The Bet

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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 crème brûlée, 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 thing 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 think 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 look right through you. Can I really –

A tap on my shoulder makes me jump from my seat. It’s like someone sends an electric 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 bet. Some part of me is urging to confront with him but I tune it out. My breathing is rag and slow, my hands are shaking so I put them on my lap. This is not the time to fight with him yet. I’m not even ready to see him. The seconds is slowly 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 eyes off his piercing gaze! The only thing that breaks as apart is when Driana clears 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 wearily.

Glancing around me, I see that it’s true. Some people are crowding in some tables. Some are even standing. If the weather is nice, I’m sure they will just eat outside.

“Why don’t you eat with your friends then?” Driana asks, raising her delicate eyebrows.

“Because our table is already full,” he says flatly.

I’m like an audience, watching on the sideline of their show.

“Oh,” Driana mutters. “They can’t even spare you a space?”

“Not really,” Draky says, “I just want to eat with my little sister today.”

“Who says you can eat with us?” Driana says with a voice full of venom.

“Me.”

I can’t see his face but I have no doubt he’s smiling manically. To my horror, he slides on the chair beside me. Driana scowls at him but doesn’t say anything. What can she do? Make a scene? He’s already seated.

Every part of my body knows the enemy is just a few inches away from me. I don’t want to be close to him so I move my chair farther from him. I feel so dirty just by being near him. He doesn’t seem to notice because he’s staring at my food with genuine interest.

“Wow,” he says, smiling. “You eat a lot.”

My gaze turns to his food which just consists of a cheeseburger and a coke in can.

“I wonder why you don’t get fat,” he continues.

Suddenly I feel self conscious. How dare he talk about me like that? This creature I despise so much, I want to make his life a living hell.

Driana puts down her fork and stops eating her spaghetti. “How come your sidekick is not with you?”

“Sidekick?” Draky asks, and then realization hits him. “You mean Andre? Why, are you interested in him?”

Driana’s cheeks redden at the accusation. “I am not,” she says through gritted teeth. “I’m just wondering why he’s not with you.”

The corner of Draky’s mouth twitches upward. “That’s good because he’s certainly not interested with you either.”