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The Bet
The Bet
The Bet
[TOTALPARTS]
68
------------------------------------------[ BOOK DESCRIPTION ]
-------------------------------------------When Drake Swift lost in a bet, his best friend wanted him to court a girl in a
month and ask her to be his girl friend. After she said, "Yes", he will tell her
that he doesn't love her and all that happened between them was a game. But wha
t if Sophia Taylor, the girl his best friend chose, is clever than they think s
he is? What will happen if she knows something about their pretty little secret?
------------------------------------------*******************************************
[1] The Bet *Deal
*******************************************
PLEASE DO NOT ADVERTISE YOUR STORIES HERE. It's rude; the comment will be delete
d.
DO NOT POST MY STORY ON OTHER WEBSITES AND CLAIM THAT YOU'RE THE WRITER. Have so
me dignity. I wrote The Bet for two years and I don't appreciate people stealing
it.
This is not based off She's All That. I haven't watched it, and the only reason
how I knew about the existence of the movie was because of the readers of this s
tory.
*****
The guy on the picture is Ryan Christophe Lavigne. You can imagine your own Drak
e though.
The song is Stop and Stare by One Republic. I hope you'll listen to it, and to a
ll the songs that will be posted in the story.
Don't forget to leave a comment! :) Thank you!
____________________________________________________________________________
"The Bet"
Copyright 2010 Kimberly Joy Villanueva.
All rights reserved.
Copyrights:
This story, "The Bet", is copyrighted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents A
ct 1988. This includes all chapters, prologues/epilogues and associated content
(i.e fanfics, teasers and content within blogs, social networks and eReaders). A
ny unauthorized copying, broadcasting, manipulation, distribution or selling of
this work constitutes as an infringement of copyright. Any infringement of this
copyright is punishable by law. Any links, images, brand names or otherwise copy
righted material is not my own, and is not covered by my copyright. No Copyright
Infringement intended.
Chapter 1 *Deal*
~Drake
I think about the last time he lost. I told him to break up with his girlfriend.
He did break up with her. To be honest, I know he didn't love her. But, because
I ordered him to, he did it. And now, because I lost, I have to do what he want
s me to.
A sigh escape from my lips. This will be the last time I'm going to do a deal.
"Okay," I mumble, defeat clearly in my voice.
His scowl turns into a smile. "It's not that hard," he says and then he explains
what he wants me to do.
I'll court someone (of his choosing) for a month and then I'll ask her to be my
girlfriend; she should say yes. At that point, I'll tell her it's just a game, t
hat I lost on a bet and that's why I've been acting like I love her.
This time, our bet is a secret. We can't tell anyone about it.
Andre is worse than I thought. I can't believe he wants me to hurt a girl. Even
though I'm bad, I never dreamed of hurting a girl.
Well, that's karma, a part of me says.
But I have no choice.
When you lost, you don't have a free will. A deal's a deal.
Andre starts to raise his forefinger. So this is it then, he's just going to pin
point someone? I groan.
Andre looks around for a minute, considering whom to choose. "Her," he says afte
r a moment, pointing to a girl walking out of the Math building.
I squint my eyes in the sunlight to see her clearly. All I can make out is that
she has honey blonde hair that falls past her mid back. I can't see her face bec
ause she's looking at the ground while she's walking. I give Andre a questioning
look.
He nods to the direction of the girl. She's walking towards us, and because she'
s looking down, she bumps into a guy. I laugh at her clumsiness.
The guy steadies her, and then she looks up. "Sorry," she says.
When the guy walks away, the girl turns to us. For a fraction of a second, her p
ale blue eyes stare to my dark ones. She looks away quickly, but not before I se
e her face flushes in embarrassment.
Confused, I turn to Andre. "I don't know her," I tell him. I look around again f
or the girl but she's nowhere to be seen. "Is she even a student here?"
Andre looks at me oddly. "Of course she is!" He shakes his head, muttering unint
elligible words at me.
"Is she a new student?" I ask. Maybe she is a transferee. I don't recognize her.
He snorts. "She's in one of your classes, stupid."
"I'm not stupid," I say, scowling at him.
"This is your fourth year in this school, and you don't know her?" He says mocki
ngly.
He playfully punches me on the shoulder. Even though it doesn't hurt, I glare at
him. Really, I don't know the girl.
Of course you don't know her, a voice in my head says, You hardly notice anyone
not worth your attention.
Awesome, now I'm talking to myself. I think I'm crazy.
"Who is she then?" I snap.
"Her name is Sophia Taylor," he answers. "I think it's a good thing I picked her
. You can get to know each other," he says teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows.
I want to punch him, but I control myself. I have to act cool. Besides, it's onl
y a month. I bet it's only going to end up being a week because she'll fall for
me that quickly. Courting a girl I didn't even know existing, until now.
I wonder what her reaction will be when I ask her out. Maybe she'll jump for joy
. Who wouldn't, with my looks? A grin appears on my face. I 'm too confident. I
hope I won't fail.
"You'll start tomorrow," Andre says, bringing me back to reality. "You have a mo
nth."
I see Sophia in the corner of my eye, walking towards the Main Building. She cat
ches my eye and her feet trip on a rock.
I choke a laugh, causing Andre to shake his head.
"This is going to be fun," I say smugly.
*******************************************
[2] The Bet *Plan
*******************************************
Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 2 *Plan*
~Drake
October 7, 2010.
The first day of the bet.
I still can't believe why I agreed to do what Andre wants me to do. I hope nothi
ng will happen in this month. For thirty days, I will court her, and on the thir
ty first, I will ask her to be my girl friend.
Sophia Taylor, what will I do to make you fall in love with me? I think to mysel
f.
"Draky!" I hear my sister yells my name.
"What?" I call back to her. She walks to my room without knocking, her blue eyes
, the same shade as mine, are full of hate. "And stop calling me Draky! My name
is Drake."
She glares at me with all her might. "Why did you eat my cake?"
Oh. That chocolate coated cake I found in the refrigerator yesterday. After clas
s, I was so stressed that I had to find something sweet! And when I saw that cak
e, I couldn't help myself but eat it, savoring its delicious taste.
"I didn't know it was yours," I explain. "It's your fault; you put it in the ref
rigerator without writing your name on it."
She stomps her feet automatically. "You should have asked first!"
"Whatever." I roll my eyes at her. "It still is not my fault."
"It is."
"Is not."
"It is!"
"Is not."
"It is!!" she yells at the top of her lungs.
"Okay, okay." I raise my hands in surrender. I can't take her whining anymore, i
t is so irritating. It was just a piece of cake!
Girls are so annoying. They are creatures that are selfish, immature, envious, w
ar freak, and self conscious. That's why I've never been in a relationship befor
e; I don't want to be committed to a girl. I'm tired of their personalities.
I can't even stand my own sister. I'm not even that close to her, considering we
're twins. Well, we don't look anything alike, save the eyes. I am older than he
r by one minute and thirteen seconds. We're always teasing each other so we just
end up annoying one another.
Driana is nothing like me. She's sweet and kind to everyone, except me. I know h
ow lame that sounds. She's intelligent, not that I'm not smart. Who am I kidding
? I almost flunked one of my subjects when I was a junior.
Driana taps her feet on the floor impatiently, and puts her hands on her hips.
"Don't act like a girl," I say, "It's annoying."
"But I am a girl." She says, drawing out the word girl .
My head's starting to throb. "Can you please just leave me alone now?" I have to
take a shower and organize my things before going to school. "I'll buy you a ca
ke later."
"The same one," she says through gritted teeth.
"Fine."
She's muttering some unintelligible nonsense as she walks out of my room.
I still don't have a plan, but I won't let that stop me from winning the bet.
~Sophia
~Drake
"So, what's the plan?" Andre whispers as the teacher's aide gives the questionna
ire for our quiz.
"I don't know," I hiss. Why can't he leave me alone? He's been bothering me with
that question for almost two hours now. It started when I got out of my car. An
d for now, he believes that I have a plan.
"Come on," he urges, "You can tell me."
"I can hear you talking there," Mrs. Young says, "please remain silent, so as no
t to disturb others."
Andre slumps on his chair, and that's my cue to begin my quiz.
The questions are a piece of cake. I read the topic twice last night so I'm not
confused, and I answer faster than I intend to do.
I need a plan. Of course, first things first; I need to talk to her. How?
Accidentally bumping into her? Borrowing something she owns?
Think fast! Time is running out, in just a minute, I mean an hour, I'll be havin
g Literature with her. From what Andre has told me, Sophia is smart, an only chi
ld, and a nice person.
Well educated, huh? An idea pops into my mind.
~Sophia
"Can you please lower your voice?" I whisper to the guy behind me, not bothering
to look back.
I'm here to listen to the discussion, not to hear his chatter. He doesn't stop s
o I twist on my chair and am about to glare when my eyes lands on a pair of fami
liar blue eyes. The eyes that stared right through mine yesterday, the eyes of D
rake Swift.
Wait. Did he switch place with Ella? I don't remember him sitting behind me. He
looks at me questioningly and I turn around and try to follow the discussion. Ha
ndsome guys are my weakness.
Looks can be deceiving! He may have an appearance like an angel but I know that
he's wearing a mask. According to his sister, he's a jerk. Thanks to Driana, I d
on't have a crush on her twin brother anymore. Remember that, Sophia, never fall
in love with a jerk. Oh, scratch that, never fall in love again because you wil
l end up getting hurt, like before. But I can't erase those eyes from my mind. T
he color of the ocean, the sky, the-"Sophia," Cristina mutters beside me.
"What?" Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I look around to see everyone star
ing at me expectantly. What now?
"Does that mean 'no'?" Mrs. Coelho, our Literature professor, asks, raising her
eyebrow.
What is she talking about? "Sorry, can you repeat that Ma'am?" This is why I don
't like guys messing with my mind. I have to focus.
Sophia, take a deep breath. Erase the thoughts that are clouding your mind.
"Your classmate Drake is having a hard time following the lesson," she says, "He
asked if someone can help him. Can you? Since you have the highest grade on the
previous test."
Oh no. I heave a sigh and mutter, "That's okay, I think." I don't have a choice.
Can I decline the teacher? Of course not.
"Meet up with him later after your last class," she instructs, "And tutor him."
Turning around, I see Drake smiling mischievously. When he notices me staring, h
is facial expression becomes blank and he turns to listen to whatever Mrs. Coelh
o is discussing.
Tutor Drake Swift in Literature.
Fun. . .
Not.
*****
The song is What becomes of a broken hearted by Didi Benami =)
There's a cast on the side, but you can imagine the characters in your head the
way you picture them. . .
Thank you for reading my story! :)
xoxo,
Kim
*******************************************
[3] The Bet *Compromise
*******************************************
Happy Reading :)
Chapter 3 *Compromise*
~ Sophia
"I'm sorry," he says quickly, "I was just. . I didn't mean to--"
"If you want me to teach you, listen carefully," I say through gritted teeth. "F
irst, let go of my arm."
He looks at me hesitantly but still let go. I cross my arms across my chest to s
top them from shaking.
"Second, I have a lot of things to do and place to go, so please cooperate." The
last part is a lie, but I know he doesn't notice.
"Okay Ma'am," he says under his breath.
He still has the nerve to joke!
"Lastly, don't kid around."
That earns me a bored look from him. I hope he gets my point. He resumes reading
so I sit back on my chair. I don't know why I over reacted but he shouldn't thi
nk low of me! I get him to be speechless - one for Sophia, zero for Drake.
He knows nothing about me! He doesn't know that after class, I usually go here,
in the library, to study. I don't have anywhere else to go; going home is not on
the list. As far as possible, I want to stay here as long as I can, but the lib
rary closes at six in the evening. So whether I like it or not, I have to go hom
e and study there.
But I cannot. How can I study if there is constant yelling and screaming in the
background? So when that happens, which is always, I put my headphones in their
full volume so as not to hear my parents fight. I'd rather have loud music as my
background noise instead of them. There are some days and nights when the house
is silent. That means one of them is not home. I tried to runaway but I have no
where else to go so I end up coming back.
Home. Home. Home.
Where is that? Before, my home was where he was. My refuge, my hero, my first lo
ve.
I still remember that day, the day he told me he loved me. That he couldn't live
without me. I was so sure of him; I loved him with all my heart, more than I lo
ved myself. He knew about my family, our situation, and he filled those gaps. I
was blinded by his all consuming love.
But I forgot that life is cruel. Nothing is here forever. My friends told me he
doesn't deserve my love and that I'm better off without him. He couldn't be trus
ted. He will just break my heart and will leave me like his past girlfriends. Bu
t I didn't believe anything they said. I defended him, fought with my friends, a
nd accused them of being jealous.
Because of him, I lost everything.
"Pie? Pie?"
~ Drake
"Pie? Pie?"
She can't seem to hear me. "Are you okay?" I ask.
She's staring at nothing in particular, maybe she's day dreaming; how girly. I'm
glad my plan worked. Knowing she's intelligent, I took it to my advantage and s
tarted there. I know beforehand that Mrs. Coelho will pick Pie as my tutor becau
se I was the one who checked her paper in the previous test. I wonder if she has
any other things to do besides studying. I snap my fingers a few inches from he
r face to get her attention. Thankfully, it does.
She looks at me in bewilderment. "What did you call me?"
"Pie," I answer automatically but carefully, afraid she might snap at me any sec
ond. This girl has an attitude. I can't read her.
"Don't call me that!" She says irritably, scowling at me.
"Why? Isn't your name Sophia? Pie is an appropriate nickname." Pie is a sweet ni
ckname. I wonder why she doesn't like it.
"It's not! Just call me by my whole name."
"But Sophia is kind of mouthful." Arguing with her is amusing. She doesn't want
to lose and I'm not one to back off either.
She starts to say something, but I can sense that she decides against it. She le
t it go by saying, "Whatever Draky," mischievously.
I stare at her blankly, trying to process what she just said. She looks at me sm
ugly in return. How did she found that Draky . . .
"Driana," I mutter darkly, so quiet Sophia haven't hear it.
Closing my eyes, I try to control my anger. I don't know where Driana got that s
tupid moniker. It's kind of ironic how I know now what she feels when she calls
me that. When you call people names they don't like, the look on their face is a
bsolutely priceless.
But how does Sophia know?
Oh! I slap myself mentally for forgetting what Andre told me. Sophia and my twin
evil sister are friends, and that, I can get to my advantage. But I have to get
the help of my sister. If she will help me.
I am thankful of Andre, considering we're playing a game, he's still helping me.
He really is my best friend.
I have to relax to think properly. "How about we compromise?" I ask Sophia, havi
ng an idea to make her comfortable with me. I'm so smart, I can easily think of
something.
"Compromise?" she says slowly.
"You know, the win-win situation, where both--"
"I know that!" She snaps, cutting me off.
the librarian walks towards us. She chastises us. I can see that she see
of Pie and put the blame on me, saying that this place is called Library
I don't know) and we should lower our voice and not do unnecessary thing
not to disturb others.
Am I the one who slapped the table? Am I the one who nearly shouted?
The students look at us sheepishly and mutter things only God knows what. When t
he librarian, I forgot her name, is clearly contented that we're going to behave
, she walks away with a look of disdain on her face.
Pie looks at me and mumbles, "Sorry". Her pale face reddens in embarrassment whe
n the full blast of what she did sink in.
My lips twitches upward as my next words tumble out of my mouth. "So, is it a de
al?"
She looks at me dubiously and bites her lower lip. After a moment, she finally s
ays, "Okay, deal."
One for Drake, zero for Pie. I pinch my thigh to control myself from grinning. P
ie is smart, she might know something's off when I look so smug about our compro
mise.
"Good," I say, standing up. "You have my word then."
"Wait!" She says, standing up as well. "Where are you going?"
"Home," I answer, like I have anywhere else to go. It's a school night.
"But I haven't tutored you yet," she says, frowning.
"There's plenty of time for that."
One step at a time. I'm so proud of myself; I made a progress this day.
*****
PIE is pronounced as p-i-e, like the food :>
The song is If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet by Mayday Para
de.
Feel free to write what you think about my story :) I know there are more chapte
rs after this, and maybe you want to read more, but don't forget to leave a comm
ent. . .
Thank you for reading <3
*******************************************
[4] The Bet *Dream
*******************************************
Happy Reading :)
Chapter 4 *Dream*
~ Sophia
Darkness. That's all I see around me. Actually, I don't see anything. Even if m
y eyes are closed, there's no change. Where am I?
Trying to find my way, I walk blindly forward with my hands outstretch before me
.
The saying, "I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the li
ght" fills my mind. The one who wrote that haven't walked in complete darkness.
I'd rather walk in the daylight alone, if this is the situation. But maybe if I
have someone with me, that's another matter.
Far ahead, I see a glow of light. I walk to that direction, hoping someone is th
ere.
Sure enough, a stranger is standing below the light. Glancing up, I can't think
of a logical explanation where that light comes from.
Black feathered wings are sprouting from the stranger's back which I just notice
now because of so much fascination in the light. His hair is as radiant as the
sun.
"Draky?" I ask without thinking.
I don't even know why he comes to my mind. I haven't seen the face of the strang
er and I'm already giving him a name. Good work Sophia.
The guy turns around at the sound of my voice. A startle gasps escapes from my l
ips as I stare at his face. His sapphire eyes became darker if that's even possi
ble.
"Come with me?" He asks.
"No!" I scream, and sit upright. Nausea fills me. I'm so dizzy and my head throb
s painfully.
"It's just a dream, it's just a dream," I reassure my self again and again.
Glancing beside me, I see in the alarm clock that it's just passed three in the
morning. Sweat pours down my face as I wait for my breathing to return to normal
. Taking a deep breath, I get up from my bed and head for the bathroom. Splashin
g water to my face seems a good idea to clear my thoughts. Looking at the mirror
, I see that there are dark circles forming under my eyes.
"Stupid nightmare," I mutter darkly. It's my first time to dream about Draky, an
d then it's a nightmare. Figures.
Going back to my bed, I know sleep won't come easily so I get Clockwork Angel fr
om my bookshelf.
There are times when I wish I am someone else. What would it be like, living oth
er people's life? Tessa is wrong. Her gift is not a curse. She's pretty lucky; s
he can be anyone she wants to be. But what's the point of living if you're livin
g the life of others, and not your own? Does that even count as living?
The soft murmurs coming from the hallway wakes me up. I don't even know when I f
all asleep. Suddenly, I'm worried. I'm used to their yelling, and now it's gone
. Is that even possible? What's happening?
Curiosity urges me to listen to know what my parents are talking about. I walk t
o their bedroom as quietly as I can and put my right ear beside the door to hear
them clearly. If I'm going to eavesdrop, which I am, I might as well do it thor
oughly.
"What are we going to do?" My father asks in a calming tone I haven't heard sinc
e the misfortune.
"She's going to stay at my friend's place," My mother says.
I'm amazed though, that they're speaking with each other civilly.
In my mind, I can see my dad shaking his head. "She's still a minor."
She? Are they talking about me? Staying at my friend's place? What does that mea
n? Are we moving out?
".. the best for her," my mom says. I have to shut up my mind! I haven't heard
the first part of that sentence.
"Can she just stay here until things get better?"
"No," my mom says firmly. I can imagine her mouth set in a thin line. "Staying h
ere will make her more miserable."
My father replies something in a low voice.
"Our daughter's smart, she knows what's good for her."
"When will she come back?" My dad asks grimly.
"After we sort things out."
How can they talk about me like that? Why would I move out? Did I do something?
"She's a close friend of mine when we were in college," my mom answers the quest
ion of my dad I haven't hear. "We still keep in touch."
"Is it okay for her? How about her family?"
"I called her last night, and she told me it's alright."
"Okay then."
I hear scrambling inside and their footsteps coming closer. My feet are frozen i
n place, they can't move! The door opens to my horror, and soon enough, my paren
ts are both standing in front of me with a surprised expression on their face.
"Honey," my mom says, moving towards me. "Don't cry, everything's under control.
" She wipes my cheek and that's when I realize that I'm crying. Tears flows free
ly from my eyes without consent.
"You heard everything?" My dad asks, his brown eyes full of concern.
"I heard enough," I whisper.
"You can come back as soon as we fix it," my mom assures me, looking at my dad w
ho nods in agreement.
It. Meaning our family? But why am I the one who's suffering?
"Do I have a choice?" I ask them, albeit I already know the answer.
My father looks at me sadly and shakes his head.
I grit my teeth to control myself from sobbing. As I walk away, my mother asks m
e, "Where are you going?"
"In my room," I answer without turning around.
"Aren't you going to school?"
Glancing at the wall clock, I see it's already eight in the morning. I'm already
late. Besides, I'm not in the mood. "I'm going to pack!"
"I'll help you," my mom offers, and starts to follow me but my dad stops her and
whispers, "She needs to be alone."
I leave them and go to my room, shutting the door tightly behind me.
I know I wanted to runaway before, but not like this. Besides, I'm used to their
fighting, so what's the point? Why are they fixing our family again? Not that I
want a broken family . . Why am I even asking these questions to myself? Yeah,
I know, I'm just dreading the worst question of all . .
Where am I going to live?
*****
This is story doesn't have any bizarre creatures, if you're wondering ;)
The song is Sweet Dreams by Emily Browning -- OST of Sucker Punch. Really liked
that movie :D Banner by You4Real.
Do you have a Twitter account? Follow me! Just click the External link on the si
de. If you're going to add me on Facebook, tell me you're from Wattpad :)
Thank you! ^.^
*******************************************
[5] The Bet *Guest
*******************************************
Happy reading! :)
Chapter 5 *Guest*
~Drake
"Drake," says my mom, as she settles our breakfast on the table. "How's school?"
"Good," I say automatically.
Driana snorts.
I kick her under the table which earns me a glare from her.
"You know," my mom says, ignoring us, "If you're having a hard time, you can ask
Andre for help."
"I know mom," I mutter. I roll my eyes at her and my twin little sister chokes a
laugh.
Andre is intelligent. He may be lazy in studying but when he does, he can get a
perfect score.
My mom looks at me expectantly.
Taking a deep breath, I ask her, "What do you want me to do?"
"You can stay at their house this weekend and let him tutor you."
At the word tutor, my mind thinks of Sophia. If she can tutor me this weekend, w
e'll get close to each other and then the month will just be a week. And then I'
m finally free with the bet.
"Okay," I tell my mom. "I'll ask Andre."
"Call him now," My twin little sister says.
If I know, she just wants the whole house to herself. No wonder my mom doesn't o
ffer Driana's help, we might end up killing each other.
"That's a good idea," My mom chimes in.
Shaking my head, I dial Andre's number.
"Hey," he answers at the third ring.
"Can I stay at your house this weekend?" I ask, direct to the point.
"Sure," he says, not even thinking about it.
"What about your mom?"
"Of course, she won't mind." I can imagine him rolling his eyes.
"Okay then," I say, "See you at school."
"Satisfied?" I ask my mom and Driana after I hung up.
Driana's mouth curves into a smile. My mom looks at me, a concern expression on
her face. I know she's worried about my future, but I can take care of it.
h other. The thing is what if she will not agree? What if she already has a plan
for tomorrow? What if she doesn't want to be with me? That's a big problem! How
can I win the bet if that happens? Don't you just hate What If's?
----"Why did you just tell me now?" I ask irritably.
After school, Andre and I go directly to their house, and now we're in his room.
I'm sprawled on his bed while he's using his laptop on his desk.
"I forgot." Andre turns around, smiling sheepishly.
"You forgot that a girl is going to stay in your house?" I say incredulously. "A
re you that stupid?"
"It's no big deal, idiot," he mutters.
Andre just told me a while ago that a daughter of his mom's friend is going to s
tay here for a couple of days due to a family problem. She's a senior student li
ke us, studying in our school. Andre is pretty stupid! Why did he agree to let m
e stay in their house if they already have a guest? What did he thought of their
house, a dorm?
"What's her name?" I ask.
"I don't know!" He scratches his head, as if he doesn't really care. He can be o
blivious with what's happening around him.
"Maybe my staying here is not a good idea," I suggest.
"I told you, my mom won't mind! You're like, family to us."
"I'll leave you with the mysterious girl all to yourself."
"Oh come on," he mutters. "I already like someone."
I shake my head at him, and then remember what he said. "You like someone?"
"I, uh, yes," he answers, averting his eyes.
That's news! Since I asked him to break up with Mindy, he hasn't liked someone a
gain. Or so I thought.
"Who is she?" I ask, curiosity is clearly in my voice.
When he doesn't respond, and pretends to be busy searching pictures for his Hist
ory assignment, I repeat the question. It's Friday, so why is he doing the assig
nment already?
"It's nothing serious, really," he says. "It's just a crush."
"So why won't you tell me?"
He makes a point of looking at the wall clock and says, "Our guest will arrive i
n a couple of minutes." And then he stands up. "I'm going to take a bath." He hu
rries to walk to his bathroom. But before he can get out of the room, I pick a p
illow and throw it at his retreating figure. He's pretty fast, before it hits hi
s head; he slaps it back towards me, laughing like there's no tomorrow.
Not telling me who's his crush makes me more curious. Why won't he tell me? Mayb
e I know her. Andre can be secretive when he wants.
A knock on the front door breaks me from my thoughts.
"Andre!" I yell. "Your guest is here."
"Let them in." I can hear the shower turning off. "I'm not done."
"Why would I?" I ask incredulously.
"What do you want them to do, stand outside the door? Idiot."
"Stupid," I retort. "Faster!"
Hastily, I make my way towards the living room. This is not even my house so why
am I the one opening the door? Yeah, I forgot, I'm going to stay here this week
end to improve my studies.
When I open the door, a woman appears in my line of sight.
"Andre?" The woman asks. "Is that you?"
I thought the guest was a girl! How can this woman be a senior student? She look
s like more or less forty years old. Maybe I am wrong. She doesn't have a bag wi
th her. Maybe she's just a family relative. But she thought I was Andre! Andre w
ith a blonde hair and green eyes. We look nothing a like. One way to find out.
"I'm Drake, Andre's friend," I say, clearing my throat. "Andre's taking a bath r
ight now."
The woman gives me a rueful smile. "I'm Emily. Nice to meet you."
"You too," I mumble. There's something familiar about Emily, like I've seen her
before but I don't remember how. "Come in," I say, opening the door widely so sh
e can enter.
"I'll just call my daughter," she says and walks toward the car, which I just no
tice now, parked in the driveway.
So, there's a girl . .
The passenger door of the red Mercedes Benz opens and the girl gets out of it. W
hen she looks at me, time stops. I find myself staring at her, wide eyes with sh
ock, mouth hanging open. She has a confused expression on her face, and then she
looks between me and her mom.
Finally, I find my voice and ask her, "What are you doing here?" I already have
an idea but I want to hear it directly from her.
"What are you doing here?" She says incredulously, as if I am the last person sh
e expects to see here.
Don't you hate it when you ask someone a question and they ask you that question
too?
Emily beams at us. "You know each other!"
"Yes," Sophia and I say simultaneously without taking our eyes off each other.
"That's great!" Emily grins, oblivious to our incredulous expression. And then s
he takes something out the backseat. A luggage bag. That only means one thing.
As a sign of courtesy, I take the bag out of Emily's hand. As we enter the house
, Andre walks down the hall, bouncing like a ball with a wet hair. When he sees
Sophia, he stops in his tracks and gives me a knowing smile.
Did he know it before, or is he just as shock as me? He can conceal his expressi
on, I know. But I think he won't keep it a secret to me.
"Welcome to our home," he says, grinning broadly. "Enjoy your stay here, Sophia!
"
*****
The song is Fireflies by Owl City. Adam Young is amazing!
Banner by CreativeSideOfLife :)
Thank you <3
*******************************************
[6] The Bet *Homesick
*******************************************
Happy reading! :)
Chapter 6 *Homesick*
~Sophia
me, I see Draky with an amused expression on his face. When he catches me stari
ng at him, he smirks.
"What?" I ask.
My mom looks at me patiently and says, "You haven't told me that you are assigne
d to tutor Drake in Literature."
"Oh. That," I mutter. Everyone looks at me expectantly. As if waiting for my ans
wer that can change the world. "Yeah, but I haven't tutored him yet." I look poi
ntedly at Draky making him choke the water he's drinking.
"You can teach him tomorrow," Andre suggests, joining in the conversation. I hav
e no doubt he saw the look Drake and I shared a while ago.
"Tomorrow will be good," Drake says.
Something in his expression makes me raise my eye brows. He looks like he's on t
o something. Like he has a secret no one knows.
"Okay," I agree. It won't do any good prolonging the inevitable. The sooner the
better so I'm free off him.
Trying to look busy eating my food, while my mom and Aunt V chat, my eyes lands
on a photo beside the china ware. I'm going to call Aunt Veronica Aunt V from no
w on, in my head; Veronica is a mouth full. A young Andre and her mom are on the
picture. The man beside her is maybe her husband. He looks like an old version
of Andre.
"Where is your husband?" I ask Aunt V without thinking.
Everyone in the table stops eating at once. A fork suddenly falls to the ground
making a clattering sound. Andre gets up abruptly from his chair to get another
fork. The tension in the air is thickening. What have I done? Did I say somethin
g wrong?
"He's dead," Aunt V says softly.
"I'm sorry," I mumble, I can feel my face heats up in embarrassment. "I.. I didn
't know. Sorry."
Aunt V smiles sadly. "That's okay."
I feel so horrible right now. I want to be small, and to be precise, I want to v
anish. Looking all around me except Aunt V, I see my mom with an incredulous exp
ression on her face. A rage is building inside me. She forced me to live with th
em without telling me anything about their family. Good job, mom.
The dinner becomes more awkward, if that's possible. Andre comes back with a gri
n on his face, as if I didn't do something wrong.
He chatters cheerfully about his professors and the girls who are falling head o
ver heels for him, making our parents laugh.
He's trying to make us forget about my stupid question, and I want to thank him
for that.
When Draky thinks I'm not looking, I see him in the corner of my eye, stealing g
lances at me. Gritting my teeth, I control the urge to snap at him. I easily fee
l self conscious, especially when I'm eating.
"Mom," I say, looking up at her and blinking back the tears that are threatening
to spill from my eyes. I don't want to cry here, in front of them.
"Honey," she begins, "you are safe here. I'll come back for you when the right t
ime comes." She gives me a peck on the cheek and then walks away outside the doo
r. She leaves me with these strangers.
Someone from behind clears their throat. Turning around, I see Aunt V giving me
a small smile.
"Come on," she says gently. "I'll take you to your room so that you can rest. I
know you're tired."
I follow her upstairs, wondering where the boys are. Aunt V chats along the way.
She tells me that Andre's room, and the entertainment rooms are downstairs. The
guest rooms and the master's bedroom are upstairs. This is such a huge house! J
ust walking on the staircase makes me feel like I'm in one of the fairytale's ca
stle.
Aunt V says that she's very pleased to have me here, to have a girl companion.
She's very kind, and she smells nice .. Not a sickeningly sweet perfume, but flo
wers. She smells of fresh flowers.
"This is my room," she says, indicating the first room upstairs.
When we round a corner, she stops walking in front of a white door. Opening it,
she indicates that I come in. "This is your room," she says.
Blank white walls are staring at me. There's a window on the back wall with a bl
ack and white stripes curtain hanging from it. There's a bed with a pink plaid b
ed sheet and two pillows. On the right side is a closet; while on the far corner
are a desk and a chair.
"I'm sorry," Aunt V says suddenly. "I haven't had the time to add furniture."
"That's okay," I say. And then I notice another room across from mine. "What roo
m is that?"
"It's another guest room, and it's currently occupied by Drake."
What? We already live inside the same house and we're going to stay across from
each other?
"The next door in his room is the bathroom," she continues, oblivious to my sile
nce.
We're going to share the same bathroom! What on earth is happening here? My head
is spinning so fast, I feel dizzy.
"Sophia," Aunt V says softly, "If you need or want anything, please do not hesit
ate to ask me or Andre, or Drake. And feel free to make this your home. If you w
ant to add or change something in this room, I won't mind. I want you to be comf
ortable here."
"Okay," I say, and give her a nod.
She smiles in return and squeezes my hand. "I'll leave you now so you can rest.
Good night."
"Thank you."
She closes the door when she walks out of my room.
I put my bag beside the closet and sit on the bed. A sigh escapes from my lips a
s I take in my room. I miss my blue room. I miss the photos in my desk. I miss e
verything at home. A sudden sound makes me startle. A second later, I realized i
t's my hiccup.
Lying on my bed, I stare at the ceiling. I miss my own ceiling where the glow in
the light stars blinks in the dim light. Soon enough, tears flow from my eyes w
ithout control. The pain in my chest is suffocating me, it's hard to breathe.
And then the blank walls are closing in on me, I feel like I'm in a Hospital, st
aring at my-No. No. Not that again.
Furiously, I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I've been doing everything I ca
n not to think of that. It already happened, it cannot be undone.
Taking a deep breath, I will myself to think of now. I get my bag and take my th
ings out of it and put them on the closet. If I'm going to stay here, which I am
, I might as well get used to it.
There are some books I brought with me. I put them on the desk. And then my litt
le stuff animal which I named Shea comes into view. I place her on the bed. No o
ne is ever too old for a teddy bear.
Needing some fresh air, I walk to the window and slide it open. It overlooks the
backyard of the house. In the middle is a pool and surrounding it are lounge ch
airs. In the far corner is a little garden with different kinds of flowers.
Closing my eyes and leaning my head in the window, my mind only forms one though
t.
I'm staying in a mansion.
~Drake
I toss and turn all night, sleeping here again needs some getting used to.
Maybe the reason why I can't sleep is that Pie is sleeping across from my room.
Getting up from the bed, I think fresh air will do me some good. I make my way t
owards the open balcony in the far corner of the house. Standing in front of the
railing is Pie. Seeing her makes me almost turn and go back to my room but I st
op myself.
Studying her this up close, makes me think of Andre's earlier comment that she's
pretty.
Come on, I wouldn't fall for her. She's not even my type. And I'm just talking t
o her because of the bet. No more, no less.
I don't know why she's here. What's with the family problem? She looked okay wit
h her mom earlier. I'm afraid to ask her because she might get offended with my
prying.
A sudden sound makes me step back. Looking around, I see that she's crying. She'
s trying to stop it but when tears fall, you cannot just tell them to stop.
Guilt consumes me; it fills my head and strikes my chest. I'm not the reason why
she's here, why do I feel guilty? Perhaps because she's already hurting, and I
'm going to add another pain to her. I have a hard time swallowing the lump in m
y throat.
I'm sorry, Pie. A deal's a deal.
*****
The song is "Into the Ocean" by Blue October. I like this song so much =)
Draky's POV is short. I almost didn't put it here and post it for another chapte
r, but oh well. Maybe that's for later.
I'm sorry if there are mistakes. English isn't my native language, but I'm doing
my best to be good at it.
Can you put a less than sign and a three in your comment (<3) so that I'll know
if you read the author's note? I'm just curious :)
Thank you for reading *.*
*******************************************
[7] The Bet *Intruder
*******************************************
This is dedicated to all of you :)
Happy Reading *.*
Chapter 7 *Intruder*
~Sophia
Opening my eyes, I rub the sleep from my eyes. I almost panic when I notice I'm
not in my room, but then I remember that I'm in Andre's house.
I stretch my arms to pop the muscles in my body. It feels stiff, not that the be
d is uncomfortable, but because it's my first time to sleep in a bed besides my
own. Looking at my alarm clock beside the bed, I see that it's already eight in
the morning.
I feel so tired, last night was exhausting. Crying myself to sleep makes me sick
.
Putting my headphones on full volume, A Day To Remember's You Should Have Killed
Me When You Had The Chance plays in. I know I shouldn't put them on because the
re's no more yelling but old habits die hard.
Remembering my promise to Driana to text her when I get here, I take my cell pho
ne in the front pocket of my school bag. A lot of things happened yesterday so I
forgot to text her.There are two new messages from her. I hope she's not angry
with me. The first one is:
I can't still believe you're living with Andre! And I'm sorry about Draky, it's
my fault he's there with you :(
What did she meant by it's my fault he's there with you?
The second message was sent thirteen hours after the first one. A smile appears
on my face as I read it.
Sophia! Are you still alive? Why aren't you texting me back? I'm dying here!
Driana is like a sister to me. I'm glad she's my friend. I text her back, saying
:
Don't worry, I'm still breathing :) Talk to you soon!
I'm going to tell her these, face to face. I want to see her reaction. I put the
cell phone down on the bed, and grab my toothbrush.
Singing Since U Been Gone silently while walking towards the bathroom makes me f
eel normal, alive. I feel naked with my peach night gown that reached just below
my thigh. My legs are expose, I can't help but shiver. Looking at the mirror is
such a bad idea. My eyes are puffy and my nose is as red as Rudolph's. I'm glad
I'm alone.
Turning my iPod off so that I can brush my teeth, I hear water dripping from a s
hower. My head snaps towards the sound, as my heart thumps in my chest one hundr
ed miles per second.
Sure enough, someone is taking a bath.
"Oh My God," I mutter as I step back.
How can I be stupid? Why haven't I notice that I am not alone here? Fortunately,
the shower curtain is close and it's dark so I can't see beneath it.
As I'm about to walk out of the room, the shower curtain moves. To my horror, it
opens, making Draky's head comes into view. My heart leaps in my throat, making
it hard to breathe.
Draky looks at me, color drains from his face.
"I . . I . . uh . ." I feel like an idiot, stuttering in front of him. Tearing a
way from his piercing gaze, I run to my room, my feet flailing beneath me.
Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh my. That's the only coherent thought I have. When I
enter my room, I sit on my bed, stunned.
"Oh my God," I mutter. I haven't seen anything, right? "Yes," I say firmly. I ha
ven't seen anything! But why is that my breathing doesn't want to return to norm
al? It's as if I run in a marathon!
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly, counting one, two, three. I lay on my
bed, trying to erase Draky's priceless face from my mind. I want to swallow, bu
t there's something stuck in my throat.
Suddenly, the door bursts open revealing Draky in his towel. Towel. He's just we
aring a towel!
Draky looks at me, his gaze lingering just below my neck. I fight the urge to co
ver my chest.
"What are you doing here?" I choke out, sitting up at the edge of my bed.
I try hard not to stare at his body. I put my eyes on his face instead, noticing
that his wet hair looks good on him. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I te
ll myself to look anywhere, just not him. I try to swallow the lump in my throat
again, to no avail.
I thought he will not speak; he just stands there, not feeling self conscious th
at's he's not wearing anything besides a towel that wraps on his waist. Please,
let there be something beneath that.
"Why did you enter the bathroom while I was taking my shower?" He demands.
"I . . I didn't know you were inside," I explain.
"You didn't know?" He asks incredulously.
"Why didn't you lock the door while taking a shower?" I say defensively.
"Because I didn't know someone would come." And then something, like realization
hits him. "You want to see me naked."
"Wh .. Wh .. What?!"
He grins at my stuttering.
My blood boils, fuming with rage. "How dare you accused me of something like tha
t?!" I snap.
He opens his mouth, no doubt to defend himself, but I cut him off.
"It's not my problem you're stupid enough to take a bath without locking the doo
r!"
He mutters something under his breath, brushing his hand to his hair. "I, uh." H
e clears his throat, suddenly looking nervous and embarrassed. "Did you see some
thing?"
That makes me startle, like my anger suddenly turns off with a switch. My face f
eels hot; I think it looks like a ripe tomato.
"I didn't see anything," I whisper.
"You sure?" He asks dubiously.
"Yes," I stammer. Why does my words go like that? Draky might think I've seen hi
m naked which is absolutely not true. That thought makes me squirm uncomfortably
.
"Why didn't you hear the water coming from the shower then?"
Why doesn't he believe me? I have a feeling he's enjoying this conversation!
"Because I was listening to music then," I explain. "When I turn my iPod off, th
at's just when I heard you."
I duck my head in embarrassment. Those words sound like a pathetic lie in my hea
ring. Why am I sweating bullets?
Draky considers it for a moment and finally nods. I breathe a sigh of relief bec
ause he knows I'm telling the truth. So why isn't he leaving yet?
"Why did you already take a bath?" I ask curiously. "It's just morning."
He rolls his eyes and says, "I always start my day with a shower. You never know
what the day will bring." He crosses his arms over his chest. I'm afraid the to
wel will fall off. He's really an idiot! How can he enter a girl's room with jus
t a towel?
I don't know I am biting my lip until I taste my blood; it's like a metallic cop
per. It's funny how I know the taste of metallic copper even if I haven't tasted
it.
"You look so innocent," he says, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Shut up!" I think I'm going to have a fever.
"Next time, knock before you come in," he teases, a playful smile is starting to
form on his lips.
There's no next time, I thought. But I say, "Next time, lock the door."
And then I realize something. I haven't brush my teeth yet, and I'm already talk
ing to him! I cover my mouth automatically.
Fortunately, he decides that it's time to leave me alone. As he opens the door,
he turns back to me.
"Peach look goods on you," he says matter-of-factly.
I open my mouth to say something but no sound comes so I close it. He leaves me
alone with a confused expression on my face.
*****
I'm going to add something more but I think it's good to end the chapter here. I
hope you laugh while reading this, as much as I did when I was writing it :D
The song is Thick as Thieves by Dashboard Confessional.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS ON THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS <3
Thank you for reading :)
*******************************************
[8] The Bet *Memories
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 8 *Memories*
~Sophia
After my encounter with Draky, I end up taking a bath too. It's not a bad idea,
considering I feel sticky. It's like the conversation we had a while ago cling
to my body so I rub it as much as I can. Of course, I lock the door; I don't wan
t to repeat that scene again. After that, I go directly to my room (with fresh b
reath) and decide to blow dry my hair.
A knock on the door makes me startle. My hand slips the hold of the dryer. It fa
lls on my toes, making me jump, more in surprise than in pain.
I don't know I have an audience until I hear his manic laugh. I don't have to tu
rn around to see its Draky. No doubt he saw my clumsiness.
Tsk. I can feel that my toes are in pain. The blow dryer falls off on them, and
it's hot! He even finds it amusing!
"What do you want?" I snap, turning to glare at him.
He clears his throat to cut off his laughter. "Aunt Veronica asked me to tell yo
u that breakfast is ready."
"Okay," I mutter.
I pretend that he's not here as I wait for him to leave my room.
As I turn my dryer off, he says, "I didn't know you sleep with a bear in your be
d." He nods to the direction of Shea. "She's cute."
"Thanks," I mumble. I thought he will make fun of me.
"What's her name?"
"Shea." I don't know why he cares.
He gets Shea from my bed and I almost yell at him to put it back because I don't
like it when people touches my things. The expression on his face stops me.
"Shea," he says thoughtfully.
There's a flicker of something like sadness in his eyes, but when I look again,
it's gone. It must be a figment of my imagination.
I can't tell the expression that crosses his face as he studies Shea. For a seco
nd, he looks vulnerable, like he's just an eight year old boy.
Suddenly, he says, "I had a stuffed toy too."
Had? I open my mouth to ask where it is now, when he puts Shea back on the bed a
nd says, "Come on, let's not make Auntie wait for us."
"Oh-Kay," I mumble, and follow him downstairs.
~Drake
I don't know why I told her about Bobby. Sometimes I can't hold off my tongue. W
e walk down the stairs in uncomfortable silence, both of us preoccupied with our
own thoughts.
When we walk in the dining room, Auntie is nowhere in sight.
Pie sits across from me, but doesn't dare look me in the eyes. Maybe she still c
an't get over the fact that she walked in the bathroom while I was having my sho
wer. What will you do if what happened to me, happens to you?
I shift uncomfortably on my chair when Auntie walks in the dining room and sits
beside Pie.
"Good morning!" Aunt Veronica greets Pie.
"Good morning too," Pie says shyly.
"How was your sleep?"
"Good," Pie says smoothly.
I notice that Auntie doesn't ask questions about the puffiness of Pie's eyes. Ma
ybe that's expected when your mom left you to live with strangers.
"Where's Andre?" Pie asks curiously.
"He went somewhere," Aunt Veronica answers, "He said it was important."
Andre helps me a lot. He wants me to be alone with Pie so that I can finish what
I started.
"This is delicious," Pie compliments Auntie.
The breakfast consists of eggs, hot-dogs, and bacon. Typical.
Auntie and Pie talks about girl stuffs then. About dresses, shoes, bags, and any
thing in between. Auntie looks happy. She's really enjoying because finally, she
has a girl companion. Meanwhile, Pie doesn't seem interested in fashion. I thin
k she'd rather talk about books. But she still gives her full attention to whate
ver Auntie is saying. Some girls our age will just pretend that they're listenin
g, but she's different.
When I'm picking my food, I see her in the corner of my eye stealing glances at
me and then looking away quickly when I raise my head to take a bite.
Stupid bathroom scene! How can I be so careless on not locking the door? A sigh
escapes from my lips without my permission.
In the days I've known her, I realize something. She doesn't like smiling. Perha
ps she's not smiling when I'm around. But now, she looks carefree talking to Aun
tie.
"Ooh," Auntie suddenly gushes, looking at her wrist watch. "I'm late for work. I
hope you don't mind washing the dishes." She looks at us with a small smile on
her face.
"It's okay," I reassure her.
She says goodbye, and walks out of the room in a hurry. After a minute, I hear t
he front door slam shut.
Pie looks at me incredulously. "They don't have a maid?"
"Yes," I say. "Why are you so surprise?"
"Because this is a big house and Aunt V," she stops suddenly, maybe realizing wh
at she says. "I meant Aunt Veronica is the only one who cleans it?"
"Aunt V?" I tease her, "A very nice nickname."
She ducks her head in embarrassment. "Shut up," she mutters.
It's kind of amusing how she's always blushing when she's embarrass.
"I'll wash the dishes, you'll dry," she says after a minute.
"Okay," I agree.
We carry the dirty dishes and make our way to the kitchen. We put the plates nea
r the sink and begin to clean them.
"Can I ask you something?" I ask hesitantly when she gives me a plate to dry.
"Sure," she says. And then when I don't answer, she stares at me. "Why do you lo
ok so surprise?"
"I thought you'll say no."
"Pessimist much?" She asks, a small smile is tugging at her lips.
"Not really," I say wearily.
She sighs. "Just because I gave you a permission to ask me a question doesn't me
an I'm going to answer it."
I open my mouth to retort but I can't think of anything to say. She smirks, no d
oubt thinking that she can make me speechless.
This girl is unbelievable! The first one who's immune to my charm!
Suddenly, she laughs. I don't know what's funny. Can she at least share the joke
?
Her laughter is different. It sounds like a tiny bell in a "Draky?" she says, interrupting me from my reverie.
I shake my head furiously. I don't like where my thoughts are headed.
She clears her throat and says, "What do you want to know?"
"I, uh, just wondering . ." I trail off.
"Wondering?" she prompts.
"I'm sorry," she says suddenly. Her eyes are red again. Tears flows freely from
them.
I want to wipe them but I know she won't let me. Who am I?
"I . . I shouldn't have said those to you."
"It's okay." I hear that my voice is shaking. I clear my throat before I speak.
"It was my fault, I asked you the question."
She forces a laugh. "And I answered it."
"It's our fault then."
"You know, that's why I never like hospitals. They make me remember that unfortu
nate event. I don't like blank white walls, narrow hallways, and the smell of ch
emicals. I don't like everything about hospitals."
"I used to hate hospitals too," I say inconspicuously. "It was the time when I w
as eight years old. I sprained my ankle by climbing a tree. A naughty boy I was,
I fell down." I chuckle, remembering the memory. "Of course, my parents brought
me to the hospital where they told me that I couldn't play for a week."
It's just a simple problem, really, but I hope it makes Pie feel better that she
's not alone in loathing hospitals. To my surprise, Pie laughs. It's a funny kin
d of laugh because she just finishes crying. Still, I'm glad she stopped now, al
beit it's in my expense. In the first place, I was the one who started it.
She wipes the tears in her cheeks and hops off the counter. "Thank you for list
ening," she says.
"No problem," I mumble. I realized too late that I still don't know why she's he
re. Asking the question again is not an option. Prying into her life isn't good
after all. Look what I've done!
Then out of nowhere, an idea pops into my head. It will help her try to forget h
er pain while I can move on to my plan of making her fall in love with me. I sug
gest it to Pie but she questions our tutorial lesson. Typical.
After a few pleading, she gives up and agrees. I'm pretty persuasive if I want t
o. And maybe, she's not completely immune to my charm.
*****
I watched Beastly and it was very different from the book but still definitely w
orth watching. Who can resist Alex Pettyfer? =)
The song is In Christ Alone by Owl City <3
Thank you for all the comments you left on the previous chapters. I like reading
them again and again :D Especially your guess about the characters and what mig
ht happen next.
Thank you! *.*
*******************************************
[9] The Bet *Serendipity
*******************************************
This is dedicated to all of you *.*
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 9 *Serendipity*
~Sophia
He puffs out a breath. I'm thinking he's running out of patience in me.
"Why do you keep on choosing Chick-flicks?" I ask curiously. "I thought guys can
't stand those kinds of movies."
"Because I thought you'll like it."
He's wiling to watch a movie he doesn't like just because I like it? "How do you
know?" I ask.
"Because you're a girl," he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world
.
"I didn't know you stereotype," I comment, "just because I'm a girl doesn't mean
I like Chick-flicks."
"Don't you like them?"
"I like them," I say hastily, "But that's not the point."
"Stereotype?" he asks, remembering what I accused him earlier. "Just because I'm
a guy doesn't mean I don't like Chick-flicks," he retorts.
I open my mouth, but I know he got me there. I feel like a hypocrite, chastising
him about stereotyping but I forgot I sometimes do it too. A sigh escapes from
my lips without my permission.
"Why don't you choose the movie that you want?" Draky suggests, his tone gently.
"Maybe you'll not like it."
He shrugs and says, "I'm not picky."
"Okay," I murmur and walk towards the cabinet to search for a good film.
There are a lot of options to choose from. There are horrors, suspense, thriller
, sci-fi, comedy, action, romance, adventure, and even cartoons.
In the end, I pick Serendipity. It's a 2001 romantic comedy film. Its synopsis s
ays that, "A couple reunite years after the night they first met, fell in love,
and separated, convinced that one day they'd end up together."
Its tagline seems pretty interesting. "When Love Feels Like Magic, It's called D
estiny. When Destiny Has A Sense of Humor, It's Called Serendipity." It catches
my attention easily.
I turn to Draky who's sitting on the couch I vacated. "Um, can we watch this?" I
raise the DVD on my hand so that he can see it.
"Serendipity?" he asks, standing up and walks to where I'm kneeling.
"Why? Have you watched it already?"
"Not yet," he says, and gets the DVD from my hand. He reads the synopsis in the
back. "A love story, huh?" He asks, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"If you don't want it, I can find something else," I say, disappointment is clea
rly in my voice. I really want to watch this movie. Its title is just so endeari
ng . . . and perfect.
Phew! I let out the breath I don't know I am holding. I hope I can concentrate w
atching this movie.
*****
Feel free to make a banner; I'll post it with a chapter =)
The song is Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift. I like this old version more than the on
e in the Speak Now Album.
Thank you! <3
*******************************************
[10] The Bet *Sparks
*******************************************
Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 10 *Sparks*
~Sophia
"What do you think or like about the movie?" Draky asks when the movie ends.
I don't know what to say! Truth is, I haven't seen some parts of the movie becau
se I was busy staring at his face. Come on, Sophia, think fast! Oh my my my. My
head is like a blank sheet of paper. I can't even think of anything so I say, "Y
ou first." My voice is rough so I clear my throat.
Draky thinks for a moment. Finally, he says, "Despite the fact that they know no
thing about each other, they still believed that they will see each other again.
"
"Me too," I mumble, which is true. "And it's really destiny because Jonathan's g
irlfriend was the one who gave him the book which contained the name and number
of Sara."
"Yeah," he says, laughing. "The part where Sara wrote her number and then it was
lost in the wind was kind of amusing."
I laughed at that too. Poor Jonathan and Sara, the odds were never in their favo
r in the beginning of the film.
"I don't like the kid, though."
"Which kid?" I ask, albeit I know who he's talking about.
"The kid on the elevator," he says. "Because of him, they didn't saw each other.
"
"At least we know that they picked the same number in the elevator. And if they
saw each other already, the movie will have a quick ending."
"I know," he says thoughtfully. "You don't have to understand. You just have to
have faith." That was what Jonathan said to Sara. Hah. Even if I haven't seen so
me parts of the movie, I recognized what he says.
"Faith in what?" I ask, smiling. This is what Sara replied to Jonathan.
"Destiny," he says, smiling in return.
"If two people are meant to be together, it doesn't mean they have to be togethe
r right now," I say softly.
Draky turns to look at me.
Staring at someone is rude, I want to say, but his gaze is so steady I find myse
lf tongue-tied. I want to look away but he captures my eyes in his mesmerizing g
aze. I'm like an ice cream, melting in my seat. You have to say something, Sophi
a!
"Um, what I said earlier, I . . uh, ." Shoot! I'm stuttering again. I take a dee
p breath and continue, "I meant that for Jonathan and Sara."
"Because if two people are meant to be together, they will find a way not to be
separated, and they did," he says, cocking his head to the side.
"Yeah, right," I mutter.
Phew! I'm glad he understand me because half of what I said to him doesn't make
sense to me.
"Come on," he says suddenly.
"Where are we going?" I ask. "I thought I'm going to help you study in Literatur
e."
"That can wait for tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
"So where are we going?" I repeat.
He smiles playfully, refusing to answer my question.
"Okay, fine, you go," I mutter, "I'm going to stay here."
Draky frowns at me. "Just trust me," he says, standing up. He walks to the TV s
creen and turns it off.
Trust me? The thought lingers in my mind, never wanting to be erased.
Before I can stop myself, I hear myself say, "Okay."
~Drake
"Why?"
"Is it wrong to ask your birthday?"
"No," she says hastily. "When's your birthday?"
This girl has a way of asking the same question you ask her. My birthday this ye
ar already happened so there's no point in not telling her. Besides, it's just a
birthday.
"September 22," I say.
She nods. "Why don't you wear your seat belt?" she asks, eyeing it.
I never wear it unless it's necessary, but looking at her face makes me buckle m
y seat belt. I give her a look that says, satisfied? "What about you?" I ask. "W
hen's your birthday?"
She smiles mischievously. "Secret," she says slyly.
"Secret?" I say incredulously. "But I told you my birthday!"
"I already know your birthday," she says, smiling sheepishly.
"How?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
She bites her lip and shakes her head.
"Pie," I say.
"Draky."
"Pie," I say warningly.
"Draky," she says in the same tone as mine.
"Pie," I say again, but there's already a smile forming on my lips.
"Draky," she says, and sticks out her tongue like a child.
I don't know why I'm not annoyed when Pie calls me Draky. Whenever my twin siste
r calls me that, I want to strangle her. Maybe because when Pie calls me Draky,
the sound of her voice "Why do you want to know?" Pie asks, interrupting my thoughts.
"I'm just curious," I tell her, which is half true. "How old are you?"
She pauses for a second, maybe contemplating if she'll tell me or not. Finally,
she says, "Sixteen."
"Sixteen?" I repeat, taken aback.
"Yeah, the sum of ten and six, or it can also be -"
"I know!" I can't help but scowl at her. She can be sarcastic if she wants to.
She clears her throat and says, "You know, I noticed you like repeating the thin
gs I say." Amusement lightens her pale blue eyes.
~Sophia
"Draky!" I snap, my heart pounding in my chest. He almost hit a kitten! "Why don
't you look on the road while driving?"
He grins broadly. "I'm a very good driver. Even if my eyes aren't fixed on the r
oad, I can manage."
"If you do that again, I will never ride with you."
He chuckles under his breath, ignoring my protest.
He's a horrible driver. I wonder how he got a driver's license. He drives like a
maniac. He doesn't care about speed limit. He's not looking on the road while h
e's driving. He doesn't like seat belts. The list can go on and on.
No matter what, I feel safe with him. Not that I'm ever going to admit that to h
im.
"I'm not ready to die yet," I mutter, just to annoy him.
"You're not going to, Honey," he says thoughtfully.
"But if you continue to drive like this -" I stop suddenly when what he said co
mes rushing back into my mind.
DRAKE SWIFT called me HONEY! What on earth is he trying to imply? Wait! Maybe I'
m just over reacting. It's Drake Swift we're talking about here. He is a player.
That means calling a girl 'Honey' doesn't mean anything to him.
A frustrated sigh escapes from my lips without my permission. Of course, it's no
t a big deal to him. I bet he called a lot of girls Honey before. Perhaps Love,
Baby, Sweetheart, Darling are on the lists too. I am not disappointed.
Okay, I have to admit, my heart skipped a beat when he called me Honey. Truth i
s, I had a huge crush on him before. I still remember that day when I first saw
him. It was the first day of freshman year.
"Pie?" Draky says, and I have a feeling it's not the first time he's calling me
.
"What?" I ask, blinking my eyes and shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
"Why are you always daydreaming?" he asks in a teasing voice.
"I am not!" I say defensively. I am just reminiscing the past. And by the way, i
t's about you.
He just smirks and rolls his eyes, oblivious to my thoughts.
Looking around, I realize that the car isn't moving anymore. I'm about to ask wh
ere are we when he goes out of the car. I do the same and stand beside him.
"Paint shop?" I say dubiously. He wants me to take to a paint shop? I have to ad
mit, I didn't expect it.
Draky looks at me and says," You don't like blank white walls."
"So?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
"So, we're going to paint your room," he says, as if it's the most obvious thing
in the world.
"But I don't have money with me."
"That's okay," he says, smiling. "I'm going to pay for it."
"Um, I'm going to pay you later when we go home."
Home? Did I really say that? I haven't considered Andre's house to be my home.
"No need," he says. His right eye closes and then opens suddenly.
My breath catches when I realize what he does. Draky winks at me! Like, really w
ink. He smirks, no doubt thinking he got me. He walks to the shop, knowing I'll
follow after him.
Maybe Draky's not bad. I was just wrong about him. He listens to me whenever I t
alk. He even thinks of my situation in my new room. He may be cocky and sarcasti
c, but I know he has a good heart. Behind those cold eyes is a fire waiting to b
e lighten.
*****
I still can't believe a lot of people read my story. You don't know how happy I
am. I can't even put it into words. To all my fans, thank you! THANK YOU so much
for supporting me and my story :)
And I want to thank GlamorousGirl for the banners she made for The Bet =) And t
hank you to yakisoba for the banner in this chapter.
The song is Fallin' for you by Colbie Caillat
Thank you for reading *.*
*******************************************
[11] The Bet *Visitor
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 11 *Visitor*
~Sophia
A loud thumping of the door wakes me up. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I get u
p from the bed. A groan escapes from my lips when I see it's just seven in the m
orning. It's so early! Whoever is at the other side of the door should have a go
od explanation on why he or she is waking me up this time of the day.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Ugh! He or she is impatient too. Opening the door, I step back as someone envelo
ps me in a hug.
"Whoa!" I try to gain my balance to no avail. My knees buckle from under me and
I fall down on the floor with Driana. Driana!
She laughs at my expression; no doubt, my eyes are wide with shock. She helps me
stand up, smiling like there's no tomorrow.
"What are you doing here?" I ask when I find my voice.
"Visiting you." She grins cheekily.
I raise my eyebrow. "Early in the morning?" Driana is not an early person so see
ing her this time of the day surprises me. Furthermore, it's Sunday.
She smiles sheepishly. "I can't wait to see you. And I want to know what happene
d in the past few days."
I should have known she's coming here. Knowing Driana, I should have expected it
. She's not the type of girl who's willing to wait. And then I realize something
. I haven't brush my teeth yet! It's just like yesterday.
"I'm just going to brush my teeth," I tell Driana.
She playfully covers her nose, as if I have a morning breath.
Rolling my eyes, I say, "Make your self comfortable."
Before going in the bathroom, I knock once, and then twice. Maybe Draky's not he
re. Opening the door slowly, I listen for a second if there's an unnecessary sou
nd. None, so the coast is clear.
After brushing my teeth, I go to my room and find Driana looking at the walls th
oughtfully.
"Hey," she says when I enter the room. "Nice murals."
Pursing my lips, I decide to tell her that Drake helped me in doing that.
Driana gives me a knowing look. The look she and I share when talking about Dra
ky. It's not that we always talk about him. It's just that "Breakfast is ready!" Andre yells from the other side of the door.
"Do you think he heard something?" I whisper. I don't know why I don't like Andr
e knowing we're talking about his best friend.
She shakes her head and says, "I doubt it."
"We're going!" I say a little more loudly.
"Let's go," Driana says. "I haven't eaten yet, you know?"
"Yes, because when you woke up, you went directly to my room." That's when I rem
ember something. "Who let you in?" I ask Driana as we walk down the stairs.
"Andre's mom," she answers.
"I hope you didn't wake her," I tease.
She flushes. Her pale cheeks redden at the thought. "Of course I didn't!" She sc
owls at me.
A smile appears on my face as she turns towards the hallway leading to the kitch
en.
"This is the dining room," I say, pointing to the room across from the kitchen.
"This is such a huge house," she mutters under her breath.
"Tell me about it," I murmur.
When we walk in the dining room, Aunt V, Andre, and Draky are already sitting on
the table, talking to each other.
"Good morning ladies," Aunt V greets us.
"Morning," Driana and I say simultaneously.
Driana takes the sit across from Andre. I have no choice but to sit across from
Draky. Looking at him with a bored expression makes me remember of yesterday's e
vents.
Yesterday was kind of fun, minus the bathroom part. After we bought the paints a
nd brushes, we went to McDonald's to buy our lunch. Of course, Draky paid for ev
erything, considering I haven't brought any money with me. When we went to the h
ouse, we took all the furniture outside the room so that we could paint the wall
s. It was just Draky and me. Andre hadn't come at that time yet. We just splashe
d the paint on the walls. We - I mean, Draky, bought different colors of paint.
We painted different kinds of flowers and butterflies. After that, we waited for
the paint to dry before putting back the furniture in the room. Now, it looks l
ike a mural from an art museum. And I like it.
A loud clearing of the throat breaks me from my reverie.
"What brought you here?" Draky asks Driana.
"I'm making sure Andre is going to help you study," Driana says.
Andre smiles sheepishly. "I will. Later."
"Why do you care?" Draky glowers at Driana.
"Because I'm your sister. Twin sister."
"Just tell us the truth. You came here because you missed me."
Driana gives Draky a scornful look. "The house is perfectly fine without you."
