❝ don't talk to me, ever. ❞

―

ACHARA HAD NO IDEA WHO REALLY SHE WAS.

Between pretending to be who her parents wanted her to be and who she actually was, sometimes she struggled to find the balance. She wished she could be more like her brother in that aspect—staying true to who he was despite the disappointment from their parents that followed. But that was just the thing, Achara didn't want her parents disappointed in her.

So she lied. She pretended. It just seemed easier that way. But it took a toll. Achara was starting to feel a pressure on her shoulders—a pressure that was starting to weigh on her. But she didn't let it come crashing down. She let it push and push, keeping up with the facade of the perfect daughter.

She looked around at other teenagers at school or at the skate park or at the parties she attended, wondering if they pretended too. Did they lie to their parents about who they really were? Did they lie and manipulate their parents into thinking they could do no wrong? Achara liked to tell herself that they did. It made her feel better about herself—about all the lies she told to get herself and Decha out of trouble.

"Are you okay?" A voice spoke, pulling Achara away from her thoughts.

"Huh?" Achara asked, turning her head to face the owner of the voice.

It was the boy from the cafeteria who had walked up to the popular table. "I asked if you were okay. You looked a little upset."

"Oh, I'm fine," Achara replied.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked.

"Not at all," Achara smiled, gesturing her palm towards the seat as a way of telling him to sit.

He took a seat. "I'm Miguel. What's your name?"

"Achara. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Miguel replied.

"Hey, why aren't you sitting with your friend?" Achara asked, nodding her head towards Demetri.

Miguel pointed to the board. "The seating chart got changed."

"Oh," Achara felt like an idiot. She had looked at the seating chart, but didn't even bother to look at who was sitting next to her. She had simply looked for her name and called it a day.

"You know, you look familiar," Miguel said.

Achara nodded. "That'd be because you've met my twin brother."

"You have a twin brother?" Miguel asked. "That's so cool! Who is he?"

Achara sighed and opened her mouth to say Decha's name, he came walking through the door. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Since when was he in this class?

"Speak of the devil," Achara remarked.

Miguel turned his head. "That's your twin brother?"

"Sure is," Achara confirmed. "What, you don't see the resemblance?"

"That's not it—I do. It's just that just he—oh no..."

The two of them watched as Decha started walking down the aisle of tables and stopped in front of the one where Demetri sat all by himself. Demetri turned his head to look at him right as he took a seat. Achara and Miguel could practically see the annoyance take over Demetri's entire body.

"Poor Demetri," Achara said with a sigh.

"What's your brother's deal with him?" Miguel asked. "I mean, I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but Demetri has made it pretty clear he's not interested."

Achara shrugged. "That's just the way he is, I guess. He sees someone he wants and goes after them. He doesn't usually get rejected, though. So that makes it all the more fun. It's the thrill of the chase."

"So, people usually give into him? Just like that? All because he shows interest in them?" Miguel asked.

"Pretty much," Achara replied with a nod. "Most people in this school would line up for a chance to go out with him."

"How many people has he dated?" Miguel asked.

"I think the better question is who hasn't he dated," Achara answered.

"Has he really dated that many people?" Miguel asked,

Achara nodded. "Yup. It's basically someone new every week."

"Why do people still want to date him?" Miguel asked, unable to grasp the idea.

"I wish I knew," Achara replied.

────────────

Getting his schedule switched around because he was accidentally put into advanced algebra was not how Decha expected to start his day, but he figured it was better than being confused for the entire year.

It turned out to be an even better outcome when he walked into biology class and saw Demetri sitting at one of the tables.

Decha stood in front of the teacher's desk. "Hi, Decha Thirasawat. I'm in your class now."

"Welcome," he responded in a chipper manner. "It's a pleasure to have you in class. Why don't you take a seat next to Demetri back there in the blue?"

A smile appeared on Decha's face as he turned to look at Demetri. "Don't mind if I do."

He made his way towards the table where Demetri sat, looking down at his notebook. Decha took a seat next to him, causing Demetri to look up. Decha folded his arms on the table, and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you in this class?" Demetri questioned, a demanding tone in his voice.

"I was transferred," Decha stated as if it were obvious.

"Why? You did this on purpose to get closer to me, didn't you?" Demetri accused.

"Honestly, that sounds like something I'd do, but I promise that's not what happened," Decha replied. "I didn't even know you were in this class."

