Bella's POV
That ass of a girl! She is getting into my brains. I mean it just her first week and she is sticking to the boys like glue. When I first saw her, I felt something familiar, she appeared to be good, but in just five days, she has started showing her true colors! She is anything but good!
I have my boyfriend talking all about her, defending her when she is not even present, and she has done that magic in just two days. And in the corridors, she stops him, get close to him, flirt with him and that too in front of me! She has some strong guts.
I was just trying to calm my temper when I have Shaina telling me about the P.T lecture, where that nerd of a girl Aaliya (or whatever her name was) is flaunting. Acting as if she is the best dodge ball player!
Enough was enough. I need to show her that she is nothing more than a jerk! I had thought of a nasty trick to play on her tomorrow, but now I am beyond irritated. She's behind Brine now!
I do not know what has she done to Brine! He does not even talks to anyone, but she has done some magic, that he is pulling her all to the canteen. And very smartly, she pulls him to seat in corner, so that it is away from the crowd, beyond my reach. God know what she's planning to do.
From my seat at the center, I was not able to get the glimpse of their table so I kept on going to the counter acting as if I wanted to buy food, but the dumb students! First, they will not let me go to order, someone or the other is ready to wait in line to buy food for me, and when I finally get the chance to order myself, all excuse me and let me order first! Why do they have to be so good? Can't they understand that I wanted to take as much time as I can!
After walking very slowly and taking very long to decide my order I get to hear small snip- bits of their conversation.
I do not know what stories this girl has. Whenever I got a chance to glance at their table, Brine was completely engrossed in whatever they were talking about. I even saw that bitch slapping his shoulders! And Brine on the other hand did not even object! That dumb-ass held her into her hands, like a puppet, I mean sometimes Brine's smiling, sometime back he had a bit of guilt, the other while he was just giggling. Above all Brine was happy, something I did not see from ages. Whatever she did to him....
I was about to barge into their conversation, when Mark called me. I had to go back to my seat sadly.
"What's up with you today?" Mark questioned, "First you don't let anyone to get you your food, then you take hours to decide your meals- when you barely eat anything except salads and blah... blah... healthy stuff, and you just don't want to sit here today, again and again you head towards that creepy corner- a place you detest!"
"Mark, calm down, nothing's up, I ... um... I... was feeling a bit uneasy, you know... so just wanted to have a bit walk. That's all." Was my excuse, I could not let Mark know my inner feelings for that bitch of a girl. What will he think- that a fresher is boiling my blood! No way, I am letting him know this.
"If you are not well I'll drop you home." He asked, concerned.
"No way!" I shouted. Calming myself I completed, "Babe I told you I was not feeling well. I am perfectly well now."
He still didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?" I nodded vigorously as my reply. "Then let's go out somewhere." He again pushed. On any other day, I would have loved to, but now I had matters that are more pressing. How do I say him no?
I don't love him or anything but, just look at those mesmerizing hazel eyes, and charming locks. His perfect jaw line and manly build! You could sit all day just staring at him. He snapped his fingers in front of me, breaking my chain of thoughts.
I realized I had to answer. Then out of blue I recollected something, "But you had plans with the boys today, remember?"
"Shoot! I almost forgot. I was post pond-ing them since when, and if I cancel it now they are gonna kill me." He said, stressing that 'kill'. "Guess I'll have to cancel them." His faced dropped; he already assumed I would not excuse him.
"Don't worry, I'll be good. You go." I replied. I would have never let him leave even when I had just got cold, but I could not have him around today. If he knew what I was planning for that nerd girl, he would be mad at me and I didn't want to ruin our relation because of that nerd.
"Really!" he asked shocked. He erased the surprise element quickly out of his face, but not too fast, that I couldn't catch it. On any other day, I would have made him explain a whole lot, but today was his lucky day. I blinked my eyes telling him I was serious.
On that, I received a tight hug.
"You are the best gf." He exclaimed joyously.
"I know that. Anyways when are you leaving?"
"In a few minutes."
"Great, now I can execute my plan." I said quietly to myself.
"Did you say something?" Mark asked.
"No, just that I'll miss being around you."
"Aww..." he gave me another hug. "I will be back soon. And if you need anything just give me a call or even ask Brine, he will help you gladly. I nodded.
Then again, we fell into a random conversation. Mark was telling me how he had given it an awesome shot during one of his matches. But I was barely listening. I was there physically but not mentally. I was too engrossed in my own thoughts.
However, it was fine until now, what pitched me of was what Brine did.
That girl said something to Brine, I am sure it was something stupid, but Brine found it to amusing! His cheeks a deep shade of red. He just suddenly shot up in the air shouting, "Seriously!?" As if, that girl told him the rarest fact of the world. He caught the attention of the whole cafeteria.