"Oh, come on," Draky says sarcastically, "I know you love my company."
Seeing them argue is kind of amusing. I won't be surprised if they will throw th
e meals they're eating at each other. The way Driana talks about Draky, it feels
like he's the most evil person in the world. Whenever she says his name, it's a
lways full of venom. I wonder why they don't like each other. Can it be true, th
at it's more than sibling rivalry? I doubt it. They don't even have the same gen
der and it's not like their parents will pick a favorite among them.
"Learn to appreciate what you have before time forces you to appreciate what you
lost," I say.
"Thinking about Matt?" Driana asks.
"Yeah," I murmur. "Even if you hate Drake -"
She cuts me off and says, "Not hate, just dislike."
"He's still your brother. Your twin, to be prcised. You should try to be friends w
ith him."
"I'll try. But I guess it will take a lot of time to gain that. We're just not .
. you know?" She frowns. "Look, I'm sorry. You missed your little brother, and
here I am, saying silly things about my twin."
Driana leans to me, interrupting my thoughts, and whispers, "It feels like a day
off without him."
I can't help but laugh at that. Everyone looks at us oddly, though.
"Care to share the joke?" Andre asks dryly.
"Nope," Driana says, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"What did you tell her?" Draky asks through gritted teeth.
"Nothing," Driana says slyly.
Draky opens his mouth but before he can say something, Aunt V says, "Children, d
on't argue in front of the food. It's bad luck."
Andre snorts, making Aunt V look pointedly at him.
This breakfast is so bizarre! There are a lot of conversations going on; I don't
know where to focus.
"Sophia," Aunt V suddenly says, "I heard you painted your room."
"Um, yes," I say, "Drak. . Drake helped me." I almost say Draky in front of the
m. I'm glad no one, except for Draky seem to notice it.
Rolling my eyes at him, I see Aunt V looking approvingly at us. Maybe because I
followed her suggestion about changing the style of my room.
"That's good to hear." She smiles. "I want you to make this your home."
"Sure," I mumble.
After eating, I suggest that I will clean the dishes, but Aunt V declines.
"No, you should have fun. I can take care of it," Aunt V says.
"Can you tutor me now?" Draky asks.
Driana turns and gives me a scowl. "You're going to tutor him?"
"Uh, yes," I murmur.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I haven't?" I ask incredulously.
"No." She frowns, looking disappointed.
"I guess it slipped off my mind," I explain.
Draky smirks, while Andre looks amused, watching us. I'm about to snap at them w
hen a plan crosses my mind.
"I have an idea," I tell them. "Andre will tutor you first so that Driana and I
can talk."
Driana grins enthusiastically. I'm so glad she's here. At least, it's equal now.
Two girls and two boys. They can't boss me around now. Not that they ever did,
but still. Knowing someone will have your back makes you brave.
"After that," I continue, "I can tutor you."
Draky narrows his eyes. "What if Driana is still there after Andre and I finishe
d our tuto -"
"Don't worry," Driana cuts him off, looking smug. "I'll leave before that happen
s."
"Good," Draky mutters darkly.
Andre chuckles quietly. I have no doubt he enjoys watching the twins argue. "Let
's start then," he says.
I'm proud of Driana. She doesn't flinches with the daggers Draky throws her way.
Perhaps she's used to it.
We make our separate ways. The boys go to Draky's room to study, while Driana an
d I go to my room to have a chat.
"I want to hear all about it," Driana says, sitting on my bed.
"Um, I don't know where to start." I sit beside her, getting Shea from the corne
r of the bed.
"Start from the very beginning," she suggests.
"Of course," I mutter, rolling my eyes. "Once upon a time," I begin. And then I
tell her everything -- the reason why I am living in Andre's house, the awkward
dinner, the movie time, and last but not least, the painting session. I omit the
bathroom part. No need to add humiliation to myself. For sure, she'll just teas
e me to death.
"Really?" She asks dubiously after I'm done talking. "He helped you paint this r
oom?"
"Yeah," I murmur. I can't believe it either. "He even paid for the things neede
d and he treated me lunch."
Driana looks thoughtful for a moment. "I guess my brother has a good heart after
all."
"Yeah," I agree, chuckling quietly.
~ Drake
"Do you think you can make Sophia fall in love with you?" Andre asks me seriousl
y.
"I don't know," I tell him honestly. "I will try."
"I know you will."
Am I that easy to predict? Or maybe he knows it because he's my best friend? "Wh
at do you think about her?"
"Why? You want to cancel the bet?"
"No," I mutter. "A deal's a deal." I lost, so I should continue what I started.
"Why are you asking then?"
"I'm just curious about your answer," I tell him.
Andre pauses, and thinks for a moment. "She's brave," he says finally. "And like
I said before, she's pretty. Just by looking at her pale blue eyes makes you wa
nt to protect her."
She's tougher than she looks, I thought. But I have to agree, Pie is brave. A lo
t has happened to her already, and she survived them all. What will Andre think
of Pie when he know about all the hardships and sufferings she experienced? Of c
ourse, I can't tell him about it. It's not my secret and it feels wrong to tell
anyone about it.
"Drake." His tone makes me look at him from the calculator on my hand.
"What?" I ask.
"If you want, we can forget about the bet."
I shake my head. It's not fair to him.
Is it fair to Pie?
"I never back off," I say, ignoring the thoughts that are clouding my mind.
"I know," he mutters.
~Sophia
"Read the play again from the start and tell me what you don't understand," I in
struct.
Draky and I are sitting across from each other in the library. Driana left a few
minutes before Draky knocked on my door.
"What?" he asks, taken aback. "I'm going to read it again from the very start?"
"Yes," I say, biting my lip to stop the smile that's threatening to form on my l
ips.
He groans, but still reads it.
I'm glad he's paying attention to what I say. I hope he's not escaping some stan
zas just to finish it quickly. To be fair to him, I get my copy of A Midsummer N
ight's Dream and begin to read, instead of staring at him while he's reading. So
me part of me says I do it because of moral support, though.
"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."
"Huh?" I say brilliantly.
"What do you think about it?" Draky asks.
"What do I think about what?" When I'm reading, I'm not here because I'm inside
the book I'm reading.
He rolls his eyes and says, "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."
The quote is familiar. It was what Helena said Love should be.
What do I think about it? "Um." Yeah, 'um' - a great way to start a sentence.
"For me," I say, "you should not love someone because of their physical appearan
ce but rather, love them because of what they are inside. You may be beautiful o
utside, but what's the sense if you have a black soul, right?"
"Right," Draky mutters, looking away.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisi
ble to the eye," I quote from The Little Prince.
"That's by Antoine de Saint-Exupry," he states.
*****
I hope you liked this Phew! A long chapter :)
A very cute thing happened a while ago. My seven year old brother knew I write s
tories. He asked me to tell him about them so I told him this story first. He sa
id he liked Pie and he even guessed some of the next parts correctly. He wanted
to make a Wattpad acct so that he could vote in every chapters. I was like "Aww
<3" But I declined on making him an acct here xD
The song is Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional. (:One of the best bands:) Bann
er by Candyyyyyyy.
Some are wondering where is my home country. I'm from Philippines, and I am a Fi
lipino =) What about you?
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 12 *Situation*
~Sophia
m I wondering with what he's doing? I should just focus on eating my food.
"Andre will give you a ride when you go to school," Aunt V says.
"No," I decline. "I'll just uh, ride a bus."
Andre rolls his eyes. "We're going to the same place," he states. "Or maybe you'
d rather sit with a bunch of strangers in a bus than me?"
"It's not that," I mutter. I don't know where he got that thought. "I'm just uh
. ."
"Shy?" He finishes for me.
"Yes," I whisper.
Aunt V laughs, splattering some coffee on the table. She stops then, and looks s
heepishly at us. "Don't be shy," she says amusedly.
Andre says, "We're already living in the same house."
"Okay," I murmur.
Does that mean that while living here with Andre, I have to ride with him to and
from school? It's not a bad idea but. Yes, there's a but. People will start to
notice then. There will soon be questions ask. But I don't have to explain. I do
n't owe them anything. Maybe not having a lot of friends has its advantages. Eve
n if Driana is my only friend, I can manage. And she already knows my situation
so it'll be just like a normal day for us.
"Are you ready to go to school?" Andre asks suddenly.
"Where's Drake?" I ask curiously. Are we going without him?
"I forgot to tell you," Andre says sheepishly. "He already left a few hours ago.
"
Oh.
"He wanted to say goodbye to you, but he saw you're still sleeping. He didn't wa
nt to wake you."
Drake walked in my room while I was sleeping? I don't know what to think about t
hat.
"He said to tell you that See you in Literature," he mimics Draky's voice.
We both end up laughing because of that. He's a horrible mimicker.
"Are you ready to go now?" Andre repeats.
"Yes," I say.
"Let's go then."
See you in Literature, repeats my mind again and again.
Andre is more of a safe driver than Draky. Even though he drives fast, his eyes
are on the road. I don't have to snap at him to use his seatbelt. We're not talk
ing though, because we don't have anything to say. Every few minutes, I catch hi
m glancing at me. Do I have dirt on my face?
It's a long ride than I'm used to because Andre's house is farther from the scho
ol than in ours.
This question is bothering me so I ask him, "What if people ask me why I'm ridin
g with you?"
Andre looks at me and says, "Then tell them to leave you alone."
"As if I can do that," I mutter.
"I know," Andre says, chuckling quietly. "You're not rude to people so you can't
tell them that."
I puff out a breath and scowl at him. "What if I can?"
"No you can't."
"I can," I say stubbornly.
"You can't."
He doesn't even know me so how dare he can say what I can or cannot do?! "I can!
"
To my surprise, he slams the brake hard, stopping the car just a few blocks away
from the school. I almost hit the dashboard!
When he turns to look at me, amusement flickers in his green eyes. "Drake is rig
ht," he says thoughtfully. "It's fun arguing with you."
I open my mouth to say something but the words he said comes rushing back in my
mind. Drake is right. It's fun arguing with you. Does that mean they talk about
me? Why? And what do they say?
"Sophia," Andre says, interrupting me from my reverie. "You can tell them that y
ou're living with us - me and my mom."
"Really?" I ask dubiously.
"Of course." He grins cheekily. "Why wouldn't you tell them the truth? Are you t
hat ashamed that you're living with us?"
"Of course not!" That thought didn't even come to my mind.
"You're blushing," he says amusedly.
"I am not!" I say furiously.
"And you seldom disagree to whatever I say."
"You and Drake are real best friends," I mutter under my breath.
"What did you say?" he asks curiously.
"Nothing," I say slyly.
I'm contemplating if I'll ride with him again tomorrow when he starts the car an
d we move forward again.
~Drake
"Are you insane?" Andre asks furiously. "Why don't you just ask her?"
"Didn't you listen? I asked her a few times already but she refused to tell me!"
We're in the hallway, taking things from our lockers before the bell will ring.
"Why don't you ask Driana then?"
"As if she'll tell me." I scoff.
"I'll ask her."
"You?" I ask, taken aback by his suggestion.
"Yes," he says.
"She won't tell you," I say, shaking my head and rolling my eyes at him.
"Why wouldn't she?"
"Are you stupid? Of course Sophia already told her not to tell any of us!"
Andre's eyes widen as realization crosses his face. "Right," he mutters.
I told him about my plan to know when Pie's birthday is. It consists of breaking
and entering. It's quite simple. I'm going to the Records Section where all the
files of the students studying here are safely placed. I'm just going to find t
he right file and then I'll go after that. Andre will be the guard, he'll tell m
e if someone is coming so that we can escape before they see and capture us. Of
course, the Record Section is in the Principal's Office. There are people there;
the Principal, the Secretary, and well, other staffs. That's why we're going in
the Lunch time. For sure, no one will eat inside the office.
Unfortunately, Andre doesn't want my plan. It's risky, I know, but it's the only
idea I have. Besides, the higher the risk, the higher the investment.
Andre snaps his fingers in front of me. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I
give him a questioning look.
"Why don't we ask someone to ask Sophia about her birthday?" he suggests.
A devastated sigh escapes from my lips. "You think Sophia will just tell anyone
her birthday?"
"Yeah," he says, but I know he doesn't believe his idea will work.
"Andre."
"What?" he asks, frowning.
"You don't have to help me if you don't want to."
*****
I hope you like this ^.^
The song is Count On Me by Bruno Mars. The song of Drake and Andre :> Banner by
LittleMissIronic.
It's nice knowing where the readers of my story live :)
Happy Mother's Day to my mom, to your mom, and to you, if you're a mother =)
Thank you for reading <3
*******************************************
[13] The Bet *Adrenaline
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 13 *Adrenaline
~Sophia
When I enter the room for my first class, some of my classmates look at me oddly
. Maybe they're wondering why a girl like me can ride in Andre's car. This is th
e reason why after arriving in the school, I went directly to the comfort room a
nd stayed there until five minutes before the bell will ring.
I heave a sigh. As Andre said, I should expect this. The good thing is, none of
them is brave enough to ask me the question.
As the substitute discusses about the X and Y formula, I can feel the heavy star
es at the back of my head. Unfortunately, they can see me because I'm sitting in
front. Just perfect for their view.
I feel like I'm in a center stage with a lot of people looking at me expectantly
but I'm just staring at them, forgetting my lines and not performing my act.
I'm being paranoid, I know. Glancing to my right, I catch one of my old friends
looking curiously at me. I give her a small smile and then she nods in return.
Are my old friends wondering if I now moved on from my bitter past? They must be
. Moving on is simple, it's what you leave behind that makes it so difficult.
Perhaps when he and I broke up, they had a full blast of I told you so. I'm just
glad they didn't say it to me. With a lot of things happened then, I couldn't s
tand anything more painfully.
I still remember that day we fought because of him like it was just yesterday, s
o fresh in my mind. I wonder why the bad memories don't go away. Is it because t
o let us remember the hardships we experienced and then maybe when we thought we
had enough, we can look back at them and think, I've had worse. I can survive a
gain.
When did I become so optimistic?
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, my gaze turns to my old friend, Elizabeth.
Before, she was my closest friend. When I fought with her and our other friends
, everything changed. We still talk and say occasional greetings but it's not th
e same as before. I don't even know if they're still my friends. Sometimes, we a
void eye contact too. I guess they're still mad at me. Well, I can't do anything
about that. I was the one who got a heart broken and had been alone for a long
time. Still, I said sorry to them.
I listen to the substitute to not think of unnecessary things. Unfortunately for
me, I already know what she's discussing so it's hard to tune out the thoughts
that are clouding my mind.
~Drake
Getting an envelope, I see that this drawer is for the letter C. I hope they arr
anged these alphabetically.
Walking to another hallway, I look at signs for letters in the drawers. When a d
rawer catches my attention, I open it. I don't have time to check all the drawer
s here. It will take a day before I can finish. So I have to use my instinct ins
tead.
Why am I so curious in finding out Pie's birthday? What if it doesn't fall in th
e bet month? Does that mean all this hard work will be nothing?
A frustrated sigh escapes from my lips. I'm so focus on looking on the shelves I
haven't seen a folder in front of me. I'm so lucky I trip because of it. I fall
on the floor, hip first. To my horror, I hear footsteps coming near me. I mutte
r something under my breath as I try to stand up.
I just fall down again. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
If I get caught, there's no future for me. Look at my grades! And they'll look
at my behavior in school too. I'm busted, just because of a bet!
And then someone comes into view.
Andre?
Sweat pours down his face. He looks nervous too. He's not even laughing at my cu
rrent situation.
"What's wrong?' I ask, ignoring the pain on my hip.
He walks towards me and kneels where I'm sitting.
"I told you to not come inside!"
"I gave you a sign," he whispers. "There's someone coming! I whistled and clappe
d repeatedly but you didn't get out so I come and tell you instead."
"Are you insane?" I ask, horrified. "What if they see you?"
"What if they catch you?"
"You're stupid," I growl. "You shouldn't waste your time worrying about me!"
"Idiot," he hisses. "I'm your best friend! I will never leave you."
I shake my head and decide not to argue with him. I know I can't win this fight.
"What are we going to do?" I ask calmly.
I know he will think of a logical answer because he's the smart one in this grou
p. Group? It consists of two persons. Me and Andre.
"The secretary just rounded the hallway when I saw her, and that's when I starte
d to give you signs, which didn't get your attention, obviously." He stops and s
cowls at me. "And then I come in, and you know what's next."
"I s she alone?" I whisper.
"Who?" Andre asks, confused.
what happened, I become paranoid. I always look behind my back, afraid someone w
ill come again. The pain on my hip is slowly subsiding into nothing.
This is fun, but I'm taking a lot of risks here to something I'm not sure I'll a
chieve.
"Five minutes to go," Andre whispers.
We still have to be cautious because sometimes, unexpected things can happen.
There are two drawers left that I haven't checked. Opening the first one, I scan
it as fast as I can. I let out a frustrated growl when I realize it's for lette
r M. Clearly, these aren't arranged alphabetically! What about the drawers I hav
en't opened yet? What if Pie's file is there? We don't have time to check those
too! Does that mean that everything we did and still do is for nothing?
"Hey," Andre says, walking towards me. "I've checked all those files there." He
points to the south part of the wall.
He doesn't have to say anything because I know that he hasn't find Pie's file.
"Have you checked all these drawers?" he asks.
I shake my head. "I haven't checked this," I say, putting my hand on the drawer
.
"Why don't you open it?"
"Because Pie's file will not be here!"
"Pie?" Andre asks bemusedly.
"Ignore it!" I snap. I don't even know why I call Sophia, Pie, in front of Andre
.
He whistles under his breath, grinning from ear to ear.
"Let's go!" I say.
"What?" he asks incredulously. "You haven't opened this one yet."
"It's not there."
"How can you be so sure?"
I open the drawer to satisfy him. My eyes nearly bulge from their sockets when I
see the blinking letter T on top of the envelopes. Swallowing the lump in my th
roat, I get the last one from the drawer.
I raise it for Andre to see. "This is Sophia's file," I say, a smirk forming on
my lips.
~Sophia
We're having our dinner in the dining room. When the school ended, Andre waited
for me in the parking lot because my last subject extended from its usual time.
"Fun," Andre answers, looking beside him to grin with Draky. They share a secret
look which makes me curious.
Draky is here again because he has to make a project in school, and Andre is his
partner. As if I believe them. What else could it be then? Er, my subconscious
mind is just saying that because I'm here, Draky will stay here too. Ugh! When
will it shut up?
"What about you, Sophia?" Aunt V asks me.
"Good," I murmur. It feels like I have to add something more so I say, "We had a
pop quiz in Literature and I got a perfect score." I don't know why I said it!
They might think"That's great!" Aunt V beams, cutting off my thoughts.
Draky smirks, amusement lighting his blue eyes. I wonder why he's late in Litera
ture. We didn't talk because after Mrs. Coelho checked the seat plan, we had a p
op quiz. I heard that Draky did a good job.
When we finish our meal, Aunt V orders Andre to clean the dishes. I'm surprise h
e doesn't complain like other guys will. I guess he really is nice, especially w
hen it comes to his mom.
Speaking of mom, my own mother called a few times, checking if I was okay. If th
ey'll just take me home with them, I'll be more than okay.
I still don't understand why they want me to move out. Their reason that they wa
nt to fix our family is pretty lame. Besides, I didn't hear the first part of th
eir conversation. I'm sure there's something going on that I don't know.
Maybe they don't want me to know.
I decide to go outside to get some fresh air. I've been here for four days and i
t's my first time to be here in the back porch.
There's a huge swimming pool in the center
t with my feet dangling in the cold water.
le the sweet scents coming from them. I'll
them. I'll ask Aunt V too if she can give
m in my room.
of
To
go
me
Glancing up, I see a lot of stars blinking in the sky. Are they the same ones I
see when I'm in our house? It's like there are more here than there.
My heart leaps in my throat when I feel there's someone behind me. "You scared m
e," I hiss.
"Sorry," Draky says sheepishly. "Can I join you?"
"Yeah," I mutter.
"Do you want some chocolate?" he asks, raising the chocolate bar on his hand.
I see there's a bit of chocolate on his lips. I find myself mesmerize with it. H
*****
The song is Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton. I like this s
ong so much ;) I found the picture on Tumblr so I decided to make a scene about
it.
Do you have a favorite character so far?
Thank you so much for reading! <3
*******************************************
[14] The Bet *Contagious
*******************************************
If you want to know Sophia's birthday, the history of the surnames of the charac
ters, and your request about their picture, read the Author's Note at the end of
the chapter.
Thank you to all my new fans and to my old fans too! =D
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 14 *Contagious*
~Drake
She looks taken aback with my question. I am either. It's the first one to pop i
n my head. Why can I easily think of an idea and a plan but cannot start a norm
al conversation?
"Yes," Pie says finally. "Um, I can sleep peacefully now."
"That's good."
"Thanks to you."
She thanked me again! That's two for tonight. "You are welcome," I say.
After that, we don't talk again. I chastise myself in my head. Why can't I think
of a decent topic? Like, what's her interest? If I can keep her talking, I can
get to know her personally. That will help me win the bet.
On second thought, am I just doing this to win? Or maybe a part of me really wan
ts to know her? Perhaps it's because of A soft chuckle interrupts my line of thoughts.
"What's funny?" I ask Pie curiously.
"You asked the wrong question," she says, a smile forming on her lips.
Rolling my eyes, I ask, "Who?"
"You," she says obviously, her dimple coming into view.
"What about me?" I think this already happened before. Is d j vu visiting me?
She smirks. "You're always teasing me about daydreaming and you always do it to
o."
"I do not," I mutter. What is she trying to imply?
"Yes, you do," she says smugly, her eyes lights up in amusement.
If she wants to play a game, I will play with her. "How do you know?"
"Um. I . . uh . . I um, noticed it." She looks away because a blush is making it
s way on her cheeks. She twirls her loose hair in her fingers nervously. When sh
e stutters, there will surely be a blush on her cheeks after.
She notices me daydreaming? How? But I do not daydream, I'm just thinking! And t
hey're not even the same! If I explain it to her, she'll tell me I'm defensive a
nd "You're doing it again," she says. A grin makes its way on her mouth.
"Whatever," I mutter darkly.
That ends our conversation again.
Thanks to you, chastises my subconscious mind. I just ignore it, thinking that i
f I leave it alone, it will not bother me anymore.
I notice that Pie's in the mood right now. Smiling looks good on her.
Looking at her in the corner of my eye, I see that her teeth are gritted togethe
r. Her eyes are fixed towards nothing in particular. Her fists are clenched on h
er lap.
She's trying hard not to cry.
Oh. I guess even if I ignore my subconscious mind, it will not stop.
"Pie," I begin, "I'm sorry I snapped at you."
"Whatever," she mumbles, not sparing me a glance.
"I didn't mean anything I said to you a while ago. I . . uh, I . ." Good, I'm st
uttering too. Pie tainted me. Maybe it's contagious. I just have to hang out wit
h her everyday and then I'll stutter in every sentence I'll say.
Taking a deep breath, I continue, "If your offer is still up, I'll be glad if yo
u'll tutor me."
"Really?" she asks, looking at me right in the eye.
"Yes," I say. I wonder why her eyes lights up.
"Good." She smiles, forgetting my stupid outburst earlier.
Why does she wants to help me study? I forgot to ask her what she wants to be in
the future.
"It's getting late," Pie says suddenly. "There's school tomorrow."
"Thanks for reminding me," I mutter under my breath.
She rolls her eyes and says, "I'm going inside. Are you staying here?"
I shake my head. "I don't want to be late."
"Good," she repeats.
I have no doubt she wants me to go to a university and continue my studies for a
better future.
Pie stands up and as she takes her first step, she gets off balance. Her right f
oot slides on the surface beside the pool where the water splashed a while ago,
making the path slippery.
Before she falls on the pool, I grab her hand impulsively and put my other arm a
round her to stop the impact.
Her back bends and I'm looking at her face a few centimeters away from mine. Her
pale blue eyes are staring at my own. I can feel her breath surrounding me. Sha
king my head to clear my thoughts, I steady her to her feet.
"Thank you," she says, out of breath.
That's three already!
"What?" she asks, a confused expression on her face. "What's three already?"
Er, I don't know I said that aloud.
----As the lightning strikes, I see a silhouette beside my window. It's raining so h
ard, I can't see who it is. The electricity went off a few minutes ago because o
f the thunder. My heart thumps a little loudly in my chest as I try to see who t
he person is. Did a thief enter Andre's house?
When the light suddenly flickers to life for a second, I see who that is. A sigh
of relief escapes from my mouth when I see that it's just Pie.
"What are you doing here?" My voice is stupidly shaking so I clear my throat.
She tilts her head to the side and walks a few feet towards me.
I haven't even seen her enter my room! She's wearing a light beige night gown an
d her usual straight hair is now flowing curly on her shoulders.
"What is this about?" I ask, getting up from my bed.
Why isn't she talking? Her hands are clasps behind her back, like she's holding
something precious there. Looking at her face, I see it's expressionless.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" I tease her.
Maybe she planned it with Andre. A laugh escapes from my mouth as I watch her w
alks, no; it's more like glides, towards me. Give it to me to laugh in this kind
of situation.
Pie looks like an avenging angel. What happened to the Pie I talked to a while a
go?
"Okay, stop it now," I say, "It isn't funny."
To my astonishment, she glares at me with eyes pure of hate. "How dare you play
with me?" She growls.
Taking a step back, I can't help but notice that she practiced well. "I haven't
done anything to you." I know I'm lying, but look at her! She's not Pie!
"I trusted you!" She yells, moving slowly now because there's only a few feet in
front of us. "I even liked you! You know I've been through a lot, and you still
continue to play this game!"
Oh. So she knew about the bet? But how? Only Andre and I only knew about that. A
ndre would never betray me. So how did she know? Are we that careless? Am I not
a good actor? What am I going to do?
"Look Pie," I start.
"Pie?" She snaps. "You stupid idiot, don't ever call me that!"
It's like nature is with her because when she speaks, the rumbling of the clouds
goes with her.
Taking a deep breath, I say, "Sorry."
She scoffs. "Sorry?! The damage is already done! You cannot do anything about it
!" She shakes her head and glides towards me.
I want to step back again when my back connects with the wall. I have to calm he
r. She looks nothing like the Pie I know. It's like someone else is using her bo
dy.
"Pie," I begin. And then I know I said the wrong thing because "You deserve to die," she hisses, and lunges towards me.
I realize too late what the precious thing on her hands is. Taken by surprise, I
just watch her as she strikes the knife in my chest.
*****
The song is The Shot Heard 'Round The World by Boys Like Girls (:one of my favor
ite boy bands:) Banner by LittleMissIronic.
About the birthday of Sophia, you'll know it when the right time comes :P
I got the surname of Drake from Taylor Swift and the surname of Sophia from Tayl
or's name (:I bet you already guessed it:) I didn't really think of Avril Lavign
e when I get the surname of Andre. It was last minute thinking and I was browsin
g facebook when I saw the profile of Ryan Christophe Lavigne. I thought, "Why no
t?" I used his surname then :>
About the pictures of the other characters, feel free to imagine them in your he
ad (I already gave their physical appearance). The only reason Drake has a pictu
re is because when I started writing this story way back in September 2010, I sa
w Ryan. And even though I'm using his picture, the Drake in my mind isn't him; a
lbeit they almost look the same.
Whoa! It's a long Author's Note! Thank you for reading it =D
Thank you for reading my story <3
*******************************************
[15] The Bet *Revelation
*******************************************
This is dedicated to all of you <3
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 15 *Revelation*
~ Sophia
I've seen so fa
I'm afraid some
being. My heart
fear of what I'
When I'm about to twist the doorknob, a loud scream makes me startle. Everything
becomes blurry all of a sudden. All around me, it's fading. I am fading.
Opening my eyes, a sigh of relief escapes from my mouth when I realize it was ju
st a dream. Blinking my eyes, I focus on my breathing to return to normal.
I've never been so glad to be in this room. But wait! A loud scream woke me up a
nd I'm sure it was not part of the dream.
Light footsteps are coming from the hallway. If I'm not wrong, the scream came f
rom the room across from mine.
Draky.
I sit upright which makes me dizzy. I wait for a few seconds before I stand up b
ecause my vision is quite blurry. I don't know why I'm suddenly nervous. Perhaps
because I'm afraid something happened to Draky. At that thought, I get up from
the bed and walk out of my room, not bothering to glance at a mirror.
Whispers can be heard inside Draky's room. I'm about to knock when I hear my nam
e comes out from Andre's mouth. I know it's rude to eavesdrop but I want to know
why are they talking about me, or rather, why did Andre say my name.
Swallowing the lump in my throat and calming the bubbles that are rising in my s
tomach because of the excitement, I move closer to the door to hear them clearly
. It feels like a d j vu when I overhear my pa"What happened?" Andre asks, interrupting my thoughts.
"I had a dream," Draky whispers, "A nightmare." I notice that his voice is a lit
tle shaky.
Maybe it was the reason why he screamed. A smirk makes its way onto my face. I t
hought guys screaming because of a nightmare only happen in movies. I know I sho
uldn't make fun of him, but Draky screaming because of a nightmare is close to i
mpossible.
Draky asks Andre a question I didn't hear. Okay, it's time to shut up my babblin
g mind.
"I couldn't sleep," Andre says, "so I walk around the house, waiting for the dro
wsiness to take me."
Perhaps Draky asked him how he heard him. I wonder why Aunt V isn't here. Maybe
she's dreaming peacefully. What time is it anyway? A few hours after midnight?
"That's when I heard you," Andre continues, "I thought there were aliens abducti
ng you."
I hear shuffling inside and a groan from someone.
"Ouch!" Andre grunts.
I wonder what Draky did to him. After an awkward silence (in my part), they star
t talking again.
"You told me it was about Sophia," Andre says.
"Yes," replies Draky.
"What was it?"
Does that mean that Draky dreamed of me? And it was a nightmare? Talk about emba
rrassing! And to top it all, Andre wants to know about it. What did I do to him
in his dream that made him scream? Hah. Why do I even think I have a major role
in his dream? I bet I was just a background in it.
A clearing of the throat makes me yelp in surprise. I look around me wildly, afr
aid that they catch me eavesdropping on them. I exhale a sigh of relief when I r
ealize that the sound came inside Draky's room.
"It was raining, and I was here inside this room," Draky begins in a quiet voice
.
I wonder if he'll tell this dream if he knows I am listening.
"Suddenly," he continues, "Pie, no I mean, Sophia, just appeared out of nowhere.
I was shocked to see her inside my room, you know. I thought you were both play
ing a prank on me."
I really want to see Draky's expression while he's talking.
"She was not the Sophia I know. She looked like an avenging angel advancing towa
rds me."
Me, an avenging angel? It's kind of amusing when people tell their friends about
their dream. But why did he say earlier that it was a nightmare?
"And then she started talking about the bet," Draky says in an urgent tone.
just a few days of hanging out with her. And just because I will make her fall i
n love with me doesn't mean I'll do the same."
"I was just kidding," Andre says in a soft voice.
"She's not even my type," Draky says furiously.
"Remember," Andre reminds him, "You have to ask her to be your girl friend. She
should say yes on the thirty-first."
"I know," Draky whispers. "And then I'll tell her it was all a bet."
A bet, a bet, a bet. It was all a bet.
My mind is spinning wildly, I feel dizzy again. Is this a nightmare? I pinch my
cheek to wake up but I'm still here, my face a few inches from the door.
I can't form a coherent thought. I don't know why my heart wants to rip its way
out of my chest.
Time suddenly stops ticking. My messed up mind tries to fit the puzzle perfectly
.
The nightmare. The killing. The guilt. The bet.
Of course, before that, the tutoring lesson, him staying at this house while I'm
here, listening to me, hanging out with me, pretending he's concern with my sit
uation.
Oh God. It's so obvious. I was just blind. I should have known!
He did not talk to me before, and then like a magic puff, he wants to get close
to me, like he's suddenly interested in me.
I feel so brainless! What's the point of being intelligent when I don't even kno
w someone is playing with me?
Closing my eyes, I try to block the images burning in my mind when I was with Dr
aky. To my horror, I hear feet shuffling inside the room. Someone wants to get o
ut.
I am frozen in place, like the time when I overheard my parents talking about me
. My feet are numb; they are firmly planted on the ground. But I can't let them
see me. Using all the energy left in my body, I crawl inside my room painfully.
It's hard, when my own body doesn't want to cooperate. I don't want to fail so I
continue, ignoring the protest of my limbs and muscles until I enter my room. H
ow I lock the door behind me with shaking and uncontrollable fingers is beyond m
e.
There's an arrow with a fire that pierces right through my chest, striking it so
hard I stumble on the floor.
She's not even my type. Make her fall in love with me. Tell her all about the be
t.
My mind haunts me with those words again and again.
An eerie kind of sound is inside my room. My eyes are close so I can't see where
it's coming from. My stomach is clenching in pain, it's tightening so hard. I c
rawl into a ball, hugging it to numb the pain. I guess my lung is malfunctioning
*****
I hope you like this <3
It's short, but I have to end it here. The fun and real action will surely begin
in the next chapters =)
The song has nothing to do with the chapter but it makes me cry whenever I liste
n to it. It's called Terrible Things by Mayday Parade.
Banner by: XxRandomDancerxX
Thank you for supporting me and my story :) It means a lot to me, I can't even p
ut it into words <3
Thank you! *.*
*******************************************
[16] The Bet *Reverse
*******************************************
Thank you to all my new fans! Hello to all my previous fans. Hi to all the read
ers out there.
The song for the chapter is What the Hell by Avril Lavigne.
Banner by oOMusicJunkieOo
Click the External link on the side to watch a trailer of The Bet <3
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 16 *Reverse*
~ Drake
Andre has been my best friend since middle school so telling him about my creepy
nightmare was not a big deal. Truth be told, I was scared of it. Who wouldn't,
when someone they know wanted to kill them, even if it was just a dream? I shoul
dn't be thinking on it so hard. The odds are in my favor. Sophia will not know Geez! Even in my mind, I'm calling her Sophia now instead of Pie. The nightmare
did strike my nerves!
I lie awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Glancing at my phone, I see it's jus
t past three in the morning. I know I will not sleep anymore because of the nigh
tmare I dreamed. Suddenly, I envy Andre who's sleeping in his room now.
Will Sophia really do that when she finds out about the bet? I don't think any s
ane person will do that.
Any sane person will not play with someone's feelings.
"Whatever," I mutter. I will do everything I can to win this time.
Pie will get hurt.
Why, will she really fall in love with me? Wait! Why do I even doubt myself? Of
course she will!
Knowing my subconscious mind will not stop torturing me, I need to have a distra
ction. What will I do? It's not even my room so my things aren't here. Why am I
even staying at this house? I guess I have to sleep in our house from now on.
I feel tired, like my energy was sucked out of me, leaving me drain and breathle
ss. Out of nowhere, an idea pops in my head. Why don't I read a book? A Midsumme
r Night's Dream! It will help me in getting good grades and well, a chance in en
tering a big university.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I go to my desk to get the copy of the play. Unfor
tunately, it's not there. Where is it? I open my school bag and take all my thin
gs out but I still can't find it.
I close my eyes and think deeply on the last time I've seen it. Yesterday we had
Literature but I don't remember using it. The day before that was Sunday. Drian
a came here and then Sophia tutored me in the library. In the library! Of course
it's there! Opening my eyes, I can't believe I'm that careless to leave the pla
y there. What if I'll need it in school?
Go and get it now!
"Okay boss," I say dryly. This voice is really getting on my nerves! What will I
do to make it stop?
Stop the bet.
"No thanks," I retort.
It's your choice.
Am I crazy? Why am I talking to myself? I guess all teenagers experienced this a
t one point in their life.
I walk out of my room quietly to not disturb Sophia on her sleep. I'm glad she d
id not wake up when I screamed earlier.
What makes you think that she didn't hear you?
If she heard me, there's no doubt that she'll go to my room immediately. She eve
n told me that she's comfortable in her room. Perhaps she's having a wonderful d
ream right now. Am I explaining this to my subconscious mind, or am I reassuring
my self? Either way, I feel normal now.
I walk downstairs and take the hallway to the right that leads to the Entertainm
ent room, Game room, and finally, the Library. I am tempted to just play Final F
antasy but I fight that urge off and decide to just go to the library which is r
eally my first choice.
Opening its door, I am clearly amaze of seeing a lot of books even though it isn
't my first time to come here. Tall bookshelves are taking much of the space in
the room. According to Andre, the books are arranged based on their titles. Ther
e are hardbound, paperback, and leather-cover. Every bookshelf is marked with th
eir genres of the book that are placed there. Fiction, non-fiction, romance, cla
ssic, documentaries, Encyclopedia, and some others I can't name. One thing I kno
w, you'll not have a hard time finding a book you like to read.
Sofas, couches, chairs, and tables are surrounding the massive fire place in the
center of the room. Above it hangs pictures of Andre and his family. On the rig
ht side of the fire place are two giant windows overlooking Aunt Veronica's gard
en. A velvet curtain is drape over them. Between the two windows is an antique w
all clock.
What really special about this room is the flooring. It's not tiles or even an e
xpensive carpet. There are printed words in it, the favorite quotations of Aunti
e from the books she read. The first time I came here, I read all those quotatio
ns. It took me three hours to finish them all. They're not even repeatable. If I
remember correctly, there are three hundred sixty five quotes all in all. Unfor
tunately, I just read more or less three hundred because I couldn't read the quo
tations from under the shelf. I can still remember the amused smile on Auntie's
face when she watched me read her favorite quotes.
There's a remote control for the lights of the room so that you can choose your
own preference when you're reading. I pick the remote control on one of the tabl
es and click a random button. Like a magic, the lights dim a little. I'm about t
o change it when I remember the reason why I'm here. Finding my copy of A Midsum
mer Night's Dream is not so hard because it's still on the same place where Soph
ia and I studied.
I make myself comfortable in a chair and start to read on the part where I stopp
ed when Sophia tutored me.
To my amazement, I don't feel bored as I read it. Before, when I want to sleep,
I'll just grab a book and read it. After a few minutes, I will surely fall aslee
p. Now, it's different. I'm even enjoying my self a little. The reason why I put
the play down is because when I glance at the wall clock, it's almost six in th
e morning. Time to go home.
I stretch my arms above me and yawn involuntarily. I hope I'll not fall asleep i
n class.
I go back to my room and pack my things. I write a note for Andre, saying that I
'll go home now. Downstairs, I make my way towards his room and slip the paper b
elow his door. He'll see it when he wakes up.
Closing the front door as I go out, I'm not worried that someone will come in be
cause the door has an automatic lock.
It's unusually cold this time of the day. The wind makes me shiver so I tighten
my coat around me. I walk to where my car is parked and I slide in it gratefully
. As soon as I start the engine, I turn on the heater to stop my teeth from chat
tering.
When I arrive at the house, I get my spare key in my jeans pocket and twist it i
n the doorknob. A light is coming through the kitchen so I go to that direction.
Driana is in her night gown, preparing her breakfast.
"Where's mom?" I ask.
To my surprise, she jumps at the sound of my voice. She even drops the bowl she'
s holding. Driana turns around with a scowl on her face.
Without meaning to, I smirk.
"Next time you come here," she says in a disapproving voice, "Give me a signal.
Don't startle me!"
Didn't she hear me walk in? "It was your fault," I say smugly. "You're oblivious
to your surroundings."
"I am not!" She exclaims, picking up the bowl from the floor.
"Yes, you are," I say, mostly to annoy her.
"Whatever, Draky," she says dryly, rolling her eyes.
I guess she's not in the mood so I let it go to have a real conversation with he
r. "Where's mom?" I repeat.
"I don't know," she says, opening the refrigerator to get some milk. She pours i
t on the bowl until it's almost full.
"Why do you not know?" I question.
This is the reason why I don't like my twin. She's not even in the conversation
but she's joining and voicing her opinions without permission. Always jumping in
at the wrong time! Don't you hate siblings like her?
I turn to my mom who has a sad expression on her face. As a mother, she doesn't
like her children fighting and arguing. But what can I do about that? Driana can
easily piss me off!
Taking a deep breath, I say, "Sorry."
Mom walks to where I'm standing and gives me a pat on the cheek. "That's okay,"
she says affectionately. "Try to be civilize with each other while I'm gone. I'l
l be back after three days."
Mom needs this vacation to be free of stress coming from us. I can't help but wi
nce at the thought. I wonder why my subconscious mind isn't talking right now.
"I have to go," my mom says suddenly. "Your father and I will just meet at the a
irport."
Airport? Where will they go? "I'll take you there," I offer.
"No, it's alright. I'll just get a cab. Besides, you have to get ready for schoo
l."
"Okay," I say with a sigh.
After mom hugs us, she reminds us things we already know. Like lock the door whe
n we go out, clean the house, eat, and other basic things. And then she leaves u
s with an excited smile on her face.
To my astonishment, Driana whoops joyfully and do a happy dance. She's really fu
nny to watch, especially her facial expression.
"What are you doing?" I ask amusedly.
She suddenly stops, and momentarily remembers that I'm in the same room as her.
"The house is mine for three days!" She smiles from ear to ear.
"Who said that?" I ask.
"Are you deaf?" She says sarcastically. "I just said it."
She's really getting on my nerves! Controlling the urge to say vicious things at
her, I say, "Who said that you're going to be alone in this house?"
Her smile falters and then her mouth sets into a thin hard line. "Why?"
"Of course I'm staying here to look after my young sister."
"Aren't you staying at Andre's house?"
"Nope," I say, popping the p sound.
She stomps her feet angrily and grumbles, "Ugh!"
A cheeky grin makes its way onto my face. At least I can still annoy her.
~Sophia
They say that if you want to make revenge, just live a happy life. I can't do th
at, considering I know that Draky's still on the game. I'm not waiting for karma
to do its job. I want to do it on my own. As they say, payback is as sweet as r
evenge. I can already taste it on my tongue; the victory I will achieve no matte
r what.
I get ready for school an hour before the usual time because I don't want to rid
e in Andre's car. I might snap at him in an instant. Taking the bus full of stra
ngers seems a good idea than riding alone in a car with a jerk.
When I'm done preparing, I go to the kitchen to grab some eat-while-you-are-walk
ing-food. Unfortunately, Aunt V is there, cooking something for breakfast. I'm a
bout to walk away unnoticed when she turns and sees me.
"Good morning!" She says.
Nothing is good in my morning, I want to say, but instead I greet her, "Good mor
ning too."
"Breakfast is almost ready, just a few minutes to go."
If I stay here five minutes longer, Andre will see me and will insist that I'll
ride with him. I cannot let that happen.
"I have to meet with my friend in school. I'm running late," I lie. I'm sorry Au
nt V.
She frowns. "You're not going to eat anything?" She pauses, and then says, "Wait
."
I watch her as she gets bread from the oven and put something in it. When she's
done, she hands it to me with a smile. I'm glad she doesn't offer that I'll ride
with Andre today.
"Thank you," I say.
"You're welcome."
"I have to go now," I say, doing my best not to sound rude.
"Good luck with school!"
And with that, I walk towards the front door and into the misty morning air. Whi
le going to the bus stop, I eat the bread. It has a delicious taste and a unique
flavor. When I look at it, I see that there's some kind of jam in its center.
Unfortunately, I can't help but think of how shallow I was to think that Andre w
as nice. Wasn't he the one who picked me?
At least Andre even considered cancelling the bet. Draky didn't want to.
When the bus arrives, I take the seat farthest from the door and beside a window
. I process my thoughts on what I'm going to do now. Acting like I know somethin
g isn't a good idea. I should just be normal, with an edge.
Even though I hate Draky, everything about him, I can't imagine his life miserab
le because of me. That's why I'm still going to tutor him, despite his stupidity
. Maybe Andre is right - that I'm too nice to hurt other people, even the ones w
ho are hurting me.
But now I will. Things change. Nothing is permanent.
I can think of a lot of ways to make my revenge on him. Besides, if I'll not do
that, how can I make him suffer? I can do a lot of damage to him. He doesn't eve
n know his opponent.
Something is bugging me but I can't quite get what it is. Suddenly, a light bulb
shines in my head.
Driana.
Will I tell her? She already doesn't like her brother, and then I'll add more re
ason for her to hate him. She can help me, I know. Even if I want to make him su
ffer, I don't want to destroy their relationship as family.
Driana is like a sister to me, so keeping a secret from her makes me guilty. But
I know I made the right decision because despite of what I know, my heart is at
peace. I don't want her to get hurt too because I know she will, especially whe
n she finds out that her twin brother is playing with me. I'll wait for the righ
t time comes before I spill their dirty little secret to her.
Now, I have to make a plan.
What will I do? Do I need steps?
Why don't I reverse the bet? Instead of me, falling in love with him, why not hi
m, falling in love with me?
That's a good idea! I'll crumple their stupid game in my hands and I'll mess wit
h his head. I'm even excited at the thought.
Kind hearted people are the only ones allowed to enter Heaven but you know what
they say, there's an exception to every rule.
*******************************************
[17] The Bet *Snap
*******************************************
Happy Reading! ;)
Chapter 17 *Snap*
~Sophia
"You're going to eat all of that?" Driana asks incredulously, staring wide eyes
at the food in front of me.
"Of course," I say.
My food consists of Baked Mac, two slices of pizza, a crme brle, one diet coke and an
orange juice.
"Are you okay?" she asks worriedly. She leans on the table and puts her hand on
my forehead.
Rolling my eyes at her, I decide to start with Baked Mac. The first half of the
day passed in a blur. For the first time in a long time, I haven't learned a thi
ng from the teachers.
"I'm fine," I reassure her.
She doesn't even buy it. "They say that when people are stress, they tend to eat
a lot."
"And you believe that?" I ask her teasingly.
"Whatever," she says evasively, twirling a loose hair on her finger.
Staring at her across from me, I can't stop the guilt I feel inside me. Maybe I
should tell her? Driana is smart, she knows what to do. But didn't I already thi
nk about that earlier? That the less she knows, the better?
Driana's eyes remind me so much of Draky's. Those luminous blue eyes that can lo
ok right through you. Can I really A tap on my shoulder makes me jump from my seat. It's like someone sends an elec
tric shock through my body.
"What are you doing here?" Driana asks, throwing daggers at someone behind me.
Turning around, my heart leaps in my throat when I see its Draky. I almost choke
the juice I'm drinking. This is the first time I see him since I've known the b
et. Some part of me is urging to confront with him but I tune it out. My breathi
ng is rag and slow, my hands are shaking so I put them on my lap. This is not th
e time to fight with him yet. I'm not even ready to see him. The seconds is slow
ly ticking by as we stare at each other.
He has an unreadable expression on his face as he looks at me. I can't take my e
yes off his piercing gaze! The only thing that breaks as apart is when Driana cl
ears her throat.
"What are you doing here?" she repeats.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I twist on my chair to face my food.
"I'm wondering if I can join you today," Draky says.
"Why?" Driana asks
"Because if you haven't noticed, there's no available seat anymore," he says wea
rily.
Glancing around me, I see that it's true. Some people are crowding in some table
s. Some are even standing. If the weather is nice, I'm sure they will just eat o
utside.
"Why don't you eat with your friends then?" Driana asks, raising her delicate ey
ebrows.
"Because our table is already full," he says flatly.
p now."
I eat my food, ignoring the guy beside me. Actually, I eat it faster than I'm us
ed to. I'm not even chewing it, I just swallow it.
"Whoa," he exclaims. "There's no need to rush!"
I just continue munching on my last pizza without sparing him a glance. Driana l
ooks at me with a confused expression on her face. Maybe she's wondering why I'm
acting like this. After drinking my coke until it's empty, I grab my things fro
m the floor and stand up.
"Wait," Driana says quickly. "What's the rush?"
I need to get away from Draky! His presence gives me awful and horrible thoughts
.
"Sophia," he starts.
"I need to go now," I blurt out.
"Why?" Driana asks.
"I'm not yet done in my homework in Literature," I say.
"Homework in Lit?" Draky asks incredulously.
Shoot! I slap myself mentally. Goodness! How can I forget that he's my classmate
there?
"I mean in Arts," I say, biting my lip.
"But we don't," Driana says slowly.
Ow! She's my classmate in Arts! What's happening to me? Fortunately, Driana real
izes what I'm doing.
"Oh, yeah," she mumbles, "Our homework in Arts." She gives me a knowing look.
Phew! That's close! I let out the breath I don't know I am holding.
"I have to go now," I say. I can feel Draky's eyes on me but I don't dare look a
t him.
"Wait for me!" Driana puts down her fork and joins me. Suddenly I feel bad. She
doesn't even finish her food because of me.
"You're going to leave me here alone?" Draky asks, brushing bits of crusts from
his mouth.
"Yes," Driana answers. She links her arm to mine and we make our way towards the
Lit hall without a backward glance.
"Thank you," I say with a sigh of relief.
We're already in front of my room. It's quiet because my classmates are still in
the cafeteria.
"It's nothing," Driana says, rolling her eyes. "I know you can't stand Drake as
much as me."
~Drake
What's her problem? Why is she ignoring me? She even tripped me!
Did she?
~Sophia
Something big fell on my shoulders. Me, in detention? Who would have thought tha
t this day will come? I didn't do anything wrong! It's Draky's fault! I still fe
el humiliated, especially when Ma'am C read the paper in class. I wanted to beco
me invisible.
Driana feels sorry and amused at the same time when I told her in Arts that I'm
going to have detention. Draky is really - ugh!
When PE class starts, I want it to extend its time; a first time for me, because
PE is not my cup of tea. I'm good, but it's not the same with my other subjects
.
Before I know it, I'm in the girl's locker room and changing my clothes. I hear
whispers and murmurs that Draky and I are dating. Why are they assuming? They do
n't even know me! They talk behind my back, thinking I can't hear them. I want t
his day to end already! But before that, there's detention. . .
What will I do? It's just Draky and me in a room for one hour. But I can't be su
re that we're the only one, right? Unfortunately, the odds aren't in my favor.
When I'm done, I make my way slowly towards the detention room. I wish something
will happen so that I won't have to go. I'm about to turn around when I see the
door, but Ma'am C sees me.
"Ms. Taylor," she says disapprovingly, "this is the detention room. Where are yo
u going?"
Biting my lip, I enter the room. Draky is already here, siting at the back, and
he is alone. He waves at me and smiles apologetically. I choose a seat in front
to be away from him.
I just have to endure this for an hour, and then I'll be free.
When Ma'am C enters, she closes the door behind her.
Wait, that's it? Just Draky and me? I turn around to see him with a wicked smirk
plastered on his face.
After more or less thirty minutes, a girl who looks like a sophomore enters the
room. She speaks with Ma'am C for a moment. I don't know what they're talking ab
out.
Suddenly, Ma'am C stands up. "We're going to have a meeting in the faculty room,
" she says. "I don't want you to do unnecessary things. I'll be back when it's f
inished." She leaves the room with the girl trailing behind her.
Shoot me now! I'm officially alone with Draky.
I'm quite surprise with his patience in me. No matter how much I push him away,
he's still trying hard. In it to win it?
He's silent for a moment. "Let's play."
"Play?" I ask incredulously.
"Yes," he says.
"What?"
"The quote guessing game," he suggests.
"What is that?" I ask.
He grabs a chair and sits in front of me. "It's simple," he begins, "I'm going t
o quote something and then you'll tell who said it or where it came from. But fi
rst, we need a topic."
"Books," I say. I love reading so of course it's the first one I can think.
"I'm not into reading," he notes dryly. "What about movies?"
"I'm not into movies," I say evasively.
He looks at me oddly and thinks for a moment.
Before I know it, the detention is finally over.
*****
Click the External link on the side to watch another trailer of The Bet ^.^
The song is You Should Have Killed Me When You Had The Chance by A Day To Rememb
er :) Banner by CreativeSideOfLife.
Remember in Chapter 12, I asked you to vote? It's because I made a deal with mys
elf. If I get 500 Votes until the second week of the update, I will do something
. But I didn't get the vote until yesterday ..
Thank you so much!
*******************************************
[18] The Bet *Unexpected
*******************************************
Click the External link to watch another trailer of The Bet :>
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 18 *Unexpected*
~Drake
Plip!
Clack!
Plop!
I groan and put a pillow over my head. Still, I can hear it because the kitchen
where the sound is coming from is under my room.
"Driana!" I growl.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I stand up and rub the sleep from my eyes. Glancin
g in the alarm clock beside my bed, I notice it's just six in the morning. A yaw
n escapes from my mouth as I stretch my arms in front of me.
I make my way downstairs and walk in the kitchen. Driana is well, Driana.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
She turns around with a scowl on her face. "I told you to make a sound when you
enter a room," she chastises. "As for your question, I'm making a breakfast."
"Why are you noisy?" I ask irritably.
She rolls her eyes and mutters, "I'm not."
I shake my head. "What's for breakfast?" I ask, walking towards her.
"I don't know to you."
"You don't know?" I ask incredulously. "You said you're making it!"
"Yes, I'm making it, but that doesn't mean I'm making one for you too."
Really, my head hurts from talking to her. Besides, I did not have a good night'
s sleep. Driana is infuriating! She's already making a breakfast but she doesn't
want to make me one.
"Selfish," I say under my breath.
She turns around so fast I step back. "Who's selfish?"
I shrug. I thought she won't hear that.
"You're just lazy," she snaps. "You want everything to be prepared for you. You
don't care what other people think as long as you're having fun!"
Her accusation surprises me. It's like she slaps me on the face. I prefer to be
slapped than to be accused.
"Don't ever talk to me like that," I say through clench teeth. "I'm still older
than you!"
She scoffs; her face reddens at her outbursts. "By one minute and thirteen secon
ds." She's breathing heavily, her chest rises and falls as she breathes.
In the end, Driana prepares breakfast for two. She cooks sausages and eggs. We e
at it on the kitchen counter silently.
After eating, I take a bath and get ready for school. Downstairs, I see her in t
he living room browsing one of the albums in the shelf. I walk to where she's st
anding and look at the picture she's staring.
My eyes widen when I see Driana and me with goofy smiles on our faces. Below the
picture is a caption of:
September 21, the day before the twins tenth birthday.
When we were kids, Driana and I looked a like. Same dirty blonde hair, and blue
eyes. We had the same height too. Now, I'm taller than her and my hair is blonde
with a few streaks of gold in it. When I get home later, I will dye my hair to
its natural color.
Driana is intently staring at the photograph, remembering the old days. I have a
feeling she doesn't know that I'm standing beside her.
When Driana and I were kids, we used to be close. There were no secrets and we n
ever lied to each other. We used to teamed up in every games, and well, everythi
ng. Those days, we were inseparable. We did everything together.
Now I don't know what's happening to us. As they say, everything changes. As we
grow up, we learn things in life that shapes us to become what we are now.
But Driana and I have a connection other siblings doesn't have. We are twins and
therefore, we can feel what the other feels.
"Driana," I say softly.
She closes the album quickly and puts it back on the shelf. She blinks her eyes
to stop the tears that are threatening to flow from them.
To our surprise, I pull her towards me. And then Driana do something that shocks
me. She hugs me back! My twin sister who thinks I'm the bane of her existence.
I do not know until now that I missed my twin. We have a bond that cannot be bro
ken by anyone.
After a few minutes, we pull away awkwardly.
"Come on," she murmurs. "Let's go to school."
Whoa! Now she wants to ride with me? Before, she usually takes the bus. A grin m
akes its way onto my face as I walk outside the house and get in my car.
Driana locks the door and slides in after.
~Sophia
Ugh! Why didn't my alarm clock wake me up? Now I'm rushing! Getting it from the
side of the bed, I notice that I have not set it. I sigh. This is my entire faul
t. Last night, I think of plans to make Draky fall in love with me. All points l
ead to one idea: I have to flirt with him. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it
means. I need to keep my mind and eyes open to see my classmates and schoolmate
s do that thing.
"Sophia!" Andre calls from downstairs.
Suddenly, I feel guilty for making him late. But wait! I almost forgot that I'm
going to make a revenge on him too. Hah. He deserves to be late. He owes me, big
time!
The drive towards school is quiet as I hope it'll be. Andre is focus on driving
and even drives faster than the speed limit because we're running late.
Andre senses my indifference. Surely, my mood can be read as clearly as the sun.
He doesn't even start a conversation until we're a few blocks away from school.
"You and Drake, huh?" he says, glancing at me.
I almost ask, "What about us?" When I remember there's no such thing as "us". In
stead I say, "What about Drake and me?" Don't tell me . .
"There are talks that you're going to have a date with him," he says, wiggling h
is eyebrows.
Stupid note, I think bitterly. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly to cal
m my nerves. "And you believe them?" I ask dryly. I don't even know why I'm talk
ing to him. He's one of the enemies!
It takes a lot of effort just to sit here and not shout vicious things at him. T
ime is on my hands. I can do a lot of things that's beyond their imagination.
But I already act indifferent as it is, he might think something's off. He's sma
rt. Not that smart because he doesn't know that I know their dirty little game.
"Not really," he says after a moment, oblivious to my thoughts. "I'm just amazed
that my best friend and my guest are the hot topic in school."
"I don't like it," I snap.
His eyes twinkle in amusement, and a smile crosses his face. "I just thought of
something," he says. "Do you want to hear it?"
"No," I say.
He pretends not to hear me and still tells me, "If ever you and Drake will be to
gether, you're going to be Sophia Taylor Swift."
That's not going to happen, I think firmly.
"Isn't that wonderful?" He asks, grinning from ear to ear.
I'd rather stay single for the rest of my life than marry the guy I despise so m
uch who doesn't have a heart.
Oh, wait, he does have a heart. It's black, like the color of his soul.
"Taylor Swift," Andre teases.
"Shut up," I mutter.
"It's a love story baby just say yes," he sings.
I put my hands over my ears and he just laughs at my gesture.
Fortunately, I can already see the front gate of the school. I can't wait to get
away from this monster beside me.
______
I'm on my way to the cafeteria. My last subject extends for five minutes and aft
er that I go to the comfort room to wash my hands. Now, the hallway is silent be
cause the students are already eating their food!
"Sophia," someone from behind me says.
I . . I know that voice anywhere. Does that mean How?
Turning around slowly, I see a man with a dark hair and hazel eyes that has gree
n and gold freckles in them. He stands six feet tall and has a well-cared body.
I am amaze when he pulls me in for a tight bear hug. My arms are paralyzed with
shock. I can't believe this is happening even though I can feel his arms around
me. Rubbing my eyes, I realize that this is real. And then I find my voice.
"Parker?" I ask softly, afraid that he might vanish when I speak louder.
He pulls away and I notice that his eyes are clear with fresh tears running on h
is cheeks. "Oh Sophia, I missed you so much."
My emotion gets the best of me so I hug him tight. I put my arms around him and
sob at his shoulder, staining his shirt with my tears.
It's kind of ironic that we're both crying because finally, we see each other ag
ain. My mind is swirling with thoughts of the past, overwhelming me. All those d
ays I've spent with him aren't forgotten. They're here in my heart. No one and n
othing can take them away from me.
We pull away after a minute and we stare at each other. Because he is Parker and
I am Sophia, we laugh.
Oh God, he's still the same Parker I know.
He wipes the tears from my cheeks, and a smile makes its way on my mouth. I feel
happy, it's like yesterday was the last time I saw him. I pinch my cheek to mak
e sure I'm not dreaming and he chuckles softly.
"You're still the same Sophia I know," he says.
"Same old, same old," I say lightly.
"I can't belie-"
"Pie."
I turn around to see Draky narrowing his eyes at Parker. He shifts his eyes to m
e and they soften when he sees my face. He glowers at Parker while Parker scruti
nizes him.
Maybe Draky thinks Parker hurt me. But why does he care?
If looks can kill, for sure, Parker is ten times dead by now for the daggers Dra
ky throws his way.
What's up with him?
"Who are you?" Draky asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
Parker clears his throat and does something that surprises me and Draky. He puts
his arms around me!
"I'm Sophia's boyfriend," Parker says.
*****
The song is All Around Me by Flyleaf :> Banner by LittleMissIronic.
OMG! Half a million reads :D :) :]
Thank you so much! <3
*******************************************
[19] The Bet *Daydreamer
*******************************************
Read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter :>
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 19 *Daydreamer*
~Drake
Pie has a boyfriend? Oh come on! I don't believe it. I'm not stupid! It's so obv
ious that she's single. I even think that she never have a boyfriend. It's a saf
e bet that I'll be her first.
I don't even know who this guy is.
He's Parker.
Shut up! I'm not talking to you.
He doesn't even look like a student. He even dresses like a professor. He looks
like twenty years old! This Parker is surely lying! Sophia is single! Andre and
I made sure of that before making the bet official.
Nothing's even funny. I want to make my imagination real. My hands are resting o
n my sides but they're balled into tight fists. My body is tense, ready to fight
. But I can't just punch him without being suspended. Worse, expel. Besides, I d
on't really know him. Anyway, why am I even making threats to him in my head?
Parker walks towards me and offers his right hand.
Is it even clean? I don't touch dirty things and I always use sanitizer. Okay, I
know I'm making that up.
Pie gives me a hard look, nodding her head towards Parker.
Rolling my eyes, I shake his hand firmly, once. I don't like to get"Nice to meet you," Parker says pleasantly.
I hope not to see you again, I think. Instead, I say, "The pleasure is mine."
"Sophia and I will have a lunch," Parker starts. "If you want-"
"No," Pie cuts him off. "Drake will eat with his friends today." She widens her
eyes for emphasis.
"Yes," I say reluctantly. "I always eat with them."
Anyway, I might choke on my food while eating if I get to eat with Parker. His s
oft features are getting on my nerves. There's something about him that isn't ri
ght. I can feel it. It's bugging me since the first time I laid my eyes on him.
Who in their right mind would name their child Parker? It's as if his parents wa
nt him to be teased about his name. Parker, where will you park your car? Of cou
rse, in the parking lot. I even laugh at my own joke. I can't wait to say it a l
oud.
Pie makes a shooing motion. That simple gesture makes me want to annoy her and f
ollow her even if Parker the parking lot is with her.
"Goodbye," she says eagerly.
She can't wait for me to leave them alone. I don't bother to tell them goodbye.
If I open my mouth, I might say something I will regret later. So I make my way
towards the cafeteria without saying anything and without a backward glance.
In the cafeteria, I order a double cheese burger and a Pepsi. My friends are eas
y to spot. They're on our usual table, sitting on their chairs. It's like we own
the place because no one else sits there besides us.
I slide on my chair between Brian and Jake; across from Andre. I just set down m
y tray on the table when Dwayne notices my behavior.
