We both were sitting there confused because it wasn’t a guy; it wasn’t a guy at all. “Alessandra?” I muttered staring at the screen. She was bumping into the furniture like she was looking for something. She looked confused herself. “That can’t be her, right?”

“She’s on the screen in front of us, Kim. Of course it’s her.” He turned off the screen and yawned.

I stared at him while he laid down on the couch. “What the hell are you doing? Shouldn’t we be going at it with her, like ripping her head off and stuff?” I asked, standing above him with my arm crossed.

“Look, nothing is going to happen tonight.” He told me looking relaxed.

“Oh great, so you can see the future now? Ge, do you understand that someone broke into my house tonight; someone could’ve hurt Ate Twinkle or Ate Lakam or JP; someone could’ve gotten hurt.”

“Look, that’s why I’m sleeping on the couch tonight,. I’m not sure how much longer that’ll be since it’s already,” he checked the clock, “2 in the morning. Kim, you have school tomorrow. Go to bed right now.” He ordered me.

I stared at him with disbelief, “You could just sleep after what happened? Someone broke into your home!” I said to him.

“Kim, please, just try to go to bed. Don’t you have a test tomorrow? And we have an acting class tomorrow, so go to bed.” He demanded with a serious face.

I sighed, “Fine Dad,” I emphasized the last word. “But don’t blame me if I don’t get any sleep tonight and need an extra strong coffee, because some people have a conscience.”

“Good night Kim,” He called out to me as I walked to the stairs.

“Yeah yeah yeah,” I walked up the stairs.

Because we were all shaken up, my siblings and I slept in my parents room. We slept in the king-sized bed. We haven’t done that since we were all pretty young kids. But the most important thing was that we felt safe.

We all woke up pretty early, no one slept well enough to do so. We ate breakfast in silence and then we all left separate. It was as if no one spoke about what happened, we could all erase it from memory We got into my car, and Gerald made sure that the house was locked. “Chris and Isabelle are willing to stand guard at the house until I come back.”

I actually didn’t refuse this. I didn’t mind Isabelle and Chris, though they were intimidating. “Do you really go to classes?” I asked him; it was a stupid question to ask despite everything that’s happened.

He stared at me, “What do you think?”

I laughed, “You already know what I think.”

“I take one class at the local college.” He answered.

I nodded. “So are you picking me up or going straight home to talk to Chris?” I asked.

He smiled at me, “I’d never leave you like that.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks. He pulled into the driveway and set the car to park. “Before you leave, I want to get one thing straight, no confrontations. Do you understand me? None whatsoever, Kim. We don’t need a target on our backs.”

“I’ll try my hardest,” I opened the door, shut it and bent down to the window-level, “Stop acting like my Dad or my brother-in-law, it doesn’t suit you well.”

“Have a great day at school, honey!” He called out to me in a sarcastic voice.

I knew he was laughing at me while I was to school. I shook my head. Mel ran to me and linked her arm around ours, “Did he just call you honey?”

I laughed, “Good morning, Mel.”

“Are you okay? Your sister told me about the break-in, I’m so happy you’re okay.” Than the rest of the crew joined in, Erich, Maja, and Shaina. “At least Gerald was there to protect you guys.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t that big of a deal, no one got hurt, nothings missing. We just put more security up front.” I told them acting like it wasn’t a big deal though it scared the out of me.

“What are you talking about, a big guy like Gerald protecting you, with his muscular arms and his broad shoulders and his stealth moves,” Maja chimed in.

I laughed, “Are we talking about the break-in or did we somehow change the subject to Gerald?”

“All we’re saying is that you deserve to be happy,” Erich said in her motherly tone.

“And he is hot,” Shaina added. “I bet he can make you happy.”

I chuckled, “Okay, stay out of my love life, guys!” I broke apart walking to my first class.

The whole day I didn’t see either Jake or Alessandra, which made it easier for me to follow Ge’s request. I walked outside at the end of the day, and Gerald was running late once again. I went over to the coffee shop and ordered myself a large latte. I walked outside and sat on the tables taking out a book to read and then I heard her voice, more like her laugh. It was a noise that I memorized after two years – freshman and sophomore year – in which she taunted me.

