Chapter 60: The Bet *Payback Time

Hello! There are two songs for this chapter: Killer by The Ready Set and Break Your Little Heart by All Time Low.

Happy Reading! (:

Chapter 51 *Payback*

~Sophia

I twirl the necklace in my hands, contemplating if I’ll wear it today or not. The green beads sparkle when I tilt it towards the sun. Rubbing the cross between my fingers, I feel its cold and hard texture. I know this necklace cost a fortune. And I still don’t have an idea why Draky bought it for me.

For the past few days, I wore it wherever I went. Actually, it started on my birthday. I can’t go out of the house if I’m not wearing it. That’s why I’m confused with myself why am I deliberating if I’ll wear it or not. Eh, such a silly question. I fasten it around my neck and walk out of the house and continue my way to the mall to meet Driana and Andre.

“What is she doing here?” Andre asks as soon as he sees me. He looks nervous as he stares at me.

Driana gives me a smile and then she turns to Andre. “I already told you that Sophia knew about us,” she says exasperatedly, as if tired of repeating that line again and again.

“But still,” Andre mumbles.

“I can go if you want,” I suggest. It’s no big deal, and I understand why Andre is acting weird.

“That’s not what I meant,” he says quickly. “I’m happy you’re here! The more the merrier.”

“Really?” I ask doubtfully. I don’t want to ruin their time together.

“Sophia, of course it’s fine,” Driana says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. She links her arm to mine and continues, “I’m already excited! I know we’ll have a great day ahead of us.”

I smile at her enthusiasm; it’s contagious. In a matter of seconds, I’m excited as well.

“Call Drake so that it’ll be a double date,” Andre suggests, wiggling his eyebrows.

Pursing my lips, I ponder for a second if I’ll call him or not. It will be more fun—

“What are you waiting for?” he asks, cutting off my thoughts.

“Okay, okay, I’ll call him,” I say.

Getting my phone from my bag, I dial Draky’s number.

“Hi,” he answers at the third right.

Driana and Andre look at me expectantly. “Are you fee today?” I ask.

“No.”

“No?” I repeat, surprised. “Why?”

“I have to do something important,” he says.

“Oh.” I don’t know why I feel disappointed.

“Why?” he asks.

“Nothing.” There’s no point in telling him that I’m with Driana and Andre because he already said that he’s busy.

“If you say so,” he responds.

And then I end the call. I can’t believe he didn’t grab the opportunity to be with me. It really must be something important.

“What did he say?” Driana inquires.

“He said he have to do something important,” I answer.

“What?” Andre asks, wearing a confused expression on his face.

“I don’t know,” I mutter, “He didn’t mention it.”

Andre frowns. “It’s just us then.”

Driana elbows him playfully. “I’m here, you know.”

“It wouldn’t be the same without Drake.” He pouts. “It’s Drake I want!”

“What?” Driana says, a silly grin forming on her mouth.

“I only date you so that I can get close to your twin brother,” he teases.

Driana laughs. “I really like your sense of humor.”

“I know.” Andre smirks.

Driana rolls her eyes but I know she’s having fun. These two lovebirds are really perfect together. They balanced each other and I can’t imagine them with another people.

“What’s the itinerary for the day?” I ask curiously.

“No worries, I already planned everything,” Andre says, smiling from ear to ear. “Our first stop is the Ocean Planet.”

“Cool!” Driana says excitedly. “I’ve never been there. I can’t wait!”

If I remember correctly, Driana likes almost anything under the sea. It’s sweet of Andre to plan something that Driana enjoys.

We all get inside the car. I’m on the back while Driana sits on the passenger seat. Passenger seat – makes me remember of Draky. The way he sang that song for me. . . I can still recall his facial expressions, the sound of his voice, everything. Why does he have to be charming?

“Hey!”

That snaps me out of my trance. “What?” I ask, startled.

“You’re daydreaming,” Andre says amusedly, glancing at the rearview mirror to look at me.

“I’m not,” I deny.

He smirks. “Now I know where Drake got that habit.”

“S-shut up!” I stutter, tearing my gaze away from him.

