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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 gone and will be replaced by your love for that person. It’s like you’re never even mad at the first place—

I close my copy of Accidentally in Love and put it on the bed beside me. I saw this book on Pie’s desk when I went to her room to say good night but found her sleeping instead. I didn’t mean to pry on her things. I swear I didn’t! I just saw 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 on 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. Suddenly, I feel sad for them. I don’t know why. What will happen if all the fictional characters from the books will come true to life? That means all kinds of creatures will live in Earth. Why am I even thinking these kinds of things? They are all—

Ring! 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 veins because of the nightmare I dreamed last night. I wonder why I always get bad 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!

-----

There’s something weird about Andre. And that's saying something.

The way he talk and act is unusual.

Perhaps something happened to him yesterday because the day before that, he was normal. I asked him a while ago but he just shrugged.

Something’s going on with him but he doesn’t want to share it with me.

Maybe it’s about a girl because he’s only being secretive when it comes to the opposite gender.

-----

“Are you sure you aren’t going to date Sophia?” Jake asks.

“Why?” I ask him furiously.

“I’m just curious,” he says, leaning to my locker.

“Excuse me,” I mutter, shutting my locker with a bang.

 It’s lunch time. Before I go to the cafeteria, I walk to my locker first and put my things inside it. And then I grab all the books I need for my next class.

I don’t know why Jake is bothering me with this question. It’s not as if I can stop him from dating Sophia. But I have to! Because I’m the one who’s supposed to date her, not him! Everything will fall apart if she likes another guy.

Competition is good for the heart.

It’s not.

Why, are you afraid she won’t choose you?

I am not!

“Hello,” Jake says, waving his hand in front of my face, “Earth to Drake.”

“Cut it out,” I snap, glowering at him.

He smirks, ignoring the tone of my voice. “I smell jealousy here,” he says, his brown eyes sparkling in amusement.

“Can you?”

“Woke up at the wrong side of the bed, huh?”

Of all my friends, Jake is the most annoying one. If he opens his mouth to tease me again, I swear I’ll punch him.

He looks like he reads my mind because he backs off slowly. “See you later Drake,” he says dryly.

In the cafeteria, I sit in our usual place. I’m not eating, just picking on my food.

“Anything you want to share?” Troy says playfully.

I look up to see him staring at me. “Nothing,” I mutter.

Andre is looking at me curiously but he doesn’t say anything because he knows I’m not in the mood. Besides, I’m not the only one who’s keeping secrets. Anyway, I don’t have a secret.

Pathetic. You don’t even have a secret only you know.

I’m about to retort a vicious reply when Dwayne exclaims, “What’s Jake doing there?!”

I snap out of my reverie instantly, and quickly scan the cafeteria. My eyes land on the far corner where my twin sister is sitting with Pie. Standing beside her chair is Jake, who’s balancing his tray on his left hand. His right hand is on the back of Pie’s chair!

“If looks can kill,” Andre murmurs beside me, “Jake is long gone by now.”

“Shut up,” I growl.

He doesn’t even flinch. His mouth just twitches upward in amusement.

“What is he doing?” Troy asks me.

As if I know!

“He’s asking permission if he can sit with them,” says Brian.

“How do you know?” Dwayne asks curiously.

Brian rolls his eyes and says, “It’s obvious.”

I look uneasily at my twin’s table to see Jake walking hastily away from it. He looks very irritated and annoyed at the same time. His expression is really funny; I can’t help but laugh at him.

The anger I don’t know I have gets out of my system. My friends soon join me in laughing. Our laughter becomes more loudly when Jake takes his usual seat in our table.

His mouth turns into a hard line.  “Why don’t you all shut up?!” He scolds.

“What happened dude?” Dwayne asks lightly.

“Busted already?” Troy chimes in.

Jake can’t stand it any longer -- he smacks Troy’s head.

“That hurts,” Troy grumbles, shaking his head furiously. He reaches across the table to take his revenge. Before his fist connects to Jake’s face, Jake already ducks down his head.

And that’s when we know that everything’s okay with Jake because he’s already laughing with us.

Poor Troy, he’s the one who takes Jake’s irritation.

Our friends continue to tease and ask Jake what was that about but he just shrugs off all their questions.

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 back today.”

