Twice The Trouble

Chapter 60: Doubts

Stacy

October walked out the building and November entered.

Time flew by rather fast this year, leaving a mere three weeks to final exams.

As of today, November 12, 2016, it has been exactly four months since Lucas began his courtship.

He's a strong one, that's for certain. A lot of guys would have lost their patience after one month.

I am currently in my pink-coated half of our bedroom, and I had decreased the AC's coldness because I intended to do my weekly exercise routine this sunny Saturday afternoon.

"Breathe in, breathe out," I murmured to myself as I reached behind me to gather my yellow hair in a long, silky ponytail, allowing the faint breeze of the AC to fan over my bare, flawless face.

Today, I wore a neon pink tank top and black yoga pants. My arms, collarbone, and nude feet were exposed, and I picked up my simple white exercise mat, then spread it on the tiled floor.

I stepped onto the clean white mat, wiggling my toes, and stretched my arms over my head.

"Hey, Sop," I called over my shoulder. "You want to join me? It'll take only thirty minutes."

When I tossed a glance at my sister, I spotted her lying on her stomach on her olive bed, her skilled fingers deftly tapping, punching, and jabbing at the keyboard of her white laptop.

I rolled my sky blue eyes after they saw my twin's usual bum-clothes: Plain shirt and boxers.

She barely even looked up from her laptop's screen. "Nope. I'm good. Be careful, Ace."

"I was born careful," I airily told her, but for a nanosecond, I caught her brown eyes darken.

Stretching my arms in front of me, I darted a side-glance at my bespectacled sister, who, lately, for the past four weeks, seemed subdued and melancholic. If it were more possible, she had grown more quiet and elusive. It didn't escape my attention that she lessened her time with Lucas ever since the Orion Golden Anniversary Fair last month.

I asked Sophia: "Is there something you want to say, Sop?"

"Hmm?" Her thought-bubble burst, and soon ,her fingers once again flew over the keyboard.

"You looked like you wanted to.. never mind," I uttered, then I reached out for my white laptop and clicked PLAY, eliciting an upbeat exercise video with Meghan T's exuberant song entitled "Better When I'm Dancing." I loved this song. It always galvanized my body when I hear it.

As I marched to the animated rhythm of the song, stretching my arms up and down then to the sides, I couldn't help but toss a concerned look over my bare shoulder at my twin sister.

She paused from her work and rubbed the side of her neck, which seemed to have stiffened.

While I mimicked the dance steps from the exercise music video, my mind floated back to last month--on the day I was handcuffed to a certain jerk for one whole day.

*Flashback Four Weeks Ago*

Bryce led the way to the diner I had noticed during my escape from my pestiferous exes.

I had to admit, it did have some charm, particularly if one was fond of the 1950s.

There was an old-fashioned counter flanked with stools, the floor was black and white tiles, and cracked red vinyl booths lined the walls. Behind the counter, the menu was written on a chalkboard, and as far as I could tell, the only change to it in the past years had been the prices.