"Dude, what happened?" he asks.
"Nothing," I mutter darkly. I don't even know why he thinks something happened.
"I can see a dark aura surrounding you," Troy says.
"Something bad," Jake chimes in.
Andre is looking thoughtfully at me. We've been friends for years now so he know
s something happened. He's not voicing his opinion in front of our friends. He r
aises his eyebrow when he catches me looking at him. I know what it means: 'Want
to talk about it?'
I shake my head a little, just for him to notice.
I'm not comfortable to talk about my feelings. And besides, what's there to say?
Anyway, we're guys. We're not just telling our friends about what we feel. Andr
e is another matter entirely, though.
What's up with the blabbering?
Yeah, what's up with that? My mind is so active right now. I wonder why.
"It's clearly painted on your face," Brian says, breaking me from my reverie.
"Huh?" I ask brilliantly. "What do you mean?"
"You might as well wear a sign that says: 'Caution, don't come near me. I bite."
My friends laugh at me. Even Andre is clearly enjoying this.
"Shut up," I snap.
"I heard you're starting to date Sophia," says Troy.
"What?" I ask, taken aback.
Andre shoots me a knowing look.
"Where did you hear that?" I ask.
"It's all over the school," Dwayne says.
"Especially your little note," says Jake, wiggling his eyebrows.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I should have seen that coming. It's hig
h school, for God's sake! Of course, they're hungry for gossip and news about th
eir schoolmates.
Truth is, I haven't paid attention to it! If I just really think about it, I kno
w something's off by the way my classmates are looking at me. I just thought it'
s nothing considering they're always looking at me.
I sigh inwardly as I admit to myself that I can be oblivious at times.
"I didn't even know she's your type," Brian muses.
To lie or not to lie? "I don't have a type," I say cautiously.
"So you're saying that you like her?" Troy probes.
"I did not say that." My head wants to explode.
"If you don't like her," Jake says, "Maybe I'll ask her out."
"What?" I ask incredulously.
"I'm just saying that-"
~Sophia
*This happens after Drake walks away*
"So," Driana muses, "This is the famous Parker you're always talking about?"
Always talking about? "I . . It's not," I stutter. To my embarrassment, a blush
starts to flood on my cheeks.
When I became friends with Driana, I told her about my old life. Of course, Park
er is one of the main points. I introduced them earlier with each other when we
enter the cafeteria and spot Driana on our usual table.
"Driana," I say warily.
"What?" she asks innocently, biting her lower lip to stop the smile forming on h
er lips.
Some of my classmates steal glances our way when they think none of us is lookin
g. That stupid note is getting on my nerves. Girls are staring at Parker. When h
e looks at them, he smiles, making the girls giggle and turns back to their tabl
e; as if they're embarrassed that they get caught doing something bad.
Parker brushes his hair that falls to his eyes. "Don't be shy," Parker says to m
e. "We both know you had a crush on me."
I can't believe this. I can't believe this is happening.
"You're teaming up against me?" I ask slowly.
They both shrug at the same time and ends up laughing. I can feel a smile tuggin
g at my lips. Driana and Parker just met but they're already comfortable with ea
ch other.
When they stop laughing, Parker looks at Driana like he's studying her. His brow
s furrows when he's trying to solve a difficult problem.
"Aha!" He exclaims, making Driana and I both jump on our seat. "Are you related
to Drake?"
What?!
"Um, yeah," Driana murmurs. "We're twins."
"I knew it," Parker says, smiling cheekily.
He looks at me and cocks his head to the side. His eyes say: 'Why didn't you tel
l me that they're twins?'
Don't ask me how I know it. We had years of practice to know each other.
I smile sheepishly. I forgot to tell him that Draky and Driana are twins. Beside
s, it isn't important, right?
He smirks, his eyes lighting in amusement.
For once, I don't know what that means.
Ten minutes before the bell rings, Parker excuses himself.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"I have to do something," he answers, standing up.
"Wait," I say quickly, afraid that he might vanish. "How will we see each other
again?"
A wry smile crosses his face. "Believe me; you'll see me later."
He's acting weird. How can I see him later, we'll have class after lunch break.
But I trust him, so I nod.
He bids us au revoir and walks away.
I slap myself mentally when I realize I haven't asked him why he's here.
Driana looks at me with a smile on her face.
"What?" I ask, rubbing my mouth. Maybe I have dirt on my face.
She's gazing dreamily at the seat Parker evacuated.
"What?" I repeat.
"He's cute," Driana murmurs.
*****
Thank you so much for all the votes and comments on the previous chapters :) TB
became #2 on the What's Hot List for two days! libertyk told me it became #1. I
can't even believe it! Dream come true! Thank you so much from the bottom of my
heart <3
Parker, Brian, Jake, Dwayne, and Troy are new characters.
xSmileForTheCamera interviewed me. Click the external link to read it :>
The song is Fidelity by Regina Spektor. Banner by CreativeSideOfLife.
Thank you! <3
*******************************************
[20] The Bet *Surprise
*******************************************
WHOO! 2018 fans! =D Thanks to each and everyone of you <3
Read the A/N at the end of the chapter :>
Pay attention to every detail, even if it's just a minor one. Everything is impo
rtant.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 20 *Surprise*
~Sophia
"Taylor Swift."
Clever, whoever thinks of putting our last names together. I haven't even though
t of that, even when I had a crush on him before. I didn't even consider it.
"Taylor Swift," a cheerleader says in a singsong voice.
Ignore it Sophia, they're just bunch of immature seniors. I close my eyes and pr
etend that I am not here, that I'm somewhere else, and that I'm not experiencing
this.
Someone even plays You Belong With Me in their IPod and turn the volume up so th
at everyone in the room can hear it.
Glancing behind me, I know that he's not there yet. They will not play a prank
about us if he's here.
Ugh! I should have just come when the bell rings! I have to endure this teasing
for three more minutes. If I go out now, they will be surely happy about it. It
just means that I'm affected. In reality, not really. I'm just not used to peopl
e noticing me. I'm already a senior but they just become interested in me now si
nce I live in Andre's house and when I started to talk to Draky. Yes, he's makin
g my life miserable.
My head snaps to the front of the room when I hear the door opening. Someone tur
ns off their IPod.
Draky walks inside with his hands on his pockets. Girls stop talking about me an
d stare at him. He bumps some boys' fist and continues to make his way towards h
is seat behind me. When he catches my eye, he nods. That's it. It's like he's ig
noring me. Okay, whatever. I don't even like you and besides, I'm angry at you.
The loud ringing of the bell makes me jump in surprise. He even coughs a laugh!
Jeez! Why am I nervous? It's just an ordinary day, except that Parker is here. W
hat does he mean that I'll see him later? How many days will he stay here? Where
? Perhaps in our house? My mom won't mind but. . . Will I be stuck at Andre's?
What's happening in the house? Why did my parents want me to move out?
Where is Ma'am C? She has not been late, ever. Maybe she's absent? Maybe somethi
ng happened to her?
"Sophia."
I look up to see Parker smiling at me. Parker! I'm about to rub my eyes when he
bursts out laughing. My classmates stop whatever they're doing and stare at him.
At me. At us.
He flashes them a smile and takes a seat in front of me.
"Parker," I whisper.
"Oh, hey Sophia," he says, as if surprise to see me.
I can't help but roll my eyes at him. "What are you doing?" I ask. In my classro
om?
He ignores my question and looks behind me. "Hi Drake," he says.
I twist in my chair to see Draky with a furious expression on his face. He got u
p from the wrong side of the bed in the morning. He doesn't even greet Parker in
return. So impolite!
He turns his back to us and talks to Cassidy; the head cheerleader of our school
. Of course, the jock and the cheerleader. How perfect! Too bad he quit the bask
etball team last school year. No one knows the reason why; maybe Andre and his c
lose friends because Driana certainly doesn't know anything about it. Anyway, wh
y do I care about his shining glory?
I'm just . . .
I should be plotting against him, not"Sophia!"
I turn to see Parker smiling amusedly at me.
"What?" I ask. He's the one ignoring me.
"If I know, you're interested with Drake," he tells me.
"What?" It's even hard to let the word out of my mouth. I glance quickly behind
me to check if Drake hears it.
Absolutely not. He's too busy flirting. Inside the classroom. He's not even shy
about it. She's not even trying to control her giggle. Get a room! Even if they'
re not doing anything besides looking at each other with gooey eyes, it makes me
want to puke. Drake is faking it. I can see right through his faade. Can I, reall
y?
A loud clearing of the throat makes me stop from staring at the two people behi
nd me.
"Sorry," I say sheepishly.
"It's okay," Parker says.
And then I remember my question earlier, the one he didn't answer. "Why are you
here?"
"I failed Literature, so here I am," he says. He ruffles his hair and laughs to
himself.
"Really," I say, not bothering to roll my eyes this time.
"How can you know?" He asks. "You left at the end of my third year high school.
Really, I failed Literature 4." He gestures to himself. "I enrolled here to see
you."
I scowl at him. As if he can fool me. He's a smart student. I like studying beca
use of him. Besides, he's three years older than me. If he failed it, he already
took it the next year.
"Do you know my major?" He asks, changing the subject. At least he stops fooling
around now.
"No," I answer. "You were going to be a senior in high school when we left."
"That's right," he says.
"But you liked to be a manager," I say matter-of-factly. That's what I remember.
"But I get Education."
"What?" I ask incredulously. "That was not one of your options!"
"Yes," he says sheepishly. "I don't know why I picked it."
Wait, my mind is having a hard time processing his words. The last time I saw hi
m was four years ago. He was one of my closest friends back when Matt was alive.
I used to pretend Parker was my old brother, considering he's older than me.
Last I checked, he doesn't like teaching and now he's studying it? I have a lot
of questions for him. How are our friends back home? What's his major? How long
will he stay here? Why is he here? I guess I have to speak my thoughts, otherwis
e he can't answer them.
"Wait," he says, before I can open my mouth. He raises his forefinger. "I see yo
u have a lot of questions in your mind."
I nod eagerly, and glance quickly at the door, afraid that Ma'am C will just ent
er and will make Parker leave the room.
"What's your first question?" He asks. He brushes the hair that falls on his eye
s and then I realize something.
There's something weird about him. I can't put my finger on it. He's the same P
arker but at the same time, he's not. I wonder why I just noticed it now. Maybe
because of the joy of seeing him? That's possible.
My brows furrow in confusion as I analyze what's new with him. A light suddenly
switches in my head. Why don't I just ask him?
"Parker," I start, "There's something new about you."
He grins, showing all his perfect white teeth. "I'm waiting for you to say that!
"
"What is it?" Suddenly, I think of Driana. Does she like Parker? I'll ask her la
ter in Arts.
"I won't tell you. You should guess it."
Typical Parker! I'll just leave that subject alone because I know he'll tell me
about it when he wants to.
"Why are you here?" I ask instead.
"My major is Literature," he says, ignoring my question. "Your school asked the
administrator in my university for college students' substitutes."
I don't know where this is going. Ma'am C is six minutes late.
"I am on my third year in the university, and our Director picked me and my othe
r colleagues to go to your school. This will help us to improve our studies and
it'll be a first experience to us."
I still can't wrap my mind around it. There are a lot of possibilities. "You're
saying that . ." I trail off.
"That I'm going to be your substitute for this class," he says obviously. "Some
of my other colleagues are in other classes right now. We are seven chosen picke
d to substitute your teachers."
"That means-"
"Yes, there's one for Calculus, Biology, History, Arts, PE, Geography, and of c
ourse me, for Literature."
"Why not the graduating students?" I ask.
"Because they're already having their on the job training," he answers. "Anyway,
only the senior high school students are affected. Your professors are now havi
ng a professional meeting in my university. It should have started on Monday so
it'll be a week but something happened."
"What-"
"It's a long story, and it's pretty gruesome," he cuts me off. "Oh, and we're st
aying in a hotel," he says excitedly. "Because you know, this place is far from
our university."
"But my other professors are here," I say. I still can't believe this is happeni
ng.
"Of course," he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "They just
chose seven professors in your school.'
"Why?"
"What do you want? Leave the senior high school students with bunch of third yea
r college students? We don't even have a license to teach. Before we went here,
we had trainings. Luckily, I was one of the chosen. I did my best, you know, esp
ecially when they said this is the school we are going to teach."
"You mean . . ." I trail off, not knowing how to organize my thoughts. Actually,
my mind is like a blank sheet of paper.
First things first. Parker is here because he's going to be a sub for Ma'am C. "
How many days will you stay here?" I ask.
"I'm not sure," he says, frowning. "They told us to pack clothes for one week."
"A week only?"
"At least I have time to see you. Four years is a long time."
"Yes," I say with a sigh. I should be thankful. At least I can have time with hi
m, instead of nothing.
"Sophia," Parker says in a low voice. "I think it's time to introduce myself to
your classmates."
Glancing in front of the room at the wall clock, I say, "That's a good idea." Te
n minutes have already passed since the ringing of the bell.
Parker takes a deep breath and exhales it slowly.
"You can do it," I encourage him.
He gives me a nervous smile and stands up. He walks in front of the room and put
s his satchel on the desk. "Good afternoon," he says.
My classmates don't even bother to stop talking. Some girls are staring at him l
ike he's a male model. Someone snorts from behind and I don't have to turn aroun
d to see its Drake. I'm about to twist in my chair and glare at him when Parker
looks at me for help.
I bite my lip and shake my head a little. I want to help him but there's nothing
I can do. My classmates don't even listen to me and they just talk to me when t
hey feel like teasing me. I just ignore them because it's not true.
"Good afternoon," Parker says again.
Half of the class stops whatever they're doing and stare at him. After a few sec
onds, they continue to ignore him. It's hard to tame graduating high school stud
ents. Parker is running out of patience.
"What's your friend doing here?" Drake asks curiously.
Now he's talking to me? "He's going to be-"
Clack!
I look in front of the room where the sound comes from, to see Parker's hand on
the table.
Oh. He slapped it. No wonder why there's a loud booming voice slash clattering n
oise. He smiles triumphantly. Give it to Parker to do something unthinkable. At
"Pass."
This time, I get Drake's paper. It's not as if I can help it. There are words li
ke: You're so cute, Handsome, I like you, I love you. And so on and so forth. An
d yes, there's a heart shaped thing on the paper, both our names are written ins
ide it.
What will I write? Usually, I write: Kind, Nice, Smart; because I don't really k
now them.
Before Parker can say 'Pass', I write: You're my first crush.
I don't know why I wrote it, but it's true. Drake is my first crush. I never had
a crush on Parker. He's just like an old brother to me. He just teased me a whi
le ago because he likes doing it to annoy me.
Drake Swift is my first crush. Sadly, there's nothing that can change it. You ca
n never change the past, but you can always make a bright future. As they say, t
omorrow's another day.
I don't know what I write after Draky's paper. Before I know it, I'm holding my
own paper. Someone puts 'Swift' at the end of my last name so it looks like: Sop
hia Taylor Swift. The idiot even copies my hand writing.
Someone even wrote: Drake is mine. I scoff. As if I'm taking him away from her.
There are some words like: Smart, Cute, Pretty, Intelligent, Beautiful.
Wow, there are a lot of compliments. My heart is fluttering in my chest and a sm
ile forms in my lips.
Like in Draky's paper, someone drew a heart and put our names in it. We're alrea
dy seniors but they're still childish. I scan the paper quickly and then I find
two interesting things at the bottom of the paper.
One is: I'm sorry. Below it, with a different hand writing are the words: I like
you.
I wonder who wrote these.
Parker tells us to submit our paper, but he says that he will not grade us base
on what our classmates wrote about us.
My classmates thank Parker for the game and for the wonderful experience. For su
re, they are happy about the words written in their paper. I hope he'll not read
mine.
When the bell rings, Parker tells me that he'll walk me to my next class.
"We'll see each other later, right?" I ask hopefully.
"No, unfortunately," he says, frowning. "It's my first day here and I'll have a
meeting with my colleagues and prepare for tomorrow's lesson. I'm just not here
to have a vacation."
"Yeah, right," I mutter. I thought we can hang out and catch up on what's new.
"I think I'm free tomorrow," Parker says, trying to cheer me up.
"I don't know. I have a lot of-"
He pokes me on my side, beside the ribs.
"That hurts," I say, scowling at him.
"You're pretending to be busy," he says wearily.
*****
Cassidy is a new character.
If you are confused, tell me what you are confused about, okay?
Some of you guessed it right -- that Parker is a substitute teacher xD
The song is Liar, Liar by Nevershoutnever :)
If you are wondering where to send me the links for the banner, just send it to
me in private message. And then I'll post it here -- on the story, and the faceb
ook page.
Thanks to libertyk for the banner in this chap :>
School will start tomorrow -.- The only good thing about it is I'm on my last ye
ar in college. Whoop! =)
Thank you for reading! <3
*******************************************
[21] The Bet *Temptation
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 21 *Temptation*
~Sophia
----Teach me how to sleep because I forget how to do it. I've been staring at the ce
iling for a couple of minutes now since I lay on the bed. My mind is so busy thi
nking different things, it's like it doesn't want to rest.
It's already eleven thirty in the evening!
I'm so tired. My eyes are drooping slowly but I have no peace of mind. What wil
l happen if I really forget how to sleep? Can someone teach me how to do it? Wha
t will happen to me then? Twenty four hours awake, with no sleep.
I put on my headphones and listen to Pachelbel's Canon. When I want to calm myse
lf, I usually listen to it, and it's effective. But now, I don't think so.
How to sleep? Can anybody sing me to sleep?
I miss my mom. When Matt and I were kids, she used to sing us lullabies until we
fell asleep.
Sigh.
A lot has changed after the incident. I don't even know my parents anymore. I do
n't want to think what they are doing now.
I guess I'll just count the sheep I see in my mind so that I can sleep. Research
ers indicate that it's quite effective. I'll start now.
One red sheep. Two orange sheep. Three yellow sheep. Four green sheep. Five blu
e sheep. Six indigo sheep. Seven violet sheep.
Wow! There are a lot of sheep in my head, and they're the color of rainbow.
Instead of falling asleep, my mind is weirdly alert.
This is Parker's entire fault! What did he mean when he said that He is cute? Wh
o? He - as in Draky? But why would he tell me that he's cute?
Is he gay? The thought makes me shudder, not that I have something against them.
It's just that I can't imagine Parker as one of them. As far as I know, he's st
raight. Well, no matter what he is, he's still my friend. So if he really is gay
, I'll accept it.
We have our own choices so we are free to choose. Besides, he's already a grownup. He knows what's best for him.
There's something bugging me, but I don't want to think about it because I don't
want to make sense about that complication. I can't just escape it and pretend
I don't know so I might as well think about it now instead of waiting for sleep
to come.
Who wrote: I'm sorry, and I like you?
Is there something behind those words? Are they true or maybe the one who wrote
them were just pretending?
The I'm sorry can be from one of my classmates who continuously annoy me. It can
be from anyone who hurt me. Hmm I can think of someone who might write it. But
if they want to say sorry, they should at least say it to my face, not write it
on a piece of paper where I'll not know to whom it came from.
Parker is awfully wrong. It's not entertaining to guess who wrote the words on y
our paper.
The I like you is another matter, entirely. Maybe someone is playing with me? Wh
y do I think of Draky in that playing with me? Perhaps he has another game to pl
ay.
Why am I always blaming him for all the bad things happening to me? And why am I
thinking that receiving words like I like you is a bad thing?
What if . . .
What if . . .
Sigh. I can't even finish that line of thought. Taking a deep breath, I try agai
n. What. If. Someone . . . really likes me?
I dismiss the thought quickly as soon as it forms in my head.
But maybe it's true . . . I'm not hideous looking, and besides, only a fool love
s a person because of his or her physical characteristics.
But it's like, not love and there are a lot of possibilities.
Okay, I'll just not think of that again. Anyway, there's more important issue th
an the previous one.
If Parker is gay, does he like Draky? That's why he said he's cute?
The shuddering thought makes me want to puke. Drake and Parker? I can't even put
their names in the same sentence. They are like fire and ice. Just by being in
the same room is not a good idea. Unfortunately, there is no choice about that b
ecause Parker is the substitute teacher in Literature. If ever he likes Draky, i
t's forbidden because of the law. A teacher and a student cannot have a relation
ship.
Besides, Drake is a guy. Anyway, Parker is not gay. Even though I'm not one hund
red percent sure.
If ever Parker is, he'll not fall for Drake because as far as I'm concerned, he
has taste.
Grr! I will just leave that thought behind! It just makes my head throb.
Beep. Beep.
The sound of my cell phone startles me. Getting it from my drawer, I see that I
have a new message from an unknown number. The message is:
Good night Pie.
Pie. Of course it's from Drake. Who else will it be? He's the only one who's cal
ling me Pie. Where did he get my number? Will I reply to him or not? In the end,
I text him:
Good night Draky!
In my mind, I add, bad dreams for you.
Beep. Beep. Whoa! He types fast.
You're still awake?
No, I'm not. I'm sleep texting. Of course I'm awake!
The best joke I've heard in a long time.
That was not a joke. And you didn't hear it; I add to myself, you read it. There
's a big difference between the two. Why is he soBeep. Beep.
You're so sarcastic.
I'm not. It just depends on who I'm talking to.
What did you write on my paper? He changes the topic.
Why would I tell you?
I'm just wondering. .
Wonder all you want, I will never ever tell you. What did you write on my paper?
Secret :P
He even put a smiley. Whatever. I don't care. And then I remember something. Whe
re did you get my number?
Its seven minutes later when he replies:
I'm already sleepy. See you tomorrow!
Jerk! Such a bad way to dodge a topic. Because I like to have the last word, I t
ext him:
Sleep tight!
He's so irritating! I hope he dreams of zombies eating his brain.
I know I won't be able to sleep anymore so I decide to walk around the house. Wh
en I pass the movie room, I open the door and come inside. To watch a good film
is a good idea to pass the time.
It's so dark! I can't find the light switch. Where is it? I should have brought
my phone with me so that I'll have a light. I'm just being cautious because Drak
y might text me again. I don't want to reply to him.
How can I find the light switch ifA startle gasp escapes from my lips when I am suddenly blinded with the lights o
f the room. I haven't even find the light switch yet. My heart drums painfully i
n my chest as I wait for my breathing to return to normal.
"Sophia."
I whip around to see Andre behind me. "What are you doing here?" I ask. My voice
cracks at the end.
"I can't sleep," he answers. "So I decided to come here and watch a movie."
I look at him through narrow eyes. This monster scared me to death!
"I'm sorry if I scare you," he says, as if reading my mind.
"Whatever," I mutter. Of course I won't tell him that he surprised me.
"You," he says, brushing off his hair that falls to his eyes, "what are you doin
g here?"
"I cannot sleep either." I notice he's holding something in his hand.
Andre follows my gaze and says, "500 Days of Summer." He raises the DVD so that
I can see it. "My friend told me it was good so I bought it," he pauses and look
s at the wall clock, "yesterday," he finishes.
I can't believe its past midnight.
"Do you want to watch it?" He asks.
I almost say No, but what will I do? I might as well make my time precious by wa
tching a movie instead of thinking unnecessary thoughts; even if that means I'm
going to share my time with him.
"Sure," I say. I walk to the couch and sit comfortably.
"I'm making a popcorn," Andre says, while turning on the screen and putting the
DVD in the player. "You want some?"
"Yes," I say. I'm starving, so why decline the food offer?
He walks out of the room and comes back
bowls full of popcorn (I can smell the
th ice, and two coke in can. He puts it
for the play button. He sits beside me,
e's not invading my personal space.
"Drake told me about your game," he says when the movie starts its opening credi
ts.
"So?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
"What did you write on his paper?"
Wow! He's really crazy to think that I will answer that question. "Why would I t
ell you?"
He rolls his eyes and says, "I just want to know because I'm curious."
"And?"
"You want to know what he wrote on your paper," he says matter-of-factly.
I . . . yes. I am curious. I want to know what Draky wrote on my paper because y
ou know, about their game. Did Drake tell Andre what he wrote? Perhaps, consider
ing they are best friends.
"Let's make a deal," Andre says, breaking me from my thoughts.
DEAL? As in, deal, like how they started the bet? I feel like crying, but appare
ntly, there are no tears flowing from my eyes which is good because I hate cryin
g, especially beside a monster.
There's hollowness inside me, like the time when I overheard them talking. My th
roat is burning, it's hard to breathe, and my eyes are stinging.
What makes him think that I will have a deal with him?
"This is how it goes," he says, as if I already agree to what he wants. "If you
tell me what you wrote on his paper, I'll tell you what he wrote on your paper."
It's kind of suspicious why he wants to know about those papers; in the first pl
ace he's not even a participant.
It is such a tempting offer. Will I accept it or not?
*****
The song is Asleep by Emily Browning (Perfect!) Another OST of Sucker Punch.
Click the external link for another interview of me.
Thank you so much <3
*******************************************
[22] The Bet *Hidden Truths
*******************************************
Do you know how to make a trailer? Can you make one for The Bet? :D
My stories can only be read in Wattpad so if you think someone is copying my ide
as, or posting my stories on other website, please tell me.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 22 *Hidden Truths*
~Sophia
I can lie. Say I wrote: Handsome. I even saw that word on Drake's paper. But wil
l Andre believe me? Besides, he can lie either. Say something that's obviously w
ritten on my paper. Even though he hasn't seen it, he can say: Smart, because ba
sically there are a lot of smart's in my paper.
I'd rather not know what he wrote on my paper than tell Andre what I wrote on Dr
aky's paper.
Maybe he planned this conversation with Andre because it's the same with his mes
sage a while ago. You shouldn't let people know your weakness so that they can't
fool you.
"No deal," I say to Andre firmly.
He looks disappointed but he doesn't press the topic.
We continue to watch the movie in awkward silence. I don't even really understan
d it because my mind is busy thinking different things.
"Andre," I say.
"What?" he asks, turning to look at me.
"Um." I don't know how to say this without offending him but something in me is
urging to ask this question for a long time now. Taking a deep breath, I ask, "H
ow did your father die?"
He looks pointedly at the screen and is silent for a minute. I cringe inwardly b
ecause I might retrieve a painful memory in his mind. I have a hard time swallow
ing the lump in my throat. Maybe it's not a good idea, me questioning him. Curio
sity kills the cat is a very good example of this situation I am currently in.
"He died in a car accident," he says softly.
"Car accident?" I ask dubiously. Like the one that killed Matt?
Andre still doesn't look at me, but continues, "He was supposed to have a busine
ss meeting in another town but he was running late. He was driving too fast and
his car collided with another car." He pauses and drinks his coke. His hand trem
bles as he takes a sip. "He died, and one of the people in the other car died to
o. I don't know what was wrong with him that day. He is, I mean, he was a good d
river you know. That's why it's hard to process things."
He's still talking but I stop listening on the part where one of the people on t
he other car died.
Can it be? Car accident is so common, maybe it's just a coincidence. But as far
as I know, there's no such thing as coincidence. Everything happens for a reason
.
My mind is whirling with thoughts. Taking a huge breath, I ask him, "When did yo
ur father die?"
He looks at me warily and finally says, "May 26, 2007."
I hear someone gasp, and then I realize after a second that the sound comes from
me.
The accident that killed his father and my brother. This is not true. I shake my
head to clear it from these haunting thoughts.
He's lying. I know it! He's a monster so he's lying.
"Sophia," he says in a gentle voice.
I close my eyes and pretend that he's not here. I want to run away but my feet a
re locked in place.
"Don't cry," he murmurs.
Opening my eyes, I see him with a raise hand. He wants to wipe my tears away. Bu
t he thinks better of it so he puts it back down on his side.
Didn't I just say that I hate crying? Stupid tears! They flow freely at the wron
g place and at the wrong time.
Suddenly, my mind thinks back on my first day here in this house -- when we had
our first dinner and I asked where his father was. My mother sent me an incredul
ous look and the dinner became more awkward after that.
Now I understand.
"Did you know?" I ask, my voice hoarse. I wipe my tears at the back of my hand.
I can't believe I can't stop them.
"Yes," he whispers, averting his gaze away from me. "My mom and I went to your b
rother's funeral. That was the first time I saw you. You were sitting at the fro
nt, alone." He plays with his shaking fingers, staring at the carpet on the grou
nd. "Your friends were around you but you wouldn't talk to them. And that was wh
en I realized that he was your brother. I wanted to talk to you but I didn't kno
w how. How could I say that the man who killed your brother was my father?"
What is he talking about? He saw me? I didn't see him. Actually, I didn't really
care at all what was happening around me back then. The only thought I had was
I am alone. Matt is dead. No one will ever call me Phia again. Even though I tol
d him I hated his nickname for me, deep inside, I liked it. My mom told me that
the people who love us are the only ones who give us names.
Truth is, I don't even care about the other car. I never thought that he had a f
amily too that will mourn for him. I only thought that because of him, my brothe
r is dead. My mom went to the man's funeral but I had no idea that his wife is h
er friend.
"I'm sorry," Andre says in a muffled voice.
I turn to see him with his head on his hands, looking miserable.
Why is he saying, sorry? He didn't do anything wrong. And then a horrible though
t comes to my mind. He already knows what I've been through yet he still chose t
o hurt me.
"I was shocked to see you on the first day of freshman year," he says, obliviou
s to my thoughts. "I even thought I was hallucinating. I tried again to talk to
you and say all the things that I know but I chickened out. I was afraid you'll
blame my father."
Why? Why is he so wicked? Does he want to get a payback for the death of his fat
her? But I lost someone too! Not just him!
"You know what amazes me?" Andre says. "Your mom and my mom are friends even be
fore the accident. But they didn't fight because of it. It's kind of unusual. My
mom told me she talked to your mom about it. They became closer after the accid
ent. They don't blame anyone. They still are the same." Finally, he looks at me
with his green eyes full of sadness.
But why didn't my mom tell me about it? That I'm living with the family of the o
ther car? Why? There are a lot of secrets in my family. I don't know why my pare
nts aren't telling me about it.
What if I wake up one day to find out that I'm just an orphan? That they aren't
really my parents? I guess I don't really know them. They should have at least t
old me so that I'll know what to expect. It's my right!
What does Aunt V think of me? The daughter of the man who killed her husband (I
know my dad wasn't the one who killed his husband, but still). I don't know what
to think! I feel hollow inside out. I'm tired of my parents keeping secrets fro
m me. I swear I'll find out everything-"When my mom told me you'll stay here with us," Andre says, interrupting me from
my reverie, "I didn't even believe her at first. How can I? Why in the world wi
ll you stay with us?" He shakes his head smiling, but the smile doesn't reach hi
s eyes. "And then she said that you don't know about my father, because your mom
didn't tell you."
"Of course she didn't," I mutter.
If she did, there's no doubt that I will not stay here. I don't even know why th
ey want me to move out. My parents are so strange! I have the weirdest family ev
er.
"My mom is happy to have you here," he says after a moment.
A smile forms on my mouth. "She's very kind," I say honestly.
"Yes," he agrees. "She's very brave. She's really trying to make me feel that ou
-----Because of talking to Andre a while ago, memories of the past floods in my mind.
"Phia, Phia."
I groan and put the pillow over my head.
"Phia." Matt shakes my arm. "Phia."
"Matt, get out," I say wearily. I still need to sleep.
Suddenly, he's jumping up and down on my bed. It makes me dizzy! "I'm awake now!
" I throw my pillow away.
He laughs at my expression. "Mom told me to wake you," he says.
My body feels heavy so I'm not getting up. Suddenly, Matt is on my side and is t
ickling me.
"Hey!" I complain, squirming away from him. "Stop it!" Laughter escapes from my
mouth without control.
Matt knows my weakness so he's using it against me. He laughs with me because I'
m trying to get away from him. Even though he's just ten and I'm already thirtee
n, I can't push him away from me. He's really clever to think of this plan.
"Matt!" I yell.
He laughs, the sound of a bell chiming.
"Okay," I choke the words out. "I'm going to get up now."
"Are you sure?" he asks between laughs.
"Yes," I gasp.
He's still tickling me; until I fall off my bed and to the ground, butt first.
"Ow!"
"Oops," Matt mutters from above. There's a smile threatening to form on his lips
. "I didn't mean to push you." He swings his legs off the bed and offers his han
d to help me stand up.
Instead of him, pulling me to him, I grab his hand to pull him to me. There's a
thud when he falls on the floor beside me. I can't stop laughing at his facial e
xpression. It's so priceless!
Matt turns to me with a scowl on his face. It seems unlikely because he looks li
ke a sweet angel that comes from heaven.
In that moment, I promise to myself that I will do everything I can to protect m
y brother.
He looks like he's up to something so I give him a hug.
"I love you Phia," he says, hugging me tight.
"Love you too Matty," I say wholeheartedly.
"Sophia, Matt," Mom calls from downstairs.
"We're coming!" I say loudly. I get up from the floor slowly. My hip will surely
have a bruise later. I help Matt stand up and we walk hand in hand downstairs.
Shaking my head, I try not to reminisce about the past. That event happened the
day of the accident.
Phia is close to Pie that's why I almost snap at Draky when he called me that na
me for the first time. It brought memories from the past. I don't even know why
he calls me that name. At least Phia is from Sophia, while Pie is from . . I don
't know.
I lay in bed, trying to think of nothing, waiting for sleep to come.
*****
I was supposed to upload this last night but the electricity went off :/ There's
a storm in our country. A really bad weather.
The next chapter is on Drake's POV. I bet you want to know what he's thinking =D
The song for this chapter is Secrets by One Republic.
Banner by Risterbug13 :)
Thank you for reading! <3
*******************************************
[23] The Bet *Stalker
*******************************************
Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 23 *Stalker*
~Drake
The bad thing about loving someone is no matter how angry you are at the person,
the moment you see her, all the anger will be vanish and will be replaced by yo
ur love for that person. It's like you're never even mad at the first placeI close my copy of Accidentally in Love and put it on the bed beside me. I saw t
his book on Pie's desk when I went to her room to say good night but found her s
leeping instead. I didn't mean to pry on her things. I swear I didn't! I just sa
w this novel because it was on the top. I decided then that I'll buy it so that
we can have something to talk about. So far, I like it. I'm glad it's changing o
n person's point of view so that the readers can know what the other characters
are thinking.
I smile to myself as I wonder: What will it be like to be a fictional character?
They don't have a choice. Because they do what the author writes about them. Sud
denly, I feel sad for them. I don't know why. What will happen if all the fictio
nal characters from the books will come true to life? That means all kinds of cr
eatures will live in Earth. Why am I even thinking these kinds of things? They a
re allRing! Ring! Ring!
That's my alarm clock. That means it's time to get ready for school. For once, I
didn't need its help to wake me. Maybe adrenaline is still running through my v
eins because of the nightmare I dreamed last night. I wonder why I always get ba
d dreams.
After texting Pie last night, I directly fell asleep only to dream that I was a
sunflower, and a zombie ate me. I shudder involuntarily. Such a creepy nightmare
! I won't play Plants vs. Zombies again!
-----
Meanwhile, I glance one more time to Pie's table to see her staring straight at
me.
----"Okay class," Parker says when he walks inside the room. "I'll give your paper b
ack today."
Excited chatters fill the room. They, my classmates, wait in anticipation on Par
ker's next words.
"You have very interesting words written on your paper," he says amusedly.
I haven't even read mine because yesterday, when the paper came back to me, Cass
idy grabbed it before I can read it.
Last night I wondered what they wrote on my paper. I wondered what Pie wrote on
my paper.
Parker calls our name one by one and gives the paper back to the owner.
When it's my turn, I stand up and walk to the front to get my paper.
Parker is getting on my nerves. What is wrong with him?! Why is he looking at me
amusedly? It's like he has a secret only he knows.
Even though he has not done anything wrong, I don't like him.
When I sit back on my chair, I scan my paper quickly. There are a lot of I like
you on my paper. There are even some I love you. How can you love someone you do
n't know?
There are words like: Handsome, Cute, Can I date you?, Come back to the basketba
ll team - they need you! I roll my eyes at the last one. I'll never play basketb
all again.
On the bottom of my paper are the words: You are my first crush.
A smile makes its way in my face. Those are interesting words. I wonder who wrot
e that.
I try to remember Pie's handwriting, when we passed notes two days ago. The only
thing I can remember is that she writes legibly. If only Ma'am Coelho didn't co
nfiscate the paper! I can compare the two papers then, and find out what Pie wro
te.
Are you stupid?
I groan internally. This voice is a pain!
Of course Sophia changed her hand writing.
I haven't thought of that, but it makes sense. Maybe she changed her handwriting
so I won't recognize it. I didn't bother changing mine when I wrote on my class
mate's paper.
Now I understand why Parker gives me that look. He read all our papers yesterday
, so that means he saw the paper of Pie -- the one with my surname written after
her name. I don't have an idea who wrote that.
"I have a little project for you," Parker says before he ends the lesson. "You'l
l pass it tomorrow. But it's by partner," he adds quickly when he sees the expre
ssion on the faces of my classmates.
You can practically hear their sighs of relief. Clearly, they don't want to make
a project alone -- especially one that you'll pass tomorrow.
Cassidy tries to get my attention. When she sees me, she raises her eye brow.
I smile at her. Of course, she wants me to be her partner. Nothing unusual with
that.
"I'm going to assign your partner," Parker says to our surprise.
"What?! Cassidy exclaims.
Parker ignores her tone and says, "Your partner is the one behind you."
Pie glances at me with wide eyes.
Oh. We're partner. She's on the third row, and I'm on the fourth. Of course the
people on the first and second rows are partners. A smirk forms in my mouth with
out my permission.
"Let's do the assignment in Lit," I say to Pie when the bell rings, indicating t
hat class in Lit is over.
"I can't after class," she says, glancing uneasily in front of the room where Pa
rker is organizing his things.
"Why?" I ask.
"I have to do something," she says evasively.
"What about our project?" I demand. I don't really care about our project. I'm j
ust wondering what she will do after school.
"Um, can we do it in the evening?" She asks hesitantly.
"Why?" I repeat.
She rolls her eyes and ignores me.
"You're stubborn," I say.
"No I am not," she says, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Yes you are," I state, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I am not!"
*****
Thank you -- to all the new readers out there and to all my fans :D Your commen
ts make me happy, and I do read all of them :)
The first part was from Accidentally in Love. Yes, it's my story. I always wante
d to start a chapter from a book, but I had a hard time choosing. And then, sudd
enly, like a light bulb switched in my head, I thought of AIL :) I know it's not
a book, but this story is a fiction so . . .
The song is Boy Meets Girl (and Vice Versa) by FM Static =) Banner by libertyk.
Imagining Chloe in my head, I nod. She looks nice, and pretty too.
"If you're wondering what I love about her," he says, interrupting my thoughts,
"I don't have an answer for that."
"Why?"
"Because if you love someone, there's no reason behind that," he says. "Don't tr
y so hard looking for a perfect partner. It's just this simple: Be with someone
who knows how lucky he is to have you."
"Who are you?" I ask teasingly. I don't like where the conversation is heading s
o I have to change the topic. "Where did you put the real Parker?"
The corner of his mouth twitches upward, and he reaches across the table to pinc
h my nose. I slap his hand away with a scowl on my face. I don't like it when pe
ople touch my nose. Parker knows it so he's doing it to annoy me.
"Same old Sophia," he says, "Always dodging topics about love."
I stick my tongue at him. I'm suddenly regretting telling him about my ex boyfri
end. Because long distance call is expensive, Parker and I write letters to eac
h other. It's like writing on a diary but sending it to him.
"Remember your tenth birthday?" He asks suddenly.
"Of course," I say. "How come you remember that?"
"I have a good memory." He smirks.
The theme of my tenth birthday was magical. My parents hired clowns and magician
s but they didn't come because of an unfathomable reason. My family and friends
didn't want to let me down because it was my day. They dressed as clowns and mag
icians.
A smile forms in my lips as I remember the memory.
I was the only audience because all of them were performers; even Matty who was
just seven year old back then. They did tricks that were not good, but it was re
ally funny because I was with them.
If I remember correctly, Parker was the one who organized my party. He and my ot
her friends were the ones who went to different shops to buy necessary things th
at were needed.
It's not the effort that makes me smile. It's the willingness of people to do cr
azy things to make me feel special.
"By the way," I say, "Why did you choose our partners to be like that?"
"I just like it," he says. "I'm tired of people choosing their partners because
they're their friends." He's not looking at me as he says it that's why I know h
e's lying. I don't know what Parker's plan is, but I'm sure I'll know it when th
e right time comes.
"Let's go," he says, as soon as we finish eating our cakes, and slurping our sha
kes. "You still have to make your project."
"Thanks for reminding me," I mutter.
*****
Yay! 1000000 views! Thank you so much <3 :)
I still remember the day when The Bet just had 897 views. Of all my stories, it
had the lowest numbers of readers. I didn't even expect to have reads of a hundr
ed thousand on any of my stories. When I saw it, I smiled and cried at the same
time XD
Sophia's birthday is next week, my birthday is this month. I'm going to be ninet
een this July 22. . oh, getting old haha :D
The song is Sentimental Heart by She and Him. I really love this song, and it's
perfect for the chapter because, Sophia cried last night ;)
Open the external link to see Parker and Chloe's gifts for Sophia (The dress and
the shoes). It's by MellisaBoyce. She's a fashion consultant here in Wattpad.
SEIZE THE MOMENT! (:
Thank you so much ^.^
*******************************************
[25] The Bet *Dead End
*******************************************
"Didn't you know that it's dangerous for young girls to walk alone in the dark?"
A creepy voice asks.
I open my mouth to scream but only choke sound comes from my mouth. I back away
slowly, seizing my opponent.
And then a light blinds my eyes. I close them momentarily to minimize the pain.
"A lovely fellow you are, you aren't using your mind."
I flinch at the sound of the stranger's voice. The man looks like twenty three a
nd has ash blonde hair and black eyes. He's tall and has muscles on his forearms
.
Oh God, how can I fight this man?
He glides towards me while I just stand on my ground, my knees shaking beneath m
e. Suddenly, he's towering over me. That's when I whip around and run as fast as
I can.
My breathing is rag and slow, as I try not to fall face first on the ground.
And then, he's on top of me. His weight knocks my head against the hard floor. F
or a moment, I'm blind. I see stars, even though my eyes are closed.
I hear something thumps in the floor and see the light beside me when I open my
eyes. He must have dropped the flashlight when he ran after me.
I try to squirm away from his body, but he pin me flat against the ground.
"Help!" I yell.
The man puts his hand over my mouth. His hand is so big; it almost covers my who
le face.
It's hard to breathe! His arms are at the top of my chest, choking me for breath
s. I'm starting to fall into unconsciousness but I have to save myself.
I force my hands under him and pull his hair as far as I can, taking a few stran
ds away.
He cries out in pain and punches me on my stomach.
That's when I black out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, that didn't really happen. That's my surprise for you! =D *Read the A/N fo
r the explanation.*
This is the real scene that happens after the previous chapter.
Happy Reading! :)
Chapter 25 *Dead End*
~Sophia
"You're stupid, aren't you?" He says furiously, his eyes blazing with fire. "Why
are you walking alone in the middle of the night? Don't you know that there are
dangers everywhere? This alley is a dead end!"
I try to open my mouth, but I don't know what to say, so I just snap it shut.
"Why aren't you thinking?" He growls. And then he starts to pace back and forth
in front of me. "For being smart, you're. . ." He trails off, looking pointedly
at me. His mouth sets into a thin hard line.
That's what Parker said to me a while ago. What am I?
My feet are hurting, just by standing here. I feel so tired, adrenaline leaves m
e without energy. I don't have an idea what I look like now.
My eyes are stinging, more seconds to go, they will surely fall. It's hard to ho
ld them; I can't take it any longer. My lips are shaking uncontrollably, I can't
talk. If I open my mouth to say something, I will surely breakdown.
To my astonishment, he pulls me into him. My shock gets the best of me as he say
s soothing words at me.
Drake Swift is hugging me!
My arms are useless beside me; I don't know what to do with them. A tear escapes
from my eyes and soon enough, more follows after that.
"Ssshh," he murmurs, "Everything's fine. I'm sorry I yelled at you." He tightens
his arms around me.
I put my arms on his neck, and let the guy I despise so much comfort me. He lets
me cry on his shoulder as he pats my back reassuringly.
After a few minutes, we pull away from each other. I swallow the lump in my thro
at to no avail.
"Come on," he says, taking my hand. He picks the paper bags I must have dropped
when I ran. "Let's get you home," He says softly.
Unfortunately, I can't walk. He sees my hesitation and I point to my right foot.
"Ooh," he murmurs. He drops on one knee and let go of my hand.
"What are you doing?" I ask in a hoarse voice, gaping at him.
"Get in my back," he instructs.
"Why?"
"I'll carry you."
"No, I-"
"Please," he interjects.
"Okay," I whisper, and ride on his back.
When he stands up, he gets the paper bags and holds them while holding my legs t
oo. I put my arms on his neck instinctively. He starts walking without saying an
ything.
"You're what?"
"Friend," he finishes.
"Why, really?" I exclaim. "I want the truth."
"I don't know," he says uneasily.
"When did you start following me?" I ask instead.
He sighs. "I saw you walking out of the school with Parker," he says wearily. "I
thought he'll do something bad to you."
"Like?" I probe.
He mutters something under his breath.
"You mean you followed us in the caf too?" I realize.
"Yes," he admits.
"Why did you do that?"
"Instinct."
"You heard what we were talking about," I say obviously.
"I did not."
"You did," I say accusingly.
"Did not," he insists.
I put my hand on his head and pull his hair away from him.
"Ow!" He grunts. Fortunately, he doesn't let go of me. "Pie! Stop that!"
"Tell me the truth," I say warningly. "Or I'll pull your hair away." I tug at hi
s hair for emphasis. Instead of locking my arms on his neck, I take a handful of
his hair in my hands.
"I swear I did not hear a thing," he whimpers. "My table was far from yours."
I realize that he doesn't stop walking so that means he isn't really hurting.
"Cut it out!"
"I want the truth!" I say.
"I'm telling you the truth," he insists. "If I'm a liar, don't you think I shoul
d have lied on the part when I start to follow you? In that case, I don't have t
o explain any of it. I can just say that I saw you walked in the dark alley so I
followed you. But I did not. I really am telling the truth."
"Really?" I ask doubtfully.
"Yes," he says, and then pauses. "Wait, I heard the first part, when you asked P
arker if he was gay, and then-Ow!"
I realize that I grab a hold of his hair again. I let it go, and put my arms bac
k to his neck. He starts walking again.
"And then I saw him giving you something," he continues, turning his head to loo
k at me.
My heart stops beating for a second because the proximity of our faces is so clo
se!
His eyes widens when he realizes it, so he look in front of him again. "You star
ted to talk in low voices so I did not hear you," he says flatly.
"Eavesdropping is bad," I say flatly.
"I know," he says, but there's no remorse in his voice.
I tell him that eavesdropping is bad, but I do it too. It's even the reason how
I knew their bet about me.
Wait, there's been something nagging on my mind when Draky told me that he follo
wed me. I close my eyes to think clearly. It's about. . It's . . . Parker!
He must have seen Draky following us, because when we walked towards the caf, he l
ooked behind our backs for a couple of times. Even when we were inside the caf, h
e glanced behind him. But why didn't he tell me? I'm so oblivious! Why did I not
force him to spill it? Ugh! I really hate Why questions.
This is such a long day! My head throbs in synchronize with the beating of my he
art.
"We're here," Draky says.
Opening my eyes, I see that we're in the parking lot of the school. "Why are we
here?" I ask.
"My car," he answers.
"You left your car in the school?" I ask incredulously.
"Yes," he says, "As if I can follow you while driving." He walks towards his car
.
There are some lights on the gym and a few cars parked in the school lot.
"How come there are still students here?" I wonder out loud.
"The basketball team is practicing for their big game next week," he answers.
"Oh," I murmur. "By the way, why did you quit?"
"I get tired of it," he says in a strain voice.
I don't ask him why because the topic is clearly forbidden.
When we reach his black convertible, he puts down the paper bags and gets the ca
r keys in his pocket. He opens the passenger door, and helps me get in. First, h
e puts me down. When I'm about to take my first step, he carries me in his arms,
princess style. A gasp escapes from my lips while he smirks at my expression.
When I'm comfortable, he gives me my paper bags and walk to the driver's side. H
I look to see him with a curious expression on his face. "He's my friend," I say
carefully. I don't want him to give important details of my past. If he's telli
ng the truth, he doesn't know about the connection of my family and Andre's.
"You mean, way back?"
"Yes," I say.
He nods in understanding. I'm glad he's not asking a lot of questions because I
don't want to answer him.
"Come on," I say, and starts to walk (more like hop on my left foot).
"I think we should go to a hospital first," he suggests.
"No, I'm okay," I say quickly. "I just sprained my ankle. It will be gone tomorr
ow."
He hesitates, and then finally nods. Maybe he remembers my dislike towards hospi
tals. He leans down and pull me up into his arm.
"I can walk," I say warily.
His mouth twitches upward. "Sure you can," he says amusedly.
I puff out a breath, and cross my arms over my chest. I try not to look at his e
yes because they're just a few inches away from mine.
He opens the passenger's door and helps me settle in. When he gets in, he starts
the car and drives towards Andre's house. The time in the dashboard indicates t
hat it's just eight thirty.
"Draky," I say hesitantly. "Can we keep this a secret?"
"What do you mean?" He asks.
"Don't tell anyone about what happened tonight."
"Oh-kay," he says.
"Even Andre," I insist.
"Sure," he agrees, "Even Driana?" He raises his eyebrows.
"I. . . Yes," I say finally.
"That means it's just the two of us," he says matter-of-factly.
"I know."
"Do you want a pinky promise, Pie?" He asks, raising his right hand towards me.
"Okay," I say, raising my right hand towards him.
"Promise," Draky says softly, smiling at our entwine pinky fingers.
*****
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EARLY GREETINGS <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THE JULY CELEBRAN
TS! :)
I hope you like my surprise for you! I was waiting for the time I could do that
trick, and finally it arrived XD The first part isn't real! I did it because a l
ot of you guess the right scene - that it's Drake. I even thought of changing it
to a complete stranger but that means a lot of scenes in the future chapters wi
ll change. What if no one will come for Sophia? What if she gets hurt? She alrea
dy suffered enough. What if- Okay, you get the point =D
The song is It Ends Tonight by The All American Rejects <3
The song shot will be Every time we touch. Thank you for all your votes! I'll po
st it when I finish it ;)
Whoo! I'm on the Dean's List again! So happy :D :) :> Hmm such a long Author's N
ote . . Thank you for reading it <3 and thank you for reading my story =D <3 :)
I know, I overuse smiley's :>
*******************************************
[26] The Bet *Unpredictable
*******************************************
The song is 9 in the Afternoon by Panic! At the Disco =) banner by pentapper.
I hope you'll like this. Thank you, and happy reading!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 26 *Unpredictable*
~Sophia
ut of nowhere," I say.
Draky's lips quirks into a smile. "It just came on my mind."
I don't know why I'm not convinced. "What's the title?" I ask, as the band plays
the bridge of the song.
"Nine in the afternoon."
"Oh," I mutter, "By?"
"Panic at the disco," he says, cocking his head to the side to look at me.
"Never heard of them," I say.
"Never?" he asks incredulously.
"Never," I repeat.
"What band do you listen to?" he asks, as if I'm a girl from the mountain.
"A lot," I say evasively.
I'm quite satisfied with the way he drives, because it's very different from bef
ore. He even wears his seatbelt now.
"Maybe all you listen to are the songs of Taylor Swift," Draky says matter-of-fa
ctly.
Taylor Swift? Is he teasing me? I close my eyes to lessen the annoyance I feel.
When I don't respond, he asks, "What bands do you listen to?"
"Why?" I grumble, not opening my eyes.
"I'm curious," he says.
I open my eyes to see him staring at me. "Look at the road," I chastise. "And, c
uriosity killed the cat."
"Cats have nine lives," he points out.
"Good thing the curiosity didn't get tired of killing the cat."
The corner of his mouth twitches upward. "You don't like cats," he observes.
"Yes," I agree. I don't know why I'm not fond of animals. I think they're okay,
but"Who's your favorite band?" he asks again, going back to the original topic.
"Why do you want to know?" I ask, glancing at him uneasily.
"Forget it," he says evasively.
Forget it, I mimic in my mind. As if he can persuade me in telling who's my favo
rite band to him. I don't even know the reason why he's asking. Maybe he'll use
it to his advantage of making me fall for him. But how?
He did help me, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I forgive him. I'm not sh
I put the dishes on the center of the table, between us. When we start eating, I
tell them that Draky is my partner in Literature. I don't know, but I feel obli
ged to tell them that that's the reason why he's here.
"Like in real life?" Andre asks amusedly as I pause to breathe.
"Are you and Drake in a relationship?" Aunt V asks, oblivious to my expression.
"Of course not," I say quickly, before Andre or Draky can utter a lie.
"Really?" Andre asks, staring at me intently. "Why are you blushing then?"
"I am not," I say indignantly.
Aunt V is smiling slyly, like she's up to something. I'm about to ask her what,
when Draky speaks.
"We're just friends," he says, in a tone that clearly indicates that there's mor
e between us.
In his dreams! As if he can fool me. I know he's just acting and pretending to m
ake me fall in love with him. Let's see who the best is when I start with my pla
n.
"Boys," Aunt V says, taking my hand and squeezing it, "Don't make Sophia uncomfo
rtable. Just continue eating."
Andre's mouth twitches upward. I can't believe he's the same guy I talked to las
t night. He seems a different kind of person now. Back to his old self.
Heaving a sigh, I continue to eat my food. The dinner isn't awkward because ther
e are conversations going on.
Andre talks nonstop about his day-the tests he got a perfect score, and the girl
s trailing behind his back. He's so full of himself. I wonder when his head will
explode. He's too confident, like his best friend.
Aunt V talks about her business. She, I mean, their family have a lot of shares
of stock in big companies in the country.
"Managers are the lifeblood of the company," she says thoughtfully. "Without the
m, there's no business. If you're going to take Marketing in college, don't let
Accounting students look down at you. They're just the ones who are going to com
pute your money in the future."
Andre smirks. "You're just saying that because you're a Marketing graduate," he
says.
Aunt V shakes her head. "My professor told us that lesson when I was in my first
year in college. Now, I know that it's true. I'm experiencing it," she adds, an
d then grins. "Anyway, I didn't forget that. I even made it my inspiration to to
p the class. I mean, I'm the number one in the President's List; a Marketing stu
dent." She smiles, remembering the memory.
Wow! Aunt V is intelligent.
"When you're going to marry," she continues, looking at Andre and Draky, "Choose
an intelligent girl. There's a huge possibility that your children will be smar
t too."
No doubt, Andre gets the genes from his mother. He's intelligent too.
"Anyway, I forgot to ask," Aunt V says, looking at me, "What course will you tak
e in college?"
"I'm not sure," I say honestly. "I haven't thought about it yet."
She nods slowly. "There's plenty of time for that."
I have a lot of choices on what course to take, but I have not made my final dec
ision yet.
"Andre," I say, "What will you get?"
He cocks his head to the side, like he's thinking about it. "I don't know," he s
ays finally. "Maybe I'll take Marketing so that I can continue our business."
Aunt V sighs. "You can take whatever you want and its okay for me."
"I know," he says, an unreadable expression crosses his face.
Before the silence becomes uncomfortable, I ask Draky if he's starting his tutor
ial lesson with Andre. He's clearly surprised with my question. What can I do? I
t's the first question that comes to my mind.
"Not yet," he says, after clearing his throat.
"Why not?" I ask.
He shrugs. "No time."
"Sophia," Aunt V says, in a voice like she just remembers something.
"What is it?" I ask curiously.
"Your birthday is next week!" She says excitedly.
Andre spits out the water he's drinking. Instead of helping him, we laugh at him
. Draky is slapping the table while he laughs. The good thing is, Andre already
drinks some of the water on his glass so"You know Sophia's birthday?" Andre exclaims, coughing the water he swallows une
xpectedly.
"Of course," Aunt V says obviously. She hands a table cloth to Andre to wipe his
mouth. "Her mother is my best friend, so it's not that surprising to know her d
aughter's birthday."
Andre and Draky exchange quick glance and then they both look at me.
"What?" I ask uneasily.
"Nothing," they both say at the same time. They both shake their head and laugh;
just as loud as before.
What's that look about? What about their exchange glance at each other? Boys are
really confusing!
After eating, I tell Draky to wait for me in the library, I'll just wash the dis
hes.
"No need," Aunt V reassures me, "Just start with your project. Andre will wash t
he plates tonight.
"Okay," I say, and then to Draky, "Let's go."
We stand up from our chair and then Draky says, "Clean well, dish boy."
Andre rolls his eyes, and mutters something under his breath. Too soft that no o
ne hears it.
Draky offers his help in carrying me, but I decline it. I don't want to depend o
n him. Besides, I notice that the more I walk, the more my right foot is getting
better.
When we enter the library, I can't help but marvel at the beauty of the place. T
his is my favorite part of the house. The smell of books greets me, like they're
enveloping me into a warm hug with their covers. Weird, I know, but that's what
I feel.
"Pie," Draky says, interrupting me from my reverie.
"What?" I ask, taking the chair across from him.
"Can I ask a hypothetical question to you?"
"Shoot."
"Will you answer it?" He asks, smiling lightly.
"Let's see," I say.
He rolls his eyes. "What will you do if someone is talking inside your head?"
"Talking in your head?"I ask incredulously.
"Yes," he says, nodding.
"What do you mean?"
"There's a voice talking to you," he whispers.
"Like your subconscious mind?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
He thinks for a moment. "Something like that," he says finally.
"Why?"
He doesn't respond.
"Is it happening to you?" I ask. A smile is tugging at the corner of my mouth. I
know it's just a hypothetical question but I can't help but be amused at it.
"You think I'm crazy," he observes, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No," I say, "Actually, I'm thinking about The Host."
"The Host?" His brows furrow in confusion.
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I have to understand, not all people like to r
ead. "It's a novel about two minds in one body. An alien in a human body."
"Oh," he murmurs.
"Anyway, I think it's your subconscious mind."
Draky looks uncomfortable while fidgeting on his seat. "Will you, uh," he stutte
rs, "Accept its advice?"
"Why, are you talking back to it?" I ask amusedly.
"You're teasing me," he says wearily. "I said that it's just a hypothetical ques
tion."
"Sure," I say, my lips quirk into a smile.
He looks at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.
"I think you should take its advice," I say finally, "But it depends, on what it
s saying. Besides, it's still you, just some other part of you."
Draky opens his mouth, but before he can utter his first word, the door of the l
ibrary opens.
"Hello," Andre says, closing the door behind him. His brows furrow in confusion
as he analyzes why we are silent. "Did I interrupt something?"
"What are you doing here?" Draky asks flatly.
"My mom lets me off the hook." A grin lights Andre's face. He walks towards us,
and sits beside Draky. "Any progression in your project?"
"No," I say.
"What is it again?" He asks.
"We're going to come up with two statements," Draky explains. "It's like two dif
ferent topics, but they should connect in some way. And then we'll have to expla
in it in front of the class, and submit a handwritten note about it."
"Oh," Andre murmurs, "Let's start."
We do brainstorming then.
I don't know what the relevance of this to our lesson is. Parker is really unpre
dictable. Even though I'm his friend, I can't predict his next move.
Andre talks a lot. He suggests weird statements like: You are what you eat, and
I think therefore I am. How can we connect those two?
I can't concentrate with his annoying voice and unlimited teasing. Out of nowher
e, he'll just stop talking and will look at Draky and me. Why don't you leave us
alone?! I want to shout at him. Unfortunately, I can't do that because it's not
my house.
In my peripheral vision I see Draky staring at my hands. I look down to see them
in tight fists. I open them slowly just to see that there are red marks on my p
alms.
Draky seems to know what I'm thinking. He turns to Andre and says, "Why don't yo
u sleep already?"
"Oh, I like it here." Andre's eyes spark in amusement. "You two look cute togeth
er."
I shake my head at him. He's so impossible! How can he say something like that?!
"Why not about love?" Andre suggests suddenly. "You're a girl, Drake's a guy. Be
sides, you two have chemistry."
A stupid blush is starting to form in my cheeks, flooding my face.
"Look!" Andre says, pointing at me. "She's blushing!"
"No, I'm not," I deny.
I hear Draky snorts, but I don't dare look at him.
"You're lucky," Andre says, gesturing to both Draky and me. "You have that subst
itute who is very imaginative in making his lessons."
Parker is very creative. I wonder where he gets his ideas.
"First, the paper," Andre continues, "And now, this. I want to transfer in your
class!"
Draky looks at me, a smile is plastered on his face. "Want a topic about love?"
he asks, raising his eyebrows.
Just thinking about it makes me squirm uncomfortably. But I have to do it. There
's no other choice. Besides, a love topic is entertaining and it's a step to mak
e Draky fall in love with me. A smile forms in my lips at that idea.
We think topics about love then.
"Love is a magic," Andre says.
"Too cheesy," Draky says dryly.
We continue to suggest, but in the end, we don't pick any of them.
"Life is ironic," Andre says, shaking his head.
"Life is ironic?" I repeat questioningly.
Draky looks at me curiously. "Life is ironic."
"Yeah, I like it," I say.
"I'm a genius," Andre remarks. "I'm not even suggesting it; it just came on my m
ind."
Draky shakes his head, but the corner of his mouth twitches upward. "One to go a
nd it should be about love."
"Hate comes from love," I blurt out without thinking.
"Creepy," they say simultaneously.
Do they have interconnected cells in their brain? It seems like they know what t
he other is thinking. Strange, I know.
Like a light bulb switch in my head, I think of something.
"Love is strange," I say.
"How can it connect to Life is ironic?" Draky asks me.
Andre yawns loudly before I can answer Draky's question. "I guess I'll leave you
two alone. You already think of the answer. I need to sleep now and get my beau
ty sleep."
Despite my annoyance, I laugh at him. "Your beauty rest?"
"It's my responsibility," he says. "Good night to both of you."
"Good night," I say.
"Night," says Draky, bumping the outstretch fist of Andre.
"The connection?" Draky asks after Andre walks out of the room.
"Um, love is strange because we love someone who doesn't love us, and someone lo
ves us but we don't love back."
Draky nods thoughtfully.
"Life is ironic," I continue, "It flows the way we don't plan it. Unexpected thi
ngs happen. One move can change your life forever."
"I think the connection can be: Live the way you want, and love the way you live
," he says.
