Twin Flames, Shattered Fates

Chapter Two: From Rival To Acquaintance

After school the group met up, Mimi and Axel were planning their first date after a while and left early. Akari was hung up on Gabe’s arm, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts, which was the first to see him like that. Aris had told them about her plans with Tobe and her intentions, which was that he was a curious case to her and she was bored because there was nothing new to do at home other than practice martial arts with Akari in their own makeshift studio.

Akari seemed astatic because she would have Gabe all to herself. As Aris bit them goodbye for now, she turned to walk to the meeting point where they agreed to meet. Gabe instinctively grabbed her arm; it caught everyone off guard even himself. “What do you think you’re doing Gabe? Let go or I will be late” Aris said sternly but was curious on what’s going on with his mind right now, for him to grab her like that. Akari appeared flustered and grabbed his hand to pull off Aris’s arm.

He immediately pushed her off, “stay out of this Akari.” Akari fell to the floor and on her ass looking at him concerned and on the verge of tears. “Akari! Are you okay!?” Aris yelled. “What the f**k is up your ass today, Gabe! You didn’t have to push her, and you need to let go before I make you regret grabbing me.”

He let go of Aris’s arm, “sorry” is all he muttered while his faced seemed flared up with fury and confusion. He ran off with Akari getting up and chasing after him. Aris stood their bewildered and yelled “Akari leave him to think! I don’t want you to get hurt!” Akari stopped and turned back to look at Aris, “don’t worry I’m strong and can handle it myself, no matter what!” she yelled back at Aris and continued to run after him.

It was true she could handle herself but that didn’t make Aris less worried about her sister’s feelings. Knowing that Akari would be relentless she knew that she would be wasting her time. Akari won’t listen to anything that Aris would warn her about regarding to Gabe. She would have to learn the worse later when it’s too late, that’s the only way she’ll learn.

Aris picked up her schoolbag and went on her way to the meeting point which was a small café that had just opened up called Katz café. Tobe sat in the corner booth grumbling and muttering to himself. He saw Aris walking up to the table, his heart skipped a beat and his face felt warm all of a sudden.

“You’re late, I was starting to think you wouldn’t show … I thought you would give up on my stupidity or regret taking up the offer.” he muttered the last part. Aris was a bit agitated, “I never give up on something I agreed to, and I got caught up my sister’s and Gabe’s mess. I honestly don’t know what that boy is thinking, he was a bit unusual and acting strange.” Tobe’s ears perked up hearing his enemy’s behavioral changes. “How so?” he asked. “It was strange he didn’t want me to tutor you, maybe he wanted you to say dumb or something but, he doesn’t care about anything except if it includes himself, which it doesn’t have anything to do with him.” Tobe looked at her wrist, he grew irritated seeing Gabe’s grip left a mark on her forearm, “the jackass didn’t have to leave a mark.” Confused at what he meant, Aris looked at her forearm and it dawned on her. “I guess, I’ll have to make it even then, that asshole. I didn’t even notice it.”

“Anyway, let’s get some of our homework done since, I don’t know how long you usually take to solve one simple question.”

“Before we do that what drink and snack did you want, I didn’t know your taste of preference, so I only got mine waiting for you.”

Aris looked at his half-eaten cookie and coffee that was still full. “Can I try what you got, I wanna know if it’s good.” He looked shocked at her request but willingly shared his drink with her, only after he saw her drink from the same straw his thoughts grew.

Wait…that’s an indirect kiss, does that mean anything. Does she even care that she drank from the straw I drank from, Tobe became flustered from his thoughts. “Tobe.” Aris called.

He was stuck in his thoughts, it wasn’t until she poked his forehead, he came back down to earth from his thoughts. “sorry. did you say something.” Tobe said, flustered.

“While you were in La la land, I was calling your name and I finished my part of the homework already, I did most of yours, but I left three questions of the five questions for you to finish.”

Embarrassed Tobe looked at the algebraic equation. X+3=7 solve for x. Aris stared at Tobe still seeing that he was flustered. “Show me what you know so, I can’t get an idea of what I can help you with.”

“How can I find x?” he asked shyly. Aris felt that it was gonna be a long night if he couldn’t do one simple equation which was the easiest out of all of them. “The first step you cancel out the 3 by minus 3 on both sides leaving x alone on one side. Leaving X = 7-3. What is 7-3, Tobe?” He stared down at his hands counting them down by 3 from 7. He answered “4?”

“There you go X=4, now try the next question using what we did.” He looked at the next question, he felt his cheeks flare up seeing Aris drinking again from his cup but continued answering the equation. 10= X+5. He did the way Aris explained to him on the other question and got X=5. Aris smiled and encouraged him by patting his head like a proud owner after their dog just did a trick. “Wow I knew you weren’t too dumb, there’s hope for you after all.” Aris giggled. Tobe grew redder and more told Aris to stop teasing him.

After the session Tobe walked Aris home since it was late and ladies shouldn’t walk home this late anyway. “Since you helped me, what did you want to ask, I’ll admit I was curious.” “Oh, I almost forgot about that since I was having fun teasing you.” Tobe waited patiently while she was tracking down her thoughts.

“I wanted to ask how you got that scar on your face, it’s unusual to have a scar that’s in the middle of your face, how did that happen?” The question threw him for a loop, but it was quite obvious to see, it was an X-shape scar above his nose that’s quite large.