CHAPTER 3

Callista poked at her mashed potatoes, a strange look in her eyes. All day she had been thinking and it occupied her mind a lot. Why does Ryan look at me like he wants to be with me…? She thought nervously. “Hey Cal…” Drake said, peering into her eyes.

“W-What?” Callista looked up. Drake raised his eyebrows at her. “What? Seriously, I have no idea what you were talking about.”

“Yeah, because you have this look in your eyes.” Drake made a face. “Cal, there’s really something bothering you and I wanna know what’s up.”

“N-nothing, really.” Callista glanced back down at her food. “Y’know… I’m not that hungry. I’ll just go upstairs and sleep.” She stood up. “Night, Drake.”

She started walking when Drake grabbed her arm. “Come on, what’s bothering you? I’ve never seen you this occupied. What’s up?” he questioned, pulling her onto his lap. Callista glared at him.

“That hurt.” She looked back down at her lap. “Can you let go of me?”

“No. You have to tell me what’s wrong with you.” Drake wrapped his arms around his sister’s waist. “Come on, you know you can’t hide anything from me. I’m gonna get it out of you somehow.”

“Drake, please, I don’t wanna talk about it. If you’re just gonna ask me about… Ryan or something—”

“What has Ryan got to do with this?” Drake asked suspiciously. Callista slapped her forehead and closed her eyes. “Callie… Do you like Ryan?!”

“Hell no!” Callista looked horrified. “It’s just… Awhile ago… Ryan sorta looked… different. It looked like he really liked me as more than… Y’know, I don’t need this.”

Very flustered, she stood up and rushed upstairs. Drake paused and tried to remember how Ryan looked. Suddenly it came to him. He grinned mischievously and grabbed the phone, dialing Ryan’s number. “Hello, Ryan?”

Ryan ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes. “What, Drake, I just saw you.” He flopped down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.

“I know who you like,” Drake said smartly, crossing his arms and drinking some of his water. Ryan’s eyes widened and he gulped silently.

“W-What? I told you, Drake, I don’t like anyone, no matter who you say or whatever, I won’t say yes, ever, ever, ever—”

“Whatever, dude. You like my sister. I bet you do.”

“Uh… Dude, why’d I like your sister? I mean, she’s Callie, one of my good friends since birth. It’s sort of an unspoken rule. Ever.”

“Oh, shut up, dude, I bet you like her. You think she’s gorgeous; you wanna kiss her, love her and marry her! Ryan and Callie sitting in a tree, K-I—”

“Dude, shut up. I gotta go. Later.”

“Later, Callie-lover.”

“I do not like your sister, Drake.” Ryan put down the phone and took a deep breath, trying to relax himself. “I do not like Callie… God, I bet my nostrils are flaring.”

Drake put down the phone and muttered, “Yeah, right.”

-

Callista sighed. “Look, maybe Ryan’s just seeing you in a new light,” Nicole said over the phone. “Maybe he’s admiring you in a way that you think he possibly likes you.”

“It’s making me uncomfortable,” Callista muttered. She heard Nicole sigh. “Look, Nick, I know you’ve experienced people look like that at you. But it’s new for me. I wasn’t this thin.”

“Come off it, Cal, you’re pretty. I dunno about Ryan or anything, so just relax, okay?” Nicole offered. “Look, if it’s really that bad, don’t talk to him tomorrow. Put distance between you two.”

“Alright,” Callista said uncertainly. “Night, Nick.”

“Night.” Callista hung up the phone and flopped on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Phew, whatever it is, Ryan better stop… It’s driving me nuts.

-

“GOOD MORNING, WORLD!!” Drake said excitedly the next morning, skipping down the stairs of their large manor. Callista groggily tumbled down the stairs after. “Hey, what’s up your noggin?! Wake UUUUUUUP, Callie!”

“Ugh, I’m gonna throw you off the banister and into hell!” she retorted, trying to rub her eyes. “God, I could hear you snoring from my room! You think too much when you do that!”

“I feel so ENERGIZED and FREEEEE!” Drake twirled Callista around. She glared at him. “Be happy, Cal, honey, because today is a GUH-REAT day! Love is blossoming in the air, the birds are singing and the bees are buzzing!”

“And my Chucks are gonna collide with your face if you’re not careful!” Callista threatened. Drake shrugged before walking to the kitchen and grabbing a piece of toast. He trotted out the door and out the pathway.

“I’m off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of OZZZZZ!” he sang happily. Callista peered out the window, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

“Oh no, he got a hold on happy pills.”

-

Nicole watched Drake skip happily down the hall. “Hey, hold up, mister,” she said teasingly. “Did you get drugged or are you just hyper this morning?”

“Ryan likes Callie! Of course I’m gonna be hyper today for their sake,” Drake explained, twirling Nicole around. She laughed. “Sing with me, love! Ryan and Callie—”

“You are too hyper, Drake,” she commented, pulling away from him. He grinned sheepishly at her. “Now, I’m gonna find your poor sister. Watch over Ryan a bit, I just saw him and he seemed terrified of something.”

“Yup, catch ya later, sexy,” he said with a smirk. Nicole rolled her eyes at him and he pulled her close, planting a kiss on her forehead. She groaned.

“Eew, Drake!” she shrieked, punching his arm playfully. Drake laughed, his hair falling gently onto his face. “You are too weird today. I’m gonna find Cal.”

She walked away, although she was trying to ignore the fact that her cheeks were as rosy as ever.