Chapter 8

We could both see how our eyes widened because of that sudden peck on the lips. I immediately pushed him and he pulled himself up too.

"You! Kids! I'll tell this to the principal!" The guard shouted.

Aiden grabbed my hand and pulled me up since I was immobile for a moment. Without my consent, he dragged me out there when the guard started to climb the wire.

The guard must've forgotten he has keys to open the door in front of us.

or he just wants to experience how to climb a wall.

I pulled back for a second and tried to kick the wire the guard was climbing up to that he lost balance and fell, I laughed at that but Aiden had to pull me out there.

"You have keys you know!" I shouted a laugh unconsciously.

But I regret it when the guard realizes what I shouted. Aiden groaned out of frustration and ran while holding my wrist tight.

"I could beat that!" I shouted as we ran.

Well, this is kind of fun though.

I removed my hands off his hold and kicked his popliteal fossa that made him fall in bended knees.

"Huh! Weakling!" I teased and laughed.

He glared at me and stood. I ran away with a mocking laugh when he was about to retaliate.

"You!" He cannot finish his sentence.

I let out my tongue to tease him and turned my back on him to ran.

"Thug!" He shouted, annoyed.

"Weakling!" I shouted too as I ran while he was chasing behind me.

Many people were looking at us. We looked like highschool love— I mean, highschool siblings annoying each other as we ran on the massive strangers passing by along with the cars beeping and rushing on the street.

"Short!" He shouted.

That made me stop.

He laughed behind me because of annoyance.

I turned to him with my annoyed look. It made my blood boil that my ran changes its pace towards his.

His laugh subsided and when he noticed my direction running towards his, he changes direction too to run away from danger.

"You want a punch?!" I shouted as I try to chase him.

"I was just kidding!" He laughed.

But I'm annoyed and I know it's palpable that his laugh subsided and ran as far as he can from me. I run to chase that Weakling, I didn't care about people complaining about me nor the people I budged.

"Fuck." I cursed and fell to the ground when someone bumped into me.

Aiden laughed loud to tease me. I glared at him while he stepped closer to me as he hold his stomach, trying to suppress his laughter.

"I'm sorry, Miss." He apologized and lend me his hands.

I glared at him too and stood.

"High school student? You cut your class?" He asked and looked at his wrist watch.

"So what?" I hissed at him, still annoyed.

He chuckled.

"Nothing. You must be the same age as my little sister." He smiled.

His maturity seems the same as my brother. Maybe he's in college but I don't care.

"I don't care about your sister."

Aiden went beside me and hugged my bag. I glared at him but he pouted.

"I guess I'll go, highschool lovers. Sorry for that again, Miss." He apologized and bowed a little.

"We're no—"

"Yeah, go ahead." I shooed him away, cutting Aiden off.

"Yet . . ." I heard him whisper.

I turned to him with both hands rested on my waist while glaring at him.

"What did you said?" I asked, uptight.

"Huh?" He avoided his gaze.

"Short?!" I scoffed.

"Ahh . . ." Now he get it as he nodded.

"You said I'm short?!" I shouted that made him flinch.

"I was just telling the tru— ahh! Miracle!" He complained when I tweaked his ears.

"Short?!"

"No! Kidding! Hey! I'm not gonna go with you anymore!" He spank my hands tweaking his ears, and the spank wasn't even harsh, it was gentle like a spank from a baby

I didn't listen while he closed his eyes and made a groan out of frustration and pain.

"I'm not gonna cut my class with you anymore!" He threatened.

"Tss." I let go of him.

He massaged his ears and glared at me.

"Thug." He whispered in annoyance.

"So there's a next time?" I gave him my smug look.

He pouted and hugged my bag. He didn't respond but that's okay since I already know the answer.

"Let's go." I pulled his wrist.

I stopped when I saw an arcade. I looked at him who seems confused at that. I gave him a smug nod before pulling him to enter the arcade.

The neon lights were enough to see the colorful and fun games made of machines. Music of bets and shouts are everywhere, most are kids playing while their parents were sitting and looking at them, some are couple.

"Let's make a bet." I said and looked at the basketball game machine.

He tilted his head.

"What bet?"

I pointed the basketball game machine.

"If I win, you'll follow everything I said. If you win, I will let you follow me." I started.

He raised both his brows.

"Nope. If I win, you will not curse or spread your middle finger anymore and if you win, I'll rub your hair aggressively." He stated.

"Unfair!"

He chuckled but shook his head.

"Why? You think I'll win?" He uttered with a smirk.

