Trust Fall(Complete ✅)

10. The unfortunate peas in a pod

I just hope that I'm wrong.

The wannabe participants are allowed to skip their afternoon classes today so they could rehearse, as it's the last weekday before the audition.

So, I have my lunch real fast and head towards the auditorium, not to practice, but to take a few quick puffs.

It is in a solitary place, surrounded by small forests and meadows, so it provides a perfect hideout place for smoking behind the building or anywhere inside the woods. Amongst everything else, the school seems to lack a bit in stopping the kind of action I'm intending to do. Not that it would help anyway.

But if by any chance they find out that I've been smoking within the school campus, I will surely be suspended for plenty of days, which is completely fine for me. I'd rather be at home than to crave like a mad man.

As soon as I step beside the building, I light out my fag and inhale the warm fume, quenching the thriving desire all over my respiratory system.

I enter the forest, which I always prefer, and to my surprise, there is someone standing behind a tree who's been smoking as well. The tree isn't thick enough to hide the thin figure and the smoke is everywhere.

As I walk further, I find out that its...

"Hey, Rohan. I never knew you smoked."

"Sometimes." He shrugs. "It's been a while though, so I'm just taking a few puffs for old times sake." He say, dragging the fumes in between.

"Few? Really? It looks as if there's a damn fire out here. Dude! You're literally smoking like a chimney. " I say, stamping down on my own unfinished fag.

He follows my action and stops smoking.

"First things first. We need to get rid of all these mess you've created. We don't want to attract attention here. " I dig a small pit with a stick to hide the leftover sticks which are all over the place.

With a long sigh, he crouches down to help me.

"What's wrong buddy? Is something bothering you?" I tell, completely focused on my work.

"Would've told you if they were countable." He replies with a smirk.

"Can relate to that, bud. Life's full of shit."

"The crime committed is successfully disposed beneath the dirt." Rohan announces as we stand up.

"Just the last thing left." I say, taking out a hand sanitizer from my pocket to offer him..

"Dude! Don't tell me you're germophobic."

"Nah! I carry it around for situations like this, helps covering up the smells as you can see." I keep it back inside my pocket and bring out a pack of tic tac from another. "And with this, the case is dismissed."

****

Bianca is having a hard time rehearsing in front of so many people, it's clearly visible but she's still doing a great job. No matter how uncomfortable she feels, her willingness to rectify herself really stands out. She was brave.

Unlike me, I'm still not over with the dark flashbacks of my last live performance.

The screeching sound of the electric guitar, the loud noise and euphoria among the wild audience, still remains on my head like a nightmare.

"Hey, Are you alright?" A petite girl with curly hair, whom I've never seen before, drags me back to reality.

"Yeah, I was just....thinking. "

"Okay, you seemed a bit off, that's why I asked." I just give a small nod. "Do you mind?" She smiles and points out the space on the small bench I'm sitting on.

"Sure." I say and she sits beside me.

"I'm Priya. 11th Commerce."

"I'm Neil. 11th Science. "

"I know." She says, showing her brightest smile.

"Okayyy." I never feel comfortable with random girls approaching to have small talks, and she is no different.

"I mean we share a few class together, that's how."

"Oh, okay."

"You sound so good. I literally had goosebumps when you were singing."

"Thanks."

"They say I have a good voice too, you know. But I'm a better dancer. Singing and dancing highly relate to each other. We should collaborate sometimes and..." And she goes on and on.

"Hey, Priya, can I steal him for a moment please, I need him, like right now." Thankfully, like an angel, Sia comes to save me from my misery.

"But we were-" She begins to argue.

"Thank you." But Sia interjects and by holding my hand, she pulls me away from her.

"Thank you so much, Sia, I owe you one."

"Yes, you do." She says with a serious tone, "I'm just kidding." She punches me mischievously, "I know how much of a flirt and blah! blah! blah! she is."

"Oh, that's something rude to say about your school mates." I tease her.

"Oh really?! Okay, do you wanna join the polite conversation with her again?" She raises her brows at me, "don't worry, I'll help you find her."

"Please don't do that. I'm sorry." I say lifting both my hands as a surrender which leads her to laugh.

"I actually came here because the school time is over and the buses won't wait for long," She looks toward Bianca who is seriously practising her notes. "and by the look over there, I don't think this is going to dismiss any time soon."

"Yeah, I think that as well." I say looking at Bianca.

"Will both of you be able to come home walking? I don't think even a cab will be available in the later hours."

"What if we get lost? We both are new in town." I tell her, furrowing my brows.

"Ha ha very funny." She rolls her eyes.

"Alright ma'am, I'll make sure to bring your cousin home, safely. " I say with a wink.

"I hope you do Mister."

****

There weren't many people around when Bianca finally decided to stop.

"Oh my gosh! It's already 5:30. The bus must have left. I didn't even get to meet Sia or Keith." She exclaims, looking at her wristwatch in a panic.

"Yeah, it left and Sia came earlier today to visit, but you were kind of busy, so she talked to me and left."

"What did she say?"

"That you should walk home with me," I answer.

Rohan walks with us for a while but soon we part our ways, as his home is in the other direction.

We don't exchange any words on the way and I just walk behind her, almost following all her steps because the silence is too comfortable, so much better than an awkward small talk.

"Thank you." She says, finally looking at me for a second before she walks towards her door.

______________________________________

Finally, this chapter is over. So, we're getting closer to Neil's dark past and Rohan's horrifying present. Aren't you excited?

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