Darling of the Wild

Awful Actresses

I stared at Aiden’s back for a few minutes hoping he could take a glance at me again, but he did not, so I fix my hold on the paper bag and look at my brothers who is just staring at me.

“What?” I blurted out when they didn’t talk but they wanted to convey something with their looks at me.

“Why are you with that guy again, Maia? It hasn’t been 24 hours since I last seen you guys together. What’s up, huh?” Marcus asked with his forehead frowned.

I shook my head, “Nothing” then I start walking towards the cafeteria.

Marcus and Lewis quickly followed and walked beside me, placing me in between them. My brothers aren’t finished on interrogating me despite of the answer I have given. Well, it was the truth though. There’s no specific reason on why we are together. Also, explaining means letting them know what happened yesterday and I don’t want that to happen. I decided to keep it to myself and I won’t even tell it to my friends since I kinda think that saying it loud will make the memories and the feelings be vividly remembered.

Marcus grabbed the paper bag on me and check the inside, “Gummy bears? Chips? . . . CHOCOLATES!? Is this from him or did you buy it for yourself?” he looked alarmed by the sight of the sweets insides and I don’t have any idea why.

“He gave it to me” I answered curious on why he is acting like that. It’s just sweets. Philomena and Chantal always give me that. As well as my brothers. What’s new?

Marcus looked offended, he held my arm to stop me from walking at bend a little to stare at my eyes straight while holding both of my arms, “Tell me the truth, Maia. Is that scumbag courting you?” he seriously questioned.

“Who are you calling a scumbag?” I asked clueless.

“Aiden” he straight up answered.

 I frowned at me “He is not a scumbag, Marcus!”

“He is. Now, answer me. Be honest, Maia. Is that guy courting you?” he repeated his question putting more emphasis to every word.

I sighed at stared at his eyes as well, “No. he’s not.”

He squinted his eyes and look at my face trying to find a sign that I was lying but I am not, so I just stayed calm and natural. I have nothing to hide.

“He’s telling the truth, Marcus. Let her go.” Lewis who is just watching us held his twin’s shoulder telling him to let me go. He is calm but I know inside his head, he’s trying to connect all the dots with all of his observations.

Marcus followed what our brother told him, but he looked at him and complained, “But I think that guy is trying to hit on our sister.” And he is not yet finished on that.

“Let’s not ask Maia about it. She will never lie to us. It’s obvious when she lies. I believe her when she said that Aiden isn’t courting her.” Lewis then tapped his twin’s shoulder as a sign of both assurance and dismissal.

“Marcus, it doesn’t mean that a guy gave a girl sweets, it means that he’s hitting on her. Don’t you know the word ‘friends’?” I told him which caught their attention and caused them both to raise their eyebrows.

“And when did you become friends?” Lewis asked me, suspecting look can be seen on his face.

I stopped for a second when I realized that I am not sure if we are really friends, “Well, I, uh, didn’t mean that we’re friends, I’m just saying that we might be because he gave me sweets.” Then I nodded to make them agree with me. I hope my explanation is clear although I, myself didn’t even understood it.

They both stared at the air, frowning, trying to understand it. After few seconds, Lewis just shrugged and put his arms around my shoulder.

Different from this morning, I didn’t get uncomfortable, just a mere familiarization. The fear I was feeling a while ago was gone and security, comfort, and protection is what I felt. Good thing, I felt at ease now and it doesn’t become worse.

“Okay. I believe you! Let’s go” then we started walking again, “You haven’t eaten lunch?” Lewis asked me.

“Not yet” I answered while shaking my head.

“What? And you ate a pack of gummy bears?” Marcus, who’s walking behind us, asked.

“Huh? How did you know?”

“There’s an empty pack inside this paper bag” he answered, and I can imagine his face glaring at me.

“You finished a pack of sweets without lunch?” Lewis asked me again.

“Uhm, yeah?” I answered in an unsure and scared tone.

Lewis squinted his eyes at me and smirked. Then he headlock me which causes me to bend a little, “I told you that it’s not good! That’s bad” he told me while jokingly tightening his grip on my head and jumping up and down.

I complained and tried to hit back but I felt someone holding my arms to stop me and I think that’s Marcus. I stomped my feet while asking them to let me go. I can’t see anything because of the arms of Lewis that is around my head.

“I HATE YOU BOTH!” I screamed in a muffled voice.

The both of them laughed before letting me go. Even though there’s no mirror, I can see myself with messy hair, peachy face and frowning at them, “You guys are the worst!” they just chuckled and started walking, leaving me behind. My brothers are my greatest bullies. I just can’t with the people who are jealous of my life when this is what I experienced most of the time. The only difference is which brother will do it.

