There are two songs for this chapter. Rangers by A Fine Frenzy, and You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi.

Happy Reading! (:

Chapter 31 *Foolish Heart*

~Sophia

“What happened?” Parker asks.

“What are you doing here?” I ask incredulously, ignoring his question.

Parker looks between Draky and me, and he’s smiling slyly. “I sent you a message last night,” he says, ignoring my question. “I said that we’ll hang out today before I go back to school tomorrow.”

“Shoot,” I mutter, slapping my hand on my forehead. “My cell phone isn’t working. It’s low bat.”

“Why don’t you come in and tell us what happened last night?” he says, giving me a meaningful look.

Draky and I enter the threshold and Parker leads us to the living room, like he’s the owner of the house.

“Andre explained your absence while we were waiting for you.”

Andre?

I am surprised when I see Chloe, Driana, and Andre sitting together in the living room. They are all smiling at us. I glance at Draky but he has a confused expression on his face. I can feel the blood rising to my cheeks, flooding my whole face.

“What are you staring at?” Draky asks finally. His eyes move to every faces in the room. His eyes widen when he sees Driana. “What are you doing here?” he demands.

“I slept here,” Driana says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“What?” Draky exclaims.

Andre, Parker, Chloe and I are staring at the twins.

“What about mom?” Draky continues in the same tone. “She slept alone in the house?”

Andre snickers. Parker tilts his head to the side, looking amused watching the twins. Chloe glances hesitantly at Draky and Driana, worried that they’re going to argue.

Driana rolls her eyes. “I’m just kidding,” she says, “I didn’t sleep here. Mom’s at home. The moment I woke up, I went here. Like I said last night, I wanted to talk to Sophia.”

I’m so focused on the situation, I forgot I haven’t brush my teeth yet. So embarrassing!

“Excuse me,” I murmur, “I’m just going to the comfort room.”

“Okay,” Parker says.

Chloe waves her hand and gives me a smile.

I’m like a robot, just going with the motion of making my way upstairs. My feet are heavy. I don’t know what’s happening around me. It feels like my life is moving on while I’m left on the sideline.

So, Andre finally meets Parker; the sub that has a creative mind and doing things unexpectedly. They have some similarities but Parker is real, unlike Andre who’s acting just because of a bet.

Or does he? He isn’t the one playing with me. But he was the one who chose me! What if it wasn’t me? What if it was another girl? Draky will never know me. He’ll never see me. Is it a coincidence or everything happens for a reason?

 I’m so confused! My mind wants to explode with these thoughts running inside my head. I’m tired too; mind, body, and heart.

If the time comes I can’t take it anymore, I’ll drop the game and then I’ll tell them everything I know. WAIT! What am I thinking about? I can’t do that! I shouldn’t forget the pain he caused me. Besides, he’s still playing. I can’t quit. I will not. Never. If one’s to quit, it’s him, not me.

I yawn involuntarily. I’m still sleepy. Last night was. . . I shake my head, trying to erase the almost kiss off my mind.

I don’t even know if Draky really cares for me, or if he’s just doing everything to make me fall in love with him. A sigh escapes from my lips without my permission. I really hate thinking What If’s because you’re never sure. Always doubting. One thing’s for sure, though, I think he will never back off either.

Twisting the doorknob, I walk in the bathroom. I grab my toothbrush and put some toothpaste on it. This is the first time I look at myself at the mirror since I went to my parent’s house.

My eyes are puffy because of crying and there are dark circles under them. No wonder Parker asked what happened. My hair’s in a tangled mess. It’s like a bird nest. My cheeks are hollow and my nose is as red as Rudolph’s.

A knock on the door breaks me from my reverie. “Wait a minute,” I say, quickly brushing my teeth. I wonder who’s on the other side of the door. When I’m done, I splash water to my face and then grab a towel in the cabinet.

When I open the door, Draky comes into view.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, drying my face on the towel.

“I’m going to brush my teeth,” he says, raising the toothbrush he’s holding.

“The bathroom is all yours,” I say. I take a step to go outside but he moves and blocks my path.

“Excuse me,” I say, “you’re on the way.”

He brushes the hair that falls to his eyes and ignores my protest.

I step again, but he mimics my move. He even puts his arm on the threshold!

