The song is 9 in the Afternoon by Panic! At the Disco =) banner by pentapper.

I hope you’ll like this. Thank you, and happy reading!

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Chapter 26 *Unpredictable*

~Sophia

“Your eyes are the size of the moon.”

“What?” I ask incredulously.

“Nothing,” Draky says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

I turn toward the window of the car and look up at the moon. My eyes are the size of the moon?! What is he talking about? Drake really is insane.

“Do you want to listen to music?” he asks.

“Sure,” I murmur, looking pass the buildings on the street.

He clicks the stereo, and a song plays. It’s on its refrain already but it’s unfamiliar. In the corner of my eye, I see Draky mouthing the lyrics of the song. Hah. He knows them. I listen to the song intently to catch the words. Fortunately, it’s on the chorus.

It’s nine in the afternoon, you’re eyes are the size of the moon. You could ‘cause—

Wait! Your eyes are the size of the moon. That’s what Draky told me a while ago!

A smile escapes from my lips without my permission. “Reciting lyrics of a song out of nowhere,” I say.

Draky’s lips quirks into a smile. “It just came on my mind.”

I don’t know why I’m not convinced. “What’s the title?” I ask, as the band plays the bridge of the song.

“Nine in the afternoon.”

“Oh,” I mutter, “By?”

“Panic at the disco,” he says, cocking his head to the side to look at me.

“Never heard of them,” I say.

“Never?” he asks incredulously.

“Never,” I repeat.

“What band do you listen to?” he asks, as if I’m a girl from the mountain.

“A lot,” I say evasively.

I’m quite satisfied with the way he drives, because it’s very different from before. He even wears his seatbelt now.

“Maybe all you listen to are the songs of Taylor Swift,” Draky says matter-of-factly.

Taylor Swift? Is he teasing me? I close my eyes to lessen the annoyance I feel.

When I don’t respond, he asks, “What bands do you listen to?”

“Why?” I grumble, not opening my eyes.

“I’m curious,” he says.

I open my eyes to see him staring at me. “Look at the road,” I chastise. “And, curiosity killed the cat.”

“Cats have nine lives,” he points out.

“Good thing the curiosity didn’t get tired of killing the cat.”

The corner of his mouth twitches upward. “You don’t like cats,” he observes.

“Yes,” I agree. I don’t know why I’m not fond of animals. I think they’re okay, but—

“Who’s your favorite band?” he asks again, going back to the original topic.

“Why do you want to know?” I ask, glancing at him uneasily.

“Forget it,” he says evasively.

Forget it, I mimic in my mind. As if he can persuade me in telling who’s my favorite band to him. I don’t even know the reason why he’s asking. Maybe he’ll use it to his advantage of making me fall for him. But how?

He did help me, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I forgive him. I’m not shallow and stupid for that!

When we arrive at the house, I tell Draky that I’ll just change my clothes, and after that, we can start.  We’re just going to meet in the library.

I go to my room, I’m limping but I can manage, and change in a shirt and shorts.

I’m on my way to the kitchen to grab some snack, and then I see Aunt V preparing the dinner.

“Hello Sophia,” she says. “How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you,” I murmur.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

“Um, I. . . Drake’s here,” I stammer. I’m getting better at calling Draky, Drake with other people.

“I know, silly,” she says.

“You know?” I ask incredulously, “How?”

“I saw him walking around the house,” she answers.

My brows furrow at that. Draky doesn’t know how to follow instructions! I told him to go to the library, but instead—

“Let’s go,” Aunt V says, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m starving.”

I don’t realize until now that I’m hungry. A couple of minutes of eating aren’t really long. Anyway, the project isn’t that complicated.

I help Aunt V carry the dishes to the dining room.

“What’s wrong with your feet?” Aunt V asks, staring at me worriedly.

“Um, I just tripped,” I lie. I try not to bite my lip and look away—usual give away of people who are lying.

Fortunately, Aunt V is not a suspicious kind of person. She sighs.  “Next time, look where you are walking.”