I gave him my middle finger and stomped towards the cashier lady to change my dollars to coin.

"You'll be my puppet, Weakling." I whispered a tease as I wait for the cashier.

He shrugged and went to the basketball machine while my bag's infront of him, hanging on both his shoulder.

I smirked when I received the coin. I went beside the machine he was standing and inserted my coin on mine and his.

"3 rounds." I said and gave him my smug look.

I grabbed the first basketball and jumped to shoot it to the ring but it misses! Aiden laughed at me so I glared at him while he smirked and in a swift motion of shooting, he shot a score!

"Easy." He smirked.

I bumped his shoulder that made him move sideway and tried to shoot again, it shot!

"Piece of cake." I smirked at him, confident I'll win.

But he was fast, he shot 3 times in a row while I cannot!

"Unfair! You are tall!" I complained as I try to jump and shoot the ball but it misses.

He chuckled but he didn't stop. I bumped his shoulder again to make him stop and it worked, he stopped while I made a score. He smirked and stared at me being competitive, letting me chase his score and when he was about to shoot, I bumped his shoulder to made him stop because it was almost time and he's two score bigger than mine.

I shot many balls while bumping him to stop him from shooting, he chuckled at that.

"Giddy-up! Giddy-up! I win!" I shouted when the time beeped and I won because of cheating.

"You said three rounds." He shrugged.

But I didn't mind him. I shouted the word "I win" consecutive times as I punched in the air and jump to tease him about being a loser.

"Yeah. You won." He smiled and leaned his back on the machine, crossing his arms as he stared at me.

I gave him my smug look and inserted another coin. This time, he seems competitive unlike a while ago who seems like just having fun teasing and looking at my shoots, now his whole focus was on his score and our gap is getting bigger!

He was smirking when every shoot receives a score, I kept on glancing at his score while shooting that I misses many points, I tried to cheat again and bumped his shoulder but this time he didn't budge nor it didn't distract him.

"10 seconds left." He teased.

I bumped him again and tried to shoot. He laughed and shot his ball on my ring before it times up. I glared at him because the one point he gave me didn't even let me win.

"If I win this time, I'll tell you everyday to cut classes." I smirked due to annoyance.

"Nah. I won't let that happen. Just once." His confident that he'll win.

I stretched my arms for the final round. I let out a deep breath before inserting the coin. As soon as the game began, I bumped his shoulder and shoot the ball, it shot! I gave him a smirk and tried to shoot again with of course, jumping to bump his shoulder.

"Cheating!" He said as he shoot, he was focusing.

I kept on bumping his shoulder only to end up being distracted. He didn't even budge because he was too invested with the game. I'm competitive that I stopped bumping him and focused in getting a score, but then I didn't know he's a master. I missed a lot while he didn't.

"I give up!" I threw the ball when I realized I cannot chase his score anymore.

"So I won?" He asked while shooting.

"No! We're tie!" I crossed my arms and glared at his shooting score.

He shook his head and shot my ring with his ball. I watched him shoot the ball on my ring many times but then my eyes shifted to his face.

For unknown reason, my heart started beating at its abnormal state even with just a simple stare. I can't deny the fact that he's kind of . . . handsome. Just a little! He looks like Grayson, well what do I expect from the Alonzo twins.

My heart skipped a bit when he turned to look at me. I avoided my gaze when he caught me staring at him.

"Go on. 20 seconds left. We're tie." He said and started shooting his balls.

I gulped. He looks like a popular basketball player with his height. Especially now that I'm observing his back. Not bad . . .

"What's with the stare?" He asked while shooting.

That snapped me. I shook my head and grabbed a ball but it's already 10 seconds left! Now he's 5 score ahead of me.

Instead of shooting the ball to the ring, I shot the ball to Aiden's head.

"Ouch! What was that?!" He complained as he rub his head.

I was about to give him my middle finger when he raised his brow and pointed the score board where he won the game.

But still . . . I don't like rules so I gave him my middle finger, not minding the bet we made a while ago.

He rubbed my hair, aggressive that it became a mess.

"Aiden! You fu—"

He raised his palms again, a warn for his upcoming rub on my precious hair while both brows were up.

Annoyed, I kicked his popliteal fossa that made him fall in bended knees again.

"Weakling!" I turned my back on him and decided to go to the claw machine.

I inserted a coin and tried to grab the dog puppet in the claw machine. Left side . . . Little right . . . Up . . . and . . . down, press.

But it misses. I kicked the claw machine out of annoyance and inserted another one, this time, more focus, but then . . . almost there . . . it misses!

