"Ann, are you paying attention? Do you hear me, Ann?" I looked up at once at the teacher. "I'm sorry ma'am?" "I just said, are you even bothering to listen to me?" "I'm sorry ma'am, I was lost." "Pay attention please. Okay class...now this spectrum is basically...."

I am always doing this. Bringing a book to school and reading it in the middle of lectures. This is probably the twentieth time I was pointed out as distracted. But seriously, I have always loved this feeling of drifting far, far away from people and places even when I am physically present there. Dont get me wrong. I am really not that weird. Its usually a book that takes me to places I have never been. In fact, writing too is my travel buddy. My only buddies.

By that I mean I hardly have any friends. Everyone throws me sneaking and pathetic looks. Maybe because they find me intolerable. Not their fault actually. Who chooses a freaking fifteen year old girl who is unaffected of boys and fashion and films as their friend? Who wants a boring nerd who chooses to refuse hangouts, right?

I am that type. I love it though. I love whatever life has given me.

Its given me something as wonderful as my family. A bittersweet mother, a jovial yet hardworking father and, the best of all, my grandma! She is the nearest prospect of a friend to me. I really don't care if she is 80 or she can't walk properly or that she needs meds every two hours. "All that is really normal, Ann for a cancer patient who is above 70. You needn't worry about your gran, she is tough. She will recover. " Thats what the oncologist had said to me five years ago when grandma was first classified a cancer patient. She has been good most of the times but the situations are not that bright now. It is an open secret that her days are frighteningly limited.

Even after everything she was the only one who I could go to with all my problems and ask her comfort for everytime I need it. She is my support, my friend and my oasis in my terribly lonely life. To say I love her is way too less. I hope one day when I build my huge vocabulary, I'll know which word best describes my feeling.

"Ann? Ann? Hey. Listen to me." I jumped back. I was absent minded again. I blinked and realised a concerned face staring right at my eyes. A boy. Maybe from my class. I suppose I made my haziness quite evident as he started introducing himself. "Hi. I am Calvin. Your classmate." "Oh. Hi Calvin. Can I help you in some way?" It was once in the bluest blue moons that somebody walked up to me after class, looking eager to talk. "Not really. I just wanted to ask what you were reading." I couldnt believe it! That boy didnt sit near me or know me enough to say that confidently that I was reading something. I stammered,"I-uh- well...I was reading this", I said placing the book on my table. He looked at it with all his interest and said," You have great choices. I simply loved this one." I smiled and said," So...you read?" He looked at me as if what I said was downright insulting to him. "Yes of course I do. As much as you do." I sighed. Idle chatting with people wasn't easy for me. I said," Okay bye Calvin, have my geography class now." "Bye Ann. Nice talking to you." He gave a genuine smile.

I was just about to leave when I turned and asked, "How did you know I was reading?" He said, "I am not much different ,you know. I could tell by just looking at you that we have about a hundred things in common and about a two hundred things uncommon. I wanted to explore the odds and evens. And believe me, this little conversation convinced me that we are soon becoming the best of friends. Bye Ann. You are getting late."

We are becoming the best of friends? Right. You just convinced me, Calvin.