Chapter 12: Head Over Heels

POV: Grace

"Hey!" I poke Yuri who was checking his phone nonchalantly in the cafe we are currently at.

With an annoyed expression, he closes it and then he narrows his eyes to me. "What do you want now? Can't you see I'm trying to chat with someone important?" He scoffed me off making me roll my eyes.

"Why are you even chatting with someone DURING OUR WEEKLY CAFE HANGOUT? Can't you just do that like in time where we aren't together or something you pig?" I responded, giving him the same attitude that he gave me.

"IT'S CAUSE THIS PERSON IS IMPORTANT KAY! I'm tryna seduce some people so I get a high position in this company! Just my thing you know!" He muttered out shamelessly.

"Ew... shouldn't you be like doing that to someone you like? Why are you going to do that?" I responded with disgust making him stick out his tongue to me.

"You mean like how you let Jake step on you and stuff? I mean you seem to be pretty into the idea of pain since you're like a masochist right?" He chuckled, bringing up Jake AGAIN. "Is that what you call love for you? Haha!"

"WHY ARE YOU BRINGING UP JAKE! I don't even like that dude! Also! You guys should seriously be studying first before focusing on love and stuff. Right, Penelope?" I turn over to Penelope who was sitting silently staring at her phone.

"Lol." Yuri laughed. "Even Penelope doesn't care about you haha! Grace.. why don't you just lay low and have fun and stuff. 

"Um... I am having fun but you guys aren't really paying attention to me. It's uber rude for you guys to just look in your phones while I'm trying to actually have a genuine conversation." I reasoned with the two of them.

"It ain't our fault you didn't bring your phone dear. Don't blame us lmao." Yuri snickered a little before keeping his phone in his pocket. "Ugh fine. I'll keep my phone. I guess it's a bit rude when we're having our hangout and then we're just staring at our phones. So anyways what are we gonna talk about? Do you bitches got some tea or something?

"Actually... I was going to ask you. Have you noticed anything strange about Penelope ever since she got hired there?" I whispered to Yuri who was giving me a weird look.

"Except for the fact that she's been acting like an idiot. Nothing much really. I mean that's usually how she acts anyways so ya.." He responded carefreely.

"NO! You idiot. I mean like, she's been like giggling a little too much like... I don't really know how to explain this but it's like she's hypnotized or something..." I mentioned to him. 

"I don't really understand what you're saying. I mean I didn't really notice anything wrong with Penelope at all. As for the fact she's like fever high and shit. Maybe that bitch fell in love or something. LIKE she usually does until she gets rejected cause she has BAD taste in men.." Yuri elaborated his opinion over my suspicions.

Something inside me just has this feeling that when we had that interview on the Montresor company. She's been acting really weird especially since that guy who was the CEO is such a total pervert like downright asking me so much stupid and personal things for an internship interview.

"By the way? What do you think about Claude Montesor's company? Do you have any highlights about it?" I raised my eyebrow to ask a question to Yuri.

"Oh.. way to go and bring that company back up again. I mean it was pretty fine but like I didn't really like it. The CEO is kind of annoying and got on my nerves and I have no filter so it was probably for the best that I didn't get accepted or I might probably get fired on the first day." He chuckled to himself. "But why are you even bringing up that company in the first place? I mean we both found internships in other companies right?"

"The reason I did was that like.. ever since we came there and Penelope got accepted there. She's been acting a bit erratic ever since then. I'm starting to think the reason she's acting that way is that something must have happened there." I explained to Yuri making him look at Penelope who was still looking at her phone, totally deadlocked on it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the playboy CEO had something to do with this. I mean that dude was definitely suspicious just from his interview tactics. I mean he asked me if I had a boyfriend and crap. Which is definitely rude and uncalled for.

"Maybe we should ask her. I mean no reason in whispering like this. Am I right?" Yuri advice to bring it up to Penelope. I nodded and decided to do that since I believe that was for the best anyway.

I took a deep breath and decided to turn my attention to  Penelope who seems every occupied. "Hey!" I shouted at her but like a hypnotized person, she didn't answer. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at her phone like it was very special to her or something. Huh? What is up with her? Did she see another one of those models she looks at in those social media she goes to?

