Chapter 5

CARLOS wants Alyssa to be friends first, they are still on the stage of getting to know each other.

The nervousness that Alyssa felt was replaced by disappointment at what she heard. Carlos just wants her to be his friend. Alyssa secretly laughed to herself. Assuming!

"Oh! Love starts with being friends." Maggie said in a teasing voice, she was not convinced by what Carlos said.

Carlos held out his right hand to the girl. "Can we be friends?" He asked the girl.

Alyssa reached out his hand. The two shook hands in acceptance of each other as friends.

"Friends!" Alyssa replied smiling. The girl felt electricity flow through her whole body when she shook hands with him. Although Alyssa was confused about how she was feeling she still tried to act normally.

Maggie approached the young man and shook hands with him.

The three quickly became comfortable with each other. In a moment, the garden was filled with laughter, the young man's story was completely funny.

"It's three o'clock in the afternoon," Alyssa said when she saw the time on her watch.  She invited them, "let's go inside."

Carlos and Maggie also stood up. The three were still talking as they walked into the mansion. They went up to the third floor of the mansion, their fellow students were already there, they were starting to draw.

Alyssa and Maggie also took their seats. Before Alyssa started drawing, she secretly glanced at Carlos who was not far from her seat. Their eyes met. She shyly looked away, while the young man secretly smiled.

"He's handsome, isn't he?" Maggie asked her, she didn't notice that her friend was next to her.

"Who?" She pretended to ask her even though she knew Carlos, what her friend was referring to.

"Stop pretending, it was the first time I saw you that you're interested in a man," Maggie said.

"What did you say?"

Maggie pinched her friend's arm.

"Interested right away? Can't I just be nice to Carlos?"

"You're still in denial. ” Maggie teased her.

"Go back to your seat," Alyssa pushed her friend.

"My best friend is already in love," Maggie whispered teasingly to her.

"Your imagining things," she pushed her friend again. Alyssa could still hear her friend whispering as she walked towards her seat.

Alyssa shook her head as she also started to draw.

IT'S EIGHT O'CLOCK in the evening. Everyone just finished dinner. The girls went upstairs first, while the three boys were left in the living room talking. They were talking about the girls who were with them.

"Bro, you look attracted to Alyssa," Miguel called Carlos's attention.

Carlos stopped reading the book. He brought a horror book when he went to San Victoria. He likes to read, especially when he gets bored.

"It seems like that," Carlos smiled and refocused his eyes on what he was reading.

"If you stare at Alyssa like she's just ice cream, she'll melt in your eyes." Noel teased him. "I have a crush on her too,"

Carlos quickly looked at Noel for what he said. Looks like he has a rival to Alyssa.

Noel laughed and threw the junk food he was eating at Carlos.

"It's just a crush. For all of us, it seems like Alyssa is good at drawing and that's all I admire about her," Noel explained. "Besides, I'm taken. I'm loyal to my girlfriend, so don't be nervous Carlos."

Carlos on the other hand, rested broadly as if a thorn had been pulled out of his throat.

"I like her," Carlos confessed.

They shouted in delight.

"But I'd better make friends with her first, so we can get to know each other better. Besides, she's never had a boyfriend, I don't want to rush her."

"There you go, you admit it too!" Miguel teased and patted Carlos on the shoulder. "Alyssa looks kind, how lucky you are bro when she becomes your girlfriend."

Carlos smiled at what Miguel said. He just wished that they both felt the same way.

"What about you? Do you like one of the girls with us here in the mansion?" Carlos asked Miguel.

"There is," Miguel answered immediately. "Sofia!"

"It's very obvious you and Sofia, you both like each other," Noel said as he reached for the can of soda on the table. "If you stare at each other, it's like you're undressing each other!" With a silly laugh.

"You crazy!" Laughing, Miguel put his arm around Noel's neck and pinched his ear.

The three young men looked up the long stairs. They saw the girl they were talking about. Sofia! She was wearing a white tube top and black shorts. The girl had just taken a bath and was going downstairs.

Noel teased Miguel.

"Bro, your crush looks so fresh," Noel whispered to Miguel.

Miguel covered Noel's mouth when he saw the girl passing by where they were. Miguel stood up and said goodbye to the two, he intended to follow Sofia.

Carlos just nodded and continue reading, while Noel was still planning to go with Miguel.

"Just join Carlos here, you might just ruin my strategy for Sofia!"

Noel insisted but Miguel repeatedly pushed him to sit down. Noel could do nothing but continue eating junk food.

Before leaving the living room, Miguel winked at them. He followed Sofia to the kitchen.

Sofia did not notice him, she took a glass and opened the fridge. She took a pitcher with cold water, poured water into the glass, and drank it.

"How are you, Sofia?"

The girl jumped in shock. "You scared me. How long have you been standing behind me?"

"Just now," Miguel replied simply, he looked straight into Sofia's eyes.

Miguel looks seductive.

"Don't look at me like that. You can't take me." Sofia sighed. She closed the fridge, but as she faced Miguel, he suddenly kissed her on the lips.

"Why are you doing this Miguel?" Sofia stopped him. But she also responded by kissing him.

When Miguel felt that the girl seemed to like what he was doing, his desire for Sofia intensified. He touches her breast. The girl did not stop him.

"Ahem!" Someone sneezed from behind the young man.

Sofia quickly pushed him when the girl saw the artist, standing behind Miguel.

The two quickly moved away from each other, bowing to apologize to the artist.

"I just came down to make a cup of coffee, if you're not sleepy yet, you can join me on the third floor. I'll show you the paintings I made earlier." The artist said smiling.

As mentioned, Gregorio did brew coffee. He pretended that there was no malice in what he saw.

"Sure Sir, Sofia and I are coming," Miguel replied, touching Sofia on the shoulder. Sofia looked at him.

"Of course Sir, we will come. It's too early to go to sleep." The girl smiled.

After Gregorio brewed coffee, he invited the two.

They were about to come out of the kitchen when the painter stopped them.

"There's a shortcut to the third floor, follow me," Gregorio said and touched a painting hanging on the wall. He flipped it over.

Sofia and Miguel exchanged glances in surprise.

Moments later, Gregorio carefully pushed against the wall. He motioned to them to come close to him. The two immediately complied.

The artist pushed the wall again, turning once and it suddenly opened.

"Wow! That's great!" Sofia yelled when she noticed that they were no longer in the kitchen.

The artist smiled at her. "You know, I'm getting older, it's hard for me to step on the high stairs. When we go through here, we only walk the low stairs."

They saw the ladder, that's probably what the artist was referring to. Miguel approached the artist and helped him step up the stairs. While Sofia fills her eyes, with the beautiful paintings she sees hanging on the wall.

When the three reached the third floor. Gregorio immediately opened the door. The two did not hesitate to enter together with the artist.

Miguel and Sofia looked at the canvasses with the drawings, the others had paints and the others have no paint yet.

When Gregorio noticed that the two were busy, he secretly locked the door.

 "It's beautiful, Sir!" said Miguel, that he was referring to the man and woman in the painting. In the painting, they dance the tango!

Gregorio approached him. He sipped his coffee before he spoke.

"I just finished drawing that, do you want to finish painting it?" He asked Miguel.

"Sir, I might just ruin that," Miguel replied. But the truth is, that his hands are already itchy to hold the paintbrush.

"It's all right, I trust you!" Gregorio smiled and tapped the young man on the shoulder. "What about you Sofia, maybe you like some of the drawings I haven't finished painting, you can also try." He asked the girl.

"Really?" Sofia's eyes widened, she was pleased with what she heard from the artist. "Oh my gosh!"