I take out one of the Nancy Drew diaries series book I've gotten along with me today. This is what I do nowadays in school for the past few years even though it's the first day of my 8th grade today—grab the first book my hands lay on back in home, throw it into my school backpack, read it in my free time in school because c'mon, let's face it.

No one wants to talk to me unless it's for some help with certain subjects or homework or classwork—which is currently not much human interaction either considering how I'm going down on my academics after what happened.

And I'm fine, not with the academics fall part but the minimum human interaction part. Helps me keep my shit together without trusting people dumbly.

After what she did to me—not only to me but to another girl too who had actually considered me her true friend; but I had to go and be a dumb dickhead and suck it up to the wrong one—I pretty much went down the drain.

I never talked about how it hurt though, that's not...that's not how I function really. My mom knows that I had a major fallout with my girl best friends but she doesn't exactly know how it happened or how it mentally affected me.

Well, she knows I've felt down ever since but all she knows is just that; the tip of the iceberg.

I open and read the book that I'd brought to school today only to find out that I've picked up Sabotage at The Willow Woods.

As much as I hate the fact that the Barney keeps on hitting on Nancy, I love the fact that there are some daring activist stuffs in this book.

Especially the house-egging part!

Especially that.

With that on my mind, I start reading the book for, I don't know, 20th time or something?

I flip to the second page and adjust my black rimmed round glasses as they keep sliding down on my nose.

Ugh, why didn't you tell dad not to apply hair oil today?!

Oh, I don't know, maybe because of the fact that I woke up late today and it slipped my mind?!

A few hours back my dad had stormed into my room like a fucking hurricane while I was sleeping.

He had slammed open the door so hard that I woke up with a jolt and heard a disoriented male voice but as everything cleared up as I came out of my sleepy daze and saw the clock, I sat up—almost breaking my spine but I didn't pay mind to it at all and started running around my room like a tornado!

Late! Late! Late! Late!

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

I brushed my teeth and wasted five minutes on thinking whether or not to take a shower.

Why do you use Pa's deodorant for?

I appreciated my brain for the quick thinking and just washed my face before wearing a generous amount of the deodorant on my body.

I glanced at the clock to see that I had 10 minutes before the school bus comes.

Changing into the school uniform, I arranged my bag along with my book for the day but noticed my booklist missing.

I searched around my room, only to go in vain.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I mumbled while going over everything again, making everything messy again.

I walked outta my room and shouted, "Where the fuck is my booklist?"

I saw my dad with a paper in his hands, looking at me with wide eyes.

"You're lucky Leila is in her parents' house. And here is your booklist; I took a copy of it in case you lose it like last year." He gave me an accusing look at the last part.

"Thanks! And believe me, I'm so lucky to wake up so late unlike how Ma would wake me up on time." I muttered sarcastically while snatching and placing the booklist in my bag.

"Hey, I let you sleep in kid! Besides, I didn't recommend my deodorant for nothing." He mused, impressed at how I then went on inhaling my food.

"Good point." I replied with the food in my mouth threatening to spill out.

I gulped it all and he simply chuckled and wiped the corner of my mouth before telling me to stand in front of him with my back facing him.

He applied oil but I paid no mind and racked my brain for anything I might've missed for school.

Yeah, even he knows how to comb my hair.

I noticed him parting my hair in the middle.

"You sure you can do two plaits?" I asked as I drank some water leisurely, now that I knew I was ready except for my hair.

He finished, turned me around and observed me with a frown.

And then I realized it too.

"PA!" I screamed at what he has done; one side was plaited and the other one was in a ponytail.

"Okay, okay I'll change it." He muttered before undoing it all and pulling up my hair in a single standard ponytail.

Once he was done he patted my head with a hum of approval and let me go.

"Oh wow, you brushed your teeth?" He asked and I nodded.

"Hmm, you really are a mix of your mom and me." He remarked at how I had been like mom and brushed my teeth and had been like him and ditched taking a shower.

"Sure, I think it's time?" I glanced at the clock and see that I was still two minutes early.

"Still got two minutes." Both of us said at the same time.

But before we could comment on it, we heard a horn and both of us groaned.

