I was running furiously. The tunnel never seemed to end. He never seemed to give up either. I turned ever corner I could find but he found me anyhow.

I could hear his steps right behind me just as I rounded another corner. My legs were starting to give, my head hurt and my stomach felt like someone piled rocks in it.

He latched onto me pulling me down with him. I tried to fight him back but my limbs lay motionless under his weight.

His hands moved up to my neck, chocking me out of breathe.

I tried screaming, but all it came out was a croak.

"Let go." I screamed.

He let out a small, devilish chuckle.

"Let go of me." I screamed again.

"Dad."

"Dad."

"Dad." I was on the floor next to my bed with blankets wrapped around my face.

I struggled to get it off of me to get lungs full of fresh air again.

Slowly I climbed onto the bed again and buried my face in the pillow.

"Samar? You okay?" Sayal knocked on the door.

"Yeah. Come on in." I said raising my head.

I could use a little company. I wasn't really going to fall asleep anyways.

He opened the door slowly and got in, taking cautious steps as if approaching an untamed animal.
I sat upright on the bed and mentioned him to sit next to me.

"H-he's gone, Samar." He started slowly. "Why do you think about him so much?"

"I don't think about him. He just finds his way to creep around my brain." I sighed.

"He's a coward." He said hopefully.

"How so?"

"Because he can't face you when you're awake. He only comes around when you sleep."

I laughed hearing the words come out of his mouth.

"I guess you're right." I said leaning further back into the bed.

He got off the bed and started to the door.

"Hey, Sayal?" I called.

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell mom about this, alright?"

He walked up to my bed and awkwardly patted me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry bro, you secret is safe with me."

I pulled out my phone after Sayal was gone.

4:42. Maybe Aditi was awake by now.

"What is knowledge and what is wisdom? Give an example." I sent her.

She didn't reply. I went down to the kitchen and got myself a glass of water to wet my throat.

She still didn't reply. I walked into the bathroom and finished my everyday ritual.

Still no text. I lay on my bed with my phone on my hand and my laptop on my lap, half-watching a movie.

Nope. I sighed finally realizing she wasn't going to text me and shifted my laptop to my bed.

Her reply came at 5:39.

"I didn't know you liked taking tests."

"I didn't know you feared tests so much."

"I only fear them when I don't know the answers."

"Okay. Knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not using it in a fruit salad." I had only read it the night before and was desperate to use it on anyone. And at mornings like these when I had freaky nightmares of yours truly, anyone was always Aditi.

"So, you mean I should stop using it in my fruit salad?"

"You're funny, Aditi." I shut my laptop down and set it on charge on my desk

"You're funny yourself, Sam. So, nightmares again?"

"Yeah. Those suckers are a pain in the ass." I jumped back onto my bed and pulled the blanket over my body.

"So, how was school yesterday?"

"Same. How was yours?"

"I don't know. It was okay, I guess."

"Okay... So how is everyone?"

"Everyone who?"

"Family, friends, dog."

"Everyone is good. Although, I'm not sure about one friend."

"A close friend?"

"The closest."

"Do I get a name?"

"No."

"Like always. Anyways, what's up with him?"

"I don't know, he seems kinda lost."

"Gotcha!" I screamed out loud and sent the same to Aditi.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I fell for it."

"Haha. I wish I could see your face right now."

"Hey! That's rude."

"Sorry. So, how is 'he' lost?"

"I don't know that either. He's very collected, like his face is mask."

Is that me she's talking about? I thought. If it was, she was wrong. I wasn't lost, I was just...just...not very outgoing. But she pretty much was right about the mask.

"You like him."

"No."

"That was not a question."

"I know, and you're wrong, I don't like him."

"So, you hate him?"

"I didn't say that either. Does everything have to be like 'if you're not with me you're against me' rule?"

"So you do like him."

"Look, Sam, it doesn't even matter if I like him. He has too many girls around him to notice me."

"What's he, like a jock or something?"

"He's just a silent kid who doesn't like talking to girls except for a chosen few."

This was basically about myself.

She likes me! I practically jumped in the air.

"Are you one of the chosen few? I wasn't going to show my excitement just about yet.

"Yes, but... I don't know it just feels incomplete."

"Why don't you just go and tell him all about it?"

"I can't. I haven't told anyone about it. He is like a fictional hero you dream of but can never meet. He has rejected every girl, and I don't wanna be one of them as well."

Wow. Thanks, Aditi.

"And why are you telling me? You don't even know who I am."

"I guess not knowing who you are just makes it easier for me to tell you all about it. I guess not telling to a face makes it easier."

