Chapter 3: Chapter 1
Chapter 1: First Meeting
"DAMN!"
My eyes widened as I saw my ice cream spilled all over my shirt. The guy who bumped into me also has it on his shirt, but more on his phone. He was looking at me sharply as if he can squeeze me to death, eyebrows furrowed.
"What did you do, woman?! Are you blind?" he asked me angrily. When he saw the ice cream on his phone and shirt, he groaned, brushing his hair with his fingers.
"No, are you?" I fired back, struggling to wipe the ice cream off my clothes with a tissue.
It caught him off guard. He then scoffed out of frustration. "Who do you think you are, huh?" he asked with folded arms, raising an eyebrow. "You should apologize to me, miss."
I opened my mouth halfway, ready to answer his questions. But then I shut it. I don't want a fight. If I were just a normal customer here, I wouldn’t be held back. But my situation is different, my dad owned this supermarket. I might ruin his image if I dealt with this guy unprofessionally.
"Wait, are you perhaps one of my fans?" he asked with an air of confidence, making my eyebrows furrow. He then chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I get it, I get it. Do you want my autograph? Or maybe some selfies with me?"
"E-Excuse me?!" I exclaimed, leaving my lips parted. That was just absurd! I am his admirer? Where on earth did he get that? I don't even know him and I'm will never waste my time doing so.
"I'm sorry, miss... whoever you are, but I will not give you an autograph nor take a selfie with you. I mean, look what you did on my shirt, you even spilled ice cream on my phone-"
"Who says I'm going to get your autograph?" I cut his words, folding my arms. "And selfie? I would rather have a selfie with James Ried's standee on your back than yours, mister."
He turned to his leaf, scoffing. "Really? Then, why are you still here in front of me?" he asked and with his most threatening glare and threatening voice as he could, he said, "Move. Make sure I won't see your face here again."
I remained calm yet unfazed. "I'm sorry, mister but I don't think I can do that, though it will be very unfortunate to meet you again," I said with a mocking smile on my face.
"You...!"
My eyes widened as I repeatedly step backward, causing me to fall down. People gaps as the security team approached me. Kuya Seb and Kuya Val were also there, their eyes were worried.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" Kuya Val asked worriedly.
I was about to say yes when the guy talked, interrupting me.
"Of course, she is. I didn't push her, did I?"
"But you scared her, sir. You shouldn't talk to a woman that way," Harry, the mall head of security, said calmly. His emotionless eyes darted a sideward glance at me.
"I was just asking for an apology, what's wrong with that?" The guy let out a long sigh. "Why don't we just settle it? Keep that woman away from me and if possible, I would suggest that you ban her from coming here. Okay? It settled then."
I scoffed, shaking my head, couldn't believe what I was hearing. "The audacity of this-"
"Pardon?!" he yelled.
All my composure disappeared when he suddenly raised his voice at me. I had been restraining myself from hitting him and only spoke in a calm voice. He's really testing my patience, huh. "Mister, what do you want? Come on, I know that if I threw a stick, you’d leave... right?
The guy rushed toward me, ready to fight. The boiling rage inside him could be seen in his eyes. I smirked impishly, folding my arms.
People around us began whispering to each other, like buzzing bees. From then, a guy approached him with a confused face. My eyes slightly widened when I noticed who he was. He looked back and our eyes met that made me petrified.
"M-Miss Ayine!" he called me, surprised. "W-What are you guys... doing?"
"Maxine!"
We all looked at the man who came. My heartbeat doubled when I saw my older brother. He rushed quickly toward me and checked if I was okay. The worried in his eyes was utterly visible.
"Shaun," my brother called him, the guy who just came before he did.
"Maxwell, I didn't know you still have time for... shopping," Shaun greeted him, staring at the shopping bags my brother was holding.
I bit my lips to stop myself from laughing. My annoyance gradually subsided but I noticed and I still felt the piercing glare but confused look from the guy earlier.
"Oh, this is my friend, Kaizer," Shaun introduced the man beside him.