“Let’s go, Maia!” Marcus commanded with a playful smile when he looked behind and saw me just standing and glaring at them. They waited for me as I walked towards them, with the face thinking how I will get my revenge.

When I went near them, I pinched of them in the arms real tight making them express in pain. A sense of satisfaction filled me when I saw their hurting faces. I smiled playfully as I gave my best on tightening my pinch. When I am hundred percent satisfied, I stopped and rolled my eyes at them. Then I walk pass them after flipping my hair.

They deserve it!

When I am finally happy with what I did, that’s when I realized that many students are watching us. Some were smiling, and some were wierded out. There are also students who has the face that they are used on this sight. Well, this isn’t the first time though.

When we reached the cafeteria, I walked towards our usual place and saw Philomena and Chantal talking. There are three trays of foods in the table which means they ordered for me. They knew my usual food and that was on one of the trays.

I smiled excitedly and sat on one of the chairs, “Hi!”

Chantal looked bored and irritated, “Where have you been?”

“At the field”

“Why did you turned off the phone even before I finished? And did I heard a guy’s voice which is not your brothers’?” she asked again staring at me.

Why am I placed on an interrogation again?

“Yes. It was Aiden’s” We all looked up because Marcus answered the question that is for me. Lewis is behind him and they sat down beside me.

“You were with Aiden? When did the two of you become close?” Philomena is the one who asks now.

“The last time I remembered, you threw a lipstick at him” Chantal commented after thinking.

“That was an accident!” I tried to defend myself.

Philomena rolled her eyes, “Whatever! Just answer the question”

“Well, we’re not really close. I just bumped into him while I was sitting on the bench near the soccer field” I explained and tried to divert the topic by pulling the tray with my favorites towards me, “This looks good!”

“Can you bump someone while sitting?” Philomena blurted out looking like she’s trying to understand what I said.

I stopped and realized that my answer didn’t made sense, “Well, saw. It’s not bumped but saw. Wrong choice of words” I explained.

Philomena glanced at me. I could easily read that there’s a lot of questions she still wanted to ask but I signed her to stop asking question because my brothers are here by biting my lips and looking sidewards. Good thing that she understood it, she quickly changed her facial expression and nodded, “Okay! Okay! I get it now.”

Chantal saw it too, so they both stopped asking regarding that.

“We ordered your favorite” Chantal said and started to grab her utensils. Philomena and I did the same.

“Tastes good!” Philomena blurted out after eating a spoonful.

“Mine tastes amazing! You guys are the best” I complimented the food as well and showed a thumbs up at my friends. We kept talking about how good the food and complimented each other, with the hope the we successfully diverted the topic.

Lewis chuckled before standing up, “You guys look awkward. Stop it!”

The three of us stared at him faking a clueless face, “What do you mean, Lewis?” I asked trying to look innocent.

“I know what you did, Maia. I saw you’re face. We won’t ask more question about it. You can act natural now. The three of you look awful and ugly while acting” he explained and turned his back against us to go to the counter and order.

“Lewis! What acting?” Marcus asked his twin and glanced at us, “Are you acting?”

Well, we’re not awful actresses, I think? Looking at the oblivious face of Marcus.

“No, we’re not!” Philomena answered, looking offended with her hand touching her chest adding to that ‘surprised look’.

My brother frowned, looking suspicious at us then he followed his twin brother. When he’s far away, the three of u looked at each other first, there’s a short silence then we laughed.

“We are indeed awful actresses!” Chantal commented and mocked how Philomena acted a while ago, “No, we’re not!” with her forced high-pitched voice hoping to copy our friend.

“I don’t sound like that.” Then she hit Chantal’s shoulders.

“Wh-what the! Why did you hit me?” then she hit Philomena back.

In the end they hit each other again and again. I just chuckled and about to taste the chicken dipped in cheese when Chantal cleared her throat to get my attention.

I stared at them with my innocent eyes, “Why?” I calmly asked.

“Don’t ‘why’ us, Maia. Tell us what happened.” Philomena didn’t bought my act and mocked me as well.

I stood straight and sighed, “Uhm, what should I, uh, tell you?”

“Everything! Come on” Chantal then pushed the tray aside and leaned towards me. Philomena excitedly did the same. I followed the food with my eyes because I’m getting hungry.

“Can we eat first?” I tried to touch my food but they both said, “NO!”

I got startled and started telling them what happened.