They've meet again

"Isn't it beautiful?" Natalie showed her the dress she designed. Lexie gave her a stoic look, that peach-colored dress has a plunging neckline, backless and the slit reached the level of uncomfortableness in her thigh.

"Honey, do you want me to look like a slut on your birthday?" She asked her bluntly. Natalie smacked her shoulders lightly.

"Who told you that you would look like a slut? you will look as stunning as me, don't be ridiculous." Then smiled and hugged her arms endearingly.

The history of the three of them is rather peculiar. Brian has Tuberculosis acquired from his nanny. Natalie had severe asthma, while Lexie got pneumonia. There was a daycare at the hospital where they can play while being watched by medical professionals. But each was isolated in a crystal partition to avoid infecting each other. They all got curious about each other that day. Until they began making faces and imitating each other. They had their fun even if separated by a glass wall. When Lexie and Natalie got better, they whimpered and cried unable to speak yet, and their parents are wondering why they can't stop crying. Turn out that it has been their routine to see each other for the past few days, and now they knew that they won't be seeing each other again but they can't express themselves yet. Brian has to stay longer because the TB that infected him was the worst kind. Their parents learned from the attending medical person-in-charge about the babies' daily routine at the daycare. Upon seeing each other, the babies' mood lifted the whole day. So the parents decided to let the babies meet each other often. Since then their immune system improved and never got sick again. The strange phenomenon made their parents even happier to let them stick together.

"Hey, Brian, what gift do I have for my birthday?" Natalie's grin is so wide because whatever that is, it's something she'll really like.

"It's a surprise. It's so expensive that it serves as your Christmas gift and Birthday for the next year" Brian teased her.

"I won't like it unless it's Jacob's underwear" Jacob Martin is Natalie's long time crush.

"Are you sure? I'll cancel the order and replace it with Martin's boxers" Brian raised his eyebrow.

"Just what could it be?" It shifted both Natalie and Lexie's interest.

"I told you, it's a surprise."

Both rolled their eyes at him and ignored him.

Brian brought them to the Riverside mall and helped Natalie shop for her birthday next week. After that, they ate in a buffet restaurant.

Lexie is so full that she excuses herself to stretch herself outside, while her two best friends wanted to become gluttons incarnate.

She went to the mall's garden for a walk humming a tune nonchalantly when she bumped into someone.

"Apologies! I was in a daze." When their eyes meet. It was 'that guy!'

"Ba-dump skipped ba-dump ba-dump." It's a sound only Lexie can hear. Until it went louder and it overwhelmed her.

"No, it's okay. Are you alright?" He asked gently and gave her a sweet smile. Lexie thought she drooled and tapped her mouth for evidence but thank god there is none.

"Yeah. I'm good just stretching myself you know." Why did she say that? It didn't make any sense.

"Okay, see you then." He gave her a salute, winked, and went away. She wanted to call for him, but he was gone. She looked down and felt disappointed. It’s like she saw an icecream peddler that passes by her quickly and missed the chance to buy her favorite flavor. She wanted to cry and chase but it’s really gone. She hyperventilated and wanted to cry.

She went back in a daze and is not interested in food anymore. Brian and Natalie are fighting over the last piece of chicken.

In a bad mood, she took it and finished it all off, making her stomach hurt. Brian and Natalie didn’t notice her mood because they’re busy bantering.

“Shut up already or I'm not going on your birthday.” Brian made an empty threat.

“I’m not going on your birthday either.”

Natalie said but was about to cry taking what he said seriously.

“Then take this!” Brian said irritated.

“What’s this?” Natalie peeks into the bags Brian handed to her, it’s all items for her birthday. She smiled because it’s the things she needed for the clothes she is designing for the three of them.

“Don’t you ever-ever come to my birthday!” But she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek out of gratitude.

“Don’t you ever come to my wedding!” He blurted. But hugged her back.

“Don’t come to my child’s christening!” Natalie’s family is Christian, but they were already giggling on this childish banter.

“Don’t you ever come to my funeral!”

“Don’t come to my graduation!”

