Anika
As Shaurya and his friends walk away, I take a deep breath and exhale, feeling my hair blow against the wind. My books are clutched to my chest and I take a seat on a park bench near me. Setting my books beside me, I sigh as I lean back against the park bench, crossing my legs and pulling a few strands of hair behind my ear.
I don't know what to feel about how Shaurya's friends treated mine. And I know it may seem like I'm making a big deal out of this, but they're my friends. They don't deserve to get treated like they're nonexistent and not worthy of a proper hello. And we always got treated like lower class people in college, and seeing how it seemed to continue in senior year makes me truly upset.
But at least Shaurya was willing to combine our friend groups. Especially a popular guy like him.
"Hey." I turn my head to my left, where I see Emily seated beside me. She has a sad smile on her lips. "Hi," I mutter. "Sorry about that back there."
"Oh, no," she waves it off. "Psh, it's okay. And you know, I get it," she furrows her brows. "I mean, we've been dealing with this crap since freshman year, you know? It's kind of a routine now."
"Exactly, Em," I sigh. "I don't want it to turn into a routine. It's senior year of college, for God's sake," I exhale. "I wanted this year to be different. You guys didn't deserve to be treated like that."
"It's okay, Ani," she pats my arm. "They'll warm up to us eventually."
"Yeah, hopefully," I reply.
Seconds later, Ty appears and smiles. "Sup, cool people!" He sits beside me and looks at us confusingly. "Why do y'all look like Jennifer Lopez died or something?"
Em scoffs. A faint smile appears on my lips. "You definitely know why we look sad, Ty."
He presses his lips together and leans forward. "It's not that big of a deal, guys. It's just kind of a routine thing now."
"That's exactly what I said!" Em points out.
"It may not be a big of a deal to you guys, but it surely is to me," I explain. "Ever since freshman year, we've been treated like we were scum off of the bottom of someone else's shoes. This year, I just..." I exhale, "I want things to be different. For us."
"I get that, Ani," Em replies, pressing her lips together. "But we need to move on from it."
I open my mouth to say something, but Ty interrupts me by placing his hand on my shoulder. "Don't stress about it too much, honey. Just go with the flow, okay?"
I sigh, but when I see the eagerness reflecting off from their faces, I know I can't argue with them much. Then, I nod my head. "You're right," I muster.
"Yeah," Ty replies. Then, he looks at his watch and curses to himself. "Shit! I had to meet with Jake five minutes ago!" His wild eyes look at us as he starts to side shuffle from the outdoor cafe. "Bye, guys! Make sure to tell me the deets, if there are any!"
"Okay!" Em yells. "Try to keep it PG-13!"
"Oh, hun," Ty answers. "I don't even think we're gonna keep it MA." He winks at us as Em and I burst out in laughter.
Once Ty departs, Em sighs and looks at me contemplatively. "We should start heading to bio," she says.
"Definitely," I embark, already out of my seat with my books held tightly to my chest. "I'm honestly just trying to squeeze in some extra minutes for studying time."
Em blows some air out of her mouth. "Tell me about it. Do you know what I got on the bio quiz yesterday?" We both start walking to the other side of campus, where our class is, and I shake my head.
"Dude," she leans in and whispers in my ear. "I got a freaking 42."
"Oh my God!" I break out in laughter as Em glares at me. "It's not funny, Ani! Okay. What did you get?"
"I got a 97," I breathe out, chuckling to myself. "Em, that's like the easiest bio quiz we're gonna get, you know that, right?"
"I know," she grumbles out. We suddenly hear some weird moaning noises coming from the corner. Em repeatedly taps my shoulder and we subject ourselves behind the divider that divides the east and west side of campus. The noises seem to come from the west side, so we're now hiding ourselves in the east side, behind the divider.
"What're those noises?" I whisper. "Shh!" Em hisses. "I think those noises are... moaning." She gasps and whispers to me, "I think it's people getting it on!"
I nod my head, feeling as if we're on some secret spy mission. "Well, what are we going to do? We can't just listen to these moaning noises, I feel like a perv," I shudder.
"Well, of course we're not going to listen to moaning noises," she scrunches her nose. "I'm just curious to see who it is, you know?"
