BIG-J

7

The following day, I woke up to find that James had seen my text but hadn't replied. Letting out a disappointed sigh, I got ready and left the house. Upon arriving at school, I intended to talk to Dominic about our situation, but when I saw him, he was with Elinia. She noticed me and pulled Dominic closer, holding his hand. Confusion and stress welled up inside me, but I decided to ignore it and headed to the rooftop instead.

As expected, James was there, wearing a hoodie and smoking while gazing at the view. Frustrated, I approached him directly and demanded, "Why didn't you reply, huh?" He ignored my question, his attention fixed on the scene before him. Feeling a surge of frustration, I looked him straight in the eye, snatched the cigarette from his hand, and took a puff. The taste was awful, causing me to cough uncontrollably. My actions shocked him, and he exclaimed, "What the hell is wrong with you? It's not like we even like each other. Leave me alone, for God's sake." He let out a sigh, visibly calming himself, and added, "Just leave. It's better for you."

Standing there, feeling utterly embarrassed, I took a moment to gather myself. I quickly apologized and left, wanting to put an end to the awkward encounter.

James's POV:

As he watched her leave, feeling relieved that the interaction was over. Frustration welled up within me, wondering why she was so interested in me when we weren't even friends. I had no desire for her to get involved with me, as I knew it would only lead to trouble. She was already entangled with Dominic, the goody two shoes, and the thought of that made me snort with disdain. Glancing at the cigarette she had snatched from my hand, a small smile formed on my lips. However, I quickly sighed and refocused my attention on smoking, gazing out at the view before me.

Anushka's POV:

As I walked away from James, frustration coursed through me. Nothing seemed to be going right. Before even entering the school, I stumbled and fell, adding to my annoyance. Then there was Elinia, acting like a complete bitch, and now James. I couldn't even bring myself to be angry with him, realizing that I had poked my nose into something I shouldn't have been concerned about in the first place.

Feeling the weight of my frustration, I ran my hand through my hair, trying to gather my thoughts as I stumbled past Elinia. Something inside me urged me to confront her, to figure out what was going on. Taking a deep breath, I calmly approached her and asked, "Hey, can we talk?" She didn't even bother looking at me, responding with an annoyed tone, "What about?"

I replied, my frustration seeping into my words, "What's with your behaviour and attitude?" She glared at me and retorted, "What do you mean attitude? Oh, wait, you're sad you're not getting the princess treatment anymore." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me stunned and confused. I managed to mutter, "What do you mean?"

Elinia's expression shifted, her fake smile plastered on her face as she hugged me tightly. "What do I mean? We should hang out!" Her sudden change in demeanour left me even more bewildered. I couldn't help but wonder if she had some sort of bipolar disorder. Before I could process it all, I turned around and saw Dominic approaching with a smile on his face. He greeted me, saying, "Hey, Anushka, you wanted to talk, right?"

Ignoring Elinia's presence and the tension between us, I smiled at Dominic and replied, "Hey, yeah, sure. Are you free tonight?" Elinia seemed like she wanted to say something, but before she could, Dominic eagerly responded, "Yes, sure!" He leaned in and kissed my cheek. Elinia rolled her eyes and left, her anger palpable. Dominic looked at me, puzzled, and asked, "What's up with her?"

I shrugged, genuinely not knowing, and let out a small giggle. It felt good to have a light moment amidst the confusion. With a slightly improved mood, I went on with my day, attending classes and spending time with Dominic, who lifted my spirits. However, thoughts of James lingered at the back of my mind, leaving me with a sense of confusion. Sighing, I tried to focus during my classes, hoping that the rest of the day would go smoothly.