Chapter 31 Diana's excitement
NANCY'S POV
I didn't know if Mr. Landon was serious about inviting Nathan either way, but I agreed nonetheless, and verbally, Nathan had too, but I wasn't sure if he would show up.
I'd waited for him outside Mr. Landon's office, and when he showed up, he reassured me that he would come for dinner.
Nathan was my twin, and I had never doubted a single word from him before now, but today, I felt particularly doubtful and anxious, as I had not seen him in a long time.
Moreover, I couldn't help feeling that he had changed. He seemed so much more mature now, no longer the boy who used to put me in strangleholds just to get me to apologize to him.
Recollecting that made me smile.
"Um...Should I be worried?" Diana's voice caught my attention, and I glanced towards her.
She was reaching to pick up a fruit on the platter she had created, but was now frozen mid-motion, staring at me as if I had grown two heads.
I paused as well, "Worried about what?"
"Why are you smiling like that?" She said pointedly.
Immediately, the smile on my face disappeared, "I'm not smiling."
"You are," She responded, pulling herself to sit upright. "Are you sure nothing happened? This smile of yours is really suspicious."
Right, I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts of Nathan and still reeling, I'm surprised at the fact that I had seen him that I totally forgot I hadn't told Diana.
Now, she sat there, blinking her eyes repeatedly with an odd look directed towards me.
"My smile isn't suspicious," I negated first, then turned around fully in my seat, setting my bag on the floor, next to my chair.
"But something did happen."
"I knew it," Diana replied with a look of 'I told you so.'
I shot her a glare I didn't mean, "Don't interrupt."
"Okay, okay," She flashed me an apologetic look, then turned around so she was fully facing me as well.
Satisfied, I pulled my hands into my laps, "Alright, listen to me carefully, and don't freak out."
Her lips parted as though to say something, but probably remembering my warning from earlier, she pressed them together again.
I scanned her face for a few, relishing what I knew her reaction was about to be, then muttered in a single breath, "Nathan's back."
As expected, Diana blinked hard then leaned back, her eyes darting as her brows furrowed with confusion.
"Nathan? Who's...."
Suddenly, she gasped, and her gaze snapped back to me. "Nathan? Your twin?"
"No way!" She exclaimed, not even giving me a chance to speak.
I didn't try to, I just crossed my arms, amusing myself with her reaction and all the different forms of expression that crossed her face in a single minute.
Quickly, she wiggled closer and grabbed my arm, squeezing tight, "What do you mean Nathan's here?"
"Okay, now we're going too far," I said with a chuckle, lifting my hands to pry myself from her grip.
"I told you not to freak out."
"I'm not freaking out," She retorted, moving quickly to regain a semblance of composure.
"Sure, sure, you aren't..." I let out a chuckle imbued with sarcasm.
"But seriously, answer me. "When you say he's here, do you mean like here in town or here in school?"
"In school."
That sparked another reaction out of her; she grabbed my arm again and shook me vigorously like a bottle of herbal medicine, "You're joking."
"I wish I were," I said unevenly, trying to catch my breath while giving her a nasty look.
She let me go, then turned in her seat and began chuckling to herself.
I may have forgotten to mention, but Diana had the biggest crush on Nathan.
She'd liked him ever since we were children, back when she and Mr. Landon both lived in New Jersey. I always thought it was funny and cute that she had a crush on my brother and had teased her about it numerous times.
It was a joke that never got old.
"Wait," She let out suddenly, and she turned to face me again, brows knotting with suspicion. "Since when did you find out?"
"Oh, Diana, please..." I rolled my eyes at her but still answered, "Today."
"And you didn't think to call me immediately?" She spat out in accusation.
"I just got home." I couldn't hold back my chuckle.
"You should have called me!"
"Diana," I gasped.
"What?"
Another chuckle escaped my lips, and I shook my head at her, "You're so dramatic, yet I'm the dramatic one."
"Says the girl who kept her hot long-lost brother a secret for hours," She muttered under her breath in return.
"My goodness," I grabbed my head in mock frustration, then laughed again and waved my hand, "I can't deal with you."
"Nathan can."
She was quick with her response, and my jaw dropped when I caught the innuendo behind her sentence.
"Diana! Eww..."
She glanced at me then bared her teeth, obviously pleased with herself.
As though it was an afterthought, she asked, "Will I see him soon?"
I finally recollected the reason I had brought up this conversation in the first place.
"He's coming over."
"What?" Diana sprang to her feet.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
My jaw slackened in bewilderment, and I let out a small gasp, "I just did."
She didn't argue with me but grabbed my arm and asked eagerly, "Is it tonight?"
I nodded my head, "Yes, he's coming over for dinner. Your Dad invited him."
While the last sentence still bothered me, Diana didn't even give it a second thought and was more fixated on the fact that I had said Nathan was coming over for dinner.
She chuckled heartily, then grabbed her chest, "Now, this is lovely news. I'm so glad I denied Chloe's offer to have a sleepover tonight."
I couldn't help laughing at that.
Mid-laughter, my gaze drifted to the stairs, the ones that led up to the second floor where Mr. Landon's study room was situated, and my smile dimmed.
My mind returned to earlier in the office and how I hadn't been able to tell him that the reason I came to the office was so that I could request a transfer from his class.
"Hey, are you okay?" Diana's voice interrupted my thought.
I snapped my gaze back to her, then forced a smile, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
That wasn't true. I was far from fine, and it didn't make it better that I would have to face him tonight, whether I wanted to or not.