One Last Time

Chapter 4 - My best friend

The next day, I asked Dad to drop me off at school and had picked Jahnvi up from the bus stop. Pranav was nowhere to be seen and Arnav was left unseen. When we entered our class we noticed that the class was almost empty except for a geek whose name nobody has been able to pronounce and bags of the people who come early just to play in the ground.

We both sat down and talked for about 10 minutes, after which most of the people had arrived and the last batch was just filing in. I was really happy when I came across the news that Pranav was in our class too. Arnav wished me a good morning and I replied with a curt nod. As the class started, I felt something weird, as if I as being watched. But it wasn't the scary stare feeling, it was as if the person who was staring at me was sending out positive vibes.

I felt so fuzzy and I could think of nothing other than teddy bears and flowers and gummy bears and cotton candy. On an instinct I turned to look at Arnav and I saw him staring back. I couldn't believe it at first but I then I assumed, he was the reason behind the gummy bear feeling. I smiled at him and he blew a kiss. I felt myself blushing and he did a comical victory dance in his seat and I started giggling.

He came to me in the break and asked, "I have to wait longer?"

"Arnav, I have decided to give you...us..another chance but if you do anything wrong this time, I'm leaving for good."

"Okay. Awesome! I won't. I promise. I'll never let you go." He said and hugged me. That was the moment when I realized that I had never really loved him. Yes, I thought I did but it wasn't love. I just have a crush on him. Now, there's nothing left in this relationship except for that one memory which I do NOT want to remember. I looked up at him as I stood there in his arms. He was staring at the sky and I wonder if he was thinking the same thing.

But the next moment, he looked down at me and I felt the winds enter my stomach and having a dance. I am so confused about him. Sometimes he's just somebody I know, then he's my crush and the next moment, he is the love of my life. If I don't think this through, its going to hurt a lot of people and most of all, me.

We broke apart and went into class and I saw Pranav staring at me, eyebrow raised. "What even..?" He asked.

"I have decided to give him another chance."

"Another chance at what? Don't you get it? He doesn't love you!"

"Maybe he does... How would you know?" I asked but I knew it was a lost argument.

"Maybe he does." He said and went back to a book he was reading. I stood there for a while wondering if there was anything left to be said but when none of us came up with anything, I went back to my seat. Pranav didn't talk to me properly for an entire week after that.

Now, a week after that incident, I finally cornered him in the park where he was sitting, reading. "What is up with you Mr. CrankyPants?" I asked but he ignored me.
"Okay, so I gave him another chance, what's wrong wth that?! Its been a week and he has behaved exceptionally well. He is sweet, he leaves me tiny notes, he calls to check on me...."

All of a sudden, he stood up and said, "That's really sweet of him but I can't forget that he's the first guy who made you cry. You are my best friend, its my responsibility to look out for you and I just don't like that guy. Okay? I am happy that you're happy with him but just please, please, be careful."

I looked at him for a moment and he pushed away a lock of hair that had fallen on my dace because of the wind blowing. "Thank you." I said.

"For what?"

"Everything." I said and hugged him. He hugged me back and we sat down together talking about all those days when we were kids. "I can't believe I defeated you!" I said,laughing.