THE WRITER

CHAPTER 2

Aleena

            Time slips by, and the night's gloomy sky acts as a backdrop for the city lights, which shine and showcase the city's splendour. Stars twinkled above us as we began to close down the cafe with each other's assistance.
            "Good night!" We waved at each other while Bianca and Isaiah walked away together. The same goes with Eloise and James. Olivia stayed with me for a while before she drifted off. "Good night, Leena." She gave me a soothing pat on the shoulder. "Careful with the dark streets," Olivia added as she smiled and walked off.
            While walking down the street by myself on my way home, I noticed a beggar perched on a bench, pleading for a little help. With a pleading expression on her face, she trailed behind everyone and sat there, appealing for a small bite to eat, while others simply walked by and like she wasn't even there. I then noticed a bakery close by, and even though the woman was going to close, I hurried over to buy four bottles of water and two packs of loaf bread before she could.
            I approached the beggar to give her the loaf of bread and the bottle of water in my paper bag. As soon as I approached her, I saw not one but two people. I found out that she has a daughter with her. I'm glad I bought four bottles of water; it's even for both of them.
            "Thank you, lady, thank you very much," she kept bowing with tears in her eyes. The same goes for her daughter too.
            "Just glad to help," I smiled at them. As I turned to glance at her daughter, she looked young and seven years old. "And you have a pretty girl here; you should take care of her," I added with a smile and patted the woman's shoulder before I walked off.
I continued to walk down the street when I heard voices. It seemed like a seductive argument between insisting and resisting. No, what I meant was that I heard the voices of men with a woman who kept resisting to come with them. I then determinedly sped up my pace and followed the voices as I saw four men gathered around the drunk woman in front of the club. I immediately approached the woman without hesitation to pull her away from them, with firm but gentle guidance.
            "She's with me," I awkwardly smiled, wrapping my arms around hers to act like we're close. "Thank you for finding my friend," I added, and I was about to pull her when she paused.
            "Who are you?" She asked slurredly, turning to me wobbly.
            "Who are you then? She's ours." The man interrupted, drunk, trying to take her from me.
            I then laughed awkwardly before replying to him, "Oh no, she's just oblivious when she's drunk." I smiled fakely as I continued to walk when the man grabbed her arm. A decent man then suddenly held the drunk man's hand to stop him. "They're with me, and this drunk woman is my girlfriend," he remarked.
The woman then jumped on him as the four men left. "Thank you for saving my girlfriend from them," he thanked me when the woman turned to me. "Yeah, thank you, and I think... I should repay you," she slurredly said to me.
            "Oh no, it's nothing." I waved both my hands in front of me, refusing to repay me.
            "No, I insist, please. You know what? I'll treat you to a drink." She clung to my arms.
            "I apologise for my girlfriend." He held her arms lightly when she shrugged his shoulders.
            "No, Vincenzo Sylvester, I have to thank her; we're not going anywhere." She bolted slurredly, upset. "Come on, let's go inside, and I'm Naomi Arrie, by the way." She pulled me inside the bar before I could say anything.
            As we moved through the crowd, Naomi drew me in. Loud music was blasting from the speakers on the small stage in front of the audience. The centre of the party is a disco ball that is blazing with various coloured lights that scatter as it spins above the revellers, who are inebriated and dancing, swinging their hips against their partners. Some people find their partners while being alone, even when they are strangers to them.
            Naomi then pulled me to the table with a wide lounge on it. "Here," Naomi said as we sat on the sofa. "Come on, what do you want?" Naomi asked in a high volume of voice due to the loud speakers.
            "No, I-" Naomi cut off, of what I was about to say, to refuse.
            "I'll pick then," Naomi said, raising her hand to call out for a waiter. "A bottle of gin, please," she said to the waiter, and came back with a glass bottle of gin.
            "I can't stop her when she's drunk; I apologise for the trouble." Her boyfriend, Vincenzo, apologised once again.
            Naomi poured the glass with gin and turned it to me. "Here," she smiled, giving me the glass of gin in her hand.
            "No, I'm sorry, I really don't drink." I shook my head, refusing.
"What a joke, come on," Naomi put in front of my face the glass of gin as I picked it up from her hand and turned to Vincenzo.
            "Naomi, she doesn't drink," Vincenzo ansated.
            "She is; look, she even accepted it," Naomi giggled.
            "Naomi" Vincenzo ansated calmly
            "What are you talking about?" Naomi turned to me. "You are right?" She asked as I just stared at her when Vincenzo turned to me.
            "I can't; I have my beliefs," I muttered to Vincenzo.
            "Come on, please," Naomi pleaded while I stared at her.
            "Okay," I exhaled before I drank the gin and made a disgusted expression on my face.
            "Told you, she drank." Naomi then giggled as she poured my glass again while Vincenzo kept trying to stop her. I can say that I don't have any choice but to accept it; she won't stop if I keep refusing. I just prayed; God will forgive me for doing this.
