Let Me Redeem [Completed]

In the Courtyard

The corridor overlooked a central courtyard, affixed with a badminton net, where some students were currently playing a game of volleyball while others milled about mostly in groups, their collective chattering a loud buzz to them sitting on the fence wall on the second floor.

Their half empty shoulder bags were gathered on the floor in a corner against the pillar, beside their swinging legs as they ate, goofed about with the food, talked and laughed.

It was Monday afternoon, the sun gliding imperceptibly towards the west, creating long shadows on the earth on its way.

Ma'az, the most studious and goody two shoes of the lot, was in quite a mood today and was insisting the six of them bunk the classes and maybe go out to a nearby cafe before lunch break ended.

The way his friends looked at him at the said proposition, he knew he had broken one of his own rules. And hence he retreated before any of them put their hopes too high enough for him to reach, and told them he was only testing their devotion to studies, which though he already knew to be as weak as sand castles that wash away at the first wave, he couldn't say he wasn't a bit incredulous.

"When you pathetic losers are getting rejected from one place after the other because you don't have the required GPA, you'll regret you never listened to me and God, how desperately you would wish you had been more like me, smart, responsible, sens-"

"Ma'az. Shut your stupid face." Leila snapped, stopping him mid drone, before he escalated into proper lecture mode.

Sasha heaved a huge, dramatic sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, I was thinking of pushing him off the wall."

"He'd probably bounce back because of his inflated head." Leila muttered, rolling her eyes as Ma'az launched into a steady rhythm of tut-tuts.

"Hmm, a bullet to the head would be more effective, you know, it would leak out all the stuff he's got it filled with." Sasha mused.

"You guys look so cute, all jealous and threatening, in the most innocent way possible of course." Ma'az smirked, popping a cracker into his mouth as he aimed a kick at Leila's foot.

She scowled, pulled away her legs immediately and chucked towards him the wrapper of a chocolate bar she was holding.

"You utter swine, don't you touch my sandals, those are Prada."

"Ugh, shut up. I hate all of your whiny voices. They're making my ears bleed." Hadi mumbled, throwing his head back against the pillar and bringing his hands up to cover his ears.

Rafay chuckled.

"Oh, you bunch of sorry children, let Ma'az celebrate his A+ in English. Since things like our team winning never really turns him on, he needs this to sustain him."

"Ugh, that's what this is about?" Hadi looked at Ma'az, who smiled at him, trying to be shy about it, blinking his eyes and tilting his head.

"Ugh," Hadi muttered and let his head fall back again.

"Seriously though, we watched Les Miserables together, all of you should have gotten A+." Ma'az shook his head, trying to look disappointed, but just ended up grinning, proud of his own achievement.

Rafay rolled his eyes, spreading his legs out in front of him as he finished the last of his lunch.

"Hey, hey, remember last Saturday's pool party?" He asked suddenly.

"Obviously," Leila drawled, "and I know what, more specifically who and what part of them you're going to talk about next, so please spare me."