The Rebound Theory

15| AASHI

15| AASHI

School was boring for me. I couldn't just wait for it to end. I have been waiting for him to come and sit beside me at lunch but he didn't. He just casually ignored me. Like I didn't matter much. Like the words coming out of his mouth, just a day ago, weren't real. Did I make a mistake texting him?

That's just when, he turns around in the ongoing History class, and gives me a small smile. I don't think I can pay much attention to this class. Everything comes rolling back to me. All the things that has happened in the past. And all the things that are gonna happen now and become our future. Do I want it to be our future? Do I? What do I want? I don't know what I want. And an ongoing class is not a place to decide it.

"Aashi," Riya whispers in a hushed tone, "I think you should talk to him."

"Talk to who?" I say in an inaudible tone.

"He who?" She glares at me and looks back in front of the class, where Mrs. Sudha was writing something, "Neel who?" She looks at me blankly.

"I will."

"You better because he's hurting and it's all your fault." Riya nods at the teacher like nothing has happened or she didn't just say something downright offending.

"Gosh, I can't believe you." I say in a tone bit too louder and it catches the attention of our classmates and my teacher turns around to glare at me.

"Would you like to enlighten all of us as to what is that about the Mughal Empire you can't believe?" Mrs Sudha teeters in a long- winded scornful yet bored tone.

"No, ma'am," I stand up obligingly, "I'm sorry."

"Please pay attention to class or get out." I nod my head at her condemnation and sit back slowly in my seat. Others start snickering when I go back to the book. "Does this class wants me to teach or not?"

That's exactly when the bell rings and everybody starts running to the classroom door. A few of the guys beat the teacher from getting out at the dismissal. A loud noise ruptures in the classroom and I start getting my things and shoving them in the book-bag. In a hurry, one of my favourite pens fly all the way to the front, where the rush of students is, and I partially closed my eyes because it would be so difficult to get it back. I take a huge breath and sling my book bag on my shoulder and start walking to the front of the room. Before I can bend and pick it up, Neel picks it up for me and slightly touches my fingers with his when he forces the pen in my palm in a quick urgency. I breathe quickly and I want him to talk but one of the guys he's friends with, steers him out of the vortex that is my life. I see his back fade away in a sea of students. I breathe hard when I see that I'm the only student left in the room and I quickly pace outside.

***

"Is he gone?" I ask Ria, eyeing her with curiosity. She has went to look for Neel because one minute he was hanging out with the guys, the next, he just disappeared. I just sat back and waited for him to show up near our parking space but there were no signs of him.

"Did you really text him to wait up for you?" She says as she shakes her head, expressing the fact that he is nowhere to be found. I take out my cellphone and open our messenger chat and bring the phone very close to her face. I think I bring the phone too close.

"Read. Can you?" I mumble, scoffing.

"Okay fine. But. . . this is so unlike him to do this. You know—"

"I exactly know what you mean. Let's go home. He isn't coming. He doesn't care. If he did, he would be here." I slump on the passenger's window, arching my back. I run my hand through the dust accumulated to the side of the pane when something catches my eye. I unlock the car and get in and I see a post- it stuck on the passenger side door on the inside of the car.

It says, "I'll pick you up at five. Be ready." I glare at Ria for a possible explanation.

"'Kay, I might have lent my keys to the boys for a little while."

"Why didn't you tell me all this before? Why did you make me wait for the last fifteen minutes?" I was bursting at the seams by then.

"I was just checking." Ria clicks her tongue, without missing a beat.

"Checking what?!"

"If you cared or not," she gives me a smalll smile, "and honey, you passed the test."

This doesn't help my anger at all. It elevates it. "Ria, you bitch, tell me which side you are on, really?" I run after her, as she breaks into a run giggling, on the other side of the parked car, practically to avoid the danger I'll be. "Stop running, I'm tired! Ria! Riiiia!"

"Goddamn control yourself. Save your kinky side for Neel. I was just helping!" She yells as she keeps running and rounding the car.

"This is not how you help a friend." I finally give up, hands on my knees, breathing hard. "i'm done. Let's go home. I have to get a shower and gets dressed."

"Someone's getting la-aid!" She laughs, and I end up chasing her for the next five minutes, again.

Writer's NoteSorry for not updating for a while. I'm trying to get my shit together. hope you enjoy! :)