Chapter 2

"I know you can't stand me." Alyssa smiled while hugging her friend.

"I'll take back what I said." Maggie joked with her.

"There's no deprived girl, maybe there's a handsome one there," Alyssa whispered to Maggie's ear.

"Oh girl, I'm loyal to my feelings for John noh!" Maggie said, looking thrilled.

"Why don't you try to court John? so that you don't always dream that you have a relationship with him even if you don't have one." She joked with her friend. It's a good thing that Maggie is not angry about her joke.

"Excuse me, girl! I admit I had a crush on John, but I'm hard to get." Maggie said arrogantly.

The two friends laughed at the same time and quickly finished the meal.

ONE week the two friends were preparing for their trip to San Victoria, but their parents still wouldn't let them. They just excused that it was included in their school project.

Maggie slept over at Alyssa's house because they were leaving early so that they could avoid the traffic.

As the two friends lay in bed, they first talked about what they should do there in San Victoria before they finally fell asleep.

TOWN of San Victoria. Alyssa and Maggie arrived in San Victoria at six o'clock in the evening. Before getting out of the car, Alyssa talked to their family driver.

"Mang Recardo, just pick us up on Sunday morning," Alyssa said. She grabbed her bag that was in the back of the car. While Maggie was busy putting make-up on her face. "Hey, Maggie!"

"Yes?" Maggie replied. But Maggie's eyes were in the mirror.

"It's six o'clock in the evening, don't be so beautiful, no one will see." Alyssa laughed.

Mang Recardo got out and opened the car door for the two girls.

Alyssa immediately got out of the car.

"That's enough, get out of the car. Mang Recardo is going back to Manila." Alyssa called her friend who was still sitting in the car.

"Wait. I just checked my eyebrows," Maggie replied. Maggie looked in the mirror again to see her face. "Eyebrows is life!"

Maggie also got out of the car.

Mang Recardo took down some of their belongings.

"Thank you Mang Recardo," Alyssa said politely. "Please be careful on the trip,"

"Thank you, Alyssa. You two will also be careful here." The man answered. The driver re-entered the car and started the car’s engine.

Broom ... broom ... car sound.

Mang Recardo lowered the glass in the car window. He glanced at the two girls.

"I'm leaving. You two, be careful here." The driver said goodbye again.

The two girls smiled as they agreed. After a while, the car started moving and it completely disappeared from their sight.

Alyssa slung another bag over her shoulder which contained some of her painting tools such as paintbrushes and paints. They also had food items that were good for one week in the eco bag.

Maggie carried an eco bag with food. Then, they began to walk closer to the closed gate.

From outside the gate, you can see the big mansion owned by the painter Mr. Gregorio Santillan, which is a bit old but still beautiful.

Alyssa pressed the doorbell, just a moment later the gate opened. They saw an old man.

"Good evening!" They politely greeted the old man. The old man just nodded.

"Follow me." Said the old man and turned away from them.

The two girls looked at each other. Maggie approached Alyssa and whispered something to her. "The old man's weird."

Alyssa simply kicked her friend.

"Ssshhh... Don't be loud the old man will hear you." Alyssa's advice to her friend.

They followed the old man and when they were in front of the big door, the old man snatched something from his pocket and pulled out the bunch of keys.

When the door opened. Alyssa was immediately amazed at what they saw, many paintings hanging on the wall.

"Wow! The paintings are beautiful!" Alyssa exclaimed. There was joy on her face.

"Yes girl,'' Maggie agreed and approached a hanging painting. "The paintings look very much alive," Maggie added.

They heard the old man coughing. At the same time, the two girls turned to the old man.

"I'll take you to the kitchen so you can have dinner together." After saying that the old man walked again.

The two girls looked at each other. Meaning, other students came earlier than them.

"It seems like it's exciting for us to come here, I thought my one week here would be boring!" Maggie said laughing.

When they arrived at the kitchen, they were greeted by an elderly man who still looked elegant. The man's face was familiar to Alyssa.

