"I don't even want to imagine how many tissue boxes you must have used in the last three days." Laura sighed.
"Trust me; I don't want to imagine either. Infact, I don't even want to believe that Drake & I broke up."I said glumly.
We were walking along the corridors in school when all of a sudden we found ourselves face to face with Drake and Susan at a turn. My heart sank seeing them together with Susan smirking nastily at me. Drake, on the other hand, kept an expressionless face and looked through me. I couldn't decide which one hurt more. Perhaps the latter one.
Laura pulled me away from there. Glad she did that cause I was feeling sick inside.
It had been three days. Three whole days after Drake and I broke up. I end up crying in my pillow every night wishing that it was all a bad dream. It felt as though the dire pain was crippling my existence in the cruelest way. I wanted to move on but it seemed like Time had stood still. Its so hard when you have had some beautiful memories with the same person who now seems a complete stranger to you. The emptiness in your life overpowers you completely. You thought the person loved you back equally but you realize how wrong you were....I don't know how people survive a heart-break because the pain literally obliterates your soul.
And then, each day I have to see Susan with Drake, especially in the canteen where she sits on his lap and leaves no chance to kiss him. That pushes me further in the dark hole of loneliness and despair. Is it so easy for Drake to be with someone else? Is it so easy for him to forget everything that we had between us?
Susan left no chance to be spiteful and ridicule me.
"I had told you that Drake would leave you and come to me. And that's what has happened. You thought very highly of yourself. Turns out you're just dirt. Good that he used and threw you away, you deserve this Andrea." Susan had mocked the other day.
And I just couldn't give it back to her. I had walked away from there, taking those humiliating words lying down.
***
The bell rang. The Journo class just ended. I had really thought I could get Drake out of my mind in that class. But I just couldn't concentrate even in my favorite subject. I walked out of the class, hoping to find a place where I could be alone. The Locker Room was empty, the one girl who was in there was moving out. I reached my locker, opened it and buried my head inside it to let the tears that, I was holding back for so long, flow out. Yeah, it was just another crying session.
All of a sudden, I felt someone's hands circling around my waist. I got my head out of the locker and turned to see that it was Daniel.
"What the hell are you doing?" I was startled.
He pulled me closer to him, "Drake left you, didn't he?"
"Its....Its none of your business!!" my voice cracked. It was so painful to hear those words.....
"Its definitely my business!! I can't see you broken and hurt!! He doesn't deserves you!!"
"Go away...I don't want you anywhere near me.... " I tried to get away from him when his face was inching closer to mine.
"Give me another chance, Andy...." I could feel his breaths on my face.
"No...!"
My resistance was weakening. I felt so confused, couldn't differentiate between illusion and reality....My eyes closed on its own as reflex....
"Come back Andy, I miss you...."
I heard him before he pressed his lips onto mine. I felt him kissing me, caressing my lips with his. My mind felt clouded. I couldn't understand what to do. I was supposed to push him away but I wasn't doing that. I wasn't responding to him either. I felt so fragile. Guess when you're devastated and lonely, you give in to your surroundings. At least that was what I was doing by letting Daniel kiss me. ...His tongue desperately wanted access to my mouth. He desperately wanted me to moan his name but the one name that was itched in my mind and heart happened to come onto my lips...
"Drake...." I moaned out softly.
Daniel immediately backed away. I opened my eyes to see his face that was laden with frustration and irritation.
"You've completely lost it Andrea!! You're so blinded by Drake that you don't see what a terrible state he has put you in!!! God help you!!" Daniel walked out of there.
****
It was the Biology class next. Soph and I were sitting together. Professor Smith walked in and immediately began teaching. I wasn't paying attention. Even if I would, I wouldn't understand a thing anyway.
"You know, I got detention in my previous class today." Soph whispered.
That's why she couldn't join Laura and me during break time.
"Why? What did you do?" I asked.
"That's not important." she dismissed, "You should ask me how and what did I find."
"How and what did you find?" I looked at her curiously.
Soph made sure Prof Smith wasn't looking our way. Then she whispered in a much lower voice.
"I was told to make a note of the students of our grade who were absent most of the days from school for the last three months. I was given the book of attendance records. While I was on my work, I noticed that Drake had been absent every Tuesday for the last three months. When I checked his record for the whole year, I found he didn't come to school on any Tuesday of any month."
I was startled. Something had hit me.
