𝔽𝕀𝕃𝕆𝔽𝕆𝔹𝕀𝕊𝕂

𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤

The bell rang for the second period while we were still in the theater class. Hearing the bell, we hopped down the stage, took our bags and left for our remaining classes. 

While we were walking in the hallway, Zinnia stopped me in my tracks and said, "Hey, don't tell Amy about what I said this morning, ok? I know you won't but still..." 

"You know me, dude. I will never say this to her. If she's gonna know about this, then it will be from you. That's for sure," I said assuringly.

"Yeah, I know," she said, giving me a smile.

We said goodbyes and went to our respective classes. As I entered my class, I saw Amy looking outside the window from her side seat. The gloominess on her face was visible that formed a furrow between my brows.

I went towards her and sat down on my place, next to her. Feeling someone's presence, Amy turned her head towards my side and upon seeing me, she gave me a smile that didn't reach her eyes. 

"Hey, where were you for the previous class?" she asked, straightening her posture.

"Bunked!" I replied, grinning at her.

"All alone?"

"With Zinnia," I said as I unzipped my bag.

She nodded her head and turned to look outside again. 

"What happened?" I asked, leaning on my table after taking my books out.

"What?"

"What's bothering you? You look disturbed."

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head and looking down at her hands on her lap.

Sensing the silence, she slowly looked at me to see me eyeing her with both my eyebrows up.

"Yeah, I know. You can catch me lying real quick," she said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"You know that and are still lying to me. The audacity!" I said.

She let out a small laugh and looked at me.

"Alright, jokes apart. What happened?" I asked seriously. 

Amy took a deep breath. "I think I'm just a rebound for Ash to get over his ex," she said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. 

I gasped. Only this morning I was talking about them and then I got to hear this.

"Why would you think like that?"

"Yesterday, while I was walking home from the grocery store around evening, I saw Ash at a cafe around the corner of the street. He was with his ex, Becky."

"Maybe they bumped into each other," I said as a possibility.

"Yeah, maybe but that's not it. He was really happy, smiling and laughing at her. He looked like how a high school boy would be in his first days of love. He had a whole different face when he was with Becky. A face I haven't seen till now. And the reason behind that happiness isn't me, Elka. It's Becky," Amy said looking at me, her eyes holding only sadness.

"Just by seeing him talking and smiling with his ex, you assumed that he's using you as a rebound?"

"You should've seen him, Elka. Then you wouldn't be asking me this. I know as a matter of fact that Ash still hasn't moved on from Becky. When we are together, sometimes he will compare me with Becky over small things. I don't know whether he's doing it deliberately or not but still, it hurts."

"Yeah, ok. But was it that serious between you two anyways, for you to feel like a rebound? You told me once that you two are just a thing inside college and when you step out, you both don't even chat."

"I get it. We are just dating and it's only been two weeks and it's nothing close to serious. But is it normal to treat me like a second option?" she threw a question at me that caught me off guard.

What she asked made me think about it and I knew why she was feeling this upset. 

"Yeah, you're right. And I'm not saying that things like this can be normalized. It cannot and it shouldn't. Why don't you just ask him directly?"

"I don't know. What if it's just a misconception? I don't want him to think that I'm being suspicious even before anything begins between us," she said before looking down at her hands again.

"So you want something to begin between you two? Are you in love with him, Amy?" I asked as Zinnia's face was appearing in my mind. 

"Not that I'm in love but I think it would be great if something more happens between us," she said, looking at me.

"I'm sorry,  Amy. I wish I could give you some advice on this but you know, I have been single forever."

"It's fine, Elka." She smiled. "I know you really want to help me. And that's enough for me," she said, taking my hands in hers and squeezing it.

"Maybe I'm not good at giving relationship advice but I'm really good at uplifting one's spirits. It's a God given gift for me and I think I should use it on you today," I said, pointing at her. 

Amy laughed. "Ok. Where are we going?"

"How about my place?" I asked, giving her an eyebrow flash.

"Yeah, sure," she said, nodding her head.

I chose my place as I knew Amy liked to spend time at my home. I chose my place with a different agenda that Amy didn't have a clue about.

Can't nobody throw shade on your name in these streets
Triple threat, you're a boss, you a bae, you a beast
You make it easy to choose
You got a mean touch, I can't refuse