It was the horrible English classes again and though I knew I could survive it, I had come to regret the amount of eyes that stared at me. Their expectations to deal with Brian crisis was high now and even if I spun my head, they would think that I was aiming a deathly hair whip.

I was glad to know that I had induced an aura of fear among the students who had watched the video, even though it was pulled down within an hour of upload. I was now treated like a celebrity who held an air of respect and esteem as I walked by. Some told me that I was brave at what I did while some just shunned away, scared that I might target them next.

I had been avoiding English classes ever since the incident, not knowing how my instant fan base would react if I was spotted.

But in all these times, I had spent with Brian, I knew he was not the one to endure humiliation and keep his quiet. He was the captain with huge reputation and pretty big ego to suffer mortification.

I had anticipated revenge and had even wasted my time in thinking all the possibilities. Given his status outside college with his influential lawyer parents, I didn't know if they had their share of hands in the racing field as well. Though Brian didn't know that I raced competitively, he knew I was friends with Robert. If he put good amount of his tiny brain on it, I was sure he could sum up and find me.

I had missed so many classes of English that I knew I had to attend it today to compensate for my losses.

The weird eyes of my fellow classmates followed me as I entered the class and took my usual seat at the back, ready to run out if necessary. Some of them even had their phones ready at my command.

I had reported to the teacher regarding my absence and she had only given me a handful of extra assignments for me to compete. I had done all her work to stay in her good books and had kept the assignment on her table just before I entered her class.

The buzz of the class dropped down immediately and I wondered what had happened. I raised my head to see what it was all about, just to see Brian zeroing in on me. I raised one eyebrow at him, crossing my arms, silently asking him if he was hungry for more punches that I was so good at. But unlike last time, his face broke into a small smirk.

His bronze hair was shining, and his eyes were polluted from the vengeance that he wanted to consume. His cloths were trendy, like he had just come out from a Vogue worthy photoshoot. The looks would have fooled me, if it wasn't for his face. The jaw had almost healed leaving behind a yellow footprint. He had cunningly covered it by leaving a prickly stubble behind.

"Look guys," He called out loud, clapping his hands in front of him for more effect. I had already started to see him as the popular, bullying kid that required constant attention from the psychiatry ward of our school. "The chicken finally made its way back."

There was mixed reaction from his fellow mates. Some laughed while some just waited for me to explode and do something like last time. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. If this was his tactics to get back at me, then I considered myself lucky. If I was in his place, then I had more terrific ideas to lead my doom.

I smiled back at him and looked forward. "If you're done, the teacher is here."

I could almost hear a snarl as his fists clenched. A second later, his anger had vanished and was replaced by a bright smile, as if he remembered something. He went to his chair, two seats away from me and sat down, waiting for the teacher's instructions.

Our teacher, Leila, as soon as she spotted me, her eye grew bigger. She muttered something under her breath and looked at me with her eyes hard.

"Miss Stone." She said in a singsong voice, laced with irritation and cynicism. "So glad to have you back in class."

There were so many things that I wanted to tell her for humiliating me just as a retaliation. But I clamped my mouth shut. I would still be remaining absent for next two-three days due to my trip to Nevada and I decided, I should better be staying on her good books.

I gave her a nervous smile and tucked my hair behind my ear, waiting for her to continue with the topics she had in mind.

"If you remember, I think I had given you some assignments to be submitted, due on today?" She asked, very sweetly. "But I don't remember you submitting it back to me."

"I left it on your table before this hour." I said, taken aback. That meant she had lost it and was complaining that I hadn't succumbed it there.

"Well, I didn't see it on my desk." She crossed her hands. "Detention after school. One hour."

She dismissed me and turned around to the board, ready to write the topic on the board.

"I had actually kept them on the table. All twelve of them." I stood up, not wanting to take in such injustice on me. "I'm serious."

"Two hours detention." I heard her say. She didn't turn around to check on me. "One more argument, Ms. Stone, I'll make it three."

I shut my mouth and sat down with a frown on my face. When I looked to my left, I saw Brain smirking at me. I knew the answers then. One more consequence of my irrational thinking. I heaved a sigh and concentrated on the class.