I lean my head on the window and stare outside – at the passing cars and pedestrians. My hand involuntarily goes to the pendant of my necklace, stroking the cross, wondering what the giver is doing right now. I hope he will finish soon so that he can join us.

We arrive in our destination an hour later. My back hurts from being in the same position for too long, so when I slide out of the car, I stretch my arms in front of me.

“Feel sore?” Driana asks amusedly.

“Sort of,” I respond. “Where’s Andre?”

“He said we have to wait for him here while he buys the tickets,” she says.

“He’ll treat me too?” I ask.

“Yup.”

“Oh,” I murmur. “He shouldn’t have.”

She winks. “Just save your money for your date with my twin.”

I laugh. “You really are funny.”

“I know right,” she says cheekily.

Andre strides towards us and gives us the tickets.

“Thank you,” I say gratefully.

“No problem,” he replies.

We walk to the entrance and hand the tickets to the woman that’s on duty. We enter a sort of tunnel surrounded with large crystal glass. It’s like walking barefoot in the ocean. Different types of fishes are visible. Coral reefs, sea urchins, starfish, shells, sea horse, pearl inside a clam and sea weeds are scattered everywhere.

You can see the amazement on Driana’s face as she looks at them. It’s like watching a child unwrap her present on Christmas Eve.

In the corner of my eye I can see Andre staring at Driana, probably mesmerized by her beauty. A smile makes its way on my face as I think that all those months of teasing lead to this moment.

A horrible thought suddenly envelopes my mind. What if the time comes that I confront Draky because of the bet? I’m pretty sure Driana will discover our secrets. And her relationship with Andre—

“Look!” she says excitedly, interrupting me from my reverie.

I glance sideways and see a man wearing a scuba diving outfit inside the oceanarium. He waves at us while feeding the fishes. Beside him is a great white shark. I almost scream for him to move away when he puts his hand and caress the shark’s side. I think my jaw almost dropped on the floor. It’s such an amazing sight that we can’t help not to take a picture of it. Driana and I move closer to the glass as Andre counts to three and take a picture of us.

After that, I take the camera from him so that he can have a picture with Driana. He puts his arm around her and she leans comfortably to him. Such a cute happy couple.

I’m afraid I’ll destroy their relationship when the time comes. I don’t want to be the reason of their break up (even though they continue to tell me that they’re both single). But I can’t continue to pretend that I don’t know what Draky is doing to me. I just hope Driana will not find out. Because if ever, there will be a World War III waiting to happen.

Several kids who are jumping up and down grab my attention. They are probably here because of a school trip. A whale stops in front of them. I can hear their gasp as they move closer to the glass.

Suddenly, I remember my little brother. And this piercing ache starts to engulf heart, giving me a feeling of sadness. I miss you so much Matt, it hurts.

To my relief, Andre and Driana decide that it’s time to continue moving forward. I follow behind, pulling myself together. I have to be strong! I can’t let this ruin me. And I’m sure Matt doesn’t want to see me moping around because I miss him.

Every now and then we take pictures of each other. On this part of the oceanarium there are seagulls, turtles, angel fish, clown fish, and other sea creatures I can’t name.

Hundreds of pictures later, we finally round the last corner. My feet are killing me. I want to sit on a soft couch and stretch my legs in front of me. We end up outside – a place that looks like a courtyard. There are benches surrounding the site but they are occupied. I glance at my watch and see that it’s three in the afternoon. No wonder why my stomach is growling.

“I’m hungry,” Andre says, rubbing his stomach while staring longingly at the food stands in the center of the courtyard.

“Why don’t we eat?” I suggest. “I’m famished too.”

“Good idea,” Driana says.

We walk to the nearest food cart. All they sell are sandwiches and sodas. We are all tired to check the other stores so we silently agree that this is our only choice.

“I’d like to eat a hotdog sandwich,” Andre says.

“Me too!” Driana and I say simultaneously. And then we both laugh while the girl behind the counter shoots us a weird look.

“Make it a three sandwich and three cokes,” Andre says, getting his wallet from his back pocket.

