A Smile and a Chance

4 REFUSAL

*UNEDITED

Rage. It was all I can see in the man's eyes.

"What the hell?! Who are you?! Get away from her now," the man ordered but I won't back down that easily. Usually I'd be calm in situations like this but not at this moment. I was ready to fight.

"Leave him alone, Franco!" Maia raised her voice from behind me. She was about to step forward as well but I blocked her.

"What, you know pretty boy here?" Franco asked with his voice equally raised.

"No." she managed to give a quick reply. "Just leave him alone."

"Then give me the money, Maia."

"I told you, that's all I have!" she screamed out in anger.

"Hey man, if she says that all she has, then it's all she has. Leave her alone." I said in a low warning tone without breaking my stare.

"You want me to rearrange your face, huh, pretty boy?"

"Franco! Stop it!!!" Maia yelled and pushed Franco away from me and I made sure Franco won't be getting his hands on Maia as I stepped in front of him again.

The commotion was enough to call the attention of a police officer patrolling across the street and approached us.

"What's going on here?" the officer asked but I'm in no mood to explain anything at the moment, neither is breaking my stare. We just went on like that for a few more seconds before Franco decided to give up. He simply walked away with an annoying smirk on his face. "Everything okay, ma'am?" the cop now turned to Maia.

"Yes, officer. Thank you." She took one last look at me before she walked the opposite direction where Franco went.

"Maia, wait!" I called out, but instead of stopping, Maia walked even faster. "Hold on!"

"What do you want?!" she asked impatiently but still kept on walking after I caught up with her.

"It's me, Liam, from two weeks ago, remember?"

Maia suddenly stopped walking and looked up at me.

"Yeah, I remember you."

That's confusing. A while ago she said she doesn't know me and now she says she does.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied in a monotonous voice.

"Who is that guy?"

"It's none of your business. Now, please, leave me alone so I can catch the 7 o'clock bus.

Seriously, who was that guy she called Franco? He took her money and still did not stop from harassing her. Maia's boyfriend? If he is then she's in a bad relationship. Just that thought alone was enough to make my blood boil again.

"Where do you work? I can take you there." I volunteered as we both watched the bus emerge from the corner street and stopped at the bus stop three streets away from where we are standing. "What, are you thinking of running after that bus?"

"I have to. I can still make it. Now move."

Maia pushed me aside but I was quick enough to grab hold of her arm.

"Are you insane? You might as well run all the way to your next job."

She glared at me. I'm not sure if it's because of what I said or because I'm still holding on to her arm, preventing her to make a run for the bus.