---

I was rewriting the essays and homework to submit to Mrs. Leila before I was done with detention. The library was empty since the school was over an hour ago. Unlike last time, I scribbled the words, not checking if my handwriting was legible.

Thankfully, the librarian had not confiscated my mobile phone. She had left me alone to fend for myself while she strolled for an evening coffee. I sent a quick text to Robert letting him know that I would be late since I was running some errands regarding school.

He obliged much to my surprise and I wondered if he was busy to get into an argument with me. I was in my last assignment for the day when I heard someone come in. Thinking it to be the lazy librarian, I continued my work, not wanting to waste a second in acknowledging her.

"What are you doing here?" Lily voice pierced the silent halls. I looked up, my hands still scrambling through the notes.

She was standing with a few books on her hand, some regarding geography and some more on chemistry. Her long earrings had stood still, like her, watching me with utter confusion. Her green skirt and a white blouse made up the lack of color in the library.

"Detention." I rolled my eyes and gave my attention back to the books I was working on.

"For what?" She asked, placing her books on my table. When she noticed that it was the same assignments that I had told her about just yesterday, she looked at me in a muddle. "Didn't you say you did your English things yesterday?"

"Mrs. Leila misplaced it." I shrugged. I closed the books and capped my pen, done for the day. I stretched my hands outwards, breaking my knuckles in the process. "Thanks to her, I can now narrate the entire scene of Romeo and Juliet, especially when they are about to die."

Lily snorted. "How could she misplace it and put you in detention?" She went through my gorgeous works that I was doing. I was very close to roll my eyes at her behavior. "God, if she sees this, there will be another detention for sure."

"Brian crisis did that." I answered for her first question ignoring the last one. "Payback kind of thing."

"That's sick." She muttered. "I thought he was a good guy."

"Apparently, egos can do more than we give credit for." I said, closing all my books and making sure that my new copy of the assignments was safely pinned and kept aside. "I mean, I knew this was coming my way, but I didn't see this one coming."

"You should get him back." She said, looking at me with confidence. "We can know all his secrets though James and pull a prank of him. I'm sure the whole campus will want to watch videos again."

I laughed at her. "No, Lily." I said, zipping the bag. It was already five thirty and my two hours were up. "I don't want to get back at him. I humiliated him and he tried it on me. I want to call even and move on."

"Oh, my God!" Lily fake gasped. "From where is this coming? Are you taking a few meditation camps that I'm not aware of?"

I snickered. With everything that was happening, there was hardly any time for my dear sleep let alone a camp. My routine was getting worse every day. I had been living on caffeine most of the days, trying hard to make myself fit for the final race.

"I'm just saturated of my high school drama." I sighed. "Now, Brian is happy that he got me, and he'll leave me alone. What else do I need?"

"If you put it that way, then it's all good." Lily said. "But what if he thinks you are not pissed with this and starts with something more?"

I had never thought about that possibility. If I went to get back at him, he would be pissed and if I didn't, then he would be angry.

"Oh!" Lily said as she found an idea to my solutions. "You could always pretend that you want to get back at him."

"And he will keep on expecting it and I'll do nothing about it!" I said, joining in her enthusiasm. "You are a genius, Lil."

She laughed, blowing on her well-manicured hand and rubbing it on her blouse for more effect. "I know."

I heaved a deep sigh. I was still nervous about the race and I didn't know if I was up for it. Tomorrow, with the event coming up in Nevada, I didn't know how I would be coming back home. 

That race could make me famous or make me yet another failed racer. I was anxious about its outcome. Robert and Luke both were training me to best of their ability in making me confident, yet I had my own set of doubts.

I hadn't touched the racing cars for weeks now, concentrating on the muscle strength.

Robert had said that my muscle memory would kick into action as and when necessary. I had my own doubts about that too. I often forgot the daily need to buy groceries and how could I now rely on my muscle memory?

With Lily talking with me, I didn't know if I would make it in one piece back here after the game. "I'm going to Nevada today." I blurted out. It was a legal game and if things did go well, then my name would be on the papers. I personally didn't want my friends to know second hand about my information. "For a race."

