House Rules

Chapter One A

Daniella Robert always believed that money is the only thing lonely people like herself, can trust...but its hard to trust money when there's none.

"...and then she looked into his mesmerizing eyes and felt like...uhm..." Daniella sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. To say she was tired was an understatement. There were huge bags under her eyes and her hair looked like it hasn't been washed in weeks. While putting her hair in a messy bun, she contemplated on her next words as she leaned against her chair.

Her dream job was to be a well-known writer ever since she read "Pride and Prejudice" for the first time. However, her dream job didn't really work out as she planned it. She was a writer alright, but the stack of bills on her coffee table showed that the "well-known" part didn't quite come yet. She was talented and dedicated but sometimes talent and dedication just aren't enough.

"She could swim in them forever and not drown." She sat up straight and started writing furiously on her laptop. Her stray of ideas got caught when the doorbell rang. Annoyed about the interruption, she stomped to the door and opened it with force, fully prepared to yell at the person who dared to disturb her during her working time, only to come face to face with her two best friends, Martin and Andrea.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon being all lovey-dovey with each other?" Daniella asked them in annoyance.

"Well its great to see you too Dani,"said Martin while he invited himself into the living room,pulling a grinning Andrea with him.

"Why don't you come in." Daniella exclaimed sarcastically as she slam the door shut. "Make yourself at home." She added after Martin put his legs on her coffee table. "Why are you here exactly?" She asked after she sat herself across the married couple whom she often referred to as her best friends.

"We came here to tell you great news! Two actually!" Andrea informed in an excited voice. "Guess what!"

"Oh for Christ's sake! Just tell me already. I don't have time for this!" Daniella hissed as her level of patience rapidly decreased by each second.

"Fine! No need to be moody! We won a lottery!yells Martin. "Isn't that great?"

"Wait, it gets even better! We decided to go on a trip to England! The three of us!" Andrea excitedly told Daniella who was just staring at her two best friends in disbelief, the new information just slowly sinking in.

"Are you freaking serious?" She asked after five minutes of digesting what her friends just said. "Going to England with you guys while I can hardly manage to pay the bills for this house? Never gonna happen."

"Oh come on Dani, you know you want to. Besides we will pay for everything!" Pleaded Martin,"When was the last time you had some fun and saw some new places?"

"Actually...never."informed Daniella hesitating a bit while thinking about her bills, work and the offer.

"And most probably never will if you continue to stay at home and write your stories."piped in Andrea observing her friend.

"Why don't you think about it while you get us something to eat, because I'm starved."suggested Martin.

"When aren't you?"mocked Daniella in a mocking voice, her mood visibly better than when she opened the door. Still, she got up and walked into the kitchen to prepare something for her friends. Meanwhile, Andrea and Martin looked at each other nervously.

"Are you sure this is going to work out?"asked Andrea in whisper.

"It has to! We need to do this!" Martin whispered back and cleared his throat as Daniella walked back into the room with a tray of snacks for the ever hungry Martin.

"England huh?" She said in thoughts while she put the tray on the table and she sat back into her seat.