Meet Indira Devi, an ambitious 18-year-old from India who secures acceptance into her dream university, The London School of Economics. Leaving behind the comforts of her home country, she sets out on a journey to pursue her passion for economics an...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
10th of September 2024, Tuesday.
1:38pm
I'm so bored," Eloise mutters under her breath, twirling my Apple Pencil between her fingers like it's the most fascinating thing in the world.
"We can't ditch class," I whisper back, glancing at the clock. Just ten more minutes. She gives me the most exaggerated pout, her lower lip jutting out in pure frustration.
"I have to tell you something. Babe, I've got major tea to spill, and I might literally burst if I don't!" She throws her head back dramatically, practically begging for an escape.
I roll my eyes but can't help smiling. "Okay, fine. Class is ending soon anyway. We can grab lunch after and you can spill all the tea then."
She lets out a groan of defeat but slouches back into her seat. "Ugh, fine. But you're killing me."
When the lecture finally wraps up, we make a beeline for the nearest restaurant, settling into a cozy booth by the window. The warm aroma of food is a welcome distraction, and before I can even ask, our plates are placed in front of us—loaded curly fries with cheesy dipping sauce. Perfect.
"Alright, spill. What was so important that you were about to implode in class?" I ask, reaching for a fry.
Eloise takes her time, casually popping a fry into her mouth, drawing out the suspense just to drive me nuts. "Aidan and I talked," she finally says, dipping another fry into the cheese without so much as looking up.
I blink. "Wait, what? Talked? Like... really talked?"
She nods, her nonchalance almost irritating. "About the kiss. You know, why I freaked out after."
I freeze, mid-bite. "And...?"
She shrugs, her calm exterior barely hiding the emotions simmering underneath. "I told him why I panicked. Why I've been acting weird. And he was... actually really understanding."
I raise an eyebrow, sensing there's more to this. "And how did that go?"
Eloise leans in a little, eyes glinting with a mix of excitement and vulnerability. "It was the best conversation we've had in forever. I think I might actually like him, and that freaks me out even more."
I stare at her for a second, caught between disbelief and intrigue. "Oh, wow. That's... a lot. So, what happens now?"
She sighs, dipping another fry. "I don't know. But it feels like everything's about to change."
"What did you say, though? Like, why did you freak out?" I ask, taking a sip of my Diet Coke, my curiosity piqued.
Eloise hesitates for a second, chewing thoughtfully on her fry. "I told him I thought he kissed me because we were drunk, and I was scared he might... you know, try to take advantage of that moment. I didn't want us to do something we'd regret." She pauses, eyes flickering down as she toys with her napkin. "And then I told him about Sean. What happened last year. He was... really understanding about it."