I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me, my head spinning wildly as I realised she had made me drink alcohol. It shocked me even harder when I realised we had already drunk two bottles of gin. In panic, I glanced around the crowded room. The pulsating lights of the disco ball stabbed my eyes, dazzled with blinding intensity. Each flash seemed to exacerbate the whirlpool in my head, threatening to overwhelm me and send me lurching towards nausea.
            "My head's spinning," I said in a high volume of voice to Naomi. "I think I'm going to throw up," I said when Vincenzo stood up instantly.
            "Come on, let's go to the restroom." Vincenzo accompanied me to the restroom. Vincenzo took out his phone as I hurried to the sink to throw up. I cupped my hands around the water tap, switched it on, and drank. We went back to the table as I placed my head down there, and Naomi did the same.
            My sight suddenly became blurry, and the surroundings getting dark. I don't understand the sudden, odd sensation, like everything's spinning. I can't understand what Vincenzo is saying; it's incomprehensible when everything suddenly turns black. I felt a sudden, curious sensation that was almost as if someone was lifting me gently and cradling me in their arms. A warmth spread through me, reassuring yet mysterious, but despite the comforting touch, my surroundings remained shrouded in blackness, leaving me disoriented.
            In the morning, as the sun shines before me, The morning sun streamed through the windows; it cast a warm, golden hue over the bedroom, the light dancing across my face as I stirred, my eyelids fluttering open. I blink, my eyes adjusting to the light, drowsy and sleepy. I felt an odd sensation filling out the room, which seemed unfamiliar to me. I glanced at the nightstand next to the bed. It has a letter on it, a capsule of aspirin, and a glass of water. I read the letter saying that the medicine could help me with my hangover.
            After taking the medicine, I stood up from the bed, unsteady due to dizziness and the headache of a hangover. I haven't felt this hangover in my life, and it's killing me. I thought.
            I stepped towards the door as I saw a staircase way down. As I walked the stairs, way down, I saw a woman in the kitchen.
            She's the woman I helped last night, Naomi. I thought.
            "You're already awake." Naomi turned to me as she approached me.
            "Yeah." I pinched my lips, facing her. Naomi then guided me to the kitchen to sit next to her and handed me a tea.
            "I'm sorry for the trouble... for forcing you to drink alcohol," Naomi awkwardly smiled at me. "Vince told me, and I'm so sorry," she added and apologised.
            "No, it's fine," I immediately responded, as Naomi bolted. "But I still shouldn't have done that," Naomi pouted. "Vince told me you haven't introduced yourself yet due to my stubbornness, I should be thanking you for saving me last night, not putting you in trouble. I'm really sorry."
            "I'm Aleena." I smiled as Naomi just stared at me. She's asking for the complete one. "Aleena Lidie...Eames." Naomi smiled and placed her hand in front of me, offering a handshake.
            "Naomi Arrie Galtin." Naomi smiled when I accepted her handshake.
            "Oh, I have to go. I still have work to do," I said, remembering the café.
            "Yeah, you have to go before you get late," Naomi agreed as I ran towards my hobo crossbody bag on the couch and grabbed it.
            "Thank you." I thanked her on Vincenzo's behalf for bringing me here to their house.
            "Nah, it's fine; it's not my house anyway." I stared at Naomi, puzzled. "It's my brother's house; I wish he was here so you could see him."
            "It's alright." I put my shoes on as I grabbed my trench coat. "Besides, I really have to go." I hold the door knob and rotate it to open the door, then leave.
            I took a taxi and hurried back to my house, feeling more and more rushed with speed. I swiftly cleaned my teeth, put my hair in a messy bun, and cleansed my face once I got inside my house. After that, I reached for my hobo crossbody bag and trench coat. I hurried to the cafe after twisting the door knob and throwing open the door. I tried to leave as soon as possible to reach the cafe at a fast pace.
            "I'm super late," I aloudly muttered to myself.
            I arrived at the café panting, then headed straight to the staff's room to change into a uniform. I'm thinking that I really have to tell them. I sighed heavily as I opened my locker when they all approached me. Just as I thought.
            "What happened to you?" Olivia first asked me while I was still catching my breath.
            "I'll tell you just...I need to catch my breath," I responded, panting. "Okay, so I'm really sorry that I'm late," I apologized. "I actually drank last night." I hesitantly and nervously tell them the truth.
            "You what? You drank Leena?" Bianca exclaimed in shock, while the rest just stared at me.
            "Look, I just got forced to drink last night, okay?" I bolted. "Okay, I saved a woman last night on the way home from the drunk men who were surrounding her. She wanted to thank me, she thought, and insisted that I drink as a thank you, but her boyfriend can't stop her." I rapidly say it to them. "And I slept in their house," I added in a low tone.