"Cheat!" I shouted in annoyance and kicked it again.

The kids and others turned to look at me because of my shout but I didn't mind them since I'm annoyed. I kicked the machine again before inserting another coin.

I heard a click of a camera.

I'm more focus, I didn't turn to anyone. I need to get the dog but the claw was stubborn, it kept on dodging every item I try to get. Annoyed, I punched the glass wall hard out of frustration.

My knock broke instead of the glass.

"Fuck you!" I shouted and tried to massage my knock.

Aggressive, Aiden rubbed my hair again, it made me more annoyed that I kicked the machine once again.

"Weak—"

He grabbed my knuckled that broke and tried to stretch my fingers. I gulped as I stare at him in front of me, my bag's still on his front, he looks cute— no! I mean, he looks like puppy— but it's the same! Ugh! No! What am I thinking?!

"You should control your anger. You'll end up hurting yourself because of that." He said as he stretch my small fingers.

Damn. What kind of feeling is this?

I removed my hand off him and tried to divert my attention in other things although my heart still beats for unknown reason.

"Another bet?" I raised my brow.

He shook his head and looked at his phone's watch.

I pouted at that and ran towards another cane to grab a dog stuff again. I don't want to go yet. I already gave up with the thought that I won't be able to learn anything.

"What are you trying to get? The husky dog?" He suddenly appeared beside me.

I looked at him but immediately regretted when our face almost met because of his closeness, but still, he looks unfazed at that, his eyes stilled on the machine.

"Yup." I said and tried to focus on the cane.

I felt like my hands became cold when he held my hand to guide it towards the stuff. He tilted his head when he noticed my reaction so I immediately shook my head and gulped and let his hands touch me to guide me.

But then when he hit the bottom, his hands stilled on my hand, waiting for the result of the cane. My eyes were on the machine but my focus were on my side.

"Ugh . . . waste." His voice snapped me.

Thankfully, my eyes were on the cane so it wasn't obvious.

"We can try another chance." I said and inserted another coin.

His hands stilled on my hand holding the control button as he wait for me, when the machine started working, he guided my hands again. I can say that he can play alone without holding my hand but then there's a little part of me stopping myself from uttering the words.

"What a miracle, your getting a little patient." He smirked as he tried to get the correct spot.

I never thought that. I mean he keeps on getting right then suddenly to the left but then he'll transfer again to the right, I do hate unsureness, when there's a chance, I'll immediately press the button after a few tries and will let the luck decide, maybe I'm willing to gamble many coins while he's patient, trying to calculate every decision before hitting the button.

And . . . I'm amazed that I was able to put up with his kind of patience.

"Shoot." He smiled and turned to me.

My eyes widened and avoided his gaze when he caught me staring at him, I didn't even notice I'm staring at him!

"You mean the husky!" I laughed and immediately stepped backward.

He tilted his head at me.

"Good job, weakling! Let's go!" I turned my back on him and hoofed my way out.

It's awkward. Damn . . .

"Ah!" I complained when I bumped into someone again because of deep thought.

"Oh! Sor— Oh! You again!" He laughed.

I looked up to him and he was the same guy whom I bumped to earlier.

I glared at him but decided to leave him.

But then I saw a familiar mam in front of me.

"Bro! Justine! Let's go!" The man shouted and he was looking at my brother.

He's not in school?

He's talking to his phone. He glanced at the man but it shifted to me. His eyes widened when our eyes met and without a second thought, he hastened his steps towards me.

"What are you doing here, Miracle? You're cutting your classes?!" He seems mad.

I looked at his phone, he didn't end the call. I saw dad's name on it.

Now it snapped me. I forgot that mom was in the hospital and it's because I was distracted with Aiden!

I snatched my brother's phone and put it on my ears.

"Mira—"

"Where are you?" I asked dad on the phone.

"What a coincidence! I was about to give you a good news, Miracle." I can sense him smirking on the line.

I looked at my brother but he avoided my gaze.

"What good news?" I managed to sound nonchalant.

He chuckled on the line.

I clenched my fist and was about to end the call if only he didn't said the last words that made me stop.

"Your mom killed her greatest foe."

My grip on the phone tightened. As much as I don't wanna stain her name on my thought, her actions says the otherwise of my beliefs.

"Who?" My voice trembled a little.

A part of me wants to know who was it but a huge part of me is telling me not to ask further question that could hurt me.

And I regret it. I regret asking who that person was after hearing that one word that made my world collapse.

"Herself."

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Celestial Aurora