Even I and Mark were among the ogling public, but Brine didn't even spare us a glance. He had never done that. On usual bases, he would look towards us, and embarrassed, he would apologize. But today he was somebody completely else. He knew I was looking at him. Then to, He ignored Me. This could not happen, ever. It hurt. Everything. My pride, my ego, my everything.
If that ass has this effect on Brine in just week, God know what she will do if she continues in this school. She's simply behind both the brothers. I just wanted to get up and slap her at that moment for shattering my pride.
But, Mark would really be pitched off. B'coz according to him, his brother (his little baby brother to be precise), has started mingling, and making friends. And if I end up hurting that girl in front of him, it will affect our relation.
Therefore, I tried to stay calm and not lose my cool. As soon as he will leave, I am going to tell that girl what a bitch she actually is! I am going to tell her a whole lot of mean things. She is going to have a real bad day today!
And I know Brine, I know him very well. If I get angry on someone, he will not even look at that person, and that is exactly what I want now. I was going to insult that girl in front of the whole school and then that poor baby girl will lose her only friend- Brine.
Oh boy! I am gonna love that.
As soon as Mark was gone, which was about just two minutes later, but still it felt like years, for me not to burst on that jerk! I headed straight towards their table.
Brine just left, maybe to dump his tray or something, because he is too good to leave anyone just sitting alone. But that is okay, he will be back in a jiffy, though the bin is across the room. By then I, can at least begin with the starters. I go straight across her, instantly drawing attention.
She ignores me. Acts as if I am not even there! No one ever does that. She's gonna pay harder if that could even be possible. I will make sure my every word stabs her straight on her heart. Without wasting any time, I began:
"Who do you thing you even are? A sheepish crybaby, who just stick to popular boys and their close ones to get a cool image, which you totally do not deserve! You think you are smart, or a great sports person or even a teenage for that matter! You are just an aphonic dumb, stupid jerk, a jealous, ugly beast and barbaric! You are venom!" My voice pitching louder which each word.
First, she looked confused, for the fact that I was even talking to her. In addition, I so wanted not to give her any attention, but she gets right into my head. Her next emotion was of disgust, I guess for herself, because I guess she was about to throw up. She was dead gone and alone! Oh! Where is Brine? He needs to join me, it's gonna be so much more fun.
"Just stay away from boys, and know one thing for sure, that you don't deserve to be with them, not even close to their used gym socks!"
By this time, there were already cameras flashing.
"You are no more than a-"
"Just STOP it!" I am surprised, not just, because someone told me to shut but more over because of the person who told me to. It was Brine! Or was I dreaming! He could never do that! Never ever!
"You have no right to speak anything against her. What has she even done to you? She doesn't even come near you or near anyone who is shamelessly recording all this instead of defending her." He shouts sending death glares at each one in the canteen. I could have said a whole lot of things, (I am great at arguing), but Brine. Was he shouting at me? Forget shouting does he even ever disagrees with me!
I cannot simply believe it. Did he just... I stood there dumfounded- The bell rang, but no one twitched, unless a blaring announcement, from the principal to empty the canteen, guess he heard the news. I did not pay any attention to that- my eyes were on them. He clasped that fools hand, in front of me and headed out with her! Not even looking at me, not even having a glance back at anyone, as if we all never existed!
I was shell-shocked to gather what just happen! Did Brine just- did he- to me- for a random nerd that just came a few days ago? I dropped!
***
Ally's POV
He pulled me all the way, until we were quite away from any earshot, or commotion.
"Brine, wait!" I shouted, but it came out only as a whisper. He turned, suddenly he realized that he was holding my hand all the while, shy, he dropped it. Both our cheeks turned to a shade of bright red.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to do that." He said, breaking the silence.
"You didn't mean to defend me?" I asked, knowing that he was actually referring to holding my hand.
"No!" he shouted, without even thinking twice. "I didn't mean that."
"I was joking, but Brine... you... there... you stood by me- against Bella!" I stumbled.
"Ya, I guess I did." He blushed, sheepishly. "I didn't have to think about it, I would definitely have done that."
"You would have?" I asked, doubtfully.
"I just did!" he justified, which was right.
"But why?" I asked.
"There's no why, I told you earlier, friendship matters the most to me. I will stand against anyone for my friend, whoever it might be. And what Bella did there, was wrong. So I had to stop her. She isn't a bad girl, it's just that sometimes..." he tried to pull something for Bella is defend, which I knew was hard, so I decided to change the topic.
"But, we were never friends!" I chimed in with a small smirk. "I mean I never told yes, did I?"
On this, his face drooped like a child's who's toys have been destroyed.