“What do you want?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Why don’t we continue on the part before Parker opened the door?”

“I. . . What do you . . .?” I'm stuttering again!

A smirk starts to form at the corner of his mouth. No doubt my face is as red as an apple. I can’t believe he can make me feel this way! He leans down close to me. His face is just a few inches away from mine.

I can hear the synchronize beat of our hearts. What is he doing? This jerk! Is he trying to kiss me? Is that what he meant when he said that we should continue on the part where Parker opened the door?

I have to get out of here. The bathroom is claustrophobic. I can’t let him kiss me. Just thinking about it makes the butterfly in my stomach flutter. I can’t comprehend if it’s a good thing or not. I have to be away from him to think straight.

But what will I do? Oh, I have an idea. I close my eyes and pretend to stand on my tiptoes, and then I duck down under his arm and run as fast as I can to my room. I quickly close the door behind me before he can enter.

“Sophia.”

I jump in surprised and then turn around to see Driana sitting on my bed.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat.

My heart is so loud in my chest. It’s as if I run in a marathon, like the same time when I walked in the bathroom while Draky was having his shower.

“What happened?” she asks. “Why are you blushing?”

“I am not,” I say indignantly.

She raises her eyebrow and smiles at me slyly.

“What are you doing here?” I repeat. “You’re supposed to wait downstairs.”

“But I have to know what happened last night,” she says, “as if you’ll tell if there are a lot of people listening.”

I sit on the bed beside her because my knees are wobbling beneath me. “Nothing happened,” I say. “What do you want to tell me last night?”

“I thought you’re not interested?” she asks, ignoring my question.

“I am not,” I say warily, wiping the sweat pouring down my face.

“Why did you spend the night with him then?”

“As if I have a choice,” I say wearily.

“Why did you come with him in the first place?” Driana asks, smiling slowly.

I am taken aback by her question. I don’t know why I agreed to come with him in his secret place. Maybe because of what happened, my emotions get the best of me.

“I don’t know,” I say honestly.

Driana is clearly not satisfied with my answer but she doesn’t press the topic. I guess it’s my time to question her.

“Why were you here last night?” I ask.

“Because I wanted to talk to you.”

“About?” I press.

She bites her lip.

I raise my eyebrow and smiles at her teasingly.

“Nothing,” she says evasively.

I laugh at her expression and she scolds at me. I let the topic go because I don’t want her to get mad at me for teasing her.

“Let’s go downstairs,” I suggest.

When we come back in the living room, Andre smirks. That idiot, what does he think? He’s laughing quietly with his stupid friend Draky. Ugh! They’re so annoying!

“Where’s Auntie?” I ask, sitting on the couch beside Parker. I can’t wait to find out where my parents are.

“She’s at work,” Andre says.

At work? That means I have to wait until later to talk to her. I guess I have to be patient, but I want to know now!

“What’s wrong?” Parker asks, studying my face.

“My parents are gone,” I mutter. There's no point in lying.

“What do you mean gone?” Chloe asks softly.

And then I explain everything. What I found out when I went home yesterday, the trip with Draky, and then the cabin. I look at Draky hesitantly before I tell them about the sort of garden and the cabin because it’s not my secret (I know I shouldn't care about it, but I do. It's a place where I felt safe). Now they know about Draky’s haven. The only good thing about it is they don’t know where it is.

They are all silent after I stop talking. I'm waiting for the time they will tease us for staying together last night, but they are all looking at me worriedly. Even Andre.

 “You should relax,” Parker says finally, “maybe they’re having a vacation right now.”

My parents? Not likely. They won’t do that to me; leaving me in a stranger’s house just to relax. If that’s the reason, they will tell me.

But Parker has a point. Maybe my parents are somewhere, but they can’t take me because I’m studying. Perhaps I’m just over thinking things.

“Maybe my mom knows,” Andre says thoughtfully.

“Yes,” I agree.

“Let’s go,” Parker says suddenly.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Anywhere,” Chloe says.

“I’m not in the mood,” I mumble.

“You have to come with us,” Parker says.

“I’m tired.”

“This is our last day here,” Chloe says slowly. “We’ll go home tomorrow.”

Will I ruin Parker’s last day?

“Please?” Parker pleads, “Phia?”

