"For Godsake! What is wrong with this class today?", our games teacher Devika Mathur yelled, blowing her whistle.

"If she hoots that thing one more time!", Riya said through gritted teeth.

"Do you want me to invite you with betel leaves?", our stone faced games teacher said "Riya, Zoya and Mishti! Get inside the pool right now!".

For the last twenty minutes, the three of us had been dodging Miss Mathur round and round the pool without getting into it, pretending to be looking for something.

But all the girls were now inside the pool and it was difficult to play hide-and-seek anymore.

"Hello Miss Mathur!", Riya said cheekily as we finally gave in and walked towards the pool, "Long time! No see".

Devika mam looked like she would love nothing better than to shove her whistle up Riya's nose.

I followed Mishti and Riya followed me into the pool.

However, the second Riya got into the water, Aaliyah Khurana leapt out of nowhere in her swimsuit and splashed water on her face. Riya gave a high pitched scream.

Devika mam whipped around, "Really, Riya! The water is barely upto your waist. Anyone would think you were going to drown".

Riya glared at Aaliyah who was sniggering with Maya at her side.

If the thing Riya hated most in the world was the idea of losing her popularity, closely followed by classmates who cheated in Loukya mam's tests more than her, Aaliyah making a fool of her in public was definitely in the top ten.

And Riya in a rage was not a pretty sight.

"You bitch!", she snapped at Aaliyah.

"Don't waste your breath Riya", Mishti said.

"It's unfortunate that my loser of a step brother has a horrible taste in girlfriends", Maya intervened coldly "And Mishti, please don't ever marry him or anything. I would shove a needle up my ass rather than be related to you".

"You please do that", Mishti said.

"Yes", Riya agreed "Now Aaliyah will come and tell us what is the best course of action to escape from bitches like you and Maya".

Aaliyah raised her heavily made eyebrows at us, "Riya, you know there's a galvanometer in the physics lab right?"

"Galvanometer? That instrument which weighs as much as your fat ass? Yes.."

Aaliyah ignored the insult and continued, "And you also know the water tank in our school right?"

"Where are you going with this?", Riya asked irritably.

"Don't get angry Riya baby", Aaliyah said in a sickening voice "I'm merely offering some advice. You asked me what the best course of action would be - so I suggest you tie the galvanometer to your neck and jump into the tank. Our class will have to adjust without the galvanometer but I think we'll manage our board practicals".

"How dare you?!", Riya had dived for straight for her.

Unfortunately for me, Riya and Mishti, Maya and Aaliyah were both far better swimmers than we were.

I felt Riya should've considered this before opening an argument with them. You shouldn't attack crocodiles while they're inside the water, you know.

Maya lunged at Riya and gave her a powerful shove. Riya fell over Mishti and two of them plopped into the water for a second before resurfacing, both looking livid.

Desperate, I blindly grabbed something next to me and pushed it towards Maya before realising the thing I had pushed was Riya.

"Why are you hitting me?", Riya asked angrily.

"Sorry".

The pool battle turned dirty when Maya went underwater and grabbed my leg. I fell hopelessly into Mishti who fell into Riya. There was a loud noise as water splashed everywhere.

Devika mam finally took notice and came pelting down from the other end of the pool.

"I've had enough of this nonsense!", she snapped, completely losing her temper "You'll drive me mad! I had the grade three kids here the previous period, and they behaved way better than you all! And Riya, Zoya and Mishti you can get out, get dressed and get lost."

"Ma'am they were just playing up", Aaliyah said innocently.

"That will do Miss Khurana!", Devika mam shot at her which soothed me, Mishti and Riya to some extent as we grabbed our towels and darted across the pool to the changing rooms.

My first day at school as an adult worsened steadily during the Chemistry lab period.

Everyone was busy putting on their lab coats and doing some last minute referring. There was already a huge crowd around Mishti so I ran to Riya.

"So how do you do you prepare the Tollen's reagent?", I asked urgently.

"Oh add sodium hydroxide to silver nitrate and then add ammonium hydroxide", Riya said distractedly shuffling through her notes.

"What if I don't get the..er..solution then?"

"Then try adding a little more ammonium hydroxide".

"And what if I still don't get it?"

"Then drink the ammonium hydroxide and die!"

Ten minutes into the session, I had given up completely after getting a tar like substance in place of the colourless solution I should've got.