I nod. "It can be."
"Pie."
"What, Draky?"
"I'm going to write that."
"Why?" I ask.
"You're tired, and you need rest," he says. "I know that my penmanship isn't go
od, but I'll do my best. I'm going to add more explanation, and I'll tell them t
o you tomorrow."
"Okay," I say.
When we finish, I tell him that I'll walk him outside. We're silent as we make o
ur way towards the front door; me, limping, him, carrying most of my weight. His
touch sends electric shock through my body which I ignore.
He opens the door and we just stand outside for a couple of seconds.
"Good night," he says, putting his hands in the pocket of his jeans.
"Good night," I murmur.
I can't help but laugh at that. Me? I like Pie? Oh c'mon! That's the funniest th
ought I've ever think.
In my peripheral vision, I see in the clock that it's almost midnight. It's late
; I still have to dye my hair.
I'm glad I'm done adding more explanation to our project. I already wrote it a w
hile ago. I'm impressed because I really like my handwriting there. I hope Parke
r; I mean Mr. Condie, will give it back to us because I'm planning on putting it
in a frame. No joke. Besides, I like the words written on it. I wonder what wil
l Pie think when she reads it.
~ Sophia
"I love you," he says, touching my bare arms, sending chills and warmth all over
me.
"I know," I murmur, leaning back at him. "I love you too."
"You mean we're together now?" he asks. "I mean, you're my girlfriend now?"
"Yes."
"Sophia," he says softly, tightening his arms around me.
A good kind of shiver runs passed my body. Swallowing hard, I ask, "What?"
"You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Even though I can't see his face, I hear the smile in his voice. He then turns m
e around to face him. His soft brown eyes gaze at me wonderingly, maybe asking h
is self if I'm real.
Above us, there are thousands of stars twinkling in the sky. Here beside me is m
y boyfriend. What more can I ask for?
"This is the best night ever," he says, putting his hand on my cheek. His other
hand is still on my waist.
I pinch my arm to check if I'm just dreaming, but it hurts, so this is definitel
y real.
Putting my arms on his neck, I stand on my tiptoe and kiss him on the cheek. At
the last second, he turns his head so I kiss his lips instead.
I'm so shock, I let my arms fall to my side. "Sorry," I mutter.
To my surprise, he laughs. Really laughs, there are even tears flowing from his
eyes.
What's funny? That's my first kiss, and he finds it amusing!
I wait for a few seconds before he stops. When he does, he looks at me with his
eyes glittering in delight.
"What?" I mutter, taking a step back, and crossing my arms over my chest.
He closes the distance between us and pulls me in his arms.
Sighing, I put my arms around him. What can I do? He's so irresistible! I lay my
head on his chest; I feel so comfortable here.
"You're so innocent," he murmurs.
"That's my first kiss," I admit shyly.
"I'm glad," he says. The corner of his mouth twitches upward. He puts both of hi
s hands on my face, and leans down so our eye level is the same.
Oh my! I'm going to have my real first kiss!
My heart is thumping so loud in my chest. It's like it's trying to get out of me
. There's no doubt he can hear it.
"This is your first kiss," he says, as if reading my mind. As he talk, his lips
brushes mine because our face is so close!
"I don't know how to kiss," I say, biting my lip.
His lips quirk into a smile. "Neither can I," he says, "We just have to let our
instinct take over."
And then he closes the little distance between our lips. I can write a whole nov
el about this kiss. It's soBeep. Beep.
A sigh escapes from my lips when I open my eyes. Those stupid brown eyes still h
aunts me in my dreams. Why did I dream of him now? It's been a long time since t
he last time it happened.
I'm thankful for whomever text me because I woke up from my nightmare; a memory
woven into a dream.
Unfortunately, it looks real! Before, when he touches me, I feel warm. Now, reme
mbering my dream, I feel cold all over my body. I shudder at the thought of him
kissing me again.
At that thought, my mind thinks back of last night.
A smile makes its way in my face as I remember Draky's expression. I can't belie
ve I kissed him! When I had a crush on him before, I did not even dream of it be
cause it was impossible. But I did! I kissed him on the cheek!
Way to go Sophia! Hmm I wonder what he thought about the kiss. Does he think I'm
falling in love with him now? In his dreams! I can't wait to see the look on hi
s face when he finds out that I know about their game, and that I'm playing with
him.
Suddenly, I remember the reason I woke up. Getting my cell phone from my drawer,
I open it to see that Draky's the one who sent me a message. Hah. Speaking of t
he devil.
Is it okay if we meet at the cafeteria later? So that we can study our notes tog
ether. And, good morning Pie!
If we'll meet at lunch, that means I'm going to eat with him. The thought isn't
appealing but I have to remember to act on my role.
Heaving a sigh, I type:
Good morning Draky! That's okay. See you :)
I put a smiley so that he'll think I like his message. Am I overdoing it? I don'
t think so. Am I crazy, talking to myself? Hmm as far as I know, crazy people do
n't think they're crazy. Besides, I'm talking to my subconscious mind. Not that
it's answering. At that, I remember Draky. What does it feel like to have your s
ubconscious mind talking back to you? I have to stop now because I know I'm just
blubbering. I do it when I'm nervous.
I'm nervous because in my peripheral vision, I can see the dress I will wear tod
ay. Below the dress are the shoes. How can I walk in those heels? I hope I won't
trip or slide. Fortunately, my ankle isn't in pain anymore. I just have to walk
carefully and look at the ground where I'm walking.
I'm procrastinating, I know, because I have to take a bath now.
Walking in the bathroom, I lock the door behind me. After removing my clothes, I
open the cold water to take me. I'm shivering from head to toe but I don't want
to shower in the warm water because. . .
I don't know, I might loose my nerve.
Suddenly, a thought comes to my head.
My grandparents are divorced. My parents are fighting. My ex boyfriend broke my
heart. Someone is playing a game on me. How can I believe that there is such a t
hing called love? I'm so stupid! I should have learned from their mistakes but I
didn't. I didn't even learn from my own experience.
A tear escapes from my eyes without my permission. That's it-I promise myself th
at this will be the last time I will cry. I'll just do everything based on my in
stinct, not on my emotion.
I have to give myself some credit, though. Because everyday I smile and act like
there's nothing wrong. It's called putting everything aside and simply being st
rong as much as I can.
First, I have to get all the answers I need from my parents. I'll go to our hous
e later after school.
After showering, I put on my underwear and then my bathrobe. I'm just going to d
ress in my room because it might get wet here.
I walk inside my room and blow dries my hair. After that, I put on my dress. In
the mirror, it's two to three inches above the knee. Swallowing the lump in my t
hroat, I shove my feet on my heels. I try to walk around in my room. So far so g
ood; I'm even walking straight. Phew! The only thing I don't like is that the he
els are clicking on the ground.
Grabbing my bag, I go downstairs and walk in the dining room.
"Good morning Sophia," Aunt V says, putting her newspaper down on the table.
Andre isn't here. Maybe he's still sleeping, considering it's still early.
Oh my! Did I fell asleep? I can't believe I fell asleep! I open my eyes slowly.
I wonder why they feel heavy. What time is it? Oh no! I'll be late.
A startle gasp escapes from my lips when I see the girl in the mirror.
The girl in front of me isn't me. Her hair is curly which really looks good on h
er. She has a light make up, which brings out her features, especially her blue
eyes.
A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts.
"You have to go, you might be late in school," Aunt V says.
"Thank you," I say wholeheartedly.
"Thank you," she says, touching my hair lightly, "I've been waiting for the time
I can do it."
We smile at each other, and then we walk outside of her room.
"Do you want to be late?" Andre asks quite irritably. "You know, it's--" He stop
s talking when he sees me.
"Sorry," I mumble.
"No need to say sorry," Aunt V says, giving Andre a pointed look. "You won't be
late if you're going now."
"Bye mom," Andre murmurs, kissing his mom's cheek.
"Bye Dre, Sophia," she says, waving her hand. "Take care!"
"You too," I say.
Andre and I walk downstairs and then we continue to go outside, and get in his c
ar.
Andre is quiet as he drives. He looks at me every now and then, and will turn ba
ck again to the road. What do I look like? I feel uncomfortable with his stare!
He's so different from last night because he was annoying and now he's so silent
. In this instant, I prefer the annoying Andre.
When we arrive in the school, I say, "Thank you."
I'm glad we're not late. There are even a few minutes to spare.
"You're welcome," he says evasively.
Before I go to my first class, I decide to go to my locker first to get the book
s I need.
"Who are you?" A voice from behind asks.
Turning around, I see Driana smiling broadly. "Um, did I overdo it?" I ask uneas
ily.
"Look at you," she gushes. "Where did you put the real Sophia?"
*****
You saw a glimpse of Sophia's past with her ex boyfriend. What do you think abou
t him? Don't worry; you'll know what Drake wrote on Sophia's paper.
The song is What is Love? by Nevershoutnever! Banner by antus_girl.
A lot of readers ask me about the sequel. This is not even finished lol :D hmm i
t depends on how this story will end *I already have an ending in mind* ;) I lik
e writing this story so maybe there will be a sequel :)
Thank you so much! <3
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[28] The Bet *Statue
*******************************************
There's a trailer on the side. You have to watch it because it's amazing! Creati
veSideOfLife made it. I really like it :) If you are interested in making a trai
ler, what are you waiting for? You can ask me about the details you want to put
in the video, or you can make it the way you want. Banner on the side by RaylaSa
n :>
This is just the first part, and I'll add the next one this weekend. The song fo
r the chapter is Statue by Lil Eddie. I got the title of the chapter from the so
ng xD
Happy reading! (:
Chapter 28 Part 1 *Statue*
~ Drake
The girl in front of me is a goddess. I don't know why, but I can't take my eyes
off her. Is this Pie? I notice that she wears light make up. In my opinion, she
still looks beautiful without it. For me, someone is beautiful when it's natura
l. Even though her dress is short, it looks classy on her.
She has the same color of her hair, and the eyes. The blue eyes that only belon
g to her"Draky," Driana says, snapping me out of my reverie.
I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I really don't like where they're going.
"Staring at someone is rude," Pie says bemusedly. Her eyes glitter in delight.
I look away, embarrassed that she catches me staring at her. Swallowing the lump
in my throat, I decide that I can't let her see me like this; open, vulnera"Who's star-struck?" Driana asks amusedly.
"I don't know," I say evasively, glowering at her. She sure knows when and how t
o tease me. Right, because we're twins.
"Draky, are you?" she says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
I want to snap at her this instant but I know she's just testing my patience.
Fortunately, Driana has something to do before the first class starts so she tel
ls us goodbye. She walks away, but not before winking at me.
I shake my head at her, but I'm smiling slightly. Blocking her path, I ruffle he
r hair like I used to when we were kids.
She slaps my hand away, and then pauses to scowl at me. "Don't mess my hair agai
n," she complains, smoothing it back.
She's cute when she looks irritated that's why I want to tease her whenever ther
e's a chance and an opportunity.
"Whatever," I say. I'm not promising anything.
She puffs out her breath and continues to go to the direction she has in mind.
And then it's just Pie and me in the hallway of lockers. There are students walk
ing to and from, and there is loud banging of lockers as they open and close.
People stare at me, but I'm used to it. Some glances shyly, and when they catch
my eye, they look away quickly. Some are brave. When they catch my eye, they wil
l nod, or smile. Some talk to me like they know me. I don't mind though, because
I'm friendly.
Now, they just stare. They don't try to catch my eye. They, too, are staring at
the girl beside me. The guys linger at Pie's a little longer, like she's a statu
e to be gawk at. I don't know why, but I mind. I feel protective of her all of a
sudden.
Why is that?
I ignore it because talking back to it won't do me any good.
You're selfish aren't you?
Selfish? I snap inwardly.
Because you want that you're the only one who can hurt her.
I'm so startle by the accusation, I stop thinking. Like, I shutdown or something
.
Am I really hurting her? I'm just"Draky," Pie says, interrupting my thoughts.
"What?" I ask slowly, coming back to my senses.
"See you later in the cafeteria," she tells me.
"Would you mind if I walk you to your first class?" I ask her. And then I pause.
Where did that came from? Me, walking Pie to her first class?
She's clearly taken aback my suggestion. It's painted on her face.
I expect her to ask why, but she doesn't. Anyway, when did she do something I ex
pect of her?
I can see that she's contemplating her answer. Suddenly, I want to vanish in thi
s instant. I feel humiliated and unwanted for no apparent reason.
I'm about to open my mouth and say I'm just kidding when she says, "I'd love to.
"
"Really?" I ask dubiously.
"Yes," she says, nodding her head.
The corner of my mouth twitches upward. I turn my head away so she won't see my
smile. She might know how much her answer matter to me.
"Let's go," I say, before the bell rings. I don't want us to be late.
"How was your sleep?" she asks after a few seconds of silence.
We are walking side by side, not close enough to touch, but not faraway to feel
like strangers.
I notice that something in her voice is different. Is she going to bring up the
kiss last night?
"Good," I say. "What about you?"
She smiles, but it's more like a smirk. "Fine, thank you," she says pleasantly.
There's something weird about her, but I can't quite get what it is.
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[29] The Bet *Save Me
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Whoo! 4000+ fans! Thank you to each and every one of you :)
xSelennax made a trailer for The Bet. It's the video on the side. Click the Exte
rnal link for another trailer; Poisonedbones made it. They're both amazing! :> B
anner by a fan.
There are two songs for this chapter: So Far Away by Mayday Parade and Welcome t
o My Life by Simple Plan :>
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 28 Part 2 *Save Me*
~Sophia
And that makes it worth it. I made him speechless. I made him stare at me with h
is mouth hanging open. And I know I made the right choice.
When the bell rings, Parker doesn't waste a minute and start to choose who will
discuss first. I don't know if it's intentional because he isn't calling my name
. I have a feeling that Draky and I will be the last to report.
I wonder if today's his last day in teaching us. When will he go back to his col
lege? We haven't really talked. I hope tomorrow we will. Before he leaves.
There are a lot of discussions going on, one after another. But only three topic
s grab my attention. The first one is about beauty and brain. Cristina and Xande
r discuss it. Their topic reminds me of the night when Draky and I talked about
love.
They say that your beauty doesn't matter when you don't have knowledge in your b
rain. I think it's for shallow people who always want to look perfect instead of
studying. And then they explain the relevance of the two by adding quotations f
rom books and songs.
The next topic is about attraction and intelligence. At first I thought it was t
he same as beauty and brain but I was wrong.
Ella and Mitch tell us that if a person is intelligent, he or she will more like
ly be attracted to handsome guys or girls. Hah. I thought it's just me.
I never know that it's a fact. Until now.
Handsome guys are my weakness. Now I know.
Is my intelligence the only reason why I was attracted to Draky? Is that it? Ma
ybe, because now I know the real him. Now I'll use my intelligence to outsmart h
im.
The last topic that makes me listen is about circumstances and people. Kent and
Jamie explain that the way we treat people affects their life. If you're mean to
someone and you're hurting them, you have a great impact on their life.
As they say, actions speak louder than words. You don't know what's happening in
their life so you don't have the right to mess it. A small thing can lead into
a big thing that can change someone's life forever.
After their discussion, the room's in a complete silence. The whole class absorb
s what they heard.
"That's deep," Parker says solemnly. And then he continues to call names for the
reporting.
The other topics are quite similar and ordinary, I find myself thinking other th
ings.
I can't really focus on the next discussions of my classmates because my mind ca
n't stop replaying the time when Draky brushed his fingers on my lips. I asked h
im why he did that. He said in an embarrass tone that there was a bread crust on
my lips. He really is stupid if he thought he got me.
I can't wait for this to end so that I can have my normal life back. All I want
is to finish my high school and leave this town. I'll go to my college of choice
After my last class, I go directly to the bus stop and get in when it arrives.
My mind drifts back in Arts, replaying what happened there. I say my gratitude t
o Chloe and her face brightens when she sees that I'm wearing her gift. In that
instant, I know that she and Parker will have a happy future with each other. I
know it.
On the next bus stop, I descend the bus and walk in the empty street leading to
our house. The soles of my feet are complaining.
I don't know why I'm afraid, I'm just going to go home and visit my parents. Whe
n's the last time I saw them? I really miss them so much.
A honk beside me makes me jump in surprise. I'm so focused on my thoughts; I don
't notice I'm walking on the road beside a car.
I turn towards it and see Draky lowering his window.
"What are you doing here?" he asks amusedly.
"What are you doing here?" I ask incredulously, gaping at him.
He looks at me oddly, and shrugs his shoulders.
And then I remember the time he followed me. Is it only just yesterday? Why does
it feel like a long time ago?
"Are you following me?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Of course not," he says quickly. "My mother called me to check on my Aunt who's
living in the last house on this street."
"Really?" I ask dubiously, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I swear," he says. But why does it sound like he's defensive?
"Okay," I say slowly, and then I'm about to continue walking when he calls my na
me. "What?" I ask.
"Get in," he says.
"For what?"
"So that you won't have to walk," he says obviously. I'm quite surprise he doesn
't roll his eyes.
"I don't want to add burden to you," I say warily.
"Believe me," he says amusedly, "You're not a burden to me."
Is this you're plan on making me fall in love with you, huh? "Fine," I say, and
slide in the passenger seat. Let's see what you will do.
But he doesn't try to start a conversation. He's silent as he drives.
"Do you want to come in?" I ask when we arrive in my house.
"No," he says, shaking his head. "I'll just wait for you here."
"Huh?" I murmur.
"I'll wait for you here so that you won't have to ride a bus when you go to Andr
e's house."
I know that he almost say home instead of Andre's house but he stop his self bec
ause he doesn't know what I will think of it.
"Okay," I say, and then get out of the car and walk to the path leading to my ho
use.
It's so silent; it's like no one's here. Again.
I search for my house key in my bag and when I find them, I put it in, twist the
doorknob, and open the door. I'm glad I grab the keys in the drawer beside my b
ed before leaving the house.
"Mom?" I call.
It's so dark here. My mom doesn't leave the house without a light. Did she or da
d go home last night? I find the switch and click it so I can see.
This is my house but why do I feel like I'm an intruder?
"Dad?" I call as I make my way towards the kitchen. "Mom?" Why aren't they answe
ring me? "Anybody here?"
My heart is doing little drum beats in my chest. I can feel my blood pumping thr
ough my veins. When I rounded the corner to the kitchen, no one's there.
Maybe they're upstairs, sleeping. Calm down, calm down, I repeat again and again
.
But I can't. It's hard to breathe! Do you know the feeling that you're drowning
in the ocean even though you're safe on the land?
The world is starting to spin; I might faint, so I sit on the floor and pull my
knees towards me. I put my head against them. Inhale. Exhale.
I do that for a couple of seconds until I'm sure that the world isn't spinning a
nymore.
It's like when Matt diedStop! I don't have to go that far. There's nothing wrong happened to my parents.
They're alive; just sleeping in their room.
My mouth is dry. My tongue is like a sandpaper grating against my teeth. I stand
up slowly and try to walk towards the fridge and get some water. I need liquid
in my body.
When I open the fridge, the food I bought a few days before I started to live in
Andre's house falls to the ground. Why are these foods still here? Why didn't m
y parents eat them? They might get spoiled!
Don't think too much, I remind myself. Maybe they don't feel like cooking so the
y just ate outside or maybe they ordered pizza. I have to distract myself to sto
p thinking these kinds of thoughts.
I make my way upstairs and the first thing I see is the grandfather clock on the
wall beside the stairwell.
There's my room at the far corner. But first, I have to go to my parent's room t
o see them.
I open their door quietly even though I have a nagging feeling that they aren't
inside. I push the door so I can enter. I'm right. They aren't here.
I don't know what's gotten into me to check the closet of my mom. What I see whe
n I open it makes me gasp. Some of my mom's clothes are gone. And then I move to
the other side of the room for my father's cabinet. Some of his clothes aren't
here too.
Tears start streaming down my face when I realize that my parents left me. They
left me on my own. My head is pounding hard, I can't think straight. My body fee
ls numb.
I don't remember much what happens after. I think I run blindly downstairs, trip
ping because of the heels I'm wearing.
When I get outside, I hear Draky's voice calling my name. I ignore him and conti
nue to run without a destination in mind.
A stone on my path I haven't seen because of my blurry vision makes me trip on t
he sidewalk. I'm about to fall face first on the ground when a hand grabs my wai
st and straightens me.
I push Draky away from me but he just ignores my weak attempt to break free. Whe
n my arms fall to my side, he pulls me towards him, pushing my tangled hair out
of my face.
My head rests on his shoulder and his arms encircle my waist. He's just quiet, r
ubbing my back softly while murmuring words at me soothingly.
I'm sobbing uncontrollably, I let the guy I despise so much comfort me.
"What happened?" he murmurs long after my tears stop falling from my eyes.
How many minutes have passed? How many hours? We're still on the middle of the r
oad. Like before, it's empty. Empty, just like my heart.
I shake my head because I know when I open my mouth, I'll breakdown again.
He seems to know what I'm thinking because he doesn't wait for my answer. "Let's
go," he says suddenly.
Where will we go?
"Trust me," he says, and helps me get in his car.
*******************************************
[30] The Bet *Into the Wild
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PLEASE READ:
Thank you so much for participating in the guessing game! You guys have creative
minds :) I really enjoyed reading your guesses about what might happen. You are
all deserving to win but unfortunately, I can just dedicate three chapters for
three fans. The good news is I changed it to TEN fans! :D For the other readers
I didn't pick, I'm sorry, but there's still next time :> The winners are:
~kukudube, ~ purpleprincess97, ~ImBrittney, ~CaliforniaGirl, ~lidiipopz, ~Eterna
lLovee, ~XxLoveIsBlindxX, ~booklover121, ~KatyLouiseJohnX, ~ Chessernie03
Message me on what chapter you want me to dedicate to you -- as long as it's not
yet dedicated to someone else ;)
Banner by KieraaFran.
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a Facebook. Or just search: Ilurvbooks
There are two songs for this chapter: Shakespeare in Love by Layla Kaylif and Fo
rever and a Day by Jem :)
Happy Reading, and enjoy! (:
I let the guy beside me to take me wherever he wants. And then I remember someth
ing. Even though it doesn't count as a goal, it makes my life worth living. I'll
graduate in high school, and then go to college. Before that, my abstract goal
is to make Drake Swift fall in love with me. It's not a good thing; revenge, but
I need it to look forward to the future. Besides, I have a feeling that he's ju
st doing this for the bet. What more is there, right?
He doesn't know what's happening in my life. He doesn't have a right to mess it!
Didn't he listen to the discussion earlier? When will he stop this game of his?
If ever he stops, will I forgive him? Maybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell. Pe
rhaps when all the wounds in my heart starts to heal.
I'm not going to hurt him. I'm just going to make him fall in love with me. As t
hey say, you have to play in order to win. Besides, I'm still going to tutor him
. He should be thankful because despite what he's doing, I'm helping him. Anyway
, I need the time of tutoring to make him fall in love with me.
Will we continue this until we destroy the true meaning of love? Will we stop un
til one of us is broken? I guess I'll just stick to the main point instead of th
inking about what will happen between us.
Who knows what my parents are doing? Wait! Aunt V probably have an idea. She's m
y mom's best friend. If she doesn't know everything, I'm sure she knows somethin
g. I have to talk to her later when I get home. I'm so paranoid. I even think I
hate my parents for leaving me. I didn't even think rationally-that they just we
nt somewhere important. The dreading question is: Why didn't they tell me?
I glance at the clock in the dashboard and see that it's 4:30 pm. Just a few min
utes of driving. We don't start a conversation because we don't have anything to
say. He's probably burning with curiosity why I cried earlier.
My thoughts are jumbled. It's like I'm not the one thinking them. I feel like a
shadow of my own self.
Before I know it, we're passing the outskirts of the town.
"Where are we going?" I ask. And then I'm startle because I decide not to talk t
o him while in the car. My voice is rough because of crying so I clear my throat
.
Draky looks at me with a surprised expression on his face; maybe he doesn't expe
ct me to speak. "You'll see," he says.
"What will I see?" I ask.
"A little impatient, are we?" he asks teasingly.
Give it to Draky to joke in this kind of situation. I swallow the hiccups that a
re starting to get out of my mouth.
After that, we don't speak again. We settle ourselves with our own preoccupied t
houghts.
I busy myself on thinking where we are going. In the park? In a restaurant? I im
agine different kinds of scenarios in my head.
Draky suddenly parks his car on the side of the road and shuts off the engine. T
here are no other cars here. This place is like, secluded.
wn my face and I wipe it away with the back of my hand. I've always wanted to hi
ke. If I'm wearing appropriate clothing, I'll appreciate this even more.
He pushes a branch of a tree, and then walks into some kind of a magical place i
n the forest.
"What is this place?" I ask, looking around me in amazement.
There are trees blooming here, unlike the trees I first saw earlier. They look l
ike cherry blossoms, with green leaves. It's the first time I see this kind of t
ree. The grass here is greener and there are some wild flowers scatter everywher
e.
"I don't know what it's called," he says thoughtfully.
I breathe in the fresh air. It's cold, but it feels good. The wind dries the tea
rs in my cheeks. I feel relieve, like the wind takes all my problems away. Befor
e I know what I'm doing, I'm sitting on the grass. It's so comfortable and relax
ing.
Draky sits beside me, but not too close. There are a few feet of space between u
s. I'm glad he's not invading my personal space. To my amazement, he lies on the
grass. He puts his hands at the back of his head, and stares at the sky above u
s.
There are tall trees obscuring the sun from the view. I can just make out the ou
tline of the sun. I want to lie on my back too, but unfortunately, I can't becau
se I'm wearing a dress. A short dress. So I just stretch my legs in front of me
and take off my heels letting the grass tickle my feet.
There are different kinds of birds flying above us. Some are singing a melody or
two.
I close my eyes and let my other senses take action. I want to be a bird"Why?"
I open my eyes and see Draky staring straight at me. "What?" I ask.
"You said you want to be a bird," he says, tilting his head to the side. His hai
r falls to his eyes and he brushes it off with his hand.
I can't believe I said that aloud! Heaving a sigh, I say, "I want to be a bird.
What about you?"
"Why do you want to be a bird?" he asks, ignoring my question.
I guess he became tired of me asking the same question that he does, and now he'
s making a strategy for it to be fair.
"Because they can fly," I answer. "They're free. They can go to wherever they wa
nt. I want to fly and soar the sky."
He nods thoughtfully and looks at a tree with a bird perch on its trunk.
"What about you?" I repeat. "What do you want to become in your second life?"
"If I can choose what to become," he says, "I'd like to be a star."
Star? I expected him to say bird so that we can be together you know-for the bet
Before I know it, I'm on my feet, screaming at the top of my lungs. There are te
ars flowing at the corner of my eyes but I ignore them. When I don't have energy
to scream, I flop down on the grass and laugh. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy. B
ut it feels good to laugh after screaming so loud.
Somehow, birds fly away because of my scream. No doubt I startle them. Draky smi
les because he knows that I know.
"How?" I ask, as soon as I stop laughing.
"What how?" he asks, still smiling.
"How did you know that I want to scream?"
"It's written on your face," he says.
Is it true? Well, I feel good now.
"By the way," I say, "How did you find your way to your camp?"
"I saw the smoke they build," he says, "And then I followed it."
"I guess they searched for you? I mean, you were lost, right? So they had to fin
d you." I don't know why I'm blabbering.
"They did," Dray says amusedly. "They were worried about me. And then they scold
ed me for wandering alone."
I'm grinning from ear to ear. "You go here whenever you want to scream?"
"Something like that," he says, "because I know no one will hear me."
"What if someone comes?"
"No one knows this place besides me," he says, and then adds, "And you."
Oh.
I can feel the heat flooding my face, creeping into my cheeks. Stupid blush! I c
lear my throat awkwardly and look away. What else is there to say?
"Oh no," Draky mutters after a few minutes.
"What?" I ask, at the same time I hear the thunder.
I look at the sky to see that the blue earlier is gray now. How can we be oblivi
ous?
"Come on," he says urgently. He stands up quickly and offers his hand to me.
I grab it and he helps me to get up. "What now?" I ask, while I quickly put on m
y heels.
If we run as fast as we can, we can't still go to the
in the rain. Besides, we both know that I can't run.
do, the clock is ticking faster and faster. The gray
matter of seconds, the heavy drops of rain will fall
"Let's go," Draky says.
"Where?" I ask.
He grabs my hand and we walk as fast as we can. I don't let go because he helps
me when I trip. It's cold, but the only warm thing is the hand of Draky. Suddenl
y, little drops of rain start to fall.
Draky looks up and scowls at the sky as if he can stop it by just glaring at it.
We stop and then he takes off his jacket and puts it around me. He pulls the ho
odie so that I won't get soak.
The jacket smells like him. It feels warm too. The good thing is that rain is on
ly dripping slowly. I'm sure it will fall on heavy drops later. I can't see wher
e we are going so I just let him guide me.
Finally, we stop in front of a small cabin. Draky opens the door and then we ent
er the threshold. Right on cue, there's a loud thunder coming from outside. He c
loses the door and walks to the corner.
I can't see how much big this is because it's dark. There's a broken window on t
he right corner a few feet beside the door. The only light emanates from the lig
htning.
Suddenly, there's a flicker of light behind me. I whip around to see that it com
es from a candle. That's when I see the inside of the cabin. It's the same size
as my room in Aunt V's house. There are blankets and pillows on the floor. Draky
's sitting with a bag of groceries beside him.
"What is this place?" I ask.
"I found this when I came back to the forest a few years ago," he says, "And the
n I decided to put some things in it so in case of emergency, I have a place to
go to."
"A haven," I blurt out.
His mouth pulls at the corner. "Yes."
There's more to Drake Swift than meets the eye. I'm starting to unravel the real
him.
"Are you hungry?" he asks.
"Yes," I say.
He gives me the bags of groceries so that I can choose whatever I want. There ar
e junk foods, mineral water bottles, Twinkies, and cookies. I get a mineral wate
r, and chocolate chip cookies.
Draky organizes the blankets so that we can sit on them while eating. I take off
my heels and sit across from him. The soles of my feet are throbbing. I'm so ti
red.
"I'm sorry," he says after we're done eating. "It's my fault you're stuck here w
ith me."
"It's okay," I say with a shrug.
"Sorry," he says again.
After the phone shuts down, there's an uncomfortable silence between Draky and m
e.
"Goodnight?" he says.
"Night," I murmur. I get a pillow and lie down, putting the blanket up to my nec
k.
"You're going to sleep now?" he asks, lying down as well, a few inches away from
me. I can hear the beat of his heart.
"Yes," I say.
"Oh," he murmurs.
I wait for him to say something but he doesn't, so I ask, "What is it?"
"Nothing," he says.
It's still raining and even if it's not, we can't go home because it's dark. May
be we'll get lost in this forest. The floor is hard, but it's better than being
drenched in the rain. It's cold, but Draky's jacket makes me feel warm.
"Sweet dreams Pie," he says.
"You too Draky," I murmur.
My mind is already shutting down. I think he says something but I don't know wha
t it is because my mind is fuzzy. Maybe I'll remember it when I wake up in the m
orning. Maybe.
***********
I had the idea on where will Sophia and Drake go when we hiked in a forest trail
last February and I was not wearing appropriate clothes xD
*******************************************
[31] The Bet *Confusing Thoughts
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 30 *Confusing Thoughts*
~Drake
Tick tock.
Tick tock.
Tick tock.
The only sound comes from my watch, the beat of our hearts, and the soft breathi
ng of Pie. I glance at my wrist watch and see that it's passed midnight. (I'm gl
ad it's water proof. If it's not, there's no doubt it's not working now.)
Today's the tenth day. I can't believe it! A lot has happened already. It feels
like I've known Pie my whole life. It's not even two weeks yet. It seems impossi
ble, but it's true.
Who would have thought I'll bring her here? Even Andre doesn't know this place.
I don't know when the rain stopped falling from the sky. We can't go home becaus
e it's dark. Even though I know this place, I am not that familiar. We might get
lost, and I can't let that happen.
I roll on my side and face her. She looks innocent, like an angel. She's very di
fferent from my nightmare of her. This sleeping girl beside me is Pie.
Did she hear what I said to her before she fell asleep? Maybe not. Her eyes were
already dropping at the time.
Her lips are trembling and she mumbles something quietly.
Is she awake?
Sleep talking.
"Matt," she murmurs.
Matt? She's dreaming about her brother?
A tear escapes from the corner of her eyes.
Before I know what I'm doing, I raise my hand and wipe it away with my fingers.
The tiny drop of tears feels warm to the touch. I let my hand linger on her chee
k, softly brushing the scratches she got from hiking and running. Her face is so
ft, like a baby.
I push the hair that is falling to her eyes. My hand has a mind of its own-- it
holds her silk hair and play with it.
My forefinger traces the side of her jaw, her nose, and her eyelids. She has lon
g eyelashes. I catch myself before I touch her lips. Our faces is so close, it m
akes me remember last night.
We almost kissed! Can you believe it? I can't! It feels like there's a pull movi
ng towards us, wanting us to get close, and that's when my cell phone rings, bre
aking the connection between us.
I don't want to think what could have happen if it didn't ring. What's the point
?
The point is you're thinking about it.
Pfft. It will never happen.
I'm so confused! I can't even distinguish which is which; my pretend actions fro
m my real ones.
Pie squirms in her blanket; she's shivering.
I take my
And then
e able to
manage. I
blanket off me and place it on top of hers carefully, to not wake her.
I lie down again, turning my back on her. If I face her, I might not b
sleep because I'll just stare at her whole night. It's cold but I can
shut the voice inside my head and wait for a sleepless dream to come.
Without opening my eyes, I know that it's morning. The ray of the sun is hot, ev
en behind my close eyelids.
Is Pie still sleeping? I strain to hear clearly but the only sound comes from he
r normal breathing. I assess my position without opening my eyes.
In my sleep, I roll over to the side so I'm facing her. My hand is touching some
thing warm in this cold place. I peek under my lashes and see that my hand is re
sting on her arm.
My eyes widen and I remove it quickly before she wakes up. That's when an idea c
omes to my head. Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
I position myself carefully so we are facing each other, and there are just a fe
w inches of space between us. I grab her left hand slowly and put it on my waist
, and then lean her head to my chest. Her right hand is on my face.
I can't wait to see her expression when she wakes up. While waiting, I feign sle
eping. Just imagining her face makes me grin from ear to ear.
After a few minutes, my patience pays off. I can feel her stirring beside me. St
ill, I don't open my eyes. She's still sleeping! I can't wait any longer so I op
en my eyes at the same time she finally wakes up.
At first, she blinks her eyes to clear her vision. When she sees me, her eyes wi
den. She rubs the sleep from her eyes, maybe thinking she's just dreaming. She l
ooks at our entangled bodies and gasps.
Her gaze turns towards her hand that's on my waist. She snatches it with her han
d on my face.
"Wh . . . Why. . . What did," she stutters, not finishing her sentence.
Oh, I miss this Pie. The one stuttering when she's embarrassed.
"What did you do?" she asks finally. Her face is red, like she's burning because
of a fever.
"I didn't do anything," I say innocently. "You're restless when you're sleeping
that's why. . ." I trail off, looking at her meaningfully. I control the laughte
r that is starting to build inside me.
She shakes her head slowly, not believing what she saw. "But I'm not," she says,
still not looking at me right in the eye.
"Maybe you're scared last night," I say, "That's why you moved close to me and p
ut your arm around me."
Her mouth hangs open and an unreadable expression crosses her face. She doesn't
know what really happened so she thinks I'm telling the truth.
She's so stubborn; she doesn't want to budge and doesn't want to admit that I'm
right. Unfortunately for her, she doesn't know that I just positioned us togethe
r. I feel guilty for teasing her.
It's not a smart move but her expression is priceless. I have no doubt I'll reme
mber it forever. Besides, nothing really happened.
Pie swallows nervously and removes the blanket entangled on her. "Why do I have
two blankets?" she asks, confused.
"You were shivering last night so I put mine on top of yours," I explain.
She narrows her eyes and her brows furrow as she thinks deeply.
"What?" I ask, sitting up.
"You position us, didn't you?" she says accusingly, sitting up as well.
"What?" I ask incredulously. Does she have a third eye or what? How can she gues
s right?
She scowls at me and her mouth sets into a thin hard line, erasing the memory of
our almost kiss last night. "Forget it," she mumbles, looking away.
I let out the breath I don't know I'm holding. I almost got caught! Now I know I
can't do something like that again.
"Want to go home now?" I ask softly.
She nods.
I ruin everything.
Again.
I know; you don't have to rub it on my face!
We put the blankets and pillows on their places. After that, I ask Pie if she wa
nts to have breakfast. She declines and says that she'll just eat at home.
We go outside the cabin and I close the door behind me. No need to lock it. No o
ne knows this.
As we walk, I notice that she's limping.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Nothing," she says evasively.
"Why are you walking like that then?"
We stop beside a big tree, and she leans into it, breathing heavily. What's happ
ening to her? We just walked a couple of yards.
"Are you okay?" I ask gently, moving towards her.
"My right foot," she mumbles.
I kneel down and remove her right heels off her foot. She gasps at my actions. H
er eyes widen as she looks me examine her foot.
"I think this happens because the sprain you had the other night came back," I s
ay.
She bites her lower lip and looks worried.
"Does it hurt?" I ask, holding her ankle carefully.
e a few times."
"Oh," she murmurs, "I don't remember it."
I don't know what to reply to that so I remain silent. Sometimes words are the c
ause of misunderstanding so it's better to be silent. Besides, it's a nice feeli
ng. It's not awkward, and we hear the rustling of leaves because of the wind, an
d the melody of birds singing above us.
Before I can stop myself, I ask, "Do you miss him?"
Stupid! Of course she misses him. He's her little brother.
Pie's silent, not answering my question. Sometimes I have to stop saying my thou
ght aloud.
"I miss him," she says finally, "Every single day."
"I'm sorry," I murmur. What else is there to say?
"It's okay," she says, "Before, I don't want to talk about him because I don't w
ant to accept that he's dead. Now it's fine. And it's good to say that I miss hi
m aloud."
I can hear the smile on her voice. "Why don't you tell him then?"
She takes a deep breath, and before I can cover my ears, she shouts, "I miss you
Matt! I really miss you so much! I hope you're happy wherever you are!"
My ears stung. She yells near them.
After she settles down, she realizes what she had done. "Ow," she mutters, "I'm
sorry if that was loud for you."
"It's not," I say, even though I can feel the insides of my ears vibrating. It e
ven distorts the sound I hear. I hope they're not bleeding.
"It's so good to scream at the top of my lungs," she says.
"Yes," I agree.
"Drake."
I'm startled because she called my name; my real name, not her nickname for me.
What am I suppose to say: Sophia or Pie? Sometimes I even forgot that Sophia's h
er real name.
"Draky," Pie says, pulling my hair to get my attention.
"That hurts," I protest. Actually, it doesn't hurt. Her hands are so soft, like
a feather touch.
"You're daydreaming again," she says amusedly.
"I am not," I say, "I'm just thinking."
She chuckles softly.
"What were you going to say earlier?" I ask.
******
I hope you liked this! (:
The song is If Life Is So Short by The Moffats. I love 90's songs :>
Banner by antus_girl.
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*******************************************
[32] The Bet *Foolish Heart
*******************************************
There are two songs for this chapter. Rangers by A Fine Frenzy, and You Give Lov
e A Bad Name by Bon Jovi.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 31 *Foolish Heart*
~Sophia
I step again, but he mimics my move. He even puts his arm on the threshold!
"What do you want?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
"Why don't we continue on the part before Parker opened the door?"
"I. . . What do you . . .?" I'm stuttering again!
A smirk starts to form at the corner of his mouth. No doubt my face is as red as
an apple. I can't believe he can make me feel this way! He leans down close to
me. His face is just a few inches away from mine.
I can hear the synchronize beat of our hearts. What is he doing? This jerk! Is h
e trying to kiss me? Is that what he meant when he said that we should continue
on the part where Parker opened the door?
I have to get out of here. The bathroom is claustrophobic. I can't let him kiss
me. Just thinking about it makes the butterfly in my stomach flutter. I can't co
mprehend if it's a good thing or not. I have to be away from him to think straig
ht.
But what will I do? Oh, I have an idea. I close my eyes and pretend to stand on
my tiptoes, and then I duck down under his arm and run as fast as I can to my ro
om. I quickly close the door behind me before he can enter.
"Sophia."
I jump in surprised and then turn around to see Driana sitting on my bed.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat.
My heart is so loud in my chest. It's as if I run in a marathon, like the same t
ime when I walked in the bathroom while Draky was having his shower.
"What happened?" she asks. "Why are you blushing?"
"I am not," I say indignantly.
She raises her eyebrow and smiles at me slyly.
"What are you doing here?" I repeat. "You're supposed to wait downstairs."
"But I have to know what happened last night," she says, "as if you'll tell if t
here are a lot of people listening."
I sit on the bed beside her because my knees are wobbling beneath me. "Nothing h
appened," I say. "What do you want to tell me last night?"
"I thought you're not interested?" she asks, ignoring my question.
"I am not," I say warily, wiping the sweat pouring down my face.
"Why did you spend the night with him then?"
"As if I have a choice," I say wearily.
"Why did you come with him in the first place?" Driana asks, smiling slowly.
I am taken aback by her question. I don't know why I agreed to come with him in
his secret place. Maybe because of what happened, my emotions get the best of me
.
"I don't know," I say honestly.
Driana is clearly not satisfied with my answer but she doesn't press the topic.
I guess it's my time to question her.
"Why were you here last night?" I ask.
"Because I wanted to talk to you."
"About?" I press.
She bites her lip.
I raise my eyebrow and smiles at her teasingly.
"Nothing," she says evasively.
I laugh at her expression and she scolds at me. I let the topic go because I don
't want her to get mad at me for teasing her.
"Let's go downstairs," I suggest.
When we come back in the living room, Andre smirks. That idiot, what does he thi
nk? He's laughing quietly with his stupid friend Draky. Ugh! They're so annoying
!
"Where's Auntie?" I ask, sitting on the couch beside Parker. I can't wait to fin
d out where my parents are.
"She's at work," Andre says.
At work? That means I have to wait until later to talk to her. I guess I have to
be patient, but I want to know now!
"What's wrong?" Parker asks, studying my face.
"My parents are gone," I mutter. There's no point in lying.
"What do you mean gone?" Chloe asks softly.
And then I explain everything. What I found out when I went home yesterday, the
trip with Draky, and then the cabin. I look at Draky hesitantly before I tell th
em about the sort of garden and the cabin because it's not my secret (I know I s
houldn't care about it, but I do. It's a place where I felt safe). Now they know
about Draky's haven. The only good thing about it is they don't know where it i
s.
They are all silent after I stop talking. I'm waiting for the time they will tea
se us for staying together last night, but they are all looking at me worriedly.
Even Andre.
"You should relax," Parker says finally, "maybe they're having a vacation right
now."
My parents? Not likely. They won't do that to me; leaving me in a stranger's hou
se just to relax. If that's the reason, they will tell me.
But Parker has a point. Maybe my parents are somewhere, but they can't take me b
"I'm tired," Draky mutters. And then he says to no one in particular, "I'm going
to sleep."
"Okay," Parker says. And then to me: "What are you waiting for?"
"What?"
"Are you ready now?"
"Okay," I say dryly, getting up from the couch. "I'm just going to take a bath a
nd then dress."
"Make it faster," Parker says, "so we can go to a lot of places."
"Yes sir," I say, sticking my tongue at him.
"Where did you get this car?" I ask, sliding in the backseat.
"I borrowed it to my friend," Parker says, starting the engine.
"What about your car?"
"It's in the school," he says, "We're not allowed to bring our car because we ha
ve a ride from your school, but my friend brought his car with him."
"Did they scold him?" I ask curiously.
He grins. "No, not exactly," he says, "They can't do anything about it anymore s
o they just let it go."
"Oh," I murmur.
"Actually," Chloe says, joining in the conversation, "Our friend was late, and h
e was left behind. So he used his car to come here."
I can't help but laugh at that. Poor guy, he drove on his own for five hours.
"The good thing about it is we have a car," he says.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"Where do you want?" he asks, looking at me on the rearview mirror.
I roll my eyes at him. "You want to hang out but you don't know where to go?"
"I have a suggestion," Chloe says, turning on her seat to face me.
"What?" Parker and I ask at the same time.
Chloe smiles amusedly and then says, "It's my first time to come here, so why no
t go to the mall?"
"That's a good idea," Parker says, intertwining their fingers.
"I want to buy souvenirs," Chloe says, looking at him affectionately. "My friend
s will eat me alive if I don't bring them anything."
"Mall then," I say. I give directions to Parker on the nearest mall in town.
Her face brightens. She puts the bracelet down on its original place and drops t
he necklace in the basket.
We're in Abubooth, the most famous souvenir shop in the mall. Parker is at the o
ther side of the store, looking for boy's accessories. They already brought a lo
t of gifts; it's like they're here on a vacation, and now they're buying a lot o
f things for their friends back home.
While Chloe goes to where Parker is, I get the bracelet and pay it on the counte
r. She really likes it and it fits perfectly to her. I will give it to her later
before we say goodbye to each other.
My gift for Parker is a small skateboard keychain. When we were young, he used t
o teach me how to skateboard. Because of my clumsiness, I didn't really learn th
at well. But he was a good teacher. Now I know why he's taking Literature. He'll
be a good professor. It's in his blood.
After they pay their accessories, we decide to eat ice cream. The ice cream parl
or is located outside the mall beside the parking lot so we have to go the way w
e come in.
I'm glad there are just a few people here, even though it's Saturday. We sit out
side, on the table near the entrance. My order is chocolate chip with vanilla cr
eam on top. Chloe likes peanut butter ice cream while Parker orders strawberry w
ith a cheery on top.
"My feet are complaining," Chloe says, stretching on her seat.
"Do you want me to massage them?" Parker asks.
Chloe looks around at the people around us and then bites her lip. "They can sti
ll walk," she says finally.
"You're so sweet," I compliment. Both of them blushed on cue. They are so cute!
After a few minutes, the waiter arrives, carrying our orders.
When the ice cream fills my mouth, I let out a relieve sigh. Ice cream, oh ice c
ream. It's so delicious and creamy. No wonder a lot of people love it.
Above us, the sky is blue. There are a lot of clouds with different shapes. I'm
glad it's not hot because if it is, we have to come inside the store.
"Is that Draky's car?" I wonder aloud, scooping the last bit of my ice cream.
"That black convertible?" Parker asks.
I nod. But I'm not sure. Maybe they just have the same car. It can't be. . .
The driver parks his car a few yards away from Parker's friend's car. After a fe
w seconds, Draky gets out of the driver's seat.
"It's Drake," Parker says obviously.
"Did he know we're here?" Chloe asks me.
"No," I say, with a shake of my head.
Is he following us? But it doesn't look like it. He doesn't even see us.
keeping up with me :)
Banner by justactnormal97.
Please join the Facebook page. Just click the External link on the side :> Thank
you!
Here's a little rant from Parker *who some of you forgot on the last chapter*. E
njoy! :D
I can't believe they forgot me! I'm too awesome for that. I'm so creative and I
do unexpected things. I'm the childhood friend of the protagonist! Some readers
even hate me because I opened the door at the same time Drake and Sophia will ab
out to have their kiss. Are you even sure they will kiss? Unfortunately, only th
e writer knows.
I promise the next chapter will be funny (because I'm still in the story) and sw
eet because . . . Oops. My lips are sealed. You just have to wait and find out y
ourself.
Don't think I'm full of myself. I'm just like this when I'm talking to myself. I
'm still the down to earth and humble Parker who always wants people to be happy
.
I even made a plan where . . . I can't tell you that because it's a spoiler.
I think I have to thank you for liking the story more when I come in and the par
t where I'm in the story. I'm sure you'll miss me but don't worry; I'll have a c
ameo in the future. So I guess I'll see you soon! :)
*******************************************
[33] The Bet *Double Trouble
*******************************************
About the A FEW YEARS LATER, it's nothing haha :D your comments about that are h
ilarious. You guys are so funny! :) I'm not going to fast forward my story. I pl
anned a lot of scenarios and there are more scenes that will happen. This is far
from finished. Besides, it's just the tenth day. And you haven't even met him y
et. I think those who are confused are the ones who are not reading the author's
note because I already mentioned a few chapters ago that there are more chapter
s to come. Just ask me when you're confused, okay?
The song for this chapter is Don't Let Me Fall by Lenka. The banner is my finger
s lol :) You can watch the trailer of the ACLTCL on the side. If you want to wat
ch the whole movie, it's posted online. Just search it. Don't forget to like the
Facebook page :>
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 32 *Double Trouble*
~Sophia
Three movies are playing today; It's Kind Of A Funny Story, Life As We Know It,
and A Crazy Little Thing Called Love.
"I think Life As We Know It is funny," I suggest.
"It's Kind Of A Funny Story is funnier," Draky says amusedly.
"I like A Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Parker says.
Chloe smiles - a sure sign she's agreeing with him.
"You're asking what we want but you're the one who gets to choose," I protest, c
rossing my arms over my chest.
Parker smiles and ruffles my hair.
"A movie from Thailand?" I ask incredulously.
"We need subtitles," Chloe informs me.
"Why watch a movie if you're just going to read what they're talking about?" ask
s Draky.
"You'll see," Parker says smugly, "you'll thank me later after we watched it."
"I doubt it," I mutter.
"I'll buy tickets," he announces.
"No," Draky protests, "I'll-"
"I'm the one who chose the movie we're going to watch," he interjects.
He's right, but I want Draky to spend his money so that Parker can save his.
"I'll buy snacks then," he offers.
"We just ate," I say.
What am I doing? I thought I want him to use his money? And now I'm saying that
we just ate snack even though it was a few hours ago. Oh, right, because I want
him to feel useless.
Unfortunately, Chloe is disagreeing with me because she says, "That's a good ide
a!"
Is she really this optimistic?
"Four popcorns then?" Draky asks.
"Just two," Parker comments, "I'll share with Chloe and you share with Sophia."
My eyes widen at that. I have to"Anything else?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.
"Drinks," Chloe adds.
"Okay."
As soon as he goes off to the popcorn booth, I turn to Parker. "How could you do
that?" I demand. "You invited him already and now I have to share my popcorn wi
th him!"
"Why are you acting like it's a big deal?" he asks bemusedly. "It's as if there'
s something going on."
When I don't respond, he repeats, "Is there?"
Chloe gives me a meaningful look.
"Nothing," I say evasively, shaking my head and dropping the topic.
Parker rolls his eyes and goes to the counter to buy tickets for us.
We sit on the upper part of the theater. There are a lot of people inside. I did
n't expect it, considering it's a movie with a subtitle. Usually people are lazy
when it comes to reading so they tend to disregard foreign movies. I mean, fore
ign movies with a different language.
Chloe is on the first seat because she says that she's not comfortable in sittin
g between people. Parker's next and then me. Last but not least is Draky. Yeah,
he's sitting beside me. As if I can tell him to choose another seat. Before the
movie starts, they play trailers of incoming movies.
"I'll just go to the rest room," Draky says, standing up from his seat.
When he's out of sight, Parker starts to get up as well.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
"Rest room," he says, not looking into my eyes.
"Really?" I have a feeling he's going to do something.
"Yes."
"Why don't I believe you?" I wonder aloud, narrowing my eyes.
"You want to come?" he says amusedly.
"Jerk," I mutter, loud enough for him to hear it.
He grins, not a bit offended at what I call him because he knows I don't mean it
. He turns back his head as he walks away and says, "Kakausapin ko lang siya."
"What?" But he continues walking without a backward glance.
I hate it when he speaks Tagalog! He knows I don't understand it. Parker is half
Asian. His mom is from Philippines, that's why he knows how to speak their nati
ve language. When we were kids, he used to teach me how to speak Tagalog but now
I only remember a few words like Kamusta which means How are you, Mahal Kita is
I love you, and. . .
Ugh! I don't remember the other words he taught me! Speaking Filipino is so biza
rre. My tongue is not used to the language so it's kind of hard speaking it. Par
ker's mom doesn't want them to forget her native language so she requires them t
o speak it at home. I stop blabbering when I see Chloe looking at me amusedly.
They both take their seats on either side of me. I look at their face but it's
like they didn't have a conversation. Perhaps they just know how to conceal thei
r expressions.
"Parker," I whisper, turning to my side so my back is to Draky. "What did you do
?"
He looks at me innocently. "What did I do?"
"Kakausapin ko lang siya."
He grins sheepishly. "So you know what that means."
"Of course," I say, even though Chloe helped me in figuring it out. Speaking of,
she's looking between me and Parker. Maybe she's wondering if she did the right
thing. I smile at her reassuringly.
Parker snorts. "You just asked Chloe."
"At least I know," I say confidently. "So what did you-"
"You're so loud," Draky muses.
Glancing at the screen, the film starts its opening credits. Parker is obviously
avoiding my questions. He's seriously watching the movie. Maybe he really likes
it.
"You're going to tell me later," I mutter.
His mouth twitches upward. He twists in his seat and gives me a wink.
I think I'll like this movie. The actor is so handsome! I can stare at his face
all day without getting bored. I may not know what they're talking about but tha
nkfully there's a subtitle at the bottom part of the screen.
"Want some popcorn?" Draky asks.
"Sure," I say putting my hand in the bucket and grabbing a handful.
It's getting colder and colder. If I knew I'll watch a movie, I'll bring a jacke
t. Thanks to Parker who did last minute thinking.
"It's cold," I murmur to Parker.
"Want me to take my shirt off?" he asks amusedly. "So you can wear it."
"Ha ha," I say dryly, "funny."
Twisting in my seat, I face the screen and watch, rubbing my arms to have body h
eat.
"Here."
Looking at Draky, I see him giving me his jacket. "I'm not cold," I lie.
"Really?" he asks sarcastically.
Parker glances at us and says, "She's shivering."
I glare at him and mouth, "Why are you doing this?"
A tear escapes from my eyes without my notice. It's the part when Nam and her fr
iends sing a song. It's so heart-warming! I'm glad they talk to her again. Their
friendship is the kind that lasts long.
I admire Nam. She's strong, true to herself, and beautiful; even before she chan
ged. Being beautiful doesn't mean you have to look good, that you have amazing p
hysical features. Beauty is sincerity. It means loving what you do and being ins
pired of the good things that comes to you.
"Sophia's crying," Parker teases me on the part when Nam proclaims her love for
P'Shone.
It's so heartbreaking! Especially when he tells her that he's already with someo
ne else. Isn't that hard? Loving someone for a long time secretly and then when
you finally have the courage to tell them, they shut the door to your face.
These are good actors; they portray the characters really well. That's why I fee
l what they feel. And now I'm sobbing quietly when Nam slides on the pool. When
P'Shone asks her if she's alright, she smiles and tells him that everything's fi
ne. Albeit she's dying inside; her world just crashed down on her.
This is so sad! My tears flow freely from my eyes. Wiping them away with the bac
k of my hands, I see Draky extending his hand to me. He takes my hand and gives
me a handkerchief.
"Thank you," I mumble.
Chloe's crying quietly too.
"Girls really like this kind of movie," Parker says thoughtfully.
"Yes," Draky agrees, smirking.
"You guys," Chloe says, scowling at both of them.
Parker puts his arms around her and wipes the tears from her eyes. Draky and I l
ock gaze accidentally. Awkward.
All of us are surprised when the next few scenes center on P'Shone. Oh my! He li
kes her too! He's just too sheepish to admit it! Being a photographer, he made a
photo album all about her. And then he walks to her house and leaves the album
at the doorstep because he'll go to another city while Nam will study in America
.
A few years later, they see each other again in a talk show. The host interviews
Nam because she's a famous designer. All of a sudden, P'Shone comes and then sh
e asks him if he's married. He says he is . . . he is waiting for someone to com
e home From America.
"Aww," I murmur, "wow." A big smile is plastered on my face. Unfortunately, that
's the ending of the film.
The movie is so sweet, romantic and cute. I feel delighted after watching it. I
think a lot of teens are inspired because of this. It may sound cheesy but I lov
e it! Parker did a great job choosing this movie. The ending; it's perfect, one
of a kind.
"Is there a sequel?" Chloe asks, smiling from ear to ear.
The movie changes the mood of everyone, leaving us with feelings of love, hope a
nd inspiration.
Like a blast of a cold wind, I realize something. It feels like me, before, when
I had a crush on Draky. He's famous; I'm just a simple girl. He's out of my rea
ch and then now, all of a sudden, we know each other. We learned a lot of things
from each other.
Nam made P'Shone her inspiration to look beautiful. She studied hard because of
him. So that he'll notice her. I . . . I can't believe I'm not the only one like
this. No wonder they said that 89% of the people who watched the film experienc
ed the same situation.
It shows that there's hope for everyone. You don't know someone out there is fal
ling in love with you because of you. Not because of what you look like, not bec
ause of what you do, and not because of what you are. It's simply because of you
.
Turning my head, I find Draky staring at me. "Why are you smiling?" I ask, looki
ng at him suspiciously.
"What's wrong with my smile?" he asks, flicking his hair away from his eyes. Tho
se blue eyes gaze at me like they can see through my soul.
I squirm in my chair uncomfortably, not liking the attention he's giving me. Swa
llowing the lump in my throat, I say, "It's sort of a devilishly smile."
His mouth pulls upward and then he leans down to brush my hair away from my face
.
My heart thuds in my chest. How can he be so so so confident in touching me? It'
s getting on my nerves! Removing his jacket, I hand it back to him. He accepts i
t with a smile on his face.
"Let's go," Parker says, "I'm starving."
"Ditto," Chloe agrees.
We talk about the movie while walking towards McDonald's. Parker and Draky are s
o annoying, teasing Chloe and me for crying because of a movie.
Chloe and I hug too. In the limited time we have, it feels like she's my sister.
"Thank you," I say.
"Thank you too," she returns, smiling at me.
Parker gives Draky a meaningful look. "Take care of her."
"Parker!" I scold.
Draky ignores me and says, "I will."
"See you soon," Chloe says, smiling amusedly.
"Yeah," I say with a sigh. Before I forgot, I give my gifts to them.
They are both surprised and overwhelmed at the same time. "Thank you," they say
simultaneously.
And then we hug each other again because we're not yet ready to say goodbye. In
the end, Draky and I watch them leave in Parker's friend's car. And that's when
a thought hit me.
"I don't have a ride!"
Draky snickers. "I'm here."
"Oh well."
As soon as we get in, he starts the engine of his car. It's starting to get dark
outside. Stars are slowly showing from the sky. I can't wait to go home and ask
Aunt V about my parents.
"There's a place I want you to see," Draky says, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Where are we going?" I ask curiously. "Don't tell me it's one of your secret pl
aces."
His mouth twitches upward. "Sort of."
I really am curious now. I didn't know he has a lot of secret places. He's very
different of what I think about him. Is this his true self, or is he just preten
ding? It's hard to fathom especially when I don't really know him. He stops the
car on a secluded part of the road, beside a river.
"Let's go," he says, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding out of the car.
I follow and stand beside him, looking at the beauty in front of us. Across the
river are different colors of lights emanating from the buildings in the city. I
can't believe this kind of place exists.
"This is amazing," I breathe.
"Wait," he says, "it's not even starting yet."
"What?"
"You'll see," he says slyly.
The sky is cloudless so the stars are visible tonight. The moon is shining brigh
tly.
"Do you want to sit?" he asks.
"Where?"
"Here," he indicates, tapping the hood of his car. "Come on."
He puts his hands on my waist and helps me up. Finally I'm sitting on his car, m
y feet outstretch in front of me.
Boom!
A loud sound makes me startle. Glancing up, I see different kinds and colors of
fireworks starts to engulf the sky, giving it with colorful lights beside the st
ars and the moon.
"Wonderful," I say slowly, staring at the different fireworks above and in front
of me. The sound of every fireworks make my heart beat fast.
This something precious should be shared with someone special. This is a magical
night. There are already lights across the river; the stars are twinkling in th
e sky and now the fireworks who add more beauty to it. What more can I ask for?
Even the wind is not cold. It goes with the mood tonight. It's like when the end
ing of a fairytale. When the prince and the princess live happily ever after, fi
reworks start to show in the sky.
What am I thinking? I don't even believe in fairytales. Maybe I did, when I was
a kid. Now? I know real world. It's not just about finding your prince charming
and then happily ever after. It's so far from that.
Nothing stays forever; even the fireworks stops after a few minutes, leaving the
sky with fog and cloud smoke.
"There are always fireworks here every Saturday, at 7 in the evening," Draky sta
tes.
"Draky," I start, "why did you bring me here?"
"Look!" he exclaims, pointing upward. "There's a shooting star!"
Glancing at the sky, I don't see any shooting star anywhere. "You just want to c
ha-"
He leans down and gives me a peck on the cheek.
It takes a second for me to realize what happened. What he'd done.
"How de-dare you," I stutter, "You stole a . . . a kiss!"
He grins, showing his perfect white teeth. "Let me take it back if you don't wan
t it," he says, leaning down again.
Before he can kiss me again, I put my hands on my cheeks. "Why did you do that?"
I demand.
My heart is drumming painfully in my chest. It's so loud, there's a buzzing soun
d in my ears. Why doesn't it beat normally? It's as if waiting for another kiss,
which is stupid!
*****
Finally, I put some Filipino words in the story! I always wanted to do that :) T
here'll be more scenes that will happen in the story that's kind of based from P
hilippines' culture.
~~~The "Beauty is sincerity" is from Taylor Swift. She said that in Youtube Pres
ents.
Thank you so much! <3
*******************************************
[34] The Bet *Twisted Mind
*******************************************
ALL TIME LOW will have a concert here in the Philippines on September 22 *Drake'
s birthday*. I want to watch them. Unfortunately, my friends aren't interested :
(
This is short but I hope you like it. Click the external link for my interview b
y Watty-Writers :) The song is Walls by ATL. Banner by CreativeSideOfLife. <3
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 33 Part 1 *Twisted Mind*
~Drake
"Pie," I whisper, touching her delicate face. "You have to wake up now."
Her head is resting on my shoulder. Her hair is soft and silky, it's so good to
the touch. Her breathing is so quiet, like a bird singing on the sky.
After a few hours of driving, we finally arrive at Andres' house. Pie's tired so
she sleeps while I was driving.
"Pie," I murmur. Why am I talking quietly if I want to wake her up? Why don't I
just nudge her to get it over with?