            "Okay, we understand, but you can't do that again, okay?" Eloise remarked. "You can be late, but drinking alcohol is a big, no," Eloise added, pressing her lips into a thin line and waiting for my response.
            "I'm sorry," I said inwardly.
            "It's fine," James said in a soothing tone as he clasped his hands. "Now, I have an announcement. There was a newly released book last week, so it might be already available in the bookshop. Who wants to volunteer to go?" James raised his eyebrows, waiting for each one of us to volunteer. I already put myself in trouble, so why not volunteer to fix this up?.
            "Me. I volunteer." I raised my hand as James nodded and handed me an envelope with money inside.
"Okay then, it's settled" James said while they started to drift their ways to head back to their work.
I let out a heavy sigh as I put back on my trench coat and picked up my hobo crossbody bag from my locker. After leaving the cafe, I went to the curbside to look for a cab and made a motion to signal the passing taxi to stop for me.
            "At Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, please," I quested to the driver and nodded in acknowledgement.
I hurriedly got out of the taxi as its cab was parked on the sidewalk. I went inside the bookshop and glanced around, which is filled with books. The vibrant posters displayed on the walls created an uplifting solace and atmosphere, which was showcased each time people were permitted to visit. I walked around while glancing at the list James gave me. There are four books he listed on the paper, and it's kind of difficult to find each.
            Minutes passed of walking around, finding each book on the list. I finally found the three books, and I only have one book left to look for. I usually read the prologue of the book before continuing my way to the cafe, so it takes me some time before coming back, and it's actually fine for them. I glanced at each shelf from top to bottom, walking around.
            I got awful migraines from examining the place swiftly and going over each shelf in detail. Focussing on many things at once hurts my eyes and feels overwhelming. Then I finally found the last book I'm looking for on the top, and it's pretty great because I have to tip-toe to reach it. I sighed in frustration and had no choice.
I then started to tip-toe, but I still can't reach it, and my sight is turning to black out due to a migraine, when a man suddenly reached it and looked down at me.
            It kind of hurt me.
            Then, as I stared at the man, a strange emotion washed over me as he handed me the book. He reminded me of a person I knew a little bit-he was one of the cafe's regular customers. But this time, something felt different. I no longer recognised him with the same feelings of uneasiness or fear. He no longer had that eerie, dark atmosphere around him, which seemed really strange.
            "Thank you." I slightly smiled at him.
            "I should be thanking you," he responded in a deep voice and a cold tone. I stared at him, puzzled by his response. "Why would he thank me?" I thought.
            "Pardon?" I asked him out of curiosity.
            "Thank you for saving my sister from the guys last night," he remarked in a cold tone, yet reassuring.
            "You're her brother?" I asked him to confirm, remembering what Naomi told me about her brother before I left her.
            "Yes, I'm Nereus." He offered me a handshake.
            "I'm Aleena; it's a pleasure to meet you." I accepted his hand. Did he just won't let go of my hand? I thought as I pulled my hand back and smiled awkwardly.
            "I want to thank you personally and repay your kindness," Nereus added.
            "No, it's fine; you don't have to." I immediately bolted out and shook my hands with books on them with a smile.
            "I want to offer you a job as a thank you, since I'm also looking for one also to help and assist me," he offered, as I blinked. "It's one thousand dollars per week as my personal assistant."
            "That's..." My head dropped, and I shook my head as I chuckled. "That's too much. Letting me sleep in your house due to my drunkenness last night is enough." I looked up at him and refused his offer.
            "I'm not asking for your answer now. I'll give you some time, and if you change your mind, here's my calling card." Nereus handed me his calling card.
            "Okay," I said, reaching for the calling card from his hand as I pursed my lips awkwardly. "Have a good day then, sir." I smiled as I walked away to pay off the books. I also changed my mind; I'm not reading the prologue here right now.
            When I went out of the bookshop, I decided to go to a cafe to read the prologue of each book. I felt awkward going back to the bookshop; they kept insisting that I accept their thanksgiving. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but letting me sleep in their house when I was drunk last night was really enough for me. The offer of his salary a week as his personal assistant is way too much as a thank-you, and I can't accept such a big offer. I still can't understand this feeling I had when I saw him in the bookshop; I don't feel any unease or fear, and it doesn't feel the same whenever I see him in the cafe. I wonder if he recognises me.
            I was sipping my coffee while reading a book on my hand when my phone suddenly buzzed inside my bag. When I checked the caller's tag, it was mom. I then immediately answered the call with a smile.
            "Mom," I said, with a soothing tone.
            "Leena" Dad responded. 'That's odd,' I thought.
            "Dad? What is it?" I asked as I turned at the book, waiting for his response.
            "Your mom just got a heart attack yesterday and we're in the hospital right now..." Dad responded, obviously in blue. Hearing what dad said was like a stone thrown in me and shattered me like a glass.