Episode 6

"You and I are moving into David's house!"

"WHAT??! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"Calm down, dear. You're going to like it there..."

"NO, MOM! I'M NOT GOING! YOU GO AND I'LL STAY HERE, I'M PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF LIVING ALONE!"

"No way, Amanda! I won't leave you here. Both of us are going!"

"And what about this house?! What are we going to do with it?!"

"Nothing. It'll stay here, we'll come back to visit occasionally!"

"MOM, YOU'RE JUST DATING, DON'T YOU THINK IT'S ALL MOVING TOO FAST?!"

"We want to be close to each other, darling. Try to understand, the house is spacious. You'll like it, I assure you; there are plenty of places inside for you to have fun!"

"You're going to love it Amanda! There's a games room, a court, a heated pool..." (adds David)

"SCREW ALL THAT! I'M HEADED TO COLLEGE, BYE!"

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, Amanda!"

"WHAT?! OH, MOM! YOU'RE GOING! I'M NOT!"

"YES, YOU ARE, AMANDA! STOP THIS NONSENSE!"

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!"

Amanda goes upstairs to wake Marina but doesn't find her in bed. She's in the bathroom.

"Marina?"

"Hey" (says she, coming out of the bathroom)

"I've got to go to college, will you be heading home?"

"Yes, can you give me a lift?"

"Sure, let's go then!"

"Already?! I haven't even had breakfast!"

"Do you see what time it is? It’s almost noon, I need to go now. You shouldn't have drunk so much last night!"

"I didn't drink that much!"

"Oh sure, as if!"

Amanda went off to college and when she returned home, she shut herself in her room and didn't even come out for dinner.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING:

Amanda wakes up and goes about her usual routine, not even remembering what her mother had mentioned the day before. She comes downstairs and finds Carmen and David sitting among a plethora of suitcases on the living room floor.

"What is all this?!"

"We're already leaving, Amanda!"

"Leaving?! Going where?!"

"Ah Amanda, my daughter, stop messing around. Let’s go, your bags are packed. I've sorted everything you need. We're not taking all of your clothes; we can buy more later!"

"Wait! You took my things without asking?! MOM, I'M NOT LEAVING THIS HOUSE!"

"Dear, could you please start putting away the luggage?"

"Of course!"

"NO! MOM!! Why so sudden?!"

"We've been planning this for months, Amanda. We just didn't tell you!"

"Oh brilliant!!" (Amanda says sarcastically)

"Daughter, I know, I understand. You might not think so, but I do. But just try it. If you don’t like it after a week, we can come back, or I’ll let you come back here to live alone!"

"Ha, as if!"

"I’m serious, Amanda! Just one week, what do you think? I promise that if you don’t like it, you can come back."

"Hmph! I don’t trust you, but fine, let’s get going. This sucks! I’m heading to the car!"

Amanda reluctantly accepts her mother’s proposition and tries to spend a week at David’s house. After nearly two and a half hours, they arrive. From the car window, Amanda gazes at the house; it really is huge. Amanda is impressed by the size—her own house is also big but David’s is nearly double. David drives into the garage and they get out of the car. Amanda steps onto the grass and pauses to take in a 360° view of the house.

"Isn’t it beautiful, sweetie?"

"It’s GIGANTIC!" (says she, emphasizing each syllable)

"Come on, girls!" (says David)

"And the luggage?!" (asks Amanda)

"The butler will come get them."

As David speaks, a man around Carmen's age arrives.

"Good morning Mrs. Carmen and Mr. David!"

"Hello, Gonzales! This is Carmen's daughter, Amanda!"

"Ah, hello Amanda, very pleased to meet you. I'm Gonzales, the butler. Welcome!"

"Thank you!"

"Could you please bring in the luggage?" (asks David)

"Of course, sir!"

Gonzales starts collecting the luggage, and Amanda, David, and Carmen go inside.

"My, this is..." (Amanda is enchanted by the interior of the house)

"You like it, hmm?" (asks David)

"I do! It's beautiful, congratulations David!"

"Thank you! Come, let's go upstairs so you can choose your room."

David shows Amanda upstairs to choose a room. As they ascend, Amanda is captivated by the house’s splendor, the stairs alone enchant her.

"The door at the end of the hallway is my room. That’s the only one off-limits, ha, but feel free to choose from any of the others. Take your time, go into each one, and let me know your choice so I can have Gonzales set it up for you!"

"Uh... okay."

