CHAPTER 3 - Jazz Music

The road is silent, with only a few cars on the street. Clara is currently seated in the back seat of Athena's car, immersing herself in the jazz music playing.

"Good thing I insisted on giving you a ride," Athena spoke, grabbing Clara's attention. Clara looked at the rearview mirror, seeing the smile on the face of the driver of the car she's in. Their eyes met before Clara was the first to look away. Athena smiled at her reaction before redirecting her gaze to the road.

"Thank you, but you really didn't have to go out of your way to drop me off," Clara said.

"You said your place is nearby, but we've been on the road for quite a few minutes," Athena responded.

Clara bit her lip, hesitating before speaking, "I just didn't want to cause any inconvenience."

Athena saw Clara's reaction. She tapped her right thumb on the steering wheel a few times before speaking, "Well, just like how I don't like people who don't follow the rules... I also don't like liars."

The current jazz music playing in the car sounded good, but Athena's serious tone took precedence, casting a moment of tension. Clara, surprised by what she heard, glanced at the mirror. Athena's face was initially unreadable, but when she turned to look at Clara, her expression softened. Athena smiled at Clara, but it didn't dispel her uneasiness.

Once again, the sound of jazz music filled the car, attempting to bridge the gap between the two. Clara intended to focus on the music, but their other companion woke up, drawing her attention.

"Athena, where are we?" Marcus asked, his voice groggy, his eyes half-closed. He was seated in the front passenger seat beside Athena.

"On the way to your home," Athena replied.

"My home? But Mom and Dad are there. Shouldn't we go to a hotel?" Marcus asked tenderly but tired. He was a bit intoxicated, making it hard for him to move and think clearly. Despite his impaired state, he knew his goal.

"You are not in a condition. For sure, you'll just sleep. We talked about this, didn't we? That you won't drink too much? But you didn't listen," Athena answered. As expected, Marcus was already asleep and didn't hear her anymore.

Clara noticed Athena exhale heavily. She overheard their conversation but had no idea what it was about.

"Clara, is it okay if I drop him off at their place first?" Clara was surprised by the question. "Their house is just around the corner. Then straight ahead from their house is the street where you live, right?"

Clara nodded, "Whatever is more convenient for you..."

After Clara got into Athena's car, she saw Marcus in the front passenger seat. The young man was familiar to her as they were classmates in several subjects. Witnessing the current situation, she realized that there was a relationship between Athena and the young man.

After a while, they stopped in front of a massive gate surrounded by tall fences and bright lights. Clara was amazed. She passed by this residential property every time she went home from work. This was one of the places where she felt a sense of security because of the well-lit surroundings.

"Miss Athena, thank you for bringing Sir here. I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble," said a security guard as he took charge of Marcus with Athena's assistance.

"No problem. Please tell Tita I'm sorry I couldn't stop him," Clara heard Athena say before heading back to her car. They waited for Marcus and the security guard to enter the gate before leaving.

Once again, they traversed the road. The music played—a theme song from a game. Athena hesitated on whether to change it, but she figured Clara wouldn't recognize the tune anyway.

"So, who is that man?" Athena asked, surprising Clara. She averted her gaze from the rearview mirror.

"Do you personally know him?" Athena added, noting the lack of response to her initial question.

Clara contemplated before shaking her head.

Suddenly, Athena stepped on the brake and turned her head towards the back seat. Disbelief was written all over her face. She intended to ask more, but she stopped when Clara pointed at a residential building.

"That's where I live."

Athena's eyes stayed on Clara for a while before nodding. She then turned her eyes on the road and started driving. When her car reached the building's arc, Athena observed the surroundings.

"It's late at night, and you don't look like someone who comes home late. I'm sure your parents are worried."

Clara didn't react. Athena just smiled. She had noticed Clara's shyness earlier.

"I'm sure you're annoyed with me."

Clara's eyes reacted to what she heard, "N-No," she quickly said. Her eyes drooped first, then she stole glances at Athena. "I'm sorry, I'm thankful, really. It's just that you are too good... and kind of scary. I don't know how to react."

Upon hearing Clara's explanation, Athena blinked her eyes several times, took a deep breath, and chuckled softly.

"For real?"

Clara nodded. She thanked Athena again before bidding her goodbye. She left Athena with a grin and twinkling eyes.

Clara's unit is on the 4th floor. As she was ascending the stairs, she encountered an older woman. The woman had a pleasant plumpness, fair skin, and short white hair. She was wearing a duster, seemingly ready for bed.

"Clara, what time is it, dear?" the lady greeted. They stopped in the middle of the staircase.

