There’s a trailer on the side. You have to watch it because it’s amazing! CreativeSideOfLife made it. :)  Banner on the side by RaylaSan.

This is just the first part, and I’ll add the next one this weekend. The song for the chapter is Statue by Lil Eddie. I got the title of the chapter from the song =)

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 natural. 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 belong 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 to 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 tells 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 her 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 again,” she complains, smoothing it back.

She’s cute when she looks irritated that’s why I want to tease her whenever there’s a chance and an opportunity.

"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 walking 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 will 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 statue 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 expect of her?

I can see that she’s contemplating her answer. Suddenly, I want to vanish in this 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.

“What happened to your hair?” Pie asks suddenly.

“I dyed it,” I say, not too obviously.

She rolls her eyes. “What I meant was why you dyed it?” she asks dryly.

I shrug, because it’s no big deal. “I just feel like it,” I say, “I want to make it like it was before but I don’t know how. So here it is.” My hair is a combination of black, and brown which really look good on me.

One moment I’m walking her to her first class, and then the next I’m telling her goodbye because we’re already in front of her room. I make my way to my class in a daze.

First, second, and third period passed in a blur. I didn’t learn a thing. Like, seriously. Besides, Pie will tutor me. The only thing I remember is going in and out of my classrooms, moving with my classmates to the next room.

I can’t wait to eat. I can’t wait to go to the cafeteria and choose what food I will eat for today. I want to fast forward everything and stop when I’m sitting on the chair across from her.

Before I know it, the bell signaling its lunch time rings. I don’t know why but my feet walk quickly to the cafeteria. I even have a feeling that I’m not the one making them move.

And then I see her, all alone in their usual table. Before I go there, I order my food first because Pie already has a tray on the table. I wonder what she got. I buy double cheeseburger, fries, and a coke.

On my way to the table, Brian blocks my path.

“Drake,” he says.

“Hey,” I say, bumping his extended fist. “I won’t join you for lunch today.”

Usually, when I don’t eat with them, I don’t tell them, or ask their permission. Now that one of my friends is here, I don’t want to be impolite.

“Going to sit with the chick there?” he asks, cocking his head to the side.

“What chick?” I ask, gaping at him.

He points to where Pie is sitting.

I look at Brian to see if he’s kidding but he’s face is so serious.

“You mean, you don’t know her?” I ask, studying his face carefully to know if he’s playing a joke on me.

He looks at me like I’m crazy. “I. Don’t. Know. Her,” he says.

Is he stupid? Pie only curls her hair, puts some make up, wears a dress and heels, and he doesn’t recognize her anymore? I’m about to say so but I think better of it. Instead, I say, “She’s Sophia.”

Brian steps back like I punch him. “Sophia?” he says incredulously. “As in, Sophia Taylor?”

I nod. “That’s her.”

He glances at her, and then at me. He repeats that sequence for at least three times more.

“Now you know her?” I ask, balancing my tray on my left hand.

“Of course,” he says. “She’s my classmate in History.” He smiles, like he gets the missing puzzle he wants to complete.

“See you around,” I say, walking away from him.

Pie smiles at me when I take the seat across from her.

She really is different. Some girls are cautious about the food they eat in the school because they’re afraid of what might people think about them.

 Pie doesn’t. She has cheeseburger, fries, coke; and sansrival for dessert. I’m glad we almost have the same kind of food.

“Where’s Driana?” I ask curiously.

“She has to do something for her biology project,” she answers.

“That’s the same thing Andre told me.”

“Because they are partner,” Pie says obviously.

“Oh,” I murmur. Did Andre mention it? Maybe he did. It just got out of my mind.

At first, Pie and I eat in silence, and then we talk about our project. I give her the note, and she reads it while chewing her cheeseburger.

Jake catches my eye on the table across from us. He smiles at me, like an evil kind of smile, and then he laughs at what my friends are talking about.

“We can’t help who we fall in love with,” she says, looking up from the paper, and then at me. “Where did you get that?”

“I don’t know,” I say, “It just came to my mind last night.”

She nods thoughtfully, like what I said makes sense, and resumes reading.

I’ve been dying to ask this question for a long time now but I always chickened out. Until now.

“Have you been in love?” I ask.

She lowers the paper and puts it on the table methodically. She tilts her head to the side, making her curly hair hide her eyes.

My fingers are itching to brush her hair so I can see her face. I close my hands and make them into fist before I do something stupid. And then I remember the bet, so I lean towards her and tucks her loose her behind her ear.

I hear her catch her breath and the loud pumping of her heart.

How can I hear her heart? Maybe it’s just my imagination, running wild again. I should be used to it by now. But I’m not.

“Draky,” she says deliberately, “Have you been in love?”

Again, she asks me the same question I asked her. Isn’t she tired of it?

Heaving a sigh, I say, “No.” Not yet, I say to myself.

“Not once?” she asks.

“Not once,” I say.

Are you sure?

One hundred percent, I think firmly.

“What about you, Pie?” I ask her curiously.

“What about me?” she asks innocently.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes, and say, “Have you been in love?”

“Secret,” she says, sticking out her tongue at me.

“Secret?” I repeat incredulously. “But I answered you.”

She shrugs.

“That’s not fair,” I complain.

“Life is not fair,” she says matter-of-factly.

Yeah, right. Life is never fair. When you thought that everything’s going to work out, it will all fall apart.

“He did not catch me when I fell,” she says softly.

If I’m not leaning towards her, I won’t hear her because she said it very quietly.

“He?” I murmur.

Does that mean she had a boyfriend before? Why does that thought make me uneasy? Clearing my throat, I ask, “What is he like?”

“Why?” she asks, raising her eyebrows delicately. The eye shadow on her eyes makes her eyes more blue and mysterious at the same time.

“What why?” I ask, a little bit confused.

Pie puts her hands on the table.  “Why are you asking that question?”

“Oh,” I mumble, looking away from her. I don’t know why I asked her that question.

It’s because you’re jealous.

Me, jealous?

You can’t even admit it to yourself.

“Shut up,” I mutter under my breath.

“You said something?” Pie asks.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts, and then I decide to answer her question. “I’m just curious.” A smile makes its way in my face as I remember the time Pie and I talked about curiosity.

“Daydreaming again,” she says amusedly.

There's a bit of bread crust on her lips. Slowly, I lean towards her and brush it off her soft lips.