David heads back downstairs, leaving Amanda alone in the hallway with about five doors—behind each is a bedroom, and the sixth is David’s. Amanda begins checking out the rooms. They're all large, each with its own character, but one captivates her—it’s the only one with a balcony overlooking the beautiful backyard. The room is spacious, airy, with an empty closet waiting to be filled with Amanda's clothes. The bed is so big it could fit four people comfortably. Amanda jumps on the bed and sighs.

"This is so soft! God, this house is beautiful! Anyway, it’s just for a week; I won’t really be living here, no way!"

"Is this the one you’ve chosen?" (David asks, standing in the doorway)

"You scared me! Yeah... Can I have this one?"

"Of course, it's yours!"

"Thanks! But it's just for a week, then I’m heading back. That's the deal I made with my mother!"

"As you wish! I’ll have Gonzales set it up for you. Would you like to come down and meet the rest of the staff?"

"Staff?!"

"Yes, today it's just the cook, the butler, and Ana, the laundry maid. She does the laundry and will organize your clothes. Shall I introduce you to them?"

"Sure."

David leads Amanda to the kitchen, which looks very nice. There they find an elderly lady cooking with her back turned.

"Arlete!"

"Yes, David!"

"This is Carmen’s daughter, Amanda!"

"Oh hello, very nice to meet you, Amanda!"

"Nice to meet you too, Arlete!"

"Just Arlete is fine, dear!"

"If you want something delicious, just ask her, Amanda. She's the best around!"

"David's such a flatterer, haha," (says Arlete)

Amanda smiles at David; she’s immediately taken by Arlete at first sight.

"Are you vegan or vegetarian or anything like that, Amanda?"

"Me? No, haha, I eat everything, no worries!"

"Then that's great, haha! Well, I better finish preparing lunch, David. I’ll call you soon!"

"Thank you, Arlete! Shall we go? I’ll introduce you to Ana."

"Alright! See you later, Arlete!"

"Until later, Amanda!"

David takes Amanda to the laundry room, where they find Ana, the laundry maid.

"Mr. David?"

"Hi, Ana! I want you to meet Amanda; she's Carmen's daughter."

"Hello, nice to meet you, Amanda! I won’t shake hands because they're wet. I was just washing some clothes, haha."

"No worries, nice to meet you too, Ana!"

"Ana, are you very busy?"

"No, sir! Why? Is there something you need?"

"When you're free, could you please organize Amanda's clothes in the closet? She chose the room with the balcony."

"Oh, of course, I'll be quick!"

"Thank you, Ana!"

"Thank you, Ana, but I can arrange my own clothes. I didn't bring much."

"No need, Amanda. Ana will take care of it. You'll see how neatly she organizes everything, she's great!"

"Then thank you, Ana. See you later!"

"Until later, Amanda!"

Amanda heads back down to the living room with David where her mother is waiting.

"So, do you like the place?"

"It's kind of nice!"

"See, I told you you'd like it!"

"But I’m only staying for a week!"

"Really now?"

"Mom, you promised!"

"Fine, dear. As you wish. But think it over!"

"Alright!"

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" (David asks)

"Maybe later. The house is so big I’m already tired of walking, haha."

"As you like! While I showed you around, Gonzales arranged your room. You can go up if you like, or feel free to explore the house on your own!"

"I think I'll go to my room."

Amanda goes upstairs to her room, and the bed that only had a sheet is now adorned with a soft duvet, fluffy pillows, and cushions, along with a plush carpet on the floor. Even without taking off her sandals, she can feel her feet sinking into the deep pile of the rug; everything is extremely soft and comfortable, along with a wonderful scent. The room is done in light tones, giving it a clean vibe, spacious and appearing simple, though it's anything but.

"I love this room! It’s so clean!"

Amanda hadn't noticed a door within the room; she opens it to find a stunning bathroom.

"Wow, I'm definitely going to sleep in that bathtub, haha. This bathroom is so much better than mine!"

Amanda flops back down on the bed amidst the pillows and calls Marina, noticing she's missed seven calls from her. She tells Marina all about the move and David's mansion.

📞

"No way!! It's got all that? You've got a butler and a cook at your beck and call? How fancy!"

"Yeah! Like I said, I'm only staying for a week. I'll go back to my real home, and you can move in with me if you want since my mom’s moving in with 'dad'."

"What?! You're really planning to leave? Woman, for the love of God! A hot stepdad, a mansion… you're going to stay put, you hear me?!"

"Only you, Marina, haha."

"What are you laughing at?! I'm serious! And by the way, when can I visit? I can come see you, right?"

"Of course you can—actually, you must! Come anytime. I bet David has a private driver; he could pick you up!"

"Wow, I'd love that! Think the driver's as hot as David?"

"Marina!! Stop it with the flirting, haha."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop, haha."

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