Chapter 3 3

I turned to look at the wannabe actors outside, their eyes scanning our classroom. What were they even doing here?

My gaze met Gabriel's; he looked like he'd been staring at me for a while. He quickly looked away, walking off coolly.

"Hi, Veronica!" Gabriel's cousin greeted me, which surprised me.

I still greeted him back. I couldn't shake off my confusion as to why they were here. My classmates started whispering even more because of one of them greeting me.

"Do you know him, Maria?" my classmate asked.

Kimmy turned to her and chuckled, as if bragging. "Of course! Gabriel is her suitor!"

Even I gaped at what she said. What suitor?!

I pulled Kimmy's hair, which made her laugh even while wincing.

"What are you talking about, witch?!" I asked, annoyed, but she just laughed at me. This one's crazy!

"Huh! How could he court you, you're so poor?" another mean classmate chimed in.

"Honestly, girl. The Marquez family is respected here, and everyone their clan marries must also be someone in society. So, it's unlikely he'd go for Maria Poorita," another ugly girl, all lip-tinted, interjected.

I smirked and raised an eyebrow at them. "At least I'm beautiful. A beautiful poor person can get rich. But an ugly person stays ugly no matter what!" I retorted, making their noses flare.

They'd always teased me about being poor. It's because they're well-off. They can afford rebonds and facials. Just wait until I get rich.

When it was time to go home, I was whistling as I walked through the hallway. Beside me, Kimmy was on her phone.

"Gabriel has an uncle who's a police officer, girl. Oh my!"

"Oh? What am I supposed to do?" I asked bored. I tossed the pen I was holding in the air, then caught it.

"Idiot! It means don't mess with him, or you might get in trouble!"

I raised an eyebrow at her when we got out of the building and put my hands on my hips. "So what? My godfathers are all criminals! He's the one who shouldn't mess around here!" I snapped but immediately stopped when I noticed a group of college students right next to us.

I stood up straight, embarrassed. They probably heard what I said.

"Come join us for lunch," Gab invited, making me suddenly feel awkward.

He looked so clean with his new haircut. Still very fresh. What's his secret?

"Veronica says yes!"

I almost strangled Kimberly. She only escaped by running away.

Gabriel smiled and I was surprised when he put a hand on my back to guide me. I felt like an idiot following them. His companions behind us were whispering and chuckling.

Who are they laughing at?! Me?!

When we arrived at the canteen, the same thing happened. Gabriel was amazing because he treated Kimmy and me again. He didn't even complain even though Kimmy ordered two servings of rice and viands. I just settled for one order of Chicken Curry with rice and bottled water.

I'm sure that in the long run, Gabriel will also complain about always treating us. Isn't he worried about running out of allowance? His parents might scold him.

But if his allowance is ten thousand or more a month, wow, that's something!

"After you graduate, will you start working?" Kimmy chattered while eating.

Gabriel and his companions didn't seem to mind. They were smiling at us.

"Yep. Gab wants to work here as a veterinarian. But his grandparents want him to live and work abroad." That was Kian, one of Gab's cousins.

I glanced at Gabriel and caught him staring blankly at me. He cleared his throat and put the spoon that was hanging in the air into his mouth.

"How about you, Veronica? What kind of job do you want?"

"A dealer," I answered without hesitation. I smirked at them and acted like I was cocking an imaginary gun. "A dealer for my godfathers."

They seemed unsure whether to take me seriously or not. Gabriel's cousins gave a forced laugh, while he was staring blankly at me again. He looked dazed.

"A dealer? Of what?" Josiah, another one of Gabriel's cousins, chimed in.

"Secret!" I smirked even more.

I got hit on the head by Kimmy, which made my eyebrows meet.

"You lunatic! Don't you dare do that!" she said, earning a sneer from me. This idiot. Ugh!

"There's a movie showing tomorrow, uhm," Gabriel said, seemingly hesitant to continue. I looked at him, my forehead furrowed, waiting for him to speak. "I have three tickets. Join me if you and Kimberly are free, if you don't mind."

Kimmy and I looked at each other. She immediately agreed, so I just leaned back in my chair.

When I looked at Gabriel, he paused at my reaction.

"But I have work at the market tomorrow morning. I get home at four-thirty in the afternoon," I hesitated. I also wanted to go because I've never experienced going to the cinema.

But the guy seemed relieved by what I said. He smiled. "It's fine. It starts at six-thirty in the evening," he said. Really? Oh, then that's good! "Where exactly do you work at the market?" he added.

I gulped some water before answering him. "Near the vegetable section. The owner has pet cats that always sleep on the goods. That's my spot. If you see a lone enchantress there, that's me," I boasted, which made them laugh.