"Sir Gregorio, am I right?" Alyssa's guess. Alyssa's face showed the joy of seeing the artist.

The man smiled and nodded, he approached the two girls.

"Alyssa and Maggie?" Gregorio also asked them.

"Yes, we are!" The girls answered at the same time.

They shook hands with Gregorio.

"Sit down!" Gregorio's offer. He also helps the two girls to sit down.

The two girls sat down shyly.

"Hi!" Greetings from some guests who have also sat at the dining table.

"Hello," Alyssa and Maggie greeted in return.

"Let's eat first." Gregorio smiled at his guests.

"Of course, the food you prepared looks delicious Sir," Maggie said. Earlier, Maggie had always complained to Alyssa that she was hungry. She took food first and put it on her plate.

The other students also took their food.

Everyone ate well because they were tired from the trip.

AFTER everyone had eaten, Gregorio talked to them.

"I know everyone is tired. Maybe everyone should rest." Gregorio said smiling. Gregorio looks at his caretaker standing by his side. "This is Mang Nestor, my caretaker here in the mansion, he will show you your room. Rest first, because tomorrow we will start." Gregorio introduced himself to his caretaker.

"Yes sir!" Students replied.

"Good night everyone!" Gregorio smiled.

"Good night too sir," an enthusiastic response from students.

Gregorio signaled to the caretaker who immediately followed.

"Follow me." Mang Nestor said and started to take a step. The students followed the caretaker.

The students came out of the kitchen. They stepped up the stairs. Everyone was amazed at the paintings hanging on the wall, and only one word came out of their mouths.

Just wow!

"There are four rooms here in the mansion. The women separate from the men." Mang Nestor said, he reached into his pocket to get the keys.

They are nine students. Six girls and three boys.

Alyssa thinks, their ages are not far from each other.

Mang Nestor handed the key to each one. In one room, the three of them were together. Alyssa, Maggie, and Daisy.

Daisy has already introduced herself to Alyssa and Maggie earlier.

Alyssa opened the door of the room. The three girls entered. Alyssa looked around the room.

Elegant! in Alyssa's mind. The design of the room is feminine. There is a queen-size bed and there are also paintings hanging on the walls.

“Nice room,” Maggie said. "All suits. The curtains, pillowcases, blankets, and bedsheets." Maggie added to what she said.

"I liked the room!" Alyssa said.

"Is it okay for you two to share a room with me?" Daisy asked. If daisy's appearance is described, it can be said that she is modest. She is beautiful, tall, and has brown skin.

"If anyone should be ashamed, it should be me," Maggie replied laughing. "Because you have the talent and I don't. I'm just a cat here, he! he! Right, Alyssa?"

"You have a talent, Maggie. Eating is one of your talents," Alyssa replied. Daisy laughed at what she said. "You're always so hungry."

They had just finished eating and Maggie was chewing again.

Maggie went to the bed and lay down, waving her arms and legs like a fish swimming in the sea. "Food is life friend!"

Daisy also went to bed and sat down.

"You're fun to be friends with." Said Daisy and started arranging her belongings.

"Good Daisy and we're the ones you chose to be in the room," said Alyssa. Daisy looked at her. "Because we have a clown with us here in the room."

Alyssa referring her friend Maggie.

Maggie got out of bed and sat down next to Daisy.

"Do you have a friend?" Maggie asked the girl while eating junk foods.

"I have a friend. She's busy with her studies so she didn't go with me." Daisy replied.

"You like?" Maggie offers her something to eat.

"No thanks," Daisy refused "Nice to meet you two, Alyssa and Maggie!" Daisy smiled and glared at them.

"Nice to meet you too Daisy!"

Alyssa and Maggie also started arranging things, while talking. There was a large empty cabinet where they put their clothes and some belongings.

And when they had finished arranging the things, they lay down on the bed.

They were tired, they immediately fell asleep.