A different view

Chapter 9

Second Year was upon us. It felt like the teachers turned into hazers once our seniors were done hazing us. The labs, the homework, the exams seemed never ending. I have no idea how Medical could be tougher. The worst was the group assignments. Since Preeth didn't stay in the dorms we tried to do it in campus as much as possible before her last bus home. Most times she did our parts as well by coming in early on all days. Today was a weekend and she was in campus completing the lion's share of the work by the time the rest of us dragged our lazy behinds into campus. She never once complained.

"Preeth, why don't you just stay at my room for the weekend?" I asked her, as I did every weekend we worked like this. It was 2pm and I was still sleepy.

"You know why" Preeth said

"Cause we still won't be any closer to finishing" Tim finished the sentence in chorus along with Wat.

I put my head on the table as she explained to all of us what she completed and handed us our parts. "I'll do mine in the night" I mumbled

"Sure you won't be drinking again?" Wat asked me

"Lin, do you need help with yours?" Preeth asked

"Ow" I screamed. Tim had kicked me under the table. "No Preeth, I'm fine. And Tim stop kicking me or I'll ask Preeth to..."

"You not only want her to do your assignments but also get even for you?" Tim scowled at me. "You're hopeless!"

"No I'm not! I'm just a worthy friend" I grinned lifting my head up from the table.

"And a famous one" Wayo said behind me. We all stood up and greeted him. P'Pha and P'Beam were with him as well.

"Who doesn't know Lin?" Wat continued. "The first ever football team captain who kicked us into victory". They all laughed.

"Group assignments?" P'Pha asked looking over the notes Preeth made for us.

"Yes P'. They're torture and they ruin most of our weekends!" I just needed someone new to whine to.

"Preeth does most of the work." Tim said. Again!!

"Exactly my point. It's so unfair! If they gave us fewer, we could share the responsibilities more equally" I argued.

"Do you guys need a break? We were going to get something to eat." P'Beam asked. It was rare that the juniors hung around with seniors but ever since the beach trip in the first year the med gang would visit us when they were at Engineering and occasionally invite us for a snack or coffee. Even rarer still is when we accepted. Preeth went quieter when it was anyone apart from our group with us but she made an exception with the med gang because there was really no avoiding them.

"Preeth, can we go pleaaaaaaase?" I gave her my puppy eyes. She nodded.

We walked to the café opposite the campus. Wayo was telling us about the upcoming Science fair and Preeth walked behind with P'Pha and P'Beam.

"Preeth why don't you consider moving into the dorms?" P'Pha asked her

"Ma wouldn't agree." she replied. P'Pha was usually the one to talk to Preeth directly.

"There's a vacant room in our building, the same floor as mine P'Pha. Do you think that would help?" P'Beam asked. I knew they were her seniors in school. Maybe they can convince Preeth's parents! P'Beam's building was not too far from ours either or maybe I could move in with her!

"If Preeth's mom knew your track record it would make for the worst possible justification!" P'Pha said with a laugh.

"Oh come on Pha!"

"It's fine P's" Preeth said. My heart sank. That was Preeth's way of cutting off the conversation. "Pa and Ma and thinking of moving closer into this area. I can manage until then"

When we parted ways after, Tim and I accompanied Preeth to her bus stop. It became a habit without us realizing it.

"Hey isn't that P'Sharp?" Tim asked me. It was indeed. He was leaning on his bike and scrolling on his phone. Tim and I had noticed that he was at this bus stop quite often and noticed a pattern where he would leave right after Preeth boarded the bus. "Shouldn't we tell Preeth?" Tim asked.

"Let's not worry her." Preeth was a little distance away talking on her phone with her dad. "I'll mention it on Monday. "He's never here on weekends. This is a first."

Preeth's bus arrived and she waved once she was in. P'Sharp left... right behind the bus. "Tim..." I asked, my breath now in a hitch. "Does he always follow the bus?"

"Does he?" he asked more panicked than me. "Should we talk to P'Pha or P'Forth? We don't have P'Pha's number.. maybe we can leave a message in the engineering group chat." Tim was already in the chat window.

"No! Preeth won't like it. Let's talk to her first."

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I hated Mondays. I hated the whole concept of a school day after a weekend. But today I had something on my mind and I'd been waiting too long for the right moment.

"Preeth, Is P'Sharp courting you?" I asked. We were at the food court, early to wrap up the homework. Wat glared at my question. Tim hit his forehead. Preeth stopped reading her notes. If my question had fazed her, she didn't show it. She hardly showed any emotions in general.

"I don't think so" she said and continued writing

"Do you know he's been at the bus stop almost since the beginning of this year?"

"Since mid of last year" she corrected me

I put up my hands in defeat. She knew! "When were you going to tell us?" I asked. Tim motioned me to quieten down. The hell I was going to be quiet. Tim and I were agonizing about it for weeks!

"What's there to tell? He just follows me around. Maybe it's a hobby"

"It's a breach of privacy! Tim help me here" I looked at him

"Wat and I need to use the rest room" he said and pulled Wat along with him. Tim was in trouble once he gets back.

"I'll give the assignments and come back in 10" Preeth said leaving like nothing had happened. I didn't offer to go along with her. My head was ready to explode.

"Is it safe?" Tim was back with Wat.

I pretended like he didn't exist. "Lin come on. If Preeth doesn't mind, who are we to question P'Sharp" Wat reasoned.

"How could she not mind? Unless...." A thought struck me

"Unless what? You're scaring us Lin" Tim said

"Maybe she likes him too" I said speaking my mind aloud. "Preeth? Are you sure? She's known as the Ice princess for a reason." Wat said

"Exactly. She'll never admit her feelings even if it's there" I concluded. "We need to help her realise."

"Oh no Lin. No ideas" Tim started

"I have an idea" I was excited. "Let's get her drunk!"

"What?" Tim was shocked.

"Remember the beach party around the bonfire? She was a totally different person that night. She laughed, sang, let loose" I reminded them

"You're right. I had a picture of that night but P'forth confiscated all pictures for some reason!" Wat said

"You're insane!" Now Tim was the one shouting

"I won't trick her Tim. Stop hyperventilating. I'll ask her Pa. He picks her up every Thursday anyway." I said. I had decided. I was going to get the truth out of her.