Shaurya
I wake up with possibly the brightest smile on my face. Just as one would see in a commercial, I graciously pull off my covers, yawn and stretch as I enjoy the glamorous sunlight pouring in from the windows. Then, I pull off my bedsheets off my body and saunter over to the bathroom to take the best shower ever.
You must be wondering, why is Shaurya so happy?
The answer is, well... I might have FaceTimed Anika Desai last night. And not just for a night, but also until five o' clock in the morning.
What I have learned about Anika Desai is that:
1) She wants to become an author
2) She prefers dogs over cats (duh, who doesn't?)
3) She HATES spiders
4) She loves the color purple
5) She is addicted to the TV show 'The Office'
6) If she were given any superpower, then she'd read minds
I look at myself in the mirror, admiring the grin placed on my face. Why am I thinking about her so much? Usually it is the girl that is always thinking about me this much, not the other way around.
Again, why her?
The white towel is wrapped around my lower body, revealing my toned abdomen. My abs glisten against the water droplets as I push my wet, dark hair back, studying my facial features. I was always told that I had the best smile, and other girls have claimed that they fell in love all due to my smile. I mean, what can I say? Girls can't resist me.
I place my hands on my stomach, feeling the curves of my abs. My biceps have veins appearing from every nook and cranny and I press my lips together in a thin line. Taking a deep breath, I take a few steps back from the mirror, placing my hands beside me. The sunlight starts to seep into the bathroom blinds, casting different shades of light on my torso. My skin glows in a golden color.
It took me years and years to carve this body, dealing with endless amounts of working out, stacking up on protein bars, and basically shunning myself from unhealthy carbs. I was very skinny in high school and was always made fun of being a 'stick.' But I got so tired of the taunting that I basically made them regret all the mean things they said to me back in grade school by looking like, well, not a skinny person anymore.
I sigh to myself, grabbing my clothes and quickly wearing them. Today is gonna be a very interesting day, since it's the second day of college, which also means that I will be getting evaluated for all the homework we've been drenched with.
I have to admit, Anika and I discussed and worked on homework for just an hour or two. Once two o' clock came by, we got into the deepest conversations ever. Anika talked about her wonderful memories with her mother and father, but things took a deep dark turn once her mother passed away, mainly with her and her father.
After she talked about her issues, I went and talked about mine. And what's so weird is that I didn't even hesitate to pour my feelings to her. It's as if there's this signal going off above me, saying that I should just trust her and tell her whatever about me. And what's even weirder is that the same 'signal' doesn't go off with me and Nathan or even me and my mother.
Growing up, my mother was someone that I also trusted with all my heart and told her everything. I told her my girl problems and school problems and trusted her not to tell my father because I knew he would get pissed if I focused on anything but school. And me and my mother still talk as much nowadays, but I'm just way too busy to talk to her much these days.
Grabbing my backpack and my phone, I walk to the dining area where I see Nathan eating a cream cheese bagel while simultaneously texting on his phone. Raising my eyebrows, I sit on the chair in front of him. "Who are you texting?" I smirk, taking a banana and a granola bar in my hand.
Nathan continues to type rapidly into his phone with one hand as he takes minuscule bites from his bagel. I shake my head as laughter escapes from my mouth. "Hello?" I sing out. "Earth to Nathan?"
He grunts at me, then goes back into his non responsive state. Huh, I guess there's only one thing left to do.
A mischievous grin appears on my face as I reach over and yank the phone out of his hand, and with no hesitation whatsoever, I fling it across the room as it idly lands by the couch.
"Hey!" he shrieks, jabbing the cream cheese bagel into his mouth. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Finally," I snort, slouching back in my chair, "You finally responded."
He narrows his eyes at me, stomping to where his phone landed. "Who are you texting?" I say a little loudly this time.
Nathan sighs, sitting on the chair in front of me. "Who do you think, dumbass?"
"Ah," I smile, leaning my head back. "Your girlfriend?"
