Chapter 4

"THANK you, Sir!" Alyssa replied. She was happy, she was told very impressively of the artist she idolizes.

"Rain forest?"

"Yes Sir," Alyssa answered cheerfully. She likes to draw forests because it is fascinating in the eyes of the people.

The artist nodded.

Gregorio approached some other students, they all heard good praise from him.

Everyone was busy drawing so they didn't realize the time.

Gregorio clapped three times. "That's enough, it's time for lunch. You can continue that again later in the afternoon."

Alyssa stretched before standing up and putting away her belongings. She approached her friend. Maggie was very serious about what she was drawing.

Alyssa secretly laughed at Maggie, sweat dripping down her forehead. Her friend has a lot of paint on her face and clothes.

"Put a red circle on the tip of your nose, you will look like a clown." Said Alyssa. The girl laughed out loud.

"Don't laugh, I'll hit you." Maggie immediately warned her.

Alyssa gently hit her friend on the head. "You did a good job," she praised her friend. "This is your first time so you should love your drawing. When we return to manila, hang it in your bedroom so that you can motivate yourself even more."

Maggie's drawing is a Flowers.

"Hopefully the outcome will be good when I paint it." Maggie was happy with what she did.

Alyssa put her arm around Maggie's shoulder. "Of course, you are my friend, I know you can do it!"

Alyssa helped her friend organize her belongings and then they went out of that room as well.

"It turns out that drawing makes me hungry," Maggie complained, rubbing her stomach.

"You said so, you should eat a lot. That's your talent too!" Alyssa laughed jokingly at her friend.

"Tse!" Maggie frowned.

Alyssa pressed the bridge of Maggie's nose. "You're cute!"

SHRIMP porridge, vegetables, and fried Bangus fish for their lunch. The nine students became even hungrier.

"Eat a lot, don't be shy." Said Gregorio smiling at his students. He scooped up some rice, also took some vegetables, and placed them on his plate. "I have been alone in this mansion for a long time, only Mang Nestor is with me, so I am happy because you are here."

"You are very kind sir," praise of a student to the artist. Her name is Maureen, she still wearing the name tag.

None of them dared to ask Gregorio about his family, they didn’t want to offend the artist.

Everyone ate happily. On their first day in the mansion, everyone was comfortable. After eating, the girls helped to clean up the mess, they also helped to wash the dishes as a thank you for the artist's free feeding to them.

Gregorio stopped them, but insisted at least that way they could return the kindness shown to them by the artist.

"If you insist, as long as you're done there you can rest as well," Gregorio said.

"Yes Sir," the students replied.

The artist says goodbye to them as he goes to his room.

"At three o'clock in the afternoon, you should be in the working room to continue your drawings." Gregorio reminded the students before he finally left the kitchen.

In response, the students nodded at what the artist said.

ALYSSA looked at the watch she was wearing. It's only one-thirty in the afternoon. She invited her friend to go to the garden to spend time there. The other girls prefer to rest in their room.

"Isn't it hot there?" Maggie asked her.

"It doesn't look hot, you can see a lot of big trees around the mansion." She replied.

"Okay," Maggie agreed.

They are still in the kitchen sitting while talking. Alyssa stood up.

"Daisy, do you want to come along?" Alyssa asked her new friend.

Daisy refused while shaking her head.

"I'm a little sleepy, I'll try to take a nap," Daisy replied. She stood up and said goodbye to the two.

"I'll go with you!" A voice from behind Alyssa.

Alyssa turned around. She saw Carlos, the young man standing on the side of the kitchen door. She met him earlier while they were having lunch.

Carlos is handsome. He looks mestizo even though he says that his parents are pure Filipinos. Tall and perfectly built body.

Carlos walked closer to where the two friends were.

"I can't talk to anyone, those other boys are in the room to take a nap." He said, staring into Alyssa's eyes.

"I smell something fishy," Maggie said softly. Alyssa heard what she said.