"How dare he come two minutes early?" He muttered while I muttered something along the same lines grudgingly before running downstairs with my dad behind me.

"Got everything?" He smoothed some stray hairs out of my eyes and pushed my glasses up my nose as I affirmed and he gave me a quick hug before slapping my shoulders and telling me to get on the bus.

"Break a leg! I don't care if it's metaphorically or literally, to be honest!" He shouted as the bus starts moving and no, I didn't hide my face in embarrassment as everyone stared at me.

I grinned widely at his words not even caring if anyone thought I was psychotic or something.

I smile at how his words were supportive—very much at that—this morning and flip to the next page of the book.

But before I could read further, the class teacher enters our classroom—already half an hour late, not that I mind it though—and greets us all and my bench remains empty except for me—and so are other benches since it's pretty spacious but at least each bench has two students conversing with each other.

I sigh and focus on the teacher who tells us to introduce ourselves—just my favorite part! I'd rather swap my places with Adam Milligan in the cage.

Almost 15 minutes or something pass by and finally my chance comes and I clear my throat several times, awkwardly shifting in my seat and adjusting my glasses.

"Uh—"

A loud sound booms across the class and I look at the front door to see a boy, with somewhat familiar features which I can't exactly pinpoint at, standing in the entrance of the classroom while he keeps trying to make the narrow based plant pot to stand straight.

He fumbles a few more times while shooting the teacher a smile with a 'sorry' which came out as anything but apologetic before the plant pot finally stands.

He then sighs and stands up straight before speaking, "Hello I'm Nikhil and I'm—"

Crash.

The pot had swayed again and fallen down, crashing into pieces.

I stifle a laugh and look at the now broken pot before looking at the boy to see that he was already looking at me with a really, really wide grin showcasing his teeth.

I slightly scowl and immediately look away, noticing the teacher barely hiding her annoyance as she says, "You're already almost an hour late. Please get in and take a seat Nikhil.", before looking at me expectantly.

"Hmm, what does the 'R.S.' stand for?" The boy—Nikhil—muses while gesturing to the keychain from my one of my bag's zips with my initials engraved in it—loud enough for the entire class, even the teacher, to hear.

"Rithvika Sharma." I grit out agitatedly, with a bit of nervousness because no one really talks to me voluntarily.

"Are you related to the cricketer Rohit Sharma in any way?" He asks me teasingly only increasing the annoyance I had in me.

"No. I'm Rithvika Sharma, related to the cricketer Rohit Sharma in no way." I say through gritted teeth.

Thought it'd be nice if you actually were related to Rohit Sharma, don't you think? I mean, free cricket match passes and all that cool shit...

Shut up!

The boy—Nikhil—opens his mouth probably to retort stupidly but before he could the teacher interrupts with, "Okay, next student please. Introduce yourself."

The next student starts introducing themselves while I sit fuming.

"You're welcome." Nikhil whispers and winks at me after plopping down beside me.

I stare at him—bewilderedly at first since he sat beside me but then confusedly because of his statement—and he whispers again, "For helping you skip through the introduction."

My mouth falls open in realization; the introduction has indeed been skipped.

I look at him as he seems focused on the teacher in the front of the classroom.

But that slight tilt of the corner of his beautif— idiotic lips definitely says otherwise.

And I definitely did find myself sharing the same tilted lips as I turn and face the teacher...

Only to see that DQ was standing there with a malicious smile and I frantically look back to where Nikhil previously was only to find an empty desk.

I immediately stand up, tripping over the desk and falling down in the process.

I close my eyes and wait for the pain to bloom but it doesn't and I open my eyes to find my 15 year old self lying on my bed, back in my house.

It's just a nightmare.

Not exactly...Isn't that how I met Nikhil back in 8th grade? Well, everything before how DQ suddenly popped up 'cause DQ didn't even know me before the end of 8th grade.

So, it's a...um...nightmare of a memory?

Sorta, I guess.

But, one thing's for sure though. 

Moving on is going to be a pain in the ass.

A/N: Yepp, I lied about writing only the 5y.o. versions of Nikhil and Rithvika meeting each other. And here you've got this. 

P.S.: Network in my native town sucks ass.

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