"And you have sneaked into my room as usual to copy my homework?"
I stood with a smirk plastered on my face at the door of my room. Mark looked gob smacked at being caught red-handed. He let go of my bag inside which he'd been searching for my Social Studies report.
"Y-You said you're going to the park." he said defensively.
"I changed my plans. Glad I did that. I'm not giving you my homework every time. You should pay attention in class. The professor had told us exactly how to prepare the report, what points to include & what not to include. Why didn't you bother to hear him out?" I sort of lectured him. Ha!
"For the record, even you don't pay attention in your Biology class & always copy Sophia's homework." he replied with a smug look.
I was stumped hearing that, feeling stupid. But then, I can't let him win this. Never.
"I admit but you will be in serious detention if you don't do this report. So watch what you say to me." I countered.
"Fine!" he rolled his eyes, "I will buy you your favorite ice-cream if you let me have a look at your report."
"I can't believe you're bribing me!!" I said disapprovingly, "But now that you did, I want a box of the costliest ice-creams."
"You will get me broke." He defended.
I smirked, shrugging.
"Fine. You have the deal." he muttered.
"Grab your car keys brother. First ice-cream, then report." I said, moving out.
And he did keep his side of deal & bought me a box of costliest & tastiest ice-creams. Yummy! Am I a devil? Its okay being one sometimes. Ha ha!
"Drake wouldn't let me copy his homework, you wouldn't let me copy yours. How cruel this world has turned into." Mark grumbled under his breath while driving back home.
I only heard the first part of his statement for obvious reasons.
"Well..ah, speaking of Drake, um, hasn't he ever had a proper girlfriend?" I asked carefully.
"Nope. Only flings which hardly last for few days!"
"So....he never said 'I love you' to any girl?"
"I love you?" he was amused, "Forget that, Drake hasn't even said 'I like you' to anyone. He runs away from commitment." My brother laughed.
"Ohh." I muttered in a small voice.
"But why are you asking these things about him? Are you in love with him?"
"Nooo! Never!!" I was alarmed big time.
Mark began to laugh, "Chill! Was just joking. The whole idea seems so insane anyway!"
"Yeah..." I responded, "And what about you & Gabrielle? Going strong?"
"Hardly. We broke up two days back."
"Why?" I was startled.
"The usual, things didn't work out."
"In other words, she dumped you?"
"We ended it mutually." he gave me a curt look.
I flashed the peace sign at him. We reached home soon after. And I gave him my report as my part of the deal.
"Don't copy word to word. Else both of us are screwed." I told him.
"No prob!" he replied.
***
The next morning, at school, my friends heard something really unexpected from me.
"Are you serious?" Soph asked, scratching her head.
I nodded.
"Are you like really serious?" Laura asked, perplexed.
I nodded. Again.
"Is this is what you're planning to do?" Soph asked carefully, biting into her burger.
I nodded. Once Again.
"But this is not gonna be easy considering the fact that you're so much into him." Laura pin-pointed, taking a sip of her juice.
I leaned forward with a sigh & rested my chin on the table.
"Drake has no feelings for me. So its better to move on than run after him. Moreover he is not into serious relationship, so I wouldn't want to be dumped by him one fine day just out of the blue." I put forth my thoughts, "Thus, my first priority would be to do all possible things to avoid coming in front of him."
There was a five seconds pause.
"Well, that makes sense. If you think you're right, you should do this.." Soph said. My other friend nodded as well.
At that precise moment, Drake walked in the canteen...My heart skipped so high that it could have given tough competition to a kangaroo. And, well, everything went down the gutter
Don't stare at him!! You decided not to, remember?, my brain nudged.
Only for a few seconds, just for a few seconds..., I coaxed.
Fifteen seconds are done, now look away!!!
Just a minute more...., I bargained with my brain.
Right then, I found my view blocked by Laura as she stood in front of me.
"Just to let you know you're staring at him. And that is something you weren't planning to do few minutes back." she said.
My nasty brain must have contacted Laura.
Before I could say anything, Soph spoke,
"Oh, I guess Drake is coming this way." She turned back at me, "Andy, I think you must head out right now!"
"Um, maybe I should start avoiding him from tomorrow?" I said sheepishly.
"Andy, you said he breaks your heart with his nonchalant words. Why do you want to invite more pain?" Soph said.
She was right. But I don't know what had come on me. I should just pick up my bag & move out of here right now. But the thought of Drake wanting to talk to me is tempting, right? Temptations do come with their share of pain.
Judging by the looks on their faces, my friends knew exactly what was on my mind.
And next, Drake indeed came to our table. My palpitations rose even more.
"Andrea, can I talk you for a sec?"
"We will see you later." Laura told me & walked away with Soph.
"What's it?" I asked, trying harder than ever to mask my attractions towards him.
"The thing is, I..." Drake trailed off, averting my gaze, and looking sort of perplexed.
I didn't say anything, instead had my gaze fixed at him, in a sort of impatient manner.
Ask him whether the next word that he is planning to utter begins with 'L', Ask him, Ask him, the thing in my skull poked.
