“Will you please decrease your pace? Why the hell are you walking like you are going to miss a train? We are already in school, remember?” Kirsten roared at me running behind me.
She had no idea I was so desperate to see those green eyes. So I just smiled and kept on marching without coming to a halt.
“Prisha…” All of a sudden I heard Aster calling me only then I was forced to stop.
“God, finally!” Kristen sighed heavily.
“Good morning,” I greeted soon after turning to him.
“Good morning,” he greeted back along with his friends.
“Is there a problem? Why are you walking so fast?” asked Aster in astonishment.
“Because she is just so desperate to reach the classroom and see…” I pinched Kristen and hurriedly interrupted her “nothing I was just doing exercise…”
“And I thought she didn’t know why I was rushing to the class…” I thought deep inside.
Hearing me everyone laughed at once including Kristen who just needs small things to laugh out loud.
“God, Prisha, that was the lamest excuse ever,” I crushed underneath my breath.
“I mean… walking is good for health, isn’t it?” I stammered.
“Yeah but the way you walked it seemed like you were going to miss your train…” said Aster.
Kristen hurriedly added, “Um… Aster, right? Give me fist bumps, dude. You and I are alike.” They exchanged fist bumps. “That is exactly what I was saying to her but she was not ready to listen to me. Thanks to you at least she stopped hearing you calling…”
“I called as soon as I saw you two coming out of the bus but you didn’t hear and kept on moving,” Aster claimed.
“I… I am sorry…” I stammered again thinking of a way to change the embarrassing topic and prevent Kristen from opening her mouth about my new crush.
I didn’t want anyone to know that I was having a crush on someone starting from the first day only. They might take me wrong.
“No, no it’s fine actually I wanted to ask you will you join us for lunch today?” he asked and finally I was breathing in relief at least he changed the topic.
“Yeah, sure we will surely join,” I replied hastily.
“Prisha, can you do me a favor?” Suddenly Denise, who was silent for a long time, spoke out.
“Of course, why not? What is it?” I questioned.
“No, no it’s nothing. He is just trying to trouble you,” Aster said, gripping Denise the way I grip Kristen’s arms to prevent her from saying something.
Kristen and I passed a gaze in surprise.
“What is it? If I can help I will definitely help,” I insisted.
“No, no it’s fine he is just finding you trouble,” said Sam.
I was astonished to see their behavior.
“Is everything alright?” I asked in confusion.
“Yeah… we need to rush to our class bye see in a lunch break,” Aster said and left dragging Denise.
I and Kristen glanced at each other in confusion.
“What was that?” she raised a question.
“I literally have no idea. Leave it, let's go,” I said and turned around.
“You wait.” She wrapped her hands around my shoulder and began to walk. “This is the only way to not let you fly away so that I don’t have to chase you catching my breath.”
“Okay, fine, fine I will walk with you,” I said.
“I have never seen you this desperate, Prisha. What did you see in that bookworm that you go on ignoring handsome boys around you?”
“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about…” I said pretending not to understand her.
“I am talking about handsome Aster and his handsome squad,” she said, gasping.
“Really? Do you find them so handsome that you are drooling?” I mocked.
“What, no…” she said, rubbing her thumb on her lips.
I couldn’t stop laughing at her innocence and cuteness.
“I will see who will form a drool in a second when we enter our class,” she said in annoyance.
“Like really!” I rolled my eyes.
“Yes, really.”
As we finally entered our class my eyes immediately went to the corner table. And like the previous day he was there at the same corner reading his book. He was really a bookworm like Kristen said.
I kept on looking at him until he lifted his head and glanced at me. My heartbeat skipped giving rhythm to my ear and I could sense my cheeks heating hot. I felt like I was out of breath, maybe in need of a ventilator any second.
“Is this the same feeling which others get when their crush looks at them? Wait a second…… he is smiling at me. I cannot believe that he smiled at me.”
As he gave a smile and got back to his book, I was there trying to handle myself and trying to get out of my fantasy world. I plonked on the chair near me and Kristen sat beside me.
“Not bad…” whispered Kristen but I didn’t give any response.
She pinched on my shoulder which flinched. In annoyance, I mumbled, “Ouch! That hurts, Kristen…”
“All good? Safely landed back to the reality from your fantasy world? There is drool at the side of your lips…” she started teasing me.
“Stop it, Kristen… I am trying to get my heartbeat back to normal. My crush just smiled at me. For the very first time I got to see his smile which was just for me and you have no idea how I feel… It felt like I was floating in the air and…”
Kristen held up her palm in the air before interrupting, “Okay, okay thank you for your lecture. I would like to continue this lecture when I have a crush on someone. You know to understand something one has to have some experience only then he or she can understand it better. And as you know till now I have not found the one who is made for me so until the date I find him I don’t want to listen to your crush experience and get jealous of you.”