Excited chatters fill the room. They, my classmates, wait in anticipation on Parker’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, Cassidy 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 don’t know?

There are words like: Handsome, Cute, Can I date you?, Come back to the basketball team – they need you! I roll my eyes at the last one. I’ll never play basketball 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 wrote 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 confiscate the paper! I can compare the two papers then, and find out what Pie wrote.

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 classmate’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.

With my classmates, you cannot tell.

After all the papers are back to their owner, Parker continues the discussion on A Midsummer Night’s Dream – where Ma’am Coelho stopped.

“I have a little project for you,” Parker says before he ends the lesson. “You’ll pass it tomorrow. But it’s by partner,” he adds quickly when he sees the expression 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 without my permission.

“Let’s do the assignment in Lit,” I say to Pie when the bell rings, indicating that class in Lit is over.

“I can’t after class,” she says, glancing uneasily in front of the room where Parker 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 just 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!”

“See?” I say, raising my eye brow.

“Whatever,” she mutters. “We can meet later.”

This girl is impossible! Heaving a sigh, I ask, “At Andre’s?”

“If you want,” she answers.

“Okay,” I mutter.

She looks pleased. Of course, she gets what she wants. “I’ll just text you when I get home.”

My brows furrow as I analyze what she’s going to do.

I’m supposed to make her fall in love with me. But what am I doing? Nothing! How can she love me if I continue to act this way?

How many days since the bet started?

I count the days on my fingers.

Maybe I get it wrong.

I recount again. And again.

I can’t believe it’s just the eighth day! It’s just a week! We started it last Thursday, and today is Thursday again.

A lot has happened already. It feels like . . .

-----

On my way to the parking lot of the school, I see Parker in the corner of my eye, his left hand on Sophia’s shoulder. Pie’s shoulder! The scene that I’m seeing shock me, I stop walking.

Parker and Pie are almost on the gate of the school. Where are they going? Will they have a date? But that’s forbidden because he’s a teacher and she’s a student. Even if he’s just a sub, it’s still against the law! I don’t even know how they knew each other.

As far as I’m concern, Parker is not Pie’s boyfriend. I’m sure Parker’s taking advantage of her innocence. I have to make sure that that’s not going to happen.

Before I know it, I’m outside the school. I don’t even know when I start to walk. One thing is for sure. I’ll follow them wherever they’ll go.

Stalker much?

No, I think irritably, I just want to make sure that Pie is okay.

I follow a safe distance behind, afraid that one of them will see me. They’re talking, but of course, I can’t hear them. It’s not as if I can walk beside them and join in their conversation.

Their distance at each other isn’t really the boyfriend/girlfriend type, which is good.

Don’t let your hopes up.

“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath.

I walk normally because I don’t want to let the other people walking nearby to look at me suspiciously. Pie’s face is glowing as she smiles to whatever Parker tells her. He doesn’t even look humorous to me.

They continue to walk and stop in front of a cafe. Looking up, I see its Coffee Academy. Hmm . . . Maybe they’re going to . . . I don’t know. I don’t have an idea. That’s why I’m following them so I can find out.

When Parker opens the door, I hide beside a dark alley so that he won’t see me. And then I peek out and see that he comes in after Pie. I wait for three minutes before I make my way towards the cafe.

My eyes scan the area and see them on the farthest corner beside a window overlooking the garden of the cafe. I take the table a little bit farther away from them so that they won’t see me. I can still hear their conversation if I strain harder.

Little Eavesdropper.

I ignore it because I don’t have a retort for that.

When I’m comfortably sitting on my chair, a waiter walks to my table.

“Good afternoon sir,” he says politely. “What can I get you?”

“Chocolate Java Chip,” I answer.

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“Right away.” He nods and walks away.

And then, I wait for them to talk. Glancing at their table, I see Pie staring peacefully at the rose’s buds. I look away quickly before they catch me.

“Parker,” Pie says. Her tone makes me think that it’s the start of their conversation.

I straighten on my chair and wait for Parker’s response.

*****

 Thank you -- to all the new readers out there and to all my fans :) Your comments make me happy, and I do read all of them :)

The first part was from Accidentally in Love (Inertia in Motion). Yes, it’s my story. I always wanted to start a chapter from a book, but I had a hard time choosing. And then, suddenly, 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.

Thank you so much! <3