His problematic mate

Chapter 7

*** Raya’s POV ***

*

“Did you study for the Biology test?” Draco asked me when we walked into school side by side like we did every day.

From the first day he started at our school, we were inseparable. We walked to school together every morning, we attended our classes together as well, and then we went home, again together. Draco became my best and only friend and with him I could finally be myself and, honestly, I formed a crush on him in the last few months.

“Not really, I didn’t need to.” I shrugged my shoulders. I had good grades and it was enough when I listened in class. I just needed to read it over once again and I could pass any tests with maximum scores.

“Show off… I was studying until late.” He said with a sigh.

“Awww… poor you. That’s why you didn’t come yesterday, huh?” I asked him.

He used to come to our house in the evening and we used to go for a run together. I told him that I was looking for someone to train me and he happily agreed, so three-four times a week we used to run and train in the evening by the small pond we first met. I was lucky that my only friend knew how to fight and was willing to help me.

Mom was happy that I made a friend and that I started taking self-defence lessons, but she didn’t know that I was sneaking out so late at night. She thought we were training after school and since she was at work at that time, she didn’t suspect a thing. She was a deep sleeper anyway.

“Yeah, I needed to study because my dad would murder me if I didn't get at least a B.” He said as he shook his head while we walked into the classroom where our first period would take place.

“Really? He sounds strict.” I said and his eyes widened slightly as he looked at me, but then he cleared his throat as we took our seats in the back.

I hadn’t met Draco’s family yet and I didn’t think I ever would because he barely talked about them, let alone inviting me over, and I didn’t want to be rude and ask him to, so I just left it at that. Maybe he was ashamed of something, like I was when he first came into our small house.

“Yeah, I mean… he is as strict as every dad would be if it was about his kids' education.” He said and I nodded my head in understanding.

“I guess you are right. I just don’t have anyone to compare him to.” I shrugged my shoulders and he nodded his head without looking at me. I had already told him that my dad wasn’t in the picture.

“Here, I brought you this.” He said and handed me a food box… again.

“Draco, I told you that you don’t have to…” I started, but he cut me off like every time I started to lecture him when he brought me food.

“Stop that and take it. I always have some extra and I don’t mind sharing it with you.” He said again and I rolled my eyes at him but smiled a little.

“You always say that…, but thank you. You will make me fat by the end of school. I have already gained at least ten pounds since I started hanging out with you.” I told him and he let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, finally you have some meat on your bones.” He said with a chuckle and I shook my head at him while I couldn’t stop smiling. He was right though. I was way too skinny and underfed. When I showed mom how much I had gained since I met Draco, she actually started crying and hugged him. It was a bit awkward for me, but Draco just smiled at her and patted her shoulder. Since that day, whenever he came by after school, he tried to help with something around the house and mom and I were very grateful to him for everything.

However, mom always scolded him because he never accepted anything that she offered him. Not even a glass of water. He always said that he wasn’t thirsty or hungry, but I didn’t believe him. I think he just knew that we didn’t have so much money so he didn’t want to eat our food.

When Draco walked into my life almost a year ago, he flipped it upside down, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. He was my best friend and I would be forever grateful to him for appearing in my life.

After the fourth period, we headed to the cafeteria to get my food. Since Draco was still on a special diet, he never ate the food from the cafeteria. All I saw him eating was his special lollipop and he used to drink the same juice all the time, but that was all. Every time I asked, he told me that he had already eaten. After a few weeks, I stopped asking at all, but it bothered me sometimes that he brought me delicious food while he needed to have a diet and couldn’t eat everything. Also, I didn't understand why he needed to watch what he was eating when he was in a really good condition anyway.

“So, how did the test go? Did you nail it?” I asked him when we were sitting outside at our usual spot by the base of a huge tree.

“I think so. What about you?” He asked as he was drinking from his juice box.

“I am confident,” I told him with a cheeky grin.

“Of course you are.” He said and rolled his eyes at me.

“Ricky was here last night?” As I was talking to Draco, we heard two girls talking and I couldn’t help but listen.

