Chapter 4
I wake to hear a fit of coughing. I jump from bed and go to Caleb's room. He looks miserable. I rush to his side.
"Caleb, are you ok?" He nods, but falls into another coughing fit. I rest my hand against his forehead to find he has a fever. I sigh and go to get his new medicine. I also get a cup of his favorite tea. I put them on a tray, along with a bowl of cereal and a milk carton that has just enough for him. "Here, take your medicine. I gotta get ready for work. I'll be back to check on you." I give him a tight hug.
"Ok. Thanks sis." I smile and head to my room. I decide to just wear normal clothes today instead of a dress. I put on some skinny jeans, a nice shirt that hangs off the shoulder, and some nice slip on shoes. Casual, but I still look nice. I do my make up then put my hair up in a bun.
"I'll be at work!" Since I didn't have breakfast, I'll just pick some up at Starbucks. I hop in my truck and the engine revs to life. I smile and zoom down the road. I know a Starbucks that has a drive through, so I go to that one. I get a quick plain black coffee and a chocolate chip muffin. I eat while I drive, maybe not super safe, but I'm starving! I pull up in front of the mansion and go inside. I sip my coffee periodically. Christina waits at the maids closet for me, examining her nails.
"Hi Tris! Ok, so we need to clean two of the guest rooms, you need to clean Four's room, and he might have some chores for you." I nod and she drags out the cart.
"So Christina,"
"Call me Chris." She smiles.
"Ok Chis," I exaggerate her name and we both laugh. "How did you come to work here?" I ask.
"Oh, that's a complicated thing. My family was originally from here, but I was born in the US. So my mom and dad put everything they had into giving us a good life to grow up in. I'm here to get some money because they are having trouble with paying for the house. Also it's in need for major repairs. I feel that I owed them for giving all they had just so I could have a good childhood." Wow. "So what's your story?"
"Well..." I bite my lip, unsure if I should say anything about my parents. "My parents died in an accident. In that same accident, my brother was paralyzed from the waist down. He's been sick for a really long time, and my other job isn't enough to pay for his medical bills. So I got this job." That and I was hired to by the guy named Marcus. He told me he wants a update in one month. She gives me a sad look as we start to clean the first guest room. It's a complete mess! "Who stayed in here?"
"Ah yes, that would be Four's sister and her children." (I needed someone who visited) "Four has one brother and one sister, both married."
"And Four isn't?" I question. She nods and for some reason, I smile. I would be lying if I said the master of this mansion wasn't devastatingly handsome. I shake the thought and start to pick up the toys strewn over the floor. "How old are these kids?" I mutter.
"There's three of them. Ones 6, the other is 4, and the youngest is 2. Quite comical if you ask me." I nod along with her, starting my work on the bed. The covers are all flip flopped, and it takes the both of us to flip it over and slide it back on. These kids must be very messy. I fluff the pillows, dust the book shelves which are currently full of little kid books, and reorganize the closet, putting all the toys in one basket.
"Ok, on to the next one. Who's staying here?"
"His brother. They all got together since Christmas is soon." Crap! I totally forgot about Christmas. I need to get Caleb something. I may have a. Tight budget, but I always get him something. What would he want? "Tris?" I'm snapped out of my thought.
"Yes?"
"You zoned out. After this room, we'll go get some lunch." I nod and we get to work. Cleaning the room. It's like the last, except not as messy. "He has a kid that's 7." That makes sense. We finish it quickly, ending at 12:27. I wipe my hands on my pants and we go down to the kitchen. There's a room for the people who work here eat in, so we go there. I get in a line to get my food.
"Hello Christina. Who's this?" The lady serving asks. She looks middle aged, but her smile is very youthful.
"Tori this is Tris. Tris this is Tori, the chef." I shake hands with her.
"It's nice to meet you Tori. What's for lunch?" I ask looking down at the trays of food.
"We have ham burgers, chicken, soup, and salad. What would you like?" I ask for the burger and a salad. Christina leads me to a table where a few people sit. I only recognize Uriah though.
"Hey Trissy!" I scowl at him. This causes him to chuckle as we sit down.
"So you know Uriah, let me introduce you to everyone else. This is Zeke, he's a butler and related to that goof," she points at Uriah. "That's Marlene, she a maid like us, Shauna works in the kitchen, and last but not least this is Will. He works in the stables." I notice that they both share a smile. I wonder what's going on there. "And guys, this is Tris!"
"Nice to meet everyone." I smile politely. I can totally see the resemblance between Uriah and Zeke, Zeke's just a bit taller and bigger.
"Welcome to the help family Tris!" Zeke says with an over exaggerated smile. I laugh and pick up my burger. I haven't had one in a while. I zone out as I eat, still thinking about Christmas. Now that I think about it, it's been a while since Caleb has actually had a really nice dinner. We usually eat noodles, mac n cheese, or something microwaveable. Maybe I can save some money and take him to a nice restraunt.
