"They say music can alter moods and talk to you. Well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too? Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude, just tell the judge it was my fault and I'll get sued."

Sing for the moment was ringing through my headphones as I opened my eyes to a Thursday morning wondering when I'd fallen asleep.

What happened last night?

I quickly rose up and checked my phone. One new message.

'What is it?'

Oh, shit! I had fallen asleep during our conversation.

After staring at Aditi's number for a while, I had finally decided to send her a text.

'Hey. How are you?' I had excitedly typed and sent.

'I'm well. Who are you?' The reply had come.

'I'm Samar.' I had typed. But then a thought had crossed my mind: Why not have some fun?

'I'm a close friend. Did you forget me?' I had sent.

'I'm not sure if I know you to forget you.'

'Oh, you know me. There's no doubt about it.'

'Aditya? Is that you?'

'Aditya, who?'

'No one. What's your name?'

'I can't tell you that.'

'Why not?'

'Because if I did, this conversation would not be fun.'

'What makes you think I'm having fun?'

'You're not?'

'No.'

'Lets talk some more. I'm sure you'll have fun.'

'Its late. I gotta sleep.'

No. No. No.

'Its just 11. Stay for a while.'

'I really need to sleep.'

'Okay, just stay for a minute. I gotta tell you something.'

'Okay, make it fast.'

'Can I call you? I mean now.'

'Hell no!'

'Okay. I'll just text it to you.'
Was the last message I had sent her before I had fallen asleep.

"Just let our spirits live on through our lyrics that you hear in our song, so we can..." Eminem was continuing in my ears as I got off the bed.

I threw the headphones on the bed and walked into the bathroom.

Who was Aditya? I hadn't really given it a thought last night. Was he her boyfriend? It would really,  really suck if he was.

The cold water flowing down the tap sent chills down my body.

____________________________________

"You think she is a virgin?" Roman was smirking.

I turned to him and then back to Aditi.

"I don't know man. What do you think?" I whispered back.

"You better wish she is."

"Why so?"

"A little bird told me you like her."

"What...? Who told you that?"

"A little bird."

"Sara." I hissed.

"So you do." He made a statement.

"Look man, it doesn't matter if I do or don't. I don't think she'll ever consider going out with me." I sighed. That was really what I felt like. A girl like Aditi going out with me? This is not some story.

"Oh! That's gotta hurt. Tell you what, you gotta try first. Don't just give up without trying, man. Nothing's impossible."

"Ha. Cliché. And I can't even try. I suck at such stuff."

"I'll help you."

My head snapped into his direction.

"You'll help me date Aditi?" He nodded. "How?"

"Leave that to me. Now solve that equation..." He pointed to the board. "I don't want you to be any less smarter."

"Alright. But don't just go ahead and tell her before I do."

"Cross my heart, hope to die. And you do know that she has that murder look every time she sees me, don't you? I wonder what that is about."

"Yeah, me too." I turned back to my book hiding the suspicious look building on my face. 

"So, I'm not gonna tell her." He promised. I just hoped Sara wouldn't.

"You haven't told her have you?" I gripped Sara's shoulder in the hallway.

"What have I not told who?"

"Aditi. You haven't told her anything, have you?"

"No. Let go of me." She said gritting her teeth.

"Fine." I stepped back letting go of Sara's hand.

"So, you do accept that you have feelings for her." She said in her half teasing-half angry tone.

"I don't." I scowled.

"Okay, I'll say that to Aditi."

"Why'd you say that to Aditi?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe she'd want to know you didn't like her." She smirked, her voice too sarcastic to go unnoticed.

"Ugh. Okay. I like her. Just don't tell her anything yet. I'll ask her out soon." I said in a rush to attend my chemistry class.

"Okay, Samar. But I don't think she'll go out with you." She called from behind.

I stopped in my tracks. I had the same worry. And deep down down I knew Sara would say that.

I wanted to go back, ask her why. But I just turned around and hissed, "we'll see," and sprinted to my class.

Mr. Shrestha was already explaining about the day's practical when I reached the lab. I apologized about being late and walked in. Aditi was waiting for me at our table. Before Aditi I used to do my experiments with the class nerd, Girish. But I grouped with Aditi since she had no friends. That and I just wanted to be with her. Funny thing is that she was always so concentrated in her work, I doubted if she even knew I was alive. We didn't have a good conversation except for few talks in classes we shared or during lunch; that too about the studies. Honestly, I was getting sick of this.

"Hey." I said and reached for her notes. She had scribbled some chemical reactions including common salt and acids.

"Hey." She said quietly.

"You okay?" I asked as I washed my test tube and started drying it over the burner.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, her lips made into a tight line.

I could see otherwise in her face. She didn't like to share. Of course she didn't.

Was it because of last nights conversation? I couldn't keep myself from wondering. 

"No, something's bothering you. I can see it in your face. You can share it with me, you know." I took a pinch of common salt in the test tube and added concentrated sulphuric acid. The book said 'Add 2Ml'. I had added more than 7. In an instant white foam formed in the tube and rose towards the top. I held the test tube with a tong to avoid the contents from spilling on my hands.

I swore under my breathe and dumped the content onto the basin to start the experiment all over again.

Aditi was doing the solubility check which is a tedious task if you ask me. Weigh the basin, add water, weigh it again, add salt till its saturated, weigh again and do the calculations; ugh. And if it isn't correct, start over again.

But Aditi seemed to have no trouble doing it. She was so good at such stuff.

She sighed. "There's this guy; I don't know who. He keeps texting me at night."

My face turned pale.

"And what did you do?" I managed to say.

"I'm just trying to figure out who that is. I'll simply stop texting if he doesn't tell me." She sighed.

"And you're sure he's a... He?"

She looked at me. That was a genuine question. Even though I was the one texting her; it was the most genuine question I'd asked her.

"I think so." She said after a while. "I don't think girls play such prank."

Why did the sentence hit me more than it should have?

"No offence, but, yeah I think its a boy." She continued.

____________________________________

"Hey." I texted Aditi as soon I reached home.

Should I tell her?

She'll stop texting you if you don't, a part of me said. The other part was silent; thinking probably.

Mom had left already and thank god Sayal would come home by the school bus. I just didn't have the mood to go anywhere.

My phone buzzed. I checked.

"Hey." Was the reply. So I didn't need to tell her just yet.

Just tell her before its too late, some part of me shouted.

Its never really too late, just go with it, the other part said.

I decided to go with the latter thought.

"How was school?" I sent.

"Better then yours, I guess." Came the reply in a minute.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean school was good."

"Wow. You really think school is good. I'm amazed. You are unique."

"Yeah you can say that. Well I guess you can say I'm just a nerd."
"But are you, really?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Why? You hate nerds?"

"Not you. I'm starting to like nerds as a matter of fact."

"Haha. Why so?"

"Because nerds can be as beautiful as you."

"Thank you, ah- What's your name again?"

Ha. Like it was so east to crack me. I thought for a while. I needed to give her a name.

"Just call me Sam."

"Why Sam?"

"Because its easy and short and I came up with it easily."

"Okay, Sam. How's it going?"

________________________________________________________________________

I'm really, really sorry it took me so long to publish this chapter. I was away for so long and didn't get to write. But I have the whole story planned out so don't worry guys I won't leave you hanging.

Enjoy new year.

Lots of love.

~Hunt.