He’s the only one allowed to call me Phia besides Matt, and now he’s using it to his advantage.

I can see Draky at the corner of my eye, watching me.

“You need it,” Chloe says, “to free your mind off disturbing thoughts.”

“They’re right,” Andre says, nodding eagerly.

“You’re just being paranoid,” Driana chimes in.

Now it’s one versus four. The only one not voicing his opinion is Draky.

Heaving a sigh, I nod.

Parker grins. “Anyone who wants to come with us?” he asks them.

Andre shakes his head and says, “Got to do something. Oh, and nice meeting you. I hear you’re a good professor, I mean a substitute.”

“But he’ll soon be a professor,” Driana says, nodding at Parker.

“Thank you,” Parker says, smiling widely.

“Dri?” I ask, looking at her.

“Sorry,” she says, “I have plans.” And then she looks at Parker and Chloe. “I hope we’ll see you again. It was nice meeting you two.”

“It was nice meeting you too,” Parker says, “And we’ll visit every now and then.”

“He’s right,” Chloe says, “I’m glad I meet all of you.”

Parker looks at Draky.

“I’m tired,” Draky mutters. And then he says to no one in particular, “I’m going to sleep.”

“Okay,” Parker says. And then to me: “What are you waiting for?”

“What?”

“Are you ready now?”

“Okay,” I say dryly, getting up from the couch. “I’m just going to take a bath and then dress.”

“Make it faster,” Parker says, “so we can go to a lot of places.”

“Yes sir,” I say, sticking my tongue at him.

“Where did you get this car?” I ask, sliding in the backseat.

“I borrowed it to my friend,” Parker says, starting the engine.

“What about your car?”

“It’s in the school,” he says, “We’re not allowed to bring our car because we have a ride from your school, but my friend brought his car with him.”

“Did they scold him?” I ask curiously.

He grins. “No, not exactly,” he says, “They can’t do anything about it anymore so they just let it go.”

“Oh,” I murmur.

“Actually,” Chloe says, joining in the conversation, “Our friend was late, and he was left behind. So he used his car to come here.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. Poor guy, he drove on his own for five hours.

“The good thing about it is we have a car,” he says.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“Where do you want?” he asks, looking at me on the rearview mirror.

I roll my eyes at him. “You want to hang out but you don’t know where to go?”

“I have a suggestion,” Chloe says, turning on her seat to face me.

“What?” Parker and I ask at the same time.

Chloe smiles amusedly and then says, “It’s my first time to come here, so why not go to the mall?”

“That’s a good idea,” Parker says, intertwining their fingers.

“I want to buy souvenirs,” Chloe says, looking at him affectionately. “My friends will eat me alive if I don’t bring them anything.”

“Mall then,” I say. I give directions to Parker on the nearest mall in town.

Parker holds Chloe’s hand as he drives. He really is romantic! He learned a lot from reading books. Chloe is lucky to have him as her boyfriend. I want to ask if he’s her first boyfriend, but it seems a bit rude so I drop the question. Besides, the first isn’t really important. What matters is the last.

I’m so happy for Parker because finally, he hinds his other half. I hope Chloe will not hurt him because he deserves to be loved. I hope they will have a good life together, surrounding them are their—

“What’s funny?” Parker asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Nothing,” I say. What’s funny? I’m not even laughing.

“You’re smiling,” Chloe says, tilting her head to the side.

“What were you thinking?” Parker probes.

“It’s nothing,” I insist. As if I can tell them I’m imagining their future ahead of them.

“You were thinking about Drake?” Chloe says teasingly.

“Of course not!” I exclaim.

Parker’s eyes glitter in delight. “I knew it! You like him!”

I should have just told them that I was thinking about them. Now they assumed I was daydreaming about Draky!

“Sophia likes—“

“Parker,” I interject, narrowing my eyes at him, “I don’t like Drake.”

“But in one of your letters,” he says, furrowing his eyebrows, “I think you mentioned him.”

“Past,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Sometimes feelings come back,” Chloe says, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

Really, even their actions are the same! Parker and Chloe are meant for each other. They are so perfect for each other!

When we arrive at the mall, we decide to eat taco’s first, and then walk to every store to shop for clothes and anything they like.

“This or that?” Chloe asks. The this is a bracelet, and the that is a necklace.

