Alice and I were on our way home now. We were picked up by Christian, who was curious why we ended up here. I told him that the girl I'm with was my invented excuse. Maybe it's because I won't be able to face anyone if they find out that I'm Logan's slave. Just imagine how shameful it is on my part!
"It's good that we're going home now. This whole situation is tiring. I didn't even get to help you because our paths separated. Why did I let myself get dragged into the kitchen? But to be fair, there was so much gossip there! I also picked up a lot," she said to me while we were inside the car. I don't think Christian could hear us.
I winced. "Maybe you should just accompany me next time? You'll just get tired there. Your purpose is to help me, but on the other hand, they gave you other tasks. We're at a disadvantage, right?" I said.
"It's fine with me, and I'm part of this domino effect."
Woah? Domino?
"We're here now, Krystal, and Alice," said Christian.
We thanked him. I also gave him my snack. We entered the house. I invited Christian if he wants to have a cup of coffee inside, but he refused. There's a basketball game later. Even after the festival, the youth here are still active in basketball.
"Hey! I'll come later, okay? Pick us up when your game with my Andrew is near," Alice said.
"Hah! Don't expect to be noticed," Christian mocked Alice.
"Come on, Christian! Don't take away my hopes right away! Remember, stars also fall to the ground!"
"Don't get your hopes up, Alice. He is a Lopez and you are a nobody,” Christian continued.
Before Alice could literally throw a stone at Christian, the guy ran away. I just laughed.
"Let's go inside first. Christian is really annoying. Maybe he was born to be stupid," she said irritably.
We went inside the house and I went straight to my room. I need to clean up or freshen up. I feel so sticky from all the things I've done today. I've never accomplished so many household chores in my entire life.
I always told myself, why I should learn to do chores, clean things, and such. I never thought I would be in this kind of difficult situation. I was pampered by my father, my mother treated me like a princess, and my brother spoiled me with so many things. I had nothing more to ask for before, but now I'm here. Fate can be so playful.
After dressing up, wearing a simple blue dress, I looked so plain now. Alice also invited me to walk towards the covered court. I agreed. I have nothing else to do, and I feel like I won't be able to sleep right away if I stay in my room.
I've always been a night person. Imagine me wearing fancy clothes, carrying branded bags and jewelry, and spending money in bars and restaurants with my so-called friends before.
I realized that I invested so much in my old so-called friends, but they were actually backstabbers, manipulators, and enemies in reality. As long as they could squeeze something out of me, they would. Imagine how much money, time, and trust I invested in them. From that bullshit circle who did nothing for me after they found out that I am nothing now.
"Come on, Krystal, what are you thinking about?" Alice asked me.
"Nothing."
I asked permission from Mom. Eventually, she agreed since I was with Alice and we also mentioned that Christian was with us. My Mom wasn’t that strict, especially before, but I got used to asking for her permission whenever I go out of the house.
While we were walking, we encountered some young people like us heading to the covered court. There was supposed to be a fair, but we decided to go next time.
It was good to walk and just stroll outside after a long day of being committed to a job that I'm not supposed to be doing. But why am I ranting? Knowing that, in the first place, no matter what I say here, nothing will change.
We arrived at the covered court and it was noisy with people cheering for their bets. There were still seats available, and we sat close to Andrew and Christian's team.
It's a good thing Logan isn't here, or else I would say bad luck really does follow me wherever he is by my side. Just imagine how unfortunate I am whenever he's around.
But I'll remove that from my mind for now. Because I needed to watch my friends' game. The teams were both good. I've been a fan of watching basketball since my Dad and brother were fans too. It's from them that I learned the basic rules and engagement in this sport.
The game ended, and as expected, Christian and Andrew's team won. Many people approached Andrew. As expected, he's quite popular.
"Where are we going?" I asked them. Christian, Lance, Kyla, and Alice were beside me.
"Let's go to the barbecue place at the corner!" Kyla said.
We all agreed, although I personally have never experienced street food before.
"Have you ever eaten this kind of food, Krystal?" Kyla asked me.
I immediately shook my head.
"Unfortunately, no. I wasn't a fan because I used to be so health-conscious, plus I was on a diet. And we didn't really go to the market in Claybourne."
"Oh, grilled food is delicious, just occasionally. It's not bad to have a little dirt in your body. They say that more people get sick because their bodies are too clean," Lance said, and I can see his point.
The grilled station owned by Julianna looked huge. It's spacious and there were many customers buying food now. Luckily, Lance's aunt was the owner, so we didn't have a hard time getting prioritized.
"I don't know what to choose," I said to them.
I must look clueless here. This is food for ordinary people, like me right now. That's probably why they're surprised because I don't know much about this kind of food. What a shame.
Suddenly, someone approached me. I could smell his manly fragrance, and I wasn't wrong in guessing that it was Andrew. He was smiling from ear to ear as he looked straight at me.
It seemed like everyone, even the young teenagers, was looking at us. How could they not when this guy was so close to me?
I took the initiative to create a distance between me and him.
"Andrew? Why are you here?" I asked him.
I heard that he has a party later with his friends. There were some girls surrounding him who seemed to be very beautiful, and I didn’t need to know that they come from wealthy families.
He pouted his lips. "Am I not allowed here?" he asked, sounding a little disappointed.
"Hey, that's not my point. I just heard that you had plans with your friends earlier. We didn't expect you to be here because of that, that's it."
"Well, I chose to be here. Christian and Lance are always here too. And besides, I heard that you don't know what to choose. May I suggest?" he asked me.
I nodded, acknowledging him. "Yeah, please."
So there were containers with various street food skewered on sticks for us to choose from. Andrew showed me a pink piece of pork that looked delicious. The vendor would grill them, and while waiting, we ate fried chicken skin on the side.
"Are you going again tomorrow?" Andrew asked me. He must be referring to the slavery of his brother.
"Yeah," I said, a little bit exhausted.
"Well, I'll help you tomorrow. I'll take care of Logan, as long as he doesn't find out."
"It's not your responsibility, so let's just forget it. I can manage, and besides, I have Alice with me," I reasoned.
"No, seriously, I'll help you. I'll pick you up tomorrow, no matter what," he insisted, sounding determined in his decision. If he was willing to help and would insist on it, I said yes to his offer. I just didn’t want to get annoyed with him.
After getting our grilled food and of course, we each pay our share. Even though Andrew offered to treat us, we still chose to split the bill.
See? Those who aren't well-off in life often have such principles. Imagine my old friends, claiming to be in a high position in the hierarchy, but the truth was, they were leeches, sucking money from those above them.
We went to a nearby park. Luckily, we found an empty table where we could sit. There were many young people hanging out here. It looks nice because the plaza is well-lit.
"So, what should we try first?" I asked, feeling clueless. Luckily, Kyla taught me, and he said I should try the pork cheek.