Chapter Eleven: Mark Crazy for Marks!
Guess what? Drake was actually speaking the truth when he said he would help in my project. And that's why I was in the players' dressing room with him after the football practice that morning. Dad had brought me a professional camera last year so I would be using it for all my assignments. I fixed the camera & pressed the recording button. Drake looked at it & gave a charming smile. I made sure to not get affected by that.
"You're not here for some sexy photoshoot or skin-show modeling. So stop flashing your attractiveness." I snapped at him & stopped the recording.
"So you do admit I am attractive?" he quizzed, smirking.
I rolled my eyes, "We can carry on with this nonsense talk when I have time to waste. But right now, you're answering me about football."
"Why not about Math when you know I'm far better than you on that!"
"Don't go there okay! People do get lucky sometimes like you were in that test." I retorted.
"So it means you admit that you're nowhere close to me when it comes to football?"
By the smirk on his face, it was clear he was enjoying the time of his life by irritating the hell otta me!!
"Don't hurt my ego cause I can hurt yours as well!" I threatened him sharply.
He didn't speak after that though he was smiling menacingly. I put the camera on recording mode & then began the interview with me sitting behind the camera & focusing it on him. He provided thoughtful, serious, occasionally humorous answers to whatever I had to ask him. I was shocked to believe that we were having a civil talk for once. But it wasn't that shocking since it was all for the camera & for my assignment. I finally concluded the interview, stopped the recording & saved it.
"I don't know whether you deserve to be said a 'Thankyou' from me or not." I remarked, given the fact that I had to go through a whole lot of nonsense to get this interview from him.
"Its okay cause you are not 'Welcome' anyway!" he shrugged.
I frowned, "Whatever!!"
I staged a walk out. We were back to how we usually are. The war of words between us can never end in eternity. But the moral of the story is, I won't flunk in my project now! Phew!
~*~*~
"Like Seriously Andy? Are you sure you didn't kiss him even once on your date?" Soph asked for the nth time when I got to the canteen.
She, me & Laura sat at a table. The girls were behind my back to tell them everything that happened between Drake & me since the time I got back home after my "date" with him. When I did tell them all, they were nothing but less enthused because they didn't get to hear what they actually wanted to hear--The Kiss.
"Oh Come On Sophia! Andy would have come to know if Drake would have kissed her, isn't that obvious?" Laura shook her head.
"No. Drake & I did not kiss." I repeated the statement for the nth time altogether.
"Not even lil bit?" Soph pried further.
"No. Not even lil of the lil bit."
"Didn't yours & his lips touch even for a split second?" Soph asked, digging all the more into the subject.
I was about to reply but stopped. The thought of my brief intimate moment with him at the club came rushing to my mind. But the very next second, I brushed it off completely.
"Soph, I think we should leave her alone now! You've got to accept that there was no kiss after all." Laura unknowingly came to my aid by saying that.
"Much appreciated Laura!" I thanked her.
Soph dropped her face on her hands sadly & exclaimed, "I so wanted to hear about The Kiss That Was Supposed To Happen but I got to hear about The Kiss That Didn't Happen!"
I raised my eye brows at that," You don't kiss a jerk who throws a snake at you!"
"Hey! What's that you're eating? Never seen that burger around!" I said, noticing what she had been munching all this while.
"Oh! Its the new burger that our canteen invented! Its called Splash!" she replied excitedly.
Man! This looks like extra junk food to me with all fats & calories in it! Soph gave me a bite. It was actually yummy. Did I mention Sophia is crazy for burgers? Well, who isn't! But she is crazier!
"I admit my life is boring but what about you? Anyone in your life?" I asked her.
"Well, ah, my eyes are still working hard to spot a cute guy! Should be there soon!" Soph chirped, "What about you Laura?"
"Nothing at all." Laura replied. "We don't take that! Everyone has crushes!" I told her.
"Nooo!....I don't have anything for anyone.....can we leave from here please?....We've got class to attend!" she was flustered, getting up hurriedly.
~*~*~
After the last class that day, I was making my way to the locker room through the deserted corridors when suddenly I was pulled behind the wall by someone. Closing my eyes, I was about to squeal in shock & fear but that person pressed his hand on my mouth. When I fearfully opened my eyes, I was no longer in fear.
"Wow Mark! How will Mom & Dad react when they come to know you are kidnapping your own sister?" I snapped sarcastically.
"Ssshhhhhh!!!!!" he sshhed me & spoke in a whisper, "I'm trying to concentrate."
I rolled my eyes, "Are you spying on someone or something like that?" "You're helping me out in this task." he said.
"When did that get decided?" I questioned, startled. He was upto something creepy for sure!
