The Bet (Just The Way You Are)

The Bet *Memories

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Chapter 8 *Memories*

~Sophia

After my encounter with Drake, I end up taking a bath too. It's not a bad idea, considering I feel sticky. It's like the conversation we had a while ago cling to my body so I rub it as much as I could. Of course, I locked the door; I don't want to repeat that scene again.

A knock on the door snaps me out of my thoughts. My hand slips the on hold of the blow dryer I'm holding. It falls on my toes, making me jump, more in surprise than in pain.

I didn't know that I have an audience until I hear his manic laugh. I don't have to turn around to see it's Drake. No doubt he saw my clumsiness.

"What do you want?" I snap, turning to glare at him.

He clears his throat to cut off his laughter. "Aunt Veronica asked me to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"Okay," I mutter.

I pretend that he's not here as I wait for him to leave my room.

As I turn my dryer off, he says, "I didn't know you sleep with a bear in your bed." He points at Shea. "She's cute."

"Thanks," I mumble. I thought he will make fun of me.

"What's her name?"

"Shea." I don't know why he cares.

He gets Shea from my bed and I almost yell at him to put it back because I don't like it when people touches my things. The expression on his face stops me.

"Shea," he says thoughtfully.

There's a flicker of something like sadness in his eyes, but when I look again, it's gone. It must be a figment of my imagination.

I can't tell the expression that crosses his face as he studies Shea. For a second, he looks vulnerable.

Suddenly, he says, "I had a stuffed toy too."

Had? I open my mouth to ask where it is now, when he puts Shea back on the bed and says, "Come on, let's not make Auntie wait for us."

"Okay," I mumble, and follow him downstairs.

~Drake

I don't know why I told her about Bobby. Sometimes I can't hold off my tongue. We walk down the stairs in uncomfortable silence, both of us preoccupied with our own thoughts.

When we walk in the dining room, Auntie is nowhere in sight.

Pie sits across from me, but doesn't dare look me in the eyes. Maybe she still can't get over the fact that she walked in the bathroom while I was having my shower.

I shift uncomfortably on my chair when Auntie walks in the dining room and sits beside Pie.

"Good morning!" Aunt Veronica greets Pie.

"Good morning," Pie says shyly.

"How was your sleep?"

"Good," Pie says smoothly.

I notice that Auntie doesn't ask questions about the puffiness of Pie's eyes. Maybe that's expected when your mom left you to live with strangers.

"Where's Andre?" Pie asks curiously.

"He went somewhere," Aunt Veronica answers, "He said it was important."

Andre helps me a lot. He wants me to be alone with Pie so that I can finish what I started.