Chapter 5.
Nerea point Of View.
I still couldn't believe everything that had happened that the company which my parents had laboured to build from scratch had burnt suddenly down to the ground.
Nobody could tell what happened and last night I could hardly sleep I kept turning and tossing and by the early hours of the morning I had forced myself to sleep only to wake up and remind myself again that the only thing which my parents had left behind for me was no more.
The company was one of several which I had managed to maintain with the little knowledge I got.
The rest have been dragged into a lawsuit and I lost them all just a year after my parents death.
I was slowly going down the social ladder and the thought of been poor with no one to help me hit me really hard.
As I stood before the mirror after taking a hurried shower tears flowed down my cheeks two maids had resigned again they were the last the only person I have in this big lonely house was Rosa.
"I think you should have breakfast."Rosa said to me as I came downstairs.
"I'm fine you don't think I have the appetite to eat anything I have to go to school now I have lectures to attend."
" Nerea, Nerea." Rosa called me
as I headed out the door, I was heartbroken that I could not even eat anything driving to school was worst and I could barely hear what the lecturer was saying.
I didn't even respond to Mia when she asked me a question during lectures my thoughts were far away and i couldn't concentrate, deep down I missed my parents a whole lot.
" Hey." She said to me when we got to the cafeteria."you seem kind of distracted you didn't even answer my question when I sent you text message." Mia said as I took a seat .
"I think I have to go to the library there is a book I need to borrow."I said almost to myself ignoring her question.
" Nerea." She said and slammed her hands on the table making me almost jumped out of my skin.
"What is it ? you don't look happy, is there anything bothering you."
I glanced up at her and said nothing we have been friends ever since elementary school and we had never hidden anything from anyone of us but how will I tell her that the last company which I had inherited from my parent was no more and soon I might find myself in the streets.
" The company is gone... Everything my parents ever had is gone." I didn't know when I release the words and tears came down my cheeks as I sobbed quietly trying not to attract attention to myself. " It got burnt to the ground." I sobbed again and Mia reached over to wipe my tears with a tissue, she looks so shocked and I could see the pained expression on her face.
" Please don't cry Nerea,don't cry." She begged and that was when the tears came like an angry wave.
"If you can't get your tuition fees for next session I and the guys will lend you some money."she said and I looked up at her with gratitude in my eyes I couldn't believe that just one year after my parents death I was almost like a begger.
Mia glanced behind her and said.
" They are here." She smiled at Ro- bin , Celeste and Jake who were heading to our table, laughing and chatting .
"What happened Nerea?" Jake was the first to notice that I was crying and sat beside me, he turns to Mia questioningly.
Mia couldn't say anything because I didn't want to bother them with my troubles.
" Nerea are you crying?" Celeste asked.
Ro- bin rolled his eyes, he was the Prince charming of our group,our Korean royal majesty just as we tease him, he was strikingly handsome and had this cute bully kind of look,his hair was always falling over his eyes but now he had it behind his ears
"What sort of question is that, you can see that her eyes are red and you're asking if she's crying." He shook his head and took piece of chips and chewed slowly." No, she's practicing for ballet classes."
Celeste got annonyed,she and Ro - bin never got along and she balled her fist reedy to punch him.
"I have told you to stop talking to me but you wouldn't listen, one more word and I will crack your jaws." She threatened and I knew that she just couldn't do it then she cursed under her breath taking a seat beside Mia.
"We shouldn't fight please." Mia said in a some voice and pushed a strand of a bobbed hair behind her ear she was the brainy one in our group and the computer wizard.
" Where is Zane?" I asked wiping my tears away .
" He said he had a question to ask Mr Upton in his office." Celeste answered staring at me with concern in her eyes.
" A question indeed." Ro- bin said and his upper lip twitched as if you wanted to laugh."and you believe that Zane went to ask Mr Upton some questions." He rolled his eyes and took a sip from his water bottle." I wonder when you will have common sense perhaps when you are 98 years old and toothless."
Celeste flared up immediately."somebody tell this guy to stop talking to me, Zane is intelligent, he loves school and he is looking forward to becoming a neurologist and you are just plain jealous."
Celeste and Robin wanted to get into a fight when Jake rose his head among the sea of faces.
"I thought you said Zane is in Mr Upton office." He asked in disbelief.
" Yes..." Celeste began and she didn't finish her question when Zane was seen approaching us ,his hands filled with two cans of diet coke and lots of sandwich that could feed a family of seven and his face was filled with that cute happy smile on his face.
Zane was the baby among us and Robin loved picking on him.
" Here comes the neurologist?' Robin said bursting into laughter.
"I thought you went to Mr Upton's office?" Mia asked .
" Phewwww,it was too sunny out there so I thought of having something to eat first." He said smiling like a school boy." Who want a can of diet Coke."
"Can I have one?"Celeste ask her eyes gleaming .
"What ? I am not giving a can I'm asking if you would take a sip." Zane said kind of shocked , I was even surprised that he was sharing his snacks.
" Psstttt." Celeste cursed under her breath."don't even bother."
Robin burst into laughter and Celeste gave him a dirty look.
"Guys."Mia said in a calm voice." I think Nerea has something to tell us."
I gave her a sharp look."but Mia I said I don't want to bother them with my problems."
"But we are all friends we need to show our problems with each other."
Celeste and Jake exchange glances.
"What is going on?"they said in unison.
"I think we should go to a library to discuss about this."Mia suggested and I was grateful for it.
At the library we found a quiet spot to sit down and my friends kept staring at me waiting for me to give them the news.
"I am getting married in few days time."I blurted out driving all of them including Mia into a huge shock and Zane almost choked on his drink .
" What?" They said at once.
" Why ?" Mia said and she looked hurt that I didn't tell her all this while she was usually the first to know about anything concerning me before I tell the rest.
" I'm so sorry g
uys but it came suddenly and I think I have to marry this guy because my life is in danger too."