Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The First Day
April
"How can you someone be so cheerful on a Monday morning?” Amy asked as I hummed a tune while keeping my books in the locker.
“The same ways someone can be crabby on every single day of the week,” I said pointedly referring to her.
She got the reference and while doing her signature eye roll, said, “I just don’t like wasting my energy on useless things like-”
“-Being happy?” I asked with a grin.
She gave me another eye roll as we started walking towards our first classes of the day. I said, “Come on! Its our first day of our final year in school, show some enthusiasm!”
Amy just plainly ignored me. Amelia, Amy for short, was my best friend. She sported short blond hair that were mostly tied in a ponytail. She wore thick glasses and a I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude that I adored but irritated everyone else. I had many other friends at school but they were just the people I had a small talk with now and then. Amy was my permanent lifeline.
Apart from me and our other friend, Kabir, she didn’t talk to anyone at school. She was a self- confessed nerd and preferred to spend time only with her laptop, Kabir or me. Yes, Kabir and I did feel privileged.
I flashed a smile at some friends going in the opposite direction as we walked by.
“Whats with you today? Did you have a unicorn for breakfast, along with a topping of sunshine?” I merely laughed at Amy’s irritated face. I just felt joyous today. The weekend had been too good to be true.
“Ohkay..I get it. You spent the weekend with Ryan. Am I right or am I right?” Amy asked.
I didn’t say anything, confirming her suspicions. She continued with a victorious grin, “Jeez! You two can never get enough of each other. What did you guys do?”
“Nothing much, I spent the day at his house. We watched a movie, ate some, danced. It was the simplicity and stupidity of it all that I loved so much.”
“Uh hun,” Amy said giving me a one of her rare understanding smiles before continuing, “Too bad he’s not in school anymore. I miss the in-between-classes P.D.A .”
“Shut up” I said. Ryan was my boyfriend since almost an year. Being an year older than me, he would be starting college in a few days. Amy’s reminder of the fact that I wouldn’t see him everyday at school revived the constricted feeling I had been getting in my chest for the past few days. We had reached Amy’s first class of the day. She waved to me and went inside. Waving back, I continued on the way to my class.
Being with Ryan was unlike any other relationships I had been in before. Ryan was loud. He wasn’t afraid of being in the public eye. He kissed me openly and boldly in the corridor, class or canteen, not caring if other students or teachers were watching. I stopped it at kissing everytime or he would have got in full-on frisky mode in front of the entire crowd. He was also quite possessive. I had noticed him putting his arm around my waist casually and pulling me next to him many a times, whenever we were in male company. I had asked him about it, to which he had replied, “I only do it if I feel the guy as a potential competitor. I want to show them that you’re my girl.” A bit cheesy, I know. But that’s him. But he never tried to control my friendship with other boys, he was just competitive.
Oh yes, Ryan was competitive. Be it in sports, or usual life, he loved to win. In short, Ryan was dynamic. In spite of these slightly egoistic characteristics of him, he was a caring and genuine person at heart. And a bit of a child, the part of him I adored.
I was interrupted from my reverie by a human wall into which I almost rammed into. “I’m so sorry! I was lost in my thoughts.”
I apologized looking upto the person in front of me. To my misfortune, he was a teacher. He was dressed in light blue shirt and formal trousers. I hadn’t seen him before, so be must be new.
His appearance distracted me for a few moments. He was unusually decent-looking for a teacher. He was tall with wavy brown hair.
During this short time of me staring at him, he seemed lost too. Then he collected himself, gave me a dimpled smile and said, “Its alright. Can you do me a favour? I need to find the staffroom. I’m new here.”
“Sure. I’ll show you the way,” I said with a smile, quickly glancing at my watch to check the time left for the class. I still had a few minutes. I started walking with him.
After a few seconds, he asked, “So, what’s your name?”