It's because you want to see her face while she's sleeping.
She looks like an angel that comes down from heaven. She looks so peaceful and s
erene. I can't believe I'm hurting her because of a bet. I don't even know what
day is it anymore. Eleven? Ten? I don't know when I stop caring.
It's Saturday so that means it's the tenth day. A lot has happened already. It's
not even two weeks yet.
My conscience is burning inside me. I feel guilty for doing this to her. She doe
sn't deserve it. She doesn't deserve someone like me in her life; a guy that jus
t go with her because of a stupid game. How can I be so shallow? I'm a horrible
person for doing this to her.
Why don't you just stop?
That makes me pause, putting my mind into a blank sheet of paper. If I stop, wha
t then? I don't even know if I'm doing this to win. I'm so confused! A relations
hip that starts from a lie will end up-
"Draky?" Pie mumbles, interrupting me from my reverie. She rubs her eyes and sit
s slowly. "Where are we?"
"Andre's," I answer, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"Oh." She stretches her arms in front of her. "I fell asleep."
"Yes."
She yawns. "I still want to sleep."
Why am I nervous now that she's awake? My mind thinks back of the time I kissed
her cheek. Why did I do that? I don't know. What I know is, at that time, I have
to do it. Something was urging me to do it. And now, I feel stupid for stealing
a kiss. I should just have asked her.
But there's a chance that she would decline. Why am I thinking about these thing
s? It already happened. There's nothing I can do about it. Anyway, I don't regre
t it. Why would I regret kissing a beautiful girl with a golden heart?
"What time is it?" she asks, smoothing down her hair.
"Ten," I answer.
She sighs. "I'll ask Auntie tomorrow morning. Maybe she's fast asleep now."
"Yeah."
She takes her seatbelt off. "Thank you," she murmurs.
"For what?"
"For today. For tonight. For everything."
Something tugs at my heartstrings. I am guilty all over again. Why do I feel thi
s way? One thing I'm sure of is that I'm not doing everything for the bet. I'm"Daydreaming again." The corner of her mouths pulls upward.
A smile makes its way on my face. "When will you tutor me?"
"When do you want?"
"Tomorrow?" I suggest.
"Whoa you really like seeing me huh," she comments teasingly.
"No," I deny quickly.
"So you're saying that you don't want to see me tomorrow?" She asks, tilting her
head to the side.
"It's not that," I say, "maybe you'll do something important and I don't want to
bother you."
"I'll text you then," she says cheekily.
"Okay," I agree.
"Goodnight Draky," she says.
After mom goes to her bedroom, I decide to sleep as well. This is such a tiring
day. I feel exhausted and happy at the same time.
Staring at the ceiling, lying on my bed, I wait for sleep to come. I don't know
how many minutes or hours have passed but I still can't fall asleep. It's so fru
strating when your mind is thinking incomprehensible thoughts while your body wa
nts to rest.
After a few minutes of contemplating on what to do, I get up from my bed and sit
on my desk. Opening my laptop and turning it on, I wait for a couple of seconds
before it starts up. The clock shows that it's midnight. Maybe someone is still
online. I sign in my skype account and wait for it to process my email and pass
word.
No one's online! Seriously, what are they doing?! Minimizing my skype, I open an
other window, type youtube.com and click enter.
Time to listen to music. It helps me forget my problems, and listening to a song
can make me sleep. The first band that comes to my mind is All Time Low. When t
he Walls play, I put my headphone and sing along with Alex.
I'm gonna break down these walls I built around myself. I wanna fall so in love
with you and no one elseBlink!
Someone's calling me from skype. Clicking it, I see that it's Andre.
"Hey," he says, when I answer it.
"What's up?" It's a video call so I can see him.
"How was it?" he asks, tilting his head to the side.
"It was. . ." I pause, finding the right word. "Great," I say finally.
"What did you do?" he asks. "You didn't know they'll go there right?"
"Yeah," I say, "I was surprised when I saw them. My plan was to buy a gift for S
ophia."
"And then you saw them so until now you don't have a gift," he says amusedly.
"I still have two days," I mutter, rolling my eyes.
"Right. So what did you do?"
"Watch a movie, eat, and then. . ." I trail off.
"And then?" he probes.
"Go home," I lie.
"That's it?" he asks dubiously.
"Well, Parker told me something," I say slyly.
"About?"
"Sophia," I answer.
"What about her?" he asks curiously.
"He told me what I have to do to make her fall in love with me."
His eyes widen. "Really?" he asks incredulously.
The talk with Parker was . . . I can't find the right words to explain it. He ga
ve me a lot of suggestions on how to make Pie fall in love with me. I was shock
at first. I didn't know why he was doing it and then he told me that he thinks P
ie and I are perfect for each other. I was like, seriously?
I couldn't believe it! It
e player of the game, was
ie. If I continue to play
fraid of Parker, but I. .
m.
Will I tell Andre all the details? He's my best friend so I think its okay. "He
said that-"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
*******************************************
[35] The Bet *Secret and Lies
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 33 Part 2 *Secret and Lies*
~Drake
"Tsk," I mutter.
"What?" Andre asks, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Someone's knocking," I answer, "I'll call you later."
"I'll just wait," he says quickly, before I can sign out.
"Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes.
He really wants to know what Parker and I talked about. Taking my headphones off
, I get up from my seat and walk hastily towards the door. I wonder who's knocki
ng. Who will it be? It's the middle of the night! Opening the door, I see my fat
her, still in his suit, standing awkwardly at the other side of the door.
"What?" I ask, breaking the silence that forms into a thin ice.
"I heard you talking," he says, putting his hands in his pockets. "Is there some
one with you in your room?"
"I'm alone," I mutter a bit defensively. Does he think that I brought a girl wit
h me? I'm not stupid!
"So you're talking to yourself?" he asks bemusedly, tilting his head to the side
.
"I was talking to Andre," I say furiously, walking out of my room and shutting t
he door behind me.
My respect for him dimmed a little since I learned his secret. The secret that c
hanged my life. The secret that puts a hole in me. The secret that"Drake," he says, interrupting my thoughts, "I'm sorry about-"
"I don't want to talk about it," I interject, crossing my arms over my chest.
He sighs and puts his hand on my shoulder hesitantly. I fight the urge to slap i
t away. Gritting my teeth, I try to breathe normally. Why can't he leave me alon
e? I don't want to face him because images from the past comes rushing back. I s
hove them at the back of my mind.
"Drake," he starts again, "I made a lot of mistakes, and now I'm paying for them
. Mistakes are experiences to learned from."
"They are still mistakes," I mutter scornfully.
"I regret them," he admits, looking away from me.
Regret them? "That's a shame," I utter, "because you shouldn't have done that in
the first place."
"I'm still your father," he says disapprovingly, taking his hand off my shoulder
.
I bite my tongue before I can say: Then act like it!
Do you know the feeling when you want to shout but you can't because you have to
control your feelings? It's what I'm experiencing right now.
"You should respect me," he continues.
"Respect?" I repeat incredulously, widening my eyes for emphasis that I can't be
lieve what he said. "Respect is not just something you give easily. Respect is e
arned."
His eyes that are the color of the ocean, the same shade as mine, are staring at
me intently. "I understand why you're acting like this," he replies quietly.
"Well thank you," I say sarcastically. I can't control my emotions when I'm anno
yed. I'm just like this when he's near.
"I learned from my mistakes. I hope you won't repeat them."
"I won't," I snap.
"I'm sorry," he says quickly, looking worried because of the damage of the words
he said, "I didn't mean-"
"Stop," I order. My voice is kind of shaky because of the anger I feel inside me
. "I'm sick of your sorry. I don't want to hear it again. No matter what you do,
I won't forget what you did."
He's clearly taken aback by my words. He wipes the sweat on his forehead and say
s, "I hope you can forgive me."
f my father.
"So what did Parker say?"
"Something about their culture in the Philippines," I answer. "Did you know he's
half Asian?"
His brows furrow in concentration. "The thought that he's Asian came to my mind,
" he says thoughtfully.
"How?" I ask dubiously.
"Because of the color of his hair."
"That's it?" It's just the color of his hair?
"The hair colors of Asian are different from the usual dark hair here," he says
dryly. "And there's something in his eyes that makes him unique. But I didn't kn
ow for sure so I let that thought go. It's a shame I didn't tell him myself. If
I know he's Asian, I'll ask him a lot about where he came from."
"He's from Philippines," I repeat. "You're not paying attention!"
"I know he's from Philippines," he retorts.
With this talk about Parker, I remember our first meeting. When I thought he hur
t Pie. And then my imagination ran wild, daydreaming that I fought with him. I l
augh at the memory, not believing that I did that.
"What's funny?" Andre asks warily, looking at me like I'm crazy.
Maybe I am because I'm laughing all by myself, after arguing with my father. "No
thing," I say between chuckles, "I just had a nostalgic funny memory."
He shakes his head slowly and asks, "What did Parker tell you about their cultur
e?"
"He taught me some Filipino words," I say smugly.
"Whoa!" he exclaims, clearly amazed. "He's really rooting for you to be with Sop
hia."
"I know, right."
"What would he do when he finds out that you're just playing with her emotions,"
he wonders aloud.
I cringe inwardly. When I act and do something, I don't think about the bet anym
ore than before.
"What else?" he asks curiously.
"I don't like talking about it over the internet," I say, not in the mood to tal
k.
"Why is that?"
"I'll just tell you tomorrow," I say evasively, "besides, I want to sleep now."
He glowers at me. "You made me wait for nothing!"
"That's okay," she says, shrugging it off. "Did you two have a fight?"
"No," I say, with a shake of my head.
"You're lying," she says matter of fact.
"How do you know that?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.
"I just know," she states, putting her hands on her hips. "Remember, we're twins
?"
Why is she asking these things? She can't know! I have to do something to stop t
his talk. "Thanks for reminding me," I taunt, "I forgot."
"And you're dodging the topic," she says, ignoring the tone of my voice.
"I'm not," I insist. I'm getting impatient. If a wrong word comes out of my mout
h, I'll be doomed.
"If you don't want to tell me, I'll do everything I can to find out about it," s
he threatens.
You're better off not knowing!
She's your twin; she has a right to know.
"Whatever," I say to both of them. "You'll just waste your time because it's not
hing."
"If it's nothing, you won't hide it."
She doesn't want to budge! Maybe because she heard something. She heard what my
father and I talked about, that's why she wants to know all the details.
"Do whatever you want," I say evasively. "I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight Dria
na."
"Goodnight!" She storms off to her room and closes the door behind her.
Walking inside my room, I hope no one will interrupt me again. I don't have ener
gy to open the door anymore. Yesterday I was happy, today. . . I'll start my tod
ay when I wake up.
It's funny how your life can turn upside down in a matter of minutes.
Laying on my bed and closing my eyes, I ask God to frogive me for my sins and to
help me bury the secret in a deep pit.
*****
I'm so happy ~ The Bet is 100 pages already :D :) :> =]
The song is All I Want by A Day To Remember. The sketch on the side was made by
Tintinz Awesme Mangsat :)
Please like the Facebook page.
Thank you!
*******************************************
[36] The Bet *Pretender and Believer
*******************************************
I'm so happy! :D Thank you so much for all your comments, especially on the last
chapter. As in, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart =)
The song is Chasing Pavements by Adele. Banner by CreativeSideOfLife :>
Follow me on Twitter! My username is KimberlyJoyRV . I follow back :) Let's hope
I can update again on Drake's birthday.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 34 *Pretender and Believer
~Sophia
Tears are burning at the back of my eyes, threatening to spill at unexpected tim
es.
"Because it's obvious," he states, "the way you said it."
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I ignore Andre and turn to Aunt V. "I want to
see my parents," I continue, "I want to get answers. I want to know what's going
on."
"You'll know when they come back," she assures me.
"Why not know?" Andre asks after chewing his muffin. He's the only one who can e
at in a situation like this.
Aunt V scowls at him and says, "It's not good to break a promise. Besides, it's
right to know the reason from them."
It's not good to break a promise. A phrase my mom is always using.
Why is Aunt V so stubborn? She's like my mom! When she said something, it's fina
l, she can't be budge. No wonder she and Aunt V are best friends. They have a lo
t of things in common.
"When they come back," Aunt V continues, "everything will go back to normal."
I look at her doubtfully, having a hard time believing her.
"No more fighting," she mouths.
Unpredictably, a hysterical kind of laugh escapes from my mouth. So she knows th
ey're fighting. Of course mom told her. I just can't believe I'm not the only on
e who knows.
Aunt V smiles, pleased that she makes me laugh in this horrible day. "Let's eat,
" she declares, "I'm starving."
And so we eat, dropping the topics that are hurtful and unnecessary.
"I have a business meeting today," Aunt V says after a minute.
"It's Sunday," Andre mutters.
She shrugs. "It's important. And you now you can't ignore big deals."
"Oh well," Andre murmurs, "I'm going out too."
"Where will you go?" she asks, raising her eyebrows.
"I have a date."
I almost spit the water I'm drinking. Fortunately, I swallow it before it can co
me out of my mouth and embarrass me.
"Why are you surprise?" Andre asks me.
"I don't know," I blurt out without thinking.
Of course he has a romantic life. Why did I forget it? Well, it's not as if it's
important. And as if I care about him.
"Open the door and see who's at the other side," I order.
"I'm just a guest," he says amusedly, "and you're living here. I think you're th
e one who should open the door."
I look at him incredulously. Are there still gentlemen today? Chivalry is slowly
fading.
To my disbelief, he laughs. He's even clutching his stomach!
"What's funny?" I ask dryly.
"Your face," he says while laughing. "You should . . haha . .have seen it! It's
a shame . . haha I didn't brought a camera haha . . with me."
"Fine!" I stand up, but before I can take a step away from him, he grabs my arm.
My eyes widen when I see that we're standing so close. How can he move so fast?
It's hard to swallow when you're nervous. It's hard to breathe when he's close t
o me. My heart is thudding painfully in my chest whenever he's near me. It's lik
e its want to get out of me.
Taking a step back, he mimics my move until my back connects with a wall. Uh oh.
What now?
"What do you want?" I ask. If he's thinking I'm afraid of him and I'll back out,
he's wrong. Really wrong.
He lets go of my arm and puts his hands on my face. "You shouldn't frown," he sa
ys, touching my eyebrows, "you don't know someone is-"
Ding. Dong.
Draky lets go of me slowly and walks outside the library to open the front door.
I let out the breath I don't know I'm holding. My knees are shaking beneath me s
o I sit on the floor. Draky is so stupid to make me feel this way! I hate it! I
don't know what might happen if the person on the other side of the door didn't
push the doorbell.
I'm afraid that I'm changing because of Draky. And now I'm curious about what he
said earlier. You don't know some isWhat?!
I feel so tired, I hug my knees tightly, close to my body.
I have to remember that everything he says and do is for the bet. Nothing more,
nothing less. If there's someone that will be hurt at the end, it's him; not me.
"Pie!" he calls. His voice comes from the living room.
"What?" I ask loudly so he can hear me.
"You have to come here!"
Why do I still have to go there if he already opens the door?
"Pie!"
"I'm coming!" I yell, getting up from the floor and making my way to the living
room.
"What?" I ask irritably, and stop suddenly when I see a woman beside him, a few
years older than me, carrying a baby boy in her hands.
"Hello," she says, smiling at me. The baby boy waves his hand at me.
"He's so cute," I murmur, walking towards them. "Oh, and hi," I say to the woman
, smiling sheepishly.
In the corner of my eyes, I see Draky rolling his eyes. "Sophia," he says, "this
is Xyrielle, Auntie's sister. Xyrielle, this is Sophia, a family's friend."
He surely doesn't know how to introduce people formally.
"Nice meeting you Sophia," Xyrielle says. She looks a young version of Aunt V. M
aybe when she's her age, this is what Aunt V looks like. "This is Rain," she con
tinues, "my son."
"How old is he?" I ask.
I like babies. They smell nice after taking a bath. They look like angels to me.
Well, except when they cry. They are unpredictable too. One second you're playi
ng with them and then the next they want your full attention.
"He's one year and five months old," Xyrielle answers.
"Hello Rain," I murmur.
He reaches his hands towards me and grabs a hold of my hair.
"Ow!"
Draky's mouth twitches upward, finding this scene amusing.
"Sorry," Xyrielle says, opening Rain's hands. Unfortunately, he's holding too ti
ght.
It hurts! It's like my scalp will be remove from my head. After a few seconds of
torture, Rain finally lets go.
"Sorry," Xyrielle repeats, holding Rain's hands before he can hurt me again.
"It's okay," I say, even though my head is throbbing painfully when I touch it.
Maybe I don't like babies that much after all. Draky stands beside me and puts h
is hand on my shoulder.
"What are you doing?!"
"Are you two together?" Xyrielle asks amusedly, glancing between Draky and me.
"Of course not," I say, at the same time Draky says, "Yes."
Xyrielle opens her mouth to say something when Rain cries.
"Why did you say that?" I mutter, glaring at him.
"I want to see how you would react," he replies, tilting his head to the side.
"Don't do it again," I chastise. "It's not funny."
"It's not funny," he mimics, smiling playfully.
"I have a favor to ask," Xyrielle says interrupting Draky and me. Rain stops cry
ing because he's now playing with his teether.
"What?" Draky asks, raising his eyebrow.
"I asked Veronica yesterday if she can take care of Rain while I meet with my bu
siness partners," she says, frowning, "and now she's not here."
"Maybe she forgot," I guess.
"Where's Rain babysitter?"
"She asked for a day off," she answers, "I agreed because I thought my sister wo
uld take care of Rain."
"Oh," I murmur.
"It's really important," she says with a sigh, "but because no one is available
to take care of Rain. . ."
I want to help her because she seems nice. And she looks a lot like Aunt V. Rain
is cute and he reminds me of Matt. I want to take care of him even though he's
kind of like playing with my hair.
"I'll take care of him," I say before I can think twice.
"Really?" Xyrielle asks hopefully.
"Yes."
Draky is gaping at me, looking alarmed, and not believing what I said. Maybe he
doesn't like babies. Unfortunately for him, he has to help me take care of Rain.
*******************************************
[37] The Bet *Keep An Eye
*******************************************
This is supposed to be long but I have to organize my things for our Field Trip
tomorrow, so I decided to cut chapter 35 in two parts.
The song is Love Life by He Is We. They're amazing! :) Banners by CreativeSideOf
Life.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 35 Part 1 *Keep An Eye
~Sophia
"Pie."
"Draky."
"Why did you do that?" he says disapprovingly, as soon as Xyrielle walks out of
the house.
"What do you want?" I ask, "Leave Rain all by himself?"
"It's not that," he says, scowling at the floor.
"What is it then?" I challenge.
"Never mind," he mutters.
Rain pulls my hair to get my attention.
"What baby?" I murmur, tightening my hold on him because he might fall from my g
rasp.
"Ma. . . ma," he says.
"He's searching for his mother," Draky says obviously. "What will we do when he
starts to cry?"
"Give him his milk," I suggest.
"What if he doesn't like it?"
"Then we'll do something about it if it happens."
He grumbles something under his breath, and then asks, "Why did they name him Ra
in?"
"Maybe it was raining when he was born," I guess.
"What if it was hot at that time, would they name him Sonny?"
"I don't have an idea," I say warily, and then I ask him, "What are we going to
do now?"
"Can you still tutor me?"
"Yes," I answer, "Let's go back to the library."
Draky carries Rain's things and then we make our way towards the library. He res
umes reading A Midsummer Night's Dream as Rain pulls my hair and plays with it.
It's not as hard as before so I let him do it. Besides, I don't want him to cry.
Rain's speaking baby words that I don't understand. He's so cute. He looks like
a baby angel.
When my arms start to feel stiff, I put him on my lap. He crawls towards Draky t
hen.
"Take him off me," he says, pushing Rain to me.
"Don't you like him?" I ask, carrying Rain again.
"I can't concentrate on this," he mutters, not answering my question.
Rolling my eyes, I tell him, "We're not loud, you're just easily distracted."
He smiles amusedly and says, "If you want me to stay, just say the word and I'll
never leave."
I control the urge to laugh at him. He's such a good actor! I want to give him a
clap. I can't really wait to see his face when he finds out that I know about t
he bet. Just thinking about it makes me excited.
I clear my throat before speaking. "Draky," I say sweetly.
"What honey?"
I can't help but laugh at that. There are even tears flowing from my eyes. I rem
ember the first time he called me honey; the time when my heart skipped a beat.
If I'm right, we were in his car, going to the paint shop to buy things to desig
n my room. That was before I knew.
"Why did you call me honey?" I ask as soon as I stop laughing.
"It just came out my mouth," he says, not a bit embarrassed.
My lips twitch upward as I think of my next sentence. "Why do I have a feeling t
hat you like-"
"Play!" Rain says.
"Okay, okay," I say quickly, "we'll play."
"Talking to yourself again," Draky says.
"Why don't you just get some toys from Rain's bag and then we'll play with him,"
I instruct.
"You'll play with him," he says, opening Rain's bag. "There's a train, a ball, a
-"
"Just the ball," I say impatiently.
Draky gives me the ball which I hand to Rain. He squirms at my hold on him. "Wha
t do you want Rain?"
"He wants you to put him on the ground," Draky states.
"And now you can understand babies?"
He snickers but doesn't reply.
Not knowing what to do, I put him on the ground and then sit beside him. He star
ts to play the ball by throwing it in the air. Of course, he can't catch it so h
e crawls to where the ball lands.
Draky is bored while watching us.
I'm afraid Rain will get hurt by crawling so I pull him towards me and tell Drak
y, "Why don't you just grab the ball instead of doing nothing?"
"That's a good idea," he says dryly, but still picks the ball Rain throws his wa
y. He gives it back to him and that's when the real game begins.
I call it Rain throws the ball and Draky catches it because anywhere the ball la
nds, Draky gets it. One time, it stuck below the shelf so Draky have to crawl an
d stretch his arm to get it.
Rain's enjoying, it really shows on his face. The way he smiles and the way his
eyes twinkle in delight whenever Draky gives him back the ball.
After a few minutes, Draky says, "That's it!"
"What?" I ask, confused.
"I'm so tired getting the ball, and now I want to rest." He lies on the floor an
d puts his hands under his head as a makeshift pillow.
He's not going to get the ball anymore on the other side of the room.
"Draky!"
"Pie!"
"Why don't you get the ball?"
"Why don't you play another game?" he retorts.
Rain's cry interrupts us. Draky and I are startle at the same time so we just bo
th stare at Rain. After that, I stand up while carrying him and murmur soothing
words to make him stop crying.
Unfortunately, he just cries harder and louder.
What are we going to do? I am not accustomed in taking care of babies. He's cryi
ng, so he's probably hungry.
"Draky," I say, "get his milk from the bag."
He looks at me with a concern written on his face and quickly rummages the bag o
f Rain. After a few seconds, he hands the bottle of milk to me. I give it to Rai
n but he shakes his head which gives me a hard time putting the bottle in his mo
uth.
To my surprise, Draky stands beside me and starts to make funny faces. At first
, I am confused on what he's doing, and then I understand. It's weird, seeing hi
m like this, doing things for a baby.
Rain doesn't notice him but when he looks at him, he pauses and stares. There ar
e no words for Draky's face right now. I can't even describe it. Rain and I star
ts laughing at the same time. I sit on the couch because I might loosen my grip
on Rain from laughing too much.
When Draky stops making funny faces, Rain's eyes starts to water so Draky resume
s making funny faces.
I know he's annoyed but I can see that he doesn't want Rain to cry again so he's
sacrificing to make him happy. And that's sweet. What?! What did I think?
"That's embarrassing," Draky says, slumping on the couch beside me and stretchin
g his feet in front of him.
Fortunately for him, Rain's not crying anymore.
"You're such a clown," I comment, "and you did a good job stopping Rain from cry
ing."
He looks at me straight in the eyes and tilts his head to the side. "Is that a c
ompliment?"
I shrug. "If you want it to be, then it is."
He grins, showing his perfect white teeth. He's about to say something when Rain
crawls to his lap. He looks at me desperately but I just smile at him and stand
so he doesn't have a choice but to carry Rain.
"Pie!" he exclaims, holding Rain awkwardly.
"You have to learn how to carry a baby," I say, "because you'll have to take car
e of your own child someday."
He rolls his eyes and says, "That's different, because Rain isn't my child."
"Practice then," I say amusedly.
He sighs. "I didn't come here to babysit Andre's cousin."
"It's not that hard taking care of him," I point out.
"Why did you panic when he cried?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.
"I did not," I deny.
He opens his mouth to say something, but then he pauses. His eyes are round as s
aucers when he looks at Rain.
"What?" I ask worriedly, taking a step towards them.
"Rain peed on me!"
*******************************************
[38] The Bet *Skip A Beat
*******************************************
I'm so happy whenever readers send me a message saying that they watched A Crazy
Little Thing Called Love because of my story. I'm glad TB affects you in some w
ay ^.^ And to those who are telling me that I have an awesome taste in music, th
at means you do too. ;)
The song is No One Will Ever Get Hurt by A Rocket to the Moon =) Banner byTheWan
derLuster.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 35 Part 2 *Skip A Beat*
~Sophia
"He is!"
"How did he pee on me then?!"
"Maybe it leaked," I say, biting my lip, but still, I can't hold my laughter any
more so I laugh.
If I'm right, it's the loudest laugh I've had in a long time. It feels good to l
augh.
Draky's face was priceless! And now he's glaring at me for laughing at him. I ca
n't help but to laugh harder. Poor Draky, he got peed on.
Rain is so smart to crawl onto his lap at the right time.
"What's that sound?" Draky asks suddenly.
I listen for a second and then realize what it is. It comes out slow at first an
d then it taps on the roof louder.
"It's raining," I say obviously.
Draky glances at Rain and mutters something under his breath.
"We should change Rain's diaper," I suggest.
"I need to change my clothes," he replies, "but before that, I have to take a ba
th." He wrinkles his nose for the foul smell.
Rain laughs at him, pulling his hair towards him.
"Ow!" Draky snaps.
A wicked smile appears on my face. Karma's so fast. He laughed at me earlier whe
n Rain pulled my hair and now it's happening to him.
Finally, Rain lets go of him.
"Rain Rain go away," Draky mutters, smoothing down his hair, "come again another
day."
"Are you singing?" I ask incredulously.
He grins. "It's kind of ironic that it's raining after Rain peed on me."
I raise my eyebrow but I don't know what to say. He's right. I didn't expect to
rain because a few hours ago, the sun is high up in the sky. The weather is unpr
edictable nowadays. The ozone layer is slowly deteriorating because of the peopl
e who aren't living right.
"Rain Rain go away," Draky sings, breaking me from my reverie, "come again anoth
er day."
Rain's even clapping his hands. He doesn't know that Draky wants him to leave. I
'm about to stop him when he continues.
"Pie and Draky wants to learn, Rain Rain go away."
A laugh escapes from my mouth. I can't believe he's doing these things! He's not
the Drake Swift I know!
Draky glances at me, fighting the urge to smile. He's holding Rain away from him
awkwardly. I have to say that he has a nice voice. If he auditions in a singing
competition, he'll probably win. With that face, he can"Pie?"
"Yes?" I shake my head and blink my eyes to clear my thoughts.
"I need to shower now."
"Oh, yeah," I mumble.
Walking towards them, I get Rain from Draky. I'm careful not to hold him too clo
se because I might be wet like him.
Draky stands up and that's when I see the stain on his jeans.
Another set of laugher comes out of my mouth. He looks like he peed on himself!
He scowls at me and then ruffles my hair. I slap his hand impulsively.
Suddenly, he leans close to me. I swear my heart skips a beat. When our faces ar
e just a few inches away from each other, I stomp his feet.
He yelps in surprise, jumping with one foot. "Why did you do that?!"
"Get away from me!"
Rain squirms at my hold on him which makes it hard to move away from Draky.
"You smell," I blurt out.
He pauses and straightens himself. He smells his body self consciously and mutte
rs, "I do not."
"Yes you do."
"I do not," he grumbles, "it's Rain you smell."
"It's you."
He shrugs. "I'm going to shower now," he says. "Let's see who smells then." He w
alks out of the room with a mischievous smile plastered on his face.
"Good job Rain," I say quietly.
He smiles at me like he knows what I'm talking about.
"It's time to change your diaper."
Unfortunately, I don't know how to do that. Getting the little blanket from his
bag, I put it on the floor. I lay Rain on the middle and start to take off his s
horts. I wrinkle my nose. The smell is well, disgusting.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I take off Rain's diaper, and that's when I se
e it's full. No wonder it leaked on Draky. A smile tugs at the corner of my mout
h because of the memory. I'm sure I won't forget it for the rest of my life. Its
image is clearly plastered in my mind.
Rummaging in the bag, I find baby wipes so I decide to clean him first. He's res
tless, kicking his feet and moving his body side by side.
The rain's not stopping yet. I hope the electricity won't die because of it. One
time, due to a heavy rain, the electricity went off for a day. Of course, the c
lasses were suspended.
When I find Rain's diaper, I read the instructions first. The packaging has thre
e pictures on how to put it on the baby. Unfortunately, it doesn't make sense to
me. I can't just put shorts on Rain without a diaper so I might as well try.
On the first attempt, the diaper is loose so it falls off him. On the second, it
's too tight, and Rain gasps for breaths. I take it off quickly before he cries.
On the third try, I finally get it right. I breathe a sigh of relief and wipe t
he sweat from my forehead. Only Rain can make me sweat in this cold day.
While I search for his shorts, he crawls away quickly to the couch.
"Rain," I call.
He turns his head and smiles at me.
"Come here baby," I say, raising his shorts in my hands.
He continues to crawl away from me. I think he wants to play. Standing up, I go
after him and scoop him in my arms. He laughs, showing his three upper front tee
th and two lower teeth.
To my amazement, he squirms away from me, wanting to crawl on the ground. Heavin
g a sigh, I kneel down and lay him on the blanket again.
Where's Draky when you need him? It's hard to wear Rain's shorts to him all by m
yself. Finally, I get hold of his feet and put it on.
It's not even an hour yet but I'm already tired. Leaning at the back of the couc
h, I stretch my feet in front of me.
Rain crawls next to me and starts to sit up. Suddenly he stands slowly, gaining
his balance, holding the couch for support.
My jaw drops to the ground as I stare at him walk with his hands on the couch. W
hy am I surprised? Being one year and five months old, he knows how to walk alre
ady.
Rain slides on the floor, falling on his knees. I walk quickly to where he is; m
aking my self ready for his cry, but nothing comes out. He looks confused as he
scratches his knees,
"Oh Rain," I murmur, hugging him tight. "You're brave for not crying."
He holds my hands and makes it his anchor to stand again. He walks slowly while
I hold his upper body so he won't fall again.
That's when Draky enters the room. He's wearing shorts and a t-shirt. His hair's
still wet from showering and it makes him look good and sexy at the same time.
His mouth pulls upward when he catches me staring at him.
"See something you like?" he says amusedly, pausing in the threshold.
"No," I deny quickly, tearing my gaze off him.
I can feel the blood rising to my cheeks. I hate the way he makes me feel!
Draky makes his way towards me and looks at Rain approvingly. "I see that you ch
anged his diaper," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
Rain moves towards him and Draky quickly raises his hands. "I just took a shower
."
Rolling my eyes, I tell him, "Throw his diaper if you don't want to hold him."
He makes a face but still follows my order. He gets up, takes the dirty diaper a
nd throws it in the trash bin beside the door.
"What now?" he asks.
"I think we should move to a different place," I suggest.
"It's still raining," Draky says obviously, glancing at the window.
"I know," I mutter. "What I meant was that we should, like go to the entertainme
nt room."
"Oh." Realization crosses his face. "Let's go then."
He grabs Rain's bag while I stand up carefully, holding Rain in my arms.
In the movie room, I sit on the couch, and put Rain on my lap.
Draky's kneeling beside the cabinet, choosing what movie to watch.
"It should be a cartoon," I say.
"Miss your childhood days?" he asks, tilting his head to the side.
Ugh!
He knows what I mean so why does he always ask stupid questions? And why does he
like teasing me? It's so annoying!
He smiles, eyes glittering in delight, like he knows what I'm thinking.
Meanwhile, Rain crawls down to the carpeted ground and quickly goes to where Dra
ky is.
Draky scoops him up to his arms and stands up. He throws Rain in the air and cat
ches him after.
I stare at him, eyes wide with shock, mouth hanging open as he do it repeatedly.
Rain bursts out laughing, enjoying the feeling of flying.
"Draky," I snap.
He looks at me, startled. "What?"
"What are you doing?" I ask furiously. "He might vomit! Do you want that to happ
en?!"
"No," he whispers.
Rain leans on Draky's chest and settles there, making his self comfortable. Drak
y touches his hair, gazing at him wonderingly. He's smiling while doing it. In t
hat instant, it's hard to know what he's thinking. He's so different from before
. He really has a perso"Let's watch SpongeBob," he says, interrupting my thoughts. "Do you like SpongeB
ob, Rain?"
So that's what we do. Watch marathon show of SpongeBob SquarePants. Rain's sitti
ng between Draky and me. He's clapping every now and then as if he understands w
hat SpongeBob and Patrick are talking about.
"Who do you think is the protagonist of the show?" Draky asks.
"SpongeBob," I say obviously.
"Are you sure?" he asks, smirking. "What about his best friend Patrick?"
"What about him?"
"His name is Patrick Star," he points out.
"Ha ha," I say warily, "funny."
But I have to give Draky some credit. I wonder why they named Patrick Star even
though he's not the protagonist of the show. Really ironic.
We're on the fourth show when my stomach growls.
Draky certainly hears it because he grins. "Its time to eat," he says cheerfully
, "someone's hungry."
"I am," I say.
I'm not a bit embarrassed to admit it because it's true. Besides, what's the poi
nt of lying when he already hears the evidence?
"What do you want to eat?" he asks.
"You'll cook?"
"No," he says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
I don't know why it disappoints me. "I'll cook then."
"What about Chinese food?"
"That's a good idea!" I say, not even thinking about it.
My parents used to buy take out Chinese food before. I miss eating it and of cou
rse, I miss my parents.
"It's settled then," Draky says, getting up to dial the telephone number of the
Chinese food a few blocks away from here.
A couple of minutes later, the doorbell rings.
"That's fast," Draky says.
"Yes," I agree. I'm really hungry and I want to eat now. My stomach is complaini
ng already.
Draky stands up and goes to the living room to get our food.
Rain suddenly cries, looking at Draky's retreating figure.
"Ssshh," I murmur, "he'll come back."
He stares at me doubtfully with tears in his eyes.
"You really like him, huh?"
I smile. What do I expect him to say? As if he can already talk.
Draky carries two bags in his hands. He puts them on the table. He gives me a Ch
inese bowl and we start to eat in silence while watching SpongeBob.
I give Rain his milk but he refuses to take it.
Out of nowhere, Draky feeds Rain his food.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Feeding him," he says.
"What if he's allergic to it?"
"I doubt it," he says, putting another food in Rain's mouth. "See? He likes it."
I sigh, watching Rain grab the spoon from Draky's hand.
"He even wants to feed himself," Draky says amusedly.
I leave them alone, and just concentrate on my food.
After eating, Draky puts the dirty bowls at the plastic and takes them to the k
itchen. He comes back, carrying a large comforter in his hands. He moves the fur
niture aside and puts the comforter in the center of the room.
"What's that for?" I ask curiously.
"I want to sleep," he says, grabbing a throw pillow and lying down on his back.
I'm about to ask him why don't he just sleep in the guest room when Rain crawls
and lies next to him.
Draky smiles, and gets another pillow for Rain.
"Will you join us?" he asks.
"N-no," I murmur. I don't know why my face is heating up!
"Are you sure? There's still room for you."
"I. . I s-said no," I stutter, looking away from him.
"Okay," he says with a shrug. "That means its just Rain and me then."
Facing the television, I put my knees on the couch and hug them tight. I try not
******
P.S.
If you think this is getting boring, you can stop reading if you want. This is m
y writing style and I'm not really good at writing fast-paced stories . . . Than
k you for still keeping up with me :)
*******************************************
[39] The Bet *Fortuitous Event
*******************************************
A reader suggested the song Glad by Tyler Hilton :) I like this song so much! Th
ank you for suggesting it :> Banner by peanutFACE. Crazymusicfan12 made a poem a
bout The Bet. It was great and I loved it :> Click the external link to read it.
"Draky."
Someone's calling my name and I know I have to open my eyes. But I don't know ho
w to. I can feel my breathing speeding up. I am cold inside and out.
"Draky." I can feel someone shaking my arms. "You have to wake up now."
My mind's in a fuzzy haze. I'm like a lost spirit, lingering outside my body.
"Wake up!"
Suddenly, I feel something splashed to my face. My hair's dripping with wet wate
r. I open my eyes in surprise and sit upright.
"Why am I wet?" I ask incredulously, wiping my face with the edge of my shirt. M
y heart is thumping loudly in my chest. I remind myself that it was just a dream
. But hey, it felt real! I thought it was real! I've never been so glad to be aw
ake.
Pie goes to my line of vision. She's biting her lower lip and on her hand is a g
lass of water, half full.
"You splashed water to my face." My voice is sort of accusing.
"You won't get up," she says sheepishly, "so I decided to splash water to your f
ace. I heard it was effective."
"What do you think?" I ask dryly.
"I think it's effective," she says amusedly, the corner of her mouth twitching u
pward.
"Why did you even wake me in the first place?"
Pie rolls her eyes and says, "It's ten in the evening."
"What?!" Really? I can't believe it! I slept the whole afternoon and half the ni
ght.
She looks at me smugly and says, "It's just six thirty."
I breathe a sigh of relief. "You like teasing me, huh?"
"No," she says slyly, "I just want to see if you trust me."
I raise my eyebrow and ask, "What's the verdict?"
She turns away from me and make a point of organizing the pillows and putting th
em back on their original place.
Okay, no need to wait. I know Pie won't answer my rhetorical question. Looking a
round, I notice something. "Where's Rain?" I ask.
Pie looks at me as if I said something stupid.
"What?"
"Rain's gone."
"Gone?" I exclaim. The word has a different meaning because of my creepy-dream-s
lash-nightmare. "What do you mean gone?"
"Xyrielle came here while you were sleeping," Pie answers, studying my face care
fully. "She wanted to thank you for babysitting Rain, but didn't want to wake yo
u up. She said they have to go home because no one's at their house and its gett
ing dark." She pauses and then continues, "As if you helped."
"Excuse me?"
She grins, her dimple coming into view. "Nothing," she says, shaking her head. "
Xyrielle said that she'll call us and then she'll have something for us."
"What?" I ask curiously.
"I don't know," she replies, "she didn't tell."
I feel disappointed because I havent say goodbye to Rain. For the few hours we s
pent together, I care for him. Even though I didn't admit it at first. Truth is,
I like babies. I just pretended at the beginning that I don't like him because,
well, I wanted to see Pie's reaction.
Now I'm going to miss Rain. I wonder when I will see him again. I hope soon. On
the other hand, maybe I can ask Xyrielle if she wants Pie and me to babysit Rain
again.
"What comes first, the egg or the chicken?" I ask Pie.
"That's not a question," she says wryly.
I can see that she's fighting off a smile that wants to form on her lips. "What
do you think?" I probe, just to have a conversation with her.
I feel like an idiot, wanting to hear her voice, wanting to have a conversation
with her, wanting to. . .
Okay, I have to stop now. I really don't like where my thoughts are headed. I he
ar the stupid voice smirking. Am I crazy? Do crazy people ask theirselves if the
ir crazy? No! No! I don't think I'm crazy. Crazy people don't think they're craz
y.
Why are you talking back to me then?
Shut up!
"Draky? Draky?"
I have a feeling it's not the first time she's calling my name. This stupid voic
e is"Why do you look so annoyed?" she asks curiously.
"Do I?" I ask, trying to put on my poker face to no avail.
"What were you thinking about?" she asks, nudging me on the elbow.
"The voice," I blurt out without thinking.
Pie's eyes widen, and then she grins. "You're still talking to it?"
I don't know why I speak honestly with her; not that I always lie, but I talk wi
thout thinking when it comes to her. I speak without filtering my thoughts.
"Draky?"
"Yes?"
"Are you hungry?" she asks. "Do you want something?"
Pie will cook a food for me? Now, that's interesting. "Yes, I'm hungry," I say.
My voice is too cheerful. Why am I so excited?
"There's a food in the fridge," she says obviously, "you just have to cook it."
This girl!
It's hard to make
nly I know how to
I'll prepare for
mouth as I think
her fall in love with me! It's not easier than I thought. If o
cook, I can make her fall in love with me because of the meals
her. If only it is that easy. A smile tugs at the corner of my
of that.
"First, talking to yourself," Pie says, breaking me from my reverie, "and now, s
miling for no apparent reason at all."
"I catch myself smiling when I think about you."
Heat rushes to her cheeks. I like to see her blush. She's so shy, she fidgets on
her seat nervously.
"Stop staring at me!" She scowls and turns away from me.
"Why are you blushing when I say things like that?" I ask curiously.
"I'm not blushing," she lies. "Staring at someone is rude," she quotes me.
I smirk. "So you're just-"
"Shut up," she interjects. She stands up and starts to head towards the door.
*****
How did you find Wattpad? What made you read The Bet? I'd love to know :)
*******************************************
[40] The Bet *Misguided Actions
*******************************************
Thank you for telling me the reason why you read TB and how you found Wattpad :)
I think it's my turn then, eh? I found Wattpad last 2009. I was a member of Twi
light Saga discussion group in Friendster and people there were talking about fr
ee online reading site. The first story I read was "A HOT GUY SAVED MY LIFE AND
NOW I HAVE TO MARRY HIM?!" *That was the time when arrange marriage stories were
popular*. I decided to join when one of the stories I was reading required a nu
mber of votes before uploading the next chapter. So, that's it :)
katrocks247 made a trailer for The Bet. It was amazing Watch the video on the side
=)
The song for the chapter is Half Of My Heart by John Mayer ft. Taylor Swift. Ban
ner by LittleMissIronic :)
Thank you!
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 37 *Misguided Actions*
~Drake
"Why didn't you come to the party last night?" Jake demands as soon as I sit at
our usual table in the cafeteria.
"We waited for you," Dwayne chimes in.
"I didn't say I'll go, did I?" I say, taking a bite of my pizza.
"Cassidy was fuming with rage," Brian says, fighting off a smile.
"Cassidy?" I repeat incredulously. "Why?"
My friends look at me like I said something stupid.
"Come on, you know she's interested," Troy says, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Is she?" I ask.
Cassidy's always getting my attention any chance she gets. However, I'm busy thi
nking of plans to make Pie fall in love with me to notice her.
"What did you do?" Brian asks.
"Stuff," I say evasively.
As soon as I went home last night, I organized all the things needed for Pie's s
urprise birthday party tomorrow. I bought all the necessary materials and the o
nly thing I need to do after school is to design the place and put some decorati
ons. I already ordered my gift for her. I really think it fits her perfectly. Ju
st thinking about her wearing it puts a smile on my face.
I do these things because I want to, not because I have to. I want her birthday
to be memorable for her. I want her to remember it for the rest of her life. To
put it simply, I want her to be happy.
I did everything; the planning, and the buying, all by myself. I'm not in the mo
od to ask Andre's help because I'm quite angry at him for keeping a secret to me
. Besides, I haven't seen him yet. He's probably busy with school work and colle
ge applications. I haven't sent any college application yet. There's still time
for that.
Anyway, the other reason is that when Pie asks about her surprise birthday party
, I can tell her honestly and confidently that I did everything on my own. With
no one's help. I'm glad Parker told me everything I have to know.
Just thinking about the ideas in my head makes me excited to start with the prep
aration. I'm even tempted to skip school so that I can be sure that I'm going to
finish everything before tomorrow. But I remember that I have to catch up with
my studies because I'm trailing behind.
Like usual.
At least I'm trying! And thank heavens Pie tutored me last night. It was for Cal
culus. I have a difficult time with numbers and it's the hardest subject for me.
I'm glad Pie is patient, she taught me basic things about the subject and how I
can make it easy for me.
"Since you hang out with her. . ."
"What?" I ask, snapping out of my reverie.
"Since you hang out with that Sophia," Brian finishes.
"What about her? I ask irritably. I don't like the tone Brian used when he said
Sophia's name.
"You always hang out with her." Dwayne mutters.
"Are you two dating?" Jake asks curiously.
"We're not," I say dryly.
"Why are you always with her then?"
Rolling my eyes, I decide not to answer their questions because as long as I ans
wer them, they'll just ask again and again until they know everything about me.
About us. And I might slip and tell them about the bet.
"You seldom talk to us," Troy says disapprovingly.
"I'm talking to you now," I say.
"You know what Troy meant," Dwayne says. "First you quit basketball without tell
ing us the reason why, and now you're not hanging with us anymore."
"We're still your friends," Jake says.
"And we," Dwayne pauses, not finishing his sentence.
"What?" I ask.
He frowns and says, "We miss hanging out with you and Dre."
I feel guilty for ignoring my friends. Not that I ignore them, but my time with
~Sophia
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I don't remember listening to the discussi
on of our professors. I don't even know how I came home after school. My mind is
busy thinking of thoughts I can't comprehend.
I'm always like this the day before my birthday, and I hate it.
Tomorrow- I mean, a few hours from now, I'm going to be seventeen. Another year
. Getting older by day.
And my parents are still missing in action. They probably forgot that they still
have a child. When will they come back? I hope tomorrow. It will be the best pr
esent I'll have.
I don't think anyone remembers my birthday. I don't even want to celebrate it. I
just want to go home with my family.
I think no one feels lonely on his or her birthday except me. Ugh! I don't want
to pity myself. However, I can't stop these horrible thoughts from coming in my
head.
I'm about to bang my head on the wall of my room out of frustration when I see t
he pool in the corner of my eye.
"Nothing in particular."
Actually, I'm thinking of the questions I'll ask him. I want to know every doubt
I have. If ever he'll choose dare, I also make a list of what I want him to do.
When Driana comes back, we arrange ourselves and sit on the floor.
"Rule number one," she says, "it's only truth or dare. Number two: No lying, and
you can't change dare if you don't like the question someone asks. And if it's
a dare, you have to do it."
I'm nervous and excited at the same time.
Driana spins the bottle and all of us wait until it stops and the cork points in
front of Andre. I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm glad it's not me.
"Truth or dare?" Driana asks.
"Truth," Andre answers.
"Are you a virgin?" Driana asks curiously.
A complete, awkward and uncomfortable silence envelops us. It's thick like a mos
s and eating us inside and out. We're in complete silence. I don't even know if
they're breathing because I feel like the breath suck out of me even though I'm
not the one who's going to answer.
It's just the question is so embarassing and I don't know what's gotten at Drian
a to ask that question. We avoid eye contact because the question still hangs in
the air.
Finally, Andre lets out a breath.
It must be a signal because all of us starts to breathe again.
"What kind of question is that?" Andre asks furiously.
"It's a truth or dare and you chose truth so I can ask you anything I want," Dri
ana says, crossing her arms over her chest.
Andre is blushing like there's no tomorrow.
A giggle escapes from my mouth and I bite my lip to stop them from coming.
Driana stares at Andre with a satisfied smile on her face. "We're waiting," she
says.
Andre grumbles something under his breath and looks at Draky for help.
Draky looks like a ripe tomato and he's controlling his self not to laugh.
"The time is passing by," Driana says impatiently.
"Fine!" Andre says, taking a deep breath. "I'm still a virgin."
Oh.
"Whoa," Driana gushes.
Andre turns away from us so that we can't see his facial expression.
"Fifteen, fourteen."
"I answered your question correctly," Andre says quickly. "You asked me who do I
like."
"And?" Draky prompts.
"And I like you," Andre says obviously, "you said like, and I like you. As a fri
end. And you're always the one saying that like is different from love."
He's so smart to think of that. He followed the rules. He didn't lie. Very cleve
r.
Now Draky's throwing daggers at his way. It's his problem to generalize his ques
tion.
"What if I were a girl?" Andre asks amusedly, nudging Draky on the side. "Would
you like me Drake?" He smiles at him seductively, which makes me want to vomit.
Just the mere thought makes me want to puke.
Draky hits Andre's head lightly. "Don't be stupid."
"That hurts!" he says, feigning he's broken hearted. "I thought you would like m
e."
Draky rolls his eyes and about to say something when Driana interjects, "I'm cur
ious. Imagine Andre as a girl." She turns to her twin. "Would you like her?"
"Of course not," Draky says indignantly. "I'm not into guys."
"I said if he was a girl,"Driana says impatiently.
"Still no."
"Why?" Driana asks.
"She's not my type."
"What is your type then?" she asks, tilting her head to the side.
Draky glances at me and smiles slowly.
Driana and Andre catch that and they both turn their heads at me. Driana smiles
slyly while Andre smiles mischievously.
Good job Draky, to put the spotlight on me!
When they stop bickering, I suggest, "Maybe we should stop playing now."
"Not fair," Andre disagrees, "it's my turn."
"And besides," Draky chimes in, "you haven't been pointed yet."
Busted!
"No wonder you want to stop the game," Andre says wryly. He gets the bottle and
spins it slowly.
I'm just about to pray not to make the bottle point at me when it stops in front
of me.
See? That's why I don't want to play anymore! I have a feeling it will stop at m
e, and it does!
Draky chuckles softly. "And that is interesting."
"Truth or dare?" asks Andre. There's amusement flickering in his green eyes.
Ugh! If I say truth, he might ask me something I can't answer, and if it's dare,
he might make me do something I'll regret later.
In the end, I tell him, "Truth."
He pretends to think for a moment. If I know, he already makes a couple of quest
ions ready for me.
Finally, he asks, "Do you think Drake is attractive?"
That's it? What kind of question is that?
"No," I answer.
Draky looks like he has been slapped on the face.
Andre snorts.
Driana laughs uncontrollably. She's even slapping the floor. "Your face!" she sa
ys to her twin.
"It's priceless," Andre finishes for her.
Draky ignores them and looks at me instead. "Why?" he demands.
Pursing my lips, I say, "I don't know. I just don't find you attractive."
"At all?" he asks dubiously.
"At all," I lie.
No need for him to know that I find him attractive. His ego will just get big, a
nd it's already huge as it is. Moreover, he will get the idea that I'm falling b
ecause of his physical features. Not that I am.
"I don't believe you," he mutters.
"That's not my problem," I say smugly.
"You can't accept someone is immune to your charm?" Andre says, feigning he's su
rprised.
"Shut up," Draky snaps.
"Bro, not everyone thinks you're handsome," Driana chimes in.
"Not talking to you," he says furiously.
"So full of himself," Andre mutters to Driana.
They both laugh and then Draky hits Andre's head.
"Hey, why are you always hitting me?" Andre asks, checking his head with his han
ds.
"He's offensive," Driana says, "because it's true."
"Why are you teaming up against me? You're my best friend," he says to Andre, an
d to Driana, "You're my twin."
"That doesn't change the fact that you're wrong," they say simultaneously.
"Why do I have a feeling there's something going on between you two", he says su
spiciously, narrowing his eyes at them. "You both act weird when you're together
."
"We're not acting," they say at the same time.
"See?" Draky asks.
That shut them up.
Before it becomes an uncomfortable silence, I mumble, "It's my turn."
When I spin the bottle, it stops in front of Draky. Just my luck. I bite my lip
to stop the smile threatening to form on my mouth.
"Truth or dare?" I ask not too eagerly.
"Truth," he answers.
Now it's my turn, I forgot what to ask him. All the questions I save for this mo
ment vanished from my mind. Therefore, I ask the first thing that comes to my mi
nd. "How many girlfrieds have you had?"
"Zero," he says, his mouth twisting at the corner, forming onto a smirk.
"Seriously?"
"Yup."
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Driana asks suspiciously.
"Why would I lie?" Draky returns.
"I don't know," she retorts, "that's why I'm asking."
"It's true," Andre says, backing Draky. "He's a member of NGSB."
"NGSB?"
"No Girlfriend Since Birth," he explains. "It's a society for group of people."
I know he just makes that up. There's no such thing as NGSB.
But I'm confused. Draky's a playboy. He's popular. Why did he never have a girlf
riend?
Before I can ask him, Driana asks, "Why?"
"Because I've never fall in love yet," he answers, as if it is the most obvious
Story. I know, he has a good voice. Great, even. But I'm furious with Andre. He
's even glancing between Draky and me as if he's seeing something entertaining.
Ugh! Why can't he leave that name alone?!
When Draky stops singing, Driana yawns suddenly.
I don't know why but when someone yawns, someone will do too. Like me. It's like
a chain of events.
Soon enough, Andre and Draky does the same.
Then we all laugh while looking at each other.
"Let's just stop this game," Driana says, putting the bottle away.
You can practically hear our sigh of relief.
"I want to sleep now," she continues, lying on the floor.
"Me too," I agree, glancing at the clock. It's 11:30 in the evening already. Tim
e moves fast when you're having fun.
"You two can sleep here if you want," Andre says to the twins.
Draky shakes his head. "Mom's alone in the house," he says, "and besides, there'
s school tomorrow."
"You can wake up early," Andre suggests.
Driana rolls her eyes and says, "Thanks for the offer but I doubt I can sleep on
a bed besides my own."
"Okay," Andre says with a sigh.
We're all silent for a moment. I wonder if Driana remembers that tomorrow's my b
irthday. I wonder if Draky knows my birthday is tomorrow. He and Andre seem curi
ous about it. I wonder what will happen if they know-"Time to go home," Draky says, snapping me out of my reverie.
Stopping me from wondering.
Driana sighs. "Okay," she murmurs.
"I'll walk you to the door," Andre offers.
"Me too," I say.
Outside, Driana and I hug each other and then she slides in Draky's car. I don't
know what he's doing because he's waiting and looking at me expectantly.
"What?" I ask finally.
"Aren't you going to give me a goodnight kiss?" he asks.
The thing that bugs me is he looks serious. As if I'll just kiss him when he wan
ts!
"In your dreams," I say, putting my hands on my hips.
He smirks. "That's okay; you're always in my dreams. And you know, there are mor
e things you do there than in real life."
I can feel the heat rushing to my cheeks. Stupid Draky! He's so cocky!
"Good night," I say, walking away from him and standing beside the door.
"Good night Honey," he says sweetly.
Honey yourself, I think.
When he starts his car, I turn around to see Andre studying me carefully.
"Do I have dirt on my face?" I ask.
"No," he says, shaking his head.
We both enter the house and then he locks the door behind us.
"You didn't answer Draky's question earlier," I point out.
"Who knows, it could be anyone," he says, with a sly smile on his mouth. And the
n he walks away without a backward glance. When he rounds the corner to his room
, he turns his head and winks at me.
I've never been confused in my life. What does he mean by that?
I make my way to my room and lay on my bed. Unfortunately, my mind doesn't want
to shut up. Because my birthday is tomorrow, it's excited. More than me. Weird.
This is such an interesting night. I think I will not forget it for the rest of
my life.
It's unsettling to find that a single event can change your life and can make yo
u think about things you didn't mind before.
The loud ringing of my cell phone startles me. Looking at it, the words: Happy B
irthday flashed on the screen.
The time shows that it's 12:01 AM, October 19, 2010. I'm officially seventeen ye
ar old. I'll be a legal adult next year.
I don't even know that I saved my birthday on my cell phone. I probably forgot a
bout it. I wonder what will happen tomorrow. I want to think of different scenar
ios in my head but my eyes are slowly drooping in and out of focus.
Before I fall asleep, I greet myself, "Happy Birthday."
*****
I hope you liked this! Comments on the last chapter = Epic :D
The song is Sweet and Low by Augustana. Banner by EXTREMEmusiclover :) Kindly c
lick the External link and like the Facebook page. Thank you!
*******************************************
[42] The Bet *Thirteen and Seventeen
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 39 Part 1 *Thirteen and Seventeen
~Sophia
The moment I wake up, the first thought that comes to my mind is today's the thi
rteenth day of the bet.
The second thought I have is today's my birthday.
13th Day. 17th Birthday.
Hah. Ironic? I think so.
Other people will be excited to open their cell phone and read all the birthday
wishes they received. Me, in the meantime is lazy even to get up and start the d
ay.
They say that your birthday is very different from other (ordinary) days because
, hey, today's your day! You, and just only you. Well, except for the people sha
ring the same day of your birth. But still, you can pretend it's your own day be
cause after waiting for three hundred sixty four days, your one and only day fin
ally arrived. That's why you need to celebrate. . .
Right?
I'm still sleepy. I don't even want to go to school. I can imagine what would my
face look like when my friends greet me a happy birthday. It's hard to think of
something to do when they sing a happy birthday to you. It's embarassing and no
t, at the same time.
I think I'm the only one who's not excited on my birthday. But I don't know why
I feel nervous, and there's this feeling I have that can foresee something that
might happen.
It's just another day for me. I doubt something unexpected will happen. What's w
ith the blabbering? I know, I'm just procrastinating.
Sighing, I get my phone and open it.
Nothing.
Is this possible? Is my network not working? Why don't I have a new message? The
re's probably some error because. . .
Don't tell me my parents forget it? What about Parker, and Driana?
The people close to me sure know that today's my birthday.
Parker! He gave me a present but he forgot that today's the day! I know, it's st
ill my birthday until later but he usually greets me at midnight. And this is th
e first time he doesn't. Maybe he gets tired, because he knows that I don't like
*****
Happy Birthday to all the Octoberians out there! :D May all your wishes come tru
e :)
This is just a teaser for the next part. I haven't been able to sleep yet since
last night so it's short. I uploaded this because I want to keep my promise =)
The song is Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie. Banners by Aspen77. Thank y
ou! :>
I went to Owl City: Live in Manila 2011 concert last night. It was one of the be
st nights of my life :D *If not for Taylor Swift, I think yesternight was the be
st* I got a meet and greet pass (unexpectedly) when they (the management) asked
anyone to sing a line of his (Adam) song from his new album. I sang : I've been
longing for, daisies to push through the floor (Plant Life). I was not even shy
at that time: me, singing in front of a crowd. Who would have thought? XD Then t
hey told me that I could meet Adam Young. I was so shocked. Like, really? OMG! H
aha I couldn't stop laughing! I couldn't even believe it :> When I saw him, I al
most cried because of the overwhelming happiness I felt. He hold my hands while
we talked. I told him about my dream (:In my dream four nights ago, I saw him be
cause of a meet and greet. A dream came true;) I told him "Thank you" many times
. He was so sweet and nice. After that, when the show was about to start, a VJ f
rom MYX (a music channel) interviewed me. If ever they air it, I'll be on TV aga
in. It was, like my friends said, my night. I feel so blessed and lucky
Turn your dreams into reality!
Wow, you read the whole thing? This was long and you probably have other stuff y
ou could've done in the last two minutes but you chose to read this :> Thank you
so much! For reading my story/stories and for keeping up with me. You don't kno
w have an idea how happy and lucky I am. I wish I can see your face while readin
g *.*
Thank you again! I hope and pray we can see each other someday :)
*******************************************
[43] The Bet *Real or Fake
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 39 Part 2 *Real or Fake*
~Sophia
A note falls from my locker when I open it. Grabbing the piece of paper, I smoot
h it and read the words written on it.
Meet me at the parking lot. ASAP.
-D
D?
It's from Draky, no doubt. What does he want? Why does he want me to meet him at
the parking lot? Why not wait for me here?
If he wants to talk to me, he should be the one to come, not the other way aroun
d. He is the one who needs something. Besides, if I go outside, I'll be late in
my first class.
However, there's a voice in the back of my head that whispers, "He'll wait for y
ou there."
I just ignore it and try not to think about it too much. It's just my subconscio
us mind trying to guilt me.
The ringing of the bell startles me. And that's make my decision final. I hurry
and go to my first class, the little note folded in my hand.
"Pie," he says, never taking his eyes away from me, "there comes a time when you
won't be able to hide your feelings for someone no matter how much you want the
m to keep it to yourself."
Wake me! I know I'm just dreaming. Please, I want to open my eyes, I can't take
this anymore. What is he doing to me? Why can he make me feel things I haven't f
elt before?
"Please don't think that I'm rushing you," he murmurs, taking both of my hands i
n his. "I can't just hide my feelings for you forever. And don't you hate it? No
t saying what you feel?"
I'm just staring at him, reminding myself to breathe. I can't even tear my eyes
away from his piercing gaze.
"I have to tell you this because I. . ." he pauses and takes a deep breath. "I c
an't bear the thought of you with another guy. Just thinking about it..." he tra
ils off, shaking his head. A pained expression crosses his face.
Is this real? Maybe I am dreaming. What is happening here?!
Butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. I'm afraid they'll lift me up from t
he ground and fly me above the clouds.
"Pie," he says, putting his hand on my cheek.
I freeze. His touch sends a chill and electric shock to my body. His hand though
, is soft; I find my head leaning towards it.
"Tell me if you want me to stop," he says. To my surprise, he leans to my neck a
nd trails it down with soft kisses.
I think he is speaking but I don't hear him because of the loud beating of my he
art. It's so loud, it's the only sound I hear. I wonder if he hears it too.
Do I want him to stop? My brain says I have to slap him hard on the face but my
heart tells otherwise. My mouth is dry. It's hard to swallow the lump in my thro
at.
"You want me to stop?" he asks again, moving to my jaw.
Oh God, I'm going to faint! My mind is in a fuzzy haze. I don't know what to do!
Draky puts his hands on my shoulders and he trails kisses on my cheek. It's movi
ng closer and closer and closer to my lips.
What am I doing, just standing here while he do all the kissing?
I don't know who start it but when our lips meet, everything around me stops rev
olving at once. it's just me and him, nothing else exists besides us. It's like
a fire that can't be stopped.
Maybe this is from the times when our almost kiss has been interrupted.
How many times have I look at his lips? I never expected it to be on mine. It ta
kes a second for me to realize that I'm kissing Drake Swift. After that thought,
I let instinct take over me.
My hands, as if they have a mind of their own, travel and make their way to his
hair. His soft and silky hair that I want to touch from the very first day. Fina
lly! And then I touch his face, his chest, his hair again. it's like a pattern.
When Draky pauses to breathe, he murmurs my name. And then we're kissing again.
I feel hot and cold at the same time. I get tingly all over my body.
Draky's hands move around my body. His left hand is on my waist while his right
hand is memorizing my face, my hair, and my arms.
A shiver runs down my body. It's not from the wind, but from the feelings I'm ex
periencing.
