Kiara was walking ahead towards room 117 when she spotted the girl's room towards the end of the hall. A little freshening up was necessary, she felt. Entering the washroom, she stood in front of the half mirror and looked at herself, and for the first time in a long while, she saw something familiar in her reflection, but what it was, she could not point it out.

She splashed some water on her face to calm her mind down. Too many things were happening at the same time, especially since the moment she has stepped into this school. Wiping her face with the paper towels from the dispenser, she was still gazing at herself when she heard the shrill noise of a bell. Picking her bag up from the floor, she paced quickly towards her classroom.

The room seemed atypical of all the american movies and series she had watched. It was small, and unlike the classrooms in India, it held close to 30 benches for students. But it was arranged in a semicircle instead of  the regular rows. There were 2 whiteboards in the room, one in the front, and the other on the wall adjoining the door. The wall at the back of the room was unfinished, but it seemed something interesting  was in the making with all the paint boxes, brushes and cans left like stray items. The last wall was all windows, giving a brilliant lush green view of training fields of the school.

Kiara understood that it would be difficult to hide behind a couple of heads in this classroom, because every seat had a view of everyone present. A lot many students were already seated, clustering more so towards the center. She decided to take a seat near the front, on the  left flank of the semicircle.

A minute later, the teacher entered the classroom and everyone took their seats. The teacher noticed that two seats were empty, not being  surprised  who the students were. Typical, he thought, I'll need to have a good talk with these two. Their grades don't permit them to not be punctual. He also noticed that there was a new face amongst the students he has seen the school for the past 3 years.

"You must be Kiara, the talk-of-the-town new student." This comment was enough to make Kiara nervous. They have been talking about me already? What do they know? He motioned her to come forward in the class and asked her to introduce herself.

"Hello everyone. I'm  Kiara Bakshi and I'm from India. I don't have any interesting hobbies, well other than casual reading. I hope to discover what I want to do with my life this year. I've living with extended family here. That's about it, I guess." Repeating the lines she had been practicing for days, she barely looked at the audience in front  of her, concentrating on the unfinished artwork on the back wall. With a nod from the teacher, she walked back towards her seat and looked down towards her timetable.

Room 117, AP History .

I've no clue what I'm doing in this class! How does this system of AP even work? What is an AP? Who's this teacher? He didn't even introduce himself! Who do ask? What do I do? And where do I get the books from? I'll  have to google about book shops around. Or I'll ask Aly, maybe, the inner monologue was on again.

"I'm Mr. Harris, just in case you were  wondering Ms. Bakshi. Come and collect your books and your worksheets, you'll need them study in my class you know," Phew, that was helpful, she thought. Simply nodding again, she went up to the desk, mentally noting Mr. Harris' name.

Mental notes: (1) Take books in every new class. (2) Write down every teacher's name on the time table.

She wrote the name and started glancing through the textbook. It was interesting, but Kiara was really tempted to sniff the book, rather than moving through its contents. She held herself back from catching any attention, however minor it maybe.

"We're sorry Mr. Harris, Coach Hedge punished us for being late to the practice and then we had to run 30 laps around the field post prac–" Two boys entered the classroom with a bang, both of them stinking of sweat a little, and the odour reaching the first few desks near the door,  where  Kiara was seated. Startled, she almost screamed, but thankfully she ended up replacing it with a small yelp that went unnoticed.

"Mr. McCarty and Mr. Knight, we'll have a talk during detention for both of you. You may take a seat, the class has already begun." Mr. Harris let the two of them enter, but not without a shaking his head. The students dropped their bags and their bodies, both with a thud. They sat almost across Kiara, giving her a clear view of her classmates.

Kiara looked up to see Ashton right across her, giving her that smile she saw just some time ago. So he lied to me! What's with guys and trying to make good impressions?! He could have just said he is going for a punishment! But how did he run 30 laps so quickly? Did he even run them? Not possible. He was lying. He just lied to the teacher! And Principal Lou trusted him!

She looked up at him again, and caught him looking at her. She shook her head at him in disappointment and decided she wouldn't reply to his texts if he ever messages her, nor would accept his help anymore, which she wasn't going to anyways, but there will be no more contemplation on his case. She focused on class for the next hour, trying to comprend which part of history she was learning and how it's going to be useful to her.

