Love Is Second Best — Chapter 12: LOVE BEGINS WITH ONE HELLO

Carmella’s POV

We spent the day in school exhausted because of the lesson activities and more group work. It would be so helpful if all my other group members were also cooperative. However, we have a lot of contrasting ideas that I can't help but to be disappointed.

"I am mentally tired, I swear." Carmella heard Hope mutter to herself.

"I am so sorry to hear that from you, dear. Are you okay?"

"No, I am not." She smiled and shook her head. She's still holding a lot of our homework. As I look at her facial expression, it's as if she's about to cry. It's this moment that I saw her being so down because of the homework that's stressing her so much.

I hugged her right away. We're beside the entrance of the library and some students were looking at us as if we're making a scene. My goodness! Even how I comfort a friend will be an issue to them and I really hate it.

"I guess we have to get inside the library first. I don't want to see you standing here for a long time." I gently pulled her hand as we went inside. She looked really unmotivated and tired. When she saw a monoblock chair, she pulled it in front of her as she sat comfortably and rested her arms on the table. She even put her head on her arms as she heaved a sigh.

"It's not so you, Hope."

"Yeahhh..." She groaned as she scratched her head and smiled at me.

"You look funny." I commented which made her scratch her head even more as she frowned. She still looked cute.

"Even if you're my close friend right now, I wish you're not meanie." She replied, smiling weakly.

"Let me have that." I smiled as I grabbed her notebook from her. I could sense that she's having a hard time understanding our math seatwork activity a while ago that she only got seven out of ten marks.

"Don't blame me, I am not used to this." She buried her head on her folded arms on the table. I poked her with the use of my elbow. I'm afraid our librarian would see Hope and assume that she only went inside to enjoy her sleeping session like what other students are doing.

I encouraged her to face me and smile. I offered to explain the lesson like how the teacher explained it to us a while ago. I noticed she started smiling as she solved the problems by herself this time.

I looked at her and I can feel happiness deep down. Moments like this would make me enjoy her company more. I feel like I am also setting aside this rivalry once in a while. What's the point of having a competition when it is unhealthy, afterall?

"Thank you so much my dearest Carmella. You're a blessing!" She cheerfully said after she solved the last item of our homework correctly.

"It is always a pleasure. I promised your dad to be a good friend to you and I will always do it for you."

"Thank you dear Carmella! Oh, speaking of dad, it's his birthday today!"

"Oh my! Really? Happy birthday to your dad, Hope! I am sure you're also happy today."

"Earlier today, I am not. You knew it! However, you turned it upside-down. Thank you so much!"

"Always welcome, Hope."

"By the way, please go with us today after school."

"Oh sure! But why?"

"My father loves to cook. Every time we have birthdays, we only both celebrate it without the presence of others. I want you to be a part of it, this time!"

"Oh my! I am more than willing, Hope. By the way, I am so sorry if I don't bring a gift for him."

"It's not the gift that matters, dear. It's your presence that mattered the most to him."

"Thank you in advance!" She simply answered, even hugging me tightly. I can't help but to smile as I can see Hope's dad as he gets out of their car.

"C'mon, hurry up, girls. We should start early." He almost ran as we went inside the car. As we reached their house, I admired it for being really spacious and big. It's a two-storey house with an indoor pool. I never thought they're this rich. I mean, I knew Hope for being simple and yet they live in this kind of house.

"Wow!" I said as I roamed my eyes around as we stepped inside.

"We'll go swimming as we wait for a few minutes more. Our maids are arranging the final touches for our desserts."

"That sounds really yummy. I feel hungry by just hearing about it."

"Yes. My nana Hannah is good at making Crème brûlée's."

I smiled as I looked at her. I can't understand how happy I am as I sit down on one of their Sofa inside their living room. We even watched cartoons for a few minutes.

"Hello lovely girls, the food is ready." Hope's father called us from the kitchen. She smiled as she pulled my hand as we went to their dining room. On the table, I can see a lot of food. There's a vegetable salad, steaks, fried chicken and spaghetti with meatballs.

"I hope you will like it, dear Carmella."

"Oh, this is too much sir. I've never seen this much food often. Thank you so much for inviting me here."

"It's always a pleasure to welcome those people who are good friends with my daughter."

"Thank you sir." We started eating and we talked about random things.

"By the way Carmella, who do you live with?"

"Oh, sir. I live with my mother but she's always busy."

"What's her job?"

"She's a home-based customer service representative for a Telephone company, sir."

"Oh, that's nice of her. These kinds of jobs are really popular nowadays, most especially if your mom is an introverted one."

"Yes, indeed sir. She doesn't want to go out that much. I am always the one who ran errands for her. Sometimes, if she likes to go to the supermarket, she will go there as early as four or five in the morning."

"I think your mom is a shy-typed kind of person. I hope to also meet her one day."

"Yes, sir. I'd gladly let you meet her one of these days if she's not busy."

"Wow! How I wish I could feel having a mom like you do, dear Carmella"

"Oh my, Hope. With the kind of mom that I have right now, you won't be really wishing that anymore."

I said this to myself as I smiled at her. We continued eating and as Hope promised, after we ate food, we rested for a few minutes and went swimming in their indoor pool. It's my first time and I really enjoyed it a lot.

"Let's go to my room to have our final shower. I will also show you some of my books." I nodded as I followed her into her room. I am awestruck as I go inside. I don't know if I just went inside a bedroom or I am inside a wide library.

"Oh my gosh."

"Welcome to my place." She grinned as she pulled me inside. I think all of the books that you wish to read are all here.

"Now I know why you don't like going inside the library because you already have your own right here!" I said as I roamed my eyes around. We're still wrapped with body towels and our rash guards were dripping wet on the floor. Some of their maids were following us as we went inside. There were three maids in total. One was mopping the floor, the other one was smiling while holding three extra body towels and the other one went ahead of us to adjust the temperature of the water from Hope's room. She also prepared the bathtub with milk and topped it with red Hope petals.

"Go." She said as she nudged my shoulders.

"Huh?"

"Enjoy your bathtub experience, dear Carmella." She said as she winked at me.

"Oh my! Really?" I am smiling like an idiot while dipping myself into the bathtub that Hope asked her maids to prepare for me. I am lucky indeed to have her. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I am enjoying right now.

After we enjoyed the bubble baths and showers, we were sitting side by side on her soft bed.

"Thank you so much dear. I am so happy to eat and stay here in your house."

"I'd love to invite you here if you have time, Carmella." Hope answered, hugging my waist sidewards.

I roamed around and I spotted a small picture frame on her bedside table. It is the picture of Hope and her dad when he's still younger. However, I noticed that the picture is a bit blurred. It is very obvious that the picture is already too old, the crumpled part is still evident. I carefully touched it and smiled.

"Oh, that..." she smiled as she got it from my hand.

"You look so cute while your dad is carrying you on his arms."

"I am two years old here. My dad said that it is my mom who took this picture." I moved closer to her and looked at it carefully.

The carousel behind them and the rides...

"We're inside an amusement park, Carmella."

"Wow! You looked happy here with your dad." I said but I can see that her smile is slowly fading away.

"I miss my mom so much."

"Where is she by the way?"

"She died a year after this picture was taken by her. I am sad that I am not able to meet her while she is still alive."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, dear Hope." I hugged her and I can feel that she's sobbing on my back as she rested my head on my shoulders.

"You're lucky you still have your mom. Please love her."

"You're also lucky to have your dad with you. Let's be happy because we still have our parents."

"Yeah, you're right."