Strength

Chapter 21 - Three Times And The One Time

"I know you're awake."

Sophia could hear the eye roll in that statement. She slumped her shoulders with a sigh and opened her eyes. Tony was now standing near the foot end of the bed. She felt her cheeks tainted in pink.

"Max and his dramatics are rubbing off on you, y'know," Tony said with a click of his tongue.

Sophia almost snorted at the truth in his words but held herself. She saw Tony sigh and sit on edge of the bed, facing her. He exhaled loudly again, as if preparing himself to do some difficult task. He finally looked at Sophia and asked,

"Look... do you hate me?"

"W-what?"

He groaned. "Of course you hate me. But..." 

He trailed off, hoping Sophia would catch on but she didn't. "Look...I know it may seem like it, but I don't hate you, not anymore. And I don't want you to hate me either."

Sophia could see how hard it was for Tony to say these things. But instead of feeling any pity for him she found herself somewhat enjoying his misery.

"I don't- I don't hate you, Tony," She said lowly. "I mean, well, there has been times when I felt an intense dislike towards you." Sophia tucked in her lips and pressed her eyes close, trying very hard not to let her humorous expression show.

"Okay...  when?"

"When what?"

"When did you feel this 'intense dislike' towards me?" 

"Wow, someone's showing an unexpected soft side today," Sophia remarked.

"Someone's also being all talkative all of sudden. We all have our days, I guess," Tony raised his brows.

"Hmph, fair enough. So, to answer your question, you ate my dinner once." Sophia raised her brows back at him.

"It was not me, it was Tyler. And it was a prank that you were foolish enough to fall for. Plus, I just wanted to take revenge on Max. It was Tyler's idea to include you."

Sophia didn't know if she should feel good or bad that even then Tyler wanted to include her in something as it did cost her her food. She shook her head in an exaggerated manner, "Devil Duo."

"Hey wait! That reminds me. We never got back at you for the locker thing. Those were some of our the most embarrassing photos that you and Max stuck on our lockers. We got Max in the school, but somehow you escaped. I'm gonna have to plan a reve-"

"Well," Sophia tried cut his train of thought as she was sure that she wasn't going to like its destination. "There's this other time when we all together made a cake...or whatever it was that came out of the oven, you remember?" She continued and shuddered when she remembered the night.

"Yeah." Tony said too with a shudder at the memory.

"Yeah...at that time you didn't even want me to cut strawberries next to you. What did you think, I was gonna murder you with the knife or something?"

"Not me, but yourself. You cut only one strawberry but almost cut your finger twice doing that. I don't know what fool will ever trust you with a knife."

"I can cut fruits just fine," Sophia huffed getting a 'yeah sure' in reply. "Well, there this one other time that you-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just how many times have you 'intensely disliked; me?"

"Just this one more time," this time Sophia's tone was not light and there was no hidden playfulness in it. It was sombre. "The day I came here. You said that we couldn't be family. There were other boys too, but you said it. And you really seemed to believe it too."