Chapter Seven

Today was just one of those few perfect days in Alora's life, spending the day with her hilarious sweet mom... who could imagine she would make everyone at the spa laugh their asses out.

No one is sure how she does it, but she is a definition of a human sunflower... Brighter as it brightens the day like the sun. Alora smiles as the thoughts of her mother reenergize her mind, body, and soul.

Alora knows she needed this more than her mother who won the bet. she feels more relaxed and re-energized after today. Though she didn't like her last-minute shopping idea which got her exhausted waiting for Jada.

" Oh my God Alora, did you see that lady who was at the cashier with me?.... She was so spiteful that I can not imagine which part of Ocrya she is from" Jada whines

" Just because the majority of our people are kind doesn't mean that there aren't thoroughly obnoxious people out there mom... We should be ready to meet awkward people because the world can never stay the same" Alora tries to convince her

" I guess you're right, and if that is where the world is heading how will my grandchildren live in the future " here we go again, Jada is so dramatic.

" They will survive, as long as they are taught how to" Alora knows she won't let this end here 1... 2....

" But you are not even trying to find someone in your life Alora... What are you waiting for as a 29-year-old who is not even going on dates" Alora saw this coming, she knew Jada would say something

" Mom isn't every person in Ocrya super nice? I will just link with anyone whenever I am ready" Alora tries to clarify as she parks the car outside her parent's home.

" If you say so..." Jada replies, they both get off the car and Alora helps her mother get the bags out of the trunk.... " Take care sweety"

" Take care mom, I love you.... And today was awesome" Alora sincerely told her with a grand smile

" We should do it more often!" Jada loudly replied while walking her way to the entrance.

Alora couldn't say more than silently appreciate the fact that she still has her in her life and most of all they are happy though they've been through a lot.

Alora drops the keys on the kitchen table and heads for a glass of beverage, since she already had dinner with Jada, she is good to head straight for bed.

" argh Zariah!... darn it, she forgot to buy groceries again" Alora states in frustration, her best friend just never remembers her chores.

Alora grabs her phone to give Zariah a piece of her mind, she could at least let her know before she got here right?

" Alora....!!!"

" Zariah Michael!!"

"Alora I swear it was just work that got me occupied, I didn't forget I swear"

" You could at least tell me, I would have gotten groceries before coming in" Alora sighed in frustration

" Girl I am sorry, promise this is the last time it's just that work is crazy today that I might not make it back before midnight" Zariah explained

" Fine, you are buying groceries for a month straight" Alora knows she will mumble about being unfair so she cut the call.

Well, her day is not entirely over based on the lousy preoccupied best friend, she will only let it slide since Zariah has work today.

Arriving at the grocery shop in a flash it did not take long to finish getting everything she needed because the list was prepared prior.

Now the hard part, carrying the bags to the trunk, geez! she sometimes thinks this is why Zariah avoids getting groceries all the time. Anyway, she can say she is used to it, so no big deal. She soon finishes loading them and is good to go.

Just as Alora drives around the blocks she notices a man being chased somewhere near the dark zone... "wait? I know that hoodie, where have I seen him before?... damn right I know I saw that hoodie with a mask somewhere, oh yeah right... that's the painter dude but why are those men chasing him?" Alora said.

Maybe this is her chance to make it up to him, she drives heading his way to pick him up, but before she reaches out to him, he makes a turn to a dark alley.

"He always makes it hard for me to reach out to him" Alora impatiently utters, she drives past the alley to make it to the other street before he gets too far, those goons are fast too that they might catch him.

"Gosh, Alora, why am I even worried about him, what if he is the one who did something wrong?" she shrugs off her thought and quickly drives.

Alora can not spot him anywhere after making a turn, could he run off that fast? She slowly drives opposite the alley he ran through, it is dim that she can't see anything from my car. Alora pulls herself together and parks the car to get a closer look, just as she steps away from the car groans of pain could be heard from the alley.

She carefully takes a peek only to see him surrounded by a couple of men beating him up badly. If he was at fault wouldn't they call the police?

" You shitty boy don't wanna show your face huh?" one of them barks at him.

So all this because he wears a mask? Is that a violation of any sort?... Alora thinks about this and realizes she has to help him out, they will hurt him pretty badly, she takes a deep breath and stands in the way of the alley.

" Hey!!!! Leave him now!... The police are on their way and you will all pay for this" Alora shouts trembling like crazy, she could melt right there if they just take a step towards her.

They briefly looked at each other and did not wait a second before they ran for their lives. Alora immediately heads for Niall " Sir... sir are you okay?" He passes out and now she is more shitty scared, what if those guys are not far away.

'Wait maybe I should just take off his mask so he could breathe, but I also don't know why I am nervous to touch his mask and most of all see his face' Alora struggles with her thoughts. She gently touches his mask but gets interrupted by a stranger.

" Miss is everything okay? are you alright?" the man asked with concern.

" No sir, please I need your help, I can't get him to my car on my own.... Please sir help me" Alora pleads.

Without hesitation the man approached her and helped get him up, " Are you taking him to the hospital, ma'am?"

" Ye.. yes, I am... taking him to the hospital," She hesitantly told him as she opened the door to the backseat

The stranger gently lays him there and tries to take off his mask, Alora assumes he also is thinking what she was thinking earlier... He needs to breathe, but her instinct tells her that he shouldn't... she hurriedly grabs his hand and stop him.

" Ma'am he needs some air to gain consciousness" the man seems confused by her reaction.

Alora just looks at him with her wide eyes trying to find the perfect excuse, he ignores her and attempts to take off the mask again.

" He has allergies!" she blurts out, and the man looks puzzled.

" Allergies? which allergies?" the stranger questions, Alora looks at him and back to peaceful laying Mr painter.

" Uhm... He... Has... Human allergies, yeah that's right, he has human allergies", ' pretty sure I heard that from a movie or something' Alora thought.

The man's eyes widen in surprise, then he looks at Mr painter. " What happens to him?" he looks at her curiously, just what she needed!.

" Uhm, he..." she looks around and sees a weight-loss advert... " yeah, he becomes swollen instantly that he can't do anything, even his clothes don't fit for 48 to 72 hours" she confidently explained.

He knitted his eyebrows as he listen to hee big fat lie "Okay, what happened to him right now?" The guy seems seriously concerned. she looks at Niall and notices it isn't obvious that he is beaten based on his code e mask.

" Um... he passed out, he has some... issues so he just passed out" she stutter explaining to him, he nods and bids her good luck.

Alora gets to the driver's seat and takes a long breath, what now? And what is she even doing?... she turns to look at him and can not figure out why she even did this for him.

" What am I gonna do with you huh?" she knows he can't hear her but she talks to him anyway.

As she drives, Alora realizes that maybe she could just take him to the apartment, he seems like he doesn't want to be known or seen.... Mr mysterious kinda fella... "I can clean his bruises, right? Geez! I got this" Alora said as she peeked at him through the rare view mirror.