The Downsides Of Popularity ✓

Chapter 04

DO I LIKE IT?

 AFTER PACKING THE important stuff, I take out my list and tick off the things I have already packed in my bag. The shuttlecocks have not been packed yet so I go to my room and position my chair in front of the wardrobe to reach the cabinet on top of the almirah. My hands shuffle things around and then finally find a small bag where 3 shuttlecocks are present. I take two of them-an extra for backup- and get down from the chair. My body is still worn out since I couldn't sleep last night owing to how my crush just said I'm beautiful and I am sure Meera will not let me forget this for generations to come.

My phone starts to ring and I remember that I never checked my phone last night, a part of my daily routine. With me becoming popular and things changing all so suddenly, I forgot some of my daily habits. I pick up my phone to see it's Ankita, one of my classmates who's part of our picnic group.

Swiping on the green button I say one tiny little "Hello" and she starts rambling about how I never checked her or Meera's messages last night and how they had a last-minute plan of bringing a speaker to have our own little dance party.

The music choice of our school picnic is always so poor that almost everyone wants the loudspeakers to just stop working as it ruins our fun. Ankita said that her Bluetooth speaker was broken and asked me if I had one. 'I'll check if I have one...', my voice sounding doubtful but she replied with relief, 'You're a lifesaver Shweta. Gotta go, bye!'

Until yesterday, I never knew I had a grand house nor that I had a cardiac and neurosurgeon as my parents but Ankita didn't catch my tone of uncertainty and trusted me with this tiny little task. I rush downstairs with my picnic bag and a badminton racket in hand. My Mom is arranging the dishes in the dishwasher and I excuse myself to ask, 'Mom, by any chance do we have a Bluetooth speaker?'

My Mom looks at me as if I asked if we have a toothbrush or not and then clears her voice to speak, 'Of course darling. There's one in your room in front of your television, I presume?' A simple "Oh" escapes past my lips and I rush back upstairs to my room and check the drawers to find a hella lot of electronics I could never imagine owning in my teenage life. I find a Bluetooth speaker and pack it in my bag.

I pull out my phone from my pocket and Google how to use the speaker 'cause I didn't want to make a fool of myself by bringing a speaker and not knowing how to use it. I read through the steps and they seem quite simple so I close the app and swipe down on the notification panel which makes me call out to my Guardian Angel again.

'Ms. Walker?' And there she appears, in the centre of the room. I wonder for a moment if she's always watching me from behind a veil I cannot see and she parts the veil to reappear so that I can see her clearly, in the daylight.

'Yes dear?', she asks ever so sweetly.

'How do I have an Instagram account?', I ask in bewilderment. 'My parents would never allow me to have an Insta account at this age...'