If YOU and I

Chapter 3 <Fear>

The class ends. The rain stopped too. Annie waits at the  entrance for Marry.Her friend Marry was in the professor's office having a hard time. Annie keeps looking behind to see if she is here. As she was looking back again ,she saw Neel walking towards her.
She moves away a bit to give him the way to walk past her .But he stops near her . She gets nervous and doesn't look at him . She keeps looking down at the floor.

"Hey",Neel calls her.

Annie looks at him . "Are ..you talking to me?",asks Annie.

Neel replies ,"Yea,I am sorry but I can't remember your name so I just-"

"It's Annie ", she says by not trying to make him hesitate.As he seemed to be.

"Yea..Annie . Sweet name.So uh..Annie I wanted to ask you this if you don't mind.Why didn't you answer the professor's question",asked Neel.

Annie asked in confusion"Sorry?"

"Yea ,I apologise. Actually I heard you and your friend's conversation earlier. I swear I didn't do that on purpose. You were sitting next to me . So I heard it all. I am sorry about that . I was just confused so ....I came to ask you" ,Neel says making a pitiful face.

"...I understand. About the question...I was too nervous to stand up and answer in front of so many people. I am not used to public places",Annie replies.

"Oh,I see. Well you should never back off because of your weakness. You might lack behind in life if y-"-Neel.

Before he could finish what he was trying to say Marry pops up .

"Aaanniiieee!!", Marry cries.

"What happened? Did he scold you too much ?", Annie asks.

"Of course he did. He even told me do my homework thrice!Can you believe it?Who in the world does that?!",Marry cries.

"Oh poor you .I am sorry about that.Do you need my help to finish it?", Annie asks Marry. "Nah , leave it . I will make my brother do it . He just sits and eats all day anyways. He can just help me out since he has nothing else to do ",Marry says while grabbing Annie's arm.

"Let's go now",says Marry as she walks with Annie towards the main gate.
Annie looks behind to check if where Neel is . She saw him smiling and waving at him . Annie's eyes widens.She blushes and looks forward.

Annie gets back home. She takes her shoes as she thinks of what happened earlier. ("He smiled at me again") ,she tells herself.She walks to the kitchen looking for her mom.She hugs her mom.

"I am back ", Annie tells her mom.

"How was your day ?",her mom asked. 

"It was...so so ",Annie replied with a smile.

"Did you greet your father?",Mrs. Roy asked .

Annie took a step back ."father...came back?when?",she asked nervously.

"Just a while ago . He was looking for you. He must in his room. Go greet him"-Mrs.Roy .

"I will change first " , saying this Annie quickly walks towards her room but a voice calls her from behind. She stops.
She looks back . Her father was standing behind her giving her a smile.

"My daughter, you came back? How was your school today?",asked her father.

"It...was good, father", Annie replied.

"Why are you so far ? Give your father a hug . We met after so many days. You didn't miss me?",her father asked while hugging her.

"I did ..",she replied holding her fear in.
She was trying her best not to stutter and make awkward expressions. She got chills all over her body.

Her father asks again "Your mom told me that you forgot to take your umbrella with you today. Did you not see it raining outside? When will you ever? Since you don't care about others,you should at least care about yourself ".

"I am sorry. I will be more conscious next time. I will go change my dress",Annie said and left to her room. She enters her room and shuts the door. She could still hear her parents conversation.

"Will your daughter always stay this dumb? I am worried about her",Mr.Roy says in disappointment.

"She is just like you ", says Mrs. Roy.

Tears flow down Annie's cheeks. Her heart was pounding as if it will come out any moment.
("Wish he never came back ...") , Annie wish in her thoughts.