I was dying. The floor creaked as someone approached me. I couldn't turn my head, couldn't speak, couldn't move.

"Hello, Samar." My fathers raspy voice made me shake all over. He stood next to whatever it was that I was lying on. He had a axe in his hand and looked extremely creepy like a villain out of a superhero comic.

"It's time you and I talked." He said and lifted his axe. With a swift the axe was down and the blade had cut through my throat shielding my breathe.

I jolted up from my bed, sweating like hell.

I sat up on the bed and buried my face in my palms.

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream." I reminded myself over and over again.

I lay back on the bed. I knew I couldn't go back to sleep now.

3:56; my phone showed the time.

"Hey." I sent Aditi. I didn't know why I did that but it felt good at the moment.

I closed my eyes forcefully and lay there knowing Aditi wasn't going to text me back anytime soon.

My phone beeped. It sounded too loud in the silence of the night.

"Hey. What are you doing up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep. What about you? Don't tell me you had nightmares too."

"No. I was about to start on my assignment."

"This early?"

"Yeah...?"

"Why?"

"Because I have to submit it today."

"Okay. So, you wake up this early everyday?"

"Mostly, yeah."

"And at what time do you sleep?"

"At ten. Why?"

"That's like six hours a night. Almost four hours less than me. Except when I wake up due to nightmares and can't go back to sleep."

"Tell me something, what are your nightmares about?"

I had been asked that question so many times I could answer without thinking.

"Nothing important. Just random stuff."

"How often?"

"Twice a week, almost."

"You have nightmares twice a week and you say it's nothing important? Man, you gotta see a doctor."

"No, I'm good."

"If you say so. Well, I gotta study. Talk to you later?"

"I'm sure you will."

Aditi and I talked very often. For someone who never spoke a word unless she had to, Aditi was starting to really freak me out by replying my texts in the second and texting me herself.

She didn't even know who she was texting.

We discussed about everything. From role models to brand of shampoo she used to color of our underwear. She had no trouble telling me stuff about herself.

The more I talked, the more I found out about her little obsessions. Obsession of puppies, obsession of romance stories and obsession of Blue.

Everyone has a favourite color, sure. But she was just crazy about blue. If it was in her power she'd make human skin's color blue, like in Avatar.

She'd eat grass if it were blue.

And I wasn't surprised to see her in blue clothing every single day in school.

She even named her puppy, Blue. I mean who names their dog after their favourite color?

"So, she says that someone is bothering her with texts but has no problem replying to all of them. Even at four in the morning? Man, this girl's got some issues."

I had told Roman the whole story. Now that he said it out loud, it did seem pretty odd to me.

"It'll work out. I guess." I said in a slow defeated tone, making Roman believe in otherwise.

"I hope so."

"So, what're you gonna get Sara for her birthday? I'm sure she's still mad at you from that little joke you spit out during the vacation. Man, I wanna know what the joke was."

"She'll be surprised. Aditi's coming to the party, right?" He quickly changed the topic. I really wanted to know the joke.

"I guess so. I mean she's real close to Sara now."

"Yeah, that sucks. I mean we were really good before Aditi. And now there's a not-too-friendly member in the group." He sighed. "That is if we're still a group."

"Don't sweat, bro. Things will get back to normal once I start dating her." I told him but I, myself, secretly doubted it.

"Hey! That's it. Everyone can bring a partner to the party, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Ask Aditi out for the party." He was smiling too wide for long face.

"Yeah. That's a good idea." I paused for dramatic effect. "Actually its a great idea." I continued.

"Don't ever tell me I'm not there for you."

That really was a great idea. Although Aditi and I could go to the party separately and alone, it would be better if we went together. And it made sense considering that I did not have another partner for the party.

Well, not that anyone would turn me down but I didn't really want to go with anyone else.

Either Aditi or alone.

____________________________________

As Sara's birthday came closer I was starting to lose my nerves watching Aditi. I mean watching and nothing else.

