II

CHAPTER 2

Two weeks had passed since Alexis came back home. She spent her time helping her mom when she had trouble doing something. She also goes to her Abuela and has a cup of coffee or tea talking about anything, like the company, places she had traveled and artworks.

When Rachel has no class, especially on weekends she calls her cousin to either go shopping or have a sleepover.

Rachel is 18, while Alexis is 23. Alexis is like a big sister to Rachel, they grow up really close. While Rachel's parents were away when she was little, she stayed at Alexis' parents house.

"Hello?" Alexis answered her phone without looking at who called her.

"It's me Julia" When Alexis heard her voice she smiled wide. It's been awhile since she saw her.

She wasn't able to attend her cousin Rachel's birthday, because she was at a fashion week, representing their family.

"Oh Jules, I'm so happy you called" Julia on the other line chuckles at her cousin's reaction.

She and Alexis are at the same age. She was born three months apart from Alexis, so that means she is older.

"I actually just got back this morning. I am at abuela's place, and she asked me to call you to come over"

The two caught up a little before they ended the call. It's already dark when Julia called. Alexis spent her morning till lunch with Rachel, then had a nap this afternoon, now she is going to her Abuela's house.

Driving along the road while she is listening to music, there's a little commotion at the side of the road. There she saw a lady she thinks is the same age as her mom, and a younger girl maybe the same age as her or a little bit younger than her, she wasn't sure its a little dark to judge.

She stopped at the side of the road, got out of her car and walked towards the two women.

"Hi, need some help?" she respectfully asked the two..

The two women looked at her and both nodded. The mother, Alexis thought, said, "We had a flat wheel at the driver side. We wanted to call for help but both our phones are dead., and this area seems deserted tonight."

"It is not always as deserted as tonight. Glad I drove in this area tonight."

"Yes, we are equally glad you ran over us" The older woman kept thanking Alexis even though she had started repairing the wheel. As for the younger woman she's just quiet and looking over her, watching her every move.

After a little over 15 minutes of changing the flat wheel with a good one, the older woman that now Alexis knows her name as Marcelina, kept thanking her over and over again.

"I'm sorry you got dirty from fixing the wheel" she apologized.

"It's okay, I'll just change when I get home" she smiled at the older woman.

"Now you two can go back home safely" Alexis bid her goodbye and looked at both of the women before she decided to get inside her car. She's a little curious about the daughter, she didn't utter a word, or even thank her.

"Maybe she's mute?" she thought.

Before she could leave, Marcelina called her name. She drove next to them.

"Here's my business card. Maybe you have time next time, we would like to repay your kindness to us strangers”  Lina jokes.

"I'll take this” she took the card and slid it inside her pocket. "You didn't have to repay me with anything, Anyone will do that when they see someone in need."

Lina's thankful about meeting a good person like Alexis, but she's a little confused why her daughter is weird tonight. She needed to have a talk with her when they got back home.

When Alexis arrives at her Abuela's, she sees them waiting outside. Julia and Glenn waiting at the door. Glenn who kept checking his watch and Julia who kept looking at her phone.

"Oh thank God you're here" Glenn sighed.

"Granny kept checking you every 5 minutes. She's worried you're not here already" Julia voiced out.

"Yeah cousin. You only live 20 minutes away. You are like 20 more minutes late" Glenn said as he calculated how late Alexis is.

"Maxxy, Granny thought something bad happened to you. She was so worried. What happened?" Jules asked as she demanded an explanation.

As they walk inside the house, Alexis explains what happened, and that explains how dirty her top is from repairing the car's wheel.

When her Abuela saw her, she gave her a tight hug.

"Me preocupa esta noche" her abuela said, and then pinched her ear. (You worry me tonight)

Her two cousins tried to hold their laugh but failed to. Glenn who laughs the loudest earns a glare from Alexis.

"Aw aw aw, granny" Alexis groaned and looked at Julia for help, but instead of help she saw her look away still holding her laugh.

Their grandmother pinches her and slapping her shoulder many times before she feels like enough. She then finally sit down and ask her what really happened, and sighed after hearing the reason why.

"Why am I called tonight anyway?" Alexis asked, staring at her cousin Julia and her grandmother.

Her grandmother sitted in the middle and faced them three.

"You three are gathered here tonight for a mission." Alexis' eyebrows raised when she heard the mission.

They were never given a mission, but only tasks to do these and that.

"Abuela, what mission? This is the first time hearing you give a specific mission. You always only give us tasks." she voiced out while staring at her grandmother.

"You're right. The two of them have tasks and only you have a mission" Alexis raises her eyebrows once again upon hearing that.

She looked at her cousins giving them the look of what's going on and they just both gave her a shrug.

"You Alex" her grandmother pointed her out. "I need to fly to Italy next week. You have a month to find the location and buy the item that Julia showed me earlier. Julia, you show your cousin Alex the photo."

Julia nodded, took out her ipad and showed Alexis the photo of an Italian plate. While her grandmother explains about the item, Alexis studies the structure and details of this specific plate.

Her abuela wanted to own the item and the deadline of her mission is before her grandmother's 80th birthday. When the trio got their specific tasks they all bid goodbye.

On the way to her car Julia called Alexis, "Maxxy" she turned around and looked in Julia's direction.

Julia walked closer to her, "Wanna hangout a little bit before going home?"

"Sure. Let's go. Where to?" Julia grinned and got to the passenger's seat.

They both decided to go to the nearest bar to grab something to drink.

"So how was your travel"

"It was alright" She replied and Julia stared at her waiting for more but nothing.

"Just alright? You travel to Maldives and even gone to Spain and just alright? I don't believe you Maxxy. How many girls did you slept with huh?" she said with a smirk.

Alexis on the other hand spit the alcohol she's been drinking, and coughed.

"What kind of question is that Jules? Maybe you're the one who slept around while you're away" she stated with raised brows.

"Of course I slept with a few people, but compared to you and your little buddy, we both know you slept with different women," Julia stated while laughing.

Alexis glared at her and gave her a dirty hand. "No thanks. You used that to shove inside your women" Julia kept laughing with her remarks to her cousin who is now blushing.

"Fine. Fine. Yeah I slept with women, but to be fair I only slept with a few" she said with a crossed arms looking at her still laughing cousin.

"How many?" Julia dared to ask.

"I think three girls" Alexis answered not sure if thats right amount.

"You're lying. You're not even sure" Julia smacked her cousin's head for lying and continued to laugh.

"I am not really sure if it's three or four. What about you? How many men and women did you sleep with while you were away?" Alexis asked with a smirk making her cousin stop.

"Well cousin, to answer your question I only slept with three, one guy and two sexy girls. Damn those hot ass" she giggled remembering their asses.

The night goes on with the two of them catching up and drinking till it is time to go home. The two of them finish at 2am. They have been at the bar for like (4) four hours.