We Inevitably (Book 1)

Wearing It On Her Sleeves

"Althea?" Althea heard a familiar voice thundering over her but she felt so weak and drowsy to even move. The late night shower in the rain last Friday has already taken its toll.

"Hmmm..." I hummed.

"Althea you gotta get up. We have a meeting with the whole Atlas-Prime team." The voice said and she confirmed it is Batchi. But her head's throbbing violently that even though she wanted to get up she wasn't able.

"Hmmm..." Althea hummed again, and then she felt a hand against her forehead

"Althea!? What happened to you? You're burning!" Batchi panicked

"Ca-can you move the meeting?" Althea hoarsely begged before sniffing and coughing twice.

"Of course! You can't handle anything looking like that, where have you been?! Why are you sick?!"

"It's nothing, just under the weather. You go to work. I can manage."

"Are you sure?"

"Ahuhm."

"I'll tell manang Gina to make you breakfast and give you medicine okay?" Batchi asked but Althea has already dozed off again.

"Althea? Althea? Oh good Lord." Batchi walked out of Althea's room to talk to her head maid. She still have meeting at nine with the different departments so her schedule's really loaded today. So although worried and hesitant she left her best friend.

+++

"Batchi?" Jade called out peeking from the door of Batchi's office

"Isn't Althea coming today?" she added, it's already quarter to nine and Althea's nowhere in sight.

"Even though she wanted to, I know she can't."

"What? Why?"

"I dropped by her house this morning and she can't even get up, her fever, cough and colds nailed her to bed." Jade suddenly was hit with the pang of concern, because she knows she's partly to blame.

"I wanted to stay with her but I can't, I got a lot of work to do and meeting to attend today." Batchi sadly said

"Do you want me to check on her?" Jade braved even though she acted casual about it, since she's still not sure whether she can tell Batchi about Althea and her.

"Really? Is it okay? I don't want to ask you before hand because I know it's none of your business..."

"No it's fine. Just give me her address?"

"Alright. I'll call the guards there too. Thanks Jade, at least I know you'll be able to take care of her, I know she won't eat or move without force." Batchi thoughtfully said as she typed Althea's address on her phone to send it to Jade. Jade just smiled at how worried Batchi looked and how her face lit up when she offered to take care of Althea.

After fixing everything and with Althea's Forbes address and the breakfast she made on hand, Jade drove quickly to her Althea. After an hour and a half she was already in front of the huge industrial looking house of oak wood, rough marbles, steel and glass. The gates are immediately opened for her entry and a wide lawn welcomed her.

The head maid of the house with a smile welcomed her by the wide Narra wood doors.

"Welcome ma'am Jade. I'm Gina. The head maid." The middle-aged woman greeted her

"Good morning, manang Gina." Jade keenly answered

The woman then motioned Jade to follow her inside, Jade was in awe at how desirable the three story high-ceiling house was. The floors were marbled with the color of ash white; the walls are patterned of evened vertical strips of varnished wood, steel and unfinished concrete. The furniture was mostly black, white, grey and dark chocolate colored. She noticed the guitar collection on one wall, where every guitar was signed by popular artists who used to own them like John Lennon.