Well, my first instinct wasn't wrong. He is trouble. I can't un-feel this gut feeling.

The class ended with the shrill sounding bell again and the flock of teens rushed past each other. Kiara  decided to stay a little behind, and avoid the crowd. She saw that Ashton and his friends were still in class too,  but she decided to completely ignore.

A few minutes later, she picked up her bag and started making her way through the waning crowd. That's when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I was just wondering if –" She promptly turned around to answer him, beating him from completing his sentence.

"You might have fooled the teachers around here, but not me. I've had enough of you since morning. I thought I should consider you, but if you've a liar right from  the start. So don't even text me, because I'm not  going to reply. This might seem a little harsh, but it's for my mental peace. So, thank you once again for your help in the morning Mr. Knight, and I hope we can keep our paths from crossing each other to as minimum as possible. Goodbye."

While he was listening this rant, confusion and bewilderment stunned him from presenting his case. He just wanted to return the fallen pen to the new girl, who, on an upside, was really pretty. Maybe he could have gotten her number. Well, she was extremely weird and went off on him like a timebomb, which was ticking  the entire first period. What was all that about? He thought

Interesting, very interesting, He thought. What kind of girl goes off on a handsome guy like me? Most of them end of blubbering or stuttering. She didn't even try to get to know me. And what was that about me helping her? When did I help her? Or am I missing  something?

He returned back to the same class as he saw the new girl Kiara, who's name he got to  know from Ken, go to her next class.

•••~•••~•••

The way the spirits rose in the classroom  was remarkable when the students heard the lunch bell ring. They rushed out of the classroom, eager to bounce towards the cafeteria.

With her head down, Kiara was exiting the class, when she bumped into someone near the door. She looked up to find Ashton in front of her again.

"Hey, I'm Sorry, oh it's you aga–"

"Why can't you leave me alone? Didn't  I tell you right after class that I don't want to talk to you? And how did you even know which class I'm was in? Please leave me alone will you!"

"Kiara, Kiara listen to me. Calm –"

"Don't you dare tell me to  calm down Ashton! Don't you understand the concept of boundaries! It's been half a day and you're already stalking me? Don't you have even an iota of self-respect? Do I have to go to Principal Ma'am to get you off my back? Didn't I say I would not appreciate your help..pp any-yy mo-oh-re and sth..sta.. Stay.. aww-ayy..Huh huhff"

"Breathe, Breathe. Breathe in, Breathe out. In, out. In. out." When he saw that had cooled down to a certain extent, he decided to introduce himself.

"I think you met my brother in the morning before our class, Ashton. I'm Asher. It's pretty  normal for you to be confused –"

"What?!" It took a couple of minutes  for her to  register what he was saying. He's Asher, and his brother Ashton. The one in her class and the one before it, in the principal's cabin.

They are twins. They are twins. They are identical. Indentical twins. Oh god. Oh god. Oh my god.  Oh my god. Not again. No. Please no. Why here?! Why here of all the places in the world. Why?! Oh my god. Twins. Identical. Shit. F*ck. I left this all in my past  didn't  I?  Why here? Why again?

Asher  saw her turning white as he mentioned  his brother to her,  and he stopped mid sentence. At the same moment, he saw his brother making his way through the hallway towards his twin. When he saw who was with him, he quickened his pace and sprinted towards them.

"Asher, what's wrong with her? Is she alright? Oh god, she's  having  another attack. This is not good. Let's take her to the nursing room." Ashton knew something  triggered her panic attack. What happened to her? What's  the cause of her trauma? Two panic attacks in a row? This isn't normal!

Although not fully aware of her situation, Asher knew it was grave. He read the concerned look in his twin's eyes and immediately took her books and bag from her, and followed Ashton to the floor below as he took hold of her hand.

Kiara looked almost on the verge of collasping. Tears were streaming  down her eyes, but she could  barely produce any sound. It's good that the hallway was deserted, or else, this would have created a huge commotion. Both the brothers knew this would have been disastrous, especially given their popularity in school.

