It was Monday afternoon and I was fixing my things in the locker. I sighed, thinking I’ll go home alone. Miranda is on a date with Evan again. And Vince had finally got the guts to ask Suzanne out. Well, at least my best friends were having a good time in their love lives.
“Hey, need a lift?” a voice asked as I closed my locker door. I glanced up and saw Ian, looking extremely hot. His hair was very damp and his grey eyes were looking at me hopefully.
“How did you know I need a lift?” I asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
“Well, I know Miranda has a date with Evan and Coach Vince looks pretty excited during the practice so I guess he has a date with someone and I was guessing that someone was Suzanne.”
I laughed. “Well, you’re right. Suzanne is really his date,” I confirmed. “Are you sure it’s okay if you drop me at my house?”
“Sure,” Ian said, shrugging as if it was just nothing.
I shouldered my bag and we walked to the parking lot together, talking about random things. I got in his car on the passenger seat and him on the driver’s seat.
He started the engine and glanced at me. And for a moment, we just locked eyes. He suddenly leaned closer, making my heart beat faster. Oh my gosh, what is he going to do? Is he going to kiss me again?
I can’t stop thinking about his kiss ever since the Pride and Prejudice play. There’s just something about that kiss that tells me it wasn’t fake. That kiss was just so real and not just any kiss for a play, but for real.
Ian continued leaning closer to me and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for his lips to touch mine. Then suddenly there was a click.
My eyes flew open and I looked down. I realized the seatbelt was already fastening me on the passenger seat. I looked up at him, confused.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, I did your seatbelt for you.”
I blushed, looking away. Stupid Victoria! He wasn’t going to kiss you! He just fastened your seatbelt. You should stop thinking that he’ll kiss you again! It’s not going to happen because he still loves Patricia!
He started driving and I sighed. Before I knew it, we already arrived at my house. I smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks, Ian.”
“Sure, no problem.”
I smiled one last time and opened the car door. I swung my legs outside and shut the door close. I walked inside my house, closing the door behind me. I leaned on the door, thinking about Ian. Why the hell do I feel loved and relaxed when I’m with him? For goodness sake, I just met him last three weeks ago. You can’t fall in love with someone you just met three weeks ago. I realized I loved Lance after three months, not three weeks.
I sighed and started walking up to my room when suddenly; there was a knock on the door. I swung it open and there was Ian, grinning at me.
“Why are you here?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you done with me?”
“Well, I know Miranda and Evan are hanging out at my house and I don’t want to see them flirting their asses off,” he said, laughing to himself. “And I know Coach Vince and Suzanne are out in their date so you’re alone here. Mind if I join you?”
I laughed. “No, not at all.”
I opened the door wider so he could go in. I closed the door behind me as he stepped in, looking around. He sat on the sofa and made a grab on the remote. He switched the TV open and he rested his feet on the coffee table and his hands flew at the back of his hands. I laughed; he’s really relaxed.
He heard my laugh and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You feel so at home,” I said, sticking out my tongue.
Ian rolled his eyes and turned to watch the TV. It was a football game and of course, I can’t understand a thing. I just sighed and went upstairs to my room. I changed my clothes and went back downstairs to join Ian. But he wasn’t there anymore, even though the TV was still on.
I raised my eyebrow and walked to the kitchen. When Lance comes over to my house after class when we’re still together, he always goes to the kitchen. He loves Vince cooking—naturally.
But when I checked the kitchen, Ian wasn’t there.
I frowned to myself. Where the hell could he be? Is he playing a joke on me? I smiled secretly. Two could play at this game.
I sighed dramatically and went back to the living room, sitting on the couch. I made myself comfortable. Maybe if he realizes I’m not going to look for him, he’ll come back and stop hiding from me.
I bent to grab the remote control on the coffee table to change the channel. I finally settled on HBO, which was playing the Big Daddy movie.
After about ten minutes, Ian wasn’t here. I sighed impatiently and stood up, stretching. When I turned, he was in front of me, face-to-face. My heart jumped out of my chest and I stifled a scream.
“Oh shit, Ian, you scared me!” I gasped, my hands flying to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.
He just laughed. “I’m flattered.”
I rolled my eyes. “Where have you been? I was waiting for you!”
“I just… you know, roamed your house,” Ian said, shrugging casually as if it was no big deal.
“Roamed? Why would you roam my house?” Then I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. “Are you trying to steal something?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the p. “I was trying to look for your childhood album.”
“Ian, seriously.”
He smirked at me and rummaged inside his back pocket. After a minute, he brought out a picture of me when I was in fifth grade. I gasped and made a grab on the photo but Ian was faster than me. He laughed and put the photo back on his back pocket.
“You jerk! Give that back!” I screamed, stepping closer to him, my hands making a grab on his back pocket.
“Now, now, Victoria,” he said teasingly as he took a step backward.
“Give it back, Ian! That’s so freaking embarrassing! I’m ugly at fifth grade! Ugh!” I screamed in exasperation. “Don’t tell me you’re going to let Evan see that.”
“Oh hell yes,” Ian said, laughing and I groaned. “I also took a picture of Miranda when you’re in sixth grade. I’ll give it to Evan later.”
“No! Miranda will kill me!” I wailed. I took a step forward menacingly and he took a step backward. “Give that back if you don’t want to be hurt, Ian!”
“Ooh, I’m scared,” Ian said playfully, laughing.
