Strings Attached

~Chapter 11~

By now, almost everyone has left us alone to talk, not at all interested in our conversation. They know my group and our flirty ways. It isn't news if any of us try to snare the new girls into our traps. "So, where are you from?" I ask her, after a while. "India," she answers proudly. A certain bulb lights up at the back of my mind. They're from the same country, probably same school too. But I let it be for a while.

"You like Math?! You're a girl!" "Oh, not that stereotyping thingy again! I'm fed-up with this 'girls take English coz they're... well, girls, and boys take Math coz they're boys' nonsense." I like the animated way she speaks in. I admit I was a bit condescending in the way I questioned her liking for the subject.

"Girls aren't idiots, just so know. Besides, Indians are pretty intelligent!" I agree with her on that. There was a nerdy senior here, an Indian boy named Shiva Gupta. Last I heard of him, he'd gotten into LSE (London School of Economics), only the second guy to go there from our school.

This girl has a way about her that draws you in. I guess Chuck had got a feel of it yesterday. I can't blame him anymore. "No, you're wrong there," I state with conviction. "And how am I wrong?" she asks, clearly challenging me. "Indians are pretty and intelligent," I correct her, throwing her a wink. And she ducks her head abashedly, her dusky skin even darker from the blush spread across her cheeks.

"Such a charmer, aren't you?" she says, recovering from her bashfulness. I shrug my shoulders in response. "What can I say? It's my middle name." And I wink at her to demonstrate. "I haven't caught your first and third names though."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when I get the shock of my life. "You mean to say, you don't know who I am??!!" I ask her disbelievingly. "Nope. Should I have known?" "This is outrageous, man. Such an insult to my ego!" I exclaim dramatically, clutching my chest for extra effect. The girl rolls her eyes, now getting over my acting. "Oh, get a grip. Anyway, are you gonna tell me your name or do I need to insult you some more?"

"Now you've hurt me thoroughly. Anyhow, the name's Hasan. Daniyal Hasan," I tell her proudly. And now, it's her turn to get the shock of her life. It happens, I know. Been there, seen that. People can't believe that it's me in front of them, in person. Their eyes can't really take in such magnificence. The doctors should name this electric jolt they get when they hear my name, coupled with a glimpse of my handsomeness. I can imagine them calling it... the 'Dan Stupor'!

"Wait! So, you're the guy who bumped into my friend yesterday!!" she lets out after a while, and my internal musings come to an abrupt halt. What did she say, again?! So... she isn't shocked to hear my name! I didn't expect that. I didn't... even for a second, expect that! Oh, this is hard to swallow.

"Which friend are you talking about?" I feign ignorance. 'So they're friends,' the bulb inside my mind starts to blink brighter. This is interesting. I should engrave this piece of information inside my brain. "Don't act like you don't know, mister! You created quite a fuss over it," the girl retorts, her short frame towering over me, as I keep to my chair.

"And to refresh your memory, she is the new veiled girl. You hit her on her first day! Her forehead has a sizable gash, still. And it got you into detention... serves you right." She is taking me to task about it, now. That's amusing to watch. I'll let her speak to me like that for a little while longer.