Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 15: Beginnings

Stacy

From: Your Nutty Sister

We're official!

OH. MY. GOD. OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!

"FINALLY!" I shouted. "IT'S FINALLY, FINALLY HAPPENED!!"

Miles, Dylan, and Selena gaped at me as I jumped up and down in excitement.

Us four were just on our way out the South Gate when my phone had buzzed in my vest.

"Oh My God," gasped Selena, hastily catching onto my euphoria. She began to jump and shriek along with me.

"What the hell is going on.." Miles snatched my phone from me, and she and Dylan read the text.

I threw my arms in the air and wrapped them around the first person walking by. "Finally!"

"Finally what?" asked the guy whose neck-crook I had my face nuzzled into.

I reluctantly started to pull back, but he tightened one arm around my small waist, his other arm over my delicate shoulders.

"Ten seconds," he proposed. "Just ten more seconds."

"Bryce, PDA is against the rules--" I protested even though I loved the proximity.

"Since when did you become straitlaced?"

"Whatever," I said dismissively, breaking our hug.

"So." Bryce slipped his thumbs into his pockets. "My brother finally did it."

I flashed him a smug smile. "I told you so."

"Oh yes." He placed one finger on his chin. "You approached us out of nowhere.. then,a year and a half later.. boom!" He snapped his fingers. "They're a couple."

I spun on my heel to ignore his snide mockery but he suddenly called out: "Wait."

My back still facing him, I huffed: "What now, De Los Reyes?"

"I'd like it if you made eye-contact, Sta. Ana," he taunted, and just like that, I felt nostalgic.

Turning around, my sky blue irises met those two pools of dark blue which always seemed to carry an endearing gleam of youthful playfulness.

Bryce swept a hand in the air, gesturing to all of us. "If any of you are free, I wanted to invite everyone to a condo-warming party this weekend."

Dylan grinned, totally up for any excuse to get crazy. "You moving to a new place?" he asked.

"Yeah." Bryce stared at me. "I realized my other condo was too far away."

I lifted one shoulder in a dull shrug, feigning disinterest. But secretly, I felt ebullient that he took my advice from last year, about his tedious commute and whatnot being too much hassle.

"So who else is coming to this house warming gathering?" I asked lightly.

The tall De Los Reyes twin weaved his fingers through his brown hair. "Aside from you four, there's Lucas, Liam, Cole, Matthew, Jeremy, Spencer, Emily, Sophia, Jeff, Noah, and Jerry."

Selena nodded, a smile of approval spreading on her pretty face. "When?"

"Sunday. 11am. I'll prepare lunch for everyone," he answered, studying my reaction.

A girl suddenly exclaimed: "Sounds great! I'll be there!"

Tall, with a black pixie cut and teal eyes which shone as she launched herself onto Bryce. My hands twitched in expertly suppressed anger.

Poker face, Stacy. Poker face.

Selena lashed out on my behalf. "Who the hell are you?" she hissed at the pixie-haired girl.

"Vivian Aguilar," she supplied in a proud voice. Her long arms were still encircling Bryce's neck.

Why hasn't he--there we go, he's trying to wrench her limbs off but her grip was vise-like, so I didn't bother to hide my animosity and simply approached the newcomer, grasping her wrists in my hands and tugging her arms away from Bryce's shoulders.

"You were choking him," I sweetly told the dark-haired female shooting daggers at me.

"No I wasn't!" she fired back in this annoyingly shrill voice. "I was being friendly!"

"You call it friendly, I call it rude, intrusive, and pathetic," I replied savagely, my smile still on my enticing mouth.

Vivian narrowed her teal eyes at me. "How dare you? Who are you anyway?" she hissed.

"A goddess." I planted my hands on my model-perfect hips. "One you shouldn't oppose."

She gawked at me. "You--"

"Kindly preserve a comfortable distance from us if you refuse to reevaluate your intolerable behavior," I warned her, shooing her away with my right hand.

Vivian stomped away in a fit of rage.

Miles muttered in Dylan's ear: "Looks like Bryce has an admirer."

Great.

I washed a palm down one side of my flawless face and tossed a frown at Bryce. "Just text me the details tomorrow." I raised my brow at Miles, Dylan, and Selena. "I'll go ahead."

Bryce

The four of us watched Stacy's retreating figure, knowing better than to follow her.

"So."

I glanced at Selena. "What?" I grouchily asked the girl with long bronze hair.

She darted a smirk at me. "You have no idea about tomorrow, don't you?"

"Len, stop tormenting him." I looked at Miles, with the wavy black hair. She grinned and told me in a conspiratorial tone: "Stacy and Sophia have an orientation tomorrow afternoon."

"They applied for part-time jobs?" My eyes widened, and I was fairly impressed. I know how it feels to be a teenage employee. I've worked as a freelance photographer since I was thirteen, and I've grown to be prominent and successful, handling weddings, funerals, birthdays, and anniversaries for the past six years. Photography is my course and passion, and it pays well.

Miles, Dylan, and Selena nodded their heads. Dylan said: "SM Manila. Snack Attack. 2nd floor. Their orientation commences at 3:00. Knowing Sophia, they'll hail a jeep two hours earlier to avoid traffic or any delays."

Selena pointed a menacing finger on my white polo. "Stacy would want you to be there and support her. So you better not fuck this up, Bryce De Los Reyes. Dress up and bring her flowers. What's Stacy's favorite color?" she demanded.

"Pink," I answered instantly.

"Favorite flowers?"

"Red stargazers."

Selena glared at me. "What's the worst thing to say to her tomorrow?"

"'It's okay if you don't pass the orientation.'"

"Good." Selena's smile was anything but innocent. "Make her happy."

She doesn't need to tell me twice.