There was a surprised expression on his face but he eventually extended his right hand towards my brother and smiled. "Solomon-Enriquez," he added.
"Are you perhaps connected to Director Enriquez of Solomon High?" my brother asked after shaking hands with him.
The guy named Kaizer nodded. "My father," he simply answered.
Maxwell seemed surprised as he muttered, "Oh, so you're one of the grandsons of Don Solomon, the founder of SH." From then, my brother turned his gaze at me. "Anyway, this is my sister, Maxine Ayine."
"She's the other M, man. Maxwell and Maxine," Shaun added, making me blush. The guy, on the other hand, stood, visibly surprised. He didn't expect that coming.
From having a shy smile, my lips curved into a mischievous smirk as I extend my hand for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Solomon-Enriquez."
* * *
I was walking faster than usual pace just to get out of this place when Shaun called my name repeatedly. I came to a halt, looking at him over my shoulder, didn’t know what exactly to say.
My cousin chuckled. "You're unbelievable, man. Even with the mall owner’s daughter, you've picked a fight, really?" he uttered with a teasing smile.
"Stop it, man." I shook my head and sighed. "I didn't know."
He continued laughing. "Why don't you buy and change your clothes first?" he then asked.
"I'll just go home, man." I tapped Shaun's shoulder before walking away, raising my right hand.
"Don't get mad, man. It's your fault, actually," he shouted, smirking. I looked back and glared at him. "Drive safe, as*hole!"
I just shook my head and raised my middle finger at him. I heard him laugh. Funny that I was the first to go home while I was the one who insisted on coming here. I even forced him to stop what he was doing first to accompany me.
For the nth time, I heaved a sigh, tapping my finger repeatedly on the driving wheel. I just want to disappear suddenly. My original plan was to enjoy so that I could forget the problem at home. Little did I know, there was also a problem waiting for me here.
I looked at my phone ringing as I waited for the traffic light to turn green. And from having plat lined lips, it slowly curved into a smile, answering my girlfriend's call. I quickly cleared my throat and made my voice cold and serious.
"Hello?"
Just then, I heard my girl groaning. "Can you stop it, babe? You always do that whenever I call you!"
I chuckled, shifting the gear as I drive slowly.
"You're so annoying, Kai!"
"Just kidding, babe," I said, chuckling. "How's your day? What you're doing?"
"Lying peacefully on my bed?" she answered but it sounded like a question.
"Want me there? By your side?" I asked, wheeling the car to the right after shifting the gear.
"You're a flirt!" she hissed. I could now hear the annoyance in her voice.
"Am I?" I asked, couldn't help but smile. "But you're in love with this flirt, aren't you?"
"How do you say so, Mr. Solomon-Enriquez?"
My smile literally faded as I reminisced the scene earlier. The girl had a sculptured figure which was twine-thin. Her hair was charcoal grey and it tumbled over her shoulder. She also had a dainty nose, shiny, halo-white teeth-
"Babe? You still there?"
I quickly shook my head as I came back to reality. "What I'm saying is... I'm confident enough to say that you're in love with me 'cause I am."
"Really?"
"Really," I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road. "Though you're very moody-"
"Yah! I'm not!" she cut me off. I can actually imagine her face right now which made me laugh. "It's not funny, stop it!"
"Though you're always mad at me-"
"When did I get mad at you?" she asked. Bet her eyebrows are raised right now.
I was about to tease her more when we heard her mom's voice. She was calling her and from that moment, I know that's where our conversation will end.
"K-Kai..." Her voice trailed off.
I forced a smile. "It's okay babe. I'm fine."
"Y-You sure?"
"Hmm," I hummed, nodding understandingly though she's not seeing it.
"Will call you when I got chance again, hm? I love you."
Just then, she hanged up.
I smiled bitterly though I tried my best not to. Being in a relationship where everything is against you is very difficult. It sucks if I were, to be honest. It's tiring but what keeps me, us holding on is our commitment and promise to each other. Our dream is that one day, our families will accept us, that we will be free and happier.
* * *
When He Dares Me
by: Thesweetestthing
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone