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Parents. I have wonderful parents. My mom is the most pretty women with her perfectly manicured nails and regularly dyed hair, no sign of any kind of tension on her fresh face that glows whether it's day or night.

My father, with his all set business never forgets to provide us with money. We've got huge house, expensive clothes, servants, cars and what not. My parents are wonderful but they don't have a daughter. I'm not their daughter.

While most of the parents checkup on their kids, mine just call to check whether I had paid to the servants, whether I was sleeping alone or with my brother and whether everything else in the house was fine or not.

The monsters were coming back!!!

When I was a child, I waited for them to come home, to talk to me. Just to see how I've grown. Just to make sure I was alive. But most of the time they didn't even see me and went back without even saying a simple 'hi'.

But now, when I'm grown I hate to have them home. All it do is increase the pain in the heart. When I see them here, my dead hopes become alive and I start to expect more. I start to mistake myself as their daughter. I start to think that maybe, they'll come to me, ask me how I'm doing, how's school, how's life, but it never happened in all those years and it never is going to happen ahead even. I got my hopes crushed every time and this feeling was the worst of all.

I couldn't help myself. I couldn't keep myself from feeling hopeful. I wanted to be loved by them. I wanted them to notice me. I wanted them to talk to me. Just look at me, once, with adoration. I wanted them to be proud of me and not ashamed of me. I wanted to be a good daughter to them but they didn't let me. I wanted to hear them call my name. Even If they tell me, with love to drink poison I'll do it for them. In a heartbeat.

And this time when they were coming back I couldn't help but plan how I'll react if they come to my room. Or if they ask me something about me. Or if they smile at me. Rebecca told me just after I returned from school and I was a mixture of emotions.

Sadness....

Happiness....

Hurt....

Love....

"What happened Sophie?" I heard josh ask me as I felt the seat beside me sinking in. I turned towards him and smiled, "nothing, I was just thinking something." He nodded and started surfing channels on television.

"Josh, what's up with you and Nina?" His cheeks turned red. Yesterday when his friends were here, I couldn't help but notice how differently he was behaving in front of Nina. It felt as if he was trying to impress her. I had never seen Josh use a napkin in his life but that day he used it. Though he wasn't able to place it correctly but he did try. He also tried to help Rebecca after the meal when he had never done that. At first I thought he had gone crazy but then I noticed the occasional smiles he and Nina were passing to each other.

He didn't reply me and so I asked again. "Josh?"

"W-what? I have to pee." He stood up and started to walk out but I called him back. "Why? Why can't you share with me? I'm your sister Josh. Do you consider me your sister or you've-"

"I love you Sophia. And, you're the best sister anyone could ever have. I'm really lucky to have you sister. But it's just a little.... embarrassing. I mean -" he stopped and started to shake his head. I chuckled as I wrapped my arms around him. "Aww, my little brother has a little crush on Nina."

"Sophia, if you mock me about it I'm not going to talk to you. And I'll not tell you anything!" Josh said glaring at me. "When I talk about her, why do you always blush?"

"Sophie!" He whined. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" He slapped my arm. "And don't complain when I tease you about Carter!"

"What?" Before I could ask what he meant he ran out. Sighing I checked the time. Carter would be here anytime. Thinking this I got up from the sofa and went to my room. Wearing a knee length check skirt and a blue top, I made a ponytail. I saw the green colour was starting to go away and my roots we're turning back to their natural colour.

Carter was there in no time and he refused to study in the house. We walked to the nearest ice cream parlour. "How was the basketball practice?" I asked him, tired of the silence. "Huh? Did you say something?" He turned to me and I noticed he was deep into thoughts. "Carter, I asked, how was basketball practice?"

"Yeah." He whispered causing me to shake my head. He really wasn't listening. I sighed into the air as I tried again. "What topic are you planning to study today?"

"Hmm."

What the hell?! Okay, if he doesn't want to talk, why should I? Let him be like that!

When we reached there he opened the door for me and I went towards the counter with him following behind me. "Can I have chocolate chip flavour?" I asked the cute looking guy behind the counter and he smiled at me. "Sure, one scoop?"

"Two." I told him. He chuckled and nodded as he looked at Carter, who was busy admiring the clock hanging in the wall. I poked him. "Carter, flavour?"

