A/N: That's me right there, feeling totally generous at this moment.

School is very much torturous considering how I must look at Nikhil and appear as if everything's fine, not to leave out the knowing looks DQ would throw at me when Nikhil and I were together in her proximity.

Mia seems to have caught on that something's wrong with me with all those accusatory glances she throws at me from the corner of her eyes.

Nevertheless I try and be my sarcastic, SUPERNATURAL-fan-girl, punny self without eliciting too much suspicion.

The classes are almost empty because almost half of the high school population hadn't come to school on the basis of 'studying for finals'.

Studying for finals, my ass.

Don't get me wrong, some really do study while taking such day offs. But there are some kids who give this reason just for the sake of taking a day off.

And I know very well that I won't study for the entire day without break so I know better than to skip school on that basis.

On these days, Nikhil comes to school only if I do and I come to school if he does, considering how we never saw a purpose to come to school if we can't hang out.

Okay, so school is for studying, but you can't help it that we're knit too close.

Not anymore though...

Off you go to the corner of my mind.

Reducto.

But everyone from my friends group have turned up to school, especially Ved because he was a JEE student, epitome of discipline and all that shit.

The best part, DQ has also turned up. Fan-friggin-tastic!

Note the sarcasm.

After managing half of the day without any doubtful questions towards me, I sit with my friends after Harsh invited Ved over to sit with us—which Ved gladly accepted—and I can't help but think about the tiny happy world that is my friends and the upcoming disaster which is me.

"Hey, you're oddly too quiet. What's up?" Nikhil asks me.

First Mia, now Nikhil. Great! You gotta work on your poker face then.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine, Nikki." I wave him away dismissively.

"Oooookay? You know you can talk to me right?"

"Yeah. I know." I send him a smile and he beams in response before smooching my cheek earning a chuckle from me.

I look around our table with the smile still on my face but it falters and reality comes rushing back as I catch sight of DQ looking at me skeptically from a few tables over.

Taking a deep breath, I look away from her, not before she mouths '1 week'.

Is she the ring ghost or what?

I'll take that ghost over DQ any day.

"We're still on for Sunday right? Or do you guys wanna go this weekend or something because of the finals prep?" Ved suddenly asks.

Shit, totally forgot that!

"We're not those bury-our-head-into-the-book kind. So no issues, we're still on." Nikhil replies with a nod.

"Yeah, we aren't like those nerds and all, man." I offer to which everyone glances at me with a look that clearly says 'Yeah right, you aren't a nerd, sure'.

I slump my shoulders as they laugh at me but then I point a finger at Ved to which everyone agrees and cheers as I poke my tongue at Ved.

After lunch we all part our ways and just as I walk towards the restroom someone falls into step beside me out of nowhere.

And when I enter the restroom, I turn to see that it was none other than the bitch herself.

"So?"

"Look, please, why're you even doing this?" I plead.

"I have my reasons and there's no obligation for me to tell them to you." DQ deadpans and continues, "So, have you chosen?"

Exhaling shakily, I speak, my voice barely audible, "Yes, I'll leave Nikhil alone."

"Good. Now wrap you little good-girlfriend-slash-best-friend ass and don't come in contact with him—"

"What if he doesn't listen?" I mumble.

"Not my problem!" She hisses, frustrated.

"We were best friends even before...this...he'll definitely know something's up! Please, don't make me do this." I hate the fact that I almost had to beg her.

I hate the concept of her. Period.

"I'm not. You're the one who's choosing here." She smirks.

Heaving an irritated sigh, I keep myself from snapping at her.

Then nodding my head, I seethe, "Fine, but I won't be able to help it if he doesn't let me go."

"Well, then I'll be moving to plan B if he doesn't."

"How can I believe that you won't sabotage this loan even after I break it off with Nikhil?" I question.

"How can I believe that you will break it off with Nikhil without any loophole?" She snickers before continuing, "But try anything like that and I'll show you how it will be to see your family barely keeping up."

I nod again wordlessly and finish my business after she leaves me to my misery.

On my way back to the class, I mull over how to break it to Nikhil.

It's definitely gonna hurt, no doubt there, but I have to. There's no way out. Even if there is one, where my mom has to overburden herself for almost 6 years approximately, I don't wanna do that to my mom.

She's sacrificed a lot for you. What you're doing is right.

At least I believe in my choice wholly.

Later that day with my whole I'm-okay-and-you-gotta-believe-me-or-so-help-me-god-if-I-kill-you façade going on, I manage to come back home unscathed.