I’m glad she believes me, but I’m guilty at the same time.

“Be careful,” she adds.

“Okay,” I murmur, nodding slowly.

I hear voices coming from the dining room; no doubt the owners of the voices are Draky and Andre. The walls muffle the sounds so I don’t know what they’re talking about. Anyway, why would I care?

“Delicious,” Andre says when we enter. He’s sitting beside Draky who’s looking at the dishes in my hands, which has Beef Broccoli, and Fried Chickens. Aunt V always prepares food for five people.

No one’s surprised that Draky is here because this is his second home. Aunt V takes the seat across from Andre, so I have no choice but to sit across from Draky.

I put the dishes on the center of the table, between us. When we start eating, I tell them that Draky is my partner in Literature. I don’t know, but I feel obliged to tell them that that’s the reason why he’s here.

“Like in real life?” Andre asks amusedly as I pause to breathe.

“Are you and Drake in a relationship?” Aunt V asks, oblivious to my expression.

“Of course not,” I say quickly, before Andre or Draky can utter a lie.

“Really?” Andre asks, staring at me intently. “Why are you blushing then?”

“I am not,” I say indignantly.

Aunt V is smiling slyly, like she’s up to something. I’m about to ask her what, when Draky speaks.

“We’re just friends,” he says, in a tone that clearly indicates that there’s more between us.

In his dreams! As if he can fool me. I know he’s just acting and pretending to make me fall in love with him. Let’s see who the best is when I start with my plan.

“Boys,” Aunt V says, taking my hand and squeezing it, “Don’t make Sophia uncomfortable. Just continue eating.”

Andre’s mouth twitches upward. I can’t believe he’s the same guy I talked to last night. He seems a different kind of person now. Back to his old self.

Heaving a sigh, I continue to eat my food. The dinner isn’t awkward because there are conversations going on.

Andre talks nonstop about his day—the tests he got a perfect score, and the girls trailing behind his back. He’s so full of himself. I wonder when his head will explode. He’s too confident, like his best friend.

Aunt V talks about her business. She, I mean, their family have a lot of shares of stock in big companies in the country.

“Managers are the lifeblood of the company,” she says thoughtfully. “Without them, there’s no business. If you’re going to take Marketing in college, don’t let Accounting students look down at you. They’re just the ones who are going to compute your money in the future.”

Andre smirks. “You’re just saying that because you’re a Marketing graduate,” he says.

Aunt V shakes her head. “My professor told us that lesson when I was in my first year in college. Now, I know that it’s true. I’m experiencing it,” she adds, and then grins. “Anyway, I didn’t forget that. I even made it my inspiration to top the class. I mean, I’m the number one in the President’s List; a Marketing student.” She smiles, remembering the memory.

Wow! Aunt V is intelligent.

“When you’re going to marry,” she continues, looking at Andre and Draky, “Choose an intelligent girl. There’s a huge possibility that your children will be smart too.”

No doubt, Andre gets the genes from his mother. He’s intelligent too.

“Anyway, I forgot to ask,” Aunt V says, looking at me, “What course will you take in college?”

“I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

She nods slowly. “There’s plenty of time for that.”

I have a lot of choices on what course to take, but I have not made my final decision yet.

“Andre,” I say, “What will you get?”

He cocks his head to the side, like he’s thinking about it. “I don’t know,” he says finally.  “Maybe I’ll take Marketing so that I can continue our business.”

Aunt V sighs. “You can take whatever you want and its okay for me.”

“I know,” he says, an unreadable expression crosses his face.

Before the silence becomes uncomfortable, I ask Draky if he’s starting his tutorial lesson with Andre. He’s clearly surprised with my question. What can I do? It’s the first question that comes to my mind.

“Not yet,” he says, after clearing his throat.

“Why not?” I ask.

He shrugs. “No time.”

“Sophia,” Aunt V says, in a voice like she just remembers something.

“What is it?” I ask curiously.

“Your birthday is next week!” She says excitedly.

