I got home perplexed. My mind raced back to what happened while coming back home. The whole incident happened of a sudden leaving me in a state of shock. 

***

After I waved bye to sassy and Jane, Annie and I hurriedly left the school premises.

"Hope you enjoyed your day?" Annie smirked.

"I guess you know what happened already with that look on your face, so there's no point asking" I answered bluntly. 

"What happened?" she questioned with a mocking gesture.

"Nothing!"

She burst into laughter. I was shocked. She should be by my side rebuking that devil not laughing. I mean she's my friend and we are meant to stand by each other not the other way round. 

"Do you think being a comedian suites me?" I asked.

A look of seriousness plastered on her face as I halt for a moment, looking into her eyeballs. She in turn stopped laughing and focused on me.

"Do you think?" I asked still staring at her

"I don't think so," she answered "I can't even imagine, how bored people will be while you are on the stage. Why do you ask?"

"Because I see no reason why you are laughing when I said nothing funny, so I was thinking maybe it'd suit me you know," I said.

She went into another roll of laughter, this time I couldn't stand it anymore as I started walking faster. 

"Allie, wait!" She pleaded.

Ignoring her pleas, I increased my pace but she kept persuading running after me. I turned to look at her and at doing so, I mistakenly bumped into someone. Our heads jammed together. Waves of pain ran through my blood and struck me at my head as I bent low, face-palming myself. 

"Oh! Shit!" the person whisper-screamed with his hand on his head.

I was still recovering from the hit and had no time to apologize even when I knew I was partially at fault.

"Are you okay?" he asked patting my back.

My body shook as I heard his voice I felt a tingling sensation in my body. The voice sounds familiar, I heard that voice today but where. I tried remembering who owns the voice but the pains never let me do so, I had a hard time recalling who owns the voice.

My thoughts were disrupted when I heard Annie speaking on my behalf.

"She's fine but seems you are not since you are bleeding already" Annie confirmed. 

"Bleeding? Did I cause the bleeding?" My thoughts raced.

"Never mind, it's a small cut, I'll fix it but make sure she's alright," he said. 

"Sure, I'm Annie" she added. 

"Dean!". 

My ears stood erect at the mention of his name and the pain instantly vanished. Dean? Which Dean? I raised my head to see him but he left already. 

"Which of the Dean was here?" I questioned.

"The guy who snubbed you," Annie mockingly answered walking away smiling sheepishly.

Walking closer behind her, I defended trying not to be the loser "He didn't, it was a rumor."

She abruptly stopped which made me retrace my steps quickly.

"Well, that is your case but wait oo, you gave that guy a cut with your strong head," she said.

"Whatever, he deserves it" I hissed walking past her.

"He hugged me!!!" Annie screamed from behind. 

"Maybe, you can go ahead and daydream about it" I replied.

****

He felt free talking to Annie but couldn't stand me.

"Fuck him!!!" My heart yelled.

"He's a cool guy," Annie said undressing.

"And I'm a cool girl" I replied. 

"Not as cool and charming as he is, imagine he even winked at me" she added.

"Annie!!!"

"What?"

"Just stop this please I beg of you" I pleaded. 

"Why should I?" she asked chuckling.

"For my peace" I answered.

"You have to promise that you'll get me pizza tomorrow at lunch," she said

"Hmmm! I promise, just don't talk about him." 

Just then my mom's call came in. I picked up my phone and placed it on a high speaker while undressing.

"Hello, sweetheart" her voice echoed from the background. 

"Mom, how are you doing? " I asked.

"Not fine but will be, once you tell me that you have found him," she said.

"I found her not him" I answered delightedly expecting a shocking response from her and it did came.

"You must be kidding right?" she said changing the tone of her voice.

"Were you not the one who told me to find any, either male or female, and you are not against it?" I asked laughing.

I knew she wasn't finding any of these funny but I just wanted to tease her to ease my mind from today's incident.

"You knew I was joking, right?" she asked.

"I took it, serious dear mum. Well, I'm bringing her home soon" I chuckled.

"Be expecting us home soon" I added before putting an end to the call. 

I couldn't help but laugh at least that call eased my mind. I found Annie staring blankly at me with her mouth wide open. 

"Young lady, kindly close your mouth please" in Dean's voice 

"Are you serious about what you told your mom?" she asked surprisingly.

"So you think I can do that?" I questioned. 

"You sound real," she said

"I can't, I was just pulling her legs, she thinks she's the only one that can tease, I will show her who the master is" I replied. 

"I hope it isn't true," she said. 

"I'm famished, we should be talking about food not hoping for what is not true," I said.

"What do you think we should eat tonight?" she asked.

"Maybe toast bread and a sweetened milkshake will do" I suggested. 

"I said what we should eat not what you will eat," she said. 

"I don't know for you but I'll love to have that for tonight" I replied. 

"I think that will be okay for me too," she said

My phone beeped in the process and I checked who it was. Unknown contact just sent me a message on WhatsApp. I opened it and the content said. 

"Hope you are okay?"

I was shocked.

This is probably Dean trying to ask if I'm okay when he humiliated me in public and made me the talk of the school. 

I'm okay! Sorry for the hit and thanks for the humiliation. 

"Humiliation! What humiliation?" he texted back. 

"Is he alright?" I thought.

Does that mean he didn't know he humiliated me in front of everyone? Or doesn't he regard that as humiliation?

I switched off my phone and left for the kitchen.

After we were done eating, Annie suggested we stroll a bit.

We went down our street, it was quiet and I wondered if people lived here at all. Though I admired the quietness and its peaceful environment it would have been better if it was lively like New York City. I could hear the buzzing of Beetles and the fresh air made the moment more accommodating.

"So tell me, how was your orientation?" I asked Annie who was busy looking around and savoring the freshness of the cool air.

"Nice, I made a few friends, most of them are males" she answered with a smiling face.

"Their names?" I asked.

"Dean, Alex, and Jackson" she replied. 

"So just because he talked to you means he's automatically your friend," I asked in disgust. 

"Yes, he might not know but he is now a friend," she said.

"What if he snubs you tomorrow at school" I curiously asked.

"Is that your prayer?" she fumed.

"C'mon, I was joking, but you can't tell, will you," I said.

"Just leave him alone" she hissed.

I switched on my phone and immediately I switched on my data, and different messages popped in, one of which is from the unknown number. 

"Do you know who's chatting?" He chatted

Of course. 

Who is it then?

The most praised Dean of course. 

Absolutely incorrect. I'm Robbie, Dean's best friend. 

Gosh! How am I so stupid? I couldn't even ask who it was. I honestly taught it was Dean. Now, the so-called Robbie might tell Dean that I tagged him as the "most praised guy".

I went offline almost immediately. 

"Let's go home," I told Annie who was now busy singing with the birds and enjoying the freshness of a beautiful trimmed flower that stood beautifully. 

"Why?" she asked wearing a pitiful look.

"I have to sleep, I have a class by 8:30 am tomorrow" I replied. 

"To hell with that class, let's stay a little" she pleaded. 

"I'm going home, bye," I said walking away.

"Wait please, I'm coming with you," she said running after me. 

I was tensed. My thoughts were filled and I couldn't tell Annie as she might mock the hell out of me. How will Dean react? I injured him and he apologized and now I tagged him as the 'most praised guy'

"I hope Robbie doesn't show him the chat." I sighed.
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