The Chocolate Boy (Book One)

Chapter 1 : Vanilla Nights

Chapter 1 : Vanilla Nights

Dreams were where my nightmares resided.

"Move it, Tuhin, we are getting late."

I swatted aimlessly at my sister's hands but she managed to go on poking my rear end. Frustrated, I sat up on the bed and tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

"That's my boy!" She ruffled my hair and thrust in my hands a toothbrush with the paste already applied. I looked at her in confusion. What was her deal? If my sister was being nice to me without any ulterior motive, then the end of the world must be just around the corner.

"Go to the bathroom, quick!"

I groaned and stretched before leaving my room with her following closely behind me.

"I'm just so excited about this new school!" she began to gush. 

Ah, that was it. Today was the day we start at the new high school. It was no wonder that she wanted her first impression to be immaculate and not be ruined by my tardiness.

But I did not particularly want to favor her today.

"The building holds only classes 11 and 12, so no annoying juniors. Also, it has the best school library in the whole of Kolkata! I just can't wait to check it out and finish - "

"My God! Just shut up Tuhina!"

Some days I really wished I could keep my temper under check but who was I kidding? My sister had it worse than me at times.

The smile fell from her face immediately. Not that I wanted to ruin her excitement but she needed to shut up anyway.

She looked at me with a concern etched on her face.

What? Don't I get an anger fueled lecture?

"Just... hurry up, okay?"

I nodded and without another word, entered the bathroom to get ready for school.

"Don't know what's up with him lately," her voice trailed off.

Yeah, go on having stupid nightmares all throughout the night only to be woken up by being poked on your butt and you'll know what's up.

I turned on the shower, stripped out of my boxer shorts and stepped into the stream of flowing water. Even that was uncomfortably warm on my already sweat-soaked body. I ran my hands all over myself, hoping to wash away the stresses of the night. Especially the nightmares. They just made the bad memories a hundred times worse.

With a towel wrapped around my waist, I went back to my room to fish out some clean underwear from my closet and slipped on the new uniform Tuhina had kept ready for me on my bed.

"Breakfast ready!" Ma called from the kitchen while I headed down to the dining with my bag slung over my shoulder. Tuhina was already seated at the table.

Ma shoved a glass in my hand. It was milk with Complan.

Yeah, the all-famous health drink allegedly stimulating the growth hormone of kids since forever.

"Really, Ma? I'm already six feet tall, I don't need to be taller than this," I gestured at myself with a frown.

"Just drink and be over with it," mother said as she hurriedly put some mixed fruit jam on the toasts for herself.

Seeing her state, I couldn't complain more and began to do the same to the ones in my plate. The help had suddenly decided not to show up today so Ma had to cook all the meals, do the household chores on top of preparing to present the project she'd been working on for a month on which weighed her promotion.