Chapter 21: XX

"YOU HAVE A PART-TIME JOB?!"

Laia wasn't able to keep her part-time job a secret from her friend.

Well, more like she wasn't able to keep it from everyone else who stayed behind in the gymnasium.

Brie did scream out loud after Laia revealed to her the details regarding her part-time job that she recently started.

The short-haired girl couldn't help herself from rolling her eyes in annoyance. Way to go, Brie. Not only was it technically not allowed for students to get part-time jobs, her friend literally just screamed it out loud for everyone to hear.

Fantasic.

Luckily for Laia, as luck seems to be on her side for the day, most of those who were around didn't care much about the new thing they learned. True that it was technically prohibited to get a part-time job, but a lot of other students also have one too.

Not just Laia, thankfully.

Jake was the only one whose eyes didn't leave Laia and Brie immediately. However, he quickly averted his gaze when Brie looked at his direction.

Laia can't honestly understand what's going on between the two.

But apparently, she had other things to worry about. Like Brie currently pouting in front of her, adamant on knowing why can't she just lend her friend some money or offer her friend a job at one of their hotel or resorts.

"I can stand on my own, Brie," was what Laia told her friend as they (finally) made their way outside the gymnasium, intending to reach Brie's convertible quickly. "You don't have to help me--"

Brie blocks her friend by standing in front of her with her hands on her hips. "I want to! You help me everything! It's the least I can do for you! Besides, money is never an issue for me anyway--"

Laia fights the urge to just scream at her friend in frustration. Typical, she doesn't understand what the short-haired girl feels. She's never probably had any problem when it comes to their finances, as she's an only child and the sole heiress to a huge chain of hotels and resorts.

Sometimes Laia couldn't help but wish that she was rich instead. Maybe not as rich as her friend is, but rich enough to not think about their finances every other minute, worrying about not having enough money for the next days or weeks or months to come.

What an amazing life it must be.

Laia sighs heavily and looks straight into her friend's eyes. "I appreciate it," She even pats her friend in the shoulder before bluntly saying, "But I am not a charity case, Brie."

Brie's eyes widened in shock as she deflates. "I didn't mean to offend you, Laia--"

"I know you mean well," Laia reassures her friend with a smile. They have already reached the parking spot where Brie parked her convertible. "And I want you to know that I do appreciate it,"

"But?"

Laia opens the door to the passenger's seat and sits down the moment Brie sits down as well, the long-haired girl's hands already on the wheel.

"But as I said earlier, I need to stand on my own. I can handle it."

Brie looked like she wanted to argue further but doesn't say anything else. She drives more slowly than usual as if she didn't want to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

Laia didn't mind, but she did have a lingering feeling that Niel might tease her about being late again.

The moment they reached the coffee shop, Laia immediately spots Niel sweeping the area in front of the coffee shop's entrance. The boy was quick to see her too, and even waves at her.

Brie turns to her friend with a teasing smile. "Did you make him bisexual?"

Laia gave her a deadpanned stare. "You do realize it doesn't work like that right? Besides, what's wrong with his sexual orientation?"

The long-haired girl raises her hands in surrender but quickly places them back on the steering wheel when Laia frowns at her. "I'm sorry! I was just teasing. I actually have a gay uncle, mind you!"

"You know that's not the point here," Laia said in a serious tone. "Anyway, just don't say those kinds of words when you talk to him or any one of the same sexual orientation. You might, no, you would possibly really offend them."

"Fine, fine,"

Brie parks her car in a spot that offers a shade. Laia was quick to open the door to her side, and made her way to Niel who greets her with a grin.

"Hey, good to see you!"

Laia smiles back. "Good to see you too. Not many customers?"

The boy holding a broom and a dustpan shook his head. "Not much. But they were quite a lot earlier before you arrived,"

"Oh," Laia immediately felt guilty at the thought of the boy singlehandedly having to attend to all the customers and the meals and drinks they ordered. "I'm sorry--"

Niel laughs and waves her apology off. "Don't worry about it. We did get a new part-timer,"

"A new one?"

"Yep," Niel replies, popping the 'p' as he usually does. "He's currently inside cleaning the tables. I think he goes to that all-boy school that's far from here? I'm not that certain though,"

Laia was about to reply when Brie arrives out of nowhere and interrupts their conversation.