They probably always do this exchange of “Don’t come to my fill in the blank” every time they fight since they started to talk. The three of them also experience hair pulling, punching, and slapping fights, without those they won’t be this comfortable with each other. They cry and blame each other but the next day they’ll still end up together at school.

“Lexie! Brian is bullying me.”

“No, Lexie you heard it, she is the one who told me not to come on her birthday!” Pushing both girls to get in his car. Lexie is still not herself.

“Sweetie are you okay?” Finally, Natalie noticed her quietness.

“Hmm?” She finally has seen the light.

“Brian and I are having a world war four, and you are unfazed. Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“I probably have indigestion.” Brian and Natalie look at each other and then finally burst out laughing.

“That was probably caused by the last piece of chicken on the table.”

Brian said in between air gasping.

“No no..that’s because of those noodles, she ate a lot of Ramen.” Natalie is looking at something inside her huge purse.

“Here, take this.” She gave Lexie an herbal pill to ease the stomach pain.

“No, I’ll just take my mom’s tea later.” But all she can really think is Mr. Sexy at the bar.

She got home still feeling down. She went directly into her room, she once said, she wants to see him once, even just once then she’ll be okay and she’ll move on. She wished that the shower can soothe the heartache or that her tears can erase her memory of his kiss that night. It’s like he placed a spell on her.

It was past midnight when her mind finally got tired and Lexie was now able to sleep, eyes swelling from crying. She curled herself into a ball feeling dejected.

Even in her sleep, she is in tears.

“Love who made you cry?” Lexie thought of the demon again. Every time he comes, Lexie falls into a deep sleep but wakes up tired. He comes now and then after that night in the bar, charming her in her dreams. How many months has it been? She can't remember.

“All your fault!” She grabbed his shirt and sniffed him and curled inside his body.

“What did I do?” He asked brows furrowed.

“You ignored me earlier. You forgot about me.” Then she sobbed half asleep.

“No, I didn’t. I approached you, didn’t I?”

“You did! You left without asking my name.” Still crying childishly.

“Honey I already know your name.” He was trying to calm her down. He knew her name, and her entire clan's name, he knew how many underwear she got, what color they were. He knew she was good at arts and bad at math, her exam scores, what time, and how many times she poops a day. He also knew she picked her nose every time she wakes up and that she had a birthmark on her right thighs. He knew everything about her inside and out. It's hard for him to not know everything about her.

“Will you marry me tonight?” She asked in a trembling voice, almost like pleading, he was his doppelganger so he can understand her grief, she thought. He was shocked. He bit his nails. His heart is pounding like it wants to get out of his chest.

“I’ll flood the whole house if you’re not marrying me!” Her voice was raised when she didn't hear any response from him. She got up, still in a sleep-wake trance, and straddles his body. She got used to it. Because he allows her to 'taking advantage' of him. For several times he crept into her bed, he already realized that she is in a sleep-wake trance.

“Why do I get this feeling that I had a shotgun wedding?” He chuckled, placed his arms on his head. Looking at her on top of him. She sobbed aloud until her mother knocked on her door.

“Baby are you okay? I heard you were crying, are you sleep talking again?” Her mother knocked on her door.

He pinned her body and covered her mouth. But Lexie kept on crying in a muffled voice.

“Love, your mother will notice me here.” He whispered in her ear. But she whimpered even more.

“Okay, okay let’s marry, let’s marry tonight.” But his grin is as wide as that highway, he didn't think he can let this opportunity slips away.

“Brother Bailey, I need your help now.” He is on the phone trying not to lose his senses, Lexie is unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his neck clumsily. Rubbing her body in his. Her eyes close and still sleeping but she knew his scent and his voice.

“Brother Al, what kind of help do you need from me?” Asks Bailey from the other line.

“I am getting married tonight, I need the papers signed by the Riverside Mayor.”

An hour later.

“Mrs. May, are you calm now?” She shook her head.

“What is it that you want this time?” He asked like he is already starting to spoil her. She bit her lips eyes close.

“Where’s the wedding? I want to marry you now.” She looked so adorable the way her hair swayed when she shook her head vigorously.

She's back in her deep slumber and has no idea what she has done while sleeping.