As expected, me, Lily and Zinnia took our leaves the next day. Of course, Zinnia and Lily were having a massive headache and I was lazy. So we decided to stay at home for today. I texted Amy early in the morning about my absence and she replied that she was also taking leave as she didn't want to sit in class all alone. 

Lily was making breakfast and the hangover drink for Zinnia and herself while I was on my phone in the living room. Zinnia went back to sleep after waking up early in the morning. 

As I was scrolling through my insta feed, a notification popped up on top of my screen, displaying Danish's name along with a text saying, 'Hey shorty 😉'. 

My lips cracked into a smile and I instantly replied.

Me : heyo barb😏

Danish : barb? Short for barbarian?

Me : oh you have brains!

Danish : not just brains baby😜

Me : 🖕off 

Danish : 😆 So at home? Or college?

Me : obvsly at home🙄. Forgot abt the party alrdy?

Danish : yah, ur ri8😅. Hows Zin holding up there? 

Me : she's 😴 and Lil's cooking. 

Danish : kk.....umm..Wanna hang out👉👈?

Me : ummm...nahhhhhh, I'll pass🙂

Danish : 🙁

Me : I'm tired cuz of ur party🥱. Sry not sry!

Danish : fineeeeee😒. My brekkie is on the table n waiting for me. Gotta go shorty.

Me : yah sure. Byeeee barb🤡

Danish : ttyl ♥️

The red heart emoji from him was enough for my heart to jump out any freaking second. 

"Elka, come and eat," Lily called from the kitchen, making me toss my phone on the couch and taking steps towards her.

It was around twelve when Zinnia woke up from her deep long slumber and dawdled to the dining room where me and Lily were doing our college works, books and papers scattered on the table.

"Hey, you up?" Lily said, making me look from my book towards Zinnia who was yawning and scratching her head.

"Where's my dr-"

"Drink? It's over there," Lily said, cutting off Zinnia and pointing towards the kitchen counter with her pen.

"Thanks," Zinnia mumbled before taking slow steps towards the kitchen.

The rest of the day went by with us having dinner and then a movie night. We watched 'The Notebook' as per Lily's wish. And I had to say, I was beginning to enjoy romantic movies.

»»---------------------►

Being at college early because of Zinnia and her strenuous project was tiresome. But Amy being the nerd, who was the first to step her foot in class daily, was a relief for me. 

On my way to the class I heard people saying, 

"She was wild that night."

"She's hot but a crazy bitch."

"Is that the same Elka we saw at the party?"

"I think she and Danish are a thing."

Yeah, I wish. Wait, what?

I paid no heed to the comments that were floating in the air around me as they were witless. I headed straight to my class and sat down on my seat and greeted Amy, who had the tip of her nose touching the sheet of her book.

"I heard the party was something that can be noted down in the history of St. Peter's," Amy said, raising her eyebrows. 

"Yeah, it was really fun." I agreed, tapping my nails on the tattered wooden table.

"I heard some lunatics were the centre of attraction."

I slowly looked at Amy, narrowing my eyes playfully. She had her lips pressed together as she was trying to hold back the laughter that was growling inside her.

"Which source is reporting you everything other than me?" I asked.

She chuckled before saying, "Ash."

My lips went into an 'o' shape. "So you talk to him?" I asked with sheer curiosity.

"Kind of. He texted me when he was at the party saying he saw you and all."

"He texted you while he was at that party?" I asked, emphasizing 'that'. 

Who the hell would be on their phone in the midst of a party that was so wild? 

"He said he felt lonely and so he texted me."

"Wow, soccer head being forlorn at a party? Sounds thinkable," I said sarcastically. 

"You think he's lying, right?" she asked me.

I looked at her and sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Yeah, sure." She nodded her head. "I also heard you looked hot. Do you have a pic?" she asked me keenly.

I smiled and nodded my head. As I was about to take my phone from the sweatpants zipper pocket, someone came to us and said, "Hey."