Andre spits out the water he’s drinking. Instead of helping him, we laugh at him. Draky is slapping the table while he laughs. The good thing is, Andre already drinks some of the water on his glass so—

“You know Sophia’s birthday?” Andre exclaims, coughing the water he swallows unexpectedly.

“Of course,” Aunt V says obviously. She hands a table cloth to Andre to wipe his mouth. “Her mother is my best friend, so it’s not that surprising to know her daughter’s birthday.”

Andre and Draky exchange quick glance and then they both look at me.

“What?” I ask uneasily.

“Nothing,” they both say at the same time. They both shake their head and laugh; just as loud as before.

What’s that look about? What about their exchange glance at each other? Boys are really confusing!

After eating, I tell Draky to wait for me in the library, I’ll just wash the dishes.

“No need,” Aunt V reassures me, “Just start with your project. Andre will wash the plates tonight.

“Okay,” I say, and then to Draky, “Let’s go.”

We stand up from our chair and then Draky says, “Clean well, dish boy.”

Andre rolls his eyes, and mutters something under his breath. Too soft that no one hears it.

Draky offers his help in carrying me, but I decline it. I don’t want to depend on him. Besides, I notice that the more I walk, the more my right foot is getting better.

When we enter the library, I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of the place. This is my favorite part of the house. The smell of books greets me, like they’re enveloping me into a warm hug with their covers. Weird, I know, but that’s what I feel.

“Pie,” Draky says, interrupting me from my reverie.

“What?” I ask, taking the chair across from him.

“Can I ask a hypothetical question to you?”

“Shoot.”

“Will you answer it?” He asks, smiling lightly.

“Let’s see,” I say.

He rolls his eyes.  “What will you do if someone is talking inside your head?”

“Talking in your head?”I ask incredulously.

“Yes,” he says, nodding.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a voice talking to you,” he whispers.

“Like your subconscious mind?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.

He thinks for a moment. “Something like that,” he says finally.

“Why?”

He doesn’t respond.

“Is it happening to you?” I ask. A smile is tugging at the corner of my mouth. I know it’s just a hypothetical question but I can’t help but be amused at it.

“You think I’m crazy,” he observes, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No,” I say, “Actually, I’m thinking about The Host.”

“The Host?” His brows furrow in confusion.

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I have to understand, not all people like to read. “It’s a novel about two minds in one body. An alien in a human body.”

“Oh,” he murmurs.

“Anyway, I think it’s your subconscious mind.”

Draky looks uncomfortable while fidgeting on his seat. “Will you, uh,” he stutters, “Accept its advice?”

“Why, are you talking back to it?” I ask amusedly.

“You’re teasing me,” he says wearily. “I said that it’s just a hypothetical question.”

“Sure,” I say, my lips quirk into a smile.

He looks at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

“I think you should take its advice,” I say finally, “But it depends, on what its saying. Besides, it’s still you, just some other part of you.”

Draky opens his mouth, but before he can utter his first word, the door of the library opens.

“Hello,” Andre says, closing the door behind him. His brows furrow in confusion as he analyzes why we are silent. “Did I interrupt something?”

“What are you doing here?” Draky asks flatly.

“My mom lets me off the hook.” A grin lights Andre’s face. He walks towards us, and sits beside Draky. “Any progression in your project?”

“No,” I say.

“What is it again?” He asks.

“We’re going to come up with two statements,” Draky explains. “It’s like two different topics, but they should connect in some way. And then we’ll have to explain it in front of the class, and submit a handwritten note about it.”

“Oh,” Andre murmurs, “Let’s start.”

We do brainstorming then.

I don’t know what the relevance of this to our lesson is. Parker is really unpredictable. Even though I’m his friend, I can’t predict his next move.

Andre talks a lot. He suggests weird statements like: You are what you eat, and I think therefore I am. How can we connect those two?