I open my eyes experimentally and see his eyes are closed. I want to touch his l
ong eyelashes. Now I know why people close their eyes when they kiss. It's so di
stracting!
Million thoughts run in my head in this instant but I can't really think about t
hem because I'm focused on kissing Draky.
We stop after what feels like hours. I thought he'll give me space to collect my
thoughts when he suddenly pulls me to him. And then he puts his arms around me
tightly, but not to the point that I can't breathe.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I can feel the beat of his heart. No doubt, he can hear mine too.
Two hearts beating as one.
My hands find their way to Draky's neck and my head leans to his chest. Really,
it's like someone is controlling my body.
We just stand for a couple of minutes, wrapped in each other's embrace, contente
d by the silence. I've never felt more at home than I am now. Here, in the arms
of the person I despise, I feel happy.
After a few minutes, he leans down and plants a kiss my forehead. I can't help b
ut think that's sweet.
I know that the kiss on the forehead means more than the kiss on the lips. It ha
s many meanings and I have a feeling Draky knows them.
"Pie," he says softly, looking into my eyes, "I think I'm falling in love with y
ou."
*****
Happy Halloween! Happy All Saints' Day! :)
The song is Today was a Fairytale by Taylor Swift Banner by You4Real :>
I hope the kiss was okay. It was just pure imagination. I didn't have a basis th
at's why it was sort of like in AIL.
By the way, I read all your comments and messages. They are so funny, especially
those: I really think Andre likes Driana. And Draky is falling in love with Pie
*******************************************
[44] The Bet *Darkness and Light
*******************************************
The loud ringing of my alarm clock wakes me up. My breathing is faster, as if I
ran in a marathon. My mind is fuzzy, it's hard to think straight.
Something is not right.
My muscles are sore from being in a cramp position.
Confused, I look around me in bewilderment. I remember I was with Draky and we w
ereImpossible.
I thought it was real. It looked real. It felt real.
How could I dream of something like that?!
Surely, my subconscious mind did the trick because I thought of Draky before I f
ell asleep. I'm even ashamed to admit it.
I reassure myself that everything is going according to plan. No one will ever g
et hurt. Well, I won't get hurt. I don't know about him.
I don't know if I should be disappointed or what, in finding out that the kiss w
as just a dream. Of course, I'm not disappointed! I even let out a sigh of relie
f.
I can't imagine kissing the person I despise so much. Just thinking about it- ug
h!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, that didn't really happen. I don't even know why I want to post that XD
The gift of Draky to Pie is the same rosary necklace on the cover :) Finally, th
ey kissed, right? I wrote that scene a few months ago but I waited until the rig
ht time to post it. Don't get confused by their feelings for each other. You nev
er know if what Drake did/said was real or fake. A lot of readers are asking for
Andre's POV. I'll probably make one when the story is complete.
The song is Terrified by Katharine McPhee ft. Zachary Levi :> Banner by BookAndM
usicGeek. Thank you!
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 39 Part 3 *Darkness and Light*
~Sophia
"I think you have to go home now," he says slowly, "they are getting worried."
"Okay," I murmur, disappointed. It's not even late yet.
"Let's go."
"What about the lights?" I ask, glancing at them hesitantly.
"I'll take care of them," he says evasively.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
To my amazement, he grabs my hand and we walk hand in hand towards his car.
What am I getting myself into?
Draky opens the passenger door for me, and then I get in and buckle my seat belt
. After he slides in, he starts the car and then we're moving.
"You know," I say, "Andre told me who he likes."
Draky glances at me and asks eagerly, "Who?"
"Me."
His expression wiped from his face. "Funny," he says dryly.
"He really told me that he likes me," I insist, although I know Andre was just t
easing me.
"You're really funny," he says amusedly, grabbing my hand and then intertwining
our fingers.
- - - - The house is unusually quiet when we arrive. There are no lights, even in the po
rch.
"Why is it dark?" I ask, getting out of the car.
"Maybe there's no electricity," Draky guesses.
That's possible. They cut the electricity before when there were snowstorms and
bad climate. Now, the weather is nice. Calm, even.
Draky sees my reaction and says, "Let's go and see."
Getting the spare key in my pocket, I put it in the doorknob and twist it.
Draky opens the door and then we enter the house, closing the door behind us.
It's more darker inside, than outside. When I find the switch button, I press th
e light, but it just click.
Uh oh.
There really is no electricity. I wonder why I didn't notice the other houses wh
en we were on the road earlier.
Suddenly, there's a little light coming from Draky's direction. "I have a flashl
ight," he says, smiling.
"A boyscout," I say.
"I was," he admits, "a few years ago."
Well, that's news.
"What are we going to do now?" I ask, making my way towards him.
He shrugs. "What do you want?"
"I'm not sure," I say.
Because there's no electricity, our choices are limited.
"What is that?" Draky asks, pointing the flashlight on the couch.
We walk towards it and find two boxes on top of the couch. There's a note above
the box. The words written on it are:
Sophia Taylor, wear these tonight.
I look at Draky, not believing what I'm seeing. "Who do you think left these her
e?" I ask.
"No idea," he replies. "Why don't you open these boxes so that we can see what a
re the things inside?"
When I open the first box, I'm surprise to see a dress. It's pink, sleeveless, a
nd I'm sure it will reach just above my knees. Embroidered on its hems are littl
e flowers. There are ruffles that make it flow when you walk. Simple and classy,
but elegant at the same time.
"Nice," Draky says, nodding his head in approval.
The other box contains a pair of high heels. When you fasten it, a glittery ribb
on will come into view.
Now, I'm confused. Why would they give something like this to me? Are these a bi
rthday gift? From who?
"What am I going to do with these?" I wonder aloud.
"Wear them," Draky suggests.
"For what?" I ask dryly. "And besides, it's dark."
He rolls his eyes and raises the flashlight on his hand. "Come on, I want to see
you in that dress."
"Why don't you just imagine it?"
"Imagination is not the same with reality," he says disapprovingly. "I'll help y
ou upstairs if you're scared to go there alone."
"I'm not scared," I mutter. "And okay, I'll try this dress."
~Sophia
I've never been so happy in the arms of my mother. I bury my face on her shoulde
r, and that's when I notice the uncontrollable tears flowing from my eyes, stain
ing her dress.
"I'm so sorry for leaving you," she murmurs, brushing my hair away from my face
and then kissing me on the cheek.
"Mom, I missed you so much," I whisper, not letting go.
I can hear the smile in her voice when she says, "Someone wants to see you too."
I lean away slowly and gasp when I see someone behind her.
"Dad!"
"My girl," he says, pulling me to him. "Happy Birthday Sophia!"
I hug my dad as tightly as I can. Oh God, I missed my parents so much. I won't b
e here in this world without them. Suddenly I feel guilty for thinking bad thing
s about them. I shove the thought away because I don't want past mistakes to rui
n this enchanted moment. It's not yet the time to ask them why did they leave me
. Tomorrow I will get the answers I need. And I'm sure they will tell me everyth
ing I need to know.
I feel light; I can feel myself floating with happiness and glowing like there's
some light surrounding me. To put it simply, I'm on a cloud 9. I've never been
happy like this before. This is the best day and night of my life yet. And it wi
ll forever be in my mind as long as I live.
"Thank you so much," I repeat, blinking back the tears that are spilling from my
eyes without control. "I'm so happy. I thought you forgot my birthday," I say s
heepishly, "I'm glad- so glad to be here tonight. Thank you so much!Thank you so
much to all of you! You don't have any idea how. . . words can't express this f
eeling I have."
Fortunately, I'm not embarrassed to cry in front of them because of the overwhel
ming euphoria I have inside my body. What I know is I'm fully contented on every
thing that is happening.
"You're welcome," Parker says. "I think it's eating time, right? I'm hungry!"
Laughter fills the air. Parker is so good with words; he can move a crowd in an
instant.
So we go to the spot beside the garden where they arrange tables and chairs. Thi
s is an enchanting night. I wonder how they planned all of this, without me know
ing anything about it.
While eating, we talk and converse with each other. I can see in the faces of ev
eryone that they're having fun. The happiness we're feeling is contagious. I can
even taste it in the air surrounding us. Matt is the only one missing today. I
know that wherever he is, he's happy for me. These people are my family. And thi
s is what home feels like.
When the cake arrives, they sing me a happy birthday again. At first, it feels a
wkward because I don't know what to do while they're singing so I decide to just
sing with them instead.
The cake is simple, yet elegant. It's a two layer vanilla chocolate cake with sw
irling designs on the side. There are seventeen candles in different colors.
tiful name."
Driana rolls her eyes. "Always full of himself."
"I didn't hear you sister," he says, putting his arm around her shoulder.
Driana squirms away from him, and in the end, she ends up standing beside Andre.
They are even standing close to each other. I wonder why Draky doesn't notice i
t.
I have a feeling on who Andre likes, but I'm not really sure about it so I just
keep quiet. If I tell the name now and find out I'm wrong, er, it's embarrassing
.
I'll just wait for Andre when he's ready to tell us. A smirk makes its way onto
my mouth as I think: If he'll ever be ready.
In the corner of my eye, I see my mom making her way towards us. "Hi mom," I say
.
"Hello there," she says. "Andre, Driana, and . . . you're Drake right?"
"Yes ma'am," Draky says.
"You're Andre's best friend and Driana's twin brother," she states.
Oh no. Where is my mom taking this conversation? I hope she won't notice the way
Draky and I act with each other. My mom has an amazing instinct when it comes t
o me. I have a feeling her radar is working full force now.
"Are you sure you're just friends with my daughter?" asks my mom.
"Mom!"
Draky struggles to fight off the smirk forming on his mouth. "We're friends," he
says, but his voice is implying that there's something more between us.
"You're not her boyfriend?" she asks, ignoring my pleading look at her to stop a
sking questions.
"No," Draky says.
Because he's beside me, I hear the words: Not yet when he mutters them under his
breath.
I'm glad my mom doesn't hear it because I'm sure she will ask a lot of questions
to him. Before she can say something more, I ask, "Are you going inside?"
"Yes," she replies, "I'm going to get the lasagna."
"I'll do it," I volunteer.
"No, I can."
"It's okay mom," I insist.
"Fine," she says, smiling.
"I'll help her," Draky says.
*****
Hi! ^.^ I hope you like this! I found something interesting. Click the External
link to read it. You'll be inspired :)
The song is These Are The Nights by Making April. I love this song! :) Banner by
mwaaah_kisses95
The original title of the chapter was supposed to be Kisses and Butterflies but
I thought Cloud 9 would be better :)
Thank you for reading my story
*******************************************
[46] The Bet *Right Minus Wrong
*******************************************
OMG! 4,000,000 READS! Thank you so much!
The song is All That I Am by Parachute - a wonderful song and a great band! Bann
ers by CreativeSideOfLife :>
I watched Breaking Dawn Part 1 earlier. It was Amazing! The best of all Twilight
films ;)
I hope you'll like this chapter. Thank you so much! :D
Happy Reading!
Chapter 40 *Right Minus Wrong*
~ Sophia
"Wake up!"
"Wake up!"
"Why don't you let her sleep? She can open your gifts later."
Muffled voices. I can hear them but I can't really make out the meaning of what
they are saying.
Whispers.
Soft conversations.
I'm in a dreamless sleep where my body is wide awake, conscious of what's happen
ing around me.
I try to assess my current situation. I'm lying on my bed, in between two people
who are sitting on either side of me. Someone from my right side shifts, making
the bed stir.
I want to open my eyes but it seems a hard thing to do. I feel trapped. Someone
is shaking my arm, probably waking me.
I hear a snap but I can't get the words exchange between two people. Someone is
whispering, and then nothing. . .
I peek behind my eyelashes and then I see Driana and Andre sitting on my bed. Th
ey both look impatient. Draky is leaning on the wall, tapping his foot in beat t
o the music he only hears.
I'm about to feign sleep when Draky catches me staring at him.
"Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," he says. "Good morning."
"Morning," I say sheepishly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. A yawn involuntaril
y escapes from my lips and then I stretch my arms in front of me because they fe
el stiff.
"Good morning Sophia," Driana says, grinning.
"Morning," I reply. "What are you doing here? You went home last night, right?"
"Yes," she answers. "But I wanted to see your face when you open my present so-"
"So she decided to wake me in the middle of my sleep to drive her here," Draky f
inishes for her.
Glancing at my alarm clock, I see it's just quarter to six. "Dri, you should jus
t call me. I can open the gifts when you're around. You didn't have to wake up e
arly."
"You said you're going to open them when you wake up," she replies, "I don't wan
t to take chances."
"Thank you," I say, clearly touched for everything she's doing for me. I feel bl
essed to be her friend.
"Open this!" Driana says eagerly, giving her present to me.
"No, open mine first!" Andre quickly puts Driana's gift away, replacing his own
present for me.
"But I'm the first one who came here."
"That's because you wanted to be here first," Andre says dryly.
"Guys," I say, rolling my eyes at them. "I'll open all the gifts. No need to fig
ht."
"We're not fighting," they say simultaneously.
Andre and Driana are amusing to watch when they argue. They're like two children
asking for a playmate. That means they were the people who wanted to wake me. D
raky was the one who stopped them. It was not a dream. . .
Something in my peripheral vision gets my attention. It's a box with heavenly bo
dies cover: stars, milky-way, and galaxy. I wonder why I didn't notice it last n
ight when we carried the gifts to my room. Opening the lid of the box, I find pi
eces of puzzles inside.
Furrowing my eyebrows, I ask, "What's this?"
"It's a game where you put all the pieces of puzzle together to complete a pictu
re or a message," Draky answers.
"Really?" I ask sarcastically. "I did not know that. Is this from you?"
"Yes." He grins. "And I was just giving you some definition."
"But you already gave a gift to me," I say, glancing at the rosary necklace on t
op of my drawer.
"So?" he asks.
"Okay Mr. Generous, thank you."
"My pleasure Ms. Seventeen."
Rolling my eyes, I get a single piece from the box. It's proportions are not equ
al, and the background is dark with little dots. There's a letter, I think it's
P, but I'm not sure. Maybe the puzzle has a message. Or it is a message itself.
I don't know.
"What's the message?" I ask curiously.
"Why don't you start putting them together to find out?"
"Thanks," I mutter.
"Aren't you going to do it now?"
"She has to open our gifts first," Andre interjects.
I shrug. "Okay. I'll just put the puzzles together later."
"Open mine now," Driana says.
I get Driana's present and unwrap it.
A sound of appreciation comes out of my mouth when I see that it's a charm brace
let.
"Do you like it?" Driana asks hesitantly.
"I love it," I say enthusiastically.
The charm bracelet has a star, a heart (that's actually two dolphins combined),
butterfly, horse, and a flower. In between are shiny purple pearls.
"Thank you so much!" I say, giving her a hug.
"I'm so glad you like it," she replies, smiling hugely.
"Mine's next," Andre says, handing me a paper bag.
When I pull the ribbon, I get the presents inside. Not only one, but there are t
hree cd's in my hands.
You guess it right; they are the albums of Taylor Swift. Andre gave me Taylor Sw
ift, Fearless, and Speak Now albums.
Andre Lavigne!
"Thank you," I mutter.
"Oh," Andre says, frowning, "don't tell me you don't like them. I had hard time
thinking about my gifts for you."
Not wanting to be rude, I say, "I like them. I always listen to Taylor's songs."
"That's cool," he says, smiling from ear to ear.
"Thank you," I repeat.
In the corner of my eye, I see Draky smirking. Maybe he planned this with Andre.
Who knows?
The next gift is from Parker and Chloe. They both went home after the party. We
told them to stay for the night but unfortunately, they couldn't. They have morn
ing classes today.
When I open the little black box, Driana asks what it is.
"It's a locket," I answer, touching the silver chain.
Unclasping it, I find a picture inside. It's me and Draky, smiling at each other
.
How did Parker get this? If I'm not mistaken, it was the time when we watched a
movie. But how did he take it without me knowing?
Parker! If he's here, I'll shoot him with a lot of questions.
"Who's inside?" Andre asks eagerly.
"Nothing," I say quickly.
"Why don't you let us see it then?" he probes.
g me from my reverie.
"That's a good idea," I mutter.
After taking a bath and putting comfortable clothes, I walk downstairs to meet t
he others. What I see is my Mom, probably waiting for me.
"Good morning Mom," I say, giving her a hug.
"Good morning Sophia," she says. "How was your sleep?"
"It was fine," I reply. I didn't add the part where Driana and Andre woke me up.
"Are we going home later?"
"Yes. You can come home if you want."
"Really?" I ask eagerly.
"Of course," she answers, smiling. "You can come back here after school-"
"Can you just bring my bag with you so that after school I can go home directly?
" I ask hopefully.
"So, you already organized your things?" she asks.
"Yes, last night."
"Okay then," she says. "See you later. Take care!"
"See you," I say.
I can't wait to go home. I missed my room so much and of course, I miss the hous
e. I've been living there for four years. Just thinking about being there makes
me happy.
Still, a part of me is going to miss this house. I never thought I would be sad
in leaving this place. I don't have to feel blue though, because I know I will c
ome back again.
When I walk outside, I find Draky, Driana, and Andre at the driveway, talking to
each other.
"We're going to school together," Andre says excitedly.
"There are two cars," Dray reminds him.
"So?"
"That means we can't really go to school together," he replies, rolling his eyes
at his best friend.
"That's a shame," Andre says, frowning.
"I have an idea," Driana says.
"Let's hear it," Draky replies.
"Why don't you ride with Andre," she says, "while Sophia and I will go to school
with your car."
Cassidy is not a last minute effort to make the story longer -___- I planned thi
s before. Remember in Chapter 20, I told you to pay attention to every detail? I
t's because it's a starting point in introducing Cassidy to the story. She was m
entioned a couple of times by Drake's friends in the previous chapters. So now,
you know who wrote "Drake is mine" on Sophia's paper.
My Internet connection is much slower than a turtle :O If you'd like to know how
I came up with ideas of my stories, or anything about writing, you can read my
interviews. Just click the "Dedicated to me" on my profile to view them.
The song is Someone Like You by The Summer Set. Pic of Sophia on the side by Cre
ativeSideOfLife. Facebook page on the External link :)
I hope you'll like this chapter! Thank you! <3
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 41 *U-turn*
~Sophia
"Yes." I look down at my sandwich and my eyes widen when they see the mayo stick
ing on the bread.
Shoot! How can I be oblivious to not notice, or even taste the mayonnaise?
"Are you okay?" Driana asks worriedly.
"I'm fine," I tell her.
"You look like you're going to be sick."
Just thinking about
I accidentally ate
ntil all the food I
y body as I realize
the after effect of eating mayo makes me sick. The last time
mayonnaise was when I was thirteen. I didn't stop vomiting u
ate that day went out of my system. A shudder runs through m
that that scene will happen again.
Oh no.
It's my fault for being careless.
Disgust, I put the sandwich away from me and gulp as much water my body can hold
. I glance up and see Driana with a concerned look on her face.
"Really, I'm okay," I lie. No need for her to be worried.
"You can go to the clinic-"
"I'd rather go to class and learn," I interrupt. Like hospitals, I don't like cl
inics. Just thinking about being there makes me sick.
Driana sighs. "You're so stubborn."
That just put a smile on my face.
----When I go to the school parking lot, I easily spot Draky
ood of his car; arms cross over his chest. He looks like
ds from heaven. I find myself fixated on him, staring at
dark hair shines more because of the rays of the sun. He
looks like he's thinking about something important. With
w.
Because of not looking where I'm going, I accidentally trip into a rock. I almos
t slide on the ground! Fortunately, I gain my balance. Looking up, I see Draky w
ith an amused expression on his face.
"That's what you get when you stare at me," he says, a smirk tugging at the corn
er of his mouth.
"I'm not staring!" I deny, even though my face surely gives me away. This stupid
blush is getting on my nerves!
He tilts his head to the side and says, "Really? I thought I saw you looking at
my face, like studying every inch of me."
"I'm not!"
He laughs, clearly enjoying what he's doing.
"Fine! If you continue to tease me, I'm just going to ride a bus," I say, and st
art to turn away.
"Wait!" He runs to where I am, and in a second, he's blocking my way.
"What?" I ask, scowling at him. Do I have to remind him that his plan is to make
me fall in love with him? Why is he doing this then?!
"I was just kidding," he says, controlling his smile. "But I really thought-"
"What?" I scold. "You thought?"
"Maybe my vision is not good after all," he says, grinning. "I didn't saw you st
aring at me."
A smile appears on my face as I say, "Maybe you have to go to the optometrist an
d have your eyes check."
"That's a good idea," he says.
Well, it's good to know who has the upper hand.
To my surprise, he grabs my hands and plants a kiss on them. I stare at him, eye
s wide with shock. He's so spontaneous, it's hard to guess what his next moves a
re. One second he's teasing me, and the next he's being romantic.
"What are you doing?" I whisper, too shock to take my hands away from him.
There are some students getting in their cars while others are walking around. N
ow they watch us with curious eyes. If they doubt that Draky and I are dating, t
hey are sure now. I have a feeling it will be on the news tomorrow. School news,
I mean.
He smiles slyly and says, "You forgot?"
"Forgot what?"
He squeezes my hands and says, "That I think I'm falling in love with you."
My heart skips a beat. I want to scream at it not to do anything stupid because
Draky is just lying. My heart and my brain are arguing and it makes my mind fuzz
y, it's hard to think straight.
"You can't fall in love in just a couple of days knowing a person," I say tiredl
y.
He tucks a loose hair behind my ear and says, "What about Romeo and Juliet? They
fell in love at first sight."
"But they are fictional characters," I argue. The famous star-crossed lovers. Wi
lliam Shakespeare wrote their love story.
"Aren't we?" he asks bemusedly.
"We're people," I say obviously, rolling my eyes.
"My point is, we can't just stop our feelings, no matter how hard we try," he sa
ys with a sigh. "Believe me, I tried. However, the more I bury it, the more it b
looms. Remember what we told in front of the class- what our topic was?" He does
n't wait for me to respond, he says, "We can't help who we fall in love with. It
's even surprising when you find out that everything you want is not going accor
ding to plan. Love comes in least expected places and situations."
Why is he proclaiming his love for me now? What day is it anyway? Oh yeah, the f
ourteenth day. What's the rush? Does he want to be free off the bet? Why not sto
p it then? I forgot. He doesn't want to back out. No doubt, he'll continue this
until the end.
"Pie?"
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry," he says, letting go of my hands.
"For what?" My hands fall limply at my side.
"For telling you this. I shouldn't rush you. I'm sorry."
You have a lot of things to be sorry about, I think. Instead, I just say, "That'
s okay."
He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Let's go? Your mom is probably waitin
g for you."
When we're both in his car, he starts the engine and off we go. I roll my window
s even though it's starting to rain. I need fresh air, especially now that I fee
l suffocated. We're both silent, contemplating with our own thoughts. The only t
ime he speaks is when he asks if I want to listen to music. I shake my head and
he stops asking questions. My mind is swirling with information I can't organize
.
After a few minutes, he says, "You talked to Cassidy earlier?"
"Why are you asking?"
He shrugs.
"How did you even know?" I can't remember him standing near the crime scene. My
eyes involuntarily glance at my arm. It has a yellowy bruise. I hope it won't le
ave a scar to make me remember of that unfortunate scene.
"Someone told me," he answers. Gossip travels fast in a high school hall. "What
did you talk about?"
"Why would I tell you?" I ask wryly.
"Why wouldn't you tell me?" he asks, mimicking the tone of my voice.
"It's not your business." I don't know why, but I don't want Draky to be involve
d in my problem with Cassidy. If he finds out, I don't want to be the one to tel
l him. I'm not a tattletale.
"Please?" he pleads.
"Nope."
"Please?" He looks at me under his eyelashes, using his charm on me.
I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. "If you want to know, ask Cassidy. Y
ou're friends, right?"
He rolls his eyes and says, "I want it to come from you. If not, I'd rather not
know."
"You know though that it will be the talk of students tomorrow," I state.
"Yes. But I'm sure they will alter some of it."
"High school," I say with a shrug.
Before I know it, he's parking his car on our driveway. And that's when I rememb
er I have to play my role, so I ask him, "Do you want to come inside?"
He looks surprised at my offer. "Sure."
We walk side by side on the path leading to the house. It feels like the last ti
me I came here, but I know I won't be alone. I decide not to use my key; instead
, I push the doorbell. After a few minutes, my mom opens the door.
"Hi Mom," I say, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Is dad home?"
"No, he's at the office," she replies. "But he'll be on time for dinner." She gl
ances at Draky, a knowing smile forming on her lips.
"He wanted to say Hi," I explain, "And he offered to give me a ride."
"Hello Drake," my Mom says.
"Hi Mrs. Taylor," Draky says politely.
"It's so nice of you to take care of my daughter."
"I'd like to make sure she gets home safe," he replies.
"How are you?"
"I'm good, thank you."
"Sophia is tutoring you, right?" asks my mom.
"Yes, Mrs. Taylor," he says. "Sophia is doing a great job. I wonder where she ge
ts that- being smart."
Mom laughs, clearly touched by Draky's words.
Wait. Is he trying to become close to my mom? I narrow my eyes at him, but he's
purposely not looking at me.
"Don't call me Mrs. Taylor," says my mom, "You can call me Auntie. Besides, you'
re Sophia's friend." She said the word friend as if there's something more!
Draky smirks, and then looks hesitantly outside. "I'm sorry, but I think I have
to go now."
Mom frowns. "Are you busy?"
"No, not really," Draky replies, "I'll just-"
"Join us for dinner then."
My eyes nearly bulge from their socket. What is my mom thinking? How can I talk
to my parents if Draky is here as well?
"Sure," he agrees, oblivious to my expression.
A sigh comes out of my lips in that instant.
"What?" My mom asks.
"Nothing," I mutter. "I'm going to change."
"Okay," she replies. Then she guides Draky to our living room.
I have a feeling they'll have a chat. About me, no doubt. I don't know why mom w
ants Draky here when in the first place, we're going to talk.
In the bathroom, I strip down my clothes and splashes water to my face. When I d
on't feel contented, I decide to take a shower. The cold water refreshes my mind
, clearing it with haunting and disturbing thoughts.
After drying my body in a towel, I put a bathrobe and head to my room. Opening m
y closet, I grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I don't plan to go downstairs an
d be with Draky while my mom ask him questions so I decide to just stay here in
my room. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do with my spare time, while waitin
g for dinner to be served.
My getaway bag is sitting at the edge of my bed. I have no clothes left at Andre
's house. The thought makes me sad. A lot of things happened in that house that
I won't forget for the rest of my life.
I get City of Glass from the shelf and start to read at a random page. I can't
focus because the scenes from yesterday invades my mind. Why not analyze what ha
ppened then, and distinguish what's real from pretend?
I start from the time when we were in the clearing; the enchanted lights and the
fairytale-like place.
Pie, I think I'm falling in love with you.
As if I believe him. If I don't know about the bet, I'll probably be jumping up
and down, celebrating the fact that my old crush is in love with me. But I do kn
ow. And that is a problem -for his part. Unfortunately for him, making Sophia Ta
ylor fall in love is not as easy as he thought.
A shiver runs my body when I remember the time our lips met. The feeling of his
arms around me. The taste of his lips.
Ugh, we kissed! I'm stupid for making it possible!
I have to admit, he got me there. Why did I rise to his bait? I was not thinking
then. And of course, I told myself that I would forget about the bet, even for
a day.
My heart leaps in my throat when someone knocks at the door. Its a few seconds b
efore I say, "Come in."
When the door opens, I find Draky standing outside, hands in his pockets. "Your
mom told me to go here," he says, "because she'll cook in the kitchen. And she c
an't concentrate if I stand beside her."
So typical of my mom to do something like this. And so cocky of Draky to say som
ething like that. "Come in then." I'm not rude to let him wait in the hall.
"Nice room," he says, looking around.
"Thank you," I say. "Have a seat." I nod at the little couch on the far side of
the wall.
He takes a seat and then just stares at me.
"What?" I ask.
He smiles. "I'm just happy because as days go by, I'm learning new things about
you."
"Oh." He really knows how to make me speechless.
"I did it again, didn't I?"
"Its' fine," I assure him.
He's so quiet, not like his usual self, so I ask him, "Do you want me to tutor y
ou?"
"Sure," he says, "it's the perfect time to study."
I know he's being sarcastic but I ignore it. Getting my school bag, I take a sea
t across from him. Then we arrange his things and begin to study. I teach him tr
icks to make Calculus easy for him. He's easily bored with History, but I can se
e him trying to appreciate the important scenes from the past.
We study for about an hour when mom knocks at my door. "Dinner's ready," she say
s.
"We're coming," I reply.
I help Draky organize his things in his bag. When we walk out of my room, I'm su
rprised to see my mom standing in the hallway. It looks like she's spying on us,
but I don't want to say it aloud.
"Nice necklace," my mom compliments.
"Thank you," I murmur. I don't remember putting it back after I showered. Please
don't ask. Please don't"Who gave it to you?"
Shoot!
Before I can stop myself, I glance at Draky hesitantly. He raises his eyebrows s
lightly, waiting for me to utter his name.
Heaving a sigh, I say, "Drake gave it to me yesterday."
Mom's lips twitches upward. I'm sure she guessed right. "That looks expensive fo
r a birthday present."
"Well. . ."
"Sophia's birthday only comes once a year," Draky says. "And it's not expensive.
"
He's just being humble, not wanting to admit that it really is expensive. All Ti
ffany Jewelry have gold price! I shouldn't have accepted this.
Mom smirks. I hate it when she does that. It's as if she knows everything! "Let'
s go downstairs," she says, "It's bad to make the food wait."
I can already smell mom's steak even though we're still upstairs. In the dining
room, I see my dad sitting at his usual chair. He smiles as he sees me and nods
at Draky's direction.
We start to eat in silence, while I wait for the opportunity to ask my parents a
bout their vacation.
"This is great," Draky says suddenly.
My mom beams, and that's the start of their conversation. They talk about things
, like what are their interest, and whatnot. Soon after, my dad joins in. Asking
Draky what's his plans for future are, where he will study in college. Many thi
ngs. I tune most of the time and just focus in eating my food. Draky is right. M
om's steak is great. It even has mashed potatoes that go with it.
I don't know if I should feel shy because I have a guy friend sitting with us in
the dining table but it's just normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe becau
se Draky is easy to like, and well. . . I have to admit, he's not that bad. Trut
h be told, the only thing I don't like about him is the bet.
When the conversation begins to ebbs, I decide that this is my chance.
"Mom," I begin.
"Yes?" she says.
Taking a deep breath, I say, "Why did you leave me in Aunt Veronica's house? Whe
re did you go?"
My parents are both silent. They just stare at me with concerned expression on t
heir faces. I wait for them to be ready to speak while I swallow the steak I'm e
ating. I don't even remember chewing it. I just take a bite and swallow.
Out of nowhere, my mom says, "Your dad was sick."
What?
"S-sick?" I stutter. "What do you mean sick?"
"Remember what happened to Matt?" she whispers.
Of course, I remember. You just can't forget something like that. "Matt had inte
rnal brain damage," I say numbly. I don't have an idea where this conversation i
s headed. I'm asking why they went away, I didn't ask for the past to come back.
In the corner of my eye, I can see Draky feeling uncomfortable. I know he's wait
ing for the perfect time to excuse himself.
Suddenly, I feel something burning inside my stomach, and it wants to come up. M
y eyelids are drooping. I can hear my mom asking if I'm alright but I don't want
to open my mouth because I'm sure something awful will come out.
Hands clamp in my mouth, I run as fast as I can to the bathroom down the hall. J
ust as I crouch down the toilet, my dinner comes out of my mouth. I feel sick. S
tupid mayonnaise, I think bitterly.
To my horror, the bathroom door opens, and Draky comes in, a worried expression
on his face.
"Get out," I try to say, but only an awful sound comes from my mouth. "Get out,"
I say again, and this time I must be clearer because he walks to where I am.
He ignores my weak attempt at making him leave; instead, he kneels down beside m
e and keeps my hair out of my face.
When I'm certain nothing will follow, I try to stand up with Draky's help. My kn
ees are shaking, so I lean to him for support. I rinse my mouth in the sink unti
l I can't taste anything.
When we come back in the dining room, my parents look perplexed.
What now? I didn't do something wrong!
"Are you pregnant?" asks my dad sternly. The question is obviously directed at m
e, but he's glaring at Draky.
If looks could kill.
*******************************************
[48] The Bet *Hand Me Down
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 42 *Hand Me Down*
~Sophia
P-pre-pregnant?
The sound of the word is foreign to my mouth. The thought of being pregnant have
n't even visited my mind. Where did my dad get that? Oh, I'm not stupid to be pr
egnant while I'm still in high school. I have a lot of dreams, I can't see mysel
f with a child. Just visualizing it sends a shudder through my body. Such a cree
py thought.
Beside me, Draky is as red as a strawberry. I don't know if he's controlling his
self not to laugh or what. It looks like he's not breathing.
Staring at him, that's when I realize what my dad is implying. The heat starts t
o flood my cheeks, making me feel hot - inside and out. No wonder Draky is being
like this - my dad accused him that he's the father of my imaginary child.
I have a child - and Draky is the father. Oh God. Oh God. I'm hyperventilating.
Never, I repeat, never in my mind I dreamed of Draky being a father to my child.
It's as if I daydream about things like that.
How can my father even think of that? Me, a mother at seventeen? Never!
"Dad!"
gone sends arrows of pain in my heart. I clutch my stomach to lessen the pain b
ut it does no good.
Finally, finally, my dad nods once. That's when I exhale the breath I didn't kno
w I was holding. Relief washes through me. My dad doesn't like lying so I can br
eathe now, knowing he's fine. Thank God he's okay.
When I find my voice, I ask, "What happened?"
My mom looks at me with a concerned expression on her face. Before she can say s
omething, Draky beats her.
"I'm sorry, uh, do you want me to go now?" he asks awkwardly. "Or maybe I can go
to the living room and come back later."
I almost forget that he's here with us. How unfortunate for him to witness somet
hing like this. Is his conscience burning him, now that he knows I'm suffering e
ven without knowing the bet? Is he planning to cancel it?
"It's okay," my mom says. "You can stay. It's better if you know too. You're Sop
hia's friend. She might want to talk this with her friend after she learned what
happened. And I know you care for her."
Thanks for talking about me as if I'm not sitting in front of you.
My mom is assuming. If she knows what Draky's real motives are, she'll do the op
posite of what she's doing now. I have a feeling she's going to strangle him.
"Sophia," says my mom, snapping me out of my reverie. "You thought your dad and
I were fighting because of a broken marriage."
"Yes," I admit. What's the point of lying? It's better if they know what I think
.
"Truth is, we were fighting because your dad didn't want to go to the hospital."
"What?" I ask. "What hospital?"
"Your dad had an internal brain damage. It wasn't really the same with Matt. It
wasn't strong, so he survived. But to live, he had to go to the hospital thrice
a month for the therapy and diagnosis," she continues.
It's hard to process this information. My own brain is slowly grasping what my m
om is talking about.
"We were doing this for the past four years. The reason we were fighting was tha
t your dad was hard headed. I had to fight with him first, or well, reasoned wit
h him before he agreed to come."
"For the past four years?" I ask numbly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because we didn't want you to be worried about me," answers my dad. "And we kno
w you don't like going to hospitals. So we decided it's best if you don't know."
It's like my spirit gets our of my body. I watch myself staring at my parents wi
thout blinking my eyes. Draky gets my hand and squeeze it. But I don't feel it b
ecause as I mentioned a while ago, my spirit left my body.
Everything I thought about my parents was a lie. I feel stupid, guilty, mean, fo
r having bad thoughts about them. I didn't know what was really happening so I a
ssumed they were fighting for no apparent reason at all. I should have asked the
m. I should have probed for information. Instead, I just went with the flow, not
a least bit caring about what's really happening. I'm a horrible child. I'm a h
orrible daughter.
A tear escapes from my eyes without permission. That's when I realize I'm back i
n my body. As if I really went away. . .
Maybe. . . maybe if I'm not a coward, maybe if I'm not afraid of hospitals, they
would have told me. Maybe.
I want to scream in frustration! My head is pounding hard, like someone is hamme
ring it inside out.
I can hear them talking but I can't make out their words. I can't even understan
d them. Am I losing my mind? I have to hold on to my sanity. I can't be crazy. I
have to be strong for my parents. They already lost a child, they can't lose me
too.
Closing my eyes, I breathe through my mouth until my heart beats normally. Well,
as normal it can get. When I open my eyes, I see my dad sigh in relief.
"Sorry," he says. "That was a lot to take in."
"No," I say. My voice is rough so I clear my throat before I speak again. "I wan
t to know everything."
"We went to the hospital out of town because your dad's doctor said that the hos
pitals there have more necessary equipments to make the recovery of your dad fas
ter," says my mom. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you. it must be hard for you, both
of us leaving you without telling you anything."
I'm about to tell them what Andre told me about the car crash that killed his fa
ther and my brother, but I stop myself because what we're talking is already dep
ressing as it is. Instead, I ask, "What now?"
"Now I don't have to go to the hospital every month," my dad says. "The doctor t
here fixed me. They said I just have to visit my doctor at least twice a year. O
r if the pain is starting again."
"Starting again?"
"If," my dad says. "I'm sure it won't happen again though."
"How sure are you?" I ask.
"One hundred percent sure," he assures me.
I don't want to let my hopes up, but I don't want to think about the complicatio
ns.
"I'm okay," he repeats. "You'll see, I'm like before; healthy."
"Okay is an understatement," I mutter.
"I'm strong as a horse." He grins, as if it's funny.
I role my eyes at his choice of idiomatic expression.
The only time I realize Draky is holding my hand is when my dad stops talking.
"We have something for you," my mom says suddenly, trying to change the topic.
Heaving a sigh, I ask, "What is it?"
She smiles and then gets up from her chair. "I'll go get it."
When she comes back, she hands me a wooden box. I can't help but stare at the de
signs engrave on the box. Its hand made, for sure. No machine can do something a
s intricate as this.
"Open it," my mom urges.
I look at my dad and see him with a smile on his face. "Go on."
I don't have to glance beside me because I have a feeling Draky is smiling as we
ll. It scares me that I can imagine what he's doing.
Opening the case, my jaw almost hit the floor when I see the thing inside. This.
. . this is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen in my life. I'm afraid
to touch it because I might put damage to its beauty. I make myself contented b
y simply looking at it. In the middle of its chain is a diamond-shaped blue topa
z inside a heart. Surrounding it are tiny diamonds that sparkles when they hit t
he light.
I'm star-strucked. Something like this . . . something precious like this can't
be categorized as a birthday present.
"Mom," I begin.
"That's a hand me down," she says, "My great grandmother passed it to my grandmo
ther, who gave it to my mother. My mom passed it to me." She pauses and smiles a
t me. "And now I'm giving it to you. It's our family heirloom."
"Thank you," I say. I can't even express my gratitude. No words can describe how
overwhelmed I am. I never really have something like this before. I didn't even
know we have a family heirloom. I promise to myself that I'll take care of it"And of course," says my mom, interrupting my thoughts. "You'll pass it to your
daughter someday."
Oh no, please tell me I'm wrong - that when my mother said the word daughter, sh
e didn't look at Draky. Please tell me I'm wrong because I don't know what she m
ean about that. It's just - ugh! Stop thinking about that!
"Emily," my dad says, "Sophia is still a teenager. Please refrain from saying th
ings like that."
Says my father who thought I was pregnant. "Dad," I mutter, "I thought we're don
e with that?"
"I'm not saying she should have a daughter right now," says my mom, rolling her
eyes. "I know she's young, and she has more to learn. I'm just telling her about
the tradition. Although it's not as if she's not going to marry someday and con
ceive a child."
"Mom!" I interrupt, cheeks flaming. My parents sure know how to embarrassed me.
"What?" she asks innocently.
*****
I hope you liked it! :)
The song is Oh, Darling by Plug in Stereo ~ amazing song, and a great artist. Ba
nner by.Nathasya Thio.
I saw my name on the list of the Candidates for 2012 Graduation. Yay! Three mont
hs to go! :D
Thank you for reading my story!
*******************************************
[49] The Bet *Spur of the Moment
*******************************************
The song for the chapter is If The Moon Fell Down Tonight by Dear Juliet *Chase
Coy*. Banner by miranda1995 :>
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 43 *Spur of the Moment*
~Drake
It feels so good to be in love. Cheesy as it may sound, I love the feel of her a
rms around my neck. She snuggles close, and it makes my hold on her tighter. I b
ury my face on her hair, inhaling her scent. Being in this position, I want to s
top the time and just freeze everything else. I want to be with her as long as I
live. The stupid bet is so far from us now. Everything is perfect. It's like li
ving in a fairy tale, and I'm just waiting for my happily ever after.
"Drake," she murmurs.
She called me by my real name. I don't know why that makes me nervous. "Yes?" I
whisper back.
I can hear the smile on her voice as she says, "Nothing. I just like the sound o
f your name on my lips."
A smile makes its way onto my mouth, lighting my whole face. "Listen to my heart
," I say, pulling her to my chest, as if there's still space between us, "It bea
ts for you, chanting your name again and again. Sophia, Sophia. Sophia."
She chuckles, her eyes twinkling in amusement. They're as enchanting as the star
s above us.
That makes me think back of the time when she asked me what I wanted to be and I
told her, star. This is the perfect time to give her the explanation behind tha
t.
"Drake," she says, before I can open my mouth. "I lo-"
"Wake up!"
Startled, I bolt up right. Taking in my surroundings, I feel disappointed and sa
d at the same time. That was all a dream. That didn't happen.
It did.
Well, only in my dream.
I wonder why my subconscious mind is not its usual snarky self. I can hear him s
mirking after that. Weird, how can I hear myself smirk?
It's because you're a goner.
You mean we.
Hallelujah! Finally, he admits to himself that he's a goner for Sophia.
I don't know what to respond to that. Again, my subconscious mind makes me speec
hless.
"I see you're having your inner conversation."
"What?" I ask, whipping around to see Driana with an amused look on her face. "W
hat are you doing here?"
She rolls her eyes as she says, "If you forgot, the first period starts at eight
. And if you haven't noticed, it's seven thirty."
"What?" I ask incredulously. How can I be oblivious? "Why didn't you wake me?!"
"I guess you overslept even with your alarm clock waking the whole town. It must
have been a good dream." She pauses and smiles playfully. "You're even drooling
."
"I'm not," I say. I don't know why I don't like to deny that it was a good dream
indeed.
"And as for your question," she continues, "If you haven't realized, perhaps bec
ause you're still dazed with your fantasy, I just woke you up."
"Thank you," I mutter. You even woke me at the wrong time. And now I'm left wond
ering what could Pie possibly say. My beloved twin sister interrupted it.
I loWell, was it hard to guess?
Shut up, I need to get ready for school.
Don't you want to ponder what she almost said?
Why feed my mind with what if's? Besides, it's just a dream. So you may as well
stop talking now.
For once, it listened to me. I'm surprised.
Turning to Driana, I say, "Now I'm wide awake. You can leave now so I can get re
ady for school."
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 44 *Conflict of Interest
~Sophia
I'm in the stage where a few minutes to go, I will wake up. It's the stage where
you are there, and not, at the same time. I can feel my body slowly returning t
o consciousness. I can hear the silent buzz of the air condition and the quiet m
ovement of someone beside me.
"Sleeping beauty, it's time to wake up . . ." A velvet voice murmurs, followed b
y a soft touch on my lips.
Slowly, I open my eyes. My body is aching. I want to crawl into a ball to minimi
ze the pain. I grit my teeth so as not to make a sound of frustration.
This is just a fever, but why does my body feel sore?
To top it all off, my head wants to explode; it's throbbing, like someone is ham
mering it from inside and out. And I feel cold outside and warm inside. Ironic.
To my embarrassment, my stomach growls.
"Is that a lion roaring?" Draky asks amusedly.
"No," I mutter, my cheeks burning hotly, "it's a cheetah contemplating if he'll
eat you."
"I didn't expect you to be furious when you're hungry," he says, wrapping his ar
ms around me.
Surprised, I wriggle out of him. He looks taken aback at my action. If I'm not s
taring at his eyes, I won't see the flash of hurt in them.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs, letting me go.
"No, it's not that," I explain, steadying myself because I didn't know I was lea
ning to him that much. "You might get contaminated because you're close to me. T
his fever is contagious you know."
He grins, showing all his perfect white teeth. Then he wraps his arms around me,
shoving me to his muscled chest. Playing basketball has its perks. Even though
he stopped playing for a while, I think he continues to go to the gym to maintai
n his body. I wonder what his chest look like without his shirt.
Why am I thinking of him bare-chested?!
"It's okay," he says, laughing, "That way, you can take care of me too."
Before I can stop myself, I smile at him. He tightens his arms around me and bur
ies his face in my hair. I feel embarrassed because I haven't taken a bath yet.
I almost want to die when he suddenly pushes me lightly away from him. Am I stin
ky? Oh God. I hope"I forgot," he says, cutting me off my horrible thoughts, "you haven't eaten yet
. That was why your stomach growled a while ago."
"It did not," I deny, forgetting my previous horror. I smell myself inconspicuou
sly and sigh in relief when I didn't smell something bad.
"Wait for me here," he says, getting up from the bed. "I'll heat the food I cook
ed for you."
"Your specialty?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
"Yes," he replies, his mouth tugging at the corners.
"You said you'll just heat it," I say.
"Yep," he answers with a nod. "I cooked it earlier while you were sleeping."
"Oh."
"I'll go and get it," he says, walking away. I hear his footsteps on the stairwa
y until they fade away from the distance.
Drake Swift concerned with Sophia Taylor.
Who would have thought this day would come?
Even though I did daydream when I had a crush on him before that he would take c
are of me, I didn't believe that it will happen.
A dream can turn into a reality.
It's impossible, but here we are, almost the same as my imagination. A wash of dj vu
washed through me. It feels weird to see your fantasy coming true. Well, it was
a long long time ago.
He comes back, carrying a tray with a bowl in it.
"Girls usually eat a little when they are with guys," he tells me.
"I'm not a usual girl," I snap.
"Exactly," he says softly, "And that's a compliment. I don't know what's wrong w
ith those girls. They can't even be true to themselves."
"Well, maybe because they are not proud with themselves," I blurt out.
"Or maybe they are shy," he guesses. "Perhaps they are afraid that when the guys
really see how the girls eat, they will be horrified," he finishes, chuckling.
"I'm not," I state.
"You are not," he agrees, giving me a sweet smile; a smile that can melt a cold
chocolate.
"Draky."
"What?" he asks.
"Have you pass application forms for college?"
"Not yet," he answers.
"Why?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
"I have no time for that," he says evasively, in a tone that clearly indicates t
hat it's closed for further discussion.
I just don't know why I should care. In the first place, I'm just playing my rol
e. Maybe because I grow attached to him in the time we are together. That makes
me remember the quote, "We are with each other everyday, but not together."
I can't help but feel a little bit sad so I vanish that thought away.
"You're going to be accepted when you apply," I say, trying to cheer him up.
"They won't accept me," he mutters.
"They will." Why is he so pessimistic?
"You think?" he asks, gazing at me with his blue eyes. It's like swimming in the
vast ocean. I feel like drowning!
"I know," I say, when I finally find my voice. I get his hand and squeeze it. "Y
ou haven't even tried yet and you're already discouraging yourself."
He grins. "You're optimistic lately," he observes, tightening his hold on my han
d.
Thanks to you, I thought.
"I realized that life is too short to worry about things that are not happening
yet. You have to focus about now," I say. "There is tomorrow - for the future. J
ust put your best foot forward. More importantly, you have to believe in yoursel
f, and you should have faith."
"Faith in what?" he teases.
That makes me smile because I remember Serendipity, the first movie we watched t
ogether. Ignoring him, I continue, "Everything will fall back into their right p
laces after that."
He stares at me like he's seeing me for the first time.
"What?" I ask, suddenly feeling self conscious. "Er, sorry about that . . . Some
times my mouth talks without my permission."
"That's . . . that's the most epic conversation I've ever had," he says, puttin
g my hand on his lips and planting a kiss on it.
"Um."
"Where do you get those things?" he asks, looking at me behind his eye lashes.
"I don't know," I murmur, "they just come to my mind."
"Pie?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
But he's silent, and not voicing his question.
"Hey, I thought you're going to ask something?" I say, poking him on the side.
"Well," he starts, and then pauses to clear his throat, "How many. . . How many
boyfriends have you had?"
"Haven't you asked that before?" I ask, furrowing my eyebrows.
He shrugs and says, "I don't think so."
"Okay." I'm quite sure that he asked me this question before. Weird.
"So. . .?"
"What do you think?"
"I don't know- that's why I'm asking."
"One," I mutter.
"Oh," he murmurs.
"Why?"
"Nothing," he says ruefully,
"You won't ask that just for nothing," I say matter-of-factly.
"It was just mere curiosity."
I open my mouth to say something when his phone rings.
He grins and picks it up. "Hey." His smile grows wide as he listens to the other
line.
I feel like intruding to his conversation. Ugh.
"Chill. I'm at Sophia's." He listens again and says, "Because I'm taking care of
her. . . Yeah. I think she's okay now."
"Who's that?" I ask curiously.
"Driana," he answers. "I'll tell her," he says to his twin. "See you later." And
then he puts his phone down.
"Well?" I say, looking at him meaningfully.
"Well what?"
"What will you tell me?"
"Oh, that," he says, smiling sheepishly, "She said that she'll call you later wh
en she gets home from school."
"Okay," I say, nodding my head.
We talk about nothing in particular then. Anything you can imagine. Truth be tol
d, Draky's not so bad. He's one of the few guys who have a good sense of humor.
We're just sitting on my bed, side by side and not uncomfortable when we're lack
ing of new topics to talk about. Who would have thought we would enjoy each othe
r's silence? We didn't even notice the time. When I look at my alarm clock, I'm
surprised to see that it's quarter to five. Time sure flies by when you're havin
g fun.
"Drake?"
"Yes?" he asks, brushing the hair away from my eyes. His hands linger on my chee
k, rubbing it with his thumb.
"Thank you for taking care of me."
"No."
"No?" I ask, confused.
"I should be the one thanking you because you let me take care of you," he expla
ins, putting his forefinger on my nose.
I turn away quickly, muttering, "That tickles!"
"Ohh, Pie can be tickled on the nose," he says amusedly.
"Stop it," I protest, moving away from him.
He grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. "Okay, I will stop. Just don't move aw
ay from me."
"Hmm."
In the end, I lean back on his chest, both of us ignoring the pizzas on the beds
ide table. Well, the box was almost empty.
After a while, he starts to touch my hair, playing it with his fingers. I relax
The
now
our
ng.
time passed by in a rush. It's just the same, like any other day. Before I k
it, the first half of it is already done and I find myself making my way to
table in the cafeteria, a tray of food in hand. I don't even remember orderi
Weird.
Driana is already sitting on her chair, waiting for me. "Hey," she says when I t
ake the chair across from her.
I can see that she's in a good mood. "Hi," I reply. And then I ask her if I can
stay in their house tonight because my parents are going out of town.
"Of course," Driana says excitedly, "it's more than fine!"
I smile at her enthusiasm. "Thank you," I say gratefully.
"I always wanted a slumber party," she says, grinning cheekily.
"Hey, is that a slumber party I heard?" Andre asks, sitting beside Driana.
Draky follows after him and takes the chair beside me.
"Isn't that your table over there?" Driana asks, pointing to the center table.
"Is it bad to sit with my twin?" Draky asks bemusedly.
Driana rolls her eyes and mutters something under her breath.
"So, a slumber party huh?" Andre asks, tilting his head to the side.
"Oh, um, I asked Driana if I can stay in their house tonight," I say.
"Why?"
"My mom and dad will go out of town, and they don't want me to be alone in the h
ouse," I explain.
"Why not sleep in our house?" Andre suggests.
"Because she'll stay in our house," Driana states.
Andre nudges her on the side. "You can stay in our house too you know."
In the corner of my eye, I glance at Draky. He's unusually quiet today.
"No thanks," Driana says wryly.
"Ow!" Andre pouts, and looks at her with puppy dog eyes.
Driana laughs and says, "That doesn't work on me."
Andre groans. "We'll have a party!"
"I don't like parties," she replies, wrinkling her nose.
"Me too," I chime in.
Andre looks at me disapprovingly and about to say something when Driana beats hi
m to it. "She hasn't slept in our house yet."
He smiles sheepishly and says, "There's still next time."
"You can stay in the house too if you want," Draky offers. "Besides, it's just u
s; my mom will go out of town with my dad."
There's something about the way he said dad"Really?" Andre asks, his whole face lighting up.
"Yeah. I assume Sophia will stay in Driana's room. . ."
Driana nods.
"You can sleep in the guest room then," Draky finishes.
"Can I sleep in your room?" Andre asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No. it's the guest room or not."
"You're no fun," he complains, scowling at his best friend.
"Not yet ready for your fantasy to end," a soft voice whispers in my mind.
I cringe inwardly because it's one of the darkest secrets I have. How did it lea
k out of its box?
"Pie, I. . ." Sighing, he pulls his hair, frustrated.
I don't know why I am relieved. I should be the one urging him to confess everyt
hing. But why am I assuming that he will tell me about it? Maybe it's another th
ing?
"Forget it," he mutters, breaking away from my gaze.
Suddenly I feel brave, so I ask, "What is it?"
"I. . . I like you," he stutters, a little bit of blush coloring his cheeks.
f their house.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I say, "Good night."
"Night," Draky replies.
"Sweet dreams," Driana says, smiling cheekily.
"Sleep tight," Andre says amusedly. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."
And so Driana and I enter her room and lie on her bed.
"Sorry about earlier," I whisper.
"That's okay," she says, "I was just worried so I looked for you."
"Thank you," I say gratefully.
"What are friends are for?"
"Yeah. Let's sleep?"
"Okay."
Yet no matter how I force myself to sleep, I can't. Adrenaline is still coursing
through my veins, replaying the scene in my mind from earlier.
"Soph?"
Startled, I say, "Yeah?" I thought she's already sleeping. I can't see her face
though, because we're lying back to back.
"Do you like Drake?"
"I. . . um. . . I. . ."
"You don't have to say anything." I can hear the smile on her voice as she says,
"I already know the answer. Good night."
Does she? Because I don't know it myself.
The ringing of my phone wakes me from my dreamless sleep. How many hours have I
been sleeping? It felt like I just closed my eyes a few minutes ago. When I open
them, the alarm clock's light on the bedside table blinks back at me. It's just
3 AM in the morning! Who would call in the middle of the night? The person on t
he other side of the line should have a good reason for waking me up!
Grabbing my phone, I flip it open and murmur, "Hello." I make my voice really so
ft so as not to wake Driana.
"Hello Sophia," the voice says.
My mind is still cloud with sleep so I can't recognize the person's voice. What
I know is it's a male. "Who is this?" I mumble.
"I'm back."
*****
Hi! :) The song is Falling by Keahiwai. Banner by John Paul Yao. Facebook page o
n the External link. Don't forget to join and post/leave a message :")
Thank you!
*******************************************
[52] The Bet *Against All Odds
*******************************************
The song is Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Nine Days. Thank you to AnotherUnkow
nPerson for suggesting it! :> Banner by Nathasya Thio. Facebook page on the Exte
rnal link! :)
***
In 1991 a 21 month old boy called Ben Needham was kidnapped on this Greek Island
of Kos, without much help from the Greek or British Governments and the Greek p
olice his mum Kerry has had to do her own investigations ever since... There is
no evidence to prove that Ben has been killed, all leads point to him being kidn
apped by gypsys and sold to childless couples. The family and us supporters trul
y believe 2012 is the year to find Ben and even Tom Cruise has retweeted his sup
port on twitter. Everyone believes as Ben will now be 22 years old and with peop
les help via social networking websites that Ben can finally be reunited with hi
s Mum.
You can help by going to these websites:
www.helpfindben.co.uk
www.facebook.com/helpfindben
Follow @findbenneedham on Twitter
If you need more details, you can ask ME2011.
***
Happy Reading!
Chapter 46 *Against All Odds*
~Sophia
A few days have passed since I got the call. Although my mind was fuzzy at that
time, I'm not stupid to not recognize the voice when I woke up. It only belonged
to him - the one that can't be named.
What did he mean when he said he's back? He's back- where? In this town? In my l
ife?
For the past few days, I became paranoid; always looking behind my back, afraid
that someone is following me. I hate him for making me feel this way! Why can't
he just leave me alone? I'm starting to have a normal life. Why now? Why ruin ev
erything? He already broke my dreams a few years ago! Isn't he already tired of
it? Ugh!
My mind wants to explode because of the problems surrounding it. Him, the bet, m
y parents still keeping a secret to me.
I can solve the problems one at a time. And I can start with my parents.
"Mom," I start.
My mom and I are in the living room, while my dad is in his room, resting. He ea
sily gets tired after his operation. When they came back after his check up, the
doctor didn't find anything wrong. At least that went well.
"Yes?"
"Remember the accident that killed Matt?"
She glances at me and stops doing her work. "Yes," she says in a strain voice. "
Why?"
"Do you know the man on the other car?" I ask, fighting the urge to stay calm.
"Sophia," she begins, realization clouding her eyes. "I . . . I'm sorry we didn'
t tell you. It's just; we didn't want to hurt your feelings by reminding you of
that accident."
"Mom," I murmur, tears brimming at the back of my eyes. "I'm not a child anymore
. You don't have to keep secrets for my own sake! I'm seventeen, I'm not afraid
of big news. I can handle them." Even news that can change my life. Circumstance
s and situations help me to be brave.
She stares at me like she's seeing me for the first time. "I'm sorry for not tel
ling you about it."
"Promise me you won't keep a secret to me anymore," I mumble, wiping at the tear
s flowing from my eyes.
"I promise." She stands up and goes to where I am. She pulls me towards her and
gives me a hug. "Who told you?" she asks, brushing my tangled hair away from my
face.
"A-Andre," I stutter. My voice comes out raspy so I clear my throat.
"When?"
"A few days after you left me in their house," I answer. "He thought I knew."
I lost track of the day, the date, and the time. My life becomes repetitive. Go
to school, tutor Draky, go back home. And in between, I am worrying. Never stop
worrying that I might see him on the street. Or anywhere I go. My life is alread
y complicated as it is, and then he adds more to it!
He even visits my dreams. Because of him, I can't sleep. I have these haunting n
ightmares every night. And so I have these dark circles under my eyes. I feel ho
rrible, hollow, and empty. Due to my lost of appetite, I'm slowly loosening my w
eight. After all these months, he can still get to me. I hate him for it!
It scares me how much I hate him. I can't believe I can muster this kind of hate
in my body.
I'm in the school when I feel something bad will happen. I ignore it and focused
on my upcoming test instead. But you know what they say, you can't run from fat
e. From destiny.
"Sophia."
Turning around, I find Elizabeth, my old friend, catching up to me.
"Hello," I greet her; surprised that she's talking to me.
"Can I have a minute with you?" she asks, glancing around us.
"Sure," I say slowly.
"He is looking for you."
"What?" I almost shout. Fortunately, there are no people in the hallway besides
us.
He. . . The one that can't be named. Even my old friends know it. It's best not
to say it. It's a forbidden curse.
"Why?" I murmur, my knees buckling underneath me.
Elizabeth starts to raise her hands as if to help me, but she thinks better of i
t. Instead, I lean on the wall for support.
"I. . . I don't know," she says, a frown appearing on her face. "I'm sorry to sa
y this, but he's back. I don't know if he's back for good or just visiting. But
still."
"Thank you for telling me," I choke.
I'm afraid of breaking into tiny pieces. I can feel myself crumbling apart. Just
one more push I will explode and no part of me will remain.
"Sophia," she says. In that word, my name, she conveys a long message. "He. Is.
Out. Hunting. You."
After that, she walks away, leaving me gasping for breaths. My worst nightmare i
s coming true and I can't do anything to stop it from happening.
I don't remember much what happened after I talked to Elizabeth. Before I know i
t, the bell rings signaling the end of the last class. Fortunately, I survived t
he day. Almost.
"Pie?"
I stop in my tracks and whip around to see Draky.
"Are you okay?" he asks, concern written all over his face.
"Yes, I am," I lie. "Why?"
His brows furrow, sensing the lie."I just noticed that you have been paranoid fo
r the past couple of days."
"It's nothing," I say evasively.
It's not Draky's fault that I'm in a sour mood lately. Actually, it's no one's f
ault, except him. Him. Him. His name is evicted from my mind ever since he hurt
me. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. His name is a curse- a poison- that
will envelop you until you burn.
"Earth to Pie?" Draky says, snapping his fingers a few inches from my face.
"I'm fine," I say sharply than I intended.
"Sorry," he mutters, glancing down.
Heaving a sigh, I say, "No, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I was just in a bad m
ood."
"I discern," he says quietly.
"I heard that," I scold.
-*-*-*~*-*-*~Drake~
I can't help but notice the way Pie act for the past couple of days. She always
has this faraway look, like she's haunted or something (I can sense and see it w
henever she tutors me). I'm worried about her. Every time I ask her what's wron
g, she always says that she's okay.
I'm not stupid not to distinguish the truth from the lie. And I have a feeling I
annoy her every time I ask.
Right.
And I wonder when this voice will leave me alone.
Never.
I thought when I stop the bet? I already cancelled it! Besides, I don't even rec
all what day it is anymore!
But Sophia doesn't know it, it retorts.
Of course, I snap. Sophia doesn't have an idea about what I did.
To my surprise, it shut up. Nothing- just vanished into a thin air.
"Let's go out," I suggest, before the voice can start talking again.
"Out?" Pie asks.
There's this constant frown on her face lately. And I want to remove it. I want
to make her happy. I want to see the smile that's shine her whole face - her smi
le that brightens even my darkest day.
When did I become melodramatic?
Ever since you admit that you're falling for her.
Thanks, I thought dryly.
You're welcome, it says sarcastically.
Am I really the only one who has a voice inside the head? It's weird and creepyAnd convenient, it chimes in.
Yeah, I admit, Sometimes.
"Yes, out," I reply. "I have an idea to turn your mood upside down."
"Like a date?"
"If you want it to be," I say, a smirk forming on my lips.
She shakes her head quickly. "That's not what I meant!"
"Ah, a date then?" I tease.
"It's not a date!" The blush starts to color her cheeks. Her rosy cheeks.
She's so adorable and cute whenever she blushed. Not that she's already pretty.