"Yeah, but I could be anyone."

"You could be anyone I want you to be as long as I don't really know. You could even be him."

My heart skipped a beat. Did she know? But how would she? I never told her. And neither did Sara or Roman.

"Wow. Thanks, Aditi."

"I'm only giving an example. And you don't need to be angry, he's a really nice guy."

"What's his name?"

"I can't tell you."

"Oh, come on."

"You tell me yours; I'll tell you his."

"Okay, but you gotta go first." I would really have no trouble telling her who I was after she'd tell me it was me she was talking about. No trouble at all.

"No."

"What? A straight no?"

"Okay... No way in hell!"

"Whoa, watch it."

"Ready to tell me?"

"No way in hell!"

____________________________________

"Hi." She said as I was passing through the hallway to get to my Maths. Her voice was low as if she feared someone might hear her.

"Hey." I said in my own low voice. She gave me a wide smile and passed me.

I eyed her all the way till she passed a corner.

That was her everyday habit; hi me in the hallways and not talk to me in the class. Samjhana Bhattrai, her name was.

Maths could be the most irritating class in school, especially if you are weak in it.

But that was not for me that day. One because I was not weak in it and second because I could see Aditi there for the first time. And as for that day, I finally could express my feelings to her because I knew she felt the same.

My heart was beating fast as I walked into my maths with the widest smile on my face. This was going to be fun.

"Hey." I bid her with thhe same smile not leaving my face.

"Hey." She said quietly.

What? Forgot this morning's conversation already?

I took my seat constantly looking at Aditi for even a slightest hint of what she talked about that morning.

Nope, nothing whatsoever. I started to doubt if she was even talking about me. I mean she didn't give a name. Chances were, she could be talking about anyone else out of the 1.2 billion boys in the world. But her definitions did match me so it could very well be me. The only way yo find out was by confronting her.

"Hey...uh...Aditi?" I called in a low voice. The teacher wasn't in the class yet but I also didn't want anyone else hearing our conversation.

"Yeah?" She said, eyes never leaving her book.

I sighed. Maybe now wasn't the good time. I could still meet her in the cafeteria and there I could tell her before Sara would arrive.

"Nothing."

"I heard what you did." I snapped my head towards Roman who was scowling. 

"What did I do?"

"Avoiding Alisha and all that." He tore a piece of paper from his note and started doodling.

"Oh, right, that."

"Man, I'm telling you don't do this. Fine I get it, you have a crush on her-" He pointed to Aditi sitting next to me. "But chances are she doesn't want to go out with you. And come on Alisha is way better than her. Don't take it for granted man. One day you might be running after Alisha and she'd do exactly what you did to her."

"Look, Roman-" He cut me off raising his hand.

"I get what you want, Samar, but at least pay her some attention. I don't think this will work out between you and her." He pointed to Aditi again.

I don't think things will work out between you and her. I repeated in my brain. How in the hell would he know? He didn't know what she said this morning. He didn't know how she felt. He hadn't even talked to her, ever.

"I'll think about it." I said and locked my jaw.

At least Sara wasn't here. She wouldn't have let him live after what he said.

____________________________________

"Just come in, no reason."

I was walking for the cafeteria when I was called by 'The hottest chick in school'. Keeping in mind what Roman said I followed her into the janitors room and she closed the door behind me.

I shrugged and leaned against the doorframe. She looked at me for a while and jumped in front of me attacking my face with her own.

"I waited for you for so long, Samar. Now you're here." She said in between her kiss, which I wasn't replying.

"At least you didn't go after that new bitch."

Aditi.

What the heck was I even doing in there? I didn't want to be with Alisha. I almost hated her. I wanted to be with Aditi, and here I was stuck in between Alisha's lips.

I tried shoving her off me. It took some effort and five seconds but I did it. She almost fell to the floor and looked at me; her eyes, the size of tennis balls.

"Don't ever." I hissed and stepped out of the room.

I wiped my face and started walking through the hallway hoping nobody saw it just in time to see Aditi rounding a corner. She looked back one last time and I could see tears dripping down her eyes.

Oh, fuck.

________________________________________________________________________

That didn't go well. Hope Aditi doesn't misunderstand.

Sorry I posted late but I have a really good reason why. Exams were biting on my ass and I couldn't focus on the story very well. So, please don't hate me.

Okay, so, what do you think of Aditi after that conversation with 'Sam'?

What do you think of Roman and Alisha?

Vote if liked this chapter. And comment to let me know what you think.

And please point out any typos if you see them.

You guys are awesome.

Lots of love.

~Hunt.