Pumpkin and Plum

Chapter 2: Pumpkin and Plum

Coming back to the story about "Pumpkin and Plum".

I was a popular kid in elementary school. It is hard to believe, but chubby kids are cuter than scrawny ones. Also, I headed the Bad boys' group.

Mia moved to our school during the 2nd grade. She was beautiful even then. I liked her immediately, I won't call it 'love at first sight', I was eight, for God's sake!

I did the only thing that must be done if a boy of my age likes a girl. I put a frog in her backpack, a live one. The way she screamed when the frog jumped on her was so satisfying.

Still, it was Mia. She was no ordinary girl. She didn't cry. She retaliated even before lunch.

Imagine my shock when I opened my snacks box to find my favorite strawberry cake filled with worms. How she managed to find so many worms is still a mystery to me. She won't tell! She tells me, in startling details about her PMS, but refuses to tell me where she found the worms. Can you believe her?

Sorry, got carried away! Anyways, she proved herself worthy of joining the Bad boys' group. There are some things which make you great friends; catching frogs and worms for each other is one of them.

Mia and I have been best friends since then.

Not much drama on why we come to call each other pumpkin and plum.

For the Annual day, the Second grade performed a group dance, a 'Fruits and Vegetable' dance to be precise.

She was to dress as a pumpkin and me as a plum. But the 8-year-old me wouldn't fit into my plum costume and we swapped costumes.

It must have been hilarious when the pumpkin danced singing "I am plum," and vice versa in the rehearsal.

Our home teacher Mrs.Smith had terrorized us so much that, for quite some time, we thought our names were Pumpkin and Plum.

Then on, I became 'her' pumpkin, and she 'my' plum. Notice the quotations, only she is allowed to call me pumpkin and only I call her plum.

Mia lived with her step-father before she moved to Santa Monica. When her step-dad remarried, she lived alone in her big sea-view apartment, with servants to take care of her.

During summer breaks, she visited my house every day. Hearing that she lived alone, my dad invited her to stay with us for the break.

After that, she pretty much stayed in our house; in my room; more like our room. Her beach house became our holiday house.

I live with my father and brother. My father is an architect. My mother died when my brother was born. Dad never remarried.

Mia grew up to be a beauty pageant winner. Well, I stayed as the chubby kid.

"You got a cut near your lips! When did this happen? I am going to kill Chloe. Did she attack you?" said Mia vehemently.

"No, it was you," said Lucas with a straight face.

"Oh! I am sorry."

"Leave it, Mia, it's just a small cut."

"We better get going, it's almost the end of the break," I said, pulling Mia along.

"Grrr! I hate algebra," groaned Mia.

"No, you like it."

"Not the way Mr. Davis teaches. God! The way he drones on and on and on. It gives me a headache, pumpkin."

"It's not like you listen to his lectures, you doodle the whole time."

"But his droning is impossible to ignore, let's skip the class today. Anyway, you know more about algebra than Mr. Davis."

When I didn't look convinced, she continued, "Pumpkin, I understand better when you teach me."

She held my hand and sang, "Please, please, please, please. It's Friday!"

"Fine," I relented. "What do you want to do?"

"Let's go shopping, I have nothing to wear for Saturday's party."

"Yes, you have nothing to wear!" I repeated sarcastically.

"Wanna join us, Lucas?" Mia asked, ignoring me.

"Sorry Mia, Mr. Davis said he would fail me if I miss his class again."

"Well then, we will see you on Saturday."

"Who have you invited to the party?" I asked.

"Everyone, except Chloe and her minions."

"You didn't invite Senior Year. Did you?"

I hated the Seniors, one particular guy named Darren. He is everything that I am not. He is popular, handsome, and brainy. If you are popular and handsome, you can never be classified as a nerd, even if you get straight A+ in trigonometry and algebra. You get to be called just 'brainy'!

"I just invited Darren and his friends. Don't worry, they are very decent and Darren promised there will be no alcohol this time."

I couldn't think of a worse combination than Darren and the beach party. He will flaunt his lickable chocolate abs. Exact words of Mia, "Lickable chocolate abs." Every girl, Mia included, will drool all over him.

The worst part is, Darren too liked Mia and on numerous occasions asked her out indirectly, but Mia can be blind that way. He safely remained in the friend zone, the same as me.

Rather, he has a better chance of moving out than me.