"I know what you are trying to say. It means that—-"
"Miss Wilson, Miss Clark," Professor Smith's sharp voice interrupted me, "If you girls are so interested in talking, why don't you come on this platform and explain the whole chapter to the class? We would love to be enlightened by your vast knowledge."
The taunt rang in his voice as clearly as could be. Soph & I mumbled apologies. We didn't talk after that but that didn't mean I was paying attention to what he was teaching.
Soph and I couldn't talk after Biology too cause we had to rush to our next respective classes. I sat with Laura in the Math class. Mrs. Hale was teaching Trigonometry that day. I was solving questions when, from the corner of my eye, I realized Drake was staring at me. I looked at him. Our eyes locked. I felt my heart beats go awry as we just kept on looking into each other's eyes. But soon Drake averted his gaze off me.
***
"So you mean to say Drake disappeared only on Tuesdays all year round and not on any random day." Laura pondered where we met her after the class in the empty auditorium.
"Yep. There's a pattern." added Soph.
"Now that I look back, there were many instances like my first detention with Drake after joining school or a presentation that I had with him that he just vanished without informing. That time I didn't really care whether he existed or not. After we started dating, he fabricated a lot of excuses for his absence. But all in all, I didn't realize that it was specifically Tuesdays of every week."I admitted
"I guess then it is someone who he can meet only on Tuesdays?" suggested Laura.
"We need to do some background research about Drake Spencer. Andy," Soph turned to me, "Did he tell you the names of his parents?"
Soph was behaving as though the spirit of Sherlock Holmes just gained entrance inside her body. Laura was like Dr. Watson and I, well, probably the victim?
Oh Boy!
"Um, Drake didn't mention the name of his parents but he did say that his father was a cop and his parents died in a plane crash four years ago."
"Okay...lets see if this helps....." Soph switched on her laptop and searched Google with various keywords.
"This is difficult, there are like thousands of references that are coming up. I never knew Drake Spencer was such a common name!" Soph explained while browsing for a while.
"I don't understand why we are asking Google when we can ask his Grandma. If whatever we are searching is related to his past, then she will know!" Laura reasoned.
"You know, you're actually right Laura." I confessed, feeling stupid.
Sherlock Holmes must be laughing at us from the skies above.
"I will ask her right away." I said, reaching out for my phone.
"I don't think there is need for you to do that." Soph interrupted me, "Look what I've found."
Soph turned the laptop screen towards Laura and me.... What I read was enough to give me the biggest blow of my life....My palms had run cold staring at the article displayed on the screen....
"Drake lied to you, Andrea about every single thing." I heard Laura say. She was speaking the fact.
"I know that." My voice was shaky, "But now he will speak the truth. But how do I get him to tell me what I want to hear from him and which I know is what he truly feels for me."
"I guess I can help you there."
Laura told Sophia and me about what she had in mind.
"Uh, do you think it will bring out the right reaction out of him?" I asked doubtfully.
"It will. It definitely will." Laura asserted.
****
I found Drake exactly where I thought I was find him. At the football field in the player's dressing room. There was no one around, he was alone there.
"Drake!!" I called out to him.
"Why are you here?" he asked quietly, tying his shoe laces to avoid looking at me.
"Actually, I have come to say thanks to you." I replied.
The quirky tone of my voice caused him to look up at me.
"Why?" his tone was a bit curious.
"I wanted to tell you that Daniel and I are back together. All thanks to you!"
"What?!!" he was shocked and agitated.
"Yup. You helped Daniel and me get together the first time. Guess you've done that again this time around. So, Thank You! " I smiled.
I then turned to leave. I hardly had reached the door when I felt him clutch my hand and pulled me towards him. My hands clasped his shoulders as his heated breaths fanned my face.
"You can't be with him!! I won't let you Andrea!! I've done that mistake once but not again!! I can't see you with anyone else, do you hear that!!It hurts!! It hurts a lot!!" his voice was filled with angst.
His stark blue eyes pierced mine. My heart thudded violently cause his eyes mirrored how passionately he felt about me.
"Why?" I asked, yet.
"I love you Andrea, I really do!!!"
His lips pressed onto mine and he kissed me with such passion and vigor that left me breathless.
"Then why did you lie to me?" I asked.
"I...I" he stuttered.
"I know Drake, I know about...her." I said.
He took a step back from me. That had left him at a loss of words.
"W-Who her?"
"I want to meet her, Drake." I said with conviction.
"Fine. But I don't know how this will turn out." he said quietly, closing his eyes for a sigh.
****
The next is the last chapter! :( #onelasttimeD'N'A