I looked over at Reyansh in the same condition as me in the next row and felt comforted. He had even emptied the results of his experiment into the drain, washed his test tubes, cleaned his place and was standing with his arms crossed. Next to him Riya was furiously shaking her test tube inside which a murky white liquid bubbled.

Abeer was in the front row getting lectured by the lab assistant for breaking one of his test tubes. In the row behind him, Mishti had already produced the perfect Tollen's reagent and was halfway into doing the Tollen's test.

Loukya mam was too busy to notice me or Reyansh or anybody else. She was scolding a guy in the third row who had let off too much gas (not from the burner).

As the bell rang, Reyansh artfully weaved his way through the students and slided into the group of students who had finished their work. I hastened to copy him.

Riya, Abeer and Mishti joined us in a few minutes. Mishti looking pleased. The other two, very pissed off.

The class dawdled inside the lab, standing in groups and chatting, while Loukya mam and the lab assistant checked and put away everything.

"That one drove me mad", Riya said shaking her head and rubbing the beta naphthalene sticking to her nose vigorously.

Mishti, Abeer and I burst into laughter. Reyansh smiled too. But before we could hush up Loukya mam flew down upon us.

"What the hell is going on here? How dare you make such a racket inside the lab? Have you people lost your minds? And Mishti you too?", Loukya mam said looking scandalised "I expected better from you! There will be punishment for this! Oh, yes! All five of you will come and stand outside the staff room for the entire lunch break!"

Riya groaned loudly, "We were just laughing mam. Is that a sin now?"

"Shut up! I won't be spoken to like that!", Loukya mam snarled "Behave or your punishment will be extended till evening!"

Riya slammed her head on Abeer's shoulder, "This is the limit man!"

"Cafeteria duty would've been better", I said "This is too much".

Reyansh was making a aeroplane with a paper in his pocket.

"I've never stood outside a staffroom in my life!", Mishti said glaring at me and Riya as though it was only our fault that we were there.

Students walking down the corridor towards the cafeteria, did not fail to turn and give us a disdainful look as they passed.

Moreover, someone had brought fried rice and chicken gravy to the class right opposite to the staffroom and the aroma was driving me nuts.

"Should we go in and say sorry?", I asked after a while.

"Please let's do that!", Mishti said. Abeer and Riya nodded. Reyansh looked up from his paper plane as though he had only just realised we were there.

"Sorry Zoya, what did you say?"

I rolled my eyes and looked at Mishti. But she didn't snap at him.

Like I should've expected anything else.

Pity, I wasn't Mishti's boyfriend.

We pushed the door open slightly and trooped into the staff room trying to look as innocent as possible.

Teachers sat in two's and three's having lunch and chatting.

Romil sir was complaining loudly that his wife had forgotten to send his favourite ladies finger sabzi. A teacher we didn't know was gleefully telling the librarian, Ms Fanaa that her mother-in-law had broken her leg and was in the hospital. Suhrit Madan, the teacher incharge of the Fine Arts Club was playing Rummy Circle on his phone.

"Why is Loukya mam in such a temper these days, anyway?", Abeer mumbled.

"Pressure of being the vice principal", Mishti said knowingly.

"Ugh!", Riya said "Mr Rajvansh should've made Suhrit sir, vice principal. That's one gentleman right there. They don't make people like him anymore".

"Shh Riya!", Mishti snapped.

Loukya ma'am was right at the end of the staff room talking to Devika Mathur as both of them attacked their lunchboxes with equal zest.

"I want to get this done with quick", Riya said.

"I'll do it", Mishti said bravely "She's likely to let us off if I ask her".

Loukya mam and Miss Mathur seemed to have shared a big joke and were laughing loudly when we had reached their table.

"Ma'am?", Mishti said with added confidence seeing Loukya mam in a good mood.

"Huh?", said Loukya mam looking up, still laughing.

"Mam, we've stood outside the staffroom for almost half an hour now".

"Hmm", Loukya mam said without looking at us, still smiling as she took a sip of water.

"So...I was wondering...um.. whether we could go for lunch now?"

"What?", asked Loukya mam sharply looking up as though she had only just noticed us "Oh it's you people!", she said, the smile totally wiped out of her face.

"Er..mam..we just came to.."

"I don't want to hear anything!", Loukya mam snapped now sounding completely like her usual self, "Get out! No lunch break for all five of you!"

Recognising defeat, the five of us trooped back outside.