A Game of Love

Chapter 7

ANIKA

"I am certainly, unquestionably, definitely, and obviously not gay, thank you very much." I answered Stacey. And yes, I'm sure about this one. I am not gay. Yes, I made out with a girl, Monique to be specific but that doesn't mean that I am gay. I just got caught up in the moment, that's all.

"Hmm. You sure? Your story about how you made out with Monique says otherwise." she said while munching her food.

See? This is really about that making out incident.

"Seriously, I'm not gay. I'm not even attracted to girls per se. I swear." I told them nonchalantly. "If I was, I would've told you, right? Remember, no secrets."

They looked at me as if they're trying read what's on my mind.

"Bisexual, maybe?" Jonas asked.

Hmm, a bisexual is a person who's attacted to both men and women. I don't think, I'm bisexual either. Like I said, I don't like girls.

"She's not attracted to guys." Carlie said so I gave her a questioning look.

"Who told you that?" I asked her. I never told them that I'm not attracted to guys, duh!

"No one. Just an observation since you've never had any s****l or romantic encounter with guys." she said while shrugging.

"Well excuse you if I'm not as horny and sexually active like you guys, but that doesn't mean that I'm not interested with men. I mean real men. Not like the ones you're dating." I said trying to insult the three of them but they just shrugged and laughed.

"They're real, I can assure you, Niks. As real as their di--" before Stacey can continue whatever she had to say, I stuffed her mouth with fries so she would shut up.

"I wasn't talking about their D, ugh! What I meant was real man who's responsible enough. The ones who aren't as immature as your past and present boyfriends." I stated.

She took a bite of her burger before saying anything.

"Oh, the boring ones?" she deadpanned.

I ignored what she said and just continued with what I was saying.

"Men who respect every girl that they meet. The ones whom you can have a conversation about anything under the sun. The one that will make you feel that you have a strong connection that will even hit your soul. " I said using a dreamy tone.

"Yep, totally boring." Stacey snickered.

"So let's say that we believe you, Anika, that you can be attracted to 'MEN', can you give us a name of that 'MAN' who can make you feel that you can have that certain connection that you're talking about." Jonas asked.

Now it's my turn to give them a smug smile.

"Tom Ellis!" I answered.

"Oh my gosh, I like him too! I mean who wouldn't like his body. And did you see his butt? I mean, I'll do whatever it takes to taste him. I'd give my whole self to that guy." of course, it's Stace.

Carlie looked at me incredulously.

"So you feel a certain connection with an actor? How can it be possible? I mean, you don't even know him." I was about to answer and tell her how can I possibly say his name if I don't know him, but she beat me to it. "IN PERSON!"

I put down my burger before answering her.

"Well, my dear Carlie, do I need to lecture you about emotional connection? Sometimes, you can really feel a strong connection between you and a person even if you haven't seen them physically. Take for example the people who met their love of their lives through social media. I'd bet that some of them tell the other person that they love them even if they haven't met in person." I told her, trying to make a point.

"And after they saw each other, they called it quits?" she chuckled. "Niks, physical attraction always comes first." she opposed.

"No. I know someone. A friend of mine. She's a fiction writer. She's cute, she's nice, and she's a great author. She met someone online. One of her readers, I think. They fell in love even if they haven't been together physically, and when they saw each other after a couple of months, they fell for each other even more. Which basically means, that you can really fall in love or feel a certain connection with someone even without physical interaction." I said, trying not to sound as if I was lecturing her.

She sighed.

"Fine. Let's say that what you said was true, it still didn't change the fact that you're not attracted to men." she reiterate.

"I certainly am, Carlie."

"Hmm. Okay let's see. Imagine this. Tom Ellis invited you inside his hotel room. Kissed you passionately, traced your ear, jaw, and neck with kisses, and--"

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what she was saying. Nothing. I don't feel anything. It was nice, but, nah.

"Uhmm. Oh yes, yes yes, Tom! Faster! Harder!" okay, that wasn't me. I swear.

I opened my eyes and saw what's Stacey's been doing. Gross. I would never use that ketchup dispenser ever. Ew!

"STACEY!" I shouted, trying to stop her.

"Oh my f*****g, ugh! Stacey, stop! What are you doing?" Carlie asked her in disbelief.

"Imagining what you're saying. And oh, he's really the devil. He was about to put his--" I looked at her skeptically. What the f**k?!

"Okay stop. I WAS TALKING TO ANIKA! I was trying to prove my point that she isn't attracted to men. So stop being gross, Stacey. We're eating!"

Stacey just shrugged.

"Oh. Sorry, I got carried away. I'll just continue what were doing later, in my bed, where I can use all my toys to pleasure myself." she said as if it's just a normal thing for her. Well, it is. Knowing Stacey.

Carlie just shook her head because of what Stacey just said.

"And please throw that ketchup dispenser in the garbage bin! Ugh!" I really wanted to laugh, but Carlie looked at me in a serious manner. Uh-oh.

"So what did you feel? And yes, we want the truth." she said as if she read my mind.

