need to know something

“Will you please decrease your pace? Why the hell are you walking like you are going to miss a train? We are already in school, remember?” Kirsten roared at me running behind me.

She had no idea I was so desperate to see those green eyes. So I  just smiled and kept on marching without coming to a halt.

“Prisha…” All of a sudden I heard Aster calling me only then I was forced to stop. 

“God, finally!” Kristen sighed heavily.

“Good morning,” I greeted soon after turning to him. 

“Good morning,” he greeted back along with his friends.

“Is there a problem? Why are you walking so fast?” asked Aster in astonishment.

“Because she is just so desperate to reach the classroom and see…” I pinched Kristen and hurriedly interrupted her “nothing I was just doing exercise…”

“And I thought she didn’t know why I was rushing to the class…” I thought deep inside.

Hearing me everyone laughed at once including Kristen who just needs small things to laugh out loud.

“God, Prisha, that was the lamest excuse ever,” I crushed underneath my breath.

“I mean… walking is good for health, isn’t it?” I stammered.

“Yeah but the way you walked it seemed like you were going to miss your train…” said Aster.

Kristen hurriedly added, “Um… Aster, right? Give me fist bumps, dude. You and I are alike.” They exchanged fist bumps. “That is exactly what I was saying to her but she was not ready to listen to me. Thanks to you at least she stopped hearing you calling…”

“I called as soon as I saw you two coming out of the bus but you didn’t hear and kept on moving,” Aster claimed.

“I… I am sorry…” I stammered again thinking of a way to change the embarrassing topic and prevent Kristen from opening her mouth about my new crush.

I didn’t want anyone to know that I was having a crush on someone starting from the first day only. They might take me wrong.

“No, no it’s fine actually I wanted to ask you will you join us for lunch today?” he asked and finally I was breathing in relief at least he changed the topic.

“Yeah, sure we will surely join,” I replied hastily.

“Prisha, can you do me a favor?” Suddenly Denise, who was silent for a long time, spoke out.

“Of course, why not? What is it?” I questioned.

“No, no it’s nothing. He is just trying to trouble you,” Aster said, gripping Denise the way I grip Kristen’s arms to prevent her from saying something.

Kristen and I passed a gaze in surprise. 

“What is it? If I can help I will definitely help,” I insisted.

“No, no it’s fine he is just finding you trouble,” said Sam.

I was astonished to see their behavior.

“Is everything alright?” I asked in confusion.

“Yeah… we need to rush to our class bye see in a lunch break,” Aster said and left dragging Denise.

I and Kristen glanced at each other in confusion.

“What was that?” she raised a question.

“I literally have no idea. Leave it, let's go,” I said and turned around.

“You wait.” She wrapped her hands around my shoulder and began to walk.  “This is the only way to not let you fly away so that I don’t have to chase you catching my breath.”

“Okay, fine, fine I will walk with you,” I said.

“I have never seen you this desperate, Prisha. What did you see in that bookworm that you go on ignoring handsome boys around you?”

“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about…” I said pretending not to understand her.

“I am talking about handsome Aster and his handsome squad,” she said, gasping.

 “Really? Do you find them so handsome that you are drooling?” I mocked.

“What, no…” she said, rubbing her thumb on her lips.

I couldn’t stop laughing at her innocence and cuteness.

“I will see who will form a drool in a second when we enter our class,” she said in annoyance.

“Like really!” I rolled my eyes.

“Yes, really.” 

As we finally entered our class my eyes immediately went to the corner table. And like the previous day he was there at the same corner reading his book. He was really a bookworm like Kristen said.

I kept on looking at him until he lifted his head and glanced at me. My heartbeat skipped giving rhythm to my ear and I could sense my cheeks heating hot. I felt like I was out of breath, maybe in need of a ventilator any second.

“Is this the same feeling which others get when their crush looks at them? Wait a second…… he is smiling at me. I cannot believe that he smiled at me.”

As he gave a smile and got back to his book, I was there trying to handle myself and trying to get out of my fantasy world. I plonked on the chair near me and Kristen sat beside me.

“Not bad…” whispered Kristen but I didn’t give any response.

She pinched on my shoulder which flinched. In annoyance, I mumbled, “Ouch! That hurts, Kristen…”

“All good? Safely landed back to the reality from your fantasy world? There is drool at the side of your lips…” she started teasing me.

“Stop it, Kristen… I am trying to get my heartbeat back to normal. My crush just smiled at me. For the very first time I got to see his smile which was just for me and you have no idea how I feel… It felt like I was floating in the air and…”

Kristen held up her palm in the air before interrupting, “Okay, okay thank you for your lecture. I would like to continue this lecture when I have a crush on someone. You know to understand something one has to have some experience only then he or she can understand it better. And as you know till now I have not found the one who is made for me so until the date I find him I don’t want to listen to your crush experience and get jealous of you.”

“Jealous? I thought that doesn’t exist in our friendship,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

“Just kidding anyway I finally saw his face and he is not that bad.”

“Wow! really did you feel that? Can I date him?” I asked in excitement.

“Hey! Slow down, babe. It has been just a day, don't get that serious this early. You don’t know him. Whether he has a girlfriend or not and most importantly you don’t even know his name.”

“Relax, we study in the same class, we will surely know about each other soon,” I said, taking out my book.

“Yeah and that is what I am talking about you need to slow down a little,” she suggested.

“But I can’t Kristen. I feel like just going straight to him and talking with him and asking whether he wanted to be my boyfriend or not.”

Kristen rolled her eyes and said, “seems like a new school is turning down and rebooting shy Prisha into shameless Prisha…”

“I feel the same,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I can’t believe he smiled at me…” I chuckled.

Kristen took a deep breath as if she was going to say something very serious.

“What?” I asked, seeing her solemn expression which I see once in a blue moon.

“You need to know something…” she announced.

“Okay….” I tilted my head.