Chapter 30
I stare at the girl in the mirror with doubt. She stared back at me with her big blue eyes and slightly parted full lips. Her head was somewhat tilted to the side, her dark, curly locks messily braided. It nestled on one side of her neck, close to the butterfly pendant of a silver necklace. She wore a simple mint dress that ended above her knees and a white cardigan to keep her warm. She had on a pair of white closed-toe flats. I'm sure she was hoping that her feet wouldn't freeze and fall off during the evening. Her face, though, was free from makeup. Most likely due to the fact that she was allergic to it. Nevertheless, her cheeks were still tinted pink from her nerves.
Do you ever wonder what you look like in other people's eyes?
I think about it all the time, especially when I see myself in the mirror. Sometimes, I'd even describe myself in third person--like moments ago. I didn't like describing myself in first person. I always end up picking out all my imperfections, which pretty much gives a hard blow to a person's self-esteem.
When Penny finished helping me out, I was relieved that I didn't morph into this completely different human being. I guess my allergic reaction to makeup isn't too bad. I'm positive that Penny would've gone all out if my face wasn't cosmetically off-limits. I didn't really mind the dress; I thought it was appropriate. And the shoes? They were flat, so I should be able to cope.
As I grabbed my mint and white colored purse, I saw Penny admiring her handiwork. In other words, me. Her pretty, pink lips were set in a smirk and her ebony lenses twinkled as they remain narrowed. We stepped outside and I pursed my lips in confusion.
"What are you smirking for?" I asked, not being able to handle such secrecy.
She raised a perfectly sculpted, blonde brow at me. "Nothing," she said. "Is it wrong to think that my twin looks gorgeous?"
"Hey! That's so- What?"
She loosely wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Can't you just chill, Elouise? You look fine, and besides, if something goes wrong, it's not supposed to count."
"But what if it did...you know, count?"
"I'm sure that boy likes you enough to let it slip."
My sister winks at me as she squeezed my shoulders. We wait for my nondate date to arrive in the living room. Our mom, of course, did not know about this whatsoever. And, like the person she is, she stops watching PLL and stares at me pointedly. It's like I committed a crime and refused to tell her about it. But, this isn't a crime and I actually have no dead bodies hidden beneath my bed. It's really not complex; I'm just going to spend time with Drew. On a Sunday. Plain and simple.
"Elouise Maree Walton, you're going on a date and you forgot to tell m?!" she exclaimed, quite outraged.
"It's not a date," I quickly corrected her.
"C'mon, it's been ages since..." Mom's eyes flickered to Penny for a second. "Since your last date."
I knew she was about to blurt Felix. I wouldn't have minded, though. It's been a long time since then, but everyone still thought it was a touchy subject. I kept telling them that we ended things on a good note. Despite the lack of contact, I knew we were okay.
"For the second time tonight, Mom, it's not a date."
"Well, would you at least tell me who it is?" Our mother paused and then suddenly gasped, which startled both me and Pen. "Oh! Let me guess...is it sweet little Charlie?"
"No, Mom. Charlie's like my brother or something," I retort, although I regarded Charlie more as the latter of the two. "Plus, he's neither sweet or little."
Fine, Charlie's partially sweet.
"Well, is it that boy who's been frequently visiting you? The one who seems ruggedly handsome and has an obssession with leather jackets?"
I snorted in a very unpleasant way, while Penny laughed. I could just picture that blonde knucklehead. "Zeke, his name's Zeke. But, to answer your question, no."
Mom thought long and hard before her next guess. Her legs were crossed and she was tapping her chin with her index finger. Her other hand held a cup of stale coffee. She had her brown locks stacked in a neat bun atop her head, her lips twisted into a weird frown. Her brows were furrowed and she had her azure eyes focused on the ceiling. She sort of looked like a detective. It was cute.
"Oh, I know!" she announced, her smile as wide as the Alice in Wonderland Cheshire cat's. "It's that boy I gave cookies to!"
Penny scoffed as she crossed her arms and leaned back on the sofa. "Please, you give every visitor cookies."
I nodded. "I second that, actually."
Mom scowled at my twin and I. "But, I do remember him. He's the boyish one with the dark hair and the-"
"Blue eyes?" Dad finished for her, glancing at the three of us as a shy-looking Drew trailed behind him.
