Flashback Two Years Ago (Continued )

Dexter’s words made Drake rethink his strategy about the situation at hand. He wanted to know how Alexis actually felt for Nate. He knew that Nate didn’t love her in the true sense of the term. He was just playing just to rile him up but did she love him? He had to find out and the only way to do that was to start talking to her. 

Alexis quietly walked towards her classroom deep in thought. Ever since she had arrived at Nelson’s house, Nate had started to express his feelings for her. He was exceptionally good looking and quite a charmer and soon was easily able to charm his way into Alexis’s innocent heart. For the first time in her life, she was getting so much attention and it overwhelmed her. She couldn’t ignore Nate’s open confessions of love and soon accepted him into her life thinking of a happily ever after with him. 

Alexis and her twin Aries had a very difficult childhood when their father, Edwin Martin was diagnosed with leukemia six years ago. Their father had married their mom, Grace Martin who was his housekeeper’s daughter against his family’s wishes. It had irked their grandfather so much that he broke all ties with them, giving all his wealth to their uncle Edward, who was their dad’s brother. Their mom was unable to pull their expenses with a housekeeper’s work and they had been barely surviving when their dad passed away. However their mom developed pneumonia due to a carcinoid tumour in her lungs due to neglect. It was an advanced stage of lung cancer and before they could come to terms with it, she passed away leaving them all alone to cope up with life. Their uncle Edward and his wife, Emily Martin took them to their own house. However, the next few months had been very tortuous for them as aunt Emily tried to force their older sister, Annalise into marrying her friend’s son. However, Nelson’s presence in their lives changed everything for the best. He fought against everybody and married Annalise and brought all three of 

“Boo,” said a familiar voice of her twin, Aries. She looked up and smiled at him. He was the only one in the world who knew everything about her. She didn’t need to tell him anything, he just could feel her just like she could feel what he was thinking and feeling. It was a bond that they shared since the day they were born. “Stop looking so sad, Alex. Just break off with Nate. You’ll be happier,” suggested Aries. At the age of fourteen, he was exceptionally bright for his age. 

“I can’t. He loves me. It’ll break his heart, can’t you see?” said Alexis. Aries shook his head. 

“I don’t think so, Alex. At fourteen, you should concentrate more on your studies than Nelson’s brothers, you know, “ said Aries, trying to make his twin see sense

“Please, Aries. I think I like Nate and the way he showers his love upon me,” said Alexis, determinedly. 

“Really? Then why are you still sad?” Asked Aries. The teacher arrived and they couldn’t talk any longer but what Aries said struck Alexis immensely. She knew that what he said was right. Ever since she had accepted Nate’s proposal to be his girlfriend, something changed between him and his brother Drake. 

She sighed thinking of Drake, the way he used to look at her before she started dating Nate. They never talked apart from the night of her birthday and although she wanted to, she didn’t have the courage to initiate a conversation with him. Ever since she and Nate had started dating, he had avoided her like a plague. His angry and menacing expression always scared her and she stayed away from him. She had no idea why he hated her so much.

During lunch break, Nate walked up to her with a happy smile on his face. “Hey Alexis baby!” he said, squishing her cheeks with his hand. Alexis hated that very much. It made her delicate pale skin turn red and with the whole cafeteria watching her and Nate, she felt embarrassed. She could feel Drake’s gaze upon her even from such a distance. She had no idea but the brooding, disgusted and angry look on his face made her restless and want to run far away and hide. Nate lowered his head to peck her lips but she ducked away from him.

“Stop it, Nate, please. This is a school. There are children around, “ she scolded him. 

“As if they haven’t seen their parents kiss!” said Nate with an eye roll. “Anyway, I’ll get what I want after school. Till then, bye my girlfriend, “ he said loudly, enough for the whole cafeteria to hear him. Alexis wanted to hide with shame! After he sauntered off, her best friend, Claire gave her a look. 

“He's such a show off. How do you tolerate him?” she asked Alexis. Alexis just shrugged. 

“He loves me and I can’t break his heart. There are very few people in this world who actually love me,” said Alexis. Claire caught her hand. She knew all about her. They had connected the day Alexis joined Westview High and had been inseparable ever since. 

“Oh, c’mon. You have all the love that you need,” she said with an eye roll. Alexis didn’t argue any more. She couldn’t win against Claire. They finished their food and got up to leave. However, her eyes met with Drake’s and she couldn’t look away. He seemed angry as usual but there seemed to be a look of hurt in his eyes too. Alexis found him too complicated to fathom. She had caught him staring at her many times but he never made any attempt to talk to her. It was nothing new for Alexis actually, it had been like this for the last four years. 

Claire pulled at her wrist. “C’mon, Alex. I haven’t done my homework. I need ten minutes to copy it,” she said with panic. Alexis looked away and followed Claire out but she could feel Drake’s gaze boring a hole on her back. 

Drake sighed after she left. He just couldn’t break the barrier between them and talk to her. He hated the way Nate embarrassed her in front of the whole school. It made him feel extremely furious. If he could, he would have knocked the daylights off him for this. He did that on many occasions when he was unable to control the mad fury bubbling within him. Thus it was a common scene at school for the last four years. 

“Ignore, Drake. Let’s go and check out the football practice going on,” said Dexter, pulling him along. 

After school, Nate caught hold of Alexis. “Give me a kiss before you go,” he ordered. Alexis shook her head seeing all the other students staring at them. 

“Please, Nate. Not at school, “ she told him solemnly. She was a little pissed off by him. It seemed as if all he ever wanted from her was a kiss. He hardly talked to her about anything else. Even after four years, they hardly knew one another well. 

“Then where?” Asked Nate, eyeing Drake standing against the gate, watching them with the same brooding look on his face. 

“Later. Bye, “ said Alexis but Nate wasn’t giving up so easily with Drake watching his every move. He caught her hand and pulled her for a hard kiss on her mouth. Alexis was furious. He released her with a smug look on his face, making her blood boil more. She stormed out of the gate towards home which was a walking distance from there. Suddenly she realized that she forgot to take her books from her locker at school. How would she do her homework for tomorrow? Turning back, she ran all the way to school. As she walked through the gate, she saw a crowd of students on the premises, watching something. There seemed to be noises of people fighting. What was going on? She pushed through the crowd and went closer to a vicious fight going on. Her eyes went wide with horror seeing Nate and Drake fighting like cats and dogs, both bleeding and injured.

“How could you force yourself upon her?” yelled Drake as he punched Nate. 

“Mind your own business, Drake, “ gritted Nate, punching him back, 

“Alexis is my business, “ growled Drake, his hand going to Nate’s throat. Alexis’s eyes widened with disbelief hearing the two of them. She was horrified and dumbstruck, incapable of movement as well. 

“She’s my girlfriend,” said Nate. “You have no right to feel jealous,” yelled Nate, his fingers going to Drake’s throat. 

“No, she’s mine. I love her dammit. Yes, I am jealous. I have every right to feel jealous. It’s killing me, Nate. Stop it,” he yelled at the top of his voice. Alexis staggered two steps backwards, hearing Drake’s words. They hadn’t seen her yet so she quietly slipped away, her head reeling from what she had just heard. She walked in a daze towards her house with Drake’s confession echoing in her head.