Chapter 4

"I want to talk to you. Is it okay with you?" Casey answers. Her voice is shaking nervously. Niccolo rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I saw you the other day, but I really don't know your name. Why do you want to talk to me? Is it important, huh?" Niccolo asked her obediently. Casey nodded slowly.

"Yes, it's important," she said. Niccolo gasped. "But what's your name, huh?"

Casey cleared her throat before she says her name to the man in front of her. Niccolo is waiting for her answer.

"Casey. My name is Casey Lopez," she replied, saying her name to him. "How about you?" Casey asked his name even though she knows it from her friend Cora.

"My name is Niccolo. Sit down please, Casey," he said, pointing the chair in front of him. Casey sat down immediately. She can't take her eyes off him. Her heart is still beating faster. Maybe it's because she's still nervous. Casey didn't expect to do it.

"Have you eaten your lunch?" Niccolo asked her. Casey speaks quickly and tells the truth to him.

"I haven't eaten breakfast and lunch yet," she confessed. His eyes widened as he heard her confession.

"W-what? You haven't eaten breakfast and lunch, huh? How did it happen, huh? Do you have a money to buy your food? Please tell me the truth, Casey. So I should know it from you," Niccolo answered. He couldn't believe what he heard from her. Casey closed her eyes for a few minutes and took a very deep breath before she answers his questions.

"I came from the province," she said.

"W-what? You came from the province?" Casey nodded quickly. She tells him where province she came from.

"I can no longer endure the bad treatment of my aunt and cousin, so I decided to leave them. Even though I don't have money in my pocket, I hurriedly rode a bus going here in Manila. It's my first time to come here," she said and controls her tears to come out of her eyes. Niccolo took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he heard from her. He felt pity for her, so he ordered a food for her.

"You told me you haven't eaten yet, so I ordered food for you," Niccolo said seriously.

"Thank you for your treat," she said, thanking him for the food he ordered for her. Niccolo gave her a quick nod before he opens his mouth to speak.

"Where did you stay here in Manila?" Niccolo asked her while waiting for their food. Casey bit her lower lip and let out a deep sigh. She frowned.

"Since I stepped into this place, I slept in the park with the beggars. I found a new friend here and she becomes my companion everyday. Did you remember the day when we bumped into each other, huh? And she's beside me," Casey said, reminding him about her friend.

"I could still remember her, but I couldn't believe you're sleeping in the park with the beggars," he said. "How can you endure the pain of sleeping in the park? You haven't experienced it yet, right?"

Casey bit her lower lip. "You're right. I haven't experienced it yet, but I had no choice. I'm homeless now. I approached you because I need your help," she said seriously.

"W-what? You need my help? Are you sure?" Niccolo answered. Casey nods quickly.

"Yes. I need your help," she said.

"What kind of help you need from me, huh?" Niccolo said, frowning. Casey shrugs her shoulders. "Anything you can help for me. I'm desperate now. I don't know what to do. I can't live my life like this. I think I'm gonna die for sure. No one wants to help me. I'm homeless. I'm penniless. No one loves me either. I have no family now. I'm alone. I need someone who can possibly help me," she explained with tears in her eyes. Niccolo gasped loudly.

"So, that's the main reason why you approached me because you need someone who can help you and you need my help, isn't it?" Niccolo said, fixing his hair. Casey gave him a quick nod before she opens her mouth to speak to him.

"Yes, exactly. I'm so desperate now and I don't know what to do next. I'm gonna die. I tried to look for a job, but no one accepted me. All of them had rejected me. I got nothing and I hope you understand my situation," Casey said weeping. Niccolo picked a tissue paper and gave it to her. Casey begins wiping her tears. Their foods he ordered were served immediately.

"You shouldn't cry please. You need to eat your food before it gets cold," Niccolo reminded her.

"Thank you for the food," she said.

"You're welcome," Niccolo replied, and they started eating their food.

When they had finished eating their food, Niccolo cleared his throat and begins to speak to her. He looked at her eyes.

"I wasn't expecting you'll need my help and we would meet again here," Niccolo said. Casey nodded slowly and speaks gently.

"Yes. You're the only one who can help me. No one else can do it for me. You can help me anything you want, but I would like to say thank you for the food. I'm no longer hungry. My tummy is not calming anymore. Thank you for the food," Casey said, thanking him for the food.

Niccolo took a very deep breath before he announces what he really wants to say to her. He bit his lower lip and looked at her eyes seriously.

"I'll help you, but on one condition you need to pretend as my girlfriend in front of my parents and friends," Niccolo announced to her. Casey's eyes widened as she heard it from him.

"W-what? What did you say? Can you please repeat it?" Casey protested. She wants to repeat his words just to make sure it wasn't really the first he says to her.

"You told me you want my help, right?"

"Yes," she said. "I need your help."

"I'll help you, but on one condition you need to pretend as my girlfriend in front of my parents and friends," he repeated his words. It's clear to her. It wasn't a joke. Casey couldn't believe it.

"Are you serious about it, huh? Why would I pretend as your girlfriend? We're not lovers," Casey protested. Niccolo gasped loudly.

"I know. We're not lovers, Casey. But you need my help and I need your help, too," he said. Casey frowns.

"What do you mean, huh? You need my help too?" Casey answered.

He nods. "Probably yes. I need your help too. If you want my help, you must agree with me."

"Why do you want my help, huh? And I need to pretend as your girlfriend, huh? Can you explain to me please," she requested.

"My parents are pressuring me to introduce my girlfriend to them," he said.

"What?! Then you should introduce your girlfriend to your parents. You can help me without the condition you told me," Casey answered.

"I have no girlfriend, Casey. I'm single," he announced quickly.

"Are you sure, huh? Aren't you kidding me?" Casey answered.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm telling you the truth, Casey. I'm single. I'm still courting the woman I love, but she's not yet answering me yes. She's not yet ready. But my parents are pressuring me every day and it's so disgusting to hear it from them. I hate being pressured. And now you know the reason why you need to help me. I'll help you, but you need to help me too, Casey. You're not going to sleep in the park and you can no longer feel hungry. You'll have the food you want. What's your decision, Casey? Do you want to help me and pretend as my girlfriend in front of my parents and friends, huh? I'll introduce you to them as soon as possible. You decide please," Niccolo said. "If you'll not agree with me, you'll suffer the cruelty of life in the streets. You'll live as a beggar with no importance to other people. You'll die for sure in the streets because of hunger. What's your decision, Casey?" He added.

Casey breathed deeply.