Well, she's more than pretty. She's beautiful, elegantAnd you're falling head over heels more and more every second.
Yes, I admit.
What's the point of lying to myself? It's kind of ironic how everything turns up
side down. My goal was to make her fall in love with me. Now it's the other way
around. I can't help but smile at the thought.
I'm not into singing despite people telling me I have a good voice. But for Pie,
I will do anything. Parker suggested that I should sing for her. He said it's c
alled Harana in the Philippines and it's a form of wooing a girl. i don't even k
now why I chose Iris. How can you explain something you don't even understand? A
t that moment, I sang what I felt; what my heart would say if it can talk.
It's hard not to fall for Pie. She's attractive, beautiful, nice, clever, beauti
fulOh, I already said beautiful, didn't I? Silly me. Well, I can think of a lot of
adjectives to describe her. I can even make a novel about the things I love abo
ut her.
I like her.
I like her so much it hurts.
You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach that suddenly gives you emotion
al adrenaline you haven't experienced before? You know the feeling of riding a r
ollercoaster dropping down on its final wave? Pie is like a drug to me. I find m
yself addicted to her, drawn to her"Drake-y!"
"What?" Startled, I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
"I've been talking to you for the past minute but I see you're stuck talking to
the voice inside your head," she says bemusedly.
"I'm sorry," I say sheepishly, scratching my hair. "Let's go."
"Where?" she asks.
"A date, remember?"
"It's not a date!"
"Whatever you say," I say slyly.
We slide in my car, and after a few minutes of driving, we arrive at Frosty Land
.
"I didn't know you like ice cream," Pie says amusedly, walking inside the store.
"I scream for ice cream," I joke.
We take the table at the far end, beside the window. When we're already settled,
a waitress walks to our place and gives us the menu.
"What do you want?" I ask Pie.
"Um, banana split," she says, looking at the waitress weirdly.
"What else?"
"Banana split's fine."
"Two banana splits then," I tell the waitress.
When she goes out to retrieve our orders, Pie turns to me, a wide grin on her fa
ce.
"What?" I ask. I'm glad her aura is starting to change. I know ice cream can alt
er your mood. I learned it by experience.
"The waitress was checking you out," she says amusedly.
"She was not," I say doubtfully. I don't know for sure because I just glanced at
her for a second to give our orders.
"She was," she states.
"She was not."
"How would you know, you didn't even see the way she looked at you," she says ma
tter-of-factly.
"Precisely," I mutter. "I was busy staring at you."
"Oh," she murmurs, her cheeks reddening at the compliment.
We're both silent for a moment, until the waitress arrives. She sets the banana
splits in front of us and winks at me before walking away.
Pie smiles. "See?" She starts eating her banana split, her face full of wonder.
"This is delicious. I scream for ice cream!"
I ignore her teasing remark. Instead, I ask her, "Where are you going to study i
n college?" This is a good start for a conversation. I take a spoonful of vanill
a ice cream and start to eat as well.
"I'm not sure," she answers. "I passed application forms to Yale, Brown, and Pri
nceton."
I sigh inwardly. Of course, the Ivy League. I'm not surprised that she picked th
ose universities. With her grades, she wouldn't have a problem studying to any o
f them.
"What about your major?" I ask quickly, before she can ask me where I plan to st
udy. Truth is, I haven't thought of my life after high school. I guess I'll be s
tuck here"I don't know," she says, a frown appearing on her face. "I haven't made up my m
ind yet. What about you?"
Uh oh.
I guess I can't really escape this question forever. "I don't know," I say, repe
ating her words from earlier. "I haven't made up my mind yet."
She rolls her eyes and says, "Seriously."
"I am serious," I say, biting my lip to stop myself from laughing.
"You have to plan your future now," she says thoughtfully. "Where you are studyi
ng will affect your life. You know the saying: You can't change your past, but y
ou can let go and start your future? College is where real life really takes act
ion. It's a once in a lifetime experience."
"Like high school."
My heart is thumping loudly in my chest. I have a feeling she can hear it. I try
to calm my nerves to no avail. "Will you?" I probe.
She's about to open her mouth when someone says, "Long time no see."
I watch as a familiar dark haired guy saunters to us. I glance at Pie to check i
f she knows him but what I find changed my life.
Her face drains all color, leaving her pale white. A single word escapes from he
r lips. If I'm not sitting close to her, I wouldn't hear it.
"Skye."
She continues to stare at the guy, like she's seeing a ghost - a dead man rising
from his tomb.
*******************************************
[53] The Bet *Tug-Of-War
*******************************************
I watched The Vow yesterday. It was amazing and heart-warming :) Oh, and the MV
of Safe and Sound was one of a kind. TS
The song is Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. Banner by SkinnyLizzy. Here's a li
ttle treat for you. I made this last year (02-14-11)
Today is Valentine's Day
People are either lonely or gay
"I love you" are the words they say
But if it's not from the heart, there'll be karma to pay
Yay! I have an entry pass for the LIV5 concert! :D *A Rocket To The Moon, The Re
ady Set, The Summer Set, A+ Dropouts, Forever the Sickest Kids* I'm so excited t
o see them! Esp. ARTTM :))
IF YOU FORGOT "HIM" YOU CAN REREAD CHAPTERS 10, 13, and 27.
You can imagine SKYE as Darren Kagasoff :)
ENJOY! :)
Chapter 47 Part 1 *Tug-Of-War*
~Sophia
"Skye."
I can feel the blood draining from my face. I feel cold all of a sudden, like a
strong wind rushes to my face. How can I even utter a curse? I swore a year ago
that I won't ever, ever, say his name. Now I broke a promise to myself.
My worst nightmare is happening in front of me, while I'm awestruck to do anythi
ng about it. Every part of me screams that the enemy is here to get me. I'm doom
ed.
I stand up from my chair as soon as I can control the muscles of my body. I'm ab
out to walk away unnoticed but of course, faith is not in my favor. So when I'm
about to sidestepped him, he blocked my path. He's not even contented with that
because the next thing I know, I'm in his arms, wrapped in his embrace.
Tears are stinging at the back of my eyes as his hands rest on my waist. Oh, he'
s still the same as before. And now I'm about to fall back in his trap for the s
econd time.
At that, my subconscious takes me back to what happened a year ago. The last day
I saw him.
"Images burn in the back of my mind - you kissing her and doing God knows what w
ith her! Don't you know how much that hurts me?" A lump is stuck in my throat,
making it hard for me to breathe, but still, I continue. "You know what hurts mo
re? You didn't care about me, about my feelings, about us. You are a selfish bas
tard! You even did it in the school where all the students watched your little p
arade!"
Skye seems at a loss of words because of my outburst. Poor me, trusting willingl
y. I should have known. I should have known. Why? Why does it always have to be
me? Why does it have to end like this?
Happiness will come, but when it departs, it will leave you nothing to hold on t
o- an anchor that will help you to survive this kind of nightmare.
He's my first love. I gave my first kiss to him. I told him everything about me.
And now here he is, crushing my hopes and dreams. He changed my life and now I'
m lost. Lost in the little fantasy I created for both of us.
Life, unfortunately, doesn't care about what we want. Fairy tales are not true.
They were never real.
This will be the last time I will fall in love. My heart will be frozen and no o
ne can make the cold go away. I'd rather be alone than to feel this heartache ag
ain.
"I'm sorry," he starts, looking at me pleadingly.
"No, you're not," I cut him off, "Because if you are, you wouldn't do that in th
e first place."
"I'm sorry," he repeats.
"You made me a pawn in your sick twisted game!" I want to slap him. Hurt him mor
e than he hurt me. But I can't. Because I don't want to touch him and be near hi
m again.
He drops to his knees, begging me to forgive him. How dare he? As if I'll give m
y sympathy to him.
"Get out!" I yell. "Get out of here! I don't ever want to see you again!"
This doesn't get a reaction from him. He's still on his knees, sobbing. I'm abou
t to feel sorry for him, but then I remember, he's an actor. As much as I want t
o say I hate him, I can't. Because no matter what he did, my stupid heart still
belongs to him.
"That. . . that was a mistake," he says, tears falling from his eyes. "I never i
ntended to hurt you."
"But you did," I whisper, my anger subsiding. I feel so tired. All I want to do
is cry myself to sleep while crawled into a tiny ball. And hopefully, to forget
this happened.
Skye, I now evict you from my heart.
"Pie."
Draky?
That brings me back to my senses. It's like a light switched on my body.
I just realize that he's standing in front of us, throwing daggers at Skye's way
.
I inwardly flinch as his name registers in my mind. Stupid name! I wriggle out o
f him, pushing him away from me. But he's stronger than me. The harder I push, t
he harder he tightens his hold on me.
"What is going on here?" Draky asks.
"I'm hugging my girl friend," Skye says smoothly.
"I'm not your girl friend," I snap. It's my first time to speak ever since I lai
d my eyes on him. I'm relieved it didn't shake.
"Oh, babe, you forgot something," he says, tucking a loose hair behind my ear. I
cringe at his touch. My mind is flashing back memories of what happened between
us. "We didn't break up."
"Yes we did," I mutter, "Let me go."
"Don't you missed me?" he asks, giving me his puppy eyes look.
"No," I hiss.
"I made an effort to ask people where you are. I'm so happy to finally see you.
A year of waiting is worth it just to have a glimpse of you."
"I said let me go!"
Draky closes the gap between us and gets me away from Skye. No matter how much I
needed his presence - his strong arms that can comfort me, his words so soothin
g, calming my nerves, I don't like him to interfere here.
Skye, on the other hand, grabs my other arm. So I am in between them. They both
pull me towards them, as if they're playing a tug-of- war, while I'm the rope.
"Stop it," I say furiously, shaking Skye's hands off me.
Draky puts his arms on my shoulder protectively. Looking around me, I notice tha
t the other customers are not paying attention to us, of which I am grateful. I
"Afraid to fight me?" Skye asks cockily, a smirk forming on his face.
"Don't fall for his bait," I say. "He's not worth it."
"I know," Draky mutters. "Let's go."
"I'll come back and get you," Skye threatens. But he's not looking at me while h
e said it. Instead, he was glaring at Draky, as if provoking him.
"Whatever," I mutter, turning my back on him.
Draky and I walk to his car without saying anything. He opens the passenger door
and waits for me to come in. But before I do, I turn back one last time to see
Skye watching us, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. I slide in quickly
before he catches me staring at him.
Draky soon starts the engine of his car. His knuckles are so white, his hold on
the steering wheel is so tight, as if his life depends on it. I wonder if he rea
lizes that he's passed the speed limit. Even though he's mad, he still remember
to wear his seatbelt.
"I know it's not my business," he says in a strain voice, not tearing his gaze a
way from the windshield, "But I want to know who he was in your life."
I swallow the lump in my throat, forcing the sobs to stay where they are because
they are starting to come out.
"He was my ex boyfriend," I whisper.
"I figured that out," he mutters, glancing at me briefly. "By the way, are you o
kay?" He sighs. "Of course you're not okay. Why am I even asking," he says to hi
mself.
"I'll be." If I say it, I have to believe in it. I'm going to be okay.
"Don't be afraid of him," he says, narrowing his eyes, as if Skye is in front of
him.
"I'm not-"
"Don't let him ruin what we have," he says softly.
Is Draky threatened with Skye? Does he think it's a competition between them?
"Drake-"
"Please?" he says, looking at me longingly. There's real sadness in his eyes. An
d behind that, the anger he has for Skye. How can he hate him if he doesn't even
know him? "I can't bare the thought of you being with him. He's not a good pers
on."
"I know." I'm stupid for trusting him. Why do I always fall for the wrong person
?
"I'm here if you want to talk," he says after a minute. "You can count on me."
"Thank you," I reply gratefully.
Involuntarily, I lean towards him, resting my body against his side. Surprised,
his right foot lands on the brake pedal which makes the car stop from moving.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 47 Part 2 *Unfortunate Event*
~Sophia
oak tree.
"Something like that," he says, a faraway look on his face.
I'm confused. When Skye and I were together, he didn't mention Draky. If he did,
I'll surely remember.
"Care to elaborate?" I urge.
"Well, I don't really know him," he starts. "His face is just familiar. It's lik
e I've seen him a couple of times before."
"He was a student in our school."
"Oh," he mutters. "Maybe that was why he was familiar."
"Remember what happened with a senior and a junior?" I ask quietly.
His brows furrow at my question. "Yeah. Why?" His eyes slowly widens as realizat
ion takes in. "That was him?!"
"Yes," I whisper, lowering my head, and wishing I can hide in the curtain of my
hair.
"That happened a year ago, right?"
"Right," I confirm.
Draky looks at me sideways, and then he sighs. "Pie."
I find the ground really interesting. "What?" I mumble.
"Look at me."
I can't. Because I'm ashamed that my ex boy friend is a jerk. And is a stupid gu
y. And he didn't even love me. And I'm an idiot for fallingSuddenly, Draky closes the little space between us. He puts his hand on my chin
and tilts my head up. I'm surprised because he has a gentle touch.
"Wha - what are y-you doing?" I stutter.
His eyes, his blue eyes gaze at me as if he can see to the depths of my soul. Hi
s stare is unwavering, his beautiful eyes stayed focus on my eyes, searching my
face for the question he only know.
"Sophia. . ."
I'm afraid he can see my deepest darkest secrets so I close my eyes.
"Pie."
I don't want to see his reaction because I know it will cause me pain. He's stil
l holding my face and I know he's not going to let go any minute now.
"Open your eyes."
"No," I whisper.
I can feel every part of my body tingling at his touch. I know our faces are jus
t a few inches away from each other. What am I doing, thinking about these thing
s, when I have a bigger problem in hand?
"Pie, open your eyes now."
"No."
"Why are you so stubborn?" he mumbles.
That puts a smile on my face. I realize that he can make me smile even in the wo
rst situation I am in. And if I'm right, it's not the first time he did it.
"Smiling looks good on you," he states.
I don't reply because I don't know what to say.
He sighs, and I can feel his breath tickling my cheeks. "Pie, if you will not op
en your eyes. . ." he starts in a threatening voice.
"What?" I ask, intrigue.
"I will kiss you."
He's just bluffing, I repeat in my mind repeatedly.
After a few seconds, he says, "You don't believe me?" And then he moves his face
close to mine until our noses touch.
Oh no.
He's not bluffing after all.
Instinct makes me open my eyes.
I'm surprised at our closeness. I can see his eyes now more than before. There a
re tiny flecks of silver around the edge of his iris, making his blue eyes more
prominent. I've never seen blue eyes as clear as his.
"See something you like?" he asks amusedly.
At that, I realize what I'm doing. I'm checking him out! Tearing my gaze away fr
om him, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.
When I turn after a minute to look at him, I find him smiling but. . .
"I thought you want me to open my eyes?" I ask, "Why do you look disappointed?"
His face is clear with emotion, leaving it blank. "I don't."
"You want to kiss me don't you?" I tease. When did I become so bold to ask this
question? To him, of all people?
He grins. "What if I tell you yes?"
"Forget it," I mutter.
His hand finds mine, and he gives it a squeeze. I expect him to let go but he ho
lds on to it, our fingers entwining in their own accord.
"Pie?"
"What?"
"They were kicked out of school," he says. I know fully well who he's talking ab
out. "What is he doing here?"
"I don't know," I murmur. Of course I know. He's here to get me. To finish what
he started.
"Do you know what happened to the senior girl?"
My vision suddenly blurs as I remember the face of that girl. The girl Skye kiss
ed. I'm about to be drawn when I recall Draky asked me a question.
"She was expelled," I answer. Both of them. Inappropriate behavior in the school
is a huge offense. "She didn't graduate."
"Of course she didn't. I doubt if she's accepted in other schools," he replies.
"Want me to tell you the whole story?"
"Yes," he says, staring straight into my eyes.
"I was fifteen when I met him," I begin. The memory is fresh from my mind; it's
as if it just happened yesterday, when in reality it happened almost two years a
go. "I was in the library, reading a book when all of a sudden, he walked by and
stopped beside me. He told me he recognized the cover of the book I was reading
."
"What is that book?" Draky interrupts.
"The Giver."
"Oh." It's familiar to him because all second year students were required to stu
dy it.
"And then," I continue, "he introduced himself. We became acquaintances. And the
n friends. After a few months of getting to know each other, he asked me if I wa
nted to be his girl friend." I pause because the memory is visiting my mind, rep
laying the scenes that happened in the past. "I was ecstatic and overjoyed becau
se I liked him. I treasured every minute when I was with him. So I said yes."
I realized too late that Skye didn't introduce me to even one of his friends. I
should have known then, but I didn't. And that was my mistake.
I observe Draky as I talk. He has his poker face on, and
ace. "My friends were surprised. They didn't expect that
ouple. They told me bad things about him, how I couldn't
listen to my friends." Instead I chose Skye. "So in the
hip with them."
I don't even know why I'm telling this to Draky. I should just get to the point
to get it over with. "Do you mind if I fast forward my story?"
"Go ahead. I don't mind at all," he says. It's as if he's grateful that I sugges
ted it. Perhaps he doesn't want to know what I had with Skye. Of course.
"Skye is part of the theatre group in school. He was- I mean, he is a good actor
. I wanted to surprise him by being there while they were practicing for their n
ew play the next month. Fortunately, it was not forbidden to go to the auditoriu
m and watch the drama club perform. As a matter of fact, there were a lot of vie
wers that day. The auditorium was half full." I pause and take a deep breath. Th
is is the tricky part.
"Students did not know that I was dating Skye. They thought he was single. Only
my friends and I knew that he's in a relationship. Suddenly, while two students
were performing a scene, the background curtain fell off." My breath is coming f
aster and faster but I force myself to continue. "To my surprise, actually, to o
ur surprise- me, the other students, and the theatre artists, two students were
making out behind the curtain."
"It must be intense," he mutters.
"Tell me about it," I choke out. "They surely couldn't get their hands off each
other because both of them were topless. We even saw them kissing before the ent
ire curtain dropped to the ground."
"Pie. . ."
"So instead of surprising him, he surprised me in the end," I finish, blinking b
ack the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I won't cry for something that h
appened in the past. Because no matter how much I want it to vanish from my memo
ry, I can't. And there's nothing I can do about it.
Because of Skye, I agreed to the saying that you can't forget your first love. W
hat people don't know is that you can move on. It's a hard process. If you know
what to do and what to focus your time, you'll live. Despite everything that hap
pened to you, you'll find yourself falling in love for the second time. And then
you'll realize that it's not the same as before. No matter how much you want it
to stop; you can't because it's a force that can't be reckon with.
I survived that dreadful incident and it shaped me as a person. Now I think thin
gs through before taking action. Most of the time.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Draky says after a minute, squeezing my hand.
"I. . . I don't want to experience that pain again," I say. "I'd rather be alone
than have my heart broken for the second time. It was an experience I don't wan
t to happen again."
"But don't you think it was meant to happen for you to become who you are now?"
he asks slowly, concern written all over his face.
"Yeah," I admit. "I've thought of that. Because of that unfortunate event, I bec
ame stronger than before. I learned to love myself even more."
"But what he did was wrong," he says through gritted teeth.
"I know," I agree.
And what you are doing is not so good either. I hope you realize that.
"I have two tickets," he says, as if he just remembers it. I can hear the excite
ment in his voice. Very different from the tones he used earlier.
"Tickets for what?" I ask curiously.
"Taylor Swift will have a concert."
"Really?" I ask incredulously.
know I take him by surprise because when I stop after a few seconds, he's still
frozen, still not moving. His eyes though are as clear as crystal. Meanwhile, my
heart is doing a somersault, trying to burst out of my chest.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind. A few days ago, I kissed Draky on the che
ek after we made our project in Literature. That was when I stayed at Andre's pl
ace and Parker was our substitute. It feels like a long time ago. If I'm right,
Draky has the same reaction as before.
My cheeks blooming with red, I whisper, "Good night Drake." And then I enter the
house and shut the door behind me.
I can't believe I kissed Drake Swift on his lips!
Now I made things more complicated. But even though Draky and I have games of ou
r own, I'm glad I can count on him. I have a feeling it's just the calm before t
he storm.
*****
I'll grab this opportunity to THANK YOU for your support :D You are the best!!!
I'm so blessed, grateful and lucky to have awesome readers around the world. Tha
nk you so much :)
*******************************************
[55] The Bet *Party Crasher
*******************************************
Happy Leap Day! :">
There are three songs for this chapter. Into Your Arms, Listen To Your Heart, an
d I Must Be Dreaming by The Maine. I super like their songs :D I don't know why
I just found their Music now. Well, better late than never ;)
Banner by NaughtyAuti.
Join the Facebook page on the External Link! :)
All the banners that are not posted yet are on my laptop. And it's not working .- Can you please send the link again? Thank you!
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 48 *Party Crasher*
~Drake
A few
r. It
a why
ready
days have passed since Pie kissed me on the lips. Until now I can taste he
doesn't want to vanish from my own lips. And until now I don't have an ide
she did it. When I returned to my senses, I was shocked because she was al
inside their house.
Is she starting to fall in love with me? The thought is appealing and scary at t
*-*-*-*-*
~Sophia~
Fantastic, who ever designed this place. There's a feeling of being haunted, eve
n though the decorations are quite simple: tombstones on the front yard, cobwebs
on every corner, glowing pumpkins in the hallway, bats on the ceiling, and skel
etons that greet you in the doorway. The music is kind of creepy; it's like craw
ling into your skin. The lights are darker, making the house look like a gothic
mansion. I have to give Andre thumbs up for preparing something like this. He sh
ould be an event organizer!
This is like a costume party. I notice that when people enter the house, they ar
rive with groups. They wear different types of clothes. Some even dyed their hai
r, while others use what I think is wig. They are really into this party. It's e
ntertaining to watch them. Not everyday of your life you can see something like
this.
There are fairies with colorful wings. Some are shaped like butterflies while ot
hers are more complicated than that. They even get tangled with other people as
they walk. They sprinkled glitters in their body so they sparkle when they move.
Some are vampires that wear cape and have real white face. I wonder how many fou
ndations they used. Their lips are blood red, and there are bite marks on their
necks. Others are even wearing fake plastic fangs. They look uncomfortable.
I feel not properly dressed in this Halloween party. Like, I don't belong. I don
't even know why I agreed to come.
"Sophia!"
Turning around, I see my friend walking towards me. "Driana," I greet her excite
dly.
"Hey, cowgirl," she says, a huge smile on her face.
"Where's Hercules?" I tease.
Driana is Megara - the love interest of Hercules. She's wearing a purple dress t
hat hugs her body. Her hair is even up like Meg's. It really suits her, especial
ly her personality.
She ignores my question and says, "You should wear that outfit more often. You'r
e glamorous!"
My dress is perfectly normal. It falls just below my thighs. I wear knee length
boots and a cowboy hat. At the last second, my mom decided to curl my hair.
Weird, I know. A cowgirl wearing a glittery dress. But I like it and I'm comfort
able with it.
"Look who's talking," I say, "You're the pretty one here."
"Meh." She rolls her eyes and says, "I like your sparkly dress! Makes me remembe
r of Taylor Swift." She wiggles her eyebrows teasingly.
"Ha ha," I say wryly.
"Look at these people and their weird costumes," she says, looking around with a
silly grin on her face.
I'm about to reply when someone interrupts us. "Driana!"
"Hey!"
It's someone from our Arts class.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asks.
Driana looks at me questioningly.
I give her a nod. "I'll go get a drink."
"Okay."
And then I walk around the house, occasionally bumping someone in the way.
"Sophia!"
Whipping around, I find Andre gliding towards me.
"Hi Hercules," I say meaningfully.
"Hey cowgirl, where's your horse?" he says, not affected by the tone of my voice
.
A smile forms on my lips as I survey Andre's costume. He is wearing a yellow sle
eveless shirt and a kilt with a belt. He has gold bands on his wrists. There's a
blue cape on his back. Even his blonde hair is styled as Hercules.
I won't let him off the hook easily. "I left my horse on the stable," I say. "Wh
ere's Megara?"
"Meg? I . . . I don't know," he mumbles. The blush on his cheeks confirmed what
I'm thinking.
"Why so speechless?" I tease.
's changed. The walls, the bed, and the cabinet are still the same.
I didn't know I'll miss this place. This room has a special place in my heart.
Walking near the window, I watch the party outside. I can't see Skye anymore. Go
od. Maybe he decided to go home.
To my horror, I can feel a presence behind me. Before I can turn around and find
out who it is, he wraps his arms around me. My first impulse is to scream but w
hen I get to my senses, I realize who is hugging me.
Draky.
How do I know?
Instinct, maybe. But I know it's more than that.
Ever since I kissed him, I don't want to be alone in a room with him. I feel shy
for kissing him like that! And thankfully, for the past few days, we were never
alone again. We're always with Andre, or Driana. And when there's a chance for
us to be alone, I'll grab someone in the hallway just to not be left alone with
him.
I'm being a coward, I know. But I don't know what to say to him when he asks me
about the kiss. Because even I don't know why I did it; I just followed my . . .
heart? And yeah, our relationship became more complicated after that.
Now, we're finally alone.
My thoughts are swirling. It's hard to focus on what is real from fake. I don't
want to fall in his trap!
Knees shaking, I turn around slowly to face him. "What are you doing?" I whisper
.
Draky puts both of his hands on either side of my waist. "Hugging you," he murmu
rs, tucking my loose hair behind my ear.
A shiver runs down my spine involuntarily. "Why?"
His eyes are twinkling like the stars outside as he stares at me. "You can kiss
me without my permission," he says. And at his words, my cheeks start to turn sc
arlet. "So I think I can hug you."
I find myself tongue-tied. I can't contradict him because what he said is true.
"What are you doing here? The party's downstairs," he says.
"I. . . uh. . ."
Should I say that Skye is here and I'm hiding from him? No. I can't ruin Draky's
night. I can see that he's having fun. Mentioning Skye will remove the happines
s from his eyes.
"I'm not really comfortable with parties," I say instead, which is true. "What a
re you doing here?"
"I saw you earlier so I followed you." He pauses to look at me up and down. "Wha
t are you trying to be?" he asks amusedly.
*****
I wrote new poems! :) Check them out, especially when you're feeling down. Hmm I
feel silly for telling you this XD
I'll upload on Friday or Sunday. We'll have an Educational Tour on Saturday. The
same tour as last semester -__Have a good day, and thank you for reading my story! :)
*******************************************
[56] The Bet *Storyteller
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 49 *Storyteller*
~Sophia
"Until you forget the reason why you're asking," Draky says amusedly.
Rolling my eyes, I sit on the edge of my bed. "You already said you're going to
tell me, and now you're backing down."
He gets the chair beside the desk and sits across from me. "Where will I begin?"
Smiling, I suggest, "Why not from the start?" I realize that I'm the one who's a
lways telling stories. Now it's the other way around.
He returns my smile with a wry one. "Okay." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "
My father cheated on my mom."
"What?"
"My dad had an affair."
"I-I'm s-sorry," I stutter, looking everywhere but him.
He sighs. "I'll never know why people say sorry for the bad things that happened
even though they didn't do anything wrong."
"I-it's called sympathy," I murmur, finding the floral blanket really interestin
g.
"He had an affair with my mom's friend," he continues, ignoring my explanation.
"I saw him a year ago. He was with her."
"How do you know they were together?" I whisper, looking at him behind my eyelas
hes. It's hard to fathom he carries a huge burden. I feel guilty for hurting him
with a game.
His blue eyes pierce through mine. "I just know. I even followed him before. The
nights he didn't stay in our house, he went to his mistress."
"Oh my," I breathe. My hands involuntarily clamps over my mouth. I'm sure my exp
ression is filled with shock. I can't believe his dad can do something like that
.
"I was astonished to see him with another woman," Draky says through gritted te
eth. "I thought he loved my mom! I looked up to him. He was my role model, and w
hen I saw him. . ." His voice is full of disdain and venom. His words are distin
ct from one another. Just by listening to him, you'll know he kept this for long
.
I put my hands on top of his, to comfort him. It's hard to see Draky hurting lik
e this.
"When I was sure he was cheating on my mom," he continues, "I confronted him and
told him that I knew. He was shocked. He said a lot of things to me but I didn'
t listen. As if I'll believe him again after what he did!" His mouth sets into a
thin hard line.
"Are they still seeing each other now?" I whisper.
"When I talked to me he said he broke it off," he says ruefully.
"What about basketball?" I ask, because I don't know the reason why he quit. And
I still can't form sentences in my head regarding his dad.
"I didn't like basketball at first," he replies. "My father likes it. It's a spo
rt and a hobby he enjoys. And I want to make him proud of me so I joined. But wh
en I found out about his affair, I lost interest. Its like: What's the point of
playing anymore? So I quit." His hands are balled into a tight fists. Opening th
em slowly, I interlace my fingers with his.
"I think it's not just your dad," I say. "You grow to like basketball as well. W
ithout knowing it."
"I don't know."
"And why do you keep saying father instead of dad?"
He looks up at me and says, "Because I don't think of him as a dad anymore."
The way he said it, his voice is emotionless, his face blanks. The damage his da
d gave him is bigger than I thought.
"Does your mom know?" Driana sure doesn't know that her dad cheated on her mom.
"No," he says after a minute. "No one knows but you and me."
"Don't you think they deserve to know?" I ask slowly. "They're your family." I c
an't believe I'm the only one who knows all about it. Why did he hide it for so
long?
"I don't want them to get hurt," he whispers, burying his head in his hands. "I
don't want them to experience what I've been through."
"I understand your point." I pause and think for a moment on what should I advic
e him. "Do you want to know what I would do if I'm in your position?"
He looks up and hesitates for a second. "Yes," he says finally.
Taking a deep breath, I say, "I think they'll be hurt even more when they found
out you knew and didn't tell them. They will feel betrayed."
"Driana. . ."
"Yes, she's your twin," I say. "She'll be hurt more."
"But I don't . . ."
I can see that he's hurting too. It's a burden he kept for a year, and now it's
taking its toll on him. "If you're not ready now," I start, but he cuts me off.
"I don't think-"
"You will be," I state firmly.
"But. . ."
"I thought you're the optimist here?" I remind him, "You said that you have a po
sitive outlook in life."
"Thank you for believing in me," he says gratefully.
"No problem," I say, waving it off. "I should be the one thanking you for trusti
ng your secret with me."
I can't believe he's hiding something like this. Suddenly, I feel bad for doing
this to him.
And I can't help but think if he ever feels bad for playing a game. . .
It's hard, with these confusing emotions!
"Sometimes it's nice to have a bit less pride," I blurt out. "You never know whe
n a person will be gone. And remember, regrets come at the end. Don't wait until
it's too late."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"I know the meaning of that sentence based from my own experience," I say.
"And what is it?"
"It's like contemplating if you're really going to think about it or not."
A sad smile appears on his face. "We really have a lot of things in common."
I smile wryly. "I just want to help."
"You're already helping by listening to me. I know I can trust you," he says, sq
ueezing my hand.
"Thank you," I murmur.
He leans down and kisses me on my forehead.
So we can kiss each other now without permission?
"Have you seen Andre?" I ask, changing the topic and ignoring the wild beat of m
y heart.
"Yes. He is Hercules," he says, startled at the sudden turn of our conversation.
"What about Driana?"
"I haven't seen her yet," he replies. "Why?"
"She's Megara."
"Who is Megara?" he asks, confused.
"She's a fictional character," I say slyly.
"Cartoon?"
"You'll find out soon enough," I say, my lips involuntarily forming onto a small
smile. I can't believe he doesn't know her.
"Let's go downstairs and join the party," he suggests.
"Are you sure?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yes," he replies. "I'm okay. More than fine. Actually, I feel relieved because
I told you my secret. It's like something big lifted off from my shoulders."
"I'm glad," I say, smiling slowly.
"Let's go now?"
I put my hand on his outstretch arm and together we make our way to the loudest
party you can ever imagined.
The living room is crowded so we go to the front porch. Fortunately, there are j
ust few people loitering here.
"I was looking for you!"
Whipping around, I see Driana with a worried expression on her face.
"I'm sorry," I start. "I got-"
"Distracted?" she finishes for me, a silly smile on her face.
Looking at Driana, I can't help but remember what Draky and I talked about earli
er. I should wipe my face with emotion; someone might know something is going on
.
"Your costume is familiar," Draky says to his twin.
Driana blushes on cue, and she looks embarrassed.
"Who are you again?"
"Megara," she mutters.
Draky frowns while thinking who the character Megara is. "Aren't you supposed to
have snakes instead of hair?"
"That's Medusa," I say, laughing.
Draky purses his lips and looks again at Driana. "You're not from Pocahontas, ar
e you?"
"Nope," she replies, popping the P sound.
Nice, he knows Pocahontas but not Hercules.
"What about Aladdin? Oh, wait. That's Jasmine, right?" he says, glancing at me.
"Yeah, Jasmine is from Aladdin," I say. It's fun to watch Draky guessing where M
eg is. The look on his face? Amusing. It's very different from the guy I saw ear
lier. He was full of pain then. Now it's almost as if he didn't pour his heart o
ut.
Suddenly, Andre comes, sauntering to where we are.
"Hercules," Draky greets him. Like a light bulb switches in his head, his eyes n
arrowed. Realization finally dawns in. Turning to Driana, he asks, "Why are you
dressed as Hercules' love interest?"
All color leaves Andre's face. "I-it's just a-a coincidence," Andre stutters, lo
oking panicked.
Two for a night?
"Is it?" Draky asks, glaring at his best friend.
"Why do you care so much?" Driana scolds, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Because I want to know if there's something I should know about my sister and m
y best friend!"
Several pairs of eyes glance at us. They all look hastily away when Draky shoots
them a glare. I'm afraid his emotions earlier are resurfacing.
It's hard to see Driana, a strong girl, biting her lower lip and about to cry. I
can see that she's controlling her tears from falling.
To the rescue, I say, "It's probably a coincidence."
Draky glances at me. I can't help but notice his hard look softens when his gaze
lands on my face. I don't know the meaning of that. Suddenly I feel bad for lyi
ng to him. But wait. I'm not really lying because I'm not sure what's going on.
I'm just making guesses. And so far I think I'm right.
Driana gives me a grateful smile.
"Maybe you need a drink," Andre suggests.
"Yeah," Draky mutters, "Sorry about that."
"No problem," Driana murmurs.
"See you later," Andre says, steering Draky away from us.
When they are out of earshot, Driana slumps to the nearest chair. "Thank you so
much for saving me from the wrath of my brother," she says, sighing in relief.
"That's nothing," I reply.
"That's everything. If you didn't interrupt him, who knows what would happen?" S
he shudders at the thought.
Taking the seat beside her, I get her hand and give it a squeeze. "What are frie
nds are for?"
She grins. "You're right."
"So . . ."
"So?" she says, cocking her eyebrow.
How can I start this conversation? "Uh, about you and . . ."
"And?"
Clearing my throat awkwardly, I say, "Andre."
"Oh."
To my surprise, her cheeks start to redden.
"Oh my," I breathe, "don't tell me-"
"No, no," she says quickly, shaking her head. "It's not what you think!"
he admits.
"Especially Drake," I say. "Because you're his sister and Andre is his best frie
nd."
"Yes. Are you mad?" she asks slowly.
"Of course not!" I say, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm ha
ppy as long as you're happy."
She gives me a hug. "Thank you so much!" She leans back, a huge smile on her fa
ce. "I even imagined that you'll be angry at me for keeping a secret to you."
"That's okay," I assure her. "Everybody has their own secrets." And I'm sorry b
ecause I can't tell you mine.
"Do you want to go to the library?" she asks, glancing around us. More people s
tart to come outside, and the air becomes too warm for my taste. "We can't reall
y stay here and talk."
"Agree! My head is pounding in beat with the music," I complain.
She laughs and links her arms with mine. Together, we make our way to the libra
ry, not in the least bit interested with the people inside the house. When we st
op outside the door of the library, I remember that it's locked.
"Dri, we don't have a key."
"We have," she says, producing a single key from her pocket.
"Where did you get that?" I ask curiously.
"Andre." The way she said his name, I know that she cares about him. "He gave i
t to me because he thought I might like to have a quiet time," she says defensiv
ely.
"I didn't say anything," I say bemusedly.
She puts the key and twists the doorknob. We enter and then closed the door behi
nd. The smell of the books greets us. I missed going to this place! The peace an
d the comfort of books that will envelope you in a warm hug - it's haven to me.
Driana and I sit on the couch across from each other.
"Tell me about you and Andre," I say. Well, it's more like an order.
"What?" she asks, nervously fidgeting on her seat.
"What do you do when you're together," I suggest.
"We watch movies, eat out of town-"
"Out of town?" I repeat, surprised.
"Yeah," she says somewhat shyly, "Because someone might see us if we eat here."
I'm pretty sure that one time Andre told me he had a date, he went with Driana.
"That makes sense. And?"
For the third time, she blushed.
Suddenly, I have the urge to tell her about her dad but I know it's not my plac
e. Draky has to do that. Not me.
"How can these people listen to this loud sound?" she says after a moment. "I c
an't even understand the lyrics. It's pure screaming!"
She said sound instead of music. Typical Driana.
"No wonder a lot of people have poor hearing," I chime in.
"Yeah." And then, like she thinks of a bad memory, she frowns.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
Her eyes, the same color as her twin, stares straight to my eyes. "I'm afraid o
f Drake's reaction."
"I heard my name," Draky says, walking towards us, Andre beside him. "You want
us to leave so you can talk about me?"
Oh, well. At least he's back on his usual self. I can't stand to see him hurtin
g like before. I just can't.
*****
I know I don't ask this often. But can you PLEASE VOTE? Thank you!
The song is A Drop in the Ocean by Ron Pope. I found it because of TVD :) I pref
er Damon over Stefan
Banner by Fallingleaves18.
Thank you for reading my story! :)
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[57] The Bet *Metanoia
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Whoop! 6,000,000+ reads :D thank you everyone!
There are two songs for this chapter. Love of A Lifetime by Firehouse (suggested
by xczyve) and Passenger Seat by Stephen Speaks.
I hope you'll like this. Enjoy! ;)
"But you should have told me earlier," she exclaims. "I thought we're a team?"
she starts to sob.
My heart clenches painfully in my chest. Seeing my twin cry is hard for me. Esp
ecially I'm the reason why she's crying.
It's not your fault, my voice says impatiently.
Yeah, yeah.
"Driana, I'm sorry. If only I can-"
"But you can't," she interjects, wiping her cheeks with shaking hands. "I can't
believe dad could do something like that."
We both turn to our mom in that instant. I'm so stupid for forgetting her prese
nce. She has not uttered a single word ever since I told them what I knew.
Suddenly, I feel nervous. You know that gut wrenching feeling in your stomach?
- The feeling that something bad will happen. I feel sick, my lunch wants to hav
e reappearance but I force it back. I have to be strong for my mother and my sis
ter. I can do this. We can restore our family again.
"Mom," I say.
She doesn't respond. She has a faraway gaze on her face.
Stretching my arm on the table, I get my mom's hand and give it a squeeze. "Mom
," I repeat. I notice that my voice is somewhat rough and shaky.
My mom is scaring me with being a human statue. Driana starts to have this hyst
erical cry, starting to be panicked because my mom is not moving.
"Mom," I repeat, tugging her hand.
Still, there's no reaction. Even her eyes aren't blinking.
Getting mixed emotions, I let go of my mom's hand and then I slap my hand on th
e table as hard as I can. The tea cups clattered, but none of them shattered.
My mom jumps on her seat, looking startled. "W-what is g-going on?" she asks, g
lancing between me and Driana.
"Mom, father cheated on you."
Driana twists on her seat and glares at me. She's probably afraid my mom will b
e surprised again.
"Drake, I already know that," my mom says sadly.
My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. I just stare at her, not believing
the words she uttered a second ago.
I don't know why I feel betrayed.
Driana is silently crying, probably wishing that this is all a nightmare. That
she will wake up to find her family unscathed.
"What?" I ask when I finally find my voice.
My mom wipes her cheeks with the back of her hands. "Your dad admitted to me th
at he had an affair," she says."But I didn't know you knew." She puts her hand o
n my cheek, caressing my face.
That's when I realize I'm crying. When's the last time my tear fell down? I don
't even remember it.
"Mom," I say, clearing my dry throat. "Why didn't you leave him? How could you
stay with a man who hurt you?"
"Because he's my husband, and he's your father," she answers simply.
"That's all?" I ask incredulously.
"Of course not."
"What then?" I ask through gritted teeth, getting impatient.
"I didn't leave because I love him," she states, as if it's the most obvious th
ing in the world.
"Love?"
"Yes, I love your father. I never stopped loving him, even when the time I lear
ned what he did."
"Why?" I choke.
"Because we promised to love each other no matter what," she says, folding her
hands on her lap. "We made a vow at our wedding. We make mistakes but we can't d
well in them. We'll just get hurt. So I decided to forget what he did." When she
sees my expression, she adds, "When you fall in love, you'll understand. That n
o matter what the person did, you'll still forgive her. Because the only choice
you have is to love her until your last breath."
Is it that easy? Is it that easy to forgive and forget?
Why is it when I need my subconscious mind, it's not talking?
"He made up for that," Mom continues. "And I'm sure he didn't and will not do i
t again. People messed up, that's life. Sooner or later your perception of thing
s will change."
"I'll still know the wrong from right," I mutter.
"I'm sorry you had to keep that secret," she says. "I know it took a lot of you
r energy not to spill it. You're a brave man. I know your dad is proud of you."
"Yeah, right." I scoff.
"I hope your relationship with him will restore," she says hopefully.
"Only time will tell," I say, standing up from the chair and walking out of the
room.
"Drake?"
Whipping around, I see Driana following me. "Yeah?"
"I. . ." She looks nervous all of a sudden.
"What?"
"Uh, it's nothing," she says hastily.
"Are you sure?" I ask, concern. She still looks a little shaken.
"Yup. Oh, wait," she says. "Now I know why you became distant with dad."
"So, you understand me?" I ask.
She hesitates. "I agree with Mom. People make mistakes, and sooner or later, we
have to forget what happened and forgive the person who hurt us."
"Sooner or later," I mutter, turning around and starting to walk away.
"He's still our dad," she says in a loud voice.
"I know," I say, too soft for her to hear.
I need to be away from this for a while. To think things through. I need fresh
air and. . .
And? My voice probes, Why don't you admit it?
Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I quickly dial Pie's number.
"Hello?" she answers.
"Hey, are you free today?" I ask, direct to the point.
"Why?"
"I want to tell you something."
"Um, what time?" she asks, a bit hesitant.
"Right now," I answer, "If it's okay with you."
"Sure."
"I'll pick you after an hour so you can get ready."
"Do I have to wear something particular?" she asks.
A smile forms on my mouth as I say, "Wear a sweater. It'll be cold tonight."
"Okay," she says.
"See you," I respond, and then hung up.
An hour later, I arrive at Pie's house. Sliding out of the car, I walk to the p
ath leading to their house and knock at the door.
"Come in," Pie yells from inside.
Twisting the doorknob, I enter their house. Pie's walking around, wearing a lig
ht blue gray cashmere sweater that compliments her eyes and a pair of jeans that
-
unreadable, yet there's something about her expression that makes my heart beat
fast.
"Why do you leave the window open?" I ask curiously.
"Because I love to breathe fresh air," she says, smiling. "It calms my nerves.
And I just feel like it."
Unusual. Of course. She's Sophia Taylor. Girls usually locked their windows so
that their hair won't get tangled in the wind but she doesn't. She doesn't even
care about her appearance.
Everything she does, it makes me fall in love even more.
What can I ask for? The love of my life is here on the passenger seat beside me
. She's all I need. God is good for making my dream come true. I just wish that
what we have right now will remain forever. Not a single thing can change the wa
y we feel about each other.
"Sing," she says suddenly, in an almost commanding tone.
"Sing?"
"Yes."
"What will I sing?" I ask, scratching the back of my head.
She shrugs. "Anything you feel at the moment."
I'm not into singing in front of people, but because Pie requested it, why not?
Besides, my voice can make her fall in love with me. I smile at the thought.
Clearing my throat, I choose the song that first comes to my mind.
"I look at her and have to smile," I sing, "As we go driving for a while/ Her h
air blowing in the open window of my car/ And as we go the traffic lights/ Watch
them glimmer in her eyes/ In the darkness of the evening."
It's hard to drive, sing, and look at Pie the same time so I stop the car besid
e the road so that I can fully gaze at her while singing.
When I finished the song, I see Sophia silently staring at me. Her eyes are a l
ittle bit wet. Tears are probably waiting for the opportunity to fall down.
"Hey, I thought you wanted me to sing?" I say softly. "Why do you look sad?"
"I look sad? I . . . I feel happy." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "You re
ally have a beautiful voice. The way you sing - it's from the heart. I felt it."
Of course it's from the heart, my voice says, as if it's the most obvious thing
in the world.
"Let's go," I say, unbuckling my seatbelt and sliding out of the car.
Pie soon follows after, looking confused. There are no cars passing by. This pl
ace looks secluded, as if Pie and I are the only two people on earth.
"Come here," I say. When she's a few feet in front of me, I pull her towards me
and bury my face on her hair. I put my arms around her, holding her tight, not
letting go.
She seems taken aback at my action because her arms just lie simply on her side
.
"Sophia," I murmur.
That probably brings her back to her senses because the next thing I know, she'
s hugging me as well.
We remain in that position for a couple of minutes. And then I take a step back
, still not letting go.
"You know when I look at your eyes and see that smile on your face, I can't hel
p but stare," I blurt out.
She blushed on cue. I can never get tired of seeing her rosy cheeks; it's just
so perfect on her.
"W-why?" she stutters.
"Because you seldom smile."
"Are you telling me I'm always frowning?" She scolds.
"Sorry," I say quickly, "that went out wrong. What I meant was the smile on you
r face adds more beauty to you." As if you still need it.
"You're making me embarrassed," she says, tearing her gaze away from me.
"There's no reason for you to be embarrassed," I point out.
"Still."
"Sophia?"
"Hmm?" she glances up at me.
Slowly, I move my face closer to her. Her eyes widen, looking anywhere but me.
I can hear the beating of my heart. Or maybe it's hers? I can't tell. All I want
to do is to kiss her andAnd then my phone rings. Ugh! Why do I have to put it in my pocket? Next time I
won't bring a cell phone when I'm with Pie.
Grumbling under my breath, I get my phone and answer it. "What?" I ask.
Pie looks amused while watching me talk with Andre.
"Hey, I talked to Driana," he starts.
"And?" I probe.
"She told me about your dad," he says. There's something about his voice that m
akes me guilty. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Heaving a sigh, I say, "Sorry about that. I'll explain to you later."
He scoffs. "Yeah, right. If I know, you're busy with Sophia."
"Are you jealous?" I say amusedly.
"Of course I am," he grumbles. "You know that I want your time to be mine!"
"Whatever," I say, chuckling softly. "Talk to you soon."
"Enjoy!" And then he hung up.
That's when I realize what he said. Driana told him. But why? I have to find ou
t what's going on between the two of them. Soon.
"Is that Andre?" Pie asks, smiling.
"Yeah." I'm sure she heard some parts of our conversation. "Hey, Sophia, rememb
er when you told me you wanted to be a bird on your second life?"
"Yes," she says, surprised at the sudden turn of our conversation. "You said yo
u wanted to be a star. But you didn't explain."
"I want to be a star because of you," I admit, glancing at the sky. Stars are s
lowly showing and the crescent moon is shining brightly.
"Because of me?" she says dubiously.
"Yes, because of you."
"Why?"
"You like gazing at the stars at night. They're one of the best things for you.
. ."
"And?" she probes.
"And I want you to look at me that way."
"I . . . Drake-"
"Sophia, I'm telling you the truth," I say, swallowing the lump in my throat. "
I like you. A lot. And I think I'm starting to fall in love with you."
A lot of emotions pass on her face in that instant. Confusion. Surprised. Suspi
cion. And some others I can't named.
It's your fault for telling her you love her on her birthday, my voice chastise
s, even though it's not true.
I liked her then, I snap, and I still do.
But like and love are not the same, it retorts.
Shut up!
"It's getting late," Pie says, not looking in my eyes. "We have class tomorrow.
"
Now I've ruined everything!
The drive home is very different from before. Now, the silence is awkward and u
ncomfortable.
Why am I not thinking? As if I can turn back the time and -
stion. I fasten it around my neck and walk out of the house and continue my way
to the mall to meet Driana and Andre.
"What is she doing here?" Andre asks as soon as he laid his eyes on me. He looks
nervous as he stares at me.
Driana gives me a smile and then she turns to Andre. "I already told you that S
ophia knew about us," she says exasperatedly, as if tired of repeating that line
again and again.
"But still," Andre mumbles.
"I can go if you want," I suggest. It's no big deal, and I understand why Andre
is acting weird.
"That's not what I meant," he says quickly. "I'm happy you're here! The more th
e merrier."
"Really?" I ask doubtfully. I don't want to ruin their time together.
"Sophia, of course it's fine," Driana says, as if it's the most obvious thing i
n the world. She links her arm to mine and continues, "I'm already excited! I kn
ow we'll have a great day ahead of us."
I smile at her enthusiasm. Like her twin, she has a positive outlook in life. T
he good thing is it's contagious. In a matter of seconds, I'm excited as well.
"Call Drake so that it'll be a double date," Andre suggests, wiggling his eyebr
ows.
Pursing my lips, I ponder for a second if I'll call him or not. It will be more
fun"What are you waiting for?" he asks, cutting off my thoughts.
"Okay, okay, I'll call him," I say.
Getting my phone from my bag, I dial Draky's number.
"Hi," he answers at the third right.
Driana and Andre look at me expectantly. "Are you fee today?" I ask.
"No."
"No?" I repeat, surprised. "Why?"
"I have to do something important," he says.
"Oh." I don't know why I feel disappointed.
"Why?" he asks.
"Nothing." There's no point in telling him that I'm with Driana and Andre becau
se he already said that he's busy.
"If you say so," he responds.
And then I end the call. I can't believe he didn't grab the opportunity to be w
ith me. It really must be something important.
"What did he say?" Driana inquires.
"He said he have to do something important," I answer.
"What?" Andre asks, wearing a confused expression on his face.
"I don't know," I mutter, "He didn't mention it."
Andre frowns. "It's just us then."
Driana elbows him playfully. "I'm here, you know."
"It wouldn't be the same without Drake." He pouts. "It's Drake I want!"
"What?" Driana says, a silly grin forming on her mouth.
"I only date you so that I can get close to your twin brother," he teases.
Driana laughs. "I really like your sense of humor."
"I know." Andre smirks.
Driana rolls her eyes but I know she's having fun. These two lovebirds are real
ly perfect together. They balanced each other and I can't imagine them with anot
her people.
"What's the itinerary for the day?" I ask curiously.
"No worries, I already planned everything," Andre says, smiling from ear to ear
. "Our first stop is the Ocean Planet."
"Cool!" Driana says excitedly. "I've never been there. I can't wait!"
If I remember correctly, Driana likes almost anything under the sea. It's sweet
of Andre to plan something that Driana enjoys.
We all get inside the car. I'm on the back while Driana sits on the passenger s
eat. Passenger seat - makes me remember of Draky. The way he sang that song for
me. . . I can still recall his facial expressions, the sound of his voice, every
thing. Why does he have to be charming?
"Hey!"
That snaps me out of my trance. "What?" I ask, startled.
"You're daydreaming," Andre says amusedly, glancing at the rearview mirror to l
ook at me.
"I'm not," I deny.
He smirks. "Now I know where Drake got that habit."
"S-shut up!" I stutter, tearing my gaze away from him.
I lean my head on the window and stare outside - at the passing cars and pedest
rians. My hand involuntarily goes to the pendant of my necklace, stroking the cr
oss, wondering what the giver is doing right now. I hope he will finish soon so
I'm afraid I'll destroy their relationship when the time comes. I don't want to
be the reason of their break up (even though they continue to tell me that they
're both single). But I can't continue to pretend that I don't know what Draky i
s doing to me. I just hope Driana will not find out. Because if ever, there will
be a World War III waiting to happen.
Several kids who are jumping up and down grab my attention. They are probably h
ere because of a school trip. A whale stops in front of them. I can hear their g
asp as they move closer to the glass.
Suddenly, I remember my little brother. And this piercing ache starts to engulf
heart, giving me a feeling of sadness. I miss you so much Matt, it hurts.
To my relief, Andre and Driana decide that it's time to continue moving forward
. I follow behind, pulling myself together. I have to be strong! I can't let thi
s ruin me. And I'm sure Matt doesn't want to see me moping around because I miss
him.
Every now and then we take pictures of each other. On this part of the oceanari
um there are seagulls, turtles, angel fish, clown fish, and other sea creatures
I can't name.
Hundreds of pictures later, we finally round the last corner. My feet are killi
ng me. I want to sit on a soft couch and stretch my legs in front of me. We end
up outside - a place that looks like a courtyard. There are benches surrounding
the site but they are occupied. I glance at my watch and see that it's three in
the afternoon. No wonder why my stomach is growling.
"I'm hungry," Andre says, rubbing his stomach while staring longingly at the fo
od stands in the center of the courtyard.
"Why don't we eat?" I suggest. "I'm famished too."
"Good idea," Driana says.
We walk to the nearest food cart. All they sell are sandwiches and sodas. We ar
e all tired to check the other stores so we silently agree that this is our only
choice.
"I'd like to eat a hotdog sandwich," Andre says.
"Me too!" Driana and I say simultaneously. And then we both laugh while the gir
l behind the counter shoots us a weird look.
"Make it a three sandwich and three cokes," Andre says, getting his wallet from
his back pocket.
I stop him and say, "It's my treat."
"Huh?" he asks, confused.
"You paid my ticket so I'll pay for the food."
"You don't have to-"
"I want to," I interject. "Besides, it's not expensive."
He shrugs. "If you say so."
I turn to Driana and say, "Save a table and chairs so that we'll have a place t
o eat."
"Aye, aye," she responds, grinning. She grabs Andre's hand and they both walk t
ogether to the tables with huge umbrellas.
I'm glad there aren't many people here today. Because if ever, the waiting line
for the food will be long. Suddenly, I feel like there's someone staring at me.
Frowning, I turn back and look around. Aside from Driana and Andre, I don't rec
ognize the people in the vicinity. My paranoia is starting again because I remem
ber Skye. But of course he's not here.
When our order is complete, I carry the tray and sit on the table Driana and An
dre chose. We're all silent as we eat our food.
"Do you want to watch the Sea Lion show?" Andre says after a few minutes.
"There's a Sea Lion Show?" Driana asks, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Yes."
"Where can we watch it?"
"On the back part of the oceanarium," he answers.
We go to the Sea Lion show as soon as we finished our food. Actually, Driana is
still eating while we're walking, but she insists because she's thrilled to see
it.
Fortunately, we're the first ones to arrive so we have the privilege to sit in
front. Soon after, people start to come and sit on the available bleachers.
A man in a white polo shirt and black pants tells us about the rules and regula
tions. And then the show begins as the sea lion appears.
The man introduced himself as Jonathan while the Sea Lion's name is Leo.
We clap our hands whenever Leo performs a trick such as catch the ball (which m
akes me remember of the time when we took care of Rain), swimming on the pool an
d mimicking whatever Jonathan is doing. He even knows how to shoot a ball on its
basket. I can't stop laughing when he starts to dance. I'm amazed, like the oth
er audience, watching his performance.
Unfortunately, the show only lasts for about forty minutes. The crowd slowly di
spersed, and when it's our turn to go out, Andre stops us.
He walks towards Leo, and I'm confused because Jonathan seems fine by Andre's a
ctions.
"What is he doing?" I whisper to Driana.
"I don't know," she murmurs. "Let's follow him."
We take each step very carefully because the floor is slippery. We might end up
sliding on the pool. And with my luck, that's not impossible to happen.
To my surprise, Jonathan and Andre start to have a conversation, like they knew
each other for years. And I'm right as he introduces him to us. They are cousin
s!
Jonathan shows us a few tricks they didn't perform before. Leo even gives me a
high five. Andre really is a good photographer because he captures it at the rig
ht time. He takes several shots with Leo until they tell us it's time for him to
rest. Andre and Jonathan exchange a few words and then we depart the Ocean Plan
et.
Driana is still glowing with happiness. You can literally feel that she's full
of euphoria. She gets inside Andre's car with a dreamy look on her face. "That w
as amazing," she says, as Andre starts to drive.
He smiles at her and says, "It's just the first part."
"Really?"
"Yup. There are more surprises for this day."
Aww, they are so sweet! It's just ashamed that they can't be together in public
because they're afraid of Draky's reaction. I hope they will tell him soon so t
hat they don't have to hide their feelings in front of other people.
We converse about our experiences and tell each other our favorite parts. This
is one of the best days of my life, and it isn't over yet. I'm so happy I know n
othing can go wrong in this beautiful day.
I tell them that I won't be around for the next part of the journey because it'
s time for them to be alone. They both persuade me in going with them but I refu
se repeatedly.
"Just stop the car on that side of the road," I instruct Andre.
"Are you sure? We can-"
"Yeah." I smile. "I had so much fun. Thank you!"
"Me too!" Driana says.
"Me three," Andre chimes in.
"Goodbye," I say, sliding out of the car. Before I close the door, I wink and s
ay, "Enjoy!"
Driana blushes while Andre looks uncomfortable. A matter of seconds later, he p
uts his car on reverse and drives away.
Where am I going to go now? It's starting to get dark but I'm not yet in the mo
od to go home so I figure I'll just walk around the shops in town. Being alone g
ives me a sense of peace. And just after it arrives, I feel a presence behind me
. Whipping around, I see the person I despised.
"Did you put tracker on me or something? Why are you following me?" I say suspi
ciously.
He smirks. "Maybe you are following me."
"Leave me alone, okay?"
Skye grabs my arm and pulls me to him.
I push him with all my might but he is stronger than me. "Let me go!"
"I will leave you after you come with me."
"I will not go anywhere alone with you," I say furiously, elbowing him. But it
has no effect because he just tightens his hold on me. "Let me go or I will scre
am!"
He chuckles. "You won't do that. You never liked to be the center of attention.
"
He's still the same obnoxious person I knew. Ugh! Why are there no people walki
ng nearby?!
"Sophia, you have to see something important!"
I look at him doubtfully, not believing the guy who broke my heart.
"If you come with me, I swear you'll never see me again," he continues.
That makes me pause. Is he telling the truth? Why am I even wavering? Of course
he's lying! Remember, he cheated on you?
"I promise," he says, gazing deeply into my eyes.
I want to say that he broke all his promises before but I stop myself. There's
no point in doing that. Instead, I say, "Okay," to get it over with.
He still holds my arm as he leads me to the nearest coffee shop in town. We jus
t walk a few stores from where we were before.
"What are we doing here?" I ask as he stops in front of the glass window beside
the door.
He points his forefinger and I follow it with my eyes. What I see shocked me. I
blink my eyes repeatedly, but the image doesn't change. Draky is inside. Alone.
Questions pop into my head. What is he doing here? I thoughtTo my astonishment, Cassidy takes the seat across from him. There are already f
oods on the table but they look untouched. Cassidy stretches her hand and caress
Draky's face. He puts his hand over hers, probably to keep it in place. I turn
my back on them because I can't bear to see them like a happy couple.
Now I know why he said he's busy. He is with Cassidy! Why doesn't he get conten
ted with me?
Instinctively, I remove the necklace he gave me. I crumple it with my clenched
fist, feeling the hard cross slashed at my palm.
"W-why did you b-bring me here?" I stutter, facing Skye.
"I want you to see that Drake is not what he looks like," he explains. "See? He
's dating that girl while pretending he's in love with you!"
"Why?" I ask numbly. My knees are shaking beneath me. The only thing that keeps
me upright is the wall I'm leaning on.
"Because you deserve better than him," he states, trying to put sense to me. "L
ook, he just hurt you!"
"Like you did."
He seems surprised, out of words. I'm not stupid to forget what he did. After a
ll, it was my first heartbreak.
"My biggest mistake was kissing that girl," he whispers.
"Really?" I say incredulously. "The pain you gave me was not enough? Now you wa
nt me to experience it again?!"
This is the first time I'm alone with Skye after he came back. Emotions are bur
sting through me. My heart is slowly crumbling apart, like before. Was I born to
be played? I just want to be happy, but I guess that's close to impossible.
"You achieved what you want," I say, "You can leave now. And make sure I'll nev
er see you again."
"Sophia . . ."
That stupid Draky! I thought he at least cares for me! He even admitted that he
liked me! Why is he talking with Cassidy? They even looked like a couple having
a date.
I shouldn't have let myself get attached to him. I guess he was just acting eve
ry time he was around me. And I'm so stupid for believing him. I'm such an idiot
for falling in his trap. Now I know he did all that for the sake of winning the
bet.
Why does my world feel like falling apart? I tell myself repeatedly that I shou
ldn't be hurt. I shouldn't be jealous because there's nothing going on between u
s. We're not together. I don't have the right to imagine clawing my fingers on C
assidy's eyes.
My heart is slowly tearing into tiny pieces. My chest is heaving, it's hard to
breathe. I start to have this hysterical sob - the same kind when I found out ab
out their secret. Fresh tears are spilling from my eyes without my permission. I
told myself before not to break down because of him but now I can't even stop c
rying. These precious tears are not worth for someone like him.
I swear I'll make him pay for doing this to me. Tomorrow I will reveal everythi
ng I know. I want him to get hurt as much he hurt me. Let's see how he can take
that.
It's payback time.
*******************************************
[59] The Bet *Falling Apart
*******************************************
Are you ready? This is one of the first scenes I wrote when I started The Bet. T
he songs are Breakeven by The Script, Save Your Heart by Mayday Parade, and That
's What You Get by Paramore (Suggested by Rayray540).
Enjoy! (:
I scrutinize the gauze on my hand, tilting it on every angle until I'm satisfied
that it's properly done.
My right hand is wrapped in a bandage because of my outburst yesterday. When I c
lenched my fist, I didn't realize blood was dripping on the wound made by the cr
oss that slashed to my palm. I must have held it tightly.
My mom took care of it. Putting disinfectant and wrapping it with a bandage to h
eal the gaping wound. When she inquired why it was bleeding, I lied and told her
I tripped and my palm slashed on a rock. Fortunately she believed me.
It's not as if I can tell her how I really got it.
Looking up, I stare at myself on the mirror and see the prominent dark circles u
nder my eyes. I haven't slept last night no matter how I tried. I did not have a
piece of mind. Haunting thoughts did not leave me alone, feeding me with distur
bing possibilities.