I stop him and say, “It’s my treat.”

“Huh?” he asks, confused.

“You paid my ticket so I’ll pay for the food.”

“You don’t have to—“

“I want to,” I interject. “Besides, it’s not expensive.”

He shrugs. “If you say so.”

I turn to Driana and say, “Save a table and chairs so that we’ll have a place to eat.”

“Aye, aye,” she responds, grinning. She grabs Andre’s hand and they both walk together to the tables with huge umbrellas.

I’m glad there aren’t many people here today. Because if ever, the waiting line for the food will be long. Suddenly, I feel like there’s someone staring at me. Frowning, I turn back and look around. Aside from Driana and Andre, I don’t recognize the people in the vicinity. My paranoia is starting again because I remember Skye. But of course he’s not here.

When our order is complete, I carry the tray and sit on the table Driana and Andre chose. We’re all silent as we eat our food.

“Do you want to watch the Sea Lion show?” Andre says after a few minutes.

“There’s a Sea Lion Show?” Driana asks, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes.”

“Where can we watch it?”

“On the back part of the oceanarium,” he answers.

We go to the Sea Lion show as soon as we finished our food. Actually, Driana is still eating while we’re walking, but she insists because she’s thrilled to see it.

Fortunately, we’re the first ones to arrive so we have the privilege to sit in front. Soon after, people start to come and sit on the available bleachers.

A man in a white polo shirt and black pants tells us about the rules and regulations. And then the show begins as the sea lion appears.

The man introduced himself as Jonathan while the Sea Lion’s name is Leo.

We clap our hands whenever Leo performs a trick such as catch the ball (which makes me remember of the time when we took care of Rain), swimming on the pool and mimicking whatever Jonathan is doing. He even knows how to shoot a ball on its basket. I can’t stop laughing when he starts to dance. I’m amazed, like the other audience, watching his performance.

Unfortunately, the show only lasts for about forty minutes. The crowd slowly dispersed, and when it’s our turn to go out, Andre stops us.

He walks towards Leo, and I’m confused because Jonathan seems fine by Andre’s actions.

“What is he doing?” I whisper to Driana.

“I don’t know,” she murmurs. “Let’s follow him.”

We take each step very carefully because the floor is slippery. We might end up sliding on the pool. And with my luck, that’s not impossible to happen.

To my surprise, Jonathan and Andre start to have a conversation, like they knew each other for years. And I’m right as he introduces him to us. They are cousins!

Jonathan shows us a few tricks they didn’t perform before. Leo even gives me a high five. Andre really is a good photographer because he captures it at the right time. He takes several shots with Leo until they tell us it’s time for him to rest. Andre and Jonathan exchange a few words and then we depart the Ocean Planet.

Driana is still glowing with happiness. You can literally feel that she’s full of euphoria. She gets inside Andre’s car with a dreamy look on her face. “That was amazing,” she says, as Andre starts to drive.

He smiles at her and says, “It’s just the first part.”

“Really?”

“Yup. There are more surprises for this day.”

Aww, they are so sweet! It’s just ashamed that they can’t be together in public because they’re afraid of Draky’s reaction. I hope they will tell him soon so that they don’t have to hide their feelings in front of other people.

We converse about our experiences and tell each other our favorite parts. This is one of the best days of my life, and it isn’t over yet. I’m so happy I know nothing can go wrong in this beautiful day.

I tell them that I won’t be around for the next part of the journey because it’s time for them to be alone. They both persuade me in going with them but I refuse repeatedly.

“Just stop the car on that side of the road,” I instruct Andre.

“Are you sure? We can—“

“Yeah.” I smile. “I had so much fun. Thank you!”

“Me too!” Driana says.

“Me three,” Andre chimes in.

“Goodbye,” I say, sliding out of the car. Before I close the door, I wink and say, “Enjoy!”

Driana blushes while Andre looks uncomfortable. A matter of seconds later, he puts his car on reverse and drives away.

Where am I going to go now? It’s starting to get dark but I’m not yet in the mood to go home so I figure I’ll just walk around the shops in town. Being alone gives me a sense of peace. And just after it arrives, I feel a presence behind me. Whipping around, I see the person I despised.

