Fire Hangout

Karthik and I never talked much because we are from completely different departments of our school; he was a bully and I was a nerd. He was the scariest person on the whole campus when angry and everyone knew that. Everyone respected him because they were scared. The girls always drooled over him, honoring him as the hottest and meanest boy at school. It was very scary because his little gang's first target will be of course the nerds. Be it a boy or girl they always targeted them asking for money, completing their notes, for entertainment, and other accompanied junk known as ragging. Karthik never took part in any of these, he'd just stand there quietly watching what his friends were doing.; neither encouraging nor discouraging.

"Ananya, how do you know me?" asked Karthik pulling me out of my thoughts.

Yeah, we are still on the island, stuck, the awkwardness between us has broken though, a little. It's been a week now since he's arrived on the island. His wounds completely healed and he is able to walk around and all now. Both of us did what we wanted in the daytime. For me, I was following my usual routine before he'd come to the island. For Karthik, he'll roam around the island, swim in the lake a little, climb trees, and collects fruits for us both and most of the time staring into the sea longingly; and I knew that look.

Now it's night and we are huddled around the fire I'd made and warming ourselves. We only talked during this time, anything we please. We both were hesitant at first but started talking gradually like people do, though he took three days to talk to me at first; yeah, three freaking whole days. As silence was and is my always buddy I didn't complain. We started talking about random things like family and stuff, also about what happened and how we got here; the thing was we both couldn't remember. Finally, we gave up on that topic. Now to the question he asked.

"Oh, I just know you. You are the uh..." what should I say, the scariest dork of the school whose presence makes every single cell of your body weak?

"Scary bully who everyone loath?" he asked with a smirk.

A shiver went down your spine when he smirked. No one likes that smirk of his, it's dark and cold. I should not be afraid I repeated in my head to strengthen myself. Never was I this scared in his presence it's very intimidating staying under his stare. I pulled myself.

"Nope, I remember you because of an incident?" I said plainly.

"What incident?" yeah obvious question, he asked genuinely surprised.

"You saved me and my friend from a bully friend of yours."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I sighed deeply and remembered when I had met the Karthik in front of you.

It was lunch break. My friend Arya and I were going towards the library to return some books to the librarian. I had five or so heavy books in my hands and waS in a hurry that I bumped into someone resulting in the dropping of MY books from your hand and falling to the stranger's foot.

"Ouch" heard the sound of the guy.

"I'm sorry, so sorry" I apologized quickly without even looking at the guy and bent down to pick up the books from the floor.

Arya was standing right beside me gawking at the guys and shivering with fright.

A foot was placed on the last book I was gonna pick up and I looked up at the owner of the leg ready to fume for stomping on a book. My angry look rested on the wicked man's face. It was Hashim, the cold-blooded freak who has no heart at all they say. He had a sly smirk on his face.

"Excuse me, mister, please take your feet away from the book," I said controlling my anger. I had a problem with controlling it since I was 12 years old and nobody knew why.

Arya sensed the shift in my voice and she knew I was gonna be in great trouble but she was scared and glued to the ground.

"Or what? You gonna throw those books at me?" he asked now grinding the book with his feet.

A set of laughter erupted around me as I now noticed that his pathetic friends were with him circling me. I just glared at him controlling the flame inside myself. If looks could kill he'd die right then.

"Tell me pretty, what are you gonna do?" he teased me with a smirk as I immediately stood up ready to spit the fire as Arya grabbed my hand swiftly.

"That is enough!" said a voice from behind the freak.

Everyone turned to him. A tall guy leaning on the wall, he was very handsome. He'd his hands in his pockets and looked somewhat like a model as he walked towards me, bent down, and picked up the book from under his feet easily. He brushed the dust off it and gave to me. I just glared at him without taking it. Seeing ME motionless Arya took it out from his hand and muttered a thank you. We both made eye contact but he shifted away from me grabbing the hand of Hashim and walking away with the gang following them.

Immediately after they'd turned the corner, Arya grabbed my arm and spun me around.

"Ananya, what were you thinking? You can't lose your mind at them. You know that!" she went completely to her motherly zone.

"I know. I just lost control." I said sighed.

"If it weren't for Karthik, you would've been in great trouble," she said sighing too.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"His name is Karthik Manuel and as you know he's one of the bullies. I'd never seen him act that way to anyone before though. He practically saved you. He's the one who stops Hashim from exceeding his limits." she explained to me.

But I never knew I'll come face to face with him like this. Let alone be stuck on an island alone.

"That's how you know me?" he asked raising his eyebrows as I told him.

"Yeah," I said looking into the fire.

"You were really angry, weren't you?" he asked smiling a little. Oh, I would give my life for that smile. Wait, what?

"I just hate when people mistreat books by throwing and tearing and stomping," I said gritting my teeth.

"Yeah, I could see that," he said adding more woods to the fire.

We talked for a while about school and some funny things to which both of us laughed. Our laughter filling the chilly air. We became silent for a moment as I watched the moonlight showing and the twinkling of stars. It was indeed a beautiful moment to awe. It was so peaceful and comfortable through the chilly air was passing through me. I smiled at the view and started to make out my favorite constellation.

"The archer" I mouthed.

"What?" asked the man opposite me

"There," I pointed my finger at the constellation which has a bow and an arrow always pointed towards the east.

"You know how to make out constellations?" he asked.

"Yeah, my hobby," I said.

"You know about the myths and legends behind them?" he asked.

"Greek Mythology" I murmured drowning in the breeze which made me feel somewhat.......home?

"I'm sleepy," said Karthik yawning.

"Then sleep," I said.

"But I don't feel like," he whispered.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know" he mumbled unsurely.

"Go lay down. You'll eventually." I said getting up.

"Okay." he nodded his head like an obedient child and got up "And Ananya" he called and I turned around to face him "You don't have to sleep outside. It's cold, you'll get sick"

"It's alright. I'm not cold" I said smiling.

"What do you mean you aren't cold? It's freezing in here. C'mon inside." he said and waved me inside the cave.

"Karthik, it's okay," I assured him.

"No. You are coming inside. The last thing I want is you getting sick and dying and not knowing where to bury your body" he said with a hint of mischief.

My eyes widened. "Did you just say about me dying so casually?"

"Yeah, I did. What?" he asked innocently.

"Haha...If I'm gonna die, I'm gonna bring you with me" I said "Or I'll haunt you being a ghost"

"How did the topic go from you getting cold from sleeping outside to you being a ghost?" he asked laughing.

I suppressed a laugh too. He was beautiful when he laughed.

"Now c'mon. Don't even think about sleeping outside" he said and pulled me by the sleeve of my shirt.

That night was a peaceful one. I watched the sleeping figure of Karthik as I laid down trying to sleep. He slept immediately when his head touched the ground. Will we be able to get out of this island or will we be stuck in here for good? I thought. But I won't give up. There must be a way out. I then closed my eyes.