He opens his mouth a little to protest, but a small smile slowly appears on his face. "You can't be talking, dude. I heard you talking to your girlfriend all night long."
At that moment I swear I felt my face turn red. And brown people don't turn red.
"What?" I chuckle, nervously biting my lip. "She's not my girlf-- we just had a lot of literature homework last night!" I squeak out. "And we, like... had no idea what to do on our assignments so we just... helped each other," I mumble.
Nathan bursts out in laughter, pointing his finger at me. "Dude, you look like a tomato!"
I narrowed my eyes at him, peeling my banana. Today was certainly going to be a long day.
Anika
Today was certainly going to be a great day.
I apply a little bit of lip gloss on me, pressing my lips together as they reveal a slightly red-pink color. My hair is straightened and I am wearing a silver-chained butterfly necklace my mother gave to me when I was ten. And today I am wearing tight skinny jeans that are ripped with a black crop top that seems to be a little revealing.
Usually, I never dress up this well. Especially during school, I just show up in sweatpants, a messy bun, and a really baggy shirt, which probably explains why no one really talks to me.
But I'm really not trying to impress anyone, and I never was. All I wanted to do was graduate from high school, become an author, find a nice husband and birth two beautiful children. I never wanted my mother to die from cancer, my father to get extremely strict, and to struggle with having not that many friends in college. I lived life in such despair and never found interest in any activities or social outings.
That was before Shaurya walked into my life.
I don't know why, but I can't stop thinking about him. Ever since that FaceTime call last night, he's taken over my brain as if he's some virus that's bound to ruin me and my mind. He made me smile and laugh so much last night, more than I have in the past few years. And I have to admit, he makes me numb from my pain and distracts me from my miseries, the same pain and miseries that have been haunting me ever since I was a little kid.
My feet pitter patter downstairs and I see a yellow post it note plastered on the door frame. I lift it up and it reads:
Anika,
I had an emergency called in at the office, so I left a little early.
Will be coming home late as wellâ possibly around 11-12.
Make sure to do your homework and don't sneak off, I have a location tracker on your phone.
- Dad
Taking a deep breath, I scrunch my eyes as I study the note. Then, I ball it up and throw it into a trash can.
I open the front door, feeling the cool breeze hit my face as it fans my hair back. The wind feels so satisfying against my face as I feel half of my worries fluttering away.
Walking over to my car, I unlock it and climb inside. The engine starts as the music starts blasting. Then, once I reverse from the driveway, I press on the accelerator as the windows roll down.
I reach at UCLA around 8:30am. That means I have time to hang out with Em, Ty, and possibly Shaurya.
No, Anika! Why do you keep forgetting? Shaurya is way out of your league! First, he's rich, you're not. Second, he's popular, you're not. And third, he has actual parents, you don't.
God, I hate my inner thoughts.
Sometimes I do wonder that Shaurya is just flirting around with me just for the hell of it. I heard that he's a player and has thousands of girls lined up to date him. I also find it suspicious that... why would he wanna talk to me? All the girls he's dated are popular, mean, and rich and extremely beautiful. I'm not either of those things.
But when he called me gorgeous...
"Hello? Anika? Are you even alive?"
"What? Huh?" I snap back to reality as I see Em and Ty staring at me very confusingly. I seem to be standing in the middle of the parking lot as they are huddled around my car. The sky is a light shade of blue as the sun beats down on us.
"Girl," Ty snorts, pushing his thick and curly hair back. "We thought you died."
"No, I didn't," I snort. "I just... transitioned out of reality."
"Well, you should probably transition back because Shaurya is totally checking you out," Em whispers to me.
"What?!" I hiss, frantically looking around. "Where?!"
"Don't look!" Ty exclaims. "He's like..." he leans in towards me. "Right behind you."
"Oh," I mumble. "Is he..." I clear my throat. "Like... staring staring at me or just, staring?" I raise my eyebrows.
Ty scoffs. "Honey, he's staring staring at you."
"I'm honestly not surprised, though," Em responds. "Because you look like a full course meal."