"Uh-umm, strawberry." He sounded and a giggle escaped my mouth but I quickly hid my lips with my fingers. The guy behind the counter was just staring at him, his mouth slightly opened. "Can you make it quick?" Carter barked at him reaching out for my hand and grabbed it tightly in his.

"One or t-t-" the guy stuttered. All I could feel towards him was sympathy.

"One scoop." Carter replied.

The guy handed him his ice cream and turned towards me. "Do you want some sprinkles on it?" I bobbed my head and was about to answer him when Carter fastened his arm around my waist and answered for me. "No she don't."

I shot him a look as I smiled apologetically at the cute guy. "A little of these Colourful ones. " I motioned to the colourful sprinkles. "Just a second," he said and sprinkled them on my ice cream. Carter slammed the money onto the counter and turned around dragging me away from there. "Wait!" I heard the guy call out.

"Yeah?" I grinned ignoring the strange feeling of Carter's hand on my waste. "Can I have your number?" Hearing this Carter's grip tightened as he pulled me even closer to him. "She-" Carter started.

"I don't have a phone." I told him. A look of sadness passed over his features. "Ah, no problem, I'll see you around?" He recovered. "Yeah, if you give me free sprinkles on my ice cream-"

"Let's go Sophia, we're getting late!" Carter interrupted me as he pulled me towards the door. "It was nice to meet you Sophia." The guy called out. "Same." I shouted back still glaring at Carter for behaving the way he did as we went out of the parlour. Carter left me there and started to walk.

"What's your problem Carter? Why are you behaving like an idiot?"

"I'm behaving like an idiot? I'm?"

"I thought we were going to study?" I asked him, irritated. "I thought so too. But people were busy flirting." He shouted and making my lower jaw drop to the ground. "I was not flirting with him!" I cried. "You were! You were! You were!"

"I wasn't doing it intentionally Carter. He was being friendly with me. And even if I was, why does it bother you Carter? Why?"

"Yin wei wo xi huan ni damn it!"

"Yin-win-si suh-what?" His lips broke apart into a smile and he shook his head. "Nothing!" This was the second time I've heard him use this weird language and I wondered why did he use it. Was it some kind of code language?

"What did that mean Carter?" Curiosity was never good for me. "Please tell me...."

"It meant, lets go to study in the park." He started to walk again. "Really?" I asked, catching up with him. "Yeah. The new topic we started in math just went above my head. I did not get a single thing In it."

"Logarithm?" I asked. "Yeah. That shitty topic!"

"We'll cover it. By the way, strawberry? How does this sound: 'The BadBoy likes strawberry flavour'? Oh my god that's so girly!" I teased him. "Sparkle, don't start now. Why can't guys like strawberry flavour?"

"Yeah, you're right, guys can like strawberry flavour. They're just girly guys!" I giggled. "Sparkle!" He ran after me. Running all the way we reached to the park and sat on the most quiet spot, still breathless from the running. "Let's start then." I said, when we both had finished our ice creams.

I explained him the whole concept from the scratch and gave him a couple questions to solve. Sitting there, I looked around and my eyes caught the sight of a small girl, her hair tied in pigtails, having a piggy back ride on a man's back who looked like her father, eating a cotton candy. Her mother came from behind and tickled her a little making her giggle lightly. I stared as her parents running after her, playing with her, I couldn't keep myself from smiling sadly.

If only my parents were like this. I averted my gaze from them before my tears start to fall and looked at Carter, only to find him completely engrossed in his work. His hair looked messy as a result of being swayed by the strong wind, wrinkles appeared and disappeared on his forehead, his eyebrows wriggling time to time.

I hugged my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, supporting my neck on them and thought how attractive he looked. God must have spent a lot of time in creating his face. No wonder why girls kiss the ground he walks on. No matter how much I try to keep those feelings at bay but they came back. And each time they returned with more strength making it difficult for me to push them back. They were more strong and fought with me every time I try to forget them.

He sighed, indicating he was done as he flipped the pages to look for the answers. Looking up at me he shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but stopped abruptly. "You're crying? What happened?"

I was crying? I touched my cheek and felt it damp. "Uh it might be the strong wind." I tried to make an excuse and I was sure he didn't buy it but he didn't question me. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Are you done?"

"Umm I'm done but my answers are wrong. Can you please explain once more?"

No matter how attractive he is, he'll always be an idiot!

"Sure, why not?" I faked a smile and started to speak again. We were done till the evening and we started walking towards my home.