I shook my head.

"Nothing."

"I see." she nodded.

"Now imagine this." she gave Stacey a pointed look. "Again, this is just for Anika. So open your f*****g eyes, Stacey!"

Stacey rolled her eyes and pouted.

"Killjoy!"

"Close your eyes, Anika." I obliged.

"Anika, imagine that you're in an empty room with Monique. Then she suddenly kissed you the same way as when you were inside Aaron's bathroom." I didn't know what happened, but suddenly, I felt that I was really kissing Monique, kissing her soft tiny lips, her tongue meeting mine, moving together in slow sluggish movement. I kissed her hungrily while trying to suppress the moan that's coming from my own mouth. Putting her hands at the back of my neck, keeping them in place as we're kissing as deeply as we could. Then I felt her hands wandering through my body. She looked at me as if asking permission to take off my top and I just nodded in submission.

She was about to touch my breasts when we heard something so she stopped.

"Yep, totally gay." I automatically opened my eyes.

My friends were giving me teasing looks. Ugh! Why the f**k did my body react like that? Seriously, I'm not really attracted to girls, I swear.

"I-I swear, I'm not gay. Maybe it's because I was kissed like that for the first time." I said still trying to defend myself.

"Let's see." Jonas said while waving his hand.

"Any additional orders?" I heard the waitress asked while looking at me. Oh no, I know that kind of look. And the answer is no, I'm not interested.

"Are you a lesbian, Nina?" Jonas asked so I eyed him. The f**k? "I saw you looking at my friend the whole time that we're here. And btw, she's single." does he really need to say that? Like I said, I'm not gay, nor bisexual, and I am not interested in anyone right now, I think?

"I-uhm. Bisexual, actually." the waitress bashfully answered.

"Uhm-uh, and you're interested in her?" I looked at Carlie and Stacey to help me stop Jonas in what he's trying to do.

They just shrugged.

Oh sheesh! So it's them vs me, right?

"If she's single, why not? Your friend is really pretty." I mentally rolled my eyes when I heard what Nina said. Typical flirt.

Jonas smiled mischievously. Uh-oh. This won't be good. I know that kind of smile.

"I see. Would you like to kiss her?" he asked again while pointing at me.

"JONAS!" what the hell?

"What? We're trying to prove something here." he said nonchalantly and looked at the waitress again. "If it's okay with you." he gave her a friendly smile.

And before I could say anything, I felt her lips crashed into mine and for the sake of this 'experiment', I tried to reciprocate the kiss. It was nice but it didn't feel the same as Monique's.

After some seconds, I pulled away. See? I'm not gay. I didn't feel anything about that kiss.

"Thank you, Nina." Jonas said while handing her some cash.

Before she walked away, she winked at me so I gave her a fake smile.

"So? How was it?"

"I told you, I'm not gay. I didn't feel anything, I swear." I truthfully told them.

"Maybe she's just gay for Monique." Stacey commented and gave me a teasing look again. "We can ask her to kiss Anika again. I think that wouldn't be a problem." is she out of her mind? I would never ever ever ever kiss that girl again. I SWEAR.

"I told you I am not---"

"Attention: Miss Anika Lopez, please proceed to the student council office now. Again, Miss Anika Lopez, please proceed to the student council office now." we heard through the speakers near the place where we're eating.

We fell silent and looked at each other. Why do I have to go there? It's just the first day of this school year.

"Well, that was fast." Stacey chuckled. That's when I realized why I was being called.

Oh.

I shook my head. No. Never.

"I won't go there." I am fully aware of what will happen if I'd go there, so no. I'll just stay here.

I ignored it and tried to finish my food.

"AGAIN! Attention: Miss Anika Lopez, please proceed to the student council office now. Again, Miss Anika Lopez, please proceed to the student council office now or else!"

Oh damn! I know that voice. And I can sense that if I don't go there, I will really regret it. UGH! What should I do?

I heard my friends giggled. Oh wow, this isn't funny!

"Someone's really eager. If I were you, Anika, I'll just go there before she does that 'or else' part." Carlie said.

"Will you guys go with me?" I asked them hopefully.

"And watched you and Monique smacker?! No thank you. We're okay here. Just let us know the details after." she winked.

"I wanna watch!" Stacey excitedly said while standing up, but Carlie and Jonas stopped her.

"Let's give them some privacy. I'm pretty sure that Anika can handle Monique well. She can just lecture her about this and that, and why she said that, and they'll be okay." I know that Jonas is just trying to give some courage to face Monique right now.

But if they really saw the kind of look that Monique was giving me while we were in the class, they wouldn't let me face her on my own.

I took a deep breath and started walking towards the student council office.

I'm not sure if I've made the right decision, but knowing Monique, she won't stop unless she got what she wanted.

So I will just ask for her forgiveness and tell her that I really didn't mean what I said in the classroom.

I was about to knock when the door opened and saw a smirking Monique.

"Come in." I felt my body shivered when I heard her voice.

Good luck, self.