Waiting for You

Chapter 10 (Too Hard?)

Maya POV:

I sat in the canteen, stabbing my lunch like it had just insulted my entire family. My brain was running on an infinite loop of nonsense, spinning like a hamster on a wheel. Each forkful of food felt like it weighed a ton, as if eating could somehow digest the chaos storming inside me. Why was I mad? Who knew? Maybe it was everything. Or maybe it was absolutely nothing.

"Why do you look like you're about to kick someone?"

Divya's voice pulled me out of my sulk. There she was, standing with her trademark air of effortless cool, head tilted slightly, wearing that annoyingly amused expression she always had. Alone, too. No entourage of admirers trailing behind her like she was Beyoncé. It was like spotting a unicorn in a busy street.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered, trying to sound casual, but my tone came out more "angsty teenager" than "I have my life together." Divya gave me one of those looks—half-curious, half-pitying, all-annoying.

"You've been death-staring that table for the last ten minutes," she pointed out, nodding toward a group of guys who were now whispering and glancing over nervously, like they were deciding whether they should call for backup. Fabulous. I wasn't just the campus recluse; now I was the campus psycho.

I shifted my glare back to Divya, who was already engrossed in her phone, probably texting one of her countless friends or admirers. My stomach twisted—a weird cocktail of annoyance, jealousy, and something like loneliness. What was my problem? Was I envious of her endless popularity? Or was I just pissed that she didn't notice I was spiraling into my own private business of overthinking?

Before I could analyze myself into a coma, Shrey and Dev—at least I think his name was Dev—strolled in like they owned the place, dropping into seats next to us without a care. Shrey wore his typical too-cool-for-school grin, while Dev was smiling like he was starring in a toothpaste commercial. Seriously, who's that chipper at noon?

"Mind if we join you?" Dev asked, flashing a grin so bright I wondered if it was battery-operated. Not that I cared, of course. Definitely not.

This guy. What was his deal? Why ask if they could sit when they were already seated? Why was his shirt perfectly ironed? Why were his shoes so white? It's like he had a checklist of things to do just to irritate me.

"You're not planning to destroy them with your laser vision, are you?" Shrey quipped, jolting me out of my inner rant. I managed to muster a weak glare in his direction.

"I was just... observing," I said with as much false serenity as I could, turning my focus back to my food. Maybe if I stared hard enough, it would absorb my frustrations.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dev (okay, fine, I don't remembered his name) laughing with Divya. His laugh was warm, rich, the kind of laugh that probably made other people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I rolled my eyes, scoffing internally. How could someone be so annoyingly... likable?

The longer I sat there, the more I felt like an outsider. Like the odd wheel on a tricycle, wobbling awkwardly behind everyone else. They were all chatting, like they were part of some exclusive club of Cool Kids, while I was just... there. Observing. Not feeling jealous at all. Nope. Just irritated. Clearly.

Their laughter got louder, their conversation more animated, and my irritation hit critical mass. I slammed my fork down with dramatic flair and stood up abruptly, the chair scraping the floor with an obnoxiously loud sound. I grabbed my tray and marched off toward the wash area, desperate for a breath of air that wasn't saturated with their obnoxious happiness.

I stormed off, but before I could make my escape, I heard footsteps behind me. Then, out of nowhere, a low voice whispered, "Hi."

Instinct took over. Without thinking, my hand shot out, and I slapped him. Hard.

The sound echoed through the canteen like a firework, and for a second, everything froze. Dev stood there, stunned, his hand on his cheek, eyes wide like I'd just declared war. Oh. My. God. Did I just slap someone for saying hi?

"Are you okay?" I blurted out, trying and failing to sound genuinely concerned. Panic bubbled up inside me. What if he told everyone? Would I be branded as the girl who slaps people for no reason?

"Seriously? No apology?" Dev shot back, more bewildered than hurt. His cheek was bright red, matching his flaring temper.

I stared at him, blinking rapidly, my brain struggling to catch up with what my body had just done. A tiny, guilty voice in my head whispered that maybe I'd overreacted, but a louder, pettier voice reminded me that he shouldn't have snuck up on me. This was totally his fault, right?

"You should probably go to the clinic," I suggested, trying to sound reasonable, though I was anything but. "Before it bruises." I grabbed my bag, ready to make my exit.

As I walked away, I felt the weight of every gaze in the canteen. Every whisper, every giggle, seemed amplified. What had I just done? I'd slapped a guy for saying "hi." What was wrong with me? Who does that?

I kept walking, trying to ignore the hot flush creeping up my neck, but my mind was relentless, replaying the scene over and over like some awful sitcom rerun. His face—his shock, his disbelief, the way he cradled his cheek like it was made of glass—it was all on loop.

Did I owe him an apology? Probably. Ugh. Apologizing meant facing him, admitting I'd acted like a lunatic. What if he laughed at me? Or worse, what if he didn't? What if he just looked at me like I was some kind of wild animal that needed to be tranquilized?

Part of me wanted to run, hide, pretend this never happened. But another part of me—the part that was sick of always running away from everything—knew that wasn't the answer. Maybe, just maybe, this was a chance to do something different. To face the embarrassment, own up to my mistake, and maybe, just maybe, grow a little.

Yeah, right. Easier said than done.

As I trudged down the hallway, my thoughts a tangled mess, I resolved to find Dev later and apologize. Maybe he'd laugh it off. Maybe he wouldn't. But I'd never know if I didn't try. And really, what did I have to lose?

Besides my last shred of dignity, of course.

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Hey Guys,

Bro the slap was soo hard I felt my dudes pain through the words I typed-

Anyway as usual it was fun writing this!!

Hope you guys are having a happy and great day!!

~Shine soo bright it burns their eyes~

🤍🧿🪕🪞

Thank You,

Your loving author

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