Strings Attached

~Chapter 12~

"Do you have a free period?" she asks me and I shake my head to indicate that I don't. "That sucks, man! Anyway, have you noticed something?" Her tone makes me raise my eyebrow in surprise. "What?" I ask her, pretty much sure of the answer. If a popular idiot doesn't come to school, people are bound to talk.

"Daniyal hasn't been coming to school, right? Have you seen him around?" Wow! Out of all the people she could ask, she chooses to ask me about that goon. I give her a deadpan look. "No, I haven't. I don't know and don't care either," I tell her in a stern voice, and she puts up her hands in surrender. "Fine, sorry."

"Why are you even so afraid of him? Rather, why do you let him affect you at all?" she asks me conversationally but seriously and I keep quiet, simply because I've nothing to say. Maybe... because people like him scare me. People with tattoos all over their arms, cigarette between their lips and rings in their ears. Overbearing and angry, the whole time. As if they're doing the world a favour, just by living in it.

But I don't say these things to her, else she'll begin to lecture me on not judging people by their looks. I'm not in the mood for that! "You know, if you'd stop looking so afraid and running away from him every time he's around, he might even stop chasing you." "I'll keep that in mind, thanks," I tell her disinterestedly as I zip my bag shut. "Now, can we move?"

"Sure. I have Psychology, first period. You?" "Economics," I answer shortly. We walk in silence for a bit, at the end of which, she begins again. "By the way, I had a long talk with him few weeks ago." "Can you stop talking about him?" "Nope. I think he makes an interesting study," she says then winks at me. I have my mouth set in a thin line behind my veil. She's doing it on purpose and I hate her for it.

He has no significance in my life and I intend to keep it that way. Even if Hiba hadn't threatened me, I wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with him. I don't have time for such idiots anyway.

I've had other troublesome chasers like that behind me before. And I'm not proud of them. My history is sprinkled with such douchbags. "I'm thinking of taking him up as my case for the Psychology practical." She keeps talking in the same manner for another minute and I finally zone out.

"He asked me to apologise to you on his behalf for his actions, you know. And he was so sweet about it I couldn't help telling him about your betrothal," Poulomi suddenly lets out and I'm left reeling. "What?!"

"Lower your voice a little, there are people around," she, ironically, says to me. "I said I told him about your engagement with your cousin. I had to. He kept asking for your number." "You had no right to do that! Did you think I'd pat your back for it? You could've made any excuse under the sun!" I can't help but be angry with her.

"You can't help it, now that it's done, can you?" Poulomi counters and I huff in annoyance. "And how do you even know anything about it?" "I accidentally heard you and Samira talking about it in class once," she answers guiltily, making me sigh.

"I don't want him getting anymore info about me than is absolutely necessary, okay. You don't how he could use it against me. And next time, when you let out any of my personal information to someone, do tell me beforehand. Please." And saying thus, I walk away from her. "Hidayah, please yaar, I'm sorry na." She runs up to me, clutching my arm with her long fingers.