“Oh, really?” Alex raised a brow, “Why is that?”
Alex kept his voice lower than usual. The frown on his face was so deep, it seemed permanent. When two girls looked over at them, Alex caught their eye. He looked so intimidating that they scurried off.
Logan gulped, “Uh…”
Alex shoved him aside and proceeded to open his locker, “Say it before I change my mind.”
He had taken out the books he brought home and had taken in the ones he needed for morning classes yet Logan hadn’t said anything.
Alex closed his locker and leaned a shoulder against it. He didn’t make a move nor did he say anything. He simply stared at Logan, waiting.
Man, do they look alike, Logan repeatedly thought. His mind proceeded to compare Alex and Xandra side by side. Their facial features were exact copies. How did people tell them apart? The more he gazed at Alex, the more he wondered what would his life be like if he looked more like Jae.
Logan shook his head and blinked a few times. He should stop or he would lose his sanity.
“Back on earth yet, Logan?”
“Hm? Uh, yeah, yeah” Logan cleared his throat, “I’m right here with you.”
“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving” Alex started to walk away from him. He didn’t look back when he said, “No second chances.”
“Woah, wait, wait…” Logan grabbed his shoulder. Alex jumped at the contact and shrugged it off, walking faster, “I need your number.”
Logan noticed Alex liked to sneak in between any available space. Still, he kept up with him as best as he could amongst the crowd.
“I thought you weren’t into guys?”
A few people heard Alex’s words and looked over at them. Logan’s ears turned red. His heartbeat sped up.
“For the project, Alex!” He exasperated, hoping the eavesdroppers would believe him. His father was going to keep a close eye on him. A rumor about his sexual orientation was the last thing he needed.
Heaven forbid he visits English class on the day of our presentation, Logan prayed.
“I see” Alex spoke as if nothing had happened. All throughout, he didn’t spare Logan a glance, “But you already have it.”
Logan was stumped.
Alex didn’t stop walking. When Logan noticed he was meters away, he jogged up to him and said, “Huh?”
The halls were less crowded now. Logan easily stayed by Alex’s side. He could finally see his face. Alex’s eyes gazed straight ahead. No sign of emotion at all.
Alex sighed as he answered him, “You have my number.”
Again, Logan couldn’t believe his ears. How on earth did he have Alex’s number? He went to his house to get it but he failed. He’d know if he had his number.
“What? No, I don’t.”
Yet, Alex didn’t waver. His conviction didn’t affect him in the slightest, “Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Yes, I know so.”
Logan was confused. He still believed that he didn’t have Alex’s number. He could defend it if Alex asked… but could Alex defend his side of the argument? Logan doubted it!
“How do I have your number?”
Alex blocked his steps. Since the moment they left, this was the first time Alex faced him. Logan had to bow his head to meet Alex’s eyes. They were storm clouds, rumbling with electric currents.
Logan shivered. Anything he prepared to retaliate died in his throat when Alex spoke.
“Who has my sister’s phone again?”
Again, Logan was stumped. His head blanked out then, it replayed the memory. How Xandra tried to call for a taxi, how he grabbed her phone, how she took it back, how he snatched it away and carried it to his car…
Logan cursed.
S***.
“That’s what I thought.”
Logan came to his senses. Alex was again a few meters away from him. He immediately ran.
“I didn’t mean to take it!” Logan’s voice bounced off the walls. Alex ignored it. The few people in the halls turned to watch what the ruckus was about.
When Logan reached Alex, he mumbled, “I can’t believe I forgot.”
“Sure you did.”
“I did!”
He did.
Alex remained unconvinced, “Where is it then?”
Logan thought for a moment. Truth was he didn’t know. If the phone was on him, he would have noticed it when he got home to change. He always emptied his pockets before tossing the clothes in the laundry basket. He didn’t see Xandra’s phone in them so it meant…
“It’s in the car” Logan said the words more to himself than to Alex.
“Give it back.”
Logan opened his mouth to agree but rethought it. If he gave it now, it wouldn’t appease Alex in the slightest. How could he convince Alex that he really didn’t mean to take it? A faint voice echoed in his head…
… I’m his twin. My opinions matter to him.
That’s it! Logan cheered on the inside. A solid plan formed in his head.
“I will” he answered Alex then, they both continued to walk.
Alex observed Logan’s actions but he remained silent. No promise of when he was going to give it back. Her brows knitted together. She peeked at Logan. There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his lip. He looked straight ahead as if all was right in the world.
She immediately had a bad feeling.
“Aren’t you going to get it?” she asked, eyes on his face. Logan looked at her from the corner of his eyes. His smile tilted up more.
Alex realized that she had seen this expression on Logan’s face before.
“Don’t worry. I will give it back” Logan reassured her then, looked away as he pressed his lips together. Alex’s nose flared up. Logan was doing it on purpose and she knew it.
Before she could give a piece of her mind, Logan spoke.
“To the owner.”
Alex’s face froze. Her lips moved with the tiniest effort, “What do you mean?”
Logan took out his phone and began typing on it. He didn’t spare a glance at Alex during the exchange, “I’ll give it to your sister.”
What.
The.
Hell.
Smoke floated out of Alex’ ears. She grabbed Logan’s elbow and pulled him back, “What?!”
Logan’s feet almost slipped at the sudden contact. The blood on his arm stopped flowing from Alex’s grip. Still, he stayed patient and looked Alex in the eye.
“You don’t believe that it was a mistake,” he said calmly, “Your sister has a right to hear my side of the story.”
“I’ll tell her what you told me.” Alex hissed.
“No offense, Alex” Logan pushed his hand away, “But I don’t believe you’ll be unbiased.”
Alex’s blood boiled. She began to shake, “How on earth are you giving it to her? Are you going to wait for her to replace it before giving it back?”
Logan looked taken aback by her outburst. He lowered his head until he was on the same eye level as Alex. Alex could feel his breath on her skin, “Well, how are you going to give it to her? Why are you asking it back now if you’re not going to give it to her soon?”
Alex was stumped. Not by Logan’s words but by his proximity. Logan didn’t give her time to react and continued,
“Either you’ll be going back to your parents’ house—but it’s the middle of the week. You wouldn’t miss a day of school, would you, Mr. Valedictorian?—Or maybe she’ll be the one to come here… but when? I don’t see why I can’t hold on to her phone for now.”
Alex clenched her jaw, shaking her head at him. As she opened her mouth, Logan cut her off.
“I give the phone to her myself or it stays with me. Your choice.”
The warning bell rang. Logan straightened his back and left, giving her zero chances to refuse.
“See you later, Alex” he shouted with a wave of his hand. He didn’t turn once.
Alex watched his back disappear. Oh, how she wanted to squash him.