But I didn't say anything, neither did he say anything. He kept glancing sideways. And then, the worst part—the bell rang.
"I should go." Drake turned to leave.
"You had something to say, remember?" I called out, annoyed.
"It was about football. Never mind now." he left.
I never felt so grumpy ever in my life. Damn he was lying! A white lie that too!
The Journo class that followed, was tough to sit for. Never in my lifetime had I thought that I would be desperate for the Journo class to get over quickly, the subject being my favorite one. I couldn't wait for the next class, which was Chemistry (my most disliked subject!) as that meant Drake would be there. I was growing restless every passing moment, eager to know what he wanted to say....
It seemed after a whole millennium when the auspicious bell finally rang. I rushed out of the class like a hurricane, heading to the laboratory. The Chemistry professor, Mr Smith thought his eyes went bonkers when he saw me on time for the class for the first time ever. Nonetheless, he was quick to recover from the shock that I had given him.
Next, I couldn't believe my luck when he told the class to get into pairs for the experiment that we would be doing that day. The very next second, I was by Drake's side at the table. He was startled to find me next to him. I gave him a cheeky smile.
Professor Smith began instructing on how to go about with the experiment & the class followed the said procedure.
"So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" I whispered to Drake.
"I think I already told you." he answered, filling a solution into a test tube.
"Ha! That's a lie, I'm not silly. So, again, what were you talking about?"
"I really don't think this is the right time. You should focus on the experiment in hand." he said quietly.
"Its not that this experiment is gonna give birth to a new world or something, so drop it!" I passed him a solution in a beaker.
"Why don't you tell Professor Smith to drop it?." he took the beaker from my hand.
"Well, if you have something to tell me, you should use your freedom of speech, it's a free country!"
"I don't want to use my freedom of speech, Andrea." he took a measuring cylinder.
"By the way, why have you started calling me Andrea these days, all of a sudden? I somehow miss being called Nosey." I said quirkily.
That surely caught Drake off guard cause he spilled some solution off the beaker. Nonetheless, he poured the rest of the liquid in the flask in which he had put the contents. Right after that, Drake grew white in the face.
"Shit!" he muttered in horror, staring at the flask, the contents in it were bubbling furiously.
And then something happened. There was a small "pop" & the flask was filled with a funny blue smoke which was rising upwards. Drake pulled me away along with himself from the table.
Everyone was looking at us in alarm & also the mess that we created.
Uh-oh. Moral of the story, the smoke wasn't supposed to be a part of the experiment. Oh boy!
Professor Smith eyed us coldly.
"Mr Drake Spencer, Miss Andrea Wilson, in my office right now." he said icily.
Yeah, its detention time. And yes, Did I mention that I am still clueless as to what went wrong, or rather, I don't know what the experiment was supposed to be all about on the first place. Holy crap!!
***
Drake & I were waiting in Professor Smith's office. I could just hope the Chemistry detention to be a bit less than a nightmare.
"It seems you really have a knack of receiving detentions." Drake scoffed.
"Not as much as you." I smiled tightly.
"If you hadn't started your "quiz game", we wouldn't have been in this situation." he rebuked.
"If you would have told me what you wanted to say, we wouldn't have been in this situation." I countered.
Maybe I shouldn't have said that cause the look that he gave me, made my breaths go damp. The next instant, he began advancing towards me, his sharp eyes bore into mine making my veins go numb. I instinctively started walking backwards, my heart thrashed against my rib cage with every step he took towards me...
His dark eyes didn't leave mine even when he trapped me between the wall & him....
I shrieked feeling his heated breaths all over my face. My chest heaved up & down against his torso. His nose stroked mine, making my senses go numb.
"What do you what to hear from me?" he whispered intensely, brushing his lips past mine..
"You..." I couldn't think straight.
And next thing I knew, Drake was kissing me. His hands rested on my waist as his lips moved passionately over mine, feeling me as much as he could. I squirmed in his arms & didn't realize when I too started responding. I caressed his lips, pulling him closer if that was possible. His tongue probed into my mouth, causing ripples of insane fire within me. My fingers delved into his hair as our tongues entangled, breaths mingled...the kiss grew deeper & erotic...
I was breathless to the last letter when we pulled away. Drake started at me with hooded eyes, bet I was staring at him in the same manner.
Professor Smith arrived when there was good enough distance between Drake & me. The Chemistry teacher walked up to his desk & faced us. He had absolutely no clue what just happened in his brief absence.
"What on earth were you two thinking while doing that experiment? It could have been worse. Didn't expect that from you Drake." he spoke sternly.
Drake & I mumbled apologies but the professor was unmoved.
"As punishment, you have to write the procedure of that experiment 50 times & submit it to me tomorrow sharp at 11 a.m. Am I clear?"
50 times & that too tomorrow! no no no!!!! That's not even 24 hours!
There was horror written all over my face. Not that it mattered to the professor.
"It will be done Professor."
I heard Drake say. I didn't really feel like arguing. And,well, that was that.
****
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