I sit there, trying to figure out if I'm hallucinating or some shit while I reply to DQ's question.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"You shouldn't be sitting alone with your hurt knees." She says in a monotonous voice but the slight worry is not lost on me.

"Mia just went to the restroom..." I tell her, still shocked at what was happening.

"Do you want any help to get back to class?" She asks, her neutral face breaking into a concerned one.

If I thought I couldn't be surprised anymore, I surely was wrong.

I look—gawk at her—surprise written all over my face.

You might as well wear a neon sign on your forehead.

I search her face for deception but all I see is pure, unadulterated concern.

And I am in its receiving end.

"Are you alright? You've seriously got something with sports." Nikhil rushes towards me.

Right when his voice reaches Shaina's ears and mine, just like an elastic snapping, her eyes turn cold, the neutral expression back on her face.

Whoa! You just called her 'Shaina'.

Reaching me, Nikhil gives me an onceover searching for injury.

"I'm good, I'm fine." I answer, momentarily forgetting that DQ was beside me.

"I'm sorry I didn't get here." He then turns towards Shai— DQ impassively while saying, "Thanks for that."

Sh— DQ nods stiffly before getting up and walking away without another word.

"You aren't coming to the ground anymore till your knees are completely healed." Nikhil commands and picks me up, eliciting a grunt of surprise from me while I throw my arms around his neck and hold on to him.

He takes me to the elevator—guess who got the principal's permission—and sets me down with a hand still on my waist while he closes the doors and presses the button to our floor.

And just before the door closes, I swear I see DQ's reflection—standing in a corner while watching us with a worried face—on the glass pane of the wall opposite to the elevator in the lobby.

***

A few days later, with better knees, in the evening after my phone call with Pa—with a surprisingly good mobile network—I go through my Physics notes to get a head start on the preparations for the upcoming exam which will be the last one before our finals.

My mom had been obnoxiously happy and my dad had sounded excited while talking to me.

Something fishy...

Tap, tap, tap.

I look around to see if anything had fallen down, but no.

Tap, tap.

I scrunch up my face and search again, my eyes skimming around the room slower this time.

Squat again.

Tap, tap, tap.

This time I turn towards the balcony and wait to see if the sound is coming from there, while rushing to pick up my Swiss army knife that I always keep underneath my pillow.

For safety purposes.

Yes, don't ask why.

Sure enough the tapping resonates again from the balcony door and I was not able to see what or who did it as the screen covered whatever was on the other side of the balcony doors.

Slowly making my way towards them with the knife at the ready, I unlock the doors.

Pulling them open, I wait for the intruder to come in so that I can strike, but I throw the knife away and help the person to get in once I see who it is.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I whisper-shout.

"Vic— vicky! I missed y— you." He slurs while hiccupping, the alcohol evident in his breath.

"Ved, are you...drunk?" I ask, flabbergasted.

He's fucking sixteen!!

Yes, see? Young.

Like you didn't taste Pa's drink when you were 12.

Nope. I didn't. Let's keep it that way.

"I j— just drank a funny smelling coke that my fri— frrrr— friend gave." He stumbles to my bed and sits on it, bouncing on the mattress.

I follow suit, letting out a heavy sigh.

"You're too young to drink...where did you even get alcohol? Wait. Did you drink a spiked coke or something? Does your mother know about this? And here I thought y'all JEE students were like the epitome of—"

I'm interrupted mid-rant as Ved shushes me by placing his finger on my lips, his face suddenly serious.

"W— what don't I have, Vicky?" He asks me, his speech still a bit slurred.

"What?" I ask him confused, my lips moving against his finger.

"What d— does he have that I don't? What does N— Nikhil have that I don't?" He repeats, a painful expression taking over his face.

"Ved you're drunk, stop this. I'll call your mother."

"Ans— answer me first, please." He begs as he stands up, his eyes glistening.

I sigh, frustrated, and get up to take my phone but am pulled back harshly that I almost lose my footing.

"Son of a—"

Pinning me to the wall he leans in so very closely, his alcohol-and-mint breath hitting my face.

"Answer me V— Vicky. What is it th— that he has and I d— don't?" His eyes pierce into mine as he looks at me expectantly for answers.

This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I didn't want to hurt Ved, but he's just asking for it.

"Dude! Your parents probably don't know about this so I'm going to call them." I try once again and speak slowly for him to get the words into his skull.

"N— no! You answer me firs— first!" He still fusses, not budging and that makes me snap.

"Fine, you wanna know what he has and you don't? First of all, patience. He's really patient with me, told me he would support my decision, even if it was that I had feelings for you, understands me and knows what, when and how to say anything at all to me.

"He's hurt me, yes. People hurt people, it's human tendency. But he's got a valid reason for it and I had never found any reason to stay bat-shit mad at him. He likes me a lot and would go to any fucking extent for my sake.