Dad's dark eyes didn't have a trace of happiness in them. I'm guessing he's about to mention the shotgun.
"Honey, go get my shotgun."
And, the baseball bat.
"Oh, and the bat."
Certainly, he wouldn't forget the phone.
"My phone too, in case I have to call my army buddies."
Penny and I looked at each other, both of us knowing his exaggerated, protective father ritual. He thinks it's intimidating, but all it does is make the three of us laugh. Drew merely smiled. I swiftly stood up, trying to steal the attention away from my half-embarrassing father. I went over to stand next to Drew.
"Everyone, this is Drew. Drew, this is Mom, Dad, and Penelope. I'm sure you've met Mom and my twin. I can't really say the same for my dad," I spoke, awkwardly gesturing towards Dad. My smile was shaky, but still acceptable.
Drew acknowledged my family with his million dollar smile. He looked dashing, even if he only wore simple jeans and a polo shirt. He had an air of charming charisma and a sense of regalness. Despite his simplicity, all seemed...royal. Which, if I'm being honest, I'm not very used to. I really am just an average girl, living in the middle ground of things. I didn't get special treatment or received luxurious rewards. But, you know what? I'm getting this feeling that Drew might have had.
When we finally left, we slid inside his flashy, red pick-up truck. He helped me get in, which I found really chivalrous of him. After starting the car, Drew turned on the radio. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana blasting through the speakers and we both jumped. As he proceeded to lower the volume, the two of us looked at each and...there was this click. And then, we just laughed.
"Nice start, huh?" he kids, glancing at me nervously.
"So far, its been interesting." I give him a bright smile, that shows how much I'm enjoying this nondate. "Where are we going anyway?"
"The library."
I fall silent and all you can hear is the soft hum of the engine and the music. I mean, is he being serious?
All of a sudden, Drew laughs and I sigh in relief. "You should've seen the look on your face, El!" he says between fits of laughter.
I lightly punch him. "Shut up, Andy. I thought I was going to have to study!"
"You and studying," he mumbled to himself. And then, he winked at me. "But, whatever, you'll see soon enough."
After quite a car ride, we ended up at a place I've never actually been to before: Villa Vizcaya. I've always wanted to go there, but our family never really got around to it. From the outside, it looked like an absolute dream. Surely, the inside would be just as magnificent. As we got off his car at the parking lot, I had a bit of a bounce to my step. I was giddy beyond belief! Poor Drew will just have to bear with it. I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled us along quicker than our initial pace. Drew didn't complain, but he let out a deep chuckle that left my stomach flipping like a professional gymnast. Instead, he moved his hand so that he was holding mine. I didn't say anything when he did that. I just smiled at him, that familiar feeling of contentment enveloping my whole being.
"Someone's happy," he teased, grinning at me.
I wrinkled my nose. "That's putting it lightly."
Once we entered, my smile slowly turned into a frown. I was thinking about how I should've brought a camera with me. But, upon seeing my glum expression, Drew went and faced me with a worried look on his face. "I thought you liked it?" he asked, his bright eyes showing panic. "We can go if you wa-"
"It's okay, Drew," I reassured him honestly. "I just wish I brought my camera." God's honest truth right there.
He sighed, his body visibly relaxing. What surprised me more was what he did next. With his free hand, Drew grabbed a disposable camera from his back pocket. "Already ahead of you," he states with a proud smile, although slightly crooked. I thought it was very thoughtful of him.
"You're really going all out, aren't you?" It was my turn to tease him.
"Maybe..."
Feeling an overwhelming feeling of boldness, I went and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," I murmured with a goofy smile of my own. His ears turned red and the apples of his cheeks flushed pink.
I was indeed liberated.
For a while, we just stared at one another; from one pair of blue eyes to another. I mean, we probably blocked a couple people's pathways, but I heard no complaints. It felt intimate, in a way, and there was just the two of us. At that moment, I kind of realized something that - personally - I found important. I knew then that I really like Andrew James, the boy with ocean blue eyes.
* * *
Another update, just for you people! :)
Sorry for the wait, my dear readers. I'm back at school and the updates might be slower. I'll try my best to stock up on chapters, though.
Well, this is part one of their nondate. There will be a part two, so just stay tuned! ;)
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Alrighty, paalam!
J~