I can’t concentrate with his annoying voice and unlimited teasing. Out of nowhere, he’ll just stop talking and will look at Draky and me. Why don’t you leave us alone?! I want to shout at him. Unfortunately, I can’t do that because it’s not my house.

In my peripheral vision I see Draky staring at my hands. I look down to see them in tight fists. I open them slowly just to see that there are red marks on my palms.

Draky seems to know what I’m thinking. He turns to Andre and says, “Why don’t you sleep already?”

“Oh, I like it here.” Andre’s eyes spark in amusement. “You two look cute together.”

I shake my head at him. He’s so impossible! How can he say something like that?!

“Why not about love?” Andre suggests suddenly. “You’re a girl, Drake’s a guy. Besides, you two have chemistry.”

A stupid blush is starting to form in my cheeks, flooding my face.

“Look!” Andre says, pointing at me. “She’s blushing!”

“No, I’m not,” I deny.

I hear Draky snorts, but I don’t dare look at him.

“You’re lucky,” Andre says, gesturing to both Draky and me. “You have that substitute who is very imaginative in making his lessons.”

Parker is very creative. I wonder where he gets his ideas.

“First, the paper,” Andre continues, “And now, this. I want to transfer in your class!”

Draky looks at me, a smile is plastered on his face. “Want a topic about love?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.

Just thinking about it makes me squirm uncomfortably. But I have to do it. There’s no other choice. Besides, a love topic is entertaining and it’s a step to make Draky fall in love with me. A smile forms in my lips at that idea.

We think topics about love then.

“Love is a magic,” Andre says.

“Too cheesy,” Draky says dryly.

We continue to suggest, but in the end, we don’t pick any of them.

“Life is ironic,” Andre says, shaking his head.

“Life is ironic?” I repeat questioningly.

Draky looks at me curiously. “Life is ironic.”

“Yeah, I like it,” I say.

“I’m a genius,” Andre remarks. “I’m not even suggesting it; it just came on my mind.”

Draky shakes his head, but the corner of his mouth twitches upward. “One to go and it should be about love.”

“Hate comes from love,” I blurt out without thinking.

“Creepy,” they say simultaneously.

Do they have interconnected cells in their brain? It seems like they know what the other is thinking. Strange, I know.

Like a light bulb switch in my head, I think of something.

“Love is strange,” I say.

“How can it connect to Life is ironic?” Draky asks me.

Andre yawns loudly before I can answer Draky’s question. “I guess I’ll leave you two alone. You already think of the answer. I need to sleep now and get my beauty sleep.”

Despite my annoyance, I laugh at him. “Your beauty rest?”

“It’s my responsibility,” he says. “Good night to both of you.”

“Good night,” I say.

“Night,” says Draky, bumping the outstretch fist of Andre.

“The connection?” Draky asks after Andre walks out of the room.

“Um, love is strange because we love someone who doesn’t love us, and someone loves us but we don’t love back.”

Draky nods thoughtfully.

“Life is ironic,” I continue, “It flows the way we don’t plan it. Unexpected things happen. One move can change your life forever.”

“I think the connection can be: Live the way you want, and love the way you live,” he says.

I nod. “It can be.”

“Pie.”

“What, Draky?”

“I’m going to write that.”

“Why?” I ask.

 “You’re tired, and you need rest,” he says. “I know that my penmanship isn’t good, but I’ll do my best. I’m going to add more explanation, and I’ll tell them to you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” I say.

When we finish, I tell him that I’ll walk him outside. We’re silent as we make our way towards the front door; me, limping, him, carrying most of my weight. His touch sends electric shock through my body which I ignore.

He opens the door and we just stand outside for a couple of seconds.

“Good night,” he says, putting his hands in the pocket of his jeans.

“Good night,” I murmur.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says.

“Thank you for saving my life,” I whisper.

“You’re welcome,” he says, brushing his hair that falls to his eyes.

Above us, the stars are twinkling and the moon is shining brightly.

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek.

His mouth opens in surprise.

As I close the door behind me, I see that he’s still awestruck.

Let the games begin, I think smugly.