Chapter 3 Working part time

Chapter 3

ALLYSIAH'S POV

Monday came, and I got ready for school. Over the past two days since I arrived here, things have been going well, more or less.

Our breakfast is free, but we have to pay for dinner ourselves. That's not too bad since I plan to look for a part-time job if there's any available.

Earlier, before going to class, I asked the elderly woman if there were any job openings at the school because my classes are only half-day.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, my classes are in the morning, and I'm free in the afternoon. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's the other way around, with classes in the afternoon and free mornings.

So I have a lot of free time, which is why I decided to ask if there are any jobs. It would be a waste to spend half the day doing nothing, right?

Thankfully, there's an opening, but it's for an assistant librarian. If they're okay with me working part-time, that would be perfect.

Since I was early, I decided to stop by the library and inquire with the librarian. To get there, I gathered the courage to ask for directions.

Luckily, the person I asked was kind, so I quickly found my way to the library.

I walked in and went to the librarian's desk. She seemed to be older, so maybe that's why she's looking for help.

"Good morning, I heard you're looking for someone to assist here," I said.

"Yes, dear, why do you ask?" the librarian replied.

"I was hoping to apply if that's okay, as my classes are only half-day," I explained.

"That's fine, dear, but which days are your half-day classes?" she asked.

"My classes are in the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays," I clarified.

"That's alright, dear, but I can only pay you half the salary," she said.

"That's fine with me. As long as I have a job, how much is the pay?" I asked.

"Since the library is big, a full day's pay is 1,000 pesos, but since you'll only be working half-day, you'll get 500 pesos a day," she explained.

Five hundred pesos for half a day isn't bad. I think I can manage, and it's better than constantly relying on my parents.

"What time does the work start?" I asked.

"For morning shifts, it's from 7 AM to 12 PM, and for the afternoon, it's from 1 PM to 6 PM. Does that work for you?" she asked.

"Yes, that works for me. When can I start?" I asked.

"If you want, you can start today, so I have someone to help since a lot of students, especially the scholars, come here," she offered.

"That's fine with me," I said.

"By the way, dear, why do you need a job?" she asked.

"I'm also a scholar, and I don't want to keep depending on my parents since we're not well-off," I explained.

"I see, you're such a good child. Your parents must be proud of you," she said.

"I hope so," I replied.

"Oh, right, you have class today. It's Monday, and the SSG President is strict with the scholars when it comes to being on time," she reminded me.

"Thank you, I'll go now. I'll see you later, Nanay Linda," I said.

"Alright, see you later. Oh, what's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Allysiah," I replied. "See you later, Nanay Linda."

I then left and looked for my classroom. Turns out, I'm in Room 1-A. Since I'm not yet familiar with this school, I had to ask for directions again.

"Sis, where's Room 1-A?" I asked someone.

She pointed it out to me, so I followed her directions. It wasn't far from the library, so that's convenient.

When I entered the room, I noticed that my classmates' attention was on me. I felt shy, so I kept my head down and found a vacant seat at the back.

After waiting for a few moments, I overheard some of my classmates gossiping about me.

"I'm sure she's a scholar," said Girl 1.

"Ugh, why do they let poor people in here?" said Girl 2.

"Like, duh, look at her fashion. It's so eww," said Girl 3.

I looked at myself. I was wearing simple high-waist jeans, a white t-shirt, and white Nike shoes. I also had a shoulder bag that wasn't exactly stylish, but I was comfortable.

"Seriously? She's so ugly, and look at her glasses. They're so cheap," Girl 2 added.

Their words hurt, and I knew they were saying it on purpose since they were speaking louder now.

Instead of letting it get to me, I chose to ignore them. Moments later, five guys entered the room, and the girls started whispering again.

"Oh my gosh, my husband Hendrix is here," said Girl 1.

"My Ken and Reiv, oh my!" said Girl 2.

"Ark and Kairus are so handsome," said Girl 3.

They sat in front of me, while some sat in the same row. I was in the fifth row, which had five seats. Three of the guys sat in the fourth row, and two sat in the fifth row, with two seats between me and the guy who had a scary aura.

I didn't dare to look at them, especially the guy with the intimidating presence. A few moments later, our professor arrived, and it seemed like we were going to do introductions.

