The Bet (Just The Way You Are)

The Bet *Sparks

Before I can stop myself, I hear myself say, "Okay."

~Drake

"When's your birthday?" I ask Pie as I start the engine of my car.

"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 asked her. My birthday this year 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 my seat belt. I give her a look that says, satisfied? "What about you?" I ask. "When'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 repeat, 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 sister 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 things I say." Amusement lightens her pale blue eyes.

"Of course not," I mutter.

Back to the point, I can't believe she's just sixteen. I thought she's seventeen, like me. But that doesn't mean that she looks older with her age. It's just that I assumed she's seventeen because she's a senior like me. Wait! Pie is sixteen, which means her birthday this year hasn't happened yet.

"You're going to be seventeen this year," I say matter-of-factly.

Pie just looks at me with a blank expression on her face.

Silence means yes. A grin makes its way onto my face. She's going to celebrate her birthday this year! I have to know when it is so that I can surprise her. For sure, Driana will not tell me when I ask her. That's not a problem because an idea already pops into my head. I really am smart. I wonder why I don't get medals during recognition.

~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?"