Once Upon a Time in London

White Day Special

It started off as a joke. She did it to get on my nerves. And it did. In a way at least.

I stare at the little wooden figurine and a smile tugs at my lips without warning, I lift a hand to my mouth, my eyebrows furrowing together in worry, that woman, seriously.

I turn the figurine around in my hands, it has a little smirk etched into its tiny face, I cover my face with my hand then, trying to hide the smile that only widens.

Anjali Sharma had slipped a wooden 2D face into my locker 3 years ago, and she had been doing this every year since on the 14th of February, it wasn't exactly a Valentine's gift, no, it was something even worse.

I was like a man plagued, waiting every year for her to play the same cruel joke again and to play a crueller one back.

It had started off as a joke.

— — — —

"My, look at you, throwing all these cards and presents away without a care in the world" I did not need to turn around to see who the voice belonged to.

"Was I supposed to care for unsolicited presents?" I replied, voice coming out more gruff than I intended it to. It was a tiring feat to empty out my locker every year, there was a time when I perhaps skimmed through the letters and presents, for plain courtesy if nothing else but it was tiring when this kept happening every year, despite my making it clear that I did not want my locker littered with such sentiments.

"Hmm, my fault for expecting you to care about the feelings and sentiments of others, not much need for feeling when flirting works right?" she walked closer, I could smell the faint smell of lilies that she always seemed to smell like, she pressed a notebook in my hand as she clicked her tongue in annoyance, "Mr. Robal wanted me to pass on your assignment since you couldn't make it to class today because of Football" and just before she handed it to me, she pulled her hand back, "Ask a friend of yours or something to deliver your assignments to you the next time you can't make it to class, I don't like looking around for you like one of your groupies."

I chuckled then, she looked like a piglet of some sort, cheeks puffed out in annoyance, "You hurt my feelings Sharma, one would almost think you didn't like me" I grinned.

She smiled back then, "That's because I don't" she finally dropped the book in my hand.

"Too bad my charms don't work on you then" I think I meant it as a joke but there's a coldness in my voice, one that grips my chest too.

"As if I would ever fall victim to your sweet tongue" she lifts her head, defiantly, before turning around as she makes her way towards Tina across the hallway.

It wasn't a secret, not really, I was known for being flirtatious but something about her saying it to my face, it made me feel annoyed to some extent, and it made me even more annoyed when I couldn't pinpoint why her words had an impact on me.

And the next year, Anjali Sharma was joining the other girls as a wooden face sat in my locker.

I looked at it annoyed, it was the size of a biscuit, a 2D face poking its tongue out, a little note tied around it with ribbon.

"This is how stupid you look when you're arguing with me"

I stared at it dumbfounded.

"Aww do you like my little gift?"

I turned around to look at her, mouth slightly agape.

She grinned, "It was about time someone humbled you" she walked closer, grinning up at me with a wicked expression.