The least she could do was have good friendly talk. That's what friends do isn't it? Talk. Share their feelings. Discuss their fondness. Curse together at the dislikes.

Well maybe she wasn't a friend. Maybe she was just an average girl from school who didn't like making friends, let alone a boyfriend.

Or maybe she was just too deep into her studies to have time for friends. Too serious about having a career in medical. Yeah, I asked.

Whatever it was, it was starting to eat me up from the inside.

Was I freaking out for no reason?

Was I going crazy?

Or was I falling in love?

No it couldn't be that. I couldn't be falling in love. Shit, I didn't even know love.

I really needed to get my head straight.

"Half second more, and its called staring." Sara smirked from beside me.

"What?" Aditi called from across the table, looking away from her notes for the first time since she sat down.

"Nothing. I was just explaining Samar the difference between an admirer's look and a stalker's gaze." She elbowed me on my shoulder. I just threw her a dirty look in response.

"So, Samar has a crush or something?" Aditi closed her notes and folded her arms.

That drew her attention? She wanted to discuss my love life? Things just got a little more interesting, or complicated depending on how Sara reacts.  

And what an irony of the situation.

Oh, man, I needed to talk to Roman about this.  Too bad he didn't sit with us during lunch.

I knew I'd be kicking myself later for not getting up and leaving. Instead, I decided to have a little conversation while we were on the topic.

"Or something." I muttered from between the anxious bites of my sandwich.

"Or something." Aditi repeated.

"Yeah, I mean she's not a crush, crush. I mean, you know, not, the...that." I forcefully shut myself up.

Jesus, what the heck is up with me?

"The, that?" Both the girls giggled and high-fived. I started staring at Aditi again. She wasn't looking at me. She was too busy controlling her laughter. Well at least I could see those rare laughs. Maybe this wasn't going so bad.

"Oh, come on Samar. Just tell her." Sara slapped me on the shoulder, still her finishing her laugh.

"Tell me what?" Aditi looked at us with curious eyes.

I eyed Sara to shut up. Aditi was looking at me and Sara, back and forth like watching a tennis game.

"Nothing." I murmured. Hitting her with my knee.

"Tell you who his crush is." Sara was still laughing. Aditi started laughing a bit too.

"Yeah, tell me Samar. Who is she?"

Its you. I wanted to shout but couldn't.

Damn, I didn't even have a crush on her.

The fuck was up with Sara? Was she more anxious than I was about dating Aditi? Or was she was messing around with me?

"It's no one, really. I don't have a crush on anybody."

"Feel that? Feel that?" Sara was being dramatic...again. "That's the feel of the great Samar going down.

"The great Samar?" Aditi fixed her gaze on me. Her pupils dilated as she met my eyes. Now, this was another one of those rare sights. Looking straight in the eyes of Miss Aditi Adhikari.

I ought to bring out this matter more often, perhaps.

"Yeah, the great Samar that turned down every girl that ever asked him out." Sara said like she was narrating a movie.

"Sometimes I doubt if he's even straight."

I dropped my sandwich. What?

"But being his best friend I can say that he's not gay. If not he'd not have..." She stopped and looked at Aditi who was leaning forward on the table.

"Well, yeah, that's about it. The story of the great Samar." Sara stated.

"Okay..." Aditi said slowly.

"You're not really gay, are you?" Aditi asked during our chemistry theory class.

I looked at her in complete shock. This was the first time she'd started a conversation since the first time we met.

But I was even more surprised by the question itself.

"Are you asking for reassurance?" I tried to joke.

"Yeah, you can think that way."

So she did seem to notice I was alive and was in the class with her.

Or maybe she even liked me.

________________________________________________________________________

Hey, friends. So, What do you think? The next chapter is gonna be so much fun. I can feel it already.

Vote if you liked this chapter. And do leave a comment about your thoughts of the story so far.

See you soon in the next chapter.

Lots of love. And goodnight (I really need some sleep).

~Hunt.