He slowly nodded. He and his cousins looked at each other before starting to cough.

"A-Ah, I see. I'll just pick you up..."

The next morning, I was already at the market. This was my sideline every weekend, selling vegetables and fruits. Sales were high. How could sales not be high when I'm the vendor? That's why Sir Chan, who is half-Chinese, favors me.

"Pretty face, good luck for business..."

That's what he told me then, which made me really feel my beauty here. But I felt that Mister Chan's words were true because when I was on duty, many men would buy. Even old men would stare at me.

"Hey, you look like someone!" a woman suddenly approached me, making me turn to her.

There were no customers around two-thirty in the afternoon, so I was really bored. Not many people shop during the hot afternoon. The market is only busy in the morning and around four o'clock until evening.

"You really look like someone I knew!" she insisted, making Kimmy, who had been hanging out here, stick close to me.

She always accompanies me because she also has nothing to do at home. I'm her only friend, anyway.

"Who is it, Ma'am?" my friend chimed in, hands on her hips.

The woman's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe it. "Saniarah! Saniarah Alonzo!"

I froze at what she said. Then I got annoyed. "Look like who? She's ugly!" I snapped, making her face look disbelieving.

"You do look like her! Exactly like her! She must be your mother!"

"I don't look like anyone because I'm prettier than her!" I argued back, making another crazy person beside me clap.

"Yes! Slay, queen!"

The woman left after a few moments. But she still insisted that I looked like someone she knew. Psh.

"They always say you look like someone, right? Do you have the same personality? Maybe you inherited your personality from your mother!"

I almost punched Kimmy. I just glared at her before doing a hair flip.

"I resemble my father, so don't say I inherited my beauty from someone else."

I really hate it when my mother, who did nothing right except give birth to one of the most beautiful woman in the world-and that's me-gets dragged into the conversation.

She came closer to me and became serious. "Seriously, Veronica girl. You don't look like Uncle Dante. Maybe only twenty-five percent. You look more like your mother-"

"Ninja is really annoying!" I changed the topic and turned to the black cat running around to play.

But we both fell silent when a mestizo man appeared in front of us. He looked around as if searching for something, before his gaze landed on me.

I immediately froze.

"G-Gabriel..."

He smiled, his eyes seemingly sparkling. He approached us, his gaze fixed on me. He was simply dressed in a white t-shirt and sweatpants. He was only wearing slippers, but his charisma was strong. All the gossiping vendors here were looking at him.

"Good afternoon," he greeted.

What was he doing here? Why was there gold wandering around? Why? Sheesh!

I swallowed hard. "O-Oh! Ha-ha! It's you, handsome. Buy some fruit, it boosts your immune system!" I offered, but it seemed I was the one who needed fruit because I felt weak around him.

"And who's feeling handsome here? I'm the only king of handsome here," Bogart suddenly interrupted, just appearing out of nowhere.

I got annoyed because this attention-seeker, who smelled like a dog, was here again.

I sneered before continuing to apply my nail polish, which had been interrupted earlier.

I didn't want to pay him any mind, but he leaned in front of me and tried to be cute. Ugh!

"I will buy, Miss Beautiful!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Buy later when my nail polish is dry!" I said, annoyed. I knew he wouldn't really buy anything. He just passes by to be cute.

He laughed before fixing his yellow-dyed hair. He let it down to supposedly look like a Korean actor. I don't know which Korean actor he admires, but he always talks about how he supposedly resembles a Korean artist.

"You don't need to put that on because you're already beautiful, Maria. But it would be even more beautiful if you were in my arms. Boom!"

Kimmy was laughing hard beside me. Even though I was annoyed by Bogart's presence, all I could do was sneer. Corny.

"Handsome, have a seat!" Kimberly offered to Gab, who had been staring blankly at us and seemed uncomfortable with Bogart's presence.

He accepted the chair Kimmy offered and thanked her.

"Wait! I'm handsome too, but why don't I get a chair?!" the other one whined, which finally snapped my patience.

"Just leave, Bogart! You're causing trouble again!"

"Why?! Who's this annoying person, and why does he seem to like you? Didn't I tell you I'd wait for you?!"

"Will you leave, or will I throw Ninja at you?" I threatened, which made him immediately back off.

He's afraid of Ninja because the cat scratches people it doesn't like. And it absolutely dislikes Bogart.

"I'll be back here, Maria. But I'll make sure I'm even more handsome when I return!" he said, and I just shook my head.

He's really crazy.

Good thing he left quickly. That idiot's face was stressing me out.