Chapter Four

“Do you think he will come?” Cadence asked me. We were sitting on the bench near the market waiting for Perry to turn up. The bench was a good Hiding spot as the bushes acted as a barrier of the park with the market.

“My instincts say he will, and my instincts are always right.” I responded peeking up one eyebrow at her.

“You definitely have some weird and nonsensical ideas in order to make a friend. Why don't you just go and talk to him without having to come up with such an excuse?” Sarnai’s face resembled that of a dissatisfied earthworm.

She was always afraid of everything. Even when we were in middle school, she hated pranks, and anything out of the ordinary. Cadence and me always taunted her about this.

“Why is it taking him so long? He should have arrived by now. Maybe he won't come after all.” said Cadence thoughtfully.

“Bullshit.” I nodded in the direction of the market gate. Perry strolled in unassured, looking here and there, furrowing his brows.

He asked Henry about the market office and the old man pointed straight ahead to the big and almost dilapidated building hidden behind an array of billboards.

We watched him walk towards the building and vanish from our sight.

“Now wait for him to come out after a few minutes and watch his expression. He would be sour and you won't be able to talk to him after all as he would be giving curt answers and just shump you and go away.” Sarnai scoffed, her hands crossed together.

“How can you possibly know that?” I question her, slightly annoyed that she was not up with our plan.

“My instincts say he will, and my instincts are always right.” She said.

Cadence laughed out loud. “Burn!”

“Cadence, you too!” I smiled despite being a bit annoyed with my friend.

“Anyways, don't worry. You will still get to talk to him. Make sure to be polite and not too blunt. You have this bad habit of speaking your mind. I have a feeling that he won't like it one bit. It will be a great achievement if he even remembers you.” She said.

“Thanks for the unwanted advice. Otherwise who would know what I would have asked him.”  I muttered sarcastically.

We waited for almost half an hour before we saw him come out and boy he was mad!

“Should I go now or should I, you know wait a bit till he is cooled off?”

Cadence pushed me forward. “Tut tut! Get going! Now is not the time to back off. You don't escape from a boy who is that good looking which I think you would admit is true.”

I did.

Sarnai nodded vigorously from behind. “Look, as soon as he crosses the main market area, you just tap him from behind and start the conversation. I mean, there is no way you would screw up that bad because he is much more inexperienced than you.”

“How can you even say that? I mean, who knows what he did in LA.”

“Just go!”

Moist beads of sweat were trailing down the hollow of my neck. I rubbed my moist hands with the hem of my top and proceeded to follow him like the creep I am. He was strolling with his hands in his pocket oblivious to the fact that someone was following him. I concluded that his anger had subsided even if temporarily.

Once or twice he stopped by the bookshops and stared at the books.

Does he have a habit of staring?

He had started testing my patience when he sat down on a nearby bench after buying an ice cream from Mr.Smith.

After almost ten minutes, I gave up waiting and went over to him and sat down beside him on the bench, keeping a good distance.

He looked at me with a poker face and looked away after a few seconds.

I gritted my teeth. How could he not remember me?

“Hey!” I said, cutting the silence and the obvious ignorance on his side.

He eyed me out the corner of his eyes and nodded. “Hey.”

“So, LA huh, how does it feel to come back home?”

“Okay, I guess.” His low voice made goosebumps crawl up my skin.

“Aren't you excited to finally be here?” I wondered if he could sense my desperation to make a conversation.

“Hmm yes.” He glanced at his watch and got up and started walking away.

“Wait!” I ran after him. He is definitely never going to talk to me again.

He turned around and met my eyes. “Yes?” He asked politely.

This was my last straw. I saw Cadence and Sarnai out of the corner of my eyes. They nodded, giving me the assurance to go ahead.

I fiercely met his eyes. “Perry, do you not remember me at all? Do you not remember us playing? Talking? I was your friend.” My voice cracked up.

He ran a hand through his hair. “I remember you. You were my neighbour before I moved.”

I looked at him incredulously. “That's it? Just your neighbor?”

He glanced around me cluelessly. “Umm, were you supposed to be something else?”

My eyes got clogged with moisture. Damn me for being such an emotional wuss. “No.” I answered. “That's just about right. I was your neighbor. I am your neighbor once again, so I would like to get reacquainted.”

His eyes finally lost some of its steely gaze and he relaxed considerably. “Yeah sure. I'm mostly free nowadays.”

I nodded my head vigorously. “How about my place tomorrow? We can talk and I can make you a blueberry cheesecake?”

He gave a sad smile. “Fine by me. See you tomorrow evening.”

Beaming, I replied “Great! Bye Perry!”

He had already turned around and started walking away from me when he looked back and said, “It's Peter.”

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Yes. It's a short chapter.

All the love

Sanchari.