"True," I reply. There seems to be a clearing from my right side, while Em's on my left. The clearing leads directly to where the noises are coming from, but I'm just to scared to peer through and see something I'm gonna regret seeing and possibly get nightmares about it for the next two weeks.
"So... what do you want to do?" Em eagerly asks. "C'mon, Ani! Just say yes! I haven't heard any drama in weeks," she moans. "Well, except the Shanika dramaâ"
"Um, excuse me?!" I hiss. "What the hell is 'Shanika'?"
"Uh, well, it's your name and Shaurya's name combined." I cross my arms over my chest and glare at her while she stutters to herself. "G-get it? Anika." She holds one hand up. "Shaurya." She holds the other hand up, and then intertwined the hands together. "Shanika!"
I take a deep breath as I fight every urge to punch her in the face. "Anyway," I grit through my teeth, "Let's just get this over with."
"Ohemgee, really?!" I nod my head and she squeals but then I immediately shush her. "Oops, sorry," she giggles. Then, she makes eye contact with the clearing and she whispers, "Ready?"
"Yup," I take a deep breath. "Here we go."
Em stands next to me as we both slowly peer through the clearing. The view is completely blurry, but I can make out two... male figures getting it on with an intense make out session.
But when the bodies shift into my peripheral view, I guess it's safe to say that my heart stopped right then and there because the two male figures are Ty and... a guy that's obviously not Jake.
Em and I both look at each other with widener eyes. "What the hell?!" She hisses. "It's not even been a goddamn week since Ty and Jake have been dating and he's already cheating on him!"
I take a deep breath. "I'm honestly not surprised, though. Like, what was his longest relationship?" I question.
"Like..." she thinks to herself. "A week or two?"
"Exactly," I point out. Em sighs and peers out the clearing again. I look and see that Ty's 'make out partner' is now eating his face. Yeesh.
"Well..." Em says. "What are we gonna do?"
I think to myself as a small smile starts to creep on my face. Bingo. "Well, my friend...looks like it's time for a little fun."
Shaurya
My mom sits idly at the table perched in the far corner. While the entire cafe is bustling with dozens of people coming in and out, talking amongst themselves and enjoying a nice sip of warm coffee, she sits to herself and contemplates about something, anxiety reflecting from her face.
Is she nervous to meet me?
My heart beats rapidly against my chest as I acknowledge to myself that I haven't seen her since weeks. The last time I saw her was in the beginning of August, and then I get so busy preparing for college, going back to my apartment and spending time with Nathan, and basically drowning myself in the companionship of drawing and art, distracting myself from the tragedy that is my life.
Seconds later, her kind eyes make eye contact with mine's. A smile slowly spreads on her tired face as she waves me over. Warmth fills inside of me as I walk towards her, feeling like my life is finally complete.
I sit down in the chair across from her, taking a deep breath. I look at my mom, who is still beaming ear to ear. She grabs both of my hands and brings them inside of her palms, kissing them and holding them close to her chest. "I've missed you, Shaurya," her voice cracks, her English mixing in with a heavy Indian accent.
My mom and dad got married in India, but they immigrated to America for the insight of a 'better life for their children.' Children soon turned into child, since I am their only child. I was born in America two years after they immigrated here. At the same time, my dad was working in a small office building, in the hopes to expand his business intentions, just to have a better life for him and his family.
We lived in a small apartment complex with other families. It was fun living in the same building as other people, since we were all so close with each other. We lived there for several years, but when I turned ten years old is when my dad announced we'll be moving to Oakland to live in a better place. Before we lived in the shady part of Sacramento where we'd hear siren calls in the middle of the night and inconspicuous activity occurring on the other side of the street. My dad despised where we lived but moving was a huge no-no for us because our budget was just too tight for that.
Then, me and my mom and dad moved to a much, much better home in Oakland, where we live now. I always found it so satisfying to look at-- the modern architecture, the garden filled with roses and lilies, and the fountain in front of our home, spitting out water in various directions. Furthermore, I always wondered why we moved from such a lowly apartment into a majestic mansion-- I suppose. It's not until I entered middle school is when my parents informed me that my father was the leader of a business he created from his own hands, branching off across the state and having huge amounts of success entailing from it.
Along with my family, I started to get pretty famous in the area, especially in my school. I would get dozens of people lining up to talk to me, wondering how it was like to live in a big ass home and have a pretty famous businessman of a father. I loved it for a while, the fame, attention, and constant love, but when high school came along... I got so sick and tired of it. For once, I wanted privacy and time to myself, not people following me as if I'm some sort of magnet that they must attach to.