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Ty asks. "You usually dress up as a trash can."
"Thanks, guys," I roll my eyes. "But I just wanted to change things up a little, you know?"
"I understand that," Em nods her head as she pushes her luscious red hair back. "But you do know that he's walking towards you, right?"
"Wait, what?! He is--?"
"Hey, Anika."
I swirl my head around to meet eyes with Shaurya Roy. A hesitant smile is placed on his full lips as he pushes his hands into his shorts. He wears a blue shirt that seems to be a little tight on him, but I'm honestly not complaining. The shirt really enhances his veins that run across from his biceps to his forearms all the way to his hands. His tan skin glows against the sunlight and the sun hits him on the face as he cutely scrunches his face, chuckling. Tiny dimples appear on the side of his cheeks and he places his hand on his forehead.
"Hey, Shaurya," I smile.
"Do you mind going to a different place? The sun is being annoying right now," He grins, continuing to look at me. His eyes flutter to my face, to my legs and back up. I feel my insides turning to mush as his eyes study me like a scanner.
"S-sure," I stutter. I place my hand in front of me. "You can lead the way."
He nods his head and walks in front of me. Even his walk is so cool, just like him!
I quickly turn around and see Em jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl. Ty, on the other hand, pretends to hump my car and makes kissy faces.
I roll my eyes and glare at them, whilst laughing to myself at the same time. Then, I turn around and see that Shaurya has led to me to a small picnic table that is close to our literature classroom. We sit down across from each other and I place my bag on the side.
We look at each other and he smiles at me. "You look really nice today, by the way," he mumbles, awkwardly scratching his neck. When he sees that I haven't responded yet, he stutters to himself. "I-I mean, you always look nice! It's just today, you know..." Shaurya takes a deep breath. "Today's just different."
"Yeah," I laugh. "I know what you mean."
He grins at me. "So... um, did you have fun talking to me last night?"
"Yeah, I did!" I exclaim. "It was fun, and remember when you almost fell out of your bed?"
"Oh, yes!" He laughs, throwing his head. "I was right by the edge of the bed, okay? And you said something extremely hilarious-- what was it?" He thinks to himself, cutely scratching his head. "I don't know, but it was so funny. So, I was laughing like a goddamn hyena and I almost rolled off the bed, man!" Shaurya places his hand on his stomach and laughs. I join in as well.
By the time we finish laughing, it's almost time to get to class. Shaurya and I walk to class as we basically vent to each other about our hatred for literature and the excessive amount of homework we were given yesterday. We walk into class and see our professor rapidly grading papers. She looks towards us and nods her head.
We sit in our seats, but this time we sit right by each other. I open up my laptop as the picture of me and my mother appears. Shaurya glances at it and I exhale. "That's my mom."
"Wow," he smiles, looking at the picture. "Your mom was so beautiful."
"Yeah, she really was," I breathe out.
Shaurya nods his head and leans in towards me, placing his lips right next to my ear. "Now I see where you get your good looks from."
Shaurya
Anika and I immediately waltz out of the classroom when it finished. Both of us sigh with relief as we pile into the hallway. "Whoa," I breathe out. "Hell was pretty bad today."
"Tell me about it," Anika laughs, clutching her books to her chest. My cheeks flush as I find myself staring at her again. No matter how many times I tell myself control where I look... I just can't. I can't not look at her while she's looking like such a goddess. And it honestly brings me deja vu, from the party the other night.
Both of us walk to the lunch area. My friends, Nathan and Emma, sit across from each other and what seems to be Anika's friends sit at the other table. Anika and I look at each other indecisively and she sighs. "Well, I guess I better go--"
"Wait," I pause. "Do you... do you want to sit with us? You can bring your friends over."
"Are you sure?" She raises her eyebrows. "I don't want to interfere."
"No, no!" I exclaim. "Don't say that. You're not interfering at all."
"Oh, okay," she smiles. "Thanks."
