It was a staring contest. 

Contestant one was male, 18, a marine biologist wannabe and quite good looking. Apart from that you could tell he is a Malaysian by the black and yellow Perak FC jersey he was wearing.

Contestant two was also male, familiar with water and also quite good-looking. You can tell that he is a tilapia from the silvery scales on its body.

And they have been exchanging serious looks for the past two minutes. Well Iqball looked serious, but T7 is sporting a face as serious as a fish could.

"Hey I'm trying to thank you. You should at least reciprocate with a respond. You know, send something into my head," whispered Iqball.

The fish remained unperturbed.

It didn't move, hardly a swish-swash except for the little flutters of its pair of pectoral fins.

T7 was challenging him.

Ok, ok, I haven't found out a way to rescue your bum from the fires of incinerators or Mrs Jogh's mouth, but say something will you? Iqball requested.

The fish did not seemed pleased.

We're trying to figure out how your ancestors were disposed ... see, if we could figure that out, Ballqis and I plan to intercept and save your fat ass, somehow ... Iqball rambled inwardly as he eyed the opposite end of the lab.

The Monday pair of student researchers were still scribbling reports on how many pellets each fish had eaten.

Well, if you don't feel like talking today, you know I'm going to be here tomorrow. Remember I'm your Tuesday guy ... Iqball said, ready to call it quits.

The fish remained steadfastly still, well almost, and maintained his position at the middle of the tank, its pelvic fin scraping the bottom.

Iqball was not a fan of coercion, so he took a step back.

"So like I said, thanks, you know, for bringing Ballqis and I together into this assignment, I'll see you tomorrow," he muttered as his eyes once again checked for the other lab guys.

Sorry about that fat ass comment, you know I didn't mean it. Hold on, you wouldn't hold a grudge against me for that, right? Not when technically you do not even have an ass?

"Wait, do you ... have an ass?" Iqbal prodded  out loud.

***

"Aga, are you in there?" Ballqis called, again, as if undaunted that her previous three calls and knocks on his apartment door had left her with only a sore throat and knuckles.

"He's not there, is he?"

A female voice suddenly crept from behind her.

"Oh, Molly, hi!" said Ballqis as she turned to face the owner of the voice.

"I've been looking for him too, since yesterday, actually," Molly sighed. Her hands gripped the bunch of textbooks she was carrying closer to her chest.

"Were you supposed to study together?" Ballqis asked.

"Yes, an hour ago! He said he could really use my help in Physics ..." said Molly.

"Ah, yes, his standing grade is C+ if I am not mistaken," Ballqis chimed in.

"Right. So I said I can help him with that if he helps me with my Sociology report. I hate that subject. Who's going to do it for me now? It's due on Friday," Molly shared.

Ballqis knocked again.

"Aga, it's me, Ballqis. And Molly," Ballqis tried again.

After several more calls, the door clicked.

A disheveled Agamemnon emerged, and almost at the same time a pizza delivery guy showed up behind Molly and Ballqis.

"I ordered us food, come in," Aga mumbled when Ballqis' eyes popped at the view of three extra large pizza boxes.

They went into his apartment and began to look for glasses and drinks. Aga sat at the coffee table, looking at the pizza, his appetite dwindling.

"This is too much food for us," Molly said, breaking the silence.

Aga was miserable, that much was evident. But what had happened? Both girls wondered but dared not ask.

"It is," Ballqis agreed.

"Should I call Iqball? Maybe he'd like an early lunch of pizza?" Molly suggested.

Maybe a guy would get Aga to open up and they'd be saved from having to ask him.

"Iqball?" Aga's eyes lit up.  Then he suddenly laughed.

"Remember we were giving him such a hard time over his stupid alien guess at Mr Evans'? That guy is such a good guy. He took everything in stride even when I said even I thought his guess sounded stupid," Aga laughed, and laughed.

He then cried a little. Ballqis found a fresh pack of tissue for his snot.

Molly hurriedly dialled Iqball's number.

Iqball's apartment was just a floor above Aga's. He had finished a game of basketball with his Computer Skills classmates and was famished.

But his hunger was almost forgotten the moment he saw Ballqis was also waiting for him behind a stack of oversized pizzas.

"Aga's unplanned party will start ... now!" cried Molly who was clearly not a fan of emotional men. With her eyes, she signalled Iqball to sit and ask about Aga's bloodshot eyes.

Ballqis quickly opened the pizza boxes and planted a glass of orange juice in front of everyone. Iqball patted Aga's back a couple of times before settling in.

"Man, what happened to you?" asked Iqball immediately. Aga did not look good at all, he would have asked the same question even without Molly throwing him looks.

Aga pushed a slice of pizza into his mouth and chewed really fast.

"She said she was ok with long distance relationship, you know? Then suddenly, without warning, boom! An 'I think I am in love with someone else' message," Aga replied without hesitation.

Somehow Ballqis doubt Aga would disclose as easily had it been her or Molly asking. They've been sitting with him for half an hour and all he did was remain silent.

"Carina broke up with you?" Ballqis blurted.

"Let's not speak of her name again," Aga hissed with his mouth full.

"Wait, isn't Carina your mom?" Molly, who had only recently gotten to know the gang, chipped in with another inappropriate question.

Aga's body slid and with a pizza in hand, he crumpled on the floor.

Molly's hand flew to her mouth while Ballqis and Iqball's face told her that she's got a lot of buttering to do.

***

It was almost 2pm by the time Aga was 'stabilized'. The trio managed to get him to eat two more slices of pizza and drink almost half a carton of OJ.

Molly left with a promise to tutor him Physics tomorrow night. Ballqis said she'd be bringing Aga's favourite Warrnambool cheese to lunch tomorrow.

"May I join the bread and cheese picnic at lunch tomorrow?" asked Iqball.

"Ooh, me too. I'll bring drinks," Molly said as she walk off with a wave.

"Of course you all are. I would gladly share with all of you," Aga answered before Ballqis could.

He hugged and cried for a few seconds more on Iqball's shoulder.

Iqball then shoved the rumpled, heartbroken Aga and told him to take a shower before closing the apartment door.

"You know, Aga trusts you more than he does of me," she observed as she walk along the corridor towards the stairs.

"Really? And I was just thinking yesterday, that there's only one person I've been one hundred percent honest with here in campus," said Iqball.

"Huh?" 

"In fact I was just telling T7 if it weren't for him, I would not have had the honour of sharing a secret with you," he said simply.

Ballqis stopped walking.

"Did the fish say anything back?" she whispered.

That was not the respond Iqball was hoping to get.