"Phia!" Mom calls from downstairs. "Drake is here."
My heart flutters in my chest and I force my lungs to breathe properly. When I'm
sure I can function normally again, I arrange my things in my bag and make my w
ay to the living room.
Draky and my mom are having a chat.
I thought when I see him today I'll yell at him. But now I just feel numb. All I
want is to get it over with and continue to live my boring yet painless life.
"Hey," he says, standing up from the couch.
Is it me, or his eyes light up when he sees me?
"Hi," I choke out. My voice is raspy so I clear my throat inconspicuously.
A feeling of uneasiness washes over me. I can do it, I chant in my mind. It's no
w or never!
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah."
He raises his hand and I take it. "Good bye Mrs. Taylor," he says.
"Take care of Sophia," she replies amusedly.
My heart suddenly feels heavy - it's full of burdens. "See you later Mom," I say
.
Draky and I walk outside and then get in his car.
Last night he called and asked me if I'm free today. I said yes. It's a good thi
ng because I have to talk to him. Now I realize how it is. He meets up with Cass
idy whenever I'm not around. And when he gets tired with one of us, he will go b
ack to the other.
Such a player.
"What happened to your hand?" he asks, a concern expression written on his face.
s are flailing beneath me. I have to get away from him. Far, far away from him.
I can't bear to see him again.
After all we've been through; he still chose to break my heart. He still had the
nerve to tell me he cancelled the bet. I'm not stupid to believe him when in th
e first place he chose to play around.
I never planned to fall in love. But I did. Love
u least expect it and when it goes away, it will
rn apart. How did this happen? All the happiness
way. They are like bubbles that popped into thin
n the first place.
I'm like a blind person running - running without seeing anything. My life turne
d upside down in a month.
I'm starting to have hysterical sobs that make me slow. If only I can run away f
rom my problems. . .
Soon enough, people start to notice me. They shoot me weird glances but I don't
care. I continue to run, run to nowhere, not having a destination in mind. All I
know is that I have to get away.
Time loses its meaning. I don't know how many minutes or hours have passed.
My feet start to trip each other and I end up almost falling on the ground. It's
hard to see clearly because my tears are spilling simultaneously from my eyes.
I look around and blink my eyes and realize that I'm in a secluded place in town
. This is more or less three miles from the park. There are still ruins left fro
m the fire that took most of the houses a few years ago. Now all the habitants m
ove to another village, forgetting the ghastly past behind.
I want to stop running but my feet don't want to cooperate. I panic because my m
otor movements don't do what I want.
To my astonishment, I trip on a piece of wood, my knees buckling underneath me a
nd I stumble to the ground, hip first. The only choice I have is to sit on the d
usty pavement. And cry. Because that's the only thing I can do. My lungs are hav
ing difficulty in breathing. It hurts so much- every part of me. Even my heart l
iterally feels breaking into tiny pieces.
All I want is my mom who can comfort me. I long for her arms to wrap around me,
telling me that everything will be alright, even though it seems impossible at t
he moment.
Fishing my phone from my pocket, I dial her number with shaking hands. She picks
it up after the third ring.
"Mom," I choke, gasping for breaths, "I need you. Please help me."
*****
So sorry for waiting! A lot of fortuitous events happened that led me to post th
is later than planned.
I hope you liked this chapter :) It's short, but I have to end it here. I'll upl
oad the next one as soon as I can. Thank you so much for keeping up with me! I a
ppreciate it
Banner by Anne Bagsic.
For those who are interested in joining the One-Shot Contest, you still have a f
ew more days to submit your entry :)
I went to the Wattpad MeetUp and had a great time interacting with Filipino Watt
padders :) Louisse *fallenbabybubu* and Gaile *purple-ish* were there, and it wa
s fun talking to them :)
Thank you for reading The Bet! =)
*******************************************
[60] The Bet *Losing Hope
*******************************************
Oh my! 7,000,000+ reads! Thank you so much everyone! :)
If you're confused about something (on the story / anything), or if you have a q
uestion, or you need a reply, POST A MESSAGE on the Facebook page/Message Board.
Thanks!
The songs for this chapter are With Me by Sum 41, Too Much by All Time Low, and
Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons (suggested by AriaRaines). Banner on the sid
e by IamaRyHard.
Happy Easter! Thank you!
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 53 *Losing Hope*
~ Drake
My stomach is twisting into knots, and my heart pounds on every step I take. Sti
ll, I continue to walk. I'm like a lost spirit- a lost ghost. My life is just a
piece of crap now. I don't have a direction anymore.
It's my entire fault.
It's my entire fault.
Self pity- the worst enemy.
Everything I worked hard for came crashing down in just a single day.
My mind replays the scene from yesterday again and again. As if I still need a r
eminder of my worst day.
I hate you. I hate everything about you.
I'm not stupid! I know your bet with Andre!
I pretended that I was falling in love with you.
My head wants to explode! Someone is hammering it, and I can't think clearly!
I never want to see you again!
I want to bang my head on a wall to stop these thoughts from haunting me. I can'
t take it anymore! I'm going to be crazy!
I went home last night after I talked to Pie. I wanted to run after her but I kn
ew she needed to be alone. She would just be angry at me if I followed her.
I didn't eat and sleep. I didn't even have a piece of mind. I haven't talked to
a single person for the past few hours. As soon as the sun came up, I walked out
of the house and got inside my car.
I drove to the places where I had a great time with Pie. Every little thing remi
nds me of her.
The Paint Shop. Coffee Academy. The Dark Alley. The Mall. The river where we wat
ched the fireworks display. The Park.
One time, my tears blurred my vision I almost crashed on the streetlights. Fortu
nately, I spun the wheel at the last second.
So here I am, walking on a secluded place in town. My tears are too many to hand
le. I don't even recall the last time I cried. Well, exceptt for last night. I c
an't die without seeing Pie for one last time.
A bird perched on a tree snaps me out of my trance. It's chirping a simple sound
.
Suddenly it makes me think of Pie.
I still remember the day when I heard her singing a song. It's one of those days
when she was still living in Andre's house. I was about to knock and ask her ab
out our homework in Literature but a muffled sound made me stop.
Inconspicuously, I open the door without knocking. What I see surprised me.
Her hair's up in a messy bun, but it looks good on her. Like, she styled it. Her
eyes are closed and she's singing. She really feels the song. Her fingers are s
napping to the tune of the music only she can hear. I think her headphones are b
lasting in their full volume.
A brush is on her hand, and she's using it like a microphone. Her voice is so sw
eet, like cotton candy that melts on your tongue. Her head is nodding, banging l
ike a rockstar. She's carefree, like she owns the world.
A smile makes its way on my face as I stare at her. I wish I brought my cell pho
ne with me so that I can take a picture of her.
She looks so young and happy. She reminds me of Taylor Swift's music video of Yo
u Belong With Me.
I'm glad her eyes are closed because for sure, she'll be mad if she finds me wat
ching her little show.
To my astonishment, she whips around.
Before I know what I'm doing, I quickly shut the door and run to my room. I clos
e it behind me and lean on it. I'm sure she saw me. I can't believe my heart can
beat like this. Am I having a heart attack?
Suddenly there are footsteps on the hallway. And then Pie's voice as she says, "
Is anyone out there?"
After a few seconds of silence, she decides that it's nothing and goes back to h
er room.
Phew! That was close.
A silly grin is still on my face as I recall her face as she's singing Avril Lav
igne's Girlfriend. I'm sure I'll have this memory for a long time.
All those times we were together, they're just memories now. There's a huge poss
ibility that they won't happen again. Even memories fade away. In the end, I'll
be left with nothing.
After telling her that I love her, this is what I got. It's like a slap on the f
ace, but a hundred times more painful than that. I don't know if I am being melo
dramatic but I think my heart is broken.
I used to laugh at my friends when they told me that their heart shattered becau
se of an unrequited love.
Now I realize that it's not something to be laughed at.
It's my first time to fall in love and it feels like a joke, taunting me. It's n
ever good to play with anyone's emotions. I should have known that. I should hav
e listened to my father. But I did not.
I flinch as I remember what he told me.
I learned from my mistakes. I hope you won't repeat them.
I guess history is repeating itself.
Sophia, Sophia, Sophia
Why doesn't she believe that I love her? Is it impossible? Perhaps she thinks I'
m incapable of loving. But I can't blame her for her accusations. After what she
learned, how can she trust me again?
A sigh escapes from my lips as I ponder all my mistakes.
Mistakes after mistakes.
She thinks that after the horrible things that happened to her, I'd still hurt h
er. I'm not heartless. When I found out about her family, it hurt me too. I coul
dn't fathom she already experienced that kind of pain for such a young age.
I did not for a second think that she's shallow and stupid. I did not even think
that she's weak. I was so careless; I did not know she heard us that night. Tha
t dream. That nightmare. It was a sign.
That's not the point. The point is I played her heart. Even though I cancelled t
he bet, what I did was a mistake. I shouldn't have done that in the first place.
She knew the bet a long time ago, so everything she did was to hurt me.
I thought she was falling in love with me too.
I'm wrong!
Karma is eating me now, swallowing me whole. I have a feeling I'm becoming nothi
ng.
Pie, Pie, Pie
What do I have to do to make you believe that I really love you?
I can still reminisce the day when I realized that I love her. It's the day when
I found out that she's sick and I skipped school just to see her and make sure
that she's okay.
Wait. Who am I kidding?
I already love her even before then.
I wouldn't make an effort just to surprise her for her birthday if I don't love
her. If it's just a game.
In my heart I know that what I feel for her is real, even though my stubborn hea
d doesn't want to admit it.
The day when I called Andre to cancel the bet is still fresh from my mind, like
it happened yesterday.
After taking care of Pie, I go directly to their house. He's waiting for me in h
is room.
"What do you want to say?" he says as soon as I come in.
How can I tell him that I want to cancel the bet without implying that I love Pi
e?
"Why do you look so nervous?" Andre says bemusedly.
"I'm not," I deny quickly.
He rolls his eyes and says, "Spill it already! Your nervousness is contagious; I
can feel it crawling on my arms." He shudders and rubs his arms as if what he's
saying is real.
"Listen," I start. "I think we should stop the bet."
"What?"
"I said we should-"
"I heard you," he says sarcastically, not bothering to roll his eyes this time.
"Then why did you say 'What?'?" I ask, annoyed.
He sits on the edge of his bed and says, "What I meant was why?"
"I don't know," I lie. "You know, our deal was never good in the first place. Yo
u're really stupid for thinking about it."
"Now it's my fault?" he says, throwing me one of his pillows.
I easily dodge it and throw it back at him. "So, what do you think?"
He shrugs. "That's fine. I already asked you a couple of times before if you wan
ted to forget it but you said you never back down."
I cringe.
"So what made you decide to cancel it?" he inquires, cocking his eyebrow.
"I just don't want to do it anymore," I say indifferently, acting like I don't c
are.
"Really?" he looks like he doesn't believe me.
"Yeah. We're okay now?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
"Drake?"
"What?" I ask. There's something about his voice"Are you falling in love with Sophia?"
"WHAT?" I choke out. And then I cough because I have hard time breathing.
"Easy," he says, getting up and tapping me on the back.
I think my lungs are malfunctioning. Andre's question knocks the best out of me!
After a few seconds of utter embarrassment, I'm finally able to breathe normally
.
Andre gives me a calculating look, like he's studying me. I hate it when he does
that. It's as if he's trying to know what I'm thinking. It's the same with Dria
na- when she wants to know my secrets. Those two have creepy similarities.
"What happened?" he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What happened?" I ask wryly.
"Drake, I'm your best friend," he says matter-of-factly. "You can tell me if you
love Sophia."
I don't know why I can't admit to him that I love Sophia.
"You love her, right?" he continues, as if he's stating a fact. "Is that why you
want to stop our deal?"
"Of course not," I mutter. "I just don't want to see her get hurt." That's true
though.
He narrows his eyes but doesn't budge in anymore.
"Why did you even choose that dare in the first place?" I ask curiously. "And wh
y Sophia Taylor?"
He looks at me thoughtfully and says, "Perhaps I'll tell you someday."
"Someday?" I say incredulously. "Why not now?"
"Because I don't want to," he says, smirking. "Besides, you don't want to tell m
e what's really happening between Sophia and you."
"Andre!"
As if I can tell him that I've been in love with Pie for a couple of days now. H
e'll just annoy me. And he might spill it to Pie without a second thought.
"Drake!" he mimics the tone of my voice. He's back with his irritating self.
There are times when I really wonder why we're best friends.
Call me crazy or an idiot but I'm thankful for the bet. Without it, I wouldn't m
eet Pie. I wouldn't be friends with her. I wouldn't fall in love.
I had the right love at the wrong reason.
Maybe I deserve this. I don't deserve her. Maybe it's our destiny. We are not me
ant to be.
When did you become so pessimistic?
I'm startled to hear the voice in my head, I stop walking.
Instead of moping around, why don't you make a plan to win her back?
Win her back? I think ruefully. Win her back?
I never thought of that!
Maybe. Maybe I can. Maybe we can even be friends?
Friends? That's not even close to what I want, but it's better than nothing.
Stop thinking about Maybe's! Think positive! You still have a chance to be toget
her!
Right!
I'd do anything to make it up to her. All I want is for us to be together again.
Though literally we were never together.
I can't just let her go. After all we've been through; I can't turn my back on m
y feelings for her. I have to fight for her. I can't lose her.
She taught me a lot of things. I learned a lot because of her. Not just about sc
hool, but about life. The best part of my existence is when I was with her. With
out her, I'm nothing. There's no doubt I change into a good person because of he
r. So how can I live without her?
I want to see her eyes that can brighten me even in my darkest day. I want to se
e her contagious smile that can lighten my mood. I want to see her soft lips. An
d yeah, I want to kiss her. I want to be on her side for the rest of my life.
I already found the right one for me, and I won't let anything, even fate, decid
e what's best for me.
Now, I'm going to make Sophia Taylor realize that I love her, and she loves me t
oo.
*******************************************
[61] The Bet *Futile Chance
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 54 *Futile Chance*
~Drake
explain.
"See, Sophia never, as in never, in her life she cut class. Not even a single o
ne," she says, a concern expression on her face.
"Maybe something came up so she decided to go home or. . ." I trail off, thinki
ng positive thoughts.
"I don't know."
"Didn't she tell you anything?" I inquire.
"No," Driana mumbles, playing with the hem of her shirt.
"Have you tried calling her phone?"
"Yes. But it's out of coverage area."
"What about her mom?" I ask hopefully.
"Yes. She was even surprised that I called her," she says.
"Did she say anything about Sophia?"
"No. . . She's at home, same with her husband. She even asked me what Sophia is
doing. And when she asked me why I was calling, I said that I dialed the wrong
number." She smiles sheepishly and continues, "I don't want them to worry about
their daughter."
I guess I know what this is all about. Maybe she doesn't want to see me. Especi
ally we're classmates in Literature.
I close my eyes and imagine the places where she would go. And there are many.
I don't even know where to start.
What are you going to do? My voice wonders.
What do you think? I retort.
Would I ask if I know the answer?
You'll see.
I walk to the direction leading to the parking lof of the school.
"Where are you going?" Driana calls after me.
"I'm coming after Sophia," I answer.
*~*_*~*_*~*
~Sophia
ly a few people know about. So why am I here in this place? Aside from me, there
's only one person who knows about where I'm about to go.
And I cut class because of him. Because I don't want to see him. I'm afraid my
emotions will get mixed again and they will confuse me.
So why am I going to his haven?
Sometimes I don't understand myself.
But still, there's a huge probability that he'll not follow me here.
Who am I kidding? After our fight, he wouldn't talk to me again. Much less find
me in his secret place. Well, it's not as if I'm missing.
Sophia Taylor, admit it already!
There's no point in lying to myself. Truth is, I don't even know if I'm going t
o the right direction. The first and only time I came here, I did not really loo
k around because I was assured that he knew the way.
I continue my path, tripping every now and then because of the scattered branch
es, fallen trees, twigs, and slippery path. Now I realize how much he helped me
on our way to his secret place. It's hard when you're alone hiking. No one will
guide me when I fall and when there are branches on the way.
If it's tiring on the first time, this time it's unbearable.
Still, I continue my way. I'm not going to turn around and go home. Besides, I
doubt I'll know the way back to the road. Luck isn't even on my side because my
phone is not working. Hooray!
Good thing I'm not wearing heels. My clothes are more comfortable than the last
time I came here.
To my credit, I remember some familiar sights while I'm walking. This is a sign
that I'm not lost, right? Yeah, keep thinking positive thoughts. Nothing will h
appen when I just stand here and wait for someone to save me. Because no one wil
l.
Sweat pours down my face and my hair is sticking at the back of my neck. My fee
t are complaining from too much hiking. I pause and tie my hair using a ponytail
. My mouth is dry, it's as if a sandpaper is rubbing on my toungue. I'm thirsty!
The sun is not helping either. The air is hot, although I'm surrounded by trees
.
After resting for a couple of minutes, I continue my way. I think I'm near beca
use I see the huge tree. I remember him pushing its branch to reveal the other
side- the magical place.
*~*_*~*_*~*
~Drake
Where is she?
I've been into the places where I think she would go: Library, Mall, Bookstores
, and I even drive around town. But of course when a person is hiding, she won'
t go to the obvious place.
Pie! Why are you doing this?
I feel guilty for making her cut class. If only I didn't enter her life, she wo
n't do this. She won't be miserable. I'm so worried, my hands are trembling on t
he steering wheel. But I don't want to ask help from my friends. Much less the p
olice. They will sure tell Pie's parents and everything will tumble down.
The ringing of my phone snaps me out of my thoughts.
"Hey," I answer, not bothering to look at the caller id.
"Where are you?" Andre asks.
Glancing at the dashboard, the clock's light blinks back at me. 3:00 in the aft
ernoon. I've been searching for her for almost three hours now.
I'm sure I'll get in trouble for cutting classes. First when Pie was sick, now
when Pie is missing.
"Downtown," I say. Actually, I'm in the park where"Have you seen her?" he inquires, interrupting my thoughts.
He knows?
Driana told him, my voice says obviously.
Why?
Ask him.
Ignoring the voice inside my head, I reply to Andre, "No, not yet."
"I'll help you find her as soon as I can."
"Thanks."
"No problem," he says. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's okay."
"I hope," I mutter. I can't forgive myself if something bad happens to her.
"Dude, you're the optimist here," he reminds me.
"I'll try to remember that," I say wryly. "Bye-"
"Wait!" he says quickly.
"What?" I ask, frowning. I have to continue my search now.
"Try to find Sophia on places that she'll less likely go," he advices.
She'll less likely go?
I don't haveThere's one place I haven't checked yet.
*~*_*~*_*~*
~Sophia
me that playing his heart will not give me satisfaction. Now we're both broken.
We're both paying for the consequences we made.
"I. . . I was looking for you," he says, walking slowly towards me and stopping
a few yards away, maybe afraid to be near me because I might snap at any second
.
Why is he looking for me? Did they think that I was missing? My throat is dry,
it's hard to talk!
"Driana told me that you decided to cut class without explaining the reason why
," he continues. "She asked me if we're fighting. . ."
I haven't informed Dri about what happened to her twin and me. Because as of no
w, I can't even understand it myself.
"What about you?" he asks. "What are you doing here?"
To get away from you, I want to yell, but instead I say, "Why woul I tell you?"
He sighs and glances up at the sky. He's so different from the Drake I know - t
he one who's always smiling, who can make everyone around him happy. This Drake
is full of sadness and it's like he's carrying the weight of the world on his sh
oulders.
"What happened?" he asks, kicking a rock in front of him.
"I saw you with Cassidy," I blurt out.
"What?!"
"You were having a good time dating her!"
"No, no," he says quickly, vehemently shaking his head. "It's. . . we didn't. .
. I mean, we were just talking."
"Really?" I say sarcastically. It's obvious that he's lying! He's stuttering! A
nd then I compose myself and say, "As if I care!"
"So this is what it's all about?" he asks, realization finally dawning in. "You
saw me with her and you assumed that there's something going on between us?"
"No!" I scold, "The point is you played my heart!" I don't even know why I'm ta
lking to him.
"Pie, Cassidy and I didn't have a date," he starts, "The only time I was alone
with her was a few days ago. We were in a coffee shop. She apologized for the th
ings she did. She said she didn't know what happen to her to be rude to you. She
even told me that she'll speak with you today. Maybe apologize or something. No
thing's going on between us."
"Yeah," I say dryly. "Nothing's going on between you two."
I have a feeling that he's telling the truth though, that perhaps what they did
that day was just talk. But what happened because of that can't be changed.
"Pie, I'm sorry," he whispers.
"It doesn't change anything," I murmur.
"I may not cancel the bet as early as I should but everything I did for you was
from the heart," he states. "I did not mean to hurt you. I'm sorry."
"Right," I say sarcastically.
I don't know what to do anymore! I'm confused and lost.
"Why can't you believe?" he asks softly. "Ask Andre."
I scoff. "He's your best friend. Of course he'll lie too."
"Sophia Taylor!"
Startled, I look at him.
"Tell me," he says pleadingly, "What do I have to do make you believe that what
I feel for you is real?"
He captures me in his gaze, now I can't tear my eyes away from him.
"Nothing."
In that single word, it's as if his world came crashing down. Color drains fro
m his face, and he just stands there, looking at me without saying anything for
a while.
Perhaps he had enough of me. Now he's going to stop from proclaiming his love f
or me.
"Please, let me take you home," he says tiredly. "I promise I wont talk to you
for the whole ride."
"I don't believe you." I doubt if I can ever trust him again.
"Your parents are worried about you," he continues. "And Driana is probably con
templating to call the police or not."
I can't be budge. I'd rather stay herethan be with him.
To my surprise, he hands his car key to me. "If you don't want me to take you h
ome, at least use my car so you can go out of this place."
"What?" I say incredulously.
He keeps dangling the key in front of me but I don't bother to take it from him
.
"Go home," he says.
"Why don't you go home?" I snap. "Just leave me alone!"
"I can't just leave you here," he says, running his hand through his hair.
"Aren't you listening to me?" I say furiously. "I said I don't want to see you
again! Ever!" And then I turn my back and walk away from him.
He catches up after a few yards and to my utter disbelief, he grabs my arm to s
top me.
"Let me go!" I push him and he raises both his hands.
"Okay, if you let me take you home," he says, "I won't talk to you again. I won
't bother you anymore."
I look at him doubtfully. Is he telling the truth?
"I swear," he says, as if reading my thoughts. "I won't even glance at your way
. How's that? A life free off Drake Swift?"
A life without Drake Swift?
Something tugs at my heartstrings but I ignore it.
He's my only chance of going home so I might as well grab the opportunity.
"Okay."
I can't tell if he's disappointed or not. He easily changed his expression and
wear an indifferent mask.
"Let's go," he says finally, and starts walking back to the path leading to the
road.
I follow after him, my heart pounding in my chest.
Maybe this is good. If I won't talk to him and won't see him like before, my fe
elings for him will vanish.
Evaporate.
Gone.
I'd rather die than admit that I love him.
*****
I hope you liked it :)
I already know some of the winners of the One-Shot Contest. Read the entries and
vote for your favorite because one of the stories will win because of the numbe
r of votes. Go to "My Library" and click "One-Shot for The Bet".
I'm not satisfied with this chapter. This is the outcome when I force myself to
write -___- I'll probably change and add some parts later. . .
The song is Somewhere Only We Know by Keane (I forgot who suggested this) Banner
by Kimy Sanchez.
Thank you!
*******************************************
[62] The Bet *Confidant
*******************************************
Happy Reading! (:
"Good," he replies, rubbing his palms together, "Because I have an idea to make
Sophia realize that what you feel for her is real. That you really love her."
A grin makes its way onto my face. "Let's hear it," I say, excited to know his p
lan.
I can't wait to be with Pie again. If she thinks that I'm giving up, she's wrong
. And I'll prove to her how much she means to me. What I told her in the woods w
as true- that I won't talk to her, but that doesn't mean I won't do anything to
change her heart and mind.
I feel clever for thinking that plan. Well, it's Andre's idea but I changed some
of it. I hope her anger for me will vanish when I take it into action.
Falling in love with Pie is the best thing I've ever done. If only she'll return
it, I'll be the luckiest guy on earth.
*****
Hello! I hope you liked it (Even though it's very short. This is just a teaser). A
nd I'm sorry for the lack of updates. . . I was supposed to post this last week
but I didn't have time to type. I've been really busy for the past couple of da
ys. I'll upload the next part as soon as I can. I will announce the winners of t
he contest as well.
The song is I Won't Give Up On Us by Jason Mraz. Banner by TheSuperGirl.
I graduated last Friday! :) Whoop! I finally got my College diploma after fiftee
n years of studying :D
Thank you so much everyone! I hope you'll wait patiently for the next part. Than
k you! :)
*******************************************
[63] The Bet *Poignant Confession
*******************************************
The winners of the One Shot Contest are:
First place: AnotherUnknownPerson AND CrazyChocoholic
Second place: Fallingleaves18 AND _peacegirl_
Highest number of votes: AnnaxLove
Congratulations! :)
AND because I am grateful to everyone who joined, I'll dedicate a chapter to all
of you. Thank you so much! I had a great time reading your entries =)
The songs are It's All Coming Back To Me Now by Celine Dion and Sweet Serendipit
y by Lee DeWyze. Banner by FitaLP .
Thank you so much for reading my story
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 55 Part 2 *Poignant Confession
~ Sophia
e to be with you. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're not pretty. But stil
l. . ."
Cassidy thinks I'm pretty? I thought in her world, she's the only one allowed t
o be called pretty. Or beautiful. Or whatever.
"Let's forget the past and move forward, alright?" she says, finally letting go
of my hands with a final squeeze. "Besides, we're seniors, and we should rule t
he school instead of fighting.
I guess it's her way of saying sorry then. "Okay," I agree. I don't like having
enemies, and she's right. It's our last year in high school and we might as wel
l live with it.
"Sophia, I see how Drake looks at you, especially when you're not aware of it,"
Cassidy says thoughtfully. "I know it's not just infatuation, but the real thin
g. I wanted him to gaze at me the same way, but I'm wishing for the impossible.
You already captured his heart. I found out about that when I asked him to meet
me. The way he talked about you, the way his eyes lit up when he said your name,
I knew then that he truly loves you. And there's nothing I can do to change tha
t."
What is she talking about?
Cassidy waits for me to respond, but my lips are locked, I can't even utter a s
ingle syllable.
She frowns, and then sighs, like a true cheerleader. "See you around," she says
, walking away, leaving me staring at her retreating figure.
~*~*~*~*~
Every morning, when I open my locker, I always get a note. They are reminders o
f the past. I wonder how Drake remember the things we talked about. And how did
he get this idea?
If two people are meant to be together, it doesn't mean they have to be togethe
r right now.
I said that when we watched Serendipity. That was one of the first times we wer
e alone. After that, he helped me paint my room in Andre's house.
The next day:
Life is ironic. It flows the way we don't plan it. Unexpected things happen. On
e move can change your life forever.
That's from our topic in Literature, when Parker became our substitute teacher.
It feels like a long time ago. . .
And then:
We can't help who we fall in love with. It's even surprising when you find out
that everything you want is not going according to plan.
Days passed, but Drake and I still don't talk. Even when I see Andre in school,
I quickly walk out of the way before he can corner me.
I know that I'll find Drake's little notes when I open my locker but I can't he
lp myself to read them. They make me remember of what happened between us.
Falling in love with you is something I had not expected. Being in love with yo
u is something I could not stop, even if I tried.
He said that to me on my birthday. A sudden thought comes to my mind. What if ev
erything he said were all true? He did a lot of unexpected things for me. To mak
e me happy.
Wait.
Don't think about that, I remind myself. Don't buckle because of those notes!
I'm getting tired of talking to myself, but I don't want to appear weak. I need
renewed strength to be brave to face each day without him on my side.
"You know you look like a walking Zombie, don't you?"
"Don't remind me," I mutter.
Driana sighs. "I know you're still mad at my twin, but don't let it get to you.
" She holds my arm and raises it. "Look, you're loosing weight! You have to be s
trong, and you can lean on me when you can't take it anymore."
"Thank you," I say gratefully. Until now, I can't believe I told Driana everyth
ing. "How are you and Andre?"
"We haven't talked, and I keep ignoring him." She shrugs, like she doesn't care
, but she can't fool me.
I feel bad for ruining their relationship. "I'm sorry," I say, squeezing her ha
nd.
"Don't be," she says. "It's not your fault. They're both jerks for playing a ga
me on you. I can't believe Drake can be that heartless. And Andre. . ." she trai
ls off, a longing on her voice.
"Hey," I say, smiling sadly.
"It feels wrong being happy when you're suffering." She sobs, and wipes the fre
sh tears from her eyes. "I'm not being biased or anything, but I know Draky care
s about you."
"Don't cry," I say instead, while giving her a hug. I hope the saying, 'Time he
als wound will apply to me.'
Unfortunately, I can't help but wonder what's happening in Drake's life right no
w.
Do you think of me like I think of you?
I sigh and read the new notes I found in my locker.
We can't just stop our feelings, no matter how hard we try.
The best part of my life is the time I spend with you.
Really, Drake?
Whenever I see him in the hallway, he moves. It's as if I do not exist
rst place. I'm lying if I say I don't care because I do. And it breaks
when he ignores me. But I have to remind myself that it's what I want.
y choice. We can't just act like nothing happened. Aside from that, we
t forget.
in the fi
my heart
This is m
can't jus
One day, while arranging my things on my drawer, I see Parker's gift for me on m
y birthday. Until now, I don't know how he took this picture in the locket. Drak
e and I looked happy here, as if we were a couple having our best date.
Our double date with Parker and Chloe was one of the best days of my life. I had
so much fun, especially when we watched the fireworks display.
I shake my head slowly. There's no point reminiscing the happy moments. They wo
n't happen again. Out of nowhere, I remember Drake's present for me.
I get the pieces of puzzle from the box and stare at them doubtfully. What will
I do now?
Why don't you put them together to find out the message that he has for you? A
tiny voice whispers at the back of my mind.
What's the point? He doesn't care about me anymore. He can't even glance at my
wayThere's no harm in trying.
Kneeling down on the edge of my bed, I start to put the pieces of puzzle togeth
er. It's kind of hard because they look the same. After a few minutes, I can get
words like you, and an image. But I still can't figure out what they're all abo
ut. Before I complete the puzzle, I get its meaning. And without my permission,
tears flow from my eyes, blurring my vision.
I . . . I can't believe he did something like this. Something so precious and u
nique.
So how can I not trust him? After all we've been through, everything he did for
me; I thought they were all a lie. Little did I know that they came from the he
art. I'm so stupid for letting him go. He loved me, and I hurt him.
I should have completed this puzzle when he gave it to me! I might have prevent
ed our fight. And we'll still be together. The puzzle is the key all along! No w
onder he wanted me to know its message. Everything falls back to its place now.
It made me realize what I have- had. It made my eyes clearer; leaving the decept
ion and lies behind.
Glancing at the puzzle one more time, I complete its missing parts and marvel a
t its beauty.
The sky is dark and full of stars. They even have the illusion of twinkling. I
know that they will glow in the darkness. There are two figures side by side, ga
zing at the stars. The man's arms are wrapped around the woman's. On the lower p
art are the words:
Pie, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I love you.
What will I do? I have mixed feelings and most of the time, I don't understand
myself. I hug Shea close to my chest and sob. I am hurting. He is hurting. This
is the price for our little game. I have to admit that it was partly my fault to
o. How can I make it right?
I want to live peacefully, and I miss him so much. I miss his eyes that can sta
re right through my soul, his voice that can serenade me, his touch that promise
everything will be alright. I miss everything about him!
How can I be such an idiot for pushing him away when he said sorry a lot of tim
es and proved how much he loved me? I hope his feelings have not changed yet. I
think it's time to restore our relationship.
Just then, I remember something I said to him weeks ago. People do stupid things
for love. But as long as you follow your heart, you will be at peace.
I have to see him now, and talk to him. I pray he'll still accept me after I ca
used him pain. God, please help me. Please put sense into his heart and mind so
that he'll love me again. I've never loved anyone as much as I love him.
Grabbing my phone, I quickly dial his number. My fingers are shaking badly, but
after a few tries, I get it correctly. To my disappointment, it goes directly t
o voice mail.
Not wanting to wait until tomorrow, I decide to call Driana. She picks up after
the second ring.
"Hello," she greets.
"Hey, are you with Drake?" I ask nervously.
"No, he's not in the house," she answers. "Why?"
"I have to talk to him." Even my voice is shaking!
"He said he'll walk to the park," Driana says. I can see her in my mind with a
concern expression on her face.
"Oh, thanks!"
"Are you okay?" she asks hesitantly.
"I will be," I respond, and I know it's true.
Not bothering to change, I quickly walk out of the house and run to the nearest
park in town. I know there are a lot of parks, but I might as well start here.
I hope he'll not decide to change his destination.
When I arrive in the park, I'm surprised to find it full of people. What's the
occasion? Is there some kind of event today? I look around and search for Draky,
but it's hard when people are swarming my vision.
Where is he?
I choose to walk all over the park and scan for any sign of him. What feels lik
e hours later, my feet start to trip each other. Aside from that, my head pounds
as people accidentally shove me as they hurriedly catch up with their friends.
Sweat pours down my face as I round the last curve of the park.
He smiles, that irresistibly good, that makes my knees wobble. Thank God, Draky
is holding me.
"I can live without you," he says, his gaze piercing into mine. "But my life wo
uldn't have meaning if it weren't for you. You're my everything. Thank you for t
aking me back."
"Thank you for accepting me," I respond.
He smiles, his eyes twinkling like the stars on the puzzle he gave me. "I love
you."
"I love you."
He puts his lips on mine and it takes me a second to realize that we're kissing
. And then all I can think about is that I missed him so much, even though I'm a
lready in his arms.
Why does it feel like this is my first kiss?
I can't get enough of him! We wasted a lot of days because of our mistakes, but
those our beyond us now. Nothing can keep us apart. I'm not planning on letting
him go.
I've never been so in love! No words can describe what I'm feeling right now.
After we're both running out of breath, we stop. My hands on his neck and his,
on my waist. His eyes are still closed and I'm staring at him when he plants a k
iss on my forehead.
"By the way," I say, trying to calm my heart that's trying to rip its way out o
f my chest, "I completed the puzzle."
He grins. "Figures." And then he winks at me, and I know that I won't ever stop
being in love with him.
Drake and I are not perfect. We have our flaws. But that's alright. As long as
we're together, I know that everything will be fine.
More than fine.
*******************************************
[64] The Bet *Inseparable
*******************************************
Sorry for waiting! I hope you'll like this chapter. One more to go, and then the
Epilogue. Don't worry, all your questions will be answered :)
And for those who are confused, Veronica Lavigne is Aunt V - Andre's mother.
There are two songs for this chapter: Wonderland by Natalia Kills and What Mak
es You Beautiful by One Direction. Banner by TheaDuenas13 .
Thank you so much for reading my story :)
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 56 *Inseparable
~Sophia
"Can I do it tomorrow?"
"No."
"Please?" Draky says, giving me a puppy look.
Ugh! He knows that I can't resist him when he do that. "Drake Swift!"
He sighs. "I'll only talk to him when you're with me."
"You're so stubborn, you know?"
"I know." He grins sheepishly. "But you still love me."
I bite my inner cheeks to stop them from blushing.
Draky elbows me playfully. "You love me, right?"
"Of course I love you," I murmur.
He smiles and wraps his arms around me. "So, can we just hang out here in your
room instead of-"
"No," I say firmly. "You have to talk to your dad now."
"Fine," he mumbles, a frown creasing his brow.
I rub his arm, and he relaxes at my touch. "I'm going with you."
"Thanks."
"Let's go," I say, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the house.
I've been persuading Draky to talk to his dad and restore their relationship. F
inally, he agreed. I already told him about the connection of Andre's family and
mine. He was surprised when he found out. Well, who wouldn't? We didn't know ou
r lives could intertwine like that.
We're on our way to their house when I ask, "Can you tell me what you wrote on
my paper?"
"What paper?" he asks, glancing at me in the corner of his eyes.
"The paper where all of our classmates wrote something about us."
"Why?" Draky asks, panic rising in his eyes.
"Because I want to know," I say obviously.
He sighs. "Fine. But tell me what you wrote on my paper first."
"But I asked you first!"
"Please?" he says, battling his eyelashes at me.
Ugh! He's so hard to resist! "You are my first crush."
I'm so happy, my heart wants to burst out of my chest. "Thank you," I say grate
fully.
To my surprise, she hugs me.
"Looks like someone is having a good time with her daughter-in-law."
We pull away from each other and see Draky and his father side by side. Aunt La
ura looks so happy to see them, she cries and quickly goes to where they are to
give them a hug.
Draky smiles at me as he wraps his arm around his mother. "Ma, there's no need
to cry."
Aunt Laura sniffs. "I'm just overwhelmed because you're speaking to your father
again.
Mr. Adriel, Draky's dad, wipes the tears of his wife and clasp the shoulder of
his son. Then he glances at me and I almost gasp because he looks like Draky. An
older version of him.
"Thank you Sophia," he says.
"No problem," I say shyly.
Draky walks to where I am and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Mom, Dad, I want y
ou to officially meet my girlfriend," he says proudly, "Sophia Taylor."
"Welcome to the family," Uncle Adriel says.
I almost cry out for joy, thankfully, Draky pulls me to him and hugs me tight.
After a little chat with Draky's parents, we decide to go to the nearest mall an
d celebrate.
"Do you know what I wished for in my birthday?" I say, when he starts his car.
"No. . ."
"Do you want to know?"
He takes my hand and says, "I want to know everything about you."
"Well, I wished I can go skinny-dipping with you."
"What?" he asks incredulously.
Thank God we're on a stoplight because if not"You want to see me naked?" He gapes at me, his eyes are wide and as round as s
aucers.
I laugh so hard I'm even slapping my knee.
"You're kidding," Draky observes.
"Of course I'm kidding!" When I remember the look on his face, I have another r
ound of laughter. "You should have seen you face! It was priceless!"
He rolls his eyes, but his lips is twitching in amusement. "Maybe you really wa
nt to see me naked," he says, his eyes lighting in delight. "Remember the time w
hen you went to the bathroom while I was taking a shower? There are times when I
wonder if you really"Shut up!" I say, slapping him on the shoulder.
He chuckles. "Why are you defensive?"
"I-it's b-because you're teasing m-me," I stutter. "You know that I didn't know
you were inside."
He shakes his head and thinks for a moment. "Really? I recall that-"
"Draky!"
He grins and wraps his free hand on my shoulder. "I was just kidding."
I cross my arms over my chest and pretend to be angry at him.
"Pie," he says softly, tracing down my cheek with his forefinger. "What did you
wish for?"
"I wished that everything that happened between us were real," I confess.
"Wishes do come true," he says.
"Yeah," I agree. "When I got broken hearted, I refused to believe in Fairy tale
s. I put in mind that they are just fake, a trickery of the mind. And then you c
ame. You broke the chains that locked my heart. You changed my perception of lif
e. You made me try a lot of things I wouldn't do if it weren't for you. I took r
isks that made my life exciting. I can't believe someone like you-"
"Of course I-"
"I can't believe you noticed me. So somehow, I'm grateful for the bet. Because
it made us closer. You know, even our relationship did not start good, I know it
will not end. Our love for each other is the kind that will win over death."
Draky is silent for a minute. He just stares at me and it takes me a second to
realize that we're already in the parking lot of the mall.
"That's the best speech I've ever heard," he says finally.
I smile as he tucks the lock of hair behind my ear.
"I'll sum up everything you said in three words," he says. "I love you."
"I'll add another word to that," I reply. "I love you too."
He kisses me on the cheek and then we slide out of the car. We're on our way in
side the mall when Draky suddenly stops walking. I pause too because he's holdin
g my hand.
"What?" I ask.
He's looking towards one of the outers shops and I almost choke when I see Andr
e and Driana holding hands.
We decide to eat together then, all four of us. I'm glad Draky is not angry at A
ndre and Driana for keeping their relationship a secret to him. He tells them th
at he reunites with his dad again. I'm grateful that everyone is happy.
"Hey, we'll leave you two alone," Draky says, glancing at his watch. "I heard th
at it's your date, and we don't want to ruin it."
I smile to myself. It's already 5:30 in the afternoon and I know that Andre has
more plans for his date with Driana.
"He just want Sophia all to himself," Andre says amusedly.
"What do you mean?" I ask, frowning at him.
"You know, he wants to take you in a secluded place and do-"
"Andre!" Driana chastises him.
And then I get what he means. Andre is really"Have fun," Draky says. "Andre, take care of my sister."
"Aye, aye," he replies.
And then we go our separate ways. After a few minutes of walking around, Draky
says, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" I ask. "Is it one of your secret places?"
He grins. "It's not secret anymore."
"I wonder why."
We settle in a comfortable silence, both of us contented with each other's pres
ence. I didn't know I can love someone as much as I love Draky. God, thank you s
o much for giving him to me.
"Pie."
"Hmm?"
"Wake up, Love, we're here."
I didn't know I fell asleep. Slowly, I open my eyes and see Draky's face a few
inches from my own. "Where are we?" I ask, sitting up straight. In my sleep, I l
eaned on him unconsciously.
The clock on the dashboard blinks at me. 6:57PM. We were on the road for an hou
r.
Draky smiles slyly and says, "You have to get out of the car to find out." He s
lides out and then opens the passenger door for me.
When I step out, the first thing I notice is the water. And then the different
colors of light from the buildings on the other side of the river.
A smile makes its way on my face as I recall the last time I came here. It's th
e day when Parker, Chloe, Draky and I went on a double date. After Parker and Ch
loe left, Draky brought me here to watch the"Do you want to sit?" Draky asks, snapping me out of my reverie.
"Where?" I ask. Then I remember that was the exact conversation we had. Nostalg
ia is visiting me, and it envelops me in a warm embrace.
A gasp escapes from my lips when he puts his hands on my waist and puts me on t
he hood of his car. After that, he pulls his self up and sits beside me.
A few seconds later, different types and colors of fireworks start to engulf th
e sky. The sound of every firework goes with the beat of my heart.
"I won't get tired of this," I murmur when the show ends. I lean my head on his
shoulder and he wraps his arm around me. "You never failed to surprise me."
He chuckles. "I want you to be happy."
"You make me happy."
He takes my face and stares deeply into my eyes. "You said that to me on your b
irthday. You don't know how much . . . how much that made me rejoice." He swallo
ws, his adams apple bobbing. "I want you to know that I'll always be here for yo
u."
"And I'll always be here for you too," I say, grabbing his free hand and intert
wining our fingers.
"I love you today, tomorrow, and forever," Draky tells me. "Everyday, every sec
ond, and every minute of it."
"Forever is a long time, you know," I tease.
"But I'm willing to spend it with you."
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," I state.
"Even when we move to eternal life?" he asks, a silly smile slipping off his mo
uth.
"Of course!"
"That's good, because my life would suck without you."
I smirk. "I didn't know you listen to Kelly Clarkson."
"I do not!" he says.
"Yes you do."
"Not!"
"Yes!"
"Okay, you win." He sighs, and then squezzes my hand. "You know, you don't know
everything about me."
Usually, people get angry when they hear statements like that. But I understand
him.
"That's the point of being in a relationship," I say. "Learning everything abou
t your partner. Even when you think you know every little thing."
He smiles and says, "We really are made in Heaven."
*******************************************
[65] The Bet *Forever and After
*******************************************
There are two songs for this: Mine by Taylor Swift *Pie* and Look After You by T
he Fray *Draky*.
Happy Reading! (:
Chapter 57 *Forever and After
~ Sophia
Speak Now World Tour
December 13, 2010
Grand Coliseum
Today is the day! I'm thrilled to see Taylor Swift perform live. I've been waiti
ng for weeks! Finally, in just a matter of hours, we'll watch her sing in front
of us. Thank God Draky got VIP tickets.
I check my things one last time and make sure I have everything I need.
The sound of the doorbell startles me. I grab my bag and quickly walk downstairs
. They're probably here. My friends and I decided to go to the venue a few hours
before the show starts so we'll be in front of the stage.
The anticipation of seeing Draky is indescribable. Ever since we became official
as a couple, everything fits together like a puzzle.
Taking a deep breath, I pause in front of the door. When I open it, I'm surprise
d to see the person I least expect.
"Hi," he says.
"What are you doing here?" I ask incredulously. My mood suddenly changed when I
look at him.
"Can I come in?"
"No."
Skye sighs. "I guess I'll just talk to you here."
"There's nothing to talk about," I say.
I'm not angry at him anymore. All the bitterness I felt has vanished. I don't wa
nt any bad emotions inside me. Besides, you have to forgive and forget in order
to have a good life.
Perhaps I forgave Skye the same time I confessed to Draky. But that doesn't mean
I want to do anything with him.
"Sophia," Skye says, as if I didn't say I don't want to talk to him. "I'm leavin
g. For good."
Unfortunately, curiosity gets the best of me. "What do you mean?"
"I won't come back here anymore." He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I'm
sorry for causing you so much trouble. But I heard you and Drake are back toget
her. I know you'll be happy with him."
I just stare at him while he talks. I don't know why he's saying these things no
w.
"I will treasure the times we were together," he continues. "You'll always have
a special place in my heart. I just want you to know that. Maybe someday we'll c
ross paths again. Be safe, okay?"
Then he smiles one last time, turns, and walks away.
Skye.
Gone.
A huge possibility that I won't ever see him again. I don't know why I'm sad. Ma
ybe because despite of what he did, there's still some part of me that cares for
him. You can't just erase your affection for someone.
I'm not sure how many minutes I stayed outside. What makes me move is the sound
of footsteps coming towards me.
"Missed me?" Draky says.
"Yeah," I mumble, hugging him. His arms make me safe and secured. This is what h
ome feels like. Draky is my home now.
"Time to go!" Andre yells from inside the car. "We'll be late."
Draky rolls his eyes. "He's just excited to see his favorite singer."
"Aren't you?" I ask, raising my eyebrow.
"Of course I am." He grins. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Just let me lock the door."
I make sure everything's alright inside the house, and then I locked the door be
hind me and follow Draky in his car.
I sit on the passenger seat. Andre and Driana are on the back. We talk for a whi
le, and become silent when left to our own devices. Well, except for Andre and D
riana. They're speaking in low voices.
"Hey," Draky says, concern coloring his voice, "you're unbelievably quiet. What
happened?"
I don't think twice in telling him. What's the point of having a relationship if
you will keep secrets to each other?
"I saw Skye earlier," I say.
His hands clenched on the steering wheel. "Why? What did he want?"
"He said he's sorry for everything he did," I answer. "And that he's leaving. Pr
obably never coming back again."
Draky takes my hand. "Are you okay?" he asks softly.
"Yeah," I murmur. "I was just shocked to see him. You know I don't do well with
goodbyes. And even though he hurt me, once upon a time, he loved me."
Draky mutters something under his breath.
Frowning, I turn to him. "What?"
"Nothing."
Talk about not keeping secrets. "What?" I repeat. "Don't tell me you're jealous.
"
He pretends to be busy driving. "Of course not."
"Yes, you are."
"Fine," he mutters. "You had history together."
I don't know why I find it adorable that he's jealous.
"There's nothing to be worried about," I say, squeezing his hand. "Skye is my pa
st. You are my present. And your future, if you want. . ."
"Of course," he says, interlacing our fingers. "I only want you. I need you in m
y life. Forever-"
Andre coughs suddenly. "These two love birds are starting."
"What?" I ask. "We're not doing anything!"
"You're confessing your love to each other. Again," he says amusedly, "As if I d
idn't already hear it for a hundred times."
"Do you want me to tell them how you planned your dates with my twin?" Draky say
s, glancing at Andre through the rearview mirror.
"No!" Andre shouts a look of horror on his face.
"Tell us," Driana chimes in.
"No, Drake!" Andre says, making wild gestures with his hands. "Don't tell them!"
"Why not?" Driana asks, pouting.
Draky smirks. "Yeah, why not?"
"Because we're best friends!" Andre states, as if it's the most obvious thing in
the world.
"And you're allowed to tease us?" Draky says dryly.
"Please! No!"
Driana purses her lips. "That's make us more curious, you know."
"It's a boy thing," Andre whispers loudly, which makes me laugh. "Don't tell me
you don't have secret girl things."
"We don't," I say, grinning.
"Yes you do," Andre says. "For example, maybe you two fantasize Drake and me-"
"Shut up!" Driana and I say at the same time. This blush makes the situation mor
e awkward.
"See?" Andre says, his lips twitching in delight. "That just proves my point."
And we continue like that for the rest of the drive.
I appreciate my friends. I really do. Especially they're trying to help me be ha
ppy after what occured earlier. And I know I'm okay. I'm already healed, and tha
t's because of Draky. Who knew someone who broke your heart can help you fix it
again?
Now I'm living my life one day at a time. Because I don't know how much time I'l
l have. In this world full of irony, you have to make your own path to follow. W
hile you're at it, you won't realize you're making your own story.
When we arrive on the venue, I'm not that surprised to see a lot of people. Tayl
or Swift is famous after all. Andre and Driana decides to buy some drinks while
Draky and I follow the line.
"Hey, are you a fan of Taylor Swift?"
"Nice one Sherlock," Draky murmurs in my ears. "Is it hard to guess?"
Turning to the person who spoke, I see a redheaded girl with green eyes. The hug
e smile on her face makes me think she's a bubbly person.
"Yes, we're a fan," I reply, smiling as well.
She grins. "That's cool! I've been a fan for years."
In the corner of my eyes, I see Draky shaking his head. I have an idea what he's
thinking about.
"By the way," the girl says, "I'm Jhacki."
"Hello Jhacki," I say. "I'm Sophia, and this is Drake." I gesture to him.
"Nice meeting you," Draky says politely.
"You too!" she chirps.
"Are you alone?" I ask.
"No," she responds. "I came with my friends. They just went to the restroom." Sh
e glances over my shoulder and waves her hand in the air. "There they are!"
Twisting around, I find three girls and two boys coming towards us.
Draky takes his hands off me to tie his shoe.
"Guys," Jhacki says, greeting her friends, "This is Sophia."
"Hello," I say.
The new arrivals smile at me, and Jhacki starts to introduce them. "These are my
friends; Roby, Jhaymar, Francine, Joneem, and Allie."
"Are you alone?" the dark haired guy asks. I think he's Roby. He's wearing a ner
d glasses that hides his sea-green eyes.
"Actually--"
Draky's chuckle interrupts me.
Clearing my throat, I say, "This is Drake."
"Her boyfriend," he adds.
Roby looks away quickly.
And it becomes an awkward silence. Thankfully, Andre and Driana arrives.
I introduce them to Jhacki's friends. And then the organizer's open the gates an
d we go to our separate ways, telling our goodbyes.
My friends and I walk inside the Grand Coliseum, more thrilled than ever.
We give our tickets to the lady in charge and she directed us to our place.
Excited chatters fill the place, while waiting for the concert to start.
A few minutes later, I discern that Draky is awfully quiet. And with the way he
acts, he's irritated.
"Hey. Are you annoyed?" I ask softly.
He scolds. "That guy."
"Who?" I ask, confused.
"Your new friend."
I heave a sigh. "Roby?"
"Yeah."
"What about him?"
"He thinks you're pretty."
"No, he doesn't," I say incredulously.
"Yes, he does."
There are times when I feel like dreaming. Until now, I can't believe he's mine.
How in the world did he fall in love with me? It's surreal! What if he vanish a
nd all of this will be gone like a puff of smoke?
"Hey," he says, squeezing my hand, "you're daydreaming again. What's the point o
f thinking when I'm here?"
"You're so-"
"So handsome?" he interjects. "So irresistibly good? So perfect?"
"So full of yourself," I say, laughing at his priceless expression.
His eyes smile mischievously, and before I know what he's up to, he plants a kis
s on my lips.
"Drak-"
"Stop, you two," Andre says, pretending to be annoyed, "You're starting again! W
hy are you making me jealous?"
Andre is really funny. He's the joker in our group, never failing to make us lau
gh. A thought suddenly fills my mind, and I ask it without thinking twice.
"Andre, why me?"
"What?" he asks, confused.
"Why did you choose me?" I ask, giving him a meaningful look.
"Oh. That." His expression becomes thoughtful. He's like, processing the words i
n his head, trying to find a good way to tell us.
I look at Draky. "Do you know his reason?"
"No," he answers. "He said he'll tell me sometime."
"This is the right time," Driana says softly.
"I love my best friend," Andre says, while looking at me. "And I know you're the
only one who can love him the way he deserves. But I'm sorry. Because of my pla
n, a lot of people got hurt. I guess I should have said everything in the first
place." He shakes his head and gives me a sad smile. "It's just, the moment I sa
w you on the first day of freshmen year, I knew that you and Drake are perfect f
or each other. I'm sorry, yet I'm glad I'm right. Unfortunately, it took me so l
ong to take my plan into action. But you know what they say; the beginning doesn
't matter. What matters is the ending."
So, that's his reason. Straight to the point. We are all silent as we think it t
hrough.
"What's the bet?" I ask after a while.
Draky glances at Andre, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"What?" I ask suspiciously.
"I don't think it's important," he replies.
"Still," I insist.
He sighs. "It was just a game, let's forget it." He seems embarrassed, and that
makes me more curious. "Besides, some questions are better left unanswered," he
says smoothly.
"And a little mystery is good for the heart," Andre adds.
I open my mouth to ask him again when Andre says, "Look, the concert is about to
start."
My eyes turn to the stage where the lights start to change colors and smoke come
s from the center.
Andre is distracting me, but I'm not giving up. I may not know their bet now but
I know I will. I glance at Driana from the corner of my eyes and see her starin
g at me. We probably have the same line of thoughts"Drop everything now!" Taylor Swift comes out of the stage, singing Sparks Fly;
the first song in her setlist. And so the show begins, and so is the singing, or
should I say screaming crowd.
This will be a long night.
After two hours, the most awaited concert of the year has ended. My ears are rin
ging, there's a buzzing sound from somewhere inside my eardrums. My legs are sha
king beneath me. My voice is raspy. But I'm so happy! This is the first concert
I've watched and I'm glad it was Taylor Swift's concert.
We're all buzzing with excitement as we go home. We chatter, as if we're not tir
ed. This is definitely one of the best days of my life.
~*~*~*~
And so, life continues normally. It goes on like before.
Days, weeks, months passed. It's almost graduation, and all the students are thr
illed for the school year to end.
There are a lot of preparations, exams, and activities for senior students.
Still, Draky and I make time for each other. We plan dates together, sometimes w
ith Andre and Driana. The thought of being separated from him is too much to bea
r so I don't think about it. Besides, I'm sure nothing will ever come between us
.
Today is one of the days when we like to stroll to the park and just be together
.
"I got in!"
"What?" I ask, confused.
I've never seen Draky excited like this. "I got in the college I applied to!"
"You did?" I say, almost jumping up and down in happiness. "What university? Con
gratulations! I know you can do it!"
He smiles softly, his eyes staring straight into mine. "That's because of you. Y
ou have a lot of faith in me."
Happy Reading! (:
Infinity
~ Sophia
After four years of studying across the country and living in a dorm, it feels g
ood to be back home.
Home. To some, it is a place. To others, it is a person. To a few, it is a feeli
ng. A feeling that wherever you are, whomever you are with, you are home. But re
member, home is where the heart is.
Through the years, Draky is my home.
Just thinking about him makes the butterfly in my stomach flutter. We've survive
d college together. Draky, Andre, Driana and I went to Yale. My friends who are
there for good times and in bad. . . Who would have thought we'll attend the sam
e university? It was a great experience. We made every moment count. And we beco
me closer than ever.
Now I'll find a job that will help me grow as an individual and as a young profe
ssional. I will finally live in their so called real world.
The ringing of my phone snaps me from my reverie. "Hello," I say, answering it.
"Let's go out," Draky responds. His voice sends electric shock through my body.
"Sure," I say breathlessly. It's exactly a week now that we came home, after gra
duation. And we almost spend our days together.
"I'll come by at five."
"Okay. See you!" And then we hung up.
I wonder where we will go today. Draky has a lot of secret places. I'm unfolding
them one by one, but I know there are more that I haven't seen. While we were s
tudying, we traveled to different places, finding new roads, making new memories
. And yes, talking to strangers when we got lost.
While waiting for the time, I grab A Midsummer Night's Dream from my bookshelf a
nd read. A smile forms on my lips as I remember the times when Draky and I had o
ur tutoring session. It's been years! And look at us now, more intact than ever.
Two hours prior the appointed time, I get ready. I'm not sure what we'll do so I
wear a dress. It's pale blue, with a fitted bodice. Its skirt is full, the kind
that sways when you twirl.
Before the clock strikes five, there's a knock on the front door. Opening it, I
see Draky. He still looks the same seventeen year old boy I fell in love with bu
t he has matured as well. He's so handsome I can't believe I can call him mine.
"Staring at someone is rude," he says amusedly.
"There are exceptions to every rule."
He laughs, and it's the best sound in the world. "Fine, you can stare at me as l
ong as you want."
I open my mouth to reply and he kisses me. It's soft and slow, like we're savori
ng every second. I'm in cloud nine again, floating happily.
We pull away after a minute, and he leans his forehead to mine. "Time to go," he
murmurs.
Draky holds my hand as we walk along the path. A distant memory wants to resurfa
ce, like, I've been here before. I can't be sure though, because my eyes are sti
ll covered.
Several steps later, Draky stops.
"We're here?"
"Yeah," he chokes the word out as he unties the blindfold.
I blink my eyes repeatedly as they adjust. There are a lot of lights surrounding
us. Christmas lights are all over the place- trees, ground, on the fountain- ev
erywhere. They are decorated in a fascinating pattern and they change color afte
r a few seconds.
It's almost dark, and stars are slowly showing in the sky. It's beautiful, I fee
l like I'm in a fairytale.
The last time I came here was almost five years ago. On my seventeenth birthday.
This is the place where we first kissed. Where he gave me the necklace I am wea
ring right now. Where he first told me that he was falling in love with me.
Clearing my throat, I ask, "What's the occasion?" This place brings back so many
memories.
Before he can answer, I hear footsteps coming towards us. Instinctively, I move
and lean towards Draky and he wraps his arms around me. He's not that troubled t
hough. And it calms my thundering heart.
Then the faces of the people come into view and I squeal in delight.
My parents, Mr. and Mrs. Swift, Andre, Driana, Aunt V, Rain, Parker, Chloe, and
their three year old daughter Eunice, stops a few yards from us.
"What are you doing here?" I ask excitedly. I'm about to go to them when Andre s
hakes his head and starts talking.
"First day: tutoring session. Second day: Drake stayed in our house."
Frowning, I ask, "What are you talking about?"
He grins and ignores my question. "Third day: the bathroom scene."
My eyes widen as I discover what's happening. The bathroom scene. . . Andre is t
alking about the days revolving around the bet. Did that mean Draky was keeping
tabs back then?
"Fourth day," Driana says, continuing where Andre left off, "I visited you. Fift
h day: they figured out when's your birthday."
On and on it goes. Every one of them speaks about the days Draky and I shared to
gether. Did our parents know about the bet now? I'm too overwhelmed to respond.
I just stare at them and try to figure out what's going on.
I should know what's unfolding in front of me, but my muddled mind can't grasp i
t. To make matters difficult, I'm about to cry.
And then all of a sudden, they stop. The last day Parker said was when Draky and
I reconciled.
Draky takes both of my hands, and to my surprise, he drops down on one knee.
Drops down on one knee. . .
How many times have I seen a man do this in a movie?
How many books have I read about this kind of scene?
My mouth opens in shock as I realize the meaning of this. Never in my mind had I
thought I'll be in this kind of situation. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I
glance at everyone around me.
All my loved ones are here, sharing this enchanted moment with Draky and me. My
mom is crying and smiling at the same time. My dad's arms are wrapped around her
, a look of happiness on his face. Draky's parents are smiling proudly at us. Ou
r friends- Driana, Andre, Parker, Chloe, and Aunt V are beaming at us.
They know this will happen. And they kept it a secret. Just like what they did o
n my birthday. I blink my eyes to see clearly, but tears continue to spill from
them.
Little Eunice runs towards us, holding Shea and Bobby, Draky's stuffed bear, on
both hands.
Draky gets a small box from Bobby's little pocket. "Thank you," he tells her, ba
lancing the box on his knee.
Eunice gives us a toothy smile and runs back to her parents.
"Sophia Taylor," Draky begins, squeezing my hands, "Meeting you was fate. I trea
sure every second I spent with you. They are implanted in my heart. Memories tha
t will last a lifetime. I don't know if it sounds too quick to you but I'm not h
urrying you. I just want to say what my heart needs to let out. I want to spend
the rest of my life with you. I want to have family with you. I want to go home
and look at you with our kids. I want to wake up and see you lying beside me. So
phia, you are my future. Will you let me take care of you, love you, for the res
t of our lives? Are you willing to be Sophia Taylor Swift?"
A few years ago, this was all a dream. This was impossible. But miracles do happ
en.
It started as a game. And we end up falling in love with each other instead. We
didn't plan it, but we can't really control our hearts.
I smile through the tears and say, "Deal."
A confused expression crosses Draky's face. "Deal?"
"I do," I say, laughing. "I mean, yes, I will marry you."
Cheers, laughter, and clapping of hands erupted from my family and friends. They
say Congratulations simultaneously. If Matt is here, I'll bet he's smiling huge
ly at me, watching me with the man I love.
Draky stands and I make a startle sound. There are tears in his eyes, and he is
glowing with happiness. I've never seen him like this before.
"I love you Pie," he says, brushing my cheek with his thumb.
my best fr
my very fi
and Joneem
I won't be
If you're reading this, yes, YOU, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
It was such a great experience sharing Drake and Sophia's love story with you.
I will miss the characters so much! Watching them grow, fall in love, and have a
life. . . I'm glad they exist, even in just a make-up world. It has been a wond
erful ride, and thank you for joining me
Most importantly, I want to thank God. He is the One giving me ideas for my stor
ies. Without Him, there wouldn't be The Bet. Lord, thank You so much for all the
blessings, and for the gift of grace. :)
I hope you have good days ahead of you.
Thank you so much! :) Maraming Salamat!
Glory to God!
Love,
Kim / ilurvbooks (:
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[68] The Bet Playlist
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Soundtrack of The Bet