As I got back home, I began searching for my beyblades.
Unfortunately, after half an hour of search. The results weren’t a talk.

“hey mom where are my beyblades? I can’t find them anywhere”

She gave it a thought and answered,

“mm... I think we placed it on the upper shelf with other useless stuff, we can’t get them without an extra hand”

“so, get that hand, I want them”
“ask someone else, now let me do my work” she said returning her eyes on stove inside the kitchen.

Asking someone help wasn’t the matter here but the anxiety inside to ask some stranger was suppressing me, being neighbour aside they’re still strangers to me.

I decided to drop the idea of bey blading for some time and shifted my eyes on the homework waiting on my desk,

“now which question and exercise was it” I murmured.

“argh! why you have to rebel against your nation just for the throne!! Dam!! Just because of this stupid man my history book is suffering from obese”

I got on the way to school, after paying attention to my surrounding I couldn’t find any person in my school’s uniform. It’s been a bit more than a week at my new school,

“…which route does Tarun takes”
As his building was just at some distance from mine then he should take this route as it takes the least time,
“maybe he’s late”

I entered the classroom and

Boom!!

His bag was at his desk, OMG!! How?

Well, he was nowhere to be found,

“must be on basketball court”

I had handful of time before morning assembly so why not study a bit,

“I’m falling behind”

I took out my history book and started revising, sometime later I felt a chill through my spine.

Was someone looking at me? I ran my eyes around,

“mm… everything looks normal, maybe it’s my…”

Bam!! The door opened with 10 boys flooding inside the room, Tarun included.

After 15 seconds our class teacher entered the room and started the roll call. So, these guys were correct on time, it’s what we call 6th sense. Observing their timing I could say they saw her on the floor beneath and rushed from the other side of building while reaching stairs before her.
After roll call, whole class headed towards assembly ground except our broken heart, I was laughing down inside so didn’t bother to talk with him for some time.

******

Before recess, date sheet for half yearly exam was announced, we had a week left.
As I had nothing to do so, I took my geography textbook with me outside. Half the time was left so I used it to memorise the geography stuff. Suddenly I felt some gazes directed at me, as I moved my eyes as fast I could. I found a group of girls passing by, maybe they just looked around.

“wait that, that is the monkey from my class and other faces belong to my class too”

“what happened… talking to yourself”

Anuj said by hearing my absurd murmur, he was beside me.

“are you alright, geography isn’t that bad according to me”

“stop saying thing like I’m some kind of lunatic”

“only a lunatic talk to himself”
He argued with facts on point.

“forget that, I don’t wanna argue more”

We headed back to classroom but still something was fishy for me.

At the end of school, I waited for Tarun outside the school building but he didn’t come,

“waiting for someone, are we?” said Anuj rolling his eyes.

“I thought I will catch up with Tarun”

“he must have left for the primary building to pick up his sister”

“really let’s have a detour”

“some other day man, I don’t feel like…”

“okay okay I got it!! We will try tomorrow”

I said interrupting him between his long explanation. I can’t take his crap anymore; he is giving vibes of a… ‘something’ but it isn’t good. I thought of changing the topic a bit.

“you know there are 3 billion females in the world”

“so?”

“so what? You have so many options”

“ohhh!!” his eyes sparkled while his little brain was still processing what I just said.

There wasn’t a lie in it but still some percentage are still kids and more than half are above his age, means less than a billion girls in option and there are only around 50 crore females in India and around 5 million in our state according to our age group or it can be less. After making a ratio with men, our state has around 980 or something per 1000 men. So, he’s rejected by one who can be the one for him so his chances are still there but after analysing his thinking process and approach towards others he’s very likely to be immediately thrown in bro zone or friend zone.

I looked toward the blue sky and clasped my hand as if praying and murmured,

“…only arrange marriage can save this guy”

“what are doing” he asked.

“oh, I was praying for you”

“well don’t get a girlfriend before me, bye” he left towards his uncle wo came to pick him up.

“as I would…”

I headed to my way, I was forgetting something.

As I was on the way to school, I remembered I had to wait for Tarun and I left without him.

“oh God”

Such a fool I’m. I entered my class and as usual Tarun wasn’t there so I just took my book and started revising,

“something feels odd…”

“hey lappy!! What’s up” I person said or shouted while I was in a thought.

I moved my eyes to catch the person with this weird nickname, monkey was standing there her eyes on me. As I recall her name is Sandhya, no! that was the main actress in the TV serial my mom was watching last night, her name was Sakshi yup that right.

I pointed a finger towards me asking, “me?”

“so, what you think I’m talking to air”

“ahh~~ so why calling me Lappy” just a polite question.

“you’re always in books that’s why” she replied with a face which I couldn’t say whether It was mocking me or just counting facts.

“that’s Absurd” I said,

“well then how about Bookworm”

“that’s even worse”

“then how about…”

“wait... just right there, I have a name like humans Anurag, now try saying it”

“Anu… no lappy is better after all”

“then how about I gave you a name as well”

“no, I don’t need it” well she almost left me surprise with that savage reply, she got me there not gonna lie.

“no please give me the pleasure of this Gorilla princess”

“wha-?” even I couldn’t see any change on her face but I could feel a vein popping on her forehead.

She moved forward, is she gonna beat me up for just this, she took my book.

“take that back”

“alright” I said leapt for my book and took it back with a jerk.

“are you making a fun of me” she said with fire blazing in her eyes.

“well… you said take it back so I… took it”

“what? Are you stupid or something”

“yup something like that”

“wa~~~” this was the place where she has to laugh and she did a bit, also a different sound was there, but the every second got her composure back.

Ahmmm… a sound of someone clearing her throat came from behind

Our class teacher was there listening to our childish argument, maybe the sound of a bit laughing was also from her with Sakshi but she just glared at us indicating to give her way,

“you really are stupid monkey” a whisper came with a tap on my shoulder,

"Not more than you lappy"

*****

So that's it for this chapter

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Next chapter "class quiz"