Demetri rolled his eyes. "Why don't you go sit with your sister?"

"Because one, the teacher told me to sit here because it's the only available seat and two, she's sitting with the new kid," Decha told him. "What was his name again? Miguel?"

"I'm surprised you were able to remember," Demetri retorted.

"Was that supposed to be an insult?" Decha asked.

"Well, it certainly wasn't a compliment," Demetri replied. "Now can you stop talking to me?"

Decha shook his head. "No can do, Dem."

"Class is about to start," Demetri pointed out. "And don't call me that."

"Why? You don't like nicknames?" Decha asked.

"I don't like you," Demetri deadpanned.

Decha placed his hand on his chest and gasped dramatically. "Dem, you've wounded me."

"Does it look like I care?" Demetri said, void of all concern and emotion.

Decha leaned forward and looked at Demetri's face. Demetri leaned his head back.

"What on earth are you doing?" he asked.

Decha leaned in closer. "Trying to get a closer look to see if you care."

"And why was it necessary to enter my personal space?" Demetri asked as he scooted his chair away from Decha's.

"Because I wanted to," Decha responded with a shrug as the bell rang. "Why else?"

"Stay out of my personal bubble and don't talk to me during class, got it?" Demetri said.

"So, what I'm hearing is I can talk to you after class?" Decha questioned.

"No," Demetri responded quickly. "Don't talk to me ever."

────────────

The second the bell rang, signaling the end of class, it was as if Demetri had turned into the Flash with how fast he packed up his belongings and headed for the door. Unlucky for him, trying to leave the classroom before Decha could catch up to him proved to be no easy task. Demetri didn't account for the huge wave of students to come crashing down the hallway.

Before Demetri had even managed to exit the classroom, Decha was right behind him. Demetri tried to disappear into the crowd, but it was no use. Every time he glanced over his shoulder, Decha was hot on his heels.

Demetri pulled Decha to the side out of the way. "Don't you know how to take a hint, Hobbit?"

"Did—did you just call me a hobbit?" Decha let out a short, breathy laugh.

"Yeah, I did," Demetri replied confidently, even though on the inside he was panicking, full of worry that he was about to get punched.

"First of all," Decha began, "You're only like two inches taller than me." Decha stepped closer to him. "Second, call me that again."

Demetri faltered back and gulped nervously. "What?"

Decha looked him directly in the eyes. "Call me Hobbit again."

"I—I—what?" Demetri stammered. "No! Just—just leave me alone."

Demetri stepped back and gave Decha one last glare before he pushed past him, bumping his shoulder as he walked away. Decha couldn't help but smirk as he turned on his heels to watch him disappear into the sea of teenagers rushing to get to class on time.

"So, how'd it go?" Achara asked as she approached her brother, Miguel trailing behind her.

Decha shrugged. "He seemed flustered, so that's progress, right?"

Achara rolled her eyes. "You're insane, you know that, right?"

Decha stuck his tongue out at her as the three of them began to walk down the hallway. It had cleared up and was no longer packed. They walked together until they reached Miguel's class.

"I see you've met Miguel," Decha said once it was just him and Achara.

"Yeah," Achara replied, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

Decha took notice of the curvature of her lips and the softness of her voice.

"Ooh, you like him," Decha teased.

"What?" Achara's smile disappeared faster than it had appeared. "No, I don't. I just met him."

Decha's eyebrows scrunched together. "So?" he asked. "What's that have to do with anything?"

"Whatever," Achara retorted, done with the conversation. "Why are you following me around? Don't you have a class to get to?"

"I was thinking of skipping it," Decha told her. "It's history with Mrs. Fisher and I sit in the front row. I don't really feel like getting sprayed with her spit today."

Achara cringed and her face scrunched up in disgust. "Don't blame you. Just meet me in the parking lot after school. If you're late, I'll drive home without you."

Achara didn't wait for an answer as she stepped inside of a classroom. The bell rang the season's she stepped through the door. She closed it behind her.

────────────

"God, you've really got to get your license back," Achara said as Decha opened the door to the passenger seat.

Decha sighed. "You're telling me. Having my twin sister drive me to school in a soccer mom minivan isn't exactly a good look."

"It was your own stupid fault," Achara declared. "You're the one that got your license suspended a week after you got it."

