Chapter 6: The Grouchy Kid

 The cordial greeting of the sunrise approached the translucent window by the room when he and Maverick had already caught up on each other’s lives for the past six years that Nathan had been away. With empty bottles and plates that were scattered around the glass table, Nathan, who was almost but not quite drunk, stood from his seat and tapped Maverick beside him. His friend was already snoozing with his neck craned to the headboard of the chair.

Cracking his neck, Nathan kicked his shins, startling him with a shout, “Dude, get up. It’s already morning.”

Maverick, who just dozed out from his seat, reclined his back away. “Shit, fuck . . .” He fumbled on the couch, searching for his phone. “What time is it?”

Nathan lifted his forearms and replied, “It’s six in the morning.” He slapped his knees and added, “Come on, let’s go. I need a lift.”

The man grumbled in protest. “Fuck, dude, don’t you have a car for that?” He staggered as he stood on the ground, to which Nathan had noticed quickly that he helped Maverick by supporting his unsteady walk.

“Yeah, I do have. But I can’t call Isaac. It’s too early,” Nathan explained to him as they both walked out of the room, trotting toward the parking lot.

By the time they got to the parking area, Maverick unhinged his arms on Nathan’s shoulder and fished out his keys inside his pockets. “You owe me a lot, Nathan.”

Nathan shook his head as he lightheartedly disagreed with it. “Not as much as you do.”

Maverick didn’t respond and just chuckled it off as they got inside the car and drove to Maverick’s place.

***

As the night greeted Clara’s apartment, Daphne was shocked to see her mother in the lounge with an unkempt and distraught face. Linda’s eyes were red as scarlet when she stood from the upholstered chair and stepped forward toward her daughter.

Combing her curly hair, she batted her messy eyelashes at her daughter. “Hey sweetheart, how are you?” 

Awkwardly, Linda reluctantly hugged her, which Daphne found a little strange and sketchy. Usually, her mom only did it if she needed money from her.

“What are you doing here, mom?” Daphne tried not to grunt as she dropped the bag on the couch.

Meanwhile, Clara came to the picture with a ladle in her hand as she went toward them. “Finally, you’re here, Daphne! I kept calling you a while ago to tell you your mom is here.”

Daphne turned her gaze to Clara, smiling at her softly. “Sorry. I didn’t notice. Thanks, Clara.”

“Sure, and no worries about it,” Clara answered as she looked at Daphne and Linda back and forth. She then recognized the tension between the two of them that made her move backward. “Okay, I’ll just be in the kitchen, if you need something, Daphne…”

Daphne nodded at her friend and then, in a couple of seconds, grabbed her bag from the couch, neglecting her mom to go into her room. Linda, however, followed her behind, looking quite jittery and nervous.

When Daphne got inside, she placed her back on the table and removed her shoes to change into her slippers. Without looking at Linda, Daphne finally resigned to the thought of ignoring her by asking her mother straight away.

“Do you need the money right now?” She then walked to her closet and yanked on some shirt and pajamas.

Linda bit her lips for a moment and then plummeted her arms to the side. “Yeah. The guys needed the money, Daphne. I have to pay them immediately, baby.”

“Can’t it wait?” Daphne threw her clothes onto the bed and then raised her arms to prop them on her waist. “I don’t have any cash with me now, mom.”

Her mother’s face instantly became more anxious. Linda’s finger fidgeted relentlessly as she walked toward Daphne’s bed, sitting uncomfortably on it. Rubbing her palms onto her knees, she muttered, “I have to give them the money right away, Daphne.”

Linda tilted her chin and with trepidation in her expression, she added, “They’re going to kill me, if I don’t pay them back.” She buried her face into her palms and wailed.

Daphne couldn’t help but be worried about her mom. The shield she was fortifying against Linda soon crumbled down as soon as she heard her mother’s cry. She wasn’t merciless and certainly, she wasn’t a monster to not feel any empathy and compassion for Linda.

Linda was and is still her mom, and that would never change despite her flaws of being a wonderful mother like other moms.

She walked forward to her bed, brushed her mom's arms, and sat on her feet to tell her, “Didn’t I say I’ll help you with it, mom?” Daphne then pulled her forearms out of her eyes and looked directly at Linda’s face. “I just got a part-time today and I will start tomorrow. Also, I already applied to be a full-time teacher at a private school.”

Her mom’s eye blinked. Then she wiped her tears off as though her distressed expression a while ago diminished in an instant. “You did, baby?” Linda smiled sweetly at her daughter, hugging her tightly. “I’m so proud of you! Mommy is so proud of you, sweetheart.” Kissing her temples, she added, “I love you so much, and thank you!”

“Just—I just need time, mom to pay for it. That’s the last thing I could ask you.” Daphne sighed, parting away from their hug.

Sniffing her nose, Linda coaxed her daughter by tucking the falling strands of her hair into her ear. “Of course, I understand, Daphne…”

Daphne couldn’t find the exact words to say to her, which became the reason for her giving Linda a robotic smile. After that exchange of reassuring words, her mother left Daphne in a devastating state. As she went back to the kitchen where the food was already ready at the table, she slumped her back on the chair, exhaling massive frustration.

At that moment, Clara noticed that after she placed a glass of wine by her side, she asked her, “Did she ask you again for another money?”

Daphne didn’t speak and just nodded to her with dejection.

“You can borrow from me for a while, if she badly needs it right now, Daphne.” Clara sat beside her, holding her hand.

“No, Clara. It’s fine. Besides, you’ve already done a great deal for me.” She forced her lips to curve upward. “I can handle it, don’t worry,” Daphne reassured her friend.