“Is it for you?” I ask.

She nods, looking longingly at the two accessories in her hands.

“I think both of them will look good on you,” I say honestly.

“But I didn’t bring enough money,” she says a little sadly, “I still have to buy presents for my friends.”

I have an idea. “The necklace is perfect,” I say.

Her face brightens. She puts the bracelet down on its original place and drops the necklace in the basket.

We’re in Abubooth, the most famous souvenir shop in the mall. Parker is at the other side of the store, looking for boy’s accessories. They already brought a lot of gifts; it’s like they’re here on a vacation, and now they’re buying a lot of things for their friends back home.

While Chloe goes to where Parker is, I get the bracelet and pay it on the counter. She really likes it and it fits perfectly to her. I will give it to her later before we say goodbye to each other.

My gift for Parker is a small skateboard keychain. When we were young, he used to teach me how to skateboard. Because of my clumsiness, I didn’t really learn that well. But he was a good teacher. Now I know why he’s taking Literature. He’ll be a good professor. It’s in his blood.

After they pay their accessories, we decide to eat ice cream. The ice cream parlor is located outside the mall beside the parking lot so we have to go the way we come in.

I’m glad there are just a few people here, even though it’s Saturday. We sit outside, on the table near the entrance. My order is chocolate chip with vanilla cream on top. Chloe likes peanut butter ice cream while Parker orders strawberry with a cheery on top.

“My feet are complaining,” Chloe says, stretching on her seat.

“Do you want me to massage them?” Parker asks.

Chloe looks around at the people around us and then bites her lip. “They can still walk,” she says finally.

“You’re so sweet,” I compliment. Both of them blushed on cue. They are so cute!

After a few minutes, the waiter arrives, carrying our orders.

When the ice cream fills my mouth, I let out a relieve sigh. Ice cream, oh ice cream. It’s so delicious and creamy. No wonder a lot of people love it.

Above us, the sky is blue. There are a lot of clouds with different shapes. I’m glad it’s not hot because if it is, we have to come inside the store.

 “Is that Draky’s car?” I wonder aloud, scooping the last bit of my ice cream.

“That black convertible?” Parker asks.

I nod. But I’m not sure. Maybe they just have the same car. It can’t be. . .

The driver parks his car a few yards away from Parker’s friend’s car. After a few seconds, Draky gets out of the driver’s seat.

“It’s Drake,” Parker says obviously.

“Did he know we’re here?” Chloe asks me.

“No,” I say, with a shake of my head.

Is he following us? But it doesn’t look like it. He doesn’t even see us.

“Drake!” Parker yells.

“What are you doing?” I murmur, sending him an incredulous look.

Draky stops walking and looks around, trying to find the person who calls him. Parker waves his hand over his head.

“Parker!” I say. I have the urge to put my hand on his mouth to stop him from calling Draky.

Why is he doing this? Chloe smiles as she looks between Parker and me. Finally, Draky spots us, and then without hesitation, he makes his way towards us.

“Hi,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Where are you going?” Parker asks.

Draky glances at me and then says, “Nowhere.”

It’s clear that he doesn’t want me to know what he’s going to do and wherever he’s going. As if I care!

“Why don’t you join us?” Parker suggests.

I suck in a sharp breath. I look at Chloe for help, but she’s smiling, and she even looks happy at the idea of Draky joining us. I wonder if she ever frowns.

“That’s a good idea!” she says excitedly.

“I don’t know,” Draky says hesitantly, scratching the back of his head.

He can’t come with us. He’ll just ruin our time. My limited time with Parker. Is it rude if I signal to Draky to decline Parker’s offer?

“We’re about to watch a movie,” Parker says, standing up from his chair.

“We are?” I ask incredulously. “I thought we’re going to eat lunch.”

“But we just ate some snacks,” he says.

“Are you hungry?” Chloe asks, standing up as well.

“No,” I say with a sigh.

“We’ll eat lunch after we watch a movie,” Parker says, clearly satisfied. “So are you coming with us?”

I shake my head a little, praying that Draky knows what it means.

He looks at me and the corner of his mouth twitches upward. “Sure,” he says, “I’d like to go with you.”

“Yay!” Chloe says, oblivious to my expression. “It’s like a double