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"These formulae and equations are going to be the death of me," whines Mia. She is currently doing her paper for her math class. The paper is due in 15 minutes and she hasn't even finished with a quarter of it.

"Why did you even take a math class? I'm pretty sure cinematography does not require math," I say while balancing my laptop and books over my arm as I enter our apartment.

Our apartment, the one which we both decided to share as soon as we were accepted in the same college. It's a cosy two-bedroom, with the kitchen connected to the living room. There are small house plants in every single corner of it, as well as stills of movies framed and hung all over the walls. It is, by far the most accurate combination of Mia's personality and mine, mixed together to form the perfect chaotic place we both love to death. Looking over at Mia, who's hunched over at the kitchen, her head in her hands, I can't help but feel sorry for her.

"Sometimes it does Ali. You never know. Math is never going to leave me alone," Mia whines. I look at her amusedly as she completely ignores my existence. Walking over, I pick up her notebook, which currently holds a series of unanswered questions. I wipe my hands on my jeans and pull out the chair beside her, deciding to help my dear pain in the ass best friend.

"It's a good thing your roommate is a math major," I joke, solving the sums. They're all easy problems, enabling me to solve them in just a few minutes. Mia looks at me and gives me a grateful smile.

"Dinner's on me," she starts, "as you're helping me avoid getting eaten alive by Mr Anderson. That dude does not feel like a college professor. Lord help me, I might just die finishing this semester."

Mia Davis always has had a flair for dramatics. When I first met her when we were 4 at our local playground, she was hitting a boy with a stick she had found on the ground. Why you ask? Because he had called her cute and wanted to play with her. By the time Ma and I reached the playground, the kid had probably pooped his pants. Mia looked terrifying.

After her stick assault on the kid, she had looked over to me and had instantly decided that I was gonna help her build sandcastles. Needless to say, I had agreed to build sandcastles because a) I was positively terrified and b) I had a feeling we would become best friends. 4 year old me was correct because now, nearly two decades later, we're still as much as a team as we were while guarding our sandcastles.

Seventeen years has transformed her into a goddess, complete with her shoulder-length blonde hair, tan complexion and green eyes. Needless to say, boys all over the campus fawn over her, but because of her natural resting bitch face and cold, almost mean attitude, they're also equally terrified. She is the kind of person who you need to be patient with, give her time to open up and if she deems you're worthy, you're included in her circle. If anyone even thinks of hurting you, she would be present with a stick in her hand. I love her for that, although I'd probably cut my arms off before admitting it to her.

"I'm done. It honestly wasn't that bad," I say, closing her notebook and keeping it back on the table.

"That's because you love it," she cocks her eyebrow, stirring whatever it is that she's cooking.

"True," I smile sheepishly, slowly walking over and peeping inside the pan. When I see what she's cooking, I almost let out a loud cheer as she struggles to control her laughter. It's her speciality, her lemon chicken.

"If doing your math homework is going to get me to eat your chicken, I wouldn't mind doing all of it. I would even give your exams if you like. Plastic surgery works wonders," I tease, looking at her with a mock expression of seriousness.

She rolls her eyes and mutters something which sounds very similar to "and they say I'm the drama queen."

She pours the gravy and serves rice on each of our plates and passes one over to me. As we eat her special lemon chicken, my phone rings. I walk over to my bag and see my friend Elena calling.

"Hey Elles, what's up?" I answer, walking back to my chair.

"Ali I need a favour," Elena sounds desperate, "I really need to borrow your heels. I really need those heels on this dress I'm wearing. Could you lend them to me for a night?"

Everyone who knows Elena knows, a night is never merely one night for her. One night meant she would return the heels in about a fortnight. I internally sigh, avoiding Mia's calculating gaze and reply, "Ya sure. Just drop by and collect them."

"Thank you so much! I promise I'll return them in a blink of an eye."

I pull my chair out and resume eating as nothing happened. Mia narrows her eyes at me and looks at me, her gaze not moving for a few long seconds. Giving up any hope of avoiding her lecture, I sigh and look at her.

"What?" I ask.

"Seriously?" she raises an eyebrow.

"Elena wants my heels for a really important date," I answer her silent question.

"Isn't that what she told you last time and ended up wearing the heels for 10 different occasions before finally returning them to you 4 months later?" she reminds me.

I instantly cringe, remembering the condition in which she had returned them to me. They were tattered, one heel broke in half and the colour fading. It makes me wonder where she even wore them, and for how long, for them to turn that bad.

"And, you had told me that you would never lend her anything ever again," she says with a mouth full of food.

"You and I both know I cannot help it. Forget it," I say, getting up to wash my dish. Mia joins me as she washes her dish as well. She glances at me from the corner of her eye and hums. After a minute of silence, she glances at me again.

Sighing again, I turn to look at her, "Spit it out."

She smiles sheepishly and places her dish right next to my stack, "I don't know. Something in me is telling me that something's gonna happen. A cure might show itself to you. Who knows."