Alyssa felt both her cheeks heat up. In short, she blushed at what Maggie said. Alyssa's eyes widened as she scolded her friend.

"Stop it, Maggie," Alyssa whispered to her friend and simply pinched it on the side of her waist.

"Ouch!" Maggie complained while holding Alyssa's hand.

"Are you going to the garden?"  The young man asked them.

"Maggie and I are going to the garden" was her simple answer. She grabbed her friend's two hands, pulling her upright.

"Shall we?" Carlos asked. He even smiled sweetly, his white teeth came out which added more handsome points to him.

Alyssa felt the inside of her throat suddenly dry up, she was swallowed by her saliva. She has met many men but for Carlos, she feels strange. She shuddered every time Carlos smiled, her chest throbbing.

Alyssa felt her friend's touch under her chin.

"Your saliva might drip, you're too obvious!" Maggie joked at her.

Maggie came out of the kitchen first.

"Let's go," Alyssa stammered, looking at Carlos shyly.

At the same time, Alyssa and Carlos walked out of the kitchen. Maggie was in front of them taking a selfie, she was taking pictures of every corner of the mansion.

The three sat on the bench that was there. The garden is beautiful, there are many different plants. There are different types of flowers and different colors.

"Hmmmmmm....!" Alyssa sniffed. "I like the fresh air and the scent of flowers here."

"Yes indeed!" Maggie replied happily and took another selfie with the beautiful flowers. "I want to relax here sometime while meditating."

"Where in manila do you live?" Carlos asked Alyssa.

"We're from Bicutan, Maggie and I are in the same place. But our houses aren't close," Alyssa replied. "What about you, where are you from?"

Alyssa, on the other hand, asked without looking at him, as if she was amusing herself holding flowers.

"I'm from Cavite," Carlos replied. "But I'm studying college in manila."

Carlos even talked about his family. He said he came from a broken family, his parents both have different families. Carlos said it would be better to live with his grandmother.

Alyssa felt sad for Carlos. "I'm sorry,"

Carlo smiled at her.

"I'm okay," Carlos said. "I come from a broken family, but I have a grandmother who loves me very much." He added. "Even though my parents have their own family, they still support me. I live with my mother temporarily while studying. On the weekends, I go home to Cavite."

"I'm the only daughter," Alyssa started. "My parents are fine, they're always busy at work that's why my best friend Maggie is always with me." She added.

"She hasn't had a boyfriend since birth." Maggie refers to Alyssa.

Alyssa picked up one of her slippers and threw it at her friend, but her friend ran away.

"Can you please, stop? You are not funny, Maggie." Alyssa yelled at her friend.

Maggie laughed even more. She annoyed her friend even more. "I'm just telling the truth,"

Alyssa rolls her eyes.

"I'm sorry. You know Carlos, my friend Maggie is really like that, she's really funny," she explained to Carlos. Alyssa glared at her friend. She clenched her fist and showed it to Maggie.

Carlos smiled. "It's okay. No boyfriend, but someone is flirting with you?" The young man asked seriously. He looked straight into Alyssa's eyes.

Alyssa averted her eyes. Alyssa felt her ass heat up at that moment. She couldn't be bothered with Carlos's stares. If she had powers that could disappear, she might have disappeared in front of him.

"No," she answered sparingly.

"Geezzz... You two are matched."  Maggie teases the two.

 "I like your friendship." Honestly, Carlos said.

"Maggie and I became friends when we were kids. We treat each other like siblings," Alyssa said.

"I'll be honest Alyssa, the first time I saw you,  I like you!" Carlos said bluntly to Alyssa.

Does he like me? Alyssa repeated to herself. That was all he said, but Alyssa could feel butterflies flying inside her chest.

"What? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Maggie exclaimed. She was pleased with what she heard Carlos say.

"I-i like you, t-to be my friend Alyssa!" Said Carlos. But the truth is, Carlos wants to say that he loves at first sight to Alyssa. It would have been better for Carlos to hide his true feelings for Alyssa. They have just met. He does not want to be arrogant.