Chapter Thirty : Drake's POV (Part I)

It pained a lot, much more that I had expected, seeing Daniel & Andrea as a couple now....

I wasn't even aware that I was having feelings for Andrea until a nervous Daniel came to me in private after our team won the football match this evening and told me about his plans to propose her in the party. It struck me like a harsh bolt of thunder & tore me apart even before I could gather myself....I didn't make any efforts to prevent him but instead gave my good wishes to him. I watched Andrea accepting Daniel's proposal which inflicted a searing pain into me but yet I chose to stand quiet & not do anything. It was true I was heartbroken seeing them hug but maybe it was the right thing to happen for I knew I can never have her for myself....

On this romantic windy night with snowflakes falling from the sky, Daniel might be dropping Andrea home in his car & here I am walking alone on the desolated streets with an injured heart.....

I don't know since when I came to be attracted to her. I could never imagine myself to have feelings for her cause the last time I checked, I absolutely hated Nosey's presence but now....I Love her. I love Andrea.

I have no clue in what state I would be ending up each day henceforth seeing her with Daniel....

***

I didn't expect Grandma to be awake this late in the night when I got back home from the party.

"I knew something was wrong with you when I spoke to you over phone couple of hours ago." she said, sitting down next to me on the sofa.

"I'm fine Grandma." I replied.

"You like that girl Andrea. It was pretty evident when she had come over that day."

"I don't." I denied.

"I think you shouldn't hide the truth of your parents like this, at least from her." she said quietly.

I stiffened hearing that. I fisted my hands as I spoke, "Old Sins have Long Shadows. I don't want Andrea to bear the brunt of this shadow like me."

I got up & headed upstairs to my room, knowing that my Grandma was watching me with helpless eyes.

***

The next day at school was terrible right from the start. I came face to face with Andrea at the campus. My eyes met with hers but she immediately looked away from me. Daniel was with her and they were holding hands. It was hell difficult to see that.

" Drake, thanks a lot for your support." said Daniel, " I was really nervous. I've been telling Andy that I wouldn't have been able to propose her without your help."

"No problem." I responded, "Both of you look really good together."

but Andrea and I look best together.

My head was screaming at me to say that too but I held back somehow.

"Daniel, we should leave. I don't want to be late for class." Andrea told him & walked past me with him. She was making it quite obvious that she didn't wish to see me around her anymore.

She perhaps never had any feelings for me on the first place.

***

"Dude, Gabrielle is really hot. Had an amazing night last night." Mark confessed with a goofy grin when we were at the canteen later that day.

"Glad you did." I said.

"But what was wrong with you?" he asked, "I thought you would hook up with Daisy for the night but you left the party abruptly!"

Everyone had expected me to spend the night with the brunette which I didn't.

"Um, I wasn't in a mood. So just got back home." I said.

"That's strange cause you've never done like that before." He looked at me with curiosity.

I couldn't think of anyone else cause your sister was on my mind the entire time, my throat itched to say that but I casually shrugged instead.

And then we saw Andrea & Daniel walk in the canteen. They sat a table away from us. I was battling the pall of gloom that had invaded me. Daniel had taken her hand in his & she was obviously liking it. I looked back at Mark.

"Frankly speaking, I still don't approve of Andy being in a relationship. As a brother, I can't imagine any guy making out with her." Mark shuddered.

I kept quiet.

"Just look at that." he directed my attention back to the other table where I saw Daniel kissing Andrea's hand. I clenched my fists. I felt like doing so many evil things to Daniel at that time. I wish I was Lord Voldemort!!

"She is my sister & I just can't permit him to kiss her in any way in full public view." Mark grumbled.

My mind had already come up with five evil plans to be executed on Daniel. I should have been there with her not him!!

"Hey! Why are you so quiet?" Mark snapped me out of my thoughts, "I mean, you always say that I shouldn't interfere in my sister's life but today you aren't even making any efforts to cool me down! Why so?"

That's because I myself hate to see her dating some other guy instead of me, the answer was spinning in my head but I didn't say it.

"Um, I'm going to the library. Need to issue some books." I rose to my feet & walked out of there.

***

The days that followed grew from bad to worse to worst. I don't know how I lived through seeing Andrea giggling & laughing with Daniel. I suddenly wished I could turn him into an ugly pig. In the library too, I saw them studying together & he occasionally played with her beautiful brown curls. I was very close to hunting down the heaviest book in the library & throw it at him. I even saw them spending quality time with each other at the campus while sitting on the grass under a shady tree. I literally prayed for a hard coconut to magically fall from the tree on him.

And the most painful of all was when Andrea came over during football practices to meet Daniel. There was an evil feeling in me to throw him out of the team. And this was actually one thing that I could really do cause I was the team captain. And nobody questions my decisions anyway. But I didn't do anything cause he was a very good player & the team, sort of, needed him. Damn it!!!