Over the summer, two weeks before school started, Decha and Achara had both gotten their licenses. It took not even two weeks for Decha to get his suspended after he was driving home from a party and got pulled over. He was charged with a DUI. The twins had never seen their parents so livid.

Luckily, Decha was able to get off pretty easy and didn't have to face any serious consequences. His license was revoked for a year and his parents didn't have to pay nearly as much fines as they should have. When you have money, you can cover up the mistakes of your disappointment child and that's exactly what happened.

"Trust me, that'll be the best day of my life," Decha said.

"Mine too," Achara replied. "I can stop driving you around everywhere and I don't have to be late to school practically every day because you refuse to wake up."

"Nerd," Decha teased.

"Lazy," Achara teased back.

They teased each other back and forth a few more times before Decha decided to change the subject. "So, Miguel, huh?"

"Would you shut up about Miguel?" Achara asked defensively. "He's my lab partner. That's it."

"Chara, it's so obvious that you like him. You should have seen the way your face lit up when I said you like him," Decha told her.

"I don't like him," Achara insisted.

"I don't believe you," Decha replied.

Achara sighed. "Fine. Believe what you want."

"I believe that you like, like him," Decha teased her.

"Like, like?" Achara questioned. "What are you, ten?"

────────────

Decha laid in his bed, AC/DC songs blasting from his speaker as he scrolled through social media on his phone. It was a whole bunch of the same old posts—couples posting pictures of themselves, girls showing off their outfits, boys posting photos posing in front of their mirror as they showed off their muscles, and the occasional picture of food or someone's feet in the sand at the beach. It got to the point where Decha wasn't even paying attention anymore and was just aimlessly scrolling.

Decha sat up and walked over to his speaker. He slowly turned the volume up. It seemed like not even seconds later, he heard a pounding on his door. He didn't even have the chance to turn it down before his bedroom door was swung open. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was just Achara. She walked over to the speaker and turned the music off.

"Ever heard of headphones or appropriate volume?" Achara asked.

Decha rolled his eyes. "I thought you were mom. You're such a nag you might as well be."

Achara flipped him off. "Asshole."

Decha turned the volume back up, AC/DC filled the room again. "Was there something you needed?"

"It's dinner time so get your ass downstairs," Achara informed him. "And by the way, mom's in a mood. Don't ask me why."

Decha sighed. "Great."

Achara left the room. Decha turned the music off and followed behind her. Saying their mom was in a mood was an understatement. Before Decha even had the chance to step into the dining room, he heard his mother yell his name.

"Decha Thirasawat!"

Achara mouthed, 'Good luck' as she sat down at the dining table.

"Khap, mae?" Decha asked.

"Your father and I received a call from the school. How many times have you skipped class this week? Did you know you missed a test?" his mother scolded him. "Did you learn nothing from last year? Does school mean nothing to you?"

"Mae, I only skipped today," Decha told her. "I swear. Mrs. Fisher loves giving surprise tests. She's crazy. She spits like an alpaca at a petting zoo."

"Decha Thirasawat! You do not speak of your teachers like that. I don't want to hear that you skipped class again, understand?"

Decha nodded. "Khap, mae."

"Now sit and eat."

Decha did as he was told and took a seat. Achara glanced at him. Judging from the look on his face, a scolding from their mother was not going to stop him from skipping class. She just shook her head at him.

"You're an idiot," Achara whispered.

"So I've been told," Decha whispered back.

— EMILIA'S NOTES **MORE IMPORTANT NOTES**

okay so last chapter i said i'll be including more thai words so in addition to giving a translation at the end of the chapter, i'm also going to make an inline comment and provide a translation there!

i'll make an inline comment wherever the word is used and for an example it'll look like this:

the word/words used - the translation
for example: mae - mom/mother

so be on the lookout for that!!

TRANSLATIONS (they will always be right here!):
- khap
khap or sometimes written as krap/krub/khrub/khrap (i will be using khap) is used when you are trying to make a sentence sound more polite. so in the in the context of this chapter, it was decha's way of showing respect towards his mother. essentially, it was his way of saying "yes m'am."  but it can be used to show respect in multiple ways/situations.

however khap is only for males. females would use ka.

this chapter was kinda short and was mostly about adding more character development to get to know the twins a little better but i promise it'll get more interesting because guess what...

next chapter is the halloween dance!

alternative chapter title: decha thirasawat is an idiot with no filter.