1 Do I know you?

~Beth~

Rain is falling heavily and I am watching it through my room's window. This kind of weather is expected in July, sometimes it rains unexpectedly. For people like myself, this month is appreciated mostly because it gives one an excuse to stay home from school.

Don't get me wrong, I love school, I mean I always come first in all academic activities. I can read all day, the only problem I have is when someone calls me a nerd. I get irritated when people think that just because I'm great at academics, I'm lame at other things like fashion. Ok, on that note they are absolutely correct, I have a bad fashion sense, not the worst, but not great either.

I'm great at video games, ok, that's a nerd thing. Hmm, let's see, ok, I'm a chef not to brag but I could easily run a five star restaurant (just saying).

We're getting a little off track here, I have a habit of spacing out often and sometimes I'm caught staring which is embarrassing by the way.

Right! We were talking about July. Like I was saying, sometimes I need a break from school. I love cooking and playing video games with my bestie Sharon Williams. As a nerd,yes, I called myself that because I'm the only one save Sharon, who has the right to nerd-zone me. As a nerd I stick to other nerds. I'm the president of the nerd club and Sharon is my vice. Just kidding it's actually the science club.The two of us have always led the school to victory in any science related or academic competition.

Again, I'm spacing out. Now, some people like my twin, Becca hate July because it ruins their plans to go to the mall, parties or on dates, and other stuff that she likes to do. Ever since our thirteenth birthdays, Bec and I drifted apart and slowly became like opposite universes. We liked contrasting things, the only thing that brought us together was home and our mom. Dad passed away six years ago, high blood pressure was eating him up. It took time but we got over his death even though I miss him a little more everyday. RIP dad.

While I am in charge of everything academic and scientific, Becca is in charge of everything artistic. She's the head of the cheerleading squad, the drama club, literary and debating club and a bunch of other stuff. She's always been the prom queen because of her fashion sense and her ability to be social. The IG queen of the entire Brooksville High School. She has a way of charming people with her aqua blue eyes. She dyed her brown hair aqua gray last christmas after begging mom for six months straight (yes I kept count).

I have always felt like her backstage stunt double. Backstage because I avoid the limelight unless I am competing. I got fed up with people asking why I was the nerd twin all through middle school, when we moved to Brooksville four years ago I had Bec act like she didn't know me even if she didn't want to. She always tries to get me to join her circle of friends but I always decline because I won't be able to keep up with the convos and none of them belong to my nerd gang so why bother at all.

Although our features are identical, the few things that separate us are my amber eyes that resembles a tiger's, my dark brown hair which obviously wasn't dyed and my well nurtured four-pac tummy. I exercised regularly and I am proud to say that it paid off.

I had blatantly refused to change my wardrobe at Becca's request, I prefer wearing a big tee shirt and sweatpants. Sometimes my upper clothing could be an oversized sweater or hoodie.

On my fifteenth birthday, Becca had offered to buy me a whole new wardrobe and told me that in exchange for being strangers outside our house walls I had to dress to match her taste within the house. I agreed on the condition that the clothes would only include dark colors. I can't and won't imagine myself wearing lemon green, yellow, orange or worse pink. It would kill me to do such a thing. I loved dark colors, my fav is deep gray.

So for past two years I have been dressing like a normal high school girl within my house walls. The first time Sharon saw me like this she thought I was Becca and started rambling about how she wants me to go out more often. I tried to control myself but I ended up laughing and rolling on the floor. She finally realized it was me when she saw my dimples. She had turned red even to the tip of her ears. I hardly went downstairs to avoid bumping into Becca's perverted male friends whose eyes would always trail down my body.

Today is Saturday, a week to our seventeenth birthdays. School resumes on Monday and I hope rain falls on that day (fingers crossed). The rain outside had reduced to a mere drizzle, I thought of reading but my stomach disagreed by growling like an angry dog.

Flitting across the room with the air of a princess, I moved to the door but stopped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a navy blue long sleeved crop top which stopped just above my abs and a pair of black shorts. I was thankful that at least I got to pick what to wear.

My hourglass figure always amazed me because I only bothered with keeping fit not having curves. My stomach grumbled louder snapping me out of my reverie. I forgot to text Becca to ask if her friends were around like I always did before coming down. If they were around I would tell Becca to bring me snacks. But today it totally slipped my mind the only thing that I could think of was food. I half ran down the stairs and froze at the last step when I saw a group of guys and girls I was very sure didn't know that we attended the same school, talk less of having most of our classes together.

My gaze wandered to my sister as I gave her my award winning what-the-hell look. Signalling her to follow me to the kitchen I turned to go there, when a deep but attractive voice me in my tracks.

"Beth?"

No one called me that unless they were close to me. And the only ones close to me were Becca, Sharon and my mom. I turned to face my caller and my heart skipped not a beat but beats.

Seth Rollands was the hottest guy in my class. He came to Brooksville High School when he moved to Brooksville two years ago with his family. He's the quarterback of our school's football team and the president of the Glee club. Remember when I said that Becca's in charge of the artistic stuff well she comes second only in this case, as in, vice president.

I had a crush on him and when I told Sharon she was elated to know that I was capable of liking someone. Sharon always called me an android because I was incredibly smart but I seemed void of having romantic feelings for anyone. The only emotion I showed was anger and that would be when I was really pissed off, thankfully I was good at controlling my anger.

Unknown to me Sharon told my mom about my crush and my romcom mom in turn told Becca. That's why he is here right now, she invites him for even the most meaningless gatherings as long as it is held at home Seth was there. Seeing how Bec always made sure he was around made me think that something was going on between the two of them. Although I backed off my feelings didn't change.

It took me a few seconds to realize that I was zoning out and staring at him. Blinking twice I looked at my feet and drew a long breath. Facial expressions had always been my thing. What face should I use. Deciding to go for a nonchalant face I looked up at his hazel eyes.

"Do I know you?"