"Carter, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot!" He said, inserting his hands in his pockets. "What's that weird language you use. Is it like a code language or something?"

"Do you remember what I said earlier to you?" He questioned turning to face me. "Yeah yin-si-suh-win-something." I answered which made him chuckle. "It was Chinese."

"Chinese? Why Chinese? You could've learned any other language like-like French or Spanish." I asked. "It was mom's idea. Chinese isn't spoken here, is it?" I shook my head. "It could be a good code language then, right?"

"Yeah." A soft laugh came out of my lips but my mind couldn't process this. There was nothing secretive in saying 'let's study in the park' but I didn't question him about it. As we reached there I waved him, "bye."

"Bye! Thanks for helping me."

"It's not a problem." I shouted for him to hear me as till now I had walked quite far inside the garden.

************

"Hey Cutie!" I heard a familiar voice and twisted my neck to look at them. "Hi Jackie!" I greeted back with a smile. Jack came down and sat on the chair beside me leaving me flabbergasted. "Why are you here? Everyone will make a big deal out of it!"

"Nothing will happen Sophia!"

"So did you talk to Carter?" I inquired. "No, I didn't. I'll talk to him today after school."

"Please do." I requested. "Don't worry. We'll be friends before you even know it. And I don't think Mr.William is present today. What are you doing?"

"Umm, I'm completing my math's leftover questions." I answered warning a chuckle from him. "Once a nerd, always a nerd." The class got over and before I could to anything else Lia attacked me.

"What Lia? Where are we going? Lia?" I tried to stop her but she succeeded in pulling me all the way to the library. "Why are we-" I was saying in a loud voice but Ms.Rose interrupted me with a fake cough indicating that we were breaking library rules. "Why are we here Lia?" I whisper shouted.

She walked to the quiet end of the library and I followed behind her knowing that she wanted to talk about something important.

"You've to tell me honestly, okay?" She asked in a serious tone and I nodded. "Do you like Carter?"

"What?!" I had no idea she was going to ask something like that. "Is it so difficult to answer?" Lia asked, when she didn't receive an answer, after waiting a minute.

"No Lia. I don't like him." I refused to admit anything like that. "Really? It doesn't seem like that Sophia. You are always smiling when you're around him. Almost all of his uttered sentences makes you blush. No matter how much you try to hide it Sophie. It's obvious."

"Lia-I-"

"Lia-I-what? Sophia, man up, just for once in your life! Tell him you like him Sophie."

You don't like him Sophia. You hate him! He was your bully. And you can't develop feelings for him! This might be an act he's playing.

"I don't like him Lia! He was my bully, I can't like him. I hate him. I really hate him."

I don't hate him, not even an inch. Not anymore.

"Sophia are you saying that-" she paused, her eyes fixed behind me and her mouth opened slightly. She had an I'm-going-to-leave-you look on her face and then it struck me. "He's behind me isn't he?" Lia nodded. "Right behind you," saying this, she ran out of the library.

I shut my eyes tightly and shook my head at my stupidity. Carter tapped me on my shoulder and I turned around to face him, praying that he doesn't make a big deal out of it. "You hate me?" He asked his voice coming out, alarmingly low. As if he was about to explode. I shook my head wildly, gulping. "N-n-o Carter.....I-I-"

"You don't have to fucking lie to me Sparkle!!" He yelled, pulling his hair, making me wince as I pulled back. Carter took a step closer to me. "Why do you like Isaac?" He said, taking another step near me. "Why do you like that ice cream parlour guy?" His tone was scary as hell making me take another step back and that, probably was the last step I took because there was a wall behind me.

"Why do you like Jack?!" He roared. "Why them, Sophia? Why?" He cried as he trapped me between his arms. "W-What do you m-mean?"

"Why do you still hate me Sparkle?" He let out, his face was so close, his breath fanning my face. My heart was fluttering like a butterfly learning to fly as I looked at his eyes, searching mine for answers. "Why?" He asked again, looking pained. "I don't h-hate you Carter. I don't hate you." I answered, my words trembling. "Then what was that? What was that Sophia?" He asked in the same tone, his face so close to mine, there was not even a centimetre's distance between them. "I d-didn't mean that Carter. I-I used to hate you. N-not anymore. I don't h-"

What's happening?

Why has everything suddenly stopped?

Why is my heart going out of control?

What's going on?

Carter is kissing you, idiot!

And, after realising what was happening I let my heart rule my head.

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