"Just now." he responded, "Listen to me very very carefully! Mr Cooper has just gone out of his cabin. We are gonna break into his cabin & you're going to keep a watch on the door & alert me if anyone's coming this way whilst I do what I have to do. Clear?"
Mr Cooper was the History professor.
"What are you upto?" I asked him suspiciously.
"I had a History test today. It went pretty bad as usual. I need to find my test paper in the cabin to correct an error and then I won't flunk!"
I was flabbergasted when I heard that.
"Mark!! Are you crazy?? Its not right. We will get suspended if we get caught. I---"
Not bothering to listen to me, he clutched my hand & pulled me along with him across the corridor towards the cabin. After two minutes, I was at the door of the cabin, keeping a watch for him while he hunted for the bundle of test papers. God! Can't believe! I'm doing such a risky work! If we are caught then...Hell no! I'm not going to even think on those scary lines!!!
"Mark!! Have you got the papers??" I whispered in urgency.
"No...not yet..Heavens know where he has kept it!" he was rummaging through every paper on the desk & shelves.
I turned my eyes back to the corridor. It was like a horror film. I felt like biting my nails.
No one should come!!! No one should come!!
"Got it!!!"
I heard Mark's exclaim from behind. But the very next second, my eyes nearly popped out in dread.
"Mark, Mr Cooper....!!! He is..he is coming!!!" I stammered due to panic.
That alarmed him, "Quick! We need to hide!" he put the papers back in place.
We looked around everywhere to find a suitable place. The footsteps were getting louder with every passing moment. Finally, my brother pulled me under the desk.
Mr Cooper arrived right then. We saw his feet approaching the desk. We're damn screwed, I tell you!! I was so scared that I felt as though rats are playing table tennis in my stomach! I was praying hard that the professor doesn't finds us when I heard the ringing of a phone!
MARK'S PHONE RANG!!!!!!NO!!!NO!!!NO!!!
He immediately silenced it but the damage was already done.....! "Who's there??" We heard Mr Cooper's alert voice.
It was obvious he had an idea where the sound had come from cause he was bending to check under the desk...where my good-turned-bad brother and me were hiding. Our faces were white in dread & I squeezed my eyes tight shut hiding my face on his shoulder...The professor will see us by the next second...
"Mr Cooper! The Principal wants to see you." My eyes flew open as a lady's voice fell in my ears. Mr Cooper straightened up.
"Maybe my ears were ringing!" I heard the professor mutter.
Mark & I heaved a HUGE sigh of relief seeing the professor's legs walking out of the cabin along with the lady. Phew!
"Jesus bless that lady!" I said under my breath.
"Okay, now I quickly correct the error & then we leave from here!" Mark said as we came out from under the desk.
"No! Absolutely Not!!" I rebuked him strongly, "We're leaving RIGHT NOW!"
"But---"
This time I didn't hear a word of him & dragged him out of the cabin.
"I can't believe you want me to flunk!!! You didn't let me correct one error from my paper!!" he protested when we were at a safe distance from the cabin.
"Hello??!! Which world are you living in?? If you haven't realized it yet, you had almost got us suspended!!!" I shot back.
"But he left after that, right? So I could easily do what I had to do!!" he argued.
"First, I have no dreams of being expelled from school. Second, it is not right to cheat. Next time study hard instead of pulling such daredevil stunts." I said.
"Yes Mom." he said, rolling his eyes.
Gosh!!! Sometimes I wonder how the hell I am even biologically related to him!!
~*~*~*~
"What took you so long?" Laura asked when I arrived at the locker room.
"You wouldn't want to know." I shuddered, thinking about the soup Mark had got me landed into.
"Hey! Where's Sophia?" I asked. "Don't know." she shrugged, "I think she didn't attend the last class & went home maybe."
I was keeping my books in the locker when Laura spoke,
"No guy would ever like me cause who would want to go out with a real life version of Ugly Betty!" she said humorlessly.
"That's not true!" I told her, "If you start to look down upon yourself again, I will be forced to give you a big fat lecture again!"
Laura chuckled, "I'm sorry!"
"You should be! After all, you didn't let me show you my preaching skills." I joked.
We had a laugh over it. Just then we heard my phone ring. It was Soph. "Hey So---"
"Andy!! Can't talk. Be at my house with Laura as soon as you can. EMERGENCY!!" the girl shrieked from the other end.
I was taken aback for a moment,
"Hello So---" I realized the call was cut.
"What happened?" Laura asked when I stared at the phone puzzled.
"She was acting all weird & crazy. Called us to her house." I responded.
"Then we should go!!! Probably she is in some sort of trouble!!" Laura said.
We left hurriedly. Now what else is there to come! Hope Soph is alright!