8. Between Concern and Worry
1149 Words
Zea and Carol were both surprised to see Andrei suddenly standing behind Zea, gripping Mario's hand and staring at the man sharply.
“If you want to throw punches, do it with me. Don't just pick on women,” said Andrei.
Mario shook off Andrei's hand with an irritated click of his tongue. Then he walked over to pick up his shirt from the floor and put it on quickly and roughly. Meanwhile, Carol just glared at him, holding back her explosive emotions.
“We're breaking upstarting today,” Mario snapped.
“I'm also done, no more dating a jerk!” retorted Caroll.
Before things got even more chaotic, Andrei urged Carol and Zea to leave the room immediately and walk out of the bar. Staying there any longer only made Andrei more uneasy. He had been silently praying in his heart as he watched the women getting drunk and dancing in front of many men. Not to mention the DJ music that was very loud and disturbing to his ears, making Andrei increasingly uncomfortable in such a place.
“How come you're here?” asked Zea when they were already in the parking lot.
“I was worried when you said you were going to The Cloud. Last month, a girl your age was r***d while dropping off her friend here,” Andrei replied.
Zea and Carol immediately looked at each other. Surprised, because they didn't expect someone as harsh as Andrei to still have a sense of worry.
“Surprised you're worried? Aren't you Zea's sworn enemy?” asked Carol so innocently, causing Zea to immediately pinch her waist.
“Enemy? I never considered her an enemy,” Andrei replied.
“But you're really mean to Zea.”
“I'm not mean. I'm just firm. I don't know if she considers me an enemy.”
Zea laughed awkwardly. “Hehe ... no, sir. Carol just likes to talk nonsense,” she said.
Carol widened her eyes. Even though she was the one who always told Carol that she and Andrei were like cats and dogs.
“Whatever, man!” Carol grumbled, rolling her eyes lazily.
“Come on, sir. Let's get on with the guidance now,” Zea asked with an awkward smile. But Andrei just looked at her flatly.
“Some other time. I've wasted enough time waiting for you,” Andrei replied curtly. Then he got into his car without saying anything else to Zea, leaving Zea feeling guilty.
“Getting mad over that, seriously? Built like a man but with a Hello Kitty heart. So touchy, like a girl on PMS,” Carol sneered.
“Let's just head home. At least we can get some rest,” said Zea, pulling the woman's hand.
Andrei's anger doesn't need to be a burden on Zea's mind. Because that's just how he is every day. So Zea isn't surprised anymore.
***
Two days later....
This morning, Zea is feeling down again because her allowance is gone. She wants to ask her mom, but her mom probably doesn't have any. She wants to ask her brother Scott, but she's hesitant. She wants to ask her oldest brother, but she's afraid of getting scolded by his wife again.
She sighed. How can she focus on her thesis like this?
"Maybe I should borrow from Carol?" she muttered, thinking in her study chair.
"Ah, no... I've troubled her too often."
Zea whined in frustration. She felt like crying when she was this broke. If it wasn't a sin to keep a mythical creature that brings money, Zea might have asked Carol to help her guard it.
"If only I had a decent thesis advisor, maybe I could still work part-time."
In the midst of her turmoil, suddenly her phone rang. There was an incoming call from her boyfriend. She quickly answered it.
"What's up, Dylan?"
"Let's hang out. Chill at the café."
"I can't. I'm stressed thinking about my thesis."
"Ugh. You've been saying no since yesterday!"
"What else can I do? Can't you understand? I don't have time to hang out. All my time is spent working on my thesis."
"Alright, whatever! I'm going out by myself."
The call was abruptly ended by Dylan. Meanwhile, Zea just clicked her tongue and put her phone back down.
"So unreasonable. Getting mad over that," Zea grumbled.
She started thinking again. Thinking of ways to get money without asking her family again.
"Maybe I should start selling something? But where would I get the capital?"
She whined again. The only way to survive is by working. But going back to part-time work like before seems impossible. So the only way is to sell something. Whether it's food, services, or art.
"Maybe I should sell food? I can bake cakes."
After thinking for a long time, she finally decided to sell food. As for the capital, she could muster the courage to borrow from Carol. Later, when she made a profit, she would return it.
"Come on, Zea! You have to stand on your own two feet. This world is cruel. If not yourself, who else will care? Work hard! You're not one of the lucky ones in this world," she told herself, encouraging herself.
She then stood up and immediately got ready to go to Carol's dorm. Yes, she would discuss this with Carol as soon as possible. She was sure her friend would be willing to help her.
***
“Drei, I'm going to San Fernando Valley. Your younger sibling is about to be born.”
Andrei, who was currently reading a book in the back garden, immediately turned when he heard his mother's voice.
The middle-aged woman approached her son, rolling up her long sleeves.
“Today?” asked Andrei.
“Yes,” his mother replied.
“With Malik?”
“Who else would it be but Malik? You're busy with work.”
Andrei sighed. “How many days?” he asked again.
“Maybe two weeks,” she answered, which made Andrei's eyes widen.
“That's quite a long time, Mom. Then who will take care of the kids at home?”
“I have other grandchildren besides Sena and Sean, so I need to be fair. If you can't take care of your kids, hire a helper.”
Andrei sighed again. It's not that he couldn't, he was just afraid his children would be neglected. Lately, his work has been very busy. Who would take care of his children's daily needs at home? Who would cook for them? If he could, he would cook for them every day.
In the midst of his daydreaming, suddenly Zea's name crossed his mind. He quickly opened his phone and called the woman's number.
“Hello ... what's up, Sir?”
“Come to the house for a session now,” he said briefly. And after that, he immediately ended the call.
- Writer