"Good evening, Aling Betina. I got a bit delayed at work, so I came home late," Clara explained.

"Oh dear, you really work hard. You might be too tired. You might be looking for Kael and Mika. They're already asleep beside August."

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry. I'll just fetch them,"

"No need, dear. Let them be at home. It's okay. They're sleeping so soundly. It's quite adorable," Aling Betina chuckled, but Clara's embarrassment remained evident.

"I'm really sorry, Aling Betina. Thank you for taking care of them," Clara said, recalling something and opening her sling bag. She reached into her wallet, took out some money, and handed it to the lady.

"Here's a little money, Aling Betina. Please accept it as a token of our gratitude for staying here for free and for your generosity in feeding us, my siblings, and me."

Aling Betina descended a step. She took Clara's hand, which was offering the money, and folded it. She sincerely smiled at the young lady.

"No need, dear. Keep that for yourself in case you need it. Perhaps for your school expenses or when you go out with your friends. If you're worried about inconveniencing us with your presence in our home with Mang Eddie, don't be. We're happy to have you and your siblings here. You're all so well-behaved. Alright, go ahead and rest; you have school tomorrow. Good night, dear."

Clara decided not to insist on giving the money to Aling Betina. She was genuinely grateful for the help the lady's family provided since they lost their parents. Aling Betina was the one who supported her education, helped her get a scholarship, provided them free accommodation with water and electricity, and even fed them sometimes.

"Thank you very much. Good night as well," Clara replied, displaying an apologetic smile.

♦️♦️♦️

When Athena arrived at her residence—a unit in a luxury apartment complex—she immediately went to bed. It was already late, and she had consumed alcohol, but sleep eluded her. Instead, her mind was racing as she stared at the white ceiling of her room. It wasn't her habit to meddle in other people's lives, especially if they hadn't done anything wrong to her. However, there was something about Clara that seemed to capture her attention.

Athena pushed aside her thoughts when her cellphone rang. She picked it up and saw Karina's name.

"Hey girl, what's up? Didn't your plan push through?" Karina asked right away. Athena smiled at the straightforward question.

"What else? No, it didn't. You know me. I don't want to do it with someone intoxicated."

"Ugh! What a waste. Marcus is such a jerk. He was told not to get drunk. Well, I enjoyed the ribbed condom you gave me, haha. We just finished, so I called you," Karina said, jokingly.

"Tss, did you really have to tell me that? And who's the lucky guy tonight?" Athena asked with a smile.

"Oh, remember the guy from the other table that I talked to?"

Athena recalled the events at the club and remembered who Karina was referring to. However, she chose not to mention him, wanting to drop the topic.

"I see. Anyway, it's fine with me that Marcus and I didn't push through. That's what you should tell him if he asks," Athena said, followed by a sigh she couldn't suppress. Karina noticed it.

"Are you that disappointed?" Karina asked, smiling.

Athena rolled her eyes, "No," was her simple response.

"Then what's with that reaction?"

A moment of silence ensued as Athena didn't immediately answer.

"Well, do you remember Clara? The freshman I helped this morning?"

Karina replied promptly, "Oh yes! Actually, I just found out at the party that she's the talk of the town on campus right now. Besides being beautiful, she's a scholar, topped the entrance exam, and works a lot of part-time jobs because she has two siblings. They were orphaned at a young age."

Athena was surprised by the revelation, "Orphaned?" she asked, recalling what she told Clara.

"Yes, according to my source. Why?"

Athena smiled, "No-Nothing."

"Okay, so what's up with this Clara girl?"

"I think someone is stalking her... I almost hit her earlier when I was driving Marcus home because she suddenly crossed the street," Athena recounted, causing Karina to sit up on the bed next to the half-naked man lying down, nearly waking him up with her reaction.

"What?!"

"She suddenly crossed the street. Turns out, the guy beside her has been following her since she left work."

"Yikes, that's scary. But omg, thank goodness you didn't hit her... Is that why you're stressed out aside from your sexy time with Marc not pushing through?" Karina teased, hoping to ease her friend's worries, but it didn't work.

"Silly, do you think I will still care about that after what happened?"

"Just kidding, jeez."

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

Again, Athena stared at the bright ceiling. She remembered Clara—the shy demeanor, the awkwardness, and the seemingly innocent face that could be deceiving. She also recalled what she had said to her about parents worrying, only to find out now that Clara was an orphan.

Athena's eyes were wide open as she remembered everything, especially the appearance of the man who followed Clara.

"Nothing. I'm getting sleepy. Goodbye and good night," Athena said, abruptly ending the call without further explanation.