"Hi! I'm Brie, I believe we already met before briefly?" She even offers her hand to the boy in front of her.

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Niel looked at her in perplexion and awkwardly laughs. "Um, I don't think I know you, sorry,"

Brie's eyes widened as she retracts her hand, embarrassed. "Oh, then let me refresh your memory! I ate here before alongside Sammy, Laia, and Jakey--"

The long-haired girl froze when she calls her ex-boyfriend by her pet name for him. She even seemed to be on the verge of tears again and Niel worriedly nudges Laia.

"She good?"

Laia shakes her head. "Not at the moment," She walks towards Brie's side and gently nudges her friend. "Hey, wanna rest for a while inside? Niel says there's not a lot of people--"

"More like the coffee shop's currently empty," Niel interjects, helping Laia guide the long-haired girl inside. "Come on, a vanilla cupcake on the house for your broken heart."

"God, make that a dozen," Brie dramatically slumps on one of the chairs as she fishes her card from her wallet. "Fuck the diet plan. I can always just fire my dietician. I need to binge for a while to forget that asshole!"

Niel grabs the card and tugs Laia with him to the counter. "Did she have a drink on the way here?"

Laia had never even tasted any sort of alcoholic drink in her seventeen years of existence. She immediately shook her head in distaste. "I will never allow her hands on the steering wheel if she did have much a single drink,"

The boy scans the credit card and hands it to Laia. "Good to know you at least know your priorities," He pats her on the shoulder. "Like not dying a virgin,"

The short-haired girl flushes and hits her co-worker on the shoulder. "You don't have to say that out loud!"

Niel pats her again on the shoulder the moment Laia comes back after returning the credit card to its owner.

Said owner who was currently blowing her nose on the tissues and crying again.

"God, what happened to her? Did she go through a breakup or something?"

When he didn't get a response, the boy was quick to figure out that he was right. He shook his head. "Of course, it's a bad breakup. I honestly think October's just the month for all those sorts of painful things,"

"At least we have Halloween," a third voice chimes in. Laia turns towards the voice and sees a tall boy with brown hair and green eyes. Despite how beautiful the shade of his eyes is, what caught Laia's attention was his dimples.

His very prominent dimples.

Niel rolls his eyes and whispers to Laia. "Of course, he likes Halloween out of every holiday we have in a year,"

"You do realize I can hear you, right?" Dimple boy walks towards them, grinning.

"Ugh, your dimples are annoying," Niel leaves his original spot and briskly walks towards the kitchen to start making Brie's order.

His remark makes Dimple boy chuckle. He offers his hand to Laia, who shook it. "At least you didn't stare at my hand for a good fifteen minutes like Niel,"

Laia couldn't help but laugh.

Dimple boy laughs as well. Laia thinks he's a great guy. Or maybe she just thinks he is because he's undeniably cute.

"I'm Keith, by the way."

"Laia."

Dimple boy, or Keith, genuinely looked surprised. "That's a really pretty name."

Laia was about to say something when Niel comes out from the kitchen holding a plate of vanilla cupcakes which he pushes towards Keith's hands. He glares at him and urges him to go give the plate to Brie who was still crying.

What is with people interrupting Laia today?

"You don't seem to like him," Laia notes when Keith was out of earshot.

Niel grimaces. "Of course, I don't! He's too nice and sweet! It's like looking at a golden retriever!"

"But I thought you like golden retrievers?" The short-haired girl asks. She did remember how Niel randomly texted her one day during class that he liked golden retrievers.

Laia remembers texting back that she likes any breed of dog but personally prefers corgis. Definitely because of their butts, no doubt.

The short-haired girl turns to Niel with a teasing expression on her face when she finally realizes why her co-worker is so infuriated and irritated at the new part-timer.

"You like him!" She whispers.

Niel's face scrunched up as if he ate something sour. He shook his head as if disgusted by the thought. "Definitely not! The thought of having to work with that guy is disgusting enough--"

"Oh, you're definitely not disgusted--"

"Um, guys?" The argument between the two was interrupted by a sheepish Keith who points to Brie currently trying to stand up from her seat. "I think she might have had eaten too much?"

Laia was about to reach her friend's arm when a said friend fell face-first to the floor.

"Oh shit." was the right thing to say and it came out of Niel's lips.

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