"So Tris, what is your other job?" Christina asks.
"I work at one of the best animal shelters around here." I say with a proud smile. I love my job, I love the dogs. It makes me feel good being able to give them homes and take care of them. "I love being able to help the dogs."
"That's cool. What do you do there?" Marlene asks.
"I take the calls and go out to find the dogs. I also work in the adoption department. I try and pair a person with their perfect dog." It's like match making. I finish up my food, wondering what to do.
"Ok you go clean Four's room." I sigh and go back to where we left the cart in the hall. I drag it all the way to the master bedroom and pop my head inside. He's not in there. I open the door wider and bring the cart in. My eyes scan the room, making sure he's definitely not here. I don't know if I'm disappointed, or happy. I start to clean, taking time at the book shelf to scan the books. I still need to find information for Marcus. There's nothing in the books that looks important. Onto the dresser. I dust, but keep my eyes open for anything. Still nothing. I sigh and go to pour his small trash an into my trash bag. Before I dump it, I see a note that is crumpled up. I get a sight of neat hand writing and I grab the note before it gets buried. I smooth it out and read the nice writing.
Dear Son,
I'm so sorry about what happened. I never meant to hurt you. I shouldn't have done what I did, but I had to get away. I just wanted you to know..."
The rest is crossed out by viscous scribbles of ink. It looks like Four scribbled it out in rage or something, at the end I see who it's from. Someone named Evelyn. Huh, I'll have to search that. I hear the doorknob jiggle, and shove the note in my pocket. I dump the rest of the trash into the big bag and put it back in its place. Four comes into the room, looking partially surprised I'm here.
"Nice to see you once again Tris. How are you today?" He asks with a handsome smile.
"Hello. My days been ok." Everything besides Caleb being sicker. "How about you?"
"Stressful. Have you ever been stuck in a room with 4 little kids?" I shake my head with a slight smile. "Trust me, you don't want to." He chuckles lightly and sits down on the bed I already made.
"I can imagine." I finish cleaning the windows and end up just leaning against my cart. "So how does someone get so much money?" I ask curiously. I really am just curious.
"My grandpa left me all his fortune. I have no idea why, but he did." He has a fond smile on his face. "He was a good man, I miss him." I nod, I sorta know how he feels. Except instead of my grandparents, I lost my mom and dad.
"So you just live here, alone unless your family visits. Don't you ever get lonely?" I ask.
"Sometimes. I hang out with Zeke and Uriah a lot. You probably know them." I nod. At least he's not one if those people who thinks they're better than other because of there money.
"Cool. Do yo-" I'm cut off when my phone rings. I look at the caller I.D. To see that it's Shelby. Why is she calling. "Hey Shelby. What's up?"
"Tris! Ok, you need to get here as fast as you can. That momma dog you rescued two days ago, she's having her puppies. They want you here because she's bugging out when someone tries to get near her." My eyebrows furrow. Great, doggy problems.
"Ok, Shelby. I'll get there ASAP." I hang up and shove my phone in my pocket. "Ok, I gotta go." I say to Four. He raises an eyebrow. "I gotta problem at my other job and they need my help. I'll come back later to finish up my work. Bye Four."
"Bye Tris." He offers a smile that I return. His eyes never leave me as I exit the room. I hurriedly push the cart into the closet. I run to my truck, flying down the road as fast as the limit allows. If the dog doesn't get help, this could end badly. I get there in a matter of minutes and run inside. They are all in the vet room, Lovely lays on a blanket on the floor. She's still skinny, but not as bad, her fur is a lot better too. I crouch down next to her looking her up and down. She looks at me and calms down a bit. I stroke her fur softly.
"Ok, help her guys." Two vets go to help and I just keep her calm and distracted. After an hour or so, all the puppies are here, none of them died. In total, she has 6 puppies. They are all cute, but one catches my eyes. It's the runt, a little boy. Unlike all the puppies who's pelts are golden, he has a dark brown coat. He's really tiny too, a little bigger than half the others sizes. He almost died at birth, but they got him breathing. I can't help but feel bad as he tries and squirms to get milk.
"Oh the poor puppy. How's he gonna get food?" Shelby kneels next to me.
"Yes, this could be an issue. We'll keep an eye on him for a while, and if he still doesn't get the nutrients he needs, we'll need someone to take care of him." One vet says. I rub my chin and looks at the little guy. He's so small and precious. "Any volunteer?"
"I will." I state. I can pull the money together, it's just a puppy. "He's an adorable little tike." I reach over I scratch his tiny head. He makes a whimpering noise and paws my hand. He still can't see, but he still hits it. "How hard can it be?" Shelby nods and nudges me with her shoulder.
"It should be no prob for you." I smile and stand up.
