Chapter Thirteen

She got the face of an angel but the smile of a devil.

I can see people taking a glance at her as she walks by. I can't blame them. Her aura is hard to ignore. Her fame throughout the school stood obvious to me as people whispered at each other while looking at her. I'm uncertain if she realizes that people are talking about her or if it is already too common for her.

She had her eyes fixated on us scanning our little group. She narrowed her eyes when our eyes met but she still kept that devilish smile.

Everyone at the table was silent. I start to feel the weight of her presence as she draws nearer to us. But when she was close enough, she moved her gaze to Diane. Only then did I notice that she had something in her hand?

"Your wallet." The devilish snake said to her cousin as she held up her arm to give the wallet back.

Diane looks shocked to see her wallet. She even looked in her bag to confirm if she lost it.

"Oh thank goodness! I didn't even know I lost it. Where did you find this?" Diane asked with relief.

"My car," she said with an amused smile.

"Oh?" Diane embarrassingly reacted as she covered the right side of her face with her wallet.

"When will your last class end?" the snake asks, out of the blue.

"Around 3:30."

"Okay. I'll pick you up by the Medical School Building." And with that, the evil snake started to turn to walk off.

That's it? Thank heavens!

I let out a breath that I didn't know that I was holding in. For a second there, I thought something bad would happen.

However... luck was just not on my side.

"Hey, Claire! Wait!"Patrick calls making the already retreating snake turn back. He stands up and walks closer to her.

Why? Why do you have to do this?

"Hey. Are you really going to walk away without even saying "hi!" to me?" Patrick almost looked hurt as he asked her.

"Hi." She said while giving a bored smile.

"There. I said it. Can I go now?" she adds.

That sarcastic remark earned some laughs from my friends. Ryan, Diane, and I were the only ones who were not laughing.

"Why are you acting like this? We're not strangers to each other." Patrick asked a bit confused.

The snake raised her eyebrows and formed her lips into a smirk.

"Firstly, I'm always like this. I'm not acting. Secondly, you are not my business here so why would I talk to you? Lastly, you looked busy with your friends. I didn't want to interrupt more than I already had."

That was a bit rude... but she does have some good points there. Patrick couldn't even respond to that. I felt his second-hand embarrassment. Though, I'm so glad that I am not in his position.

"So..." Patrick began saying trying to change the topic to avoid further humiliation.

"... is Diane your friend or something?"

Damn.

"No, she's my cousin." the evil snake answered faster than I could grasp where the situation was turning.

Patrick stared at her a moment letting her answer sink into his mind.

Oh God! No!

"Do you have other cousins?" he asks.

"No, she's my only cousin."

I grab the edge of the table with force.Dammit!

Patrick suddenly began to laugh. But obviously, his laugh is not a happy one.

"That's funny. My friend, Justin here just said that he went out on a date with the cousin of his brother's girlfriend. And you happened to be a cousin of hers." Patrick comments as he points at Diane.

The atmosphere suddenly felt dangerous as all the people at our table realized what was going on.

"I actually have other cousins aside from Ate Claire." Diane tries to explain. But, she was only ignored.

I looked at the devil-snake and our eyes locked. I saw something gleam in her eyes as she gave me a short evil smile. Oh no!

"Oh? I get it. You are wondering if I went out on a date with your friend, Justin Cyrus. Yes, we did, last Saturday. So what's the big deal?"

Damn her!

Patrick looks shocked hearing the confirmation of his assumptions.

"But I thought... we... you know?" he stammers as he tries to form a coherent sentence.

"You thought we are... what exactly?"

"That we are... a thing?" he manages to say.

The devil started laughing, the kind of laugh that makes you feel so humiliated.

"You said it yourself. You just THOUGHT that."

Patrick looks down looking gloomy. As far as I can remember, this is the first time he has been humiliated like this. I feel so bad for him especially since I'm involved in this.

Sancho is the first one to react. He stands up and goes to Patrick.

"I think Justin didn't know it was you." He tells Claire. Then, he turns to Patrick.

"He said it was a blind date. He didn't know who he was going to-"

"No!" Patrick interrupts Sancho angrily. He, then, turns towards me and glares at me.

"He knows," Patrick says as his eyes sharply look at me as if he is trying to pierce me with his eyes.

"I recall him asking about Claire last week, remember?"

Damn! He was referring to the time that we went out to eat and I suddenly asked them who Claire was. I felt even more guilty. And I can tell everyone can notice it.

"You know what? I already lost my appetite. I'm getting out of here." Patrick says as he storms off.

Shortly after, Roby stands up. He picks up his bag and also Patrick's. Then, he walks away without sparing a glance my way. Chris also stood up but he looked at me, disappointment etched on his face before following Roby. Sancho gave me an apologetic look before taking his leave as well.

And just like that... I lost the friends I had for more than three years. Another four people had walked out of my life in addition to Aria. And this is all because of her! I had enough of this!

I stand from my seat glaring at the table. I went out of my seat and walked towards that pure evil snake who managed to ruin everything in my life.

"How could you!?!!" I yell as Ryan places a hand on my shoulder. I don't know if it is to comfort me or to stop me. But I don't care anymore!

"You did it on purpose! You should have shut up but you didn't!"

Unfazed by my outbursts, the evil snake looked me in the eye. She even dared to give me one of her devilish smiles.

"Well, I wanted to get your delusional friend off my back. You gave me a good opportunity to do so. I just couldn't let such a rare chance slip. Thank you for that, by the way." She thanked me with the most insincere gratitude that I have ever seen. Thus, it only added more fuel to my already burning rage.

"Are you insane!?! You just ruined my friendship with Patrick!"

Just like what she did with Aria and me.

"Oh come on! He's not truly your friend. If he was, he would have listened to your side of the story instead of assuming that you had ill intentions." She sneers.

She's not wrong. If Patrick had been more understanding... wait! It suddenly dawns on me. She said something similar when Aria cheated on me. Is this a manipulative tactic of hers to shift the blame and justify her evil deeds? Oh, damn her!

I lost my mind for a good second. The next thing I knew I was pushing her.

"Just leave! Get out of my life!" I screamed hoping she finally leave me alone and stop ruining everything for me.

The way I pushed her isn't that strong. But, it was enough for her to take a step back and step on something slippery. Her unfazed facade broke as she looked at me with wide eyes. She falls on her butt, almost letting her back touch the ground. It was a short fall but I bet it still hurts.

A brown substance that seemed to look like a half-melted chocolate ice cream appeared at her sides. It made her clothes and her hands dirty. Everyone had their eyes on her. To add salt to injury, some even started laughing. That is when her shocked expression crumbled. Her jaw starts to clench as she balls her fists. Her gaze swiftly shot up at me, her eyes looking murderous. She's really mad.

She stands up so fast. The next thing I knew she was right in front of me fuming. She grabbed me by the collar drawing me near to her and spoke in a menacing voice.

"Congratulations, asshole! you just declared war."

Then she pushed me so hard that I almost lost my balance. She walks off without sparing another glance but she still has her fists clenched at her sides.

Ryan and Diane are both in shock at what just happened.

I felt my hands and feet get cold as her retreating form disappears. I also felt the fast troubled beat of my heart. To say that I am horrified would be an understatement. Maybe, this is what it feels like if you unexpectedly started a war.