“Jealous? I thought that doesn’t exist in our friendship,” I said, raising my eyebrows.
“Just kidding anyway I finally saw his face and he is not that bad.”
“Wow! really did you feel that? Can I date him?” I asked in excitement.
“Hey! Slow down, babe. It has been just a day, don't get that serious this early. You don’t know him. Whether he has a girlfriend or not and most importantly you don’t even know his name.”
“Relax, we study in the same class, we will surely know about each other soon,” I said, taking out my book.
“Yeah and that is what I am talking about you need to slow down a little,” she suggested.
“But I can’t Kristen. I feel like just going straight to him and talking with him and asking whether he wanted to be my boyfriend or not.”
Kristen rolled her eyes and said, “seems like a new school is turning down and rebooting shy Prisha into shameless Prisha…”
“I feel the same,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe he smiled at me…” I chuckled.
Kristen took a deep breath as if she was going to say something very serious.
“What?” I asked, seeing her solemn expression which I see once in a blue moon.
“You need to know something…” she announced.
“Okay….” I tilted my head.
“You need to know something…” she announced.“Okay….” I tilted my head.“Look I am so sorry I am about to burst your fantasy bubble which you created just thinking he smiled at you…” she blurted, being dead serious.I rolled my eyes. “Oh! Come on, don’t start, you clearly saw him smiling.”“Yes, he did smile but it was not for you,” she claimed.Her reply quickened my heart and made me gulp hard.
“That was my glass,” Aster’s answer shocked me and I grew more nervous.With my trembling hand, I kept the glass back on the table in a hesitant manner. But I ended up knocking another glass and water spilled all over my pants.Hastily I got on my feet. “I… I am sorry…” I muttered before running towards the washroom.As I was about to reach the washroom, lowering my head I bumped into someone. I lifted my head to apologize but words stuck on my throat seeing my crush in front of me.“I…” I was trying to say something
As soon as I entered my room, I threw my bag aside and flopped on my bed. Closing my eyes I tried to relax. But my mind was running wild which was making me restless. When I was not able to stop thinking of the things that happened at the school, I pulled myself up.I inhaled and exhaled deeply. “Okay, I need to stop this. I cannot go insane just because my crush has someone else and my bestie is going far from me. I still have a life to live. Let’s start with a warm bath.”I got on my feet and marched to the washroom. I stayed in the bathtub for a while and stepped out of the washroom in pajamas. I was drying my hair when suddenly I heard my cell phone ringing.I grabbed my bag and fetched my cell phone from it. I had full intention of answering the
“What happened, mom?” I got alarmed.She walked to my side and gripped my chin. Making me raise my face and glance at her, she questioned, “what happened to your eyes, Prisha? Why are your eyelids swollen?”“What?” I immediately got up and ran towards the washroom mirror.“Is everything alright, honey?”Mom’s sudden voice from behind flinched me. “Ah! Mom, everything is fine. Don’t think too much. It is just that I slept late last night because I had to work on a project.”
“Ahhh!” I screamed out in panic and closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt a strong force pulling my arms and in second strong arms wrapped around my waist. Slowly, opening my eyes I caught the sight of Aster’s handsome face very close. My heart leaped as my eyes got locked in his blue almond eyes. With every warm breath of him falling on my face, chills were sent down my spine. My sight had nothing except for him. A sudden urge of wanting the time to stop arose inside me which was kind of strange. I had a crush on my classmate, but why was there a strange feeling being close to Aster, it was hard to comprehend. I was so lost in him that, when Kristen called out, “Prisha, are you alright?”
“I… I just feel too shy,” she replied, lowering her head. Her cheeks were already flushed red.I passed a gaze at Kristen. “Seems like I missed so many things yesterday,” she mumbled.“Indeed!” I mumbled. “Let’s go then. Why are you hesitating?” I questioned Jessica.“I… I just feel too shy,” she replied, lowering her head. Her cheeks were already flushed red.“Shyness i
“I…”“Prisha....”“Wow! Krist, you got the perfect timing.” My heart was at ease seeing Kristen coming towards us.“Prisha, you didn’t answer my question,” Aster asked again, sounding desperate.“Um! I am sorry, Aster. Kristen and I got a plan after school,” I refused but deep down I was not feeling good at all but still, I did that.“Are we going somewhere?” with a face beaming K
I came to halt hearing her. I averted my gaze at her and narrowed my eyes. “It was you who gave him my number. You traitor.”“Ahh! Don’t call me that. You never told me to not share your number with anyone. So, there is no way that I didn’t betray you by giving you your number. And it is good to have each other’s number if it can be useful in future.” She tried hard to explain.I folded my arms and looked away being annoyed. She wrapped her hand around my shoulder but I pushed her away.“Okay, fine, fine I am sorry. It was you who left me with no other option,” she said, making me confused.