Don't Remind Me

Chapter 4: The Leftover Steak

Then:
Hear ye, hear ye! Election week draws near, and tensions are mounting between the Blue Tide, and Red Army. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past fortnight, you should know that the two opposing panels for Student council VP's are strategizing political affiliations as we speak! There were rumors that a third unprecedented "Rainbow" panel was being organized by one Mr.A.M. We hounded him for details, but he refuses to comment...

(Nitty Gritty, issue Number 345, Sept' 14)

It's been two weeks since I made my first "Friend" at University To say that the concept is bizarre, is putting it too mildly. I honestly don't make friends with people my age. I tend to avoid them like the plague. When I was seven or eight, I was friends with my maid's daughter. Her name was Sultana, and she was a year older than me. Then Mom told the maid to stop bringing Sultana around, because it distracted me from my gymnastics practice. I missed her for weeks afterwards.

I was homeschooled until High school/College. When I did finally go to a regular place with people my age, I realized that I had no desire to be around them. Thier petty school dramas, and teeny boppy infatuations with rock stars, and boy bands never appealed to me in the slightest.

They gushed over supermodels, and lusted after movie stars...most of whom, I had grown up around. The whole experience was aggravating, as a lot of school kids just wanted to be my friend for the 'perks' that came with me. To avoid becoming a High School Disney Drama, I kept quietly to myself, until most people forgot who I really was.

The closest thing to an old friend that I have is Maria. I can count on my older brother for support too, I suppose, but Zaif is never home long enough for me to claim this anymore.
Pareeshay is very, very unlike me. I'm just one friend of the hundreds she has made over the course of a fortnight at University. In a way, I'm glad she has an abnormally large "Circle". It distracts her from accosting me in Management and English class (The two slots that we share).

I'm eating my cheese pizza slice, alone, at a bench in the foyer, when she arrives with a bunch of her "Besties".

"Layla! My lovely! Why so lonely huh?" She pounced on me with a hug. I awkwardly patted her back. Refusing to meet eyes with the chattering group of guys and girls.

"Guys. Meet Layla. My smart-ass friend from Ghani's class." She started pointing out people, "Layla, meet Syra, Daniyal, Priha, Fatima, Rahul..."

I nodded silently at them. Recognizing a few faces from some of my classes. They greeted me back with handshakes, and smiles.

"Layla, you have a longer break right now, right?" Pareeshay (or, as she preferred to be called; Shay) inquired.
"Yeah." I tapped my toes nervously. This sounded ominous.

"Well. A bunch of us were heading out to Roaster's for lunch! I totally want you to tag along. Pretty please!" She pouted prettily. I groaned inwardly when I realized how much my Mom would love Pareeshay. With those exotic, perfect looks, and long model-esque limbs, she was nothing short of gorgeous. With the added Queen Bee type attitude, and the awesome style sense, she'd be the perfect daughter for my Mom.

Ick. Even subconsciously, I'm attracting people my mother would approve of. Damnation!

"I'm almost done with lunch." I gave her a tight smile, nodding towards the pizza slice, I had barely nibbled on.

"Oh, baloney! You're so skinny, you should eat meals five times a day!" She exclaims over my petite figure. I self-consciously tugged my red kurti loose. Mom's designs were favoring a more loose cut nowadays, so I was in luck. Slim-fits made me look almost child-like with my midgetness.