Don't forget to vote,comment,share
      and add this book in your reading lists I will really appreciate it. 😃

      "Oh my god!!! Hannah, I missed you!" Kate jumped from the bench and lunged towards a petite blonde with blue eyes strutting in heels so high, Zara thought the girl would break her neck if she made a wrong move.
   "Katey! I missed you too!" Her shrieks matching her friend's. People turned towards them warily, some not so discreetly hinting their annoyance. Zara was itching to press her fingers against her ears.
    Courtney rolled her eyes and masked her annoyed expression with a very fake cheery one. Zara didn't miss the low murmuring which sounded like ' Look what the cat finally dragged in'.
  "Hannah!! You came back!"
"Courts! Yeah I am back!"
  The animosity between them was palpable and Kate's eyes were pleading. Courtney took a deep breath and softened her features.
   Hannah supported her weight on her right hip and looked around Courtney, her curious gaze resting on Zara.
   "You are Sarah, right?" Her voice was a mixture of derision and authority but it was lost on Zara. The latter studied the former as if she was a specimen under a microscope, it was uncomfortable.
    Kate darted her eyes between the two of them ,sensing hostility. She was about to correct her old friend but something held her back. Zara's eyes were like icicles.
  On the other hand, Courtney looked like she was enjoying something in private. She wanted to pull a comfy chair, grab a popcorn and enjoy the brewing battle between her two "friends".
    "I don't remember introducing myself as Sarah or any other name for that matters. And I don't intend to."
  Hannah's face dropped into a frown and her eyes narrowed infinitesimally.
Courtney wanted to laugh out loud in glee. I don't care for either of them but this is going to be good as long as they aren't about to be fast friends.
   "Oh well I do. My name is Hannah Hardy and Kate has told me a lot about you." She tried another way.
  "Sure." She ignored her and concentrated on her lunch tray.
  There was a new found respect for Zara in Courtney's heart. She may be a bitch, but damn if she wasn't one of the brave ones.
    "The beach has been generous to you Hannah. You really look great." Kate was gushing. Something ugly flashed in Hannah's eyes and Zara narrowed her eyes at the blonde. What was that?
    Just then a familiar black haired boy emerged from the entrance and walked towards the girl's table. "Where were you? I sat alone waiting for you for the past ten minutes because you have never bailed on m- no,bailed on yourself." Solomon looked irritated.
   Zara regarded him quietly before she spoke. "Why are you so eager to help me? I thought you would be happy I didn't show up so you could have a peacefully long lunch for a change."
   His eyes widened apart before he morphed his face into utter composure." I have to get credit as much as I can manage for reasons you don't need to know. So this is as much as for me as it is for you."
   "Hmm, well I don't feel like twisting my tongue today so you can enjoy your whole lunch- what is left of it anyway.
    "Are you by chance,Solomon?" Both Zara's and Solomon's head snapped to the blonde who spoke oh-so coquettishly and the other two extremely curious girls. "Yeah. And you are?" He eyed her up with a sly smirk plastered on his face. Zara searched his face, seeming surprised. I thought his face was always stuck on serious mode. Nice to know he is just a regular boy.
  Hannah collected her hair in one hand and flipped it the other shoulder expertly before replying. "I am Hannah."
   "It was nice to meet you Hannah. Now if you will excuse me, I have to restore some energy." He walked away with a skip to his steps.
   "He is delicious!"Hannah remarked.Courtney had to agree begrudgingly.
   Zara looked like she was genuinely going to puke after that sentence.
   "What,aren't you into boys or something?"
   "You seem quiet curious for someone who doesn't see it fit to remember my name." Zara slowly chewed on the lettuce she took in.
   Hannah looked like she was about to blow a fuse, her beautiful face turning pink and her hair ends standing up. She looks like the boy on the Van Der Waal's example. Zara mused.
   "I- I have to go to the toilet, Kate, come with?" Courtney looked at the brunette in front of her with admiration." So, Zara, really, why don't you want to have friends?"
