Chapter 3
Piper had texted him back only fifteen minutes after his text. She had told him she was sick and hadn't been able to make it. He was bummed at first, but he was also slightly relieved. He was almost thankful they weren't able to meet up. He was almost thankful that she was the one to say she couldn't make it, that meant he wouldn't get the chance chicken out and to call it off himself.
Ben was also thankful for a backup lunch plan with Patricia. It would be nice to have someone to talk to and eat with. Even if it was just his brother's girlfriend. He had run into her again a few hours ago, and they had agreed to meet where they had this morning. He was unsure of why he was feeling so nervous about getting lunch with Patricia. He was almost more nervous about this lunch then he was about his almost meeting with Piper.
He once more found himself pacing outside. This time instead of just general nervous pacing, it was pacing waiting for Patricia. He wasn't entirely sure what brought on this pacing. It couldn't be nerves. He knew her after all. She was dating his brother wasn't she?
"Sorry I'm late. I got a bit lost," Piper smiled tapping on his shoulder.
"It's not a big deal," he laughed.
Piper tried to think of what Patricia would say. How would Patricia act in this situation? Her mind came up blank seeing her mind was screaming Patricia wouldn't have agreed to lunch with Ben in the first place.
"I recall Eddie said you I said you didn't like restaurants but I saw a cafe when I was walking around. I thought we could head there for lunch."
Piper mentally face palmed herself. That was right her sister hated eating out. She recalled having been able to drag Patricia to a cafe once.
"A cafe is fine," Piper decided.
Piper's mind scrambled as she tried to think of what Patricia would say. She felt stupid. She should've just been honest with Ben. If he was like his brother and not really her type, then so be it. Now she was just getting tangled in a web of lies. What if he hated her for it? What if he was who he had been all along?
She couldn't help but wonder if he knew Patricia was a talker. He had only been at the school for two weeks, but if he was Eddie's brother she had to have been around the two of them other than just then. Piper was trying to so hard to figure out how to act like Patricia she hadn't even realized the two reached the cafe. She glanced at the door just to see the name Queen's Lane Coffee House.
The pair stood away from the counter and glanced at the menu displayed before them. Piper's eyes were instantly drawn to the fisherman's panini. That sound delicious along with a side of fruit salad. She waited for Ben to decide what he wanted and she even let him order first. Then it was her turn to step up to the counter and place her order.
"I'd like one fishermen's panini, and could get I also get some fruit salad," Piper asked the server. The server gave Piper her total and once she had been paid Ben and Piper went to find a table. It didn't take long before the food was at the table. It wasn't until the panini was actually in front of her that she remembered her sisters public hatred for tuna. Did Ben know Patricia hated tuna? Piper turned her attention to the fruit salad. She had just picked up one of the strawberries, and it was almost in her mouth when Ben spoke up.
"I could've sworn Eddie said you were allergic to strawberries. I also recall him saying you hated tuna."
Piper's mind started racing again. He knew. He knew she wasn't Patricia. She didn't know what to say. She had been having a nice time with him other than the fact she had been lying to him about who she was. She wanted to go back and just admit she was Piper from the start. Then she could avoid this looming problem. She had just opened her mouth, she was going to be honest with him, maybe it wasn't too late to fix it. Then Ben's phone began to go off. She recognized the tune. It was Beethoven's 8th.
"Sorry about that. It's just my dad. The call can wait."
"That was Beethoven's 8th," she said suddenly. She wasn't sure if it was his taste in music or just a ringtone set to fit his dad.
"Yeah it was," he said shocked. "It's one of my favorite pieces to listen to."
"It's one of my favorites. Actually its my all time favorite."
"That's a surprise. Don't you and Milly usually grace your ears with something with more screaming?"
Piper let out a sigh. She should've known she should've have been able to pull off being Patricia. The restaurant date had been a disaster. Why did she think pretending to be her twin now would work now?
"About that," she stammered slightly. She couldn't believe she was going to come clean. She almost would've preferred him thinking she was her twin. Frankly the fact she had to reveal she had been lying to this boy all day was embarrassing. Once it was clear she had Ben's full attention she began to talk.
"I might not exactly be Patricia," she admitted.
See what Piper didn't know yet was that Ben had figured it out the second she had ordered her food. Eddie had mentioned that Patricia's twin Piper had unlike her sister been a fan of tuna. That her twin Piper wasn't allergic to strawberries.
However it wasn't until she knew which symphony was his dad's ringtone that he really figured it out. She wasn't just Patricia's twin. She was also the girl he had slowly been falling for online.
Ben hadn't responded yet, but by the look on his face Piper just assumed he was mad.
"I'm really really sorry. It's just you're Eddie's brother and I just wanted to know how much you're like him. And you're not. And I lied to you. And I am really really sorry. I should've-"
"Piper it's fine. I just assumed you were Patricia. And I get it. Heck if I had a twin brother I probably would've pulled this myself a few times. You know the whole pretending to be my twin thing."
"So you're not mad?"
"I'm not mad."
"Then you know I'm the girl you've been chatting to right? Please tell me you figured it out. I'm going to be so embarrassed for telling you now aren't I?"
"No I figured that out too. You didn't need to pretend to be your sister. I've actually had a lot of fun with you today," Ben smiled.
WHOA THEY MET.
Okay next chapter to come by March 15th. (It's on the shorter side because its a filler)