"Really?" She asked, turning herself towards me. She was very attentive now and wanted all the details. I hardly knew anything myself except that fact that Nevada races, though was legal could be fatal. "When's the race?"

"Tomorrow." I answered. "They have booked a flight ticket for me. Few of them from the tracks are also going with me."

"Can I come?" Lily asked, the hope in her voice was evident, but I couldn't take her with me.

"Sorry, Lil." I said, placing my hand on hers. "Next time, I promise." I assured. "Only if it's within the town."

"Fine." She said, pulling her hands away from mine. "Then I'm coming to the airport to drop you off."

"Okay." I smiled at her.

"When are you going to be back?" She asked, still digging for information.

"Depends on how the race goes." I answered honestly. According to Dad, there would be sponsors who would offer me to race for their brand, eventually taking me to the top and that was if I won. And if I didn't, I was coming home empty handed. "But I'll be there by next week."

"Robert will be there?" Lily asked. I nodded at her. Of course, he would be there; he was my earpiece. I had told Calvin that I would need Robert as an earpiece for me. Though Cal was not sure in letting me have one, he had agreed in the end. "I'll want to talk to him before you go then."

I snorted. "Why do you need to do that?"

"I need to tell him to keep an eye on you, especially when you are a troublemaker yourself." She teased. When I laughed shaking my head sideways, she shrugged. "Just best friend duties."

"Dad's not coming with me and he's been jittery ever since." I said, thinking about the conversation that went in the morning.

"Sure, he's your Dad." Lily said, as if it was something common she saw every day. "He's seen the ways and he's worried."

It was surprising to know that he was concerned about me staying alone now than all those years when he had abandoned me. He had called Dan to arrange for an extra ticket, but with his medications in tow, it was not possible for him to travel.

"Yeah. Can you do me a favor?" I asked her. "Can you keep an eye on Dad?"

"Sure." She smiled, melting my horrible memories for a while.

---

"Mira quick!" I shouted, running to and from the car towards the kitchen.

Monica was not here for the day, escaping with a fake headache. I assumed that it was because she wanted her mother to know how difficult it was in the outside world without help and support. She wanted Mira to understand that in her age, it was tough outside her four walls.

"Coming!" She shouted back, but I couldn't see her anywhere nearby. I sighed and made another round to get all the cupcakes in order. Mira had finally got another party catering session and she was more than excited about it. "There, how do I look?"

"Very pretty." I said, sparing her a look.

Since Monica was not very helpful in our catering today, Mira had called me for help. Even though I had told her that I was leaving town for some emergency, she was adamant in letting me go. Cursing, I had run back to her shop to finish her errands before my time was up.

"Let's go Mira, I'm in a hurry." I said, getting to the driver seat.

Thankfully, she hadn't asked me to get the BMW to her rescue too. Monica was generous in letting her car for the business even though she wasn't there in the picture.

"Yeah, yeah." She hurried to the passenger seat, tucking the seat beat across her. "All the cakes are there, right? I didn't check them."

"They are all there." I guaranteed. When I checked everything, inside the car, a habit that I had developed recently, I started the engine, driving a little fast for the given hour.

"Aren't you going way too fast?" Mira asked, holding onto her seat.

"Don't worry, I'm trained personnel, remember?" I asked, sparing a look at her. "I'm not going to crash anytime soon."

I smirked. If she thought this speed was too much, then I was glad that she hadn't seen me in the tracks.

"Eyes on the road Scarlet!" Mira scolded, clinging tighter to anything she could hold. "My son used to say the same thing, and look what happened to him? God, you kids these days are not responsible at all."

At that, I shut my mouth, not wanting to make her remember stuffs that she was too emotional about. I had heard her story before and I knew how a loss could bring a person down. If Mira was trying her best to put her everything into her business, I knew it was because she wanted to forget.

"Sorry." I murmured when we halted at our designation. Mira nodded, not recovered from her wounds. "I'll get the cupcakes."

Once I had completely made all my setups ready for the buffet, Mira came down and smiled at me. "Thank you, dear." She caressed my cheeks with a motherly affection. "I'm sorry, I shouted at you."

"No problem." I smiled back. "Wait here, I'll get the cheque and then we can leave, okay?"