"Penelope!" I shouted, trying to break her from her trance-like state. She then snaps out of it and looks at me with a confused expression. "Wha? What?"

"What are you doing there? You seem to be looking at something aren't you?" Yuri stood up to see what she was looking at. As she comes closer, his eyes widen and he sighed. "WOW.. no way..."

"WHAT? WHAT WAS SHE LOOKING AT?!" I stood up, looking at her phone to see a picture of Claude Montesor on her phone screen... What the... SHE'S ACTUALLY STARING AT HIS FACE LIKE THAT? IS SHE FREAKING KIDDING ME...

"Do you guys like mind not staring?" Penelope pouted, getting her phone away from both of us.

"Hahahaha!" Yuri laughed hysterically. "Don't tell me you actually fell head over heels over Claude." He continued to laugh thinking that Penelope's affections were nothing but a joke.. but Penelope's silence told a different story. Making us both question her sanity.

"Um? Didn't you just meet him like a few days ago or something? How come you're already head over heels for that guy?" I asked her.

"Also isn't he like totally out of your league? I mean the dude is like a solid eight out of ten but if he got rid of that arrogant attitude. He might be a ten out of ten." Yuri added.

"He's definitely a ten out of ten for me! I mean he's so dreamy! He's the perfect man anyone can have... and he's mine..." Penelope started to drool over herself just thinking about Claude made her body squirm for some reason.

Giving Yuri and I some very SUS vibes over this. I mean this is definitely not normal... I've seen Penelope in love and crazy over K-Pop Idols like this but she doesn't usually drool like this and act like she's possessed...

"Um.. what do you mean he's yours?" Yuri interrogated her more about her statement.

"It's what I said... He's mine... he loves me.. he cares about me and he makes me feel safe... we are actually dating so..." She muttered under her breath as her face became red from infatuation.

"WHAT?!" Yuri and I both shouted at the same time. 

"DIDN'T YOU JUST MEET THIS GUY LIKE A FEW DAYS AGO? Too fast to fall in love much." Yuri rolled her eyes while Penelope remained in her little trance. Looking at the sky like she lost her mind for some reason.

"Isn't that moving a little bit too much? You're already dating him?" I tried to somewhat reason with her. This is totally unreasonable... I mean like come on.. we're already adults.. why is she doing this love in first sight crap.

"Besides.. are you even sure. Does this guy actually like you?" Yuri chimed into the conversation. " I mean no offense but like you ain't exactly the juiciest peach in the tree. Secondly, he looks like a total playboy. What if he just tosses you out once he's done with you. We're worried about you I-"

"YOU GUYS ARE JUST JEALOUS THAT HE LOVES ME AND HE CARES ABOUT ME! HE EVEN INVITED ME INTO A DATE AND YOU'RE JUST RUINING IT WITH ALL YOUR NEGATIVITY!" Penelope exploded with anger shocking the two of us as she stood up from her chair.

"Hey! Wait! Penelope calm down!" I tried to calm her down but she shrugs me off, pushing me off.

"To think that you guys would be so JEALOUS about this whole ordeal.. please.. I thought you guys were my friends! The love we have is genuine and it's very special! he even kissed me and treated me right! So don't go trying to ruin that!" She retorted as she left the cafe we are in. Leaving Yuri and I completely dumbfounded at what just happened at that moment.

"Ya... so she's exactly not going to listen to us huh?" Yuri helped me get off the ground since I was knocked back when she pushed me.

"I... I didn't know she was going to explode with anger like that when we told her those things...I mean usually, she's so calm and friendly but she's like this now.." I sighed, a bit surprised at Penelope's reactions.

"Although this does prove something..." Yuri muttered out. "Something is definitely up with that two...

Ya... I'm guessing my suspicions are right... I don't want to think that Penelope is being manipulated and stuff with love but something is definitely up with her especially since her personality changed and her attitude as well. I just hope she's okay. I consider her a friend that I love... I wouldn't want her to be hurt or heartbroken by that guy who's obviously playing her.