   "Because I hate that particular kind of drama in my life."
   Courtney didn't know what she was expecting exactly but it definitely wasn't that one. She regarded the girl in understanding, empathy even.
  "But not all friendships are necessarily like that. Plus you need people to share your burdens with. And secrets. When I first enrolled in this school,I didn't know I would survive until a sweet girl with sweetly dimpled smile and dark blonde hair surfed into my life and declared herself my best friend. Literally. I was really shy back then but she helped me shrug off that mist. Kate is a very mature and deep girl despite her hyperactive appearance. She has gone through a lot but she didn't hide away. Please at least acknowledge her efforts? You don't even have to tell each others' secrets immediately , just baby steps."
   Zara's face broke into a very small smile Courtney thought she was seeing things. This was the first time she ever saw the girl with facial expression other than her usual cool snide one.
   "I will think about it." Here eyes have turned misty with a faraway look. She blinked rapidly and eased into her signature cool face.
   It is like she has an on and off switch button. Courtney observed.
    "So, what is going on between you and Mr. Abercrombie there." She wiggled an eyebrow to where Solomon sat.
   "I just said I will think about it."
   "Hey, I had to try okay?" She raised her hands in mock surrender. Just then the two absentees in the party of four came back, one looking like she took a drag of marijuana, the other following her at a safe distance with distress and a little bit of hurt written all over her face. Courtney glanced at Kate's expression and scowled. "What did you do now?"
   "What are you talking about?" Hannah's face held all the innocence in the world ,she could have fooled her. Could have.
   "You looked like the cat that got the cream."
  "Maybe I did." Hannah grinned slyly.Courtney's scowl deepened even more menacingly.
   It was Zara's turn now to look like a monkey. What the hell is going on here?
  The usually hideous shrill of the bell that signifies the end of lunch was like a harp being played by the angles for Kate.
  "I will talk to you guys later. I have to run now. Bye." She moved hastily before any of them could say anything.
   Courtney followed suit but not before hissing out a word in Hannah's ear.
       
            ~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~
   Zara walked down the slightly busy hallway towards her class,trying not to think too hard about her new "friends".
What have I gotten myself into now?
   Somebody approached from behind and fell into step with her. She turned and inclined her head upwards a little bit and was met with the grey orbs she has gotten used to in the past few weeks. He kept walking forwards with his bicep brushing her shoulder every once in a while. She subtly stepped sideways away from him and     
cut off any possibility of their bodies touching. If he noticed, he didn't say.
   "Zara, I saw your test result from last week. It was relatively good but not as good as it should be for the school's taste. We should probably study more. What do you say after school, maybe at your place?"
   She looked at him curiously. "And you are doing this for your extra credits." He simply nodded." Mind telling me what those are for exactly? I deserve to know since I somehow have become your charity case?"
   He glanced down at her amused." Trust me, you will know at the right time." They entered their Biology class together.
       ~|~|~|~|~\~|~\~|~\~|~
🎵 I believe I can fly🎵
🎵 i believe I can touch the sky🎵
Yep, I was on a roll but mom just had to interrupt. I swear she always does that, I think she has a notifier when my brain is brewing with lots of ideas. Anyhow, I will try to write the next chapter as soon as I can(if mom doesn't interrupt me again,that is)( I love my mom so much though❣️❣️)
    So guys, I was thinking. I have read couple of books here on Wattpad and some of the authors describe what they tried to illustrate in each chapter. At first, I found those annoying but when I was met with a situation to analyze passages and stuff, I found out that those annoying notes weren't annoying after all ;) I was wondering if you birdies would want them or find them irritating like I did first. Here, let me give you a teensy bit of taste if you decide you want them in the end.
   I want you guys to pay attention on how all the relationships in this book are evolving in this particular chapter.
   Comment if you liked it!😘
P.S. The fact that I updated early is not lost on me,hehe. Something like political unrest came up and we students are supposed to stay at home for a week.( I don't know how I feel about this but it means more time to write.)