." "Meeting you is my pleasure too! Wow, you're so beautiful! But before we chat, let's eat inside! The spring rolls are almost gone." We went inside, and Kyla was very accommodating to her guests, including me. She set up a table, using the pronoun "she" by the way. While we were eating, we had some small talk before their last friend, whose name is Lance, arrived. "Just eat, don't be shy. The only rude one here is Maribeth!" Kyla said as if she was annoyed by the name she mentioned. "That's true! Such a flirt! I think Master Logan is her next target," Alice said. "Oh, I can't stand that gold-digging girl. Age doesn't matter, but she's so shameless! If it weren't for her mother being the captain's mistress, how could she act so proud?" Lance spoke up, "She has big dreams, right? She always goes for the wealthy ones." Alice chimed in, "Don't worry, she'll also have a hard fall." We continued chatting. I mean, spending time with this circle of friends was definitely worth it, much better than staying at home doing nothing. They're such great friends, always laughing and sharing stories. "What about you, Krystal? Where are you from?" I fell silent because I felt shy about sharing. "Krystal, it's okay if you can't say it yet. Kyle here is just too nosy!" Lance said. "Why me? Hey, Krystal, I don't know anything about that, no pressure." I could feel that they were genuine about this friendship, but I'm not the type of person to just open up easily. So for now, I didn't say anything. I answered some of their questions, but only to a limited extent. As long as they steer the conversation, I'm fine. "In my opinion, I don't think Master Logan will like Maribeth," Alice claimed.