Flashback Two Years Ago 

 

Nelson had soon got married to Annalise. Since Alexis and Aries were orphans, and were minors as well, they too had moved into Nelson’s house with their sister. Nelson admitted them to Westview High immediately and the boys, Nate and Drake met them everyday. Nate always spoke to Alexis while Drake stayed away from her as much as possible. 

“Why don’t you talk to her?” Asked Dexter Moore who was Drake’s best friend. 

“Nate won her for himself. He warned me off her,” said Drake with a shrug. 

“Are you two crazy? You can be friends with her, can’t you?” asked Dexter. 

“No, I’m happy being nothing to her, “ muttered Drake. 

So it went on that way till Alexis’s fourteenth birthday. The whole family and Alexis's friends had gathered at aunt Pauline’s front yard in the evening for her birthday party. Everyone had wished Alexis except Drake. Although he was dying to wish her, to talk to her, he couldn’t with Nate always being there with her. 

Drake didn’t approve of the direction Nate and Alexis’s friendship was heading towards. He knew that Nate was planning to propose to her and ask her to be his girlfriend on her fourteenth birthday. It irked him that Nate was taking the casual bet so seriously but he didn’t see any reason even when Drake cautioned him. So unable to stop Nate, Drake felt very jealous, restless and frustrated with the situation. 

The cake was cut and the birthday dinner was over when Drake walked out of the party and sat all alone in the backyard. He knew that Nate would propose now and he didn’t want to witness it. 

However, he had no idea that  Nate and Denver were sent to his house to get more beer. As he sat sulking, a sweet scent of vanilla and roses wafted into his nose. Alexis! He knew that scent very well. Turning, he saw Alexis standing a little farther away from him, watching him silently. He had noticed her watching him many times. She never spoke a word to him, or smiled at him, she just watched him silently. 

“Hey! What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. He wanted to ask her whether Nate had proposed and whether she had accepted to be his girl. He wanted to ask her why she was standing so far away from him? He wanted to ask her why she didn’t laugh with him the way she laughed with Nate. But he couldn’t ask anything.  

“I. Umm, you didn’t wish me today, “ she reminded him in a small voice which reflected a lot of pain. It seemed as if she was hurt that he hadn’t wished her. Drake swallowed the lump in his throat. 

“Happy birthday, Alexie,” he said hoarsely. Alexis blinked hearing him call her for the first time that too with a strange nickname. No one had ever called her that in her entire fourteen years of life. 

“Thank you, Drake,” she whispered. Drake smiled to himself. The way she said hid name sounded like music to his ears. 

“I have a gift for you. It’s not anything expensive. It’s just this,” shrugged Drake, producing a beautiful red rose. Alexis was stunned by the gift. She hadn’t expected Drake to give her a red rose which denoted what? Love? She took the flower from him, her fingers brushing with his. A strange electric current ran down her spine at his touch. Her eyes locked with his and time stood still for a moment. “I think you don’t like it, ” said Drake, lost in her beautiful green eyes. Alexis looked away with a blush.

“Thank you. I like it,” she said, clutching it to her heart. Whirling around she raced back to the party, her long chocolate brown curls flying in the breeze. Drake watched her as if hypnotized. A strange warmth spread all over him, making him smile. He had been able to wish her well. He had been able to talk to her. He had been able to go near her. He had been able to touch her even if it was for a split second. Euphoric and happy, he went home, to dream of the girl who was forbidden for him. She liked his gift  and wanted to sing out with joy! 

The next few days, however, the joy and happiness disappeared from Drake’s life when he found out that Nate had proposed to Alexis and she had accepted him as her boyfriend. Drake felt cheated and all the energy to live was wrenched out of his body. His otherwise jovial nature was crushed and for the first time in his life Drake experienced heartbreak in the true sense of the term. His relationship with Nate also started to change. Most of the time, Nate’s boasts and show offs pissed him up to the extreme and they fought like cats and dogs. There were days when they didn’t want to see each other’s faces. 

“Alexis is so much in love with me that she has agreed to go out with me. Yay, my first date,” said a jubilant Nate. 

“Some big deal!” shrugged Drake trying hard to show that he was unaffected by it all. However, deep inside, he was more hurt than ever before. How could Alexis go on a date with Nate? Did she really like Nate that much? He just wished he would be in Nate’s shoes.

“Of course it’s a big deal. I know you’re just jealous,” said Nate with a laugh. Drake groaned inwardly. 

“Why should I be jealous? She’s too young to know what’s right or wrong,” said Drake. 

“Just two years younger, dude. At fourteen she isn’t a kid exactly,” argued Nate. 

“Whatever,” said Drake walking away. Nate laughed mockingly. 

“Admit it Drake that you’re jealous. Admit that you wanna be in my shoes,” Nate yelled after him. He felt a strange sense of victory to see Drake so worked up because of his relationship with a girl. It goaded him to go ahead with Alexis. “I’ll marry her one day from right under your nose and you’ll have nothing to do but watch,” he threatened. 

“You’re wrong there, Nate. If I see you playing with her feelings, I’ll beat you up into a pulp,” growled Drake, disappearing into his classroom. 

They didn’t talk to one another for the next two days. Nate went out with Alexis and forwarded pictures of their outing to a jealous Drake. He sulked and sulked and was in the foulest of moods. No one in the family had a clue to what was going on and tried hard to come to terms with this new battle between two of the closest brothers. 

“You need to take it slow, bro. Just don’t get so riled up. He's doing this just to get you jealous,” advised Dexter but Drake was beyond the listening phase. Dexter’s words didn’t register in his mind. 

“How can I take it slow? He’s taking the bet so seriously. I’m at my wits end,” said Drake. 

“Then why don’t you start talking to her as well? Let her decide whom she likes more,” suggested Dexter. Drake scoffed at his words. 

“She has already chosen Nate. I really can’t believe it,” said Drake angrily. 

“You think this will go a long way? They’ll lose interest after a few months or years,” said Dexter with a shrug. Drake looked at him with disbelief. 

“That’s what you think. I know Nate. He’s as stubborn as I am. He won’t ever let this go till he marries her,” said Drake unhappily. 

“We’ll see about that. Just don’t react,” advised Dexter but Drake stormed off, his words not entering his head at all. 

The next few months, Nate and Alexis were always found together and Drake felt left out. At family gatherings, both boys fought like cats and dogs, making the whole family intervene and separate them. As days passed, the scenes started getting more violent and dreadful. 

“I’ve kissed her finally,” boasted Nate. Drake rushed and caught him by the collars.

“She’s just fourteen, dammit. Why the f*ck are you polluting her?” he gritted out. Nate laughed and shoved him off. 

“She’s my girl. I have a right to kiss her. She loved it so what’s your God damn problem?” asked Nate, shoving him again. Drake staggered backwards but went forward and punched Nate’s face.

“I’ll tell Annalise that you’re playing with her sister’s feelings,” Drake warned him. Nate punched him back.

“She knows and she approves, “ boasted Nate with a smug look on his face. Drake wanted to beat him up to erase that look from his face. 

“I don’t believe you. I’m ashamed to call you my brother. How can you take advantage of a child?” yelled Drake. 

“I’m not taking advantage of anyone. In fact I’m ashamed to call you my brother as well. How could you be so mean? It’s my relationship, Alexis is my girl. Why can’t you accept that?” yelled back Nate, walking away in a huff. Drake stood transfixed to the spot. What he said was true. It was Nate’s relationship and Alexis was Nate’s girlfriend but somehow, he just couldn’t accept it at all.