"Mina!" he started.

I gasped.

"What?"

"What do you think about travelling in bus?"
He asked suddenly.

This was not the question that I expected.

"Well! It's good." I answered with an awkward look.

Is he really unaware that I liked his photo or is he acting so? Anyway I cannot believe him blindly. I know how good he is in blackmailing people, especially me.

We got down on our stop and started walking.
I was really confused, I started, my big mistake, all because of my so called

Curiosity!

"Mike, did you get any notification from your Instagram yesterday?" I asked him plainly with no expression.

"I get 100's of notifications every day I don't know which one you're asking?" he replied with some sort of pride.

"Oh! I see" I said and gave a tight smile.

"Wait, you know that I have an account? You view my posts?" he asked a couple of questions.

I don't know what to reply,

"No, No, of course not! I won't view any of your posts, and I have no business with that, you post your pics? Really?" I asked him.

He started to narrow his eyes on me and I was getting really scared.

I was tapping my phone in my hand and was walking puzzled. I could see Mike staring at me in the corner of my eye.

"I think... you want to ask me something, am I right?"

he asked me teasingly.

"Just go away, it's nothing about you!" I replied quick.

He suddenly pulled my phone from my hand and was demanding me to tell him what I was thinking.

"Give it back! Mike! I said it is not about you!" I was trying to get the phone from him but on the other side making it sure I was firm with my steps. I don't want to collapse into him again.

"Wait, let me read few of your instagram messages, I think you have something fishy there!" he said and was sliding my phone to the home screen, unfortunately I din't have any passwords, so it was quite easy for him.

"Now stop it and give it back!" I was yelling and gave a hard stamp on his feet.

"Ouch! You're really strong" he said and started to run away.

And I hate running. "If it is something which is not about me, then why do you hide it?" he kept yelling while running.

"Ok! I'll tell you what it is!" I said panting. I planned to surrender.

Running is a very bad idea!

He paused his running and came walking towards me.

"First, you tell me" he demanded.
"No, first the phone!" I asked and stretched out my hand

"What if you run away after getting your phone?" he asked.

"Then what about you doing the same?" I shot back.

Then he came to a conclusion, he placed the phone down on the pavement, after I tell him the event, I can take it back, this is what he planned.

Dumbass!

"Now tell", he asked with crossed arms.

"I know it for sure it is something about me, I can read faces!" he added circling his finger around my face

I rolled my eyes and began,

"Look! It was an accident and not something else what you think" I cautioned him

"Please come to the point" he said impatiently.

"Well... Yesterday while I was viewing my instagram page, I accidently liked your photo."

"What!"

he asked me and burst out into laughter.

"Now what's funny in this?" I asked.

"I knew you had a crush on me" he teased.

"I actually thought it was my friend's account, because you were with Sid, and din't like it because of your stupid joker face!"

I replied sarcastically.

"Wait? Sid is your friend, I mean Siddique?" he asked me.

"Yes, we were childhood friends" I replied.

"How do you both come to know each other?" I added.

"I came to know him through a summer camp last year when I visited Saudi." He said.

"Such a good fellow, we became so close within a few days, more like brother than friends" he said in a nostalgic tone.

I thought he would not mind me, because he is now involved in his nostology.

The one I like the most and the one I hate the most are friends.

"But, that doesn't matter! You liked the photo from my account, now do my one week's English assignment as a punishment" he ordered.

I started to boil with frustration.

"This is unfair!" I yelled.

"Then I will tell the whole class that you have a crush on me, then think of my fan girls who hear that, they will pounce on you like cheetahs!

Especially Rachel!" He said with an evil smile.

If it is a couple or a few more than couple I can manage on my own what if the entire girls in the class begin to attack me?

I cannot resist!

"You're so mean, I hate you!" I yelled at him stamping my feet in frustration.

"You always do that to me minion don't mention!"
he said with a wink.

I was searching for some reasons and excuses to get rid of this.

"Think, on the first day at gym where I said you have to pay for helping you! If you forgive me now, that will be the biggest pay you're doing to me as a return"

I said cunningly covered with some innocent look so that he might spare me.

"But, I dropped you at your home on that day when we had detention, don't forget it, so I must have payed you already."

he replied with raised eyebrow.

He is even more cunning than me. I was searching for more reasons,

"Remember the times you stole my money, and the times I forgave you for that without taking any revenge, I just ignored it, right?"

He gave an awkward glare and nodded.

"Likewise you ignore this incident too, okay?" I asked him with my eyes widened, hoping he would accept.

"Okay, I will accept your reason, but you had it if you do something mischievous in your future again.

I nodded and gave a sheepish smile. I was happy for that moment. So happy like Siddique texted me back.

We both were nearing school, just then a car with high speed was crossing the lane without slowing down, the car would have knocked me down if Mike would have not pulled me back by my collar. But my left elbow got hit with the car's door and it was paining very badly.

I was groaning with pain in one side and was cursing the driver on the other. Mike was simply watching me groaning.

Seriously? Is he dumb?

"What are you watching? Am I going something funny here, help me idiot!"

I yelled at him.

He came near and knelt down before me and said coldly,

"Why should I help you? I am leaving for school"
And continued walking.

I felt like banging his face with my school bag, he has no concern and mercy, My eyes were blurring with tears.

After a few steps Mike stopped, he turned and came near me,

"Now what? You left something?
Brain?" I was hissing at him.

He remained quiet and extended his hand for me to raise.

"I don't need your help!" I said and was trying to get on by my feet, but the pain din't get suppressed.

He took a small first aid kit from his bag and was applying an antiseptic lotion and put a bandage on my wounded area. I was looking at him plainly while he was doing the first aid; it is still hard to judge him either with the good or with the bad.

He gave his hand for me to get up and was walking close to me making sure I'm safe.

We reached the school; I thanked him for his help. He just grinned and said,

"I don't want your thanks, just do my English assignment for the next week!"

he ordered and walked inside the campus.

I was standing biting my teeth.

Him changing and Siddique texting back, both never happens.

<sighs>

When I entered the class, my bench mates Emma and Lia were asking me about my bandage, I just said them that I slipped, I din't utter anything about Mike because I knew that they would break my head.

Later our class teacher; Mr. Alex was telling something about charity.

"Students, our school is planning to help all the refugees and homeless by encouraging our students in charity."

We all nodded. I turned to see more than three quarter of the class were felling bored. But I love collecting money but obviously his lecture was boring.

"The other day I saw Mina helping an old lady infront of our school, I feel happy for her."

He said giving me a warm smile.

So he saw me? I just smiled back.

"From next week we will start our charity mission, we will divide into groups with 4 persons in each; which group collects the largest sum of money will be awarded."

He said and that gleamed everybody. ( for the word "award")

I turned toward Lia she was busy calculating something, I am sure that it was not math; she is much interested in everything than that, just like me!

"What are you doing?" I asked her in confusion.

"I was calculating in which group we will be belonging to" she said.

Within a few seconds she gave a tight slap on my thigh.

"Ouch!" I yelled, before someone in the class could find me that it was me, I tried to act as if nothing had happened.

"What's the matter have you gone crazy?" I asked.

"Mina, look I have calculated, Roll number, 27,28,29 and 30 will form a group, so..."

she said with excitement.

"So?" I asked.

"So, me, Lisa, Mike and you will get into the same group."

This is really insane to me but according to Lia, it is like one of her rarest dreams coming true. She began with her day dreaming.