MELINOE

Unforeseen

Chapter – 20

I went up to Nikki to show her that my application has been approved and I’ve been selected for the college basketball team. “Wow man! That’s great. Finally you found something exciting in here other than Jenn..” Nikki exclaimed in joy. But before she could finish, I interrupted her saying, “Yeah. All thanks to J, she’s the one who gave me this idea.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, because her expression made a sudden change and her reaction to this was an ironical smile looking away from me. She just said, “Oh! So that’s why.. Anyway good for you. Have fun!” She vanished after having said that, as fast as her smile left her face when I told her the reason.

Days passed. My days in college eventually got better and so did my relationship with J. Basketball and studies, both were going quite well. I tried really hard to make out time for Nikki after our lunch-breaks because all the other times J used to be around. And I loved spending much time with her. Nikki and me used to share our notes and explain each other stuffs that the lecturers couldn’t input well. But somehow I felt Nikki wanted to stay away, though she always put on her weird smile on a sad face. I felt something was definitely wrong or that she had changed in a peculiar way, although she was never a person who loved hanging out or making friends. Still, we used to be quite good friends I believed. Maybe it was just me who felt that way and I wasn’t any different from how she felt for others. What I was sure of was she didn’t like J at all.

It was a warm night, and the weather tempted me out for a night-walk. The dining echoed the dingdong of the clock, sharp 12am, as I shut the door behind me. The pavement, the roads, seemed all at rest after bearing with the hustle-bustle all day. It was more silent that what is believed to be pin-drop silence, which got slightly disturbed every time my shoes rubbed against the road. I put on my headphone and turned it to full volume, and kept walking slowly, totally engrossed in the night and the loneliness.

Half a kilometer had I come and I got to see a black Van, near a shop. There was a tall girl standing next to the Van beside a well-built man, almost of same height as her. I was curious. I walked closer and since it was dark, I just made sure I wasn’t seen. I went close enough to be able to make out the figures now, from behind a shop. The girl with a black hoodie on, had her red curly hair flowing out of the hood on both sides of her face and neck. I was shocked! It was Jenny! The man standing next looked over 40years of age. He handed her a small box and a packet with it. Silence of the surroundings made their conversation audible to me. I took off my headphone.

“You have 10days in hand. You have to sell of it within that. Hope you get that well,” the man told in a heavy voice, got on to the Van, closed the door with a bang and drove off. Immediately after, Jenny took her bike and left. I couldn’t follow her, and returned home instead.