I woke up from the sudden drilling sounds that came from my brother's room.
It was 4 in the morning and what was he doing?
Knock! Knock! Knock!
I lazily got up from my bed to see who had dared to disturb me at this early. I almost forgot my eyeglasses there.
With my clear vision and sleepy self, I opened the door and my grinning brother with his dumb cat on the ground appeared.
"Rain! My dear sister, can you take care of Timmy?" He said with his honeyed tone.
"Why would I?" I responded with irritation on my voice.
He was still grinning as he explains.
"I have my football practice this whole day and I can only trust you to look for Timmy."
Trust. A big word from my brother who can't even be nice to me except for asking something from me.
Right. My brother was on his senior in college which was not the same college as me because his university is centered only for law students. And at this moment, he's being good because he had a favor to ask.
"I have class later, brother. I can't take care of Timmy. You usually dropped Timmy on a pet shop near your university, just let them take care of him."
"Marrisa is not there and the pet shop is close due to the shop's remodelling," he scratched his nape as he explained once again.
"Mom can take care of that cat or just leave it here at home. Nothing will happen to it," I suggested again. I'm not going to babysit that cat, we're enemies, okay.
That mocking eyes. I simply glared at Timmy as he was looking at me again with those eyes.
"Alright. I'll pay you."
He took out his wallet and handed me a one hundred pesos.
"I'm not a kid, you can't bribe me with money," I crossed my arms.
He added it another hundred.
"No."
And another.
"Na-ah."
And another until it was a total of five hundred pesos.
"Still no."
Storm sighed and take out a one thousand pesos.
"Okay," I instantly took the money and picked the dumb cat from the ground.
"Shoo! Go away now, brother. I'll take care of him with tender loving care," I kissed the cat's head.
Timmy is so cute when you have money.
"You better," Storm warns and pats the cat's head.
"By the way, what's that noise a while ago?"
"I was fixing my clothes' rack."
I frowned at his statement and closed the door.
Really, I can't understand why would be my brother so obsessed with his cat. That's one of the reasons why he doesn't have any girlfriend.
----
"Bye. Take care of Timmy!"
I just waved at my brother and slowly entered the school, looking at everywhere just to not be seen by the security guards, bringing a cat inside the university.
It's basically not allowed to bring pets because firstly, this is a school, a learning institution and second, this is not a pet shop or a veterinary clinic.
"Wait!" Someone suddenly halted me from going to the locker hall.
I gulped feeling his stare on my big bag. Timmy doesn't meow on me.
"You're going to the art room, Ms. Cabreza?"
I turned around and sighed that it was just my art professor. We were assigned to paint today and by looking on his hands, he was holding stock of papers in a plastic bag.
"Not yet, sir. I'm dropping first to the locker room but it's my first class today."
"Then help me with this. Just put it on the table, I just need to attend a meeting."
He handed me the plastic bag and I accepted it. Why was this so heavy? Even my bag was so heavy due to this fat cat.
Looking sideways and around, finding no one is present. I hurriedly take out Timmy, he was on his cage and he was silent while looking at me.
"Sorry, dum-- Timmy! I need first to attend classes. I'll leave you your toy and your food, okay?"
I put Timmy inside my locker with his food and toy, and locked it.
I sighed in relief while stretching my sore arms. I'll need to carry this, too. I took the plastic bag on the ground and was about to proceed to the art room when…
"Here you are!" I was startled by the sudden voice from behind.
It was just Nilan.
"What are you doing here? This is the girl's locker hall."
"Obviously."
I rolled my eyes on his sarcasm.
"And what do you need?" I crossed my arms as I stared at him. He was breathing heavily like he ran on a marathon. What happened to him?
He walked near me and took out a card. It's an invitation card of an anniversary.
A 24th Anniversary of Uncle and Auntie, the parents of Aria and it was this weekend. Why that woman didn't even tell me?
"What do I need it for?"
"You come with me as my plus one," he stated seriously.
"Eh?! Is that even needed?" I replied with my surprised voice.
What is he playing at?
"Look."
He spoke as he handed me the invitation, there were names of the guests and my name was on the fourth number with…
"Nilan Song," I read.
---
This was one of the events that I would totally hate. My partner was smiling at every guest around while greeting them.
That arrogant smile that I wanted to erase from his handsome face.
He noticed my stare and playful stated, "What are you staring at? In love now?"
In love my ass. I gripped his arms really hard and walked away.
He cursed as he held his hurting arm.
Hmph.
I easily spotted Aria with her partner, Lucas. An actor who she got shipped with when they were on that romance drama that I forgot the name.
"Aria, my lovely best friend! Let's talk, first. Lucas, let me borrow Aria."
The handsome actor dumbfoundedly nodded by our strangeness as I dragged her at a corner.
"Yes? My pretty best friend, what is it?"
"Pretty your mom. Did you schemed this right?"
"Schemed what?"
I rolled my eyes at her pretend for being clueless as it was so obvious when she can't look at me straight on the eyes. Why is this woman get to be an actress too when she can't lie properly in front of me?
I raised my brow, waiting for her confession.
"Okay, you got me. I just paired you up, so what?" She fiddled her fingers as she pouted.
"What are you planning really?"
I pointedly look at her as she tenses up.
"I swear… I just wanted to have you paired with my cousin 'cause you're both cute."
My irritated face creases as I heard her.
"What?"
"Both of you are cute as a couple."
I was speechless to this kind of reasoning. I know she's childish sometimes but how did it get far to this?
I observed Aria closely because I was wearing my eyeglasses, I saw her nervousness clearly.
She was hiding something.
"What are you hiding from me?"
"It--"
The microphone sounded as it cut our conversation.
"Good evening, everyone! Oh, there are invited celebrities here, too! Hi Lucas!" The female host was interrupted by her co-host.
The male host then stated, "We are here to witness again the golden couple that was now on their 24 years of marriage with the darling of the entertainment industry. Let's welcome Johyun Song and Eris Song with their daughter, Aria Song!"
Aria went up to the stage as she neared her parents.
"Sadly, their son Seohyun can't participate as he is still in the US for his study."
Seohyun, right. Aria's older brother and my brother's best friend.
The reason why Aria and I got acquainted because of the friendship of our brothers. That was just a cute childhood when I remembered.
The first time I met Aria was when she was crying outside there house, we were neighbors at that time and I comforted her. She was crying because her brother bullied her. Well, what can I say, Seohyun was truly a cold jerk.
Yes, he's cold. The type of person that hates being approached by people that he was not familiar with and to top it all, he hates girls.
Well, I hate him, too. If I compared him to Nilan, maybe Nilan is a bit nice while that guy is something you can't understand.
I frowned as I realized that I unconsciously compared him to Nilan.
"Oh. You just went off like that."
And speaking of.
Nilan put his arms around me as I shoved him.
We're not that close, why is he acting friendly?
He put again his arms again and I was about to warn him when he whispered near my ears, "My ex is looking, just act with me."
I looked at him, warily, "Ex? What are you doing?"
"Just do me a favor."
His voice was gentle as he rested his head on my shoulder while his arm was on my waist.
I just reluctantly agreed as he stared at me with those begging eyes.
He's cute. I didn't know that this jerk could act like this.
Wait! Did I admit that he's cute? No, that was just me overthinking, right.
This atmosphere just affected me as I stared at the two lovely couples who was the center of this event and Aria was taking their pictures.
I hope I could meet someone like that.