Two days later, Claudia was doing her housekeeping stuff as usual. She was vacuuming the living room. Claudia had to move a few pieces of furniture to clean under them. As she was about to begin moving the leg rest, Alexander approached her.
"Want some help with that?" He asked,
Claudia was taken by surprise, Alexander the Smith's son asking if she needed help.
"Uh- help?" Claudia asked in confusion, "Alexander, I am your housekeeper it's my job" Claudia assured,
"No really, I figured since I don't have classes today I could help you out. After all you did save my life" Alexander explained,
His generosity was warm and genuine to Claudia. Claudia couldn't turn him away.
"Alright" Claudia agreed,
Alexander began helping Claudia move the furniture around so she could vacuum. He went in to help her with the other chores on the list, both having fun as they completed them. His parent's weren't home, but he had to be careful avoiding Lydia, knowing how she is. At the end of the list they both tend to the green room plants. The final flower they tend to is Alexander's favorite flower: the orchid. Alexander places a few ice cubs in it, watering it.
"This was really fun, thank you for helping me Alexander" Claudia,
"Please, call me Alex" He said warmly,
From there, Claudia and Alex both began to grow closer. A friendship blossomed. After work hours or during her hours when Alexander had no classes, Claudia and Alexander would hang out together. Knowing his parents would disapprove of his new friendship, Claudia and Alexander decided to keep it hidden from them.
As Claudia was finishing another shift, She walked through the living room. Claudia's face was glowing, having hung out with Alexander again. Distracted, she was startled to find Lydia staring at her suspiciously. The glow on her Claudia's face drained.
"Uh, Miss Lydia hi. I finished my duties" Claudia said,
Lydia was not fazed.
"You uh, have been spending a lot of time with the Smith's son lately and helping you with your list, If it were up to me I'd have you fired immediately" Lydia commented sternly,
Claudia began to grow anxious and scared.
"I'm sorry Miss Lydia it won't happen again! I promise I'll uh-" Claudia began to panic,
"I wasn't finished. It is my job to manage the maids and their assignments. If anyone were to be let go it would be determined by Mr. and or Mrs. Smith"
Claudia was confused.
"So am I in trouble?" Claudia asked nervously,
"Normally you'd be in big trouble, but to be honest I have never seen Alexander so happy in his life. That poor kid has had a history of battling multiple health issues as well as major depression. I have never seen him glow like that before" Lydia explained,
"So I can still hang out with him? Talk with him?" Claudia asked,
"For the sake of my employers, yes. Just promise me that you'll keep it hidden from Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
"I promise Miss Lydia" Claudia promised,
Lydia nods and leaves. Mr. and Mrs. Smith arrive home, bidding Lydia farewell.
"Ah evening Miss Claudia, finished your shift?" Albert asked,
"Yes I have Albert" Claudia confirmed,
"I have this for you, for your first week"
Albert hands Claudia her first paycheck. The amount of money for her first week was beyond what she expected. For all the hard work she did, $700.
"You are quite a hard worker, I have never seen our house this clean" Margaret complimented, "Keep it up and we may give you a raise"
"I don't know what to say, thank you so much" Claudia said generously,
"Go ahead and rest dear, and enjoy your weekend off" Albert said,
Claudia nods and walks up to her room. At the top of the stairs, she sees Alexander standing across the hallway near his room. He smiles and gives her a thumbs up for her paycheck. She smiles back warmly and goes to her room. Claudia sighs and recalls back what Lydia said about Alexander. Looking back, Claudia realized Alexander was the only person on the street who didn't notice the oncoming car or even try to runaway, even while wearing headphones. Everyone who saw the car immediately ran off the streets, a few of them passed by Alexander. The car even honked its horn loud enough for Alexander to hear. He should've been able to decipher the situation based on the facts. Claudia began to question Alexander's intentions that day.
The next Saturday morning, Claudia wakes up to the sound of Lydia bringing up her breakfast. She could barely finish her food, still thinking about Alexander and the car. As she made her way downstairs, Margaret approached her.
"Oh Miss Claudia, sorry to trouble you. I was wondering if you could help me with something" Margaret requested, "You're not busy are you?" She asked
"I was just about to head outside and get some fresh air. Did you need something?" Claudia asked,
"Oh perfect! since you are heading out, I was wondering if you could accompany my son Alexander?" Margaret asked, "He said he wanted to go out around town, and just between you and me I have been more worried for my son's safety since the incident last week" Margaret said discreetly,
"Ah, I see. I mean if he's okay with it I can tag along with him" Claudia said,
"I did suggest it to Alexander, he was quite pleased with the idea" Margaret confirmed,
"In that case, I will accompany him on his outing"
"Wonderful, oh thank you Claudia. I'll make sure to pay you for your time. Just make sure my son is safe that's all!"
"Of course, you have a good one Mrs. Smith" Claudia bid farewell,
Claudia met up with Alexander outside by the driveway.
"Hey Claudia good to see you" Alexander greeted vibrantly,
Claudia pretended to go on as if she never developed her theory of Alexander.
"Good Morning Alex, you ready?" Claudia asked,
"Yep!" Alexander confirmed,
They were both escorted into the Smith's vehicle driven by their personal driver. Claudia and Alexander sat down in the backseat.
"Where to Sir?" The driver asked,
"The town shopping plaza please" Alexander requested,
The driver inputs the directions in his GPS and drives the two downtown to the shopping plaza.
YOU ARE READING
Lumen's Awakening
WerewolfLumen Smith, a teenager from Auburn, Maine, is raised by her nursemaid, Claudia, while her neglectful parents focus on their middle-class lives. As her 18th birthday approaches, Lumen discovers she is to be forcibly married to the son of a wealthy f...