As they reached the stairs, Kiara buckled under the weight of her fears and fell down. Ashton's arms were quick enough to brace her. He decided it's more important  to get her to the nursing  room than to worry if she would mind him holding her. Without a second thought, he swooped her up in his arms and quickly got down the stairs. Asher was ahead of them already,  and he opened  the door to nursing room. Ashton laid her in bed, as Asher explained to Miss Roland, the nurse, about her.

Miss Roland gave her some medicines which paced her breathing to a slower rhythm, eventually putting her to sleep.

"Ash, I've got to talk to Principal Lou right now. I'll  be back in a couple of minutes. Stay with her, will you?" Ashton requested his brother, knowing beforehand what the response would be. He didn't even wait for an answer and left the room.

Asher kept wondering what happened in the past couple of minutes. He tried piecing the puzzle in his mind. She was definitely triggered when I mentioned Ashton. We both met her today.  And we somehow triggered her into a panic attack. But, how? Only she could  answer this question.

Asher decided to text his best friend about his whereabouts, and ask her to buy some food for them.

--Hey Al, buy some food for Ash and
   me, and come near the nursing  
   room. Don't  tell anyone.
   Emergency. Quick.

Be there in 5.--

A couple of minutes later, Aly knocked on the nursing room door, and saw Asher sitting besides a girl. She couldn't see her face from the door, but she looked familiar.

She quitely shut the door behind her, and placed  the food, three burgers and 2 packs of oramge juices, on a nearby table. She turned around and immediately froze when she who it was on the bed.

"Sh*t. Is she alright? What's wrong  with her? Will she wake up? She's not dead right? Ash tell me she's alright? Mom would kill me. F*ck. Ash what happened to Kiara, will you tell me?" Aly was scared. She was supposed to take care of her cousin. And now she's  sprawled on a bed,  in the nursing room, as Miss Roland was measuring her heart rate and blood pressure.

"She's alright now. She had a panic attack, a severe one. It's better of she rests for the the day, I'll talk to Principal Lou, Ashton went to get her here." Miss Roland answered her before Asher could.

"But why would your mom kill you? Wait, You know her!" Asher exclaimed. Al never mentioned anyone named Kiara to me. Who is this girl?!

Just as Aly was about to answer, a concerned looking Principal Lou entered the room, followed by a Ashton.

"Oh, well good that you're here too Alisha. I'm not sure how much you know about your cousin, but since you'll be spending a lot of time around her, I hope you could  help me out, even though I'm not particularly sure how you could." Asher found the answer he was looking  for as Principal Lou articulated the situation.

The girl on the bed was a disaster. Not even half the day had passed at school and she had already collapsed. She genuinely needs extensive care and treatment, and lots of love. I'll give her an off from the rest of the lectures.

"When she wakes up, please ask her to rest and stay here till the end of the day. Aly, please accompany her back home and ask her to come in tomorrow only if she feels better. You can take her homework, right? Good. Boys, keep an eye on her. Help her from afar. She is keen on having no attention drawn towards her, which I presume would follow your group. Am I clear?" Seeing the children nodding their heads, Theresa continued, "Good. You may leave now.  I've  to talk to Miss Roland. Thank you for helping  her out. You did good kids."

"She'll  be better soon, don't worry." Miss Roland added with a sympathetic smile just as the three kf them were leaving. Aly made sure to take the food along, she was too scared to step back in that room again incase she forgot.

The three of them stood in the hallway, still digesting what just happened.

•••~•••~•••

A/N: this chapter  took me days to write. I saw a meme a couple of days ago,  that said that writers and authors should  be paid more,  they literally create everything  out of nothing, and i could not  agree more. Writing  is tough,  but it's  extremely  satisfying  when you complete it,  after too many trials and errors.

What did you think of this chapter?

Alisha: There is another  Priyanka Chopra Movie titled 'Pyaar Impossible'.  It was not a great film, but it had a strong character played by Priyanka called Alisha. She had her own song too. I have danced to that song a million times in my childhood. I first thought  of naming her Allison, but to give it an Indian touch,  i decided to go with Alisha.