It All Started With Amnesia

Chapter Eight || Insanity is contagious -You get it from your friends' ||

“Well, I have an older sister Alyssa. She came home yesterday. Um, I mean, she studies at London Uni. She’s deadly smart, she won a scholarship. Well, she’s back for three months now.”

I guess Arjun noted my slightly bitter tone, because he didn’t question me further, and at that very moment the waitress came over with our orders.

Thank the lord. I was famished. I’m telling you teenagers have inbuilt mechanisms that go off when they are not eating.

“So, which is your favorite subject in Arts? I’ve heard that Psychology is quite interesting.” Arjun asks me, continuing the conversation.

I’m mesmerized by the way he can make eating a burger look so amazing. His throat muscles move with each bite and swallow and I’m pulled of my stare-a-thon when he clears his throat.

He smirks as he takes another bite. That git. He knows the effect he’s having on me. As coolly as I can, I take a bite of m sandwich and answer his question.

“Yeah, well it is. But, it’s hard to study. There are so many definitions and experiments. God, you feel like you’re going nuts at times.” I tell him.

“Well, come and try a bit of chemistry. And, if you’re in twelfth like I am, it’s even worse. There are so many chemicals and solutions. And, don’t get me started on Physics. Sometimes, I feel Newton hated kids and physics was his method to torture us.”

Both of us fall about laughing, dissing our studies and talking about our lives. I learn that he loves football and cricket and plays on his college’s football team as the goalkeeper. He explains the concept of the IPL – Indian Premier League, to me. It’s all about cricketers playing for state teams (of India) and it is more of an entertainment than sports thing. He tells me that even players from abroad are roped in and they all play for money and the common people enjoy watching them. He likes Linkin Park and Greenday. He adores The Big Bang Theory and unlike me, he can actually understand half the science stuff on it.

I tell him I play the guitar and like the bands Backstreet Boys and Bastille. When I tell him I’m athletically challenged, he laughs for about three minutes straight and then he volunteers to teach me football. With the thought of the safety of my fellow humans, I decline at first but when he insists I can’t refuse. With his puppy dog face, which he can use very well, I’d like to see you try. And, the fact that I’m fishing for any excuse to meet him again does not help me either. So now, I have another date with him next Saturday. I try not to feel too giddy at the thought.

“So, can I ask you something? And before you answer, I’d like you to take some time to think about it.” He says, smiling shyly as we walk back from that cute little restaurant. It’s around nine, and it’s pretty dark. The socially incompetent fool, that I am, didn’t realize that this would be the perfect moment to take his hand and walk. Thankfully, he’s a smart person in the dating field and he takes my hand and walks.

“So, Kiara, I really like you. Will you please be my girlfriend? And, you don’t have to answer now. I want you to think about it and let me know, maybe tomorrow evening?” He says softly.

I nod. And, then we’re at my building. I’ve been in a daze since the time he asked me to be his girlfriend. I have no idea what we did after.

He asked me to be his girlfriend.

He leaves me at the entrance and leaves after kissing my cheek. The gesture although innocent is very sweet and makes me smile.

The security guard looks at me strangely as I walk into the lobby with the stupid smile on my face. Even at dinner I can’t keep the smile off my face. But, it disappears when Alyssa tells me she ran into James at the supermarket and that they spoke for quite a long time. Before I go to bed, I decide that tomorrow I’ll go and visit James and confirm that I really like Arjun more than him.

We’re done James.

*

I wake up on Sunday morning with drool on my pillow, classy, I know.

‘Okay, you can do this. Go and talk to James, get it figured out.’ I give myself a mini pep-talk before I get up to change and then walk downstairs to James’ flat. I ring the bell and wait.

“Hi dear, how are you?” James’ mom lets me in. After politely answering her that I was well and asking her how she was in return, she tells me that James is taking a shower and that I was welcome to wait in the living room.

Since she tells me he’ll be getting out soon, I decide to wait.

After about ten minutes, James comes out with a towel around his shoulders and I thank my lucky stars that he’s not shirtless, because I’m sure I’d make a fool out of myself.

I can barely control the way I’m acting after looking at his wet, glistening hair falling sloppily over his forehead.

“Hey Kiara, how’re you? How did the date with Arjun go?” he asks me, ignorant of the meltdown I’m having just by looking at him. I snap out of it and answer him, “Uh, well it was good. So, I came over to ask if the amnesia is any better. I mean, do you remember anything more?”

I’m acting illiterate. I know amnesia doesn’t go away within a day. I should have thought this through.

“No, not really. Though, I still remember the stuff you guys told me about myself. That, I haven’t forgotten. So, for now it’s still the same situation.” He doesn’t sound like he’s thinking I’m stupid.

“Hmm, so -” Whatever I had been about to say gets cut off by the sound of the doorbell.

“Hi James,” says a very familiar voice, one I’d recognize anywhere.  

Shit, Alyssa’s here. I curse under my breath. Damn, she has horrible timing.

James and Alyssa come to the living room, and immediately my eyes notice the arm around Alyssa’s shoulders.

Isn’t that arm attached to James?

What the fuck happened in the supermarket yesterday?

“Hey Alyssa, how come you’re here?” I ask her, trying to sound as though seeing her here isn’t a big deal.

“Well, yesterday I told James we should go out sometime and maybe catch up on each other’s lives. Right, James?” She answers me, nudging him with her shoulder.

He nods, “Sure, let me go and get changed and we’ll leave. Kiara, we can talk later, can’t we?” He asks me, looking at me in a way I can’t comprehend.

I answer, “Uh, sure.” Alyssa sits down next to me while James goes into his room to get changed.

“You know, I'm hoping that with time, we’ll be ‘going out’ as more than friends,” Alyssa says, grinning and waggling her eyebrows.

Her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

Oh, how I hate her.

Before I have even begun to try and reply with an appropriate response James is back.

Before I know it, I’m waving my hand and bidding them goodbye. Once again I find myself in a daze as I mindlessly walk back home.

I enter my room and sit on the bed. I debate over my decision for a few minutes. And then, I call him.

“Hey, Arjun. About my answer, yes, yes I’d like to be your girlfriend.”

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Author’s Note:

Thank you all for all the reads and the votes. You’ve been very kind to me.

This chapter is dedicated to Cassy, my friend, who’s been incredibly supportive of my work here on Wattpad.

The song is Pompeii, one of my favorites and in a vague sense, it’s fits the chapter perfectly.

Um, please vote and comment of you’ve liked this chapter.

Let me know if you find any mistakes.

Love, Liz xoxo