She nodded as I went ahead. I knew I was already getting late to go to the airport and I didn't want to miss my flight.

"Let's go." I said, handing Mira the cash the guy had given me. "I need to be leaving in twenty minutes."

I rushed her to the passenger seat, making sure that the back door was shut properly. I tried my best to stay within forty of speed limit, and to be honest, it was very difficult.

"You can hurry a bit if you want to." Mira chuckled. Taking it as a hint, I pressed on the accelerator and hit it to the main road. "I had a son once."

I looked at her, keeping my hands steady on the steering wheel. I was silent, not wanting to speak. I was sure if I opened my mouth I would be hauling along with her, sharing my thoughts about my mother.

"He was so handsome, you know?" She looked at me, her motherly pride evident on her face. "My husband had divorced me when he was eleven and he had taken it to the heart."

Her voice broke at that and I knew the pain it inflicted on her. "I had told him that it was okay and I was fine, but being a boy, he wanted to be strong for me." Mira took a tissue from the dashboard and wiped her eyes. "He had become rogue down the years. He fought with his friends, came back with bloody skin, had missed classes in school and had also lagged back in his studies."

I had understood. I had been in the same lane so many times that I had lost count.

"When he was thirteen, he was having a fight with me. I don't remember what it was, but oh, he was so mad." She was imagining the scene again in her head and I knew it was breaking her in two. "He took my car and drove away. I didn't even know he knew how to drive."

It was more like narrating it rather than sharing her grievance with me. As if she might catch a loop hole that she had missed back then. Her son had taken the car after having a fight with her and that was enough for her to be put in guilt.

"Two hours later, he was found in a crash." Mira started to sob. "I... it was so difficult. His face... I couldn't tell if it was him. It was... smashed."

"Mira," I stared, but I didn't know how to console a mother who had lost her kid. I pulled over and let the window down to get her some fresh air. "You didn't mean for it to happen."

"My boy." She cried. I undid my seat belt and reached for her. "It was my boy and I told him to get out of the house... if he didn't obey to stay then I told him to get lost. I... It was only my anger speaking... and look what he did... he killed himself."

I took her in my arms, trying to console the tired soul. She gripped me tighter and clung to me like a viper.

"Mira, it was a long time ago." I tried. "Please calm down."

"It's been six years and I still can't believe he's dead." She said, pulling back. She seemed like she had gained some control over her emotions. "I have not forgiven myself and with passing time, I feel like I'm forgetting him."

"You cannot forget people whom you've lost." I said, clearly understanding her concern. "You can only decide to smile or cry when you look back at them."

"I feel like he's alive and he's somewhere near me." Mira said, looking everywhere and I wondered if she was hallucinating. "I dream about meeting him."

"Mira," I sighed. "It's late, let's get you home, okay?"

She nodded, still looking dazed, like she had seen her son just outside the car. When I neared to her house, I quickly called Monica to help me out. With my panic filled voice, Monica reached earlier than usual.

"What happened?" She asked, looking alternately between the two of us. I shook my head no and she understood. She put her mother in her bed and came back to talk with me. "What happened?"

"She talked about her son." I said. That was enough for Monica to understand the remaining conversations that took place.

"Sorry, Scar." She rubbed her head. Her nerdy spectacles stood on the edge of her nose and her hair had come out of her pony. She looked tired and devastated in thinking about her mother. "She's having it bad since a few days. I let her go to this one thinking that it will help her clear her head."

I nodded in understanding. Thankfully, even though I had witnessed my mother's death, I had come out of the trauma clean. Dad had taken his time, but he was okay after a while. I couldn't imagine what would have been the case if any one of us were unstable after the mentally harming situations.

"Does she have pills for her hallucinations?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to interfere in their private matter.

"Yeah." She took her her spectacles away and rubber her eyes. "They have increased since a few weeks. She says she saw someone outside the café looking like Ratan."

"Ratan?" I asked, not familiar with the name.

"My brother." Monica said. "I thought it was because she was strained from the extra load of work. I will take her to the hospital tomorrow."

"Let me know what happens." I said pulling her for a hug.

"Thanks, Scar." Monica said. "Hey, don't you have some flight to catch?"