We raised our heads and saw Clay standing in front of us, smiling and showing off his straight wire braces. 

"Hi," I replied as I leaned back on my chair while Amy smiled at him.

"How are you?" he asked. 

"I'm fine. What about you?" I asked.

"Doing well."

"How was the visit to your family? How are they?" Amy asked him. 

"It was fun. They're all doing good."

"Where are they again?" I asked.

"Bahamas."

I nodded and muttered Bahamas.

"Elka, I have got something for you." Clay.held out a small wooden jewellery box. 

I looked at him then Amy and again at him. "What's this?"

"Go on, find it out for yourself." He coaxed.

I reluctantly took the box from his hands and opened it to see a small tree of life pendant resting on the cushion of the box. It was a simple but beautiful pendant that was carved out of metal and the tree leaves indicated a rainbow. I was looking at it in awe and smiled to myself. I raised my head to look at Clay who was smiling at me. 

"I love it," I said, my face beaming with happiness.

"Really? I thought it's plain."

"No. It's not. It's simply beautiful. Thank you."

"I saw this at a small shop and thought of you. I'm sure it will suit you as it's simply beautiful, just like you," Clay said, his cheeks having a tint of pink. 

Cheesy!

"That's so thoughtful of you, Clay. I love it," I said.

"I was planning to give it to you on Monday and that's why I followed you all the way to the physics lab."

"Oh, so you were following me?" I asked with a brow arching. 

"I-I mean, you kn-know..."

I chuckled seeing his reaction. It was funny how I could make guys daunting just by raising my brows.

"Chill," I said.

Amy took the box from my hands to scan the pendant.

"It's so beautiful," she said to me.

I nodded my head before turning towards Clay again. 

"Where were you yesterday? I'm sure you got the invitation as you're the head of the theater club," I said.

Clay leaned on my table before saying, "Yeah, I did get the invitation. I just didn't have the mood."

"Owkay."

"You should wear this to college tomorrow," Amy said, catching my attention. 

"I'll think about it. Now keep it down," I said.

She pouted and closed the box. 

"So," Clay said, making my head snap towards him. "Are you dating that transfer guy?"

"You mean Danish?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, Danish. I keep forgetting his name," he said and giggled. "So, you guys are a thing now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just asking." He shrugged. "I'm hearing things from people around here, you know."

I shook my head and said, "Apparently, that's all what people around here can do- talk! He's a good friend, nothing more."

He nodded his head. We let a moment of awkward silence pass between us.

As it got really uncomfortable, Clay cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll go. Ms. Sam will barge in at any moment. Bye, see you later."

"Bye," me and Amy said.

Once he went to his assigned seat, Amy said, leaning onto me, "Jealous alert!"

"IDGAF alert!" I said with a cheeky grin.

During lunch, it was just me, Amy and Lily. Zinnia was busy with her project and she was going to be for some days. Andrew and Danish went somewhere, texting that it was something urgent.

I started to feel Grayson's presence a lot, again, after a long interval. I felt his stare from here and there that was getting on my nerves despite I tried not to let it. 

Just one more month and that fucker will  graduate and be gone for good! 

The day ended and Danish and Andrew were still out. We girls got out of the college right after the bell, only to find that they didn't reach. Lily said that they were gone after the second period. We waited for sometime but after getting a text from Andrew saying they were going to be late, we headed home.

Danish was absent the next day. I texted him but it was just delivered. He hadn't seen my messages yet. I kind of missed him. Only two days since I saw him and I already missed that guy. 

Lily said that Andrew seemed busy whenever she texted or called him. He came to college on Friday but left before the lunch bell. She was suspicious about the boys, telling me that something smelled fishy about them. I just brushed it off thinking Lily was ought to get doubtful about her boyfriend when he ignored her for two days in a row. 

But later on, even I started to feel the same as Lily.

Are they in some kind of trouble?

And I know it's been a while since the last time you heard from me
Grew into a savage and that's why they gave this verse to me