I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what to do now that I'd wrapped up everything for the day.
Should I text Ashika?
Nah. She's probably already asleep.
Maybe I could play some games?
Dude, you just logged out a few minutes ago.
Ugh, it's so damn boring in here.
Screw it. Maybe sleep's the best way to kill time.
I buried my face into the pillow, which felt like absolute heaven—the softness and puffiness wrapping around me like a warm cocoon. For the first time in a while, I slept peacefully.
The next morning, I woke up to my mother's relentless voice, nagging me to get up and get ready for school.
Weird. I hadn't heard that in a long time.
Still half-asleep, I groped around for my phone—the first thing my fingers reach for every morning. But let's be honest, what teenager doesn't?
The screen lit up with notifications—mostly reels from my unemployed friends, who treated sending them like a full-time job. I didn't bother checking. I just tossed the phone into the corner of the bed and dragged myself to the bathroom.
The ride to school was quiet, just how I liked it. Nobody spoke. The cold morning breeze kissed my face as I leaned against the window, eyes half-closed. I usually don't sit with Ashika during these rides—mornings are meant for silence, and she's always too deep into her novels to notice anyway.
We reached school and went to our separate classes without even a word.
Our friendship's odd like that.
Despite being used to this place, I still felt a twinge of anxiety walking into the classroom. But over time, I'd built enough courage to bury it under a calm expression.
I took my seat, and the same mind-numbing cycle of classes began.
Two periods crawled by. Then it was time for the chemistry lab.
We filed into the lab, putting on our white coats. It was everyone's first day in the lab, and naturally, chaos followed. People struggled to understand the lab assistant's rushed instructions.
But not me.
While the others fumbled, I had already begun. Guess repeating a class has its perks.
I was halfway through my readings by the time the others even picked up their test tubes.
Then—damn it—I ran out of NaOH.
I grabbed my beaker and headed to the front counter to refill. That's when I noticed her—Shivika—trying to lift the big jar of liquid with trembling hands. Her face wore an awkward smile, the kind that screamed, "I don't need help," even though she clearly did.
Her hands—small, delicate—shook slightly as she tried to tilt the jar toward the beaker.
I stepped forward, silently offering help. She instinctively handed me her beaker. I poured the solution for her, and as I handed it back, she looked up, smiled, and said, "Thank you."
That was it.
Two words. And yet... everything changed.
My heart went haywire, like it was trying to escape my chest. That voice, that smile—it was a combo that hit harder than I expected. Her words echoed in my head on a loop, her tone smooth as melting butter, yet sharp enough to slice through thought.
I tried to smile back but knew instantly how awkward it looked. I mumbled a "you're welcome" and hurried back to my station, slamming my head down on the table just to hide my face.
I was smiling.
Blushing.
What the hell was this feeling?
Everything about it was new—and overwhelming.
Then, out of nowhere, someone approached me. A classmate. He needed help with the experiment.
Wow. First human interaction in three months.
I fought back my introvert instincts and helped him out. We even cracked a few jokes.
And honestly? My chest felt lighter. Talking, laughing—it felt... good.
The lab session ended, and we returned to class for lunch.
I was about to head off to my usual hangout when I heard someone call out.
"Yo, come eat here!"
It was Gitarth, waving me over.
I walked up and saw him sitting with Krishiv, our class's resident academic machine. The guy could top the class and still whine about missing a single mark.
I sat down with them. Gitarth launched into the usual banter—anime, sports, random stuff teens throw around to kill time.
But I wasn't listening.
My eyes wandered, drawn to the other side of the room.
There she was—Shivika—laughing with her friends.
That smile again. My heart didn't stand a chance.
Gitarth caught me staring. He's sharp like that.
He smirked.
I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You like her, don't you?" he asked, grinning.
I looked away, flustered. "What—no. I mean... she just seemed nice."
He didn't buy it.
And then, casually—like it was no big deal—he dropped the words that would split my world in half.
"She's my ex."
Silence.
Time slowed. Sound faded. My thoughts blanked out.
What?
No. No way.
That couldn't be right. My ears must've messed up.
I looked at him, hoping for a laugh. A just kidding.
But he was serious.
Dead serious.
"She's my ex," he repeated, slower this time. Like hammering in a nail.
The words slammed into me like a truck.
Everything I'd been feeling—whatever soft, fragile thing had started growing in me—it all cracked at once. Collapsed under the weight of two simple syllables: ex.
I looked back at her again.
Still smiling.
Still oblivious.
Still... hers.
And suddenly, I didn't know what to feel anymore.