I turned my head to face her and she caught my eye. She was smiling deviously, and whispered something to the guy beside her, still staring, and they both laughed. I had enough of it. I shut my book and stuffed in my bag. I walked over to her and she stood up with her hands on her hips. “Yes, little one?” She said in an authoritative voice.

“What the hell’s problem?” I asked her.

She laughed at me, “I’m sorry?”

“You think you can just do whatever you want and get away with it?” I was not going to let her intimidate me.

“Are you talking about me flirting with your little driver? George, is that his name?” She said. “Don’t worry, I don’t date slaves, I’m way too good for that.”

“No I’m talking about breaking into my house in the middle of the night.” I snapped.

She put her hands on me pushing me back, “I think you need to go back to your farm, because I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Don’t touch me!” I pushed her away from me, and I watched her stumble on her feet, almost falling, but one of her boy toys caught her.

Her smile disappeared, “You !” She came to my face and tried to slap me.

But I caught her hand and pushed it away, “You don’t have any idea, I have your face on camera!” I yelled pushing her around as she tried to do the same. The guys starting coming in her defence and then I heard Erich and Mel yell my name.

The both of us pulled each other away from the crowd and she grabbed my hair. We both were screaming at each other, for me to let go of her, and I was just yelling at her, telling her all the she’s been doing.

“Kim, stop! Allie, tama na!” I recognise Jake’s voice behind us, more specifically behind me.

“You’re crazy! Let go of me! Stop, Ah!!!!” Alessandra screamed as I grabbed her arm and threw her away from me. She fell to the ground and Jake picked her up, holding her up.

I was about to run to her and finish her off, but I felt someone’s arms wrap around me holding me back. “Kim, calm down,” his breath against my ear.

“You think you can do whatever you want? You think you can hurt my family?!” I screamed trying to kick her, but always being too short of her.

“Stop!”

“You’re crazy! Get this crazy away from me!”

“You’re never going to get away from this!” I screamed.

Jake was pulling her away.

When they were out of my sight, Gerald still had his arm around me pulling me towards the car. He probably read how angry I was in my mind because he kept whispering in my ear for me to calm down. Surprisingly, it worked. His voice in my head helped me breathe more slowly, and when he put me in the car I saw Erich and Mel in the backseat. “Okay, you wanna share?” They asked me while Gerald walked. I thought he was walking to the other side, but he was walking to the opposite direction, towards the back of the coffee shop.

“Wait,” I opened the door, but before I could follow him, he was back. “What happened?”

“Get in the car, Kim.” He looked pissed off.

I followed the instructions and didn’t bother on arguing. But apparently he didn’t we had an audience and he was reading my mind. “I don’t give a damn if you couldn’t help it, or if you were putting your family ahead of me.”

I sighed and I heard the whispers behind us. “Ge, she broke into my home. What was I supposed to do if she was smiling at me like she accomplished some deed. I’m not going to let her get away with it.”

“Yeah, I heard that line when you were trying to fight her off.” He snapped at me. This was the first time he was actually angry with me. “What is so difficult to follow simple instructions? I told you no confrontations!” He sped.

“Can you please slow down, we have an audience behind us. And maybe stop screaming me. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry I was defending myself.”

Mel leaned forward in the seat, “To be honest, Gerald, Kim did kick her back there. She fell, twice.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen you so angry before,” Erich commented.

Gerald stared at them in the rear view mirror. “Seat belts, guys. Abide by the laws, please.” His tone was lighter.

They followed his orders and sat back. I could hear them giggling in the back, probably talking about how hot he was. And when I stared at Gerald he stared back at me smiling. “Do you agree with them?” He asked.

I smiled back, “You wish,” I answered.

He stopped at the house and opened the back doors first, escorting the girls first. I wasn’t going to wait until he did the same for me, but the look on his face showed his disappointment. This was going to be the longest 5 hours until the acting class, especially with the girls joining us.