The professor started with the first row, then moved on to the fourth row where the five guys were seated. They introduced themselves one by one.

"I'm Yael Ken Thompson, 17 years old. Nice to meet you all," he said with a wink.

"I'm Xian Reiv Smith, 21 years old. Nice to meet you all," he said with a big smile.

These two seemed like typical playboys.

"I'm Hendrix Clarkson, 21," he said, sounding disinterested.

"Ark Zach Peterson, 29," said the guy sitting next to the one with the scary aura, smiling.

"Kairus Jei Styles, 21," said the guy with the scary aura, coldly. So, his name is Kairus.

These three didn't say much, which made them seem even more intimidating. When it was my turn, I stood up. No one seemed interested, but the five of them were listening.

"I'm Allysiah Quin De Villa, 17 years old," I said, then quickly sat down.

Class started, and while the five of them didn't seem to be paying attention, I focused on the lesson. I didn't want to fall behind, so I listened carefully. Even though only a few were paying attention, the professor continued teaching, and I couldn't afford to be like these rich kids.

An hour passed, and it was time for the next subject, so I took out my notebook. I noticed that Kairus and his group were already sleeping. They really don't seem interested in being serious, I thought to myself.

I quickly looked away when Kairus suddenly opened his eyes. I felt a jolt of fear. Did he catch me staring at him? Oh no.

I prayed he didn't notice. Thankfully, the next subject started, and I sighed in relief.

When the lesson ended, some of our classmates left since it was recess. We wouldn't be back until 11 AM.

Since I didn't plan on having a snack, I stayed in the room to study.

I opened my book for the next subject and started reading. Even though I knew someone was watching me, I tried to ignore it because it was Kairus, and he scared me.

I tried my best to shake off the fear and focus on my reading, but then he suddenly spoke to me.

"Why were you staring at me?" he asked.

"So-sorry," I stammered.

"Haha, maybe she thinks you're handsome, Kai," Yael teased.

I reacted to what Yael said, but I think I made a mistake. I wish I hadn't reacted at all. ahh!" I reacted.

"Haha, you're not handsome, Kai!" Yael teased again.

"Shut up," Kairus said.

He gave me a sharp look, and I quickly averted my gaze. I really couldn't handle the way he stared at me.

I was startled when he approached me, making me step back until my back hit the wall.

"If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut because I'm different when I'm angry," he said.

I could only nod in fear. Besides, he was the owner's son, so crossing him would be risky.

"S-sorry," I said softly.

He only walked away when his friend called him. But I thought he would follow them-he didn't.

"Let's go, Kai. I'm hungry," said Reiv.

"Yeah, let's head to the canteen," Yael added.

"I'm hungry too," Hendrix said.

"Me too," Ark agreed.

"I'm not hungry. You guys can go," Kairus said.

"You're not coming?" Yael asked.

"Yeah, I want to sleep," Kairus replied.

"Okay," Ark said.

The four of them left while Kairus went back to his seat and fell asleep. I took a deep breath and returned my attention to my reading.

After an hour, our classmates slowly started coming back. When they saw Kairus was asleep, they made sure to keep quiet.

Soon, his friends came back along with our next teacher. But the teacher didn't mind Kairus sleeping and proceeded with the lesson.

At least I was able to follow along since I had read the material earlier, so it was easier for me.

Another hour passed, and the class ended, so I started packing my things. But when I looked at my path, Kairus' arm was blocking the way.

I thought about what to do. If I passed by, I would have to wake him up.

If I moved the chair back to squeeze through, it would make noise and might wake him up.

Ugh, what should I do? I still need to go to the library. I still have time; it's only 1 PM, but I need to eat first.

What if I eat here instead? I thought to myself. Maybe Kairus would wake up after I finished my lunch.

So, I ate there. In just a few minutes, I was done and ready to rest, but I noticed Kairus was already waking up.

I quickly took the chance to pass by, and luckily, I succeeded. I hurried to the library.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Nanay Linda, so I greeted her back and asked if she had eaten lunch.

"Have you had lunch, Nay?" I asked.

"I'm about to, dear. You're in charge here," she said.

"Yes, Nay," I replied.

"Okay, I'll head out now," Nanay Linda said.

"Take care," I responded.

To Be Continued...