Chapter 17: Lost In A Maze

As Isabella sat inside the car, she slowly buckled herself as Alex also joined in. He sat down and was about to buckle himself when John rushed towards his window and brought out his hand for a handshake. He shook him and looked at him weirdly. 

"What exactly is the problem? You are acting a bit weird, being so close to me, acting all nice to me and trying to advise me," Alex questioned. 

John looked at Isabella one more time before turning back to Alex. 

"Of course there's nothing so important that I need. I just want to care for my brother and I know we'll meet in school tomorrow because I'm finally in your school fully. But I am still very concerned about you. You know, you don't know who is trying to hurt you behind your back. Someone you trust so much can be hurting you and you need your brother by your side to give you the right words to caution you in the right way. That's what I'm doing," John said to his brother jokingly as Alex laughed, slamming his hands in a joke.

"Stop doing that. You’re acting like you are a professional. Or maybe you are helping me in a situation where I need help. It's kind of weird, you know. I am perfectly fine, John. Take good care of yourself and when you get to school, let me know. You can go out for a little breakfast or dinner, anything to talk man to man. You tell me anything. Whoever you think is backstabbing me or anything, just let me know. Okay?" Alex said as he started the engine. 

John stood and waved to his brother before saying to him, "Do not worry, in a week's time we will have that dinner. You don't have to rush." 

It made Isabella tense up immediately because that was clearly a warning to her that if she did not make any changes in a week's time, then she would have to face John's wrath. She could not believe that she was actually scared of a small boy. A boy who she could beat around just because of her little secret. A secret even he did not know for sure. But she was so foolish to have made it obvious to him that that was what she did with Professor James.

As the car started, Alex turned his attention to Isabella as he slowly stroked her cheek. 

"I hope you are feeling okay. I don't want you to fall sick on me, so I will be very watchful of you for a while till you get better," Alex assured her. 

"I should know that you don't have to take care of me. Just drop me in front of my hostel and I will go and take a rest. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be perfectly alright. I don't think the kind of illness that I have is a kind that needs drugs, so you don't have to worry yourself," she assured him as he nodded.

"Fine. After these few days, you have been a little bit too distant from me. The only time you seem a bit close to me is when you want to have any sexual intercourse, and you've become better. Which is weird because I don't know where you're practicing everything from, but I'm proud of that," Alex assured before driving off as Isabella could not help but feel even more dizzy. 

It was so frustrating that Alex was clearly not even on her case that he doubts her and then her brother, his brother even knows her secret. It felt like all her world was crumbling into pieces and there was nothing she could do about it. 

They soon got to the school premises and her phone began to ring, only for it to be Professor James. Alex's gaze went quickly towards the phone and then back at her. 

"Are you that intertwined with your professor? He keeps calling you. Why is he calling you? What is the problem?" he asked Isabella, who laughed. 

"Of course you don't know why he's calling me. I have community service for coming late to lectures earlier today. He said he would remind me in the night before I sleep and in the morning before I do anything so that I would go and do it. That's just it. It's not that, maybe there's anything between the both of us," Isabella said as she heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that he was going to definitely believe that lie of hers because it was just so contagious. 

Alex laughed. "Wow. Community service. Okay, I will help you with it if that is the problem. I will help you with the community service. Okay?" 

Isabella felt even more frustrated. 

"Oh God, why me? When I come out of one lie, I enter another lie. What else am I supposed to do?" Isabella yelled in her mind before turning to Alex with a smile. 

"You don't have to. It is my community service. What do you think others would think of you if they hear that you are helping me just because I'm your girlfriend? No, I will do it by myself. You know if you keep helping me to do everything, then I won't be able to walk on my own. Just let me do it myself. I promise you I will do it perfectly," she assured him as he laughed. 

"I know you will do it perfectly, but I don't want you to do it perfectly. It's not a do or die. I would help you. You just relax; I will be there in the morning as early as six," Alex assured as they got in front of Isabella's hostel. 

He stopped the car, but before he could come out and open the door, she paused. She raised her hand to stop him and unbuckled the belt before stepping out. 

"Do not worry about me, okay? Just have rest and if possible, you don't have to come to the community service. I plead with you," Isabella said as it made Alex suspicious again. 

One thing about Alex was that every suspicion he had always showed in his facial expression. He could easily tell from the way he looked and from the way he stared that he felt suspicious. 

"And why exactly can I not help you? Every other thing you always plead for my help, even if it's little things that you have to do in school, even if it's the assessment you always plead with me to help you. But now I want to help you with the community service. Something very difficult. You are so tender and I know you don't like work like this and I want to help you with it and you are saying no now because of that 'no' you keep giving me. I would come and I want to see what you are doing," Alex said to her, and before she could even reply, he drove off. 

Just then she heard a loud scream of her name. 

"Isabella!" 

She turned around and it was Tricia.