"Ok, glad I could come help, but I need to go finish up something." I run back out to my truck after a last glance at the puppies. I hope that little runt gets enough milk. I really wouldn't mind taking care of him, though, he's adorable. I hop in my truck and start the engine. Now I just need to go back to finish cleaning, then I can go home. This is probably the most unorganized day I've ever had. I wipe my palms against my pants as I park out front of the mansion. For a minute, I just stare at the big house. If only I had the money to pay for something like that.
I shake my head and pop my door open. I don't get payed for just sitting around. When I walk in the big door, Christina immediately runs over to me.
"Where did you go?" She asks once she reaches me.
"I had to go help with something at the animal shelter. It was an emergency." I tell her. She gives me a curious look before running off again. Well she's a bit skitty. I roll my eyes and go over to the maid closet. I just need to finish Four's room, and then see if he needs me to do anything. Let's just hope I can get back home quickly to check on Caleb. I pull my cart up to Four's room and knock on the door.
"Come in." A gruff voice says from inside. I push it open and drag my cart in. "Ah Tris. Nice of you to reappear." I restrain myself from rolling my eyes.
"Sorry bout that. I had business to attend to." I say as I start to dust the cabinets.
"It's no problem. If you don't mind me asking, where did you go?" He seems truly curious. I start to wipe the windows before I answer him.
"Something came up at my other job. They needed me to help..." I look at my reflection in the glass for a sec. Shaking my head, I wipe over it.
"Where else do you work?" He asks.
"At one of the best darn animal shelters around here." A smile grows on my face.
"So you work two jobs?" Three, I think to myself. I nod in response to his question. "Wow. You must get pretty tired."
"Yep. Doesn't help that I also take care of my brother." My smile falls at that. Why did I even tell him?! I guess I feel comfortable around him.
"Your brother? Is he young or something?" Enough with the questions! My mind screams.
"No..." I don't say anything else. But he's till keeps going.
"Then what's wrong with him?" I bite my lower lip. I don't like sharing things about my brother. I don't know if it's my protective nature, or just I don't want people knowing anything about him. It's none of their business anyways.
"He's sick." It's only a partial lie. He gives me a narrowed look, but doesn't ask any more questions. Thank goodness! I hate being questioned, makes me feel like a criminal of sorts. I throw my cloth into a bucket and then turn to see Four watching me with an intent gaze. "What?"
"Nothing. I just think you are far to busy for your own good." Says the one who has probably never worked a day in his life.
"Well...if I don't work as hard as I do, bad things can happen." As in my brother could die if he didn't get the medical attention he needs.
"What type of bad things?" I shake my head, my hands resting on my hips naturally.
"That's none of your business mister. Why would you care anyways?" His lips twitch up slightly.
"I must say, you are a pleasant surprise Tris." My mind flips. What? What does he mean by that?
"How so?" I narrow my eyes.
"Not many people have the guts to talk to me like you do. They always treat me...different." He tilts his head to the side, causing a golden light to fall on his face. I bite my lip and try to refrain my thoughts from wandering to how handsome he is.
"Well, you are just a normal person...with a lot of money." I tell him. I'd treat him like a normal person in any condition. He smiles a straight, white smile.
"I'm just glad you treat me like I'm normal. Even Zeke can act strangely around me." I just lean my back against the wall, arms crossed over my chest.
"Well, some people forget that even if a person is rich, they're still a normal person." I shrug my shoulders. "I don't find reason in treating them like they're better than me. I mean, if a dog was rich, would you treat it differently?" (Weird example, I know)
"I guess not. Wait, are you referring to me as a dog?" I mentally face-palm myself.
"N-no! Not at all! I was just..." I sigh and run a hand through my long hair that I took out of its bun a while ago. He chuckles at me being frazzled. I scowl, the corners of my lips pinching together. "Don't laugh at me." I snap. He just chuckles harder. I can't help the small smile that lightens my scowl. He soon stops, looking at me with another heart-warming smile. "Ok, that done with, do you need me to do anything else?" I look over the tidy room with satisfaction. Now I just need to know if he has any chores for me.
"Hmm...no, I don't think I do. I'm pretty capable to do my work alone." He smirks. I roll my eyes and start to push the cart out of the room.
"Then goodbye Four. I'll possibly see you tomorrow."
"Bye Tris. It was really nice talking to you."
"Yep. I'm a joy to be around!" I give a huge exaggerative smile. He chuckles as I close the door. He's not half bad. I drive home, wanting to check on Caleb as soon as possible. "Caleb, I'm home!" I call once I walked through the door. He coughs from his room. I walk in and he's on his computer. I wonder how many times this has been the way I've been greeted when I get home. "Hey bro. You know that momma dog I caught a few days ago?"
"Yah."
"She has her puppies today." A smile inches across his face. "I might help take care of the runt if he doesn't get the nutrients he needs."
"Cool." He coughs. "Hey, do you think you could take me to the library on Saturday?" I usually don't work on weekends. "I need a few books for an exam."
"Yah. I'll get something myself. You hungry?" He nods and I go to make dinner.