As I have mentioned before, I was pretty skinny when I was in high school. I never got bullied for it, though, mainly because I was popular and adored by everyone. It still bothered me, and I started to work out. Soon enough, right when I entered college, I started to get more and more people coming to me, mostly girls. Probably because I had muscles, abs, and an actual jawline.
But I never worked out and got muscles just to get more popular. I only did that for my own liking.
"Hello? Shaurya?" I snap back to reality and see my mom, who looks at me worriedly. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-yeah, Mom," I stutter, reassuring her with a confident smile. "I just zoned out."
She laughs to herself, her bright teeth radiating. "School is really getting to you, huh?"
"Definitely," I laugh. "Senior year is not a joke."
She nods her head and leans forward. "I'm glad you're taking college seriously. Do you..." she presses her lips together. "Do you have any idea which school you want to apply to? To study further? Or do you have any idea what you want to do in the future?"
I take a deep breath and lean back against my seat. "I-I don't know, Mom. I mean..." I pause, thinking to myself how I'm gonna word this properly. "I want to go a nice art school here in California. You know that, Mom." I look at her willingly and she nods her head. "I want to do that, and only that. But, Dad..."
She presses her lips together, lines appearing near her cheek. Her hair is starting to gray a little, and her skin is a little wrinkly, mainly because of all the stress she's been dealing with. People think that, since we're rich and popular and all, there would be no problems. But that's not true whatsoever. I mean, not only is my father drowning in all the issues in his business, but he seems to throw his stressfulness at us, meaning me and Mom.
My mom grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Shaurya, you have to tell him one day."
"But, Mom--"
"Listen." She puts her hand up, signaling for me to shut the hell up. Then, she takes a deep breath and replies, "This is your life, Shaurya. You shouldn't have to live it for anyone else. Just do what makes you happy. It's that simple."
"I wish it were that simple, Mom," I huff out.
"But it is," she hisses. "Why can't you get that? What's the worse your father's going to do? Yell at you? Hit you? Maybe even kick you out?" She looks at me intensely, a stare that can make any kid shiver from fear under his breath. "You're better than this, son."
I frown, letting her words sink in. She's right, though. I shouldn't let my father's actions influence mine, and I shouldn't let him control my life as if he's some sort of virus taking over my brain. This is my goddamn life. All my entire life I felt as if every single little thing I did was because of my father and to just please him. Now... well, I'm going to change that, now.
"Yeah, I know, Mom." She gives me a warmth-filled smile and slightly tilts her head to the side. "Wow, Shaurya. You have really grown some meat to you, huh?"
"Mom!" I hiss, laughing to myself. A grin breaks out on her face, and suddenly someone comes to our table. It's a waiter, as she says to us, "Welcome to Brandy's! What would you guys like for this fine afternoon?"
"Get me a..." she thinks to herself. "A mocha latte, please." The girl jots down the order and looks at me. I notice her cheeks flushing a little, which I'm honestly not surprised that's occurring because, well, every girl that lays their eyes on me always has the 'heart eyes' for me.
Just stating the facts.
"Wh-what about you?" she stutters, nervously chuckling to herself.
I give her a cool smile and think to myself. "I'd like a green tea."
"Of course," she smiles. Then, she scurries off into the corner and I see my mom looking at me incomprehensibly. "What was that about?" she smirks.
I roll my eyes. "I don't even know." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks at me subtly. "So this is what you do in college, huh? Flirt with girls?"
"Mom, I didn't even flirt with her," I whisper. "I can't help it! I mean, what can I do if I'm so magnetic towards girls?"
"Well, you can always stop being so good looking," she teases.
"Yeah, as if," I scoff. "By the way, it's your fault for giving me the good looks."
She smacks me upside the head as I wince to myself.
My mom narrows her eyes at me, but then the girl comes back with two mugs in her hands. She gives us our coffees and gives me a compelling look. "Enjoy your drinks." The girl winks at me as her cheeks flush. Then, she scurries off again, squealing to herself.
I raise my eyebrows as I take the mug in my hand and sip a savoring taste of my green tea. "You see what I mean?" I mutter into my drink.
