*Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz*
I heard my phone ring and shut it off, annoyed.
"Another Monday!" I thought and remembered the alarm I had set last night.
"15 more minutes won't hurt." I thought before dozing back to sleep.
I woke up to my mother yelling at me from the kitchen that I was late, half-asleep.
Until Aisha came and shook me vigorously.
"Are you mad?" I blurted out.
"It's 7:30 a.m., wake up already." She spoke to me while I still lay on my bed.
"You should've woken up early today. Now, be on time at least." She spoke while snatching the blanket away from me.
"Huh? Why? What's today?" I said, now sitting upright on my bed.
"Your test. Forgot?" I heard as she exited my room.
I looked at the date on my phone. '7 June 2023' it read. The test was supposed to be held today, and my excellent memory had forgotten about it. I had not prepared anything other than a simple derivation, which had less than 10 percent chances of coming.
I smacked my head, realizing a too late that I'll be failing the test.
Then looking at the time, 7:31 a.m., which meant that I accidentally shut the alarm off earlier instead of snoozing it; I frantically got out of bed and ran to the bathroom while I heard my mother yelling at me.
Once you are a teenager, either you blossom or you blast.
Surprisingly, I was done with everything by 7:50 a.m.
I ran to the dining hall and tucked my lunchbox into my bag.
I bowed and thanked god, then touched my parents' feet before exiting the drawing room.
I kissed Poco goodbye before leaving for school.
"All ready to fail the test." My thoughts accompanied me as I went on my way.
~
"What's up with your face?" Krisha asked me while snacking on the peanut butter toast her mom made for breakfast.
I caught up with her on my way to school.
"What do you mean?" I asked her, half knowingly, that it's probably my red eyes and dark circles that she noticed.
"You studied all night or what?" She asked me as she gulped the toast down her throat.
"No, dude. In fact, I completely forgot about the test!" I whined.
"Wow, great." Her tone was sarcastic.
"Then, you scrolled reels the entire night?" She said, her left hand raised to smack me.
"Naah. It's just the biology notes. I was too busy completing them that I barely slept, bro." I replied with half the reason.
I was done with my notes by 1:12 a.m., but I woke up 2 extra hours to write my diary.
The emptiness I bear didn't let me sleep.
I think she believed me because she then lowered her hand.
"It's still not done yet; I still have another half unit to get done with," I spoke, and she probably sensed the exhaustion in my voice.
"My elder brother did my notes last night. He offered to help by himself, though." She chuckled.
"Good for you, Krisha. You have very supportive elder brothers." I said. "It doesn't even feel like they are your cousins, to be honest."
"I know right? I love my brothers so much!" Her soft, polite voice and eyes glow each time she talks of her brothers.
My stomach grumbled, begging for some source of energy.
My mother cooks me breakfast every morning, but I am late almost every day and have no other option than to skip the meal.
"Why don't you ask your sister for help?" She tore her toast in half and gave one side to me. I gladly took it.
"Dude, No. She'd take away more than half of my pocket money for only a few 10 pages." I finished and she gave me a "Really Sis?" Look.
"Okay fine! Our handwriting is way too different." I said and took another bite. "Plus it isn't responsible of me to ask my younger sister to do my work."
"She's still younger than you; her handwriting can't possibly match yours." She said.
"See? That's exactly what I mean. I'd rather do it myself." I said, dusting my hand off.
She rolled her eyes.
"Just pay someone to do it for you then." Her sarcasm struck a chord with me.
"Do you know someone?" I asked her hopefully.
"Navya, I was joking." She spoke, wiping her mouth.
"It's a good idea, though." Looking at my gleaming eyes, she finally gave in.
"Fine." She let out a sigh. "I'll look for someone."
"Thank you!" I lunged forward to hug her.
"Just talk to Hridaya about this." She spoke.
"Yes, boss!" I said.
~
After school
Students were heading out — some on foot, many by vehicle.
"The physics teacher has changed again. How do they expect us to study like this?" Yashna complained.
"Only self-study and tuition will help now," Poorvi added.
I overheard Kaavish joking with his friends, his usual charm on display, making even teachers grin despite his antics. Charismatic as he is, he seemed to care little for rules — a troublemaker with a poet's mind, if anyone ever noticed.
I hadn't told my friends yet that I had been eyeing Kaavish for quite some time now.
Poorvi smacked my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing," I muttered, though Poorvi's raised eyebrow told me she didn't believe me.
"Did you talk to Hridaya?" Krisha nudged.
"Oh! I forgot," I groaned. "I'll call her instead," I said, and she nodded.
"Talk about what?" Poorvi asked.
"I need someone who can do my written work." I said.
"And why will anyone do that?" Poorvi said.
"'Cause I'll pay them, dude." I said.
"Fair enough. Hridaya knows someone?" She asked me.
"Maybe." I shrugged. "I did hear that she paid someone to get her work done, though."
"I see." Poorvi said.
The two sections of 10th grade merged and were also divided into the 11th grade last year, once we chose our major subjects for the next two years to come.
In that sense, this was our last year in this school, if we all pass, hopefully.
"By the way, when are you leaving for home?" Yashna asked Kaavish, as he had come to bid my friends goodbye like usual.
"Next Monday, if the principal lets me." He replied in his usual nonchalant tone.
Kaavish walked off after a few more minutes of their everyday chit-chat.
It feels weird, how Kaavish and I had been in the same class for a year or more now, with him being close with my close friends, with us walking the same path with the same group everyday, but never really interacting with each other.
I guess we never tried to. Or maybe, even if we did, we were meant to stay strangers at last.
Krisha and I started back home after parting ways with Poorvi and Yashna at the school gate.
She then informed me, "I won't be coming to school tomorrow, and tuition today. I have my Kathak exam, and still have a lot to practice." And let out a huge sigh.
"Don't stress, bro. You know, you'll do great!" I wished her and we parted ways.
I decided to take the longer route home, hoping a walk through the park would calm my thoughts.
I wonder to this day, If I never took the route that day, would all of this had ever happened?