It was difficult to take my mind & heart over Andrea. It wounded me a lot seeing her with someone else. I learnt how depressing a one-sided love could be, especially when you know you anyways cannot be with her even if she had loved you back....

****

It was one evening after school, I was at Mark's house. We were working on the finishing bits of our video game & in no time we would be ready to present our game in the Video Game Festival.

We were working till dusk when it had started to snow outside. The lawn looked lovely from the window of Mark's room with all the snow accumulated on the tops of grass that shone in the light of the nearby lamp post.

And then I saw Andrea who had sprinted out into the lawn. She had worn a knee length blue frock with her brown tresses falling on her back. There was sparkle in her hazel eyes & a cheerful smile adorning her lush pink lips as she twirled in delight to enjoy the fine weather. I was hooked to her. The snowflakes falling over her made her look all the more beautiful. I could hear my heart rate rising higher & higher as I gazed at her in a trance...

"Crap! Don't tell me she's again out in the snow without an umbrella!!"

Mark's voice snapped me back into my senses.

"Huh..?" I uttered.

"My sister has this crazy love for snowfall. But that doesn't mean she has to get drenched in snow every time there's a snowfall! She will catch fever if this continues."

"Yeah right...You're a caring brother indeed." I said.

"Please tell her to come indoors while I go & get some hot coffee for her." he said urgently.

"You're indeed a caring brother." I repeated in applaud.

Mark raised his brows at me, "Dude, I've got to be caring cause whenever she catches fever along with a running nose, she gets to boss over me and I'm left with no option but to carry out her weird orders & fulfill her weirder requests. That sucks, trust me. "

I knew he was joking when he pretended to shudder. I laughed.

"Can you just do the bit that I told you to?" he asked impatiently as he walked to the door.

"Sure . Will call her in right now." I said, suppressing my laugh.

I reached the door that opened at the lawn. Andrea was still playing in the snow. I was once again mesmerized seeing her. She had absolutely no clue what sort of desires she was invoking in me. My eyes stilled at her lips. I so wanted to feel her lips against mine...I was battling an intense urge to taste her mouth & also feel the softness of her wet skin with the tip of my fingers...

I didn't even realize when I stepped in the lawn and was walking towards her....The snow was falling at a greater rate now.

The big smile on her face grew smaller and ultimately disappeared when our eyes met as I neared her.

"You should get indoors cause you might catch fever and have a running nose." I said, averting my gaze off her and glancing sideways.

"Are you really concerned about me or are you just faking concern?" she chuckled humorlessly.

"I'm doing neither of it." I replied quietly, looking at her, "Your brother is worried about you."

"Then in that case, thank you so much for making it absolutely clear that you're least bothered about me. Thanks, Really!" she smiled in a tight-lipped manner.

"Do I anyways have the right to care for you, or rather feel for you in some way?. After all, you've a boyfriend now. " I responded with a slight chuckle.

"Yes. Thanks to you, remember?" she said with half a smile.

I didn't know where this "conversation" was heading. But it looked as though she hadn't intended to say what she had just said cause she looked away from me.

"Hey people!"

We heard Mark calling.

"If you two stand like this for some more time, you're sure to turn into frozen statues & get buried under the snow!! Come inside!!" he yelled to us.

Andrea & I were quick to move our legs & do as was instructed.

"Drake, I had told you to call her indoors, not getting yourself drenched in snow." Mark chided as I got in the room with Andrea.

He then handed us towels with which we could wipe ourselves dry. Andrea & I were cautious enough to not look at each other.

"Its late....I must get going." I said.

"Man! Can't believe we're done with developing our video game!" Mark exclaimed in delight as he accompanied me outside.

"Absolutely! Just one last trial & we're ready to win in the Festival." I said as we hi-fived.

I got into my car & drove away, secretly wishing Andrea to have said 'Good Night' to me....but of course there wasn't any chance for that to happen....

****

The next day when I turned up in school, girls crowded around me as soon as I got out of my car. Though this wasn't new to me at all, but that day they were all the more excited because of something cause all of them were like 'Drake, please ask me!'

I had no clue what was happening.

I somehow managed to get rid of the crowd & came across Daniel as I entered the main school building.

"Um, any idea as to what this euphoria is all about?" I asked him.

"Captain, don't you know?" he asked in a surprised tone, "This weekend, school is hosting a Ball Dance like it does every year! And I can't wait to be there with Andy!"

That baffled me. I had completely forgotten about the annual Ball Dance thing. And the fact that Andrea would be going hand-in-hand with Daniel shredded my insides.....

***

So here is the first part of Drake's POV. Hope you've liked it! Let me know of your views! :D

The next whole part will also be Drake's POV. Wanna guess what's in store? ;)

Also, I've finally added the cast to this story (FINALLY AFTER 30 PARTS!!!) Thanks to @cherryblossoms66 for her wonderful suggestions <3

I've posted the pictures at the beginning chapters (the first nin chapters). Yuo all can have a look if you want to :)

Lastly, thank you so much to everyone who is reading, voting, commenting! Love you all <3