"He's been my rock, through thick and thin, even is it was for just a couple of years. Even before being my boyfriend, he was my best friend. But you and I, we were mere acquaintances. Sure, you're a cute boy, I got a crush on you earlier. But aesthetics aren't everything Ved.

"I'm in love with him. And you can't do squat to change it. So stop being a douche now, Ved. I told you we can be friends, but you're only making this difficult." I finish, surprising him—and myself—with all what I've said.

"You're in wh— what with him?" Ved asks lowly, his grip loosening on me.

Is that all he heard from what I had said?

"I'm in love with him." I state firmly and finally take my chance to get away from him.

"I'll take him back home." A soft voice comes from the doorway, making me freeze halfway.

"Ho— how did you get here Nikki?" I ask an awkwardly smiling Nikhil.

"I'll tell you later, I promise. Now, just wear something casual. Don't ask why. Just do it and meet me downstairs." Nikhil walks towards Ved and after a lot of pushing away from Ved, Nikhil helps him out of my room.

"Your Ma knows. She's in your grandparents' house, I've talked to her." He calls out to which I shout back an 'okay'.

I go and wash my face and oblige Nikhil. Changing into a pair of jeans and a navy-blue and white polka dotted tee, I grab a denim jacket along with my wallet while walking out and go downstairs as Nikhil told me to.

I see Nikhil's car parked outside our building and when I reach it, Nikhil gets out from the driver's side and holds my door open for me.

"Why, thank you, kind sir!" I do a curtsy and get in the passenger seat.

Nikhil just smiles and his cheeks redden ever-so-lightly and the realization that I'm the reason gives me a good kind of thrill.

Getting in and after we buckle up, he starts the car, but I hear some slight snores and I turn to the backseat to see a passed out Ved.

"Uh...we'll just drop him on his way?" Nikhil asks glancing at me and then back at the road.

I just shrug and suddenly remember what Ved and I had been talking before Nikhil came.

"How did you come in?" I question Nikhil.

"Well, I wanted to take you on a surprise date—I asked your Ma about this, don't worry—and when I came, she let me in and told me that you're on your phone before going to your grandparents' house but...um...y'know...you really weren't talking to someone in your phone."

"When did you come in?" I ask the most dreaded question.

"I can lie and say 'right when you went to take your phone' but...why don't we talk about this after we drop him off?" He asks.

I agree and lean my head on the window and watch the passing streetlights—that try to outshine the stars—whose attempts only go in vain.

We drive to Ved's house—my old apartment—and Nikhil takes Ved by his shoulder and after a lot of struggle, we manage to take him to his house.

His mom had gasped so loudly and his father looked as if he was going to burn the house, but they thanked us before taking Ved in.

I had left out the reasons of why he'd come to see me or even if he was with me in the first place to avoid suspicion and a lot of inquiring.

Nikhil and I walk back to his car and we hit the road again.

"So, where are we going?" I ask him.

"Wouldn't really be a surprise if I told you now, would it?" He teases.

"Please?" I drag the 'e' and once I finish speaking, I pout with my hands clasped in a pleading way, batting my eyelashes at him, trying to give him my best puppy face.

Glancing at me he does a double take and I notice his knuckles whitening as his grip tightens on the steering wheel.

"Fuck! Don't do that while I'm driving Vicky." He practically growls.

Whoa. Your face was that repelling. Hahahaha!

My expression falters and he notices this, letting a sigh.

"When you do that, I'm having a hard time choosing between letting this car crash and make out with you or keep my hands on the wheel." He elaborates and the air tenses around us.

I simply turn away and look outside the windows again but suddenly a pair of lips pecks my cheeks.

I turn to shoot him a glare for abandoning the wheel but it falters when I see his smirk.

"You already don't have a license!" I chide him.

"Like it has stopped me before, anyways, our destination isn't far away." He replies with a snort.

Before I could retort, the car halts and he gets out.

I follow suit but am confused to see Nikhil frowning as he watches me get out of the car.

"What?" I ask while approaching him.

"I thought I would open the door for you." He grumbles. He looked so cute and just for his sake I did what I did next.

Going back, I sit inside the car with the door closed.

Understanding what I was getting at, Nikhil walks towards my door and opens it, offering his hand while beaming like a kid in a candy shop.

Taking his hand, I get out of the car and ask him the million-dollar question.

"Where are w—"

But before I could finish it, he turns me around making me halt my question as my answer stands right in front of me.

He brought me to a carnival!

A/N: Thoughts? Vote and comment, please and thank you! 

P.S.: Sorry for the delay 'cause I had to prepare for a test and binge SUPERNATURAL AND watch I.P.L. (^_~)

SO, I hope y'all understand!