She smirks at me and takes a sip. Then, after a couple seconds of silence passes by, I take a deep breath and realize to myself that my mom called me to... talk to me about something.
"Hey, Mom?" I ask. She raises her eyebrows in response and I sigh. "You said you had... something to talk about. What is it?" I question.
Her face flushes from its tan color as she nervously pulls a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. You're right," she mutters. My heart beats against my chest in a rapid pace. Why does she seem so nervous all of a sudden?
"Mom... what's wrong? Is everything alright?" My voice shakes with anxiety.
Her deep brown eyes look at me with such intensity as her bottom lip trembles. Then, she presses her lips together as if she's stopping herself from bursting into tears, afterwards shaking her head ever so slightly.
"Wh... what?" I whisper. What's going on?
"Sh-Shaurya," she breathes out, her voice hoarse. Then, she grabs both of my hands, wrapping them up in her hands that are shaking like hell. My eyebrows furrow as I study her, wondering what managed to ruin her mood in a split second.
"Yes, Mom?" I breathe out.
She closes her eyes as a tear escapes from her left eye. My mom opens her mouth to say something, but closes it. The suspense is killing me right now. I need to know what's bothering her.
Finally, she opens her mouth again. I have to lean in very closely when she says this because it's barely even a whisper. But when she does speak, what I heard was enough to shake my walls.
"Me and your father are getting a divorce."
My heart beats faintly in my chest, but still pulses vividly with every beat.
My ears have a distinct static noise to it, the cafe noises dimming out.
No... no. NO! It can't be!
"Mom, you... you have got to be joking," I mutter to myself. Tears are brimming on the borders of my eyes, as the news my mother had just revealed to me repeats over and over again in my head.
me and your father are getting a divorce
me and your father are getting a divorce
me and your father are getting a divorce
"I wish I was, sweetie," she whispers. Her hand trembles as I squeeze it tightly, suddenly feeling my world falling apart but feeling complete at the same time.
"But... why, though?" I whine. "You guys are doing fine. What I know of, at least."
She closes her eyes together and takes a deep breath. "Things just aren't compatible with us anymore. He's been drowning in work, stressed as crap, and throwing all his stress out on me." My mom looks at me again. "I couldn't deal with it anymore. I just... I need some time away from him. Get a fresh start."
"What do you mean by getting a fresh start?" I question.
She presses her lips together and suddenly blurts out, "I've been thinking to move to Washington. Maybe even Seattle."
"S-Seattle?" I question again. "But, Mom... that's so far away!"
"I know, sweetie," she murmurs. "But it's for my own good."
"For your own good, you mean?" I narrow my eyes at her, my insides fuming with anger. "How can you be selfish like that, Mom? What about me?"
"I'm sorry, honey," she answers. "How about you..." she clears her throat. "You can just come with me."
As her words sink beneath my chest, I just finally realized what she said.
She wants me to move with her.
To Seattle.
I look at her confusingly and shake my head with disbelief. "Mom, I... I have a life here. And dreams that I need to pursue, and I cannot just--"
She interrupts me by placing her hand on my shoulder and looks at me promisingly. "Shaurya. You don't have to decide now. I get that you have a life here and dreams to pursue, but..." she takes a deep breath. "I just want you to know that if you need anyone, you can always just visit me."
"Yeah..." I breathe out. "But... when do you plan to move?"
My mom takes a deep breath, pushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Sometime in the summer. I don't know," she sighs. "We'll have to see."
As the entire conversation with me and my mom dawns into me, I lean back against my seat, sighing to myself. Then, the waitress comes again with a white slip of paper in her hand. She places it in front of me and fidgets with her fingers. "Th-that's the bill. Thank you for coming," she blushes and runs off into the other direction.
I look at the bill and make sure all the numbers are correct, but then something catches my eye at the far corner.
She gave me her number.
*
A/N:
Daaaaamn, Mama Roy went off ð
So what do y'all think about Shaurya's parents divorcing? Did y'all expect it? Also, what do you think Anika's plan is to... "have a little fun?" ð
In the next chapter, there is gonna be shocking moments involved and another possible plot twist.
In other words, shit's about to go down.
(P.S. we gotta admit: we're all the waitress in this chapter ;) Like, who WOULDN'T want to get a taste of Shaurya...)
-Ru <3