Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 3

November 2015

"Where were you? I was calling you in the morning!" Dumb bitch always complaining.

"You were calling me at 4! I slept at 2:30! How do you expect me to be up by 4?" I try to towel dry my hair.

"I called you! You're supposed to pick up! What if I was dying?" Ass.

"I seriously doubt you're gonna die at 4 A.M. in the morning. And if you are, let me know in the afternoon because I have morning classes."

"You're heartless, you know that?"

"You're telling me it's not general knowledge?" I feign surprise.

"Ha ha. You're hilarious. Skype me right now." He says and abruptly cut the call. Sometimes I wonder why I even choose to be associated to this human form of the shit emoji. But I already know the answer. It's cause I'd be a train wreck without him. Who else would I call at 1 A.M. and rant? I couldn't call Nandini or Pari. They were normal human beings with normal sleeping schedules.

I put my phone beside the photo frame and call him as soon as I put on my t-shirt. He's still in bed and looks exhausted. He has his huge, black rimmed reading glasses perched on his nose which he only wears while studying or gaming. His deep blue comforter is tucked around him and he's rubbing his eyes. I would've thought the sight was absolutely adorable and endearing if I didn't think that it was sloppy and disgusting.

"Why do you look nice?" he mutters sleepily as he pulls the comforter up to his neck. I'll admit he was cute sometimes. Sometimes. Not to mention the fact that it disgusts me to even use the words 'Anuj' and 'cute' in the same sentence. He's always been a slob to me. I had seen girls have huge crushes on him way before I even knew what a crush was.

But I just didn't see the appeal. I figured they had never seen him berate a chicken leg piece or seen him covered in mud because he just couldn't resist jumping in a puddle.

"I don't look nice. Do I?"

"Of course you do. You're literally glowing." Enrique's Somebody's Me is playing in the background as usual.

"I don't know. I just used a face wash." I check in the mirror and think I look normal.

"Ah... that's why. I'm so used to your ugliness that when you as much as clean your face, it feels as if you have make up on." I flip him the bird and he smiles with satisfaction.

"Go back to sleep. You have your second last session today. You can't fall asleep there." I try to reason with him as I comb my hair.

"I can't sleep. I'm tired but not sleepy. Stop torturing your damn hair!"

"I'm just tying them into a pony." I huff as I pull my hair up.

"Leave 'em open. Your hair looks nice. Have I mentioned the fact that I'm only friends with you because your hair's nice?"

"Yes you have. SEVERAL times!" I leave my hair and start putting my shoes on.

"That's because your shithead boyfriend won't treat you the way you deserve to be, so I'm left to do his job."

"Huh? What are you mumbling about?"

"What's he up to these days anyway?"

"Since when do you care? Also, I wouldn't know. I haven't talked to him in three days."

"What? Why? Did you threaten him again? I told you to stop doing that."

"No! He said he missed me and was thinking about the time when we hugged for the first time and I told him I didn't wanna talk about it and it led to a very long text on his end, saying I was emotionally unavailable, constricted, showed no emotion towards him whatsoever and that I didn't love him anymore and stuff." I say as I sort out my backpack then decide to ditch it and just carry a pen.