“Did you put tracker on me or something? Why are you following me?” I say suspiciously.

He smirks. “Maybe you are following me.”

“Leave me alone, okay?”

Skye grabs my arm and pulls me to him.

I push him with all my might but he is stronger than me. “Let me go!”

“I will leave you after you come with me.”

“I will not go anywhere alone with you,” I say furiously, elbowing him. But it has no effect because he just tightens his hold on me. “Let me go or I will scream!”

He chuckles. “You won’t do that. You never liked to be the center of attention.”

He's still the same obnoxious person I knew. Ugh! Why are there no people walking nearby?!

“Sophia, you have to see something important!”

I look at him doubtfully, not believing the guy who broke my heart.

“If you come with me, I swear you’ll never see me again,” he continues.

That makes me pause. Is he telling the truth? Why am I even wavering? Of course he's lying! Remember, he cheated on you?

“I promise,” he says, gazing deeply into my eyes.

I want to say that he broke all his promises before but I stop myself. There’s no point in doing that. Instead, I say, “Okay,” to get it over with.

He still holds my arm as he leads me to the nearest coffee shop in town. We just walk a few stores from where we were before.

“What are we doing here?” I ask as he stops in front of the glass window beside the door.

He points his forefinger and I follow it with my eyes. What I see shocked me. I blink my eyes repeatedly, but the image doesn’t change. Draky is inside. Alone.

Questions pop into my head. What is he doing here? I thought—

To my astonishment, Cassidy takes the seat across from him. There are already foods on the table but they look untouched. Cassidy stretches her hand and caress Draky’s face. He puts his hand over hers, probably to keep it in place. I turn my back on them because I can’t bear to see them like a happy couple.

Now I know why he said he’s busy. He is with Cassidy! Why doesn’t he get contented with me?

Instinctively, I remove the necklace he gave me. I crumple it with my clenched fist, feeling the hard cross slashed at my palm.

“W-why did you b-bring me here?” I stutter, facing Skye.

“I want you to see that Drake is not what he looks like,” he explains. “See? He’s dating that girl while pretending he’s in love with you!”

“Why?” I ask numbly. My knees are shaking beneath me. The only thing that keeps me upright is the wall I’m leaning on.

“Because you deserve better than him,” he states, trying to put sense to me. “Look, he just hurt you!”

“Like you did.”

He seems surprised, out of words. I’m not stupid to forget what he did. After all, it was my first heartbreak.

“My biggest mistake was kissing that girl,” he whispers.

“Really?” I say incredulously. “The pain you gave me was not enough? Now you want me to experience it again?!”

This is the first time I’m alone with Skye after he came back. Emotions are bursting through me. My heart is slowly crumbling apart, like before. Was I born to be played? I just want to be happy, but I guess that’s close to impossible.

“You achieved what you want,” I say, “You can leave now. And make sure I’ll never see you again.”

“Sophia . . .”

That stupid Draky! I thought he at least cares for me! He even admitted that he liked me! Why is he talking with Cassidy? They even looked like a couple having a date.

I shouldn’t have let myself get attached to him. I guess he was just acting every time he was around me. And I’m so stupid for believing him. I’m such an idiot for falling in his trap. Now I know he did all that for the sake of winning the bet.

Why does my world feel like falling apart? I tell myself repeatedly that I shouldn’t be hurt. I shouldn’t be jealous because there’s nothing going on between us. We’re not together. I don’t have the right to imagine clawing my fingers on Cassidy’s eyes.

My heart is slowly tearing into tiny pieces. My chest is heaving, it’s hard to breathe. I start to have this hysterical sob - the same kind when I found out about their secret. Fresh tears are spilling from my eyes without my permission. I told myself before not to break down because of him but now I can’t even stop crying. These precious tears are not worth for someone like him.

I swear I’ll make him pay for doing this to me. Tomorrow I will reveal everything I know. I want him to get hurt as much he hurt me. Let’s see how he can take that.

It’s payback time.