His Tutor

29: decisions?

My mind is already starting to wander. What did I need again? Oh, right. Baseball gear for Ishita. Wait, she already has plenty from Christmas. I forgot.

I pretend to walk about for a while, since it would be weird if I left right away again. Checking the baseball section, I try to find anything Ishita could possibly need, to which I don't.

"Looking for something?"

"Oh!" I turn around and try to suppress my sudden enthusiasm. "Hey, Ahaan," I try to say much more casually.

"Let me guess. Buying something for Ishita again?"

"Um, yeah. A bike."

"We don't sell bikes here."

"That explains why I couldn't find them."

Ahaan has his hands shoved into the pockets of the windbreaker I got him, which is the nicest thing on him. His dark and messy mop of hair is gathered underneath an old, white baseball cap. His white sneakers are stained with grass and mud marks, as are his ripped jeans. Despite all of this, he looks like, he just walked out of a photoshop for some hip and urban magazine.

"What happened?" I point to his clothes, not realizing how rude I may have come off.

"Oh, I did some volunteer work with plants before going to work."

"That's nice."

"I heard you're the president of the cooking club now. Congrats."

"Oh yeah, thanks."

"Got plans over spring break?"

"Not really. Work probably. You?"

"Same."

"If you don't have any plans, you should go to the lake tomorrow. The whole school's going to be there. It'll be fun," the girl who was stacking water bottles joins, standing slightly in front of me to face Ahaan. I never saw her before, so it was to my surprise she goes to our school. Then again, my eyes are usually glued to my homework or I'm walking in the hallways with the mindset to get to class as fast as possible while staring at the shoes that pass by.

"No, thanks. I don't really like that kind of stuff," Ahaan shrugs, stepping a bit to the side.

"It'll be fun. I'll be there," she says, as if her presence is an incentive for Ahaan to come.

"Are you going, Ishqi?"

"I'm not really sure. Ally and Carson talked about it, but I don't know if they plan to make me third-wheel."

"I'll go if you go. I won't know anyone else otherwise," Ahaan says.

His coworker's smile was now withering into a grimace. "I'll be there," she adds again.

"I will probably come." I nod my head.

"Cool, I'll will probably too."

"We should carpool and save gas, Ahaan," the girl suggests.

"No, thanks. I'm going to ride my motorcycle."

"That's perfect! I always wanted to ride one," she pipes up excitedly.

"Its dingy. Too weak to support two people. Sorry."

"Oh," her voice droops, "well, we can always do it another time."

"Are you on your way out, Ishqi?"

"Um, yeah."

"Me too." Ahaan slides past her and the shelf of baseballs to walk out beside me.