I nod my head as I let her go in front of me. She goes over to her table as I go to mine. Nathan opens his mouth to say something, but I place my finger near his mouth and I exclaim, "Anika and her friends are coming over. Do NOT embarrass me, okay?"
"Hey, Shaurya." I turn around and see Anika with her friends. One is a girl with nice red hair and a beaming smile on her face. She waves at me and I wave back. The other is a guy that seems to be a little shorter than me with a lean body and curly dark hair. He pushes his glasses up and shyly says hi.
"These are my friends, Emily Taylors and Tyler Rivera. But I call them Em and Ty," Anika explains.
"Hey," I flash them a smile. "I'm Shaurya."
"Yeah, we heard about you," Ty blurts out. I raise my eyebrows at them in confusion and Em stutters. "W-what he meant is that... I mean, you're pretty famous, right? With your father, and everything...?" she trails off.
"Yeah," I chuckle. "I know what you mean."
Em nervously chuckles as Anika glances at me. I take a deep breath. "Oh! Behind me are my friends, Nathan Landings and Emma Abbott." I turn my head to them and grit my teeth. "Say hi."
"Sup," Nathan cooly waves and Emma smiles at them.
"They're eating lunch with us," I explain. "So scoot over."
Nathan and Emma scoot over as Anika sits across from me, Ty across from Nathan and Emma across from Emily. I exhale as Anika awkwardly looks at me. Then, I clear my throat. "So, how's everyone's second day of college going?"
"It's going good," Ty blurts out. "I got a 100 on my essay and I even got extra points for naming the fundamentals off--" he stops as Emily shoots a look at him. "It was good, for all of us," she explains.
"That's... good," I mutter. I look at Nathan and Emma. "What about you guys?"
"Pretty wonderful," Nathan murmurs. Emma nods her head as well. Why do they have to be so rude?
"Is that all you guys have to say?" I ask.
Nathan shoots a look at me and he mutters, "Yup."
I take a deep breath and look at Anika again. She plays with her food and gives me a look that makes me very upset, especially towards Nathan and Emma. Why are they being so quiet and rude to Anika's friends?
Lunch is finished, and so is the awkwardness. Anika brings me to the side and she whispers, "Hey, what was that about?"
"I don't know," I whisper back. "But I'm so sorry. They're not usually like this. I don't know why they were so quiet."
"Probably because we're not part of your 'clique.'"
"What? What do you mean by 'clique?'"
She sighs. "Never mind. It's okay."
I take a deep breath and she half smiles. "I should probably go to class. I'll see you later."
"Yup, see ya later," I say, and she's already gone. I sigh to myself as I see Nathan and Emma talking amongst themselves as they take quick glances towards Anika and her friends. But, I am suddenly interrupted as I feel a buzz in my pockets.
I take my phone out of my pocket and feel my heart stop as I read the notification.
It's my mom.
Asking me to meet up.
And she hasn't texted me in months.
I clutch the phone to my chest, taking deep breaths. She never texts me unless it's an emergency. But what's happened now?
I make sure that Nathan and Emma aren't looking as I dart to my car. It's not even been a full minute and I'm already out of campus. I go to the cafe my mother was talking about as I see her Maserati parked in the front. Placing my head on the headrest, all I can think about is what the hell she would want from me now.
Once I get out of the car, I reach the huge double doors that lead to the inside. I place my hand on the handles, and I think to myself, this is it, Shaurya. Whatever your mom wants to talk to you about... she's going to tell you.
I take another deep breath as I finally open the door.
*
A/N:
Whoa! Looks like Shaurya and Anika really are getting close, huh? ;)
But, what are your guys' thoughts about the way Nathan and Emma reacted when Anika's friends hung out with them? Why do you think they did that? And how did that make Ani, Em, and Ty feel?
And not only that, but Shaurya's Mom RANDOMLY texted him to meet up. Oof, I'm so scared on what's it going to be!
But wait... I already know. MWAHAHAHA!
Stay tuned!
-Ru <3