| Mia |

"Are you sure though?"

"Mom!"

She chuckled softly and laid a big fat wet kiss on my forehead.

"Can you not mess my hair please." I whined but she didn't let me go.

She never did.

"Today's message for Mia is. .be you because no one can be you." She said pulling back.

It was her mantra.

She would always give me one piece of advice every single morning . She wouldn't let me go without it. My mom looked so radiant and pretty with her hazel eyes and heart shaped face. .I tired not to let the guilt kick in.

"Noted." I said and she leaned in again to laid another fat one but I took a step back.

"I'm getting late and you can't mess up my hair you know."

"Go on. The world is yours to conquer ."

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I liked walking to school. All by myself. Just watching people walking by me for jobs , college etc . Seeing kids hop onto buses and . . . watching the weather unfold before me.

I had a mars chocolate and I was currently unwrapping it when I saw him.

He was sitting on the side of the pavement. His hand outstretched towards the passersby. The old man seemed homeless with the rough clothes on . His grubby fingers raising up when seeing a person.

And I just. . . stopped in my tracks.

It. .it always breaks my heart to see old people laying around on cold pavements. Where were their kids? Wasn't it there job to take care of them? To give all the care back to them when they were old and . . .old.

I walked towards him and upon seeing me , he raised his hand.

Quietly, I placed the chocolate in his outstretched palm. I saw his eyes light up at the sight of it.

He snatched it in!

Greedily taking a bite and then as he swallowed a mouthful , he stopped and glanced up at me. .as if just realizing I was there.

He gave me a bashful smile.

"It's. . beautiful."

That kinda made me chuckle.

"I never heard a person describing chocolate as beautiful."

"I. . i can't remember the last time I had it." He said with a serious face and it wiped the smile right off my face.

And I thought i had a difficult life!

"Enjoy." That was all i said and then I started to walk again.

My head lost in thoughts about how unfair this world was.

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"OoO I love the hair. You have such luscious hair, my dear." Gloria said eyeing my hair.

"Gee thanks. Just bought it." I grinned at her.

"Like anyone can get that in the market." Gloria said taking out her books from the locker.

"You're so beautiful , my hair pales in front of you, bitch." I loved pulling her leg.

She widened her eyes playfully.

"I'll try to keep my beauty down a notch." She flipped her hair in a diva like manner and then the both of us burst out laughing.

We were weird like that.

Nobody could understand why Gloria Dickenson stuck to me , the fat girl.

What they didn't know was. .I wasn't fat.

I had central obesity which meant I had fats accumulation around my stomach and thighs. The layers of clothes that I had on made me look double the size than I really was.

And I didn't mind people giving me snarky looks and making fun of me. I mean it showed me who was to be on my list of execution  and who was to be appreciated.

So far my list of execution was getting high on numbers.

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I glanced at my wrist watch and tried not to let my mood . .spill.

Tapping my feet, I was waiting.

Ten minutes till her class gets over and then we were outta here to the mall. To eat and to shop and to talk shit about everyone we saw.

I got  freaking bored .  .I decided to go out of the building. And while walking on to the way out. .I typed a text to Gloria about my location with the tongue emoji .

Had to be my favorite one.

Miley Cyrus had her life figured out with her tongue sticking out every second—

A wall bumped into me so hard , I let out a girly shriek and my cellphone went flying in the air—

I watched in horror as it came spiraling down and—

A large hand caught it!

"Got it!" The deep voice said.

My eyes went from the hand to the arm and then to the face.

No.Way!

Zachary Smith had my cellphone! And he was smiling at me like I cracked a funny joke! He had that smile that just made his eyes look even more blue!

"Here." He said now jerking the cellphone in my direction and I stared at it dumbly.

"If you don't want it ,I'll keep it." He chuckled softly. . watching me go from white to red. .and he looked amused!

Get your big girl pants on, Mia!

"Thanks." I said kinda snatching the cell from his hand . .my back had beads of sweat rolling down. .

Effing shit !

And he nodded with the same heart melting smile .

"Sorry for bumping in. . . .?—"

"It's Mia. ." I said abruptly.

"Mia." He rolled my name in his mouth . " I'm —"

"I know who you're!" I cried out and then stared at him in horror.

Mirth. I could see it on his face.

Crossing his arms against his chest, he raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

I swallowed.

"I mean—well yeah."

"What do you know about me?" He asked in a quirky manner.

I opened my mouth about to embarrass myself and then I thought better .

I shut my mouth.

"Nothing major. "

The light smile on his face deepened giving off his dimples.

"My name is Zack. " His blue eyes went to my hair and than back to my face. "And I like black color quite a lot. I hope that's something major." He smirked and all I could think was. .why the hell is he still talking to me?

"Uhh yeah. ." I said lamely.

And then he said something I never dreamed of ever!

"See you around." He said softly. .his blue eyes going bright.

I nodded mechanically. Not actually getting what he said to me. He walked on
. . .and I too made myself move.

See you around, he said.

Why would he see me around?

I wasn't Brenda. Why did he say it?

I got the hot guy syndrome. When a hot guy talks to you. .you can't help but think over and over again.

××××××××××××××××

"So you talked to her?  Smooth."

"What's smooth about it? It's not like I wanted to. It's the car that's making me talk to a girl like that."

Rad laughed at his sour face.

"Aw come on! She's cute!"

Zack rolled his eyes.

"I don't do cute. I just want to get done with her already."

"Patience, my man. The road to my car is bumpy, remember?" He winked . "So how did you talk to her? How did she react?"

"She had that look on her face . .the one girls get when I talk to them. I had to fucking smile and act like I didn't notice her body. " He said in disgust.

Rad laughed.

"I feel for ya! So you're being a gentleman huh?"

Zack shook his head.

"Not even close to it. I'm going to break down her guards. Bit by bit. . until there's nothing left to break."

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