As I took a step forward, he stepped backward. But, unfortunately, I was stepping on his untied shoelace, making him fall on his back. Involuntarily, he grabbed my hands for leverage but he was too heavy so I fell with him. I gave a yelp of surprise and before I know it, I was on top of Ian.
Then it happened again.
I looked at him and suddenly, only the two of us exist in the world. He’s the only one who matters. Just looking at his grey eyes and I know everything would be okay. He was looking at me, wearing a mesmerized expression and I’m sure my expression is like that. Everything about him is just charming.
Then the door opened.
Both of our attentions snapped to the door. Then it opened wider and in came Evan and Miranda. Miranda was the first one who saw us and she gasped. Evan glanced to where she was looking and his jaw dropped.
Instinctively, I pulled away from Ian, moving to a sitting position beside him. He looked at me, surprised and then looked back at Evan and Miranda who were still gaping at us.
Then Miranda being Miranda broke the silence by smirking. “I’m sorry, we’re interrupting,” she chirped.
“No, no, you weren’t interrupting at all!” I blurt out.
“Really? Because I really think you’re up to something,” she said, still smirking.
“Why are you here anyway?” I asked exasperatedly, trying to change the topic.
“Well, I was about to go home from Evan’s when I saw your Algebra notebook on my bag. I think we have switched notebooks,” she said, walking towards us, holding my notebook. Evan followed her from behind, still wearing a surprise expression. Miranda tossed me the notebook when she got closer and I caught it. Then she looked at me apologetically. “I’m sorry, we should really have knocked. But the door was unlocked so…”
“I told you, you weren’t interrupting something,” I said, sighing.
She just rolled her eyes. “Anyway, where’s my Algebra notebook?”
“Oh. I… uh, it’s in my locker.”
“Ah. I’ll just get it tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I said, smiling.
“Well, we should go,” Miranda said, grinning. “Bye, you two.” Then she looked at Ian pointedly. “Take care of Victoria.”
Ian smirked and sat beside me. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Uh, Victoria?” Evan said. We all looked at him and I raised an eyebrow at him. It’s the first time he said something. “Can we talk privately?”
Before I could answer, Ian sighed sharply beside me and looked at Evan, rolling his eyes. “Is that really necessary, Evan? We weren’t doing anything. She stepped on my untied shoelace and we both fell. Nothing happened.”
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Evan snapped at him. Then he looked back at me with a serious expression. “Victoria?”
I nodded reluctantly and got up. “Sure. Let’s go to the kitchen?”
He nodded and let go of Miranda’s hand, which he was holding. Together, I lead him to the kitchen and when we arrived there, he looked at me, still on his serious expression. Who would ever think Evan Jones would have a serious expression? He’s a happy-go-lucky player for goodness sake!
“So what do you want to talk about?” I asked, grinning, trying to lighten the mood.
He sighed. “Stay away from Ian,” he said, looking at me in the eyes.
The words hit me hard, as if ten trucks ran into me at the same time. Inside, my heart was breaking slowly and I don’t know why. Evan seems so nice to me and now he’s telling me to stay away from his brother?
“W—why?” I managed to choke out.
“When he’s with you, I can’t help noticing his expression. It’s the same expression he wears when he sees Patricia when she was alive. And from what Miranda had told me, you’re like falling in love with him.”
I frowned. “Miranda tells you these things?”
“Whatever, that’s not important,” he said quickly. “Anyway, I can see it in my own eyes that you’re on the verge of falling in love with my brother. I want my brother to move on with Patricia but I don’t want you to be that girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love you as a friend for Ian but… you’re not helping him to move on. You’re making it hard for him to move on because you look like Patricia.”
“So you’re saying I need to stay away from him because I look like he’s ex-girlfriend? And I’m not falling in love with him,” I added hastily.
He took a deep breath, as if he’s making a hard decision. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened his eyes I can see that he’s really worried for his brother. My expression quickly softened. Of course he’s worried for his brother. He’s the only family he has.
“What I’m saying is that… he might use you. When you fell in love with him and he asks you to be his girlfriend, you’ll say yes of course. But he won’t love you. He’ll imagine that you’re his Patricia and not his Victoria. He won’t really love you for who you are, Victoria. He’ll love you because you look like Patricia.”
I don’t know why but his words hurt me. It hurts so much that I can’t compare it to any other things that have hurt me. If ever I’ll fall in love with Ian—but I’m not saying I will, just only an if—he won’t hurt me… will he? He wouldn’t use me… would he?
I forced a shaky laugh. I slapped Evan’s arm playfully. “Thanks for the warning, Evan, but I won’t fall in love with your brother. That’s just… impossible. So thank you for the warning but… no thanks.”
He looked at me at the eyes, trying to analyze if I’m lying or not. I’m quite good in lying so I wasn’t surprised when he sighed and nodded. He grinned in a goofy way and I know he’s back on his happy-go-lucky player mode. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry if I was freaking out. It’s just that you’re a close friend of Miranda and every friend of hers is my friend. So it matters to me if you’re hurt—especially by my own brother.”
I smiled. He’s really thoughtful and Miranda’s lucky to have someone crazy about her. “Thanks, Evan.”
Evan smiled one last time and walked out the kitchen. When he was out of sight, I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Evan’s words hurt me, I know it was true. So thank God I’m not in love with Ian.
But deep down, I know I’m in the verge of falling in love with him.