The Downsides Of Popularity ✓

Chapter 03

THE ATTENTION.

I position my head in my hand, my elbow resting on the armrest and look outside the window of the SUV. Yes, now we even have an SUV jet black car with a lady driver cum bodyguard who will transport me from home to school and back to ensure my safety isn't jeopardised under any circumstances.

It's hardly a 10-minute walk from my apartme- house (feels like a mansion compared to my flat, honestly) but still my parents insist on travelling by car for security purposes 'cause, after all, a kidnapper might be waiting around the corner, ready to abduct the daughter of one of the famous surgeons in Calcutta and then demand a lump ransom.

I also have to wear contact lenses since my glasses make me look like a nerd and Mom said to use them only when I'm at home. The lenses irritate my eyes so much that I have to blink several times.

'We're here ', the lady says as she pulls over in the parking lot of the school. I thank her while stepping out of the car and she seems baffled by it. I slung my backpack over my shoulders and upon entering the school, I half-expected people looking at me as if I was the new girl.

Popular.

Yes, popularity means being the centre of attention in the room and I try to ignore the eyes that have turned in my direction, acting like someone who is used to this. In the hallway, some of my friends wave at me and I see Kriti eyeing me, from head to toe and then turning her head away to talk to Sneha. A subtle smirk makes its way to my lips and suddenly someone taps on my shoulder right before I enter my class.

Utkarsh Sharma.

Thoughts collide against each other in my brain and fall on each other like a pile of dominoes but I try to keep the calmest expression on the surface as he smiles, showing his pearly whites.

'Hey! I was wondering if you were going to the school picnic tomorrow?', Utkarsh asks, his hands in the pockets of his blue pants as he leans against the wall, close to the door.

'Yeah I am uh- going.', I speak and add a subtle laugh at the end.

'That's great, see you in 4th period?'

'Surely', I smile as he walks backwards, doing some sort of a moonwalk as he glides into his class and I giggle at the goofiness visible on his face.

Before I can turn around, I feel a hand wrap around my shoulder so I turn my head, coming eye to eye with Meera, my best and probably the only friend I can trust with my life.

'Was that Utkarsh Sharma flirting with a beautiful girl a few seconds ago?', she asks, eyebrows raised and a smug expression, evident on her face. 'He wasn't flirting,' I shrug off her arm and before she heads towards her seat, she says, 'Yeah, yeah. Deny it as much as you want but I bet before Christmas you both will be holding hands in the corridor and snogging in secret.'