That is, without any inquiries from anyone.

Thinking about how to break it to Nikhil, how I'll be after that and how I'll explain it all to my friends almost gives me a migraine that I contemplate on whether or not to take another fake-sick day off.

***

Nikhil's P.O.V. (A/N: Because I'm feeling generous at the moment)

Everything goes really awesome. Ritu and I are together and happy, my studies are coming along good and...well that's pretty much everything I wanted to come together because I have a pretty decent life.

Well, sometimes shit happens and I feel hurt and all, like all those times when I was nagged in my childhood or when the one girl I had finally gotten close to kept talking about this cute guy in her music class.

I had been sad because, c'mon, every life has its ups and downs but never once have I felt depressed or suicidal because I had ample support from my family.

Can't say the same about Ritu though. She always did the I-won't-tell-you-jack-about-whatever-crap-I'm-going-through thing, even before I had befriended her, which had taken a big toll on her and her academics which eventually led to a messed up mental health.

She had scars, but not physical ones. She would never do that to her parents. She was mentally scarred when I had gotten close to her.

Suicidal thoughts had been one her mind—yes, she admitted it—but she told me with a smile that she'd always think about all the efforts of her parents or how whatever she was worrying about was nothing when compared to the problems that some people had in their life which would stop her from doing anything.

That's her. Thinking everything thoroughly. Critical thinker, but that also scares me about my relationship with her.

Something's off, I can feel it. Her distracted smiles or how she never zoned out every few minutes—as if she was desperately trying to pay attention to us—during the lunch or how she kept waving off with a 'Pfft' whenever I asked if she was okay...

The decreased SUPERNATURAL references...

That would be obnoxiously specific and farfetched but yeah, she seems off.

My time for playing video game gets over and I rest the joystick aside with a little sigh and get studying since I'd be going out with our gang on Sunday.

I never expected the turn of events though. Ved realizing that he was actually gay and him and Harsh having an accidental make-out session—which they have more purposefully now that they've exposed their sexuality.

Also, I can't wait for the day out! Ritu had confessed that she loves me and I know it was kinda—okay, not kinda, but definitely a dick move for not telling it back when I was the one who actually started loving her even before she did me.

I still remember how she sang on that stage with this cute little some-shade-of-blue dress. And I also remember how when she came backstage after singing, she kept fussing uncomfortably at the dress.

I am so fucking in love with her. No, it wasn't love-at-first-sight crap. I saw her first, she was cute and I liked her; that was it. But then we crossed paths at times in school in canteen or in the ground and in some competitions which would be held alongside some of the boys'. Hell, she had a killer voice—metaphorically.

She hit me full force when our classes were shuffled and we came together. She was this conserved girl who only talked with teachers and very rarely to students. But whenever she did, she would be polite.

But she was a total spitfire when it came to me initially.

And then, I decided, why not?

Befriending her, learning how savage and outgoing she was behind the curtains was absolutely amazing. Her sarcasm, stupid little puns, SUPERNATURAL fetish—I blame Ajay for that one though—and racing game skills totally caught me off-guard considering how she was in school.

We grew closer, brought each other out of our shells gradually. I might've been that guy who always riles up the teachers but I never was too social.

And then it happened on the way.

I fell in love like you would fall asleep; slowly and then all at once.

Shit! I knew I shouldn't have watched that cancer-boy and cancer-girl movie, even for the sake of curiosity.

Whatever, but I've planned to tell Ritu that I love her along with a surprise after our board exams end. I'm gonna take her out, make her feel the special fucking girl on the whole wide multiverse and tell her how much I love her.

Easier said than done, but meh, she's my girl and I'd put all of my efforts for her.

And she sure as hell wouldn't deny the fact that she was my girl because she understands how I mean it; how 'my girl' didn't mean that she belongs to me or that I own her but that she's 'my girl' in the way how I know her very well.

I'm sure that she'd definitely get more than 90% in her board exams. She'd probably score 80% in her sleep and her prep will definitely boost her because I've seen it. Seen how she can rock it if she puts her mind to it.

I never knew she had the endurance for those defense classes. I taught her some basics and she really surprised me with how she could bear pains and muscle cramps—which I blame on her two restless-as-hell brothers.

The mere thought of her reaction when I tell her that I love her after the board exams makes me excited and want to throw confetti, on my rooftop.

Confetti! It's a parade!!

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