“Yes, he was here to visit, but since they are not allowed to leave, he came at night in secret. I heard from Asher.” One of the girls said who I recognised was from Ricky’s class. They were both from there and the guy she mentioned, Asher, was Ricky’s best friend.

“How did he not get busted by the elders? How did he come here anyway? I thought they were hours away from here,” the other girls asked.

“I have no idea. He didn’t tell Asher the details either.” The girl shrugged her shoulders and they eventually walked away.

“Raya? Are you even listening?” I snapped my attention towards Draco when he was waving his hand in front of my face.

“Oh, sorry. What did you say?” I asked him as I shook my head to get rid of my silly thoughts.

“Let me guess. Hearing those girls talking about that guy, it reminded you of his brother, Mr. Scary. Right?” He asked in amusement and I looked at him in disbelief. He always managed to read me.

I told Draco about Collin and about our short history. I told him that I could only be his friend for two years because Collin would kill me as soon as he returned. We have joked about that ever since, but now he has hit the nail on the head, because I was really thinking about him.

“What if he comes back earlier? What if he comes when I don’t expect him to?” I asked him seriously and he turned serious as well.

“Do you seriously think that he will take revenge on you?” He asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know, maybe,” I said, and he let out a sigh.

“If you want, I can move into your room so I can be your live-in bodyguard. I am sure my parents and your mom wouldn’t mind.” He said as he wriggled his eyebrows playfully and I let out a chuckle, decided to play along with him.

“That doesn’t sound bad at all. You could tell me bedtime stories when I can’t fall asleep or rub my back sometimes.” I said and his eyes widened.

“You little….” He said while chuckling and started tickling me mercilessly. He knew that that was my biggest weakness. “You would like that, huh?” He asked with a chuckle and I was wriggling and squirming under him on the grass.

“Stop it, Draco… ha- ha- ha…” he didn’t stop and I felt like I would pee in my pants anytime now. I started screaming at him to stop, but he just laughed at me again.

“Hey man, I think that was enough.” Draco suddenly stopped and I looked up while I tried to calm myself down to see Benjamin staring at us with his friends standing behind him.

“Huh?” I asked dumbly, not believing my ears. Did he try to help me?

“What is it to you?” Draco scoffed at him and Benjamin just shrugged his shoulders and turned on his heels, followed by two of his friends who looked at me strangely before going after Benjamin. I just looked after them with a confused expression on my face, then I turned to Draco.

“Did that really just happen?” I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I guess someone secretly likes you.” Draco joked, and I waved him off.

“Don’t be stupid. He would be the last person to like me, believe me.” I said, and he shrugged his shoulders once again.

“Are you done with your food? The next period will start soon.” He said and I nodded my head and stood up from the ground.

“I am not finished, thanks to you, but we can go.” I said as I was packing my stuff and he suddenly appeared in front of me with the food box in hand.

“Say AAAA…” he said while holding the food to my lips to feed me, and I let out a giggle while I opened my mouth and took a bite. “There… good girl. Two more.” He said, and I chuckled again while my mouth was full.

“See it wasn’t that hard.” He said with a grin when I finished it all, while he wiped his hands on a napkin and I was just staring at him like he had grown two heads. He was a very handsome guy and he has done so much for me that I couldn’t help but start to like him more than a friend. “What?” He asked when I hadn’t moved and I shook my head to forget about my silly thoughts about him.

‘Stop this Raya. Draco is just your friend and he is way out of your league. He would never think about you that way.’ I told myself.

“Nothing. Let’s just go. We will be late.” I said, and we made our way inside the school and headed to the classroom where our next period would take place.

As we were sitting next to each other in class, I tried to come up with Draco’s bad habits or things he used to do that disgust me, but suddenly, I couldn’t think of anything that would really bother me. I didn’t want to like him, that would just ruin our friendship, so I told myself to stop this. Maybe I should get a boyfriend so I wouldn’t think about him that way. Yeah, I should do that, but who would want to date me? Yeah, no one.