"We are still not?" he asked, his tone just like a small kid, "That's not done Al! I even went against Bella! I thought we were cool. You don't like me?-"
I silenced his further cries with my hand, pressing his lips. Both of us blushed. I pulled it back quickly, and began speaking, though I stumbled at the begin.
"We are not friends, we are best of friends!" on this, his smile grew big. His eyes held beautiful sparks. He just erased the distance between us, and enclosed me with a huge hug.
First, I stood there shocked, like he was on my touch a few seconds ago. After a few seconds, though, I greeted him back with my hands clasping his back.
"You are super, super, super... (funny, cool, sweet...) idk, you are awesome, Al!" he screeched, again making distance between us. "You just scared me a few moments ago, and now you make me feel like I am on cloud nine. You know you are my first best friend, after primary!"
"So who were your friends with before?" I inquired.
"Bella, Mark and I, we all grew up together. We were very close. Everyone used to call us trouble trio- Mar-br-ella!"
"That's a cute name. But then what pulled you apart?" I queried. "I mean you seem close to Mark, but I don't see you around Bella?"
"Actually, the story goes this way. First initial years were all good, but then I had to leave for six months, for training, in mid-year. When I came back, things were a lot different! I was not ready to face them; so much might have changed in those 6 months. But I did not know they would change so much. Mark had gone really popular, and so did Bella! I wasn't really into sports, so I was termed the typical "Jerk" or "Nerd"."
"Personally, I did not bother. This new life really pulled both of them like magnet- towards glamour and away from me. I started to get alone. Mark and Bella never told me not to come along, but I felt that I was shame! I did not know anything about their new lifestyle, and that was something that I still do not want to know. I started to get distant with everyone. And Mark and Bella started having their own friends, new relations!"
"I even tried to get into their group once or twice, but one day I overheard, their few friends, they said that 'I was shame to Mark and Bella and how could they even be with someone like me.' I remember their exact words. It was too much too take. On that day, I had decided that I'd never come in between their circle. Since then, I was always alone. Our trio broke along with that bond."
I stood there, freeze. I did not know how to comfort him. But I really felt something, which I said aloud, "You are never alone. I'll be always be there for you, and sometimes duo works better than trio!" he grinned at the last part. He was coming back- his cherry self. How bad things happen to only the good ones? It felt all so unfair! That Mark!
"No!" he shouted, "It wasn't Mark's fault."
I guess I said that aloud.
"Mark's a true brother, he has always tried to include me, but it's just me who can't take this all. He loves me with his heart!"
I smiled at him.
"We have talked too much, now let's do something else." He suggested.
"Okay! Now that we are besties, so we are gonna really hang out a lot, and do a lot of crazy stuffs, so I would suggest you to really work on your tic-tac-toe skills! You do know that you really weak at them, right?"
"Hey meanie!" he teased.
"I am not mean!" I objected at his playful comment, pretending to be angry I turned, my back facing the wall.
"Aww! Look someone got angry." He said, turning me, so that I face him. "So, how do I mend my mistake? How do I cover up?"
"Um... you need to treat me with a double scoop mint Choco-chip, from "Creams-&- Crunch!" how about that?"
"Deal!" he agreed. On which I joyously jumped.
"Do you like that so much?" he questioned.
"I love it!" I exclaimed. "It's heaven!"
"I guess that I do need to remember that very well."
"You so need to! Whenever I feel like having an ice cream, I will just get angry and will not talk to you! Then you will treat me with a double scoop to cover up!" I disclosed my silly master - plan. He let out a giggle.
"That's not fair!" he complained, "So how much times would you get angry?"
"Almost every day!" I chirped in.
"You can't eat that much!" he stated.
"Of course I can! It's ice cream for God's sake; anybody could intake it, no matter what!" I stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"That will soon turn you into a big mint scoop!" he teased. I playfully rolled my eyes at him. Before I could come back with a smart reply, the bell rang.
Both of us sighed together.
"Time does run quickly, right?"
"Ya, it does. Especially when you're happy," I replied.
"You were-are happy with me." He asked with a boyish-grin.
I blushed, and am sure he could see that. I could not come up with an answer so I just told, "So, see you after this class?" he asked.
"Ya sure, we shouldn't be missing any more classes! I really have an important lecture!" he stated.
"Okay, bye then," I replied. Receiving his wave and a silent bye, both of us parted.
Q: Who liked the fight? Brine is cute, isn't he? Who are your favorite characters?
I would like to thank and dedicate this chapter to @TanshaVarma . You have been a really supportive reader! Keep reading, and commenting.
Won't give a lot of hints but the next chapter is going to be dramatic!
Love and Peace.
Stay Amazing,
Sania