I almost laugh out loud at how ridiculous she sounds, but looking at her no-nonsense face, I quickly school my expressions to neutral.

"A cure, huh? Sure it will."

"Ali. I can hear your sarcasm from a mile away," she deadpannes.

I finally get the laugh out of me, "Did you even," I breathe, another laugh making it's way to my throat, "hear yourself?"

She rolls her eyes and wipes her hands on my t-shirt. I swat her away, spraying her with the water from the tap. She squeaks and runs away, making me laugh even more.

"Fine. Don't mind me when I say told you so when my ridiculous prediction comes true."

I nod, remnants of laughter still on my face, "That day will never come."

⋈ ⋈ ⋈

Walking on campus from one lecture to another, trying to balance my books, my bag and my phone, which was currently situated right between my shoulder and my head is difficult, I conclude. I adjust the bag on my shoulder and my hair gets stuck, pulling on my scalp. Letting out a small ouch, I struggle to remove the stuck hair when I hear my mom continue her talking.

"Did you have lunch?" my mom questions from the other end of the call. I smile through my pain and reply, "Yes, Ma. I did."

"Why is it that I don't believe you?" I hear her say. The way she said it made me imagine her smirking at me like she always does when my lie is caught.

I laugh finally being able to get my hair free and reply, "Okay sorry! I promise I will after this lecture."

"You better."

"Ali, listen to your mom," I hear my dad shout in the background.

"She only listens to me, honey," she says to him.

"Hey! Not true!"

I laugh a bit harder at that. My parents have the best relationship I've seen in my life. They survive on teasing and making fun of each other. It is their way of showing their love and they deserve it. My ma, originally from India, was only visiting the States to meet her aunt and to look at colleges when she had met my dad when he was working at an old records store. Dad says it was love at first sight but mom always contradicts it, saying it was love at the first sentence. Apparently, the first thing he said to her was,

"God, aren't you a fine specimen?"

Ma wasn't very used to guys complimenting her, a mystery which both my dad and I often wonder about- his words of advice being, "The man who lets go of the opportunity to compliment a pretty woman is an idiot", so naturally, she replied, a little flustered,

"I sure am,"

And right after saying that, she, of course, tripped on thin air and fell face flat on the ground, and- according to Dad, that was when he knew that it was going to be the start of something beautiful.

Ma's parents initially opposed their relationship, as did Dad's. But both of them fought through, showed both sides of the family how true their love was and finally- with the blessing of both sets of parents- finally got married 5 years after dating and had me a year later. I inherited Ma's dark hair and almost tan complexion and Dad's chocolate brown eyes eyes. Both my parents, being on the taller side of the scale, I stood at a decent 5'5 height. Ma is an interior designer, working for big clients and renovating their houses with absolute perfection and Dad is the CFO at a big company.

ISU is 2 hours away from my parents' house and I miss them dearly every day. The reason for choosing ISU was simple- it wasn't very far from my house as well as far enough to have my own freedom. I don't regret my decision at all and I know that my parents are proud of me for making my own decisions and sticking to them.

Suddenly, I collide with someone, completely engrossed in my own thoughts.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention," I start, not bothering to look at the person, instead of trying to pick up their belongings for them. The person instantly crouches down to my level to pick up my stuff, causing me to look at them and I am instantly met with a pair of blue eyes and brown hair. I instantly recognise the person as Eli Adams, Centre player of our football team.

I smile gratefully at him when I hear Ma still speaking on the phone,

"Ali, are you okay?"

"Yes, Ma. I really gotta go. I'll call you back later okay? Love ya," and with that, I hang up. I'm sure I am going to get a nice lecture from her about hanging up on her.

We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I quickly gather his stuff and give it to him, as he did to my stuff.

"Thank you," he says, smiling at me.

"No no. I bumped into you," I counter.

His face morphs into a teasing grin, "Hmm. True. Thank you taken back," he jokes, amusement dancing in his eyes.

I laugh and shake my head. His smiles mirrors mine as he extends his hand and says, "I'm Eli."

"I know," I smirk, as his eyebrow raises on his own accord.

"Aliana," I shake his hand and continue, "It was nice bumping into you."

"It sure was. I'll see you around Bumper!" he says as he starts walking in the opposite direction of where I am heading.

"See you! Bye Bumpee!" I say, eliciting a laugh out of him from my back and I waste no time in walking to my next destination.

⋈⋈⋈

Hello! Hi! I'm back and here to stay. It's August 2020 and I will be finally updating!!!! Updates will happen on every Saturday hence forth. Check my account for more info (and my insta).

I wanna do a question and answer thing in my author's note so that I can get to know y'all better and vice versa.

My chapter names/ titles have the opposite symbol in front of them. So the title will be the opposite of the actual meaning of the chapter (if that makes any sense?)

Anywhoo,

Q. What's your favourite season?

Anyway, vote or comment or do anything you like!

Love,

Anushka <3


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