Clara pursed her lips. “Alright, but please do tell me quickly if you find yourself in a tight spot, Daphne. You know I always got your back.”

Daphne gave her a nod. “Yes, I will.” She then lifted her hand away beneath hers and then patted Clara’s hand with hers. Clearing her throat, she changed their subject as she grabbed the spoon by her side and scooped the risotto from the plate. “Great, I’m starving! Let’s eat!”  

Clara didn’t push the topic through as she also picked up her spoon from the table and took a portion of the rice.

***

The next morning came by so rapidly that Daphne felt the strain of pressure on her nerves. She woke up so early to prepare all the things she would need for the first day of work. Wearing the most formal and professional clothes she had, she went to Nathan’s place even before the start of her work.

By the time she reached the place, Daphne was not surprised to be accosted by a thirty-foot tall mansion in front of her. The house, or so she said, the manor was so commodious that it would fit more than a thousand people. It looked more like a commercial area with an aristocratic and expensive design, rather than a warm and comfy residential space.

She then fixed the creases on the hem of her blazer and pushed the bell button on the ten-foot tall column that was barricading the entire mansion. After a minute, an old lady came to open the gate in a formal black-and-white uniform. The lady must be one of Nathan’s maids and caretakers of this house, along with other employees who live with Nathan and Chuck Kelly.

“Good morning. Um, I’m Daphne Collins, the new tutor,” Daphne greeted the lady.

“Ah yes, Mr. Kelly had already informed us. I’ll take you to Chuck’s room, Miss Collins,” the white-haired woman replied to her while she pushed the front door open.

They walked to the massive space of the room and, as Daphne followed her to the stairs, her eyes couldn’t stop roaming around as though she struggled with the thought of comparing Nathan’s over-the-top home to Maverick’s trifling mansion.

And by the time they got to the second floor, the old woman added a reminder, “You can tell me if you need anything, Miss Collins.”

“Sure. Will do,” Daphne politely replied. “Also, may I know if I need to know anything about Chuck, in case…” She paused for a while and then jerked up her shoulders briefly. “In case just something happens?”

She turned around to take a glimpse of her. “Not so much, Miss Collins. The kid will have to take his vitamins in the afternoon and need to eat lunch at the exact time. Also, we’ll directly bring the meals here so you two won’t get disturbed.”

“Ah, got it. Thank you so much, miss—?”

“You can just call me Mrs. Willis, Miss Collins,” the old woman casually answered.

“Just Daphne, by the way. I’m not comfortable with people calling me by my surname,” Daphne explained to Mrs. Willis.

The woman didn’t bother asking her about it and just shrugged it off. After a couple of minutes of walking down the hallway, they finally stopped at a white door. Mrs. Willis opened the door and upon entering the room, Daphne met a freckled young man on his bed.

“Chuck, your tutor is already here, buddy,” Mrs. Willis informed the kid.

Daphne stepped forward to the kindness and introduced herself to him with joy. “Hi, Chuck! Good morning! I’m Miss Collins, your new tutor.”

However, instead of being greeted pleasantly, Chuck jumped out of his blue rocket ship bed and threw his stuff at her. “I don’t like you.” Before Daphne could even reply, she was already strewn with water from the kid’s cup.

“And I don’t want you here!” Chuck stomped his feet so loud that made Mrs. Willis scolded him.

“Oh, come on now, young man, that is not how you treat your teacher, buddy. “

The boy snouted and shouted, “I don’t care! Leave my room! I hate you and I don’t like you in my room!”

“I’m sorry about this, Miss Collins. I’ll talk it out with him,” Mrs. Willis said to her as she approached the young man.

Daphne nodded at her, watching her appeasing the grumpy boy. The white-haired woman sat beside Chuck and brushed the boy’s dark-brown wavy hair. “How about this, buddy? I’ll cook your favorite mac and cheese later, while you wait here with Miss Collins. Does that sound alright with you?”

The boy pressed his lips into a thin line. “But uncle doesn’t want me to eat that! He says it’s not healthy, Mrs. Willis!”

She raised her index fingers and then pressed them to her mouth, winking mischievously at the boy. “It’ll be just between us.”

Chuck thought it over for a moment. He lifted her head in Daphne’s direction and asked, “What about her? She’ll tell him about it…”

Daphne quickly answered Chuck, “I won’t tell your uncle. I promise!” She put her hand on her chest and added, “Scout's honor, Chuck.”

Chuck just grimaced at her as he rubbed his eyes. “Whatever.”

Mrs. Willis then stood from her seat. “Good boy, bud.” She approached Daphne and told her, “I’ll get back to the kitchen, Miss Collins. Do inform me if you need something.”

She bowed her head to the old woman and watched her leave the room to single-handedly handle Nathan’s pompous and spoiled nephew.

Clasping her fingers, she pivoted her gaze back to Chuck, who looked completely uninterested. “So how about we do something fun and interesting while we wait for Mrs. Willis? Is that okay with you, Chuck?”

“You’re stupid. Studying is not fun.” He gritted his teeth, clenching his fist tightly.

She sat on her heel and responded enthusiastically, “We’ll make it fun, then.”

Chuck ignored her, crossing his arms to his chest as Daphne started to bring out her teaching materials.

Hours had passed, and the teaching session was a disaster. Chuck didn’t listen to her and kept on complaining. More so, Daphne endured the long-hour session of patiently comprehending the problematic attitude of the child that when it ended, she never felt so damn tired in her life as now.

After they were finished, Daphne was about to go home when suddenly the spoiled brat’s uncle just arrived.

***