The Veiled Love {Wattys 2016}

CHAPTER 11- hANGOUT?? (JAMES)

CHAPTER 11

hANGOUT??

JAMES EDWARDS

2 days later:

Oh no, I think I should go out of the class right now! My head is really hurting and I can't sit still. 

"Sir! I think I have to leave.. My... h..head is h..urting. Aaah" I moan when the teacher walks my way and helps me out of the class.

"Do you want to go to the sick room, dear?" she asks but I don't think I should go.

"That's okay, ma'am. I just want some silence around. I can manage. Thanks." I say her and she leaves me.

I have always managed to get normal by sitting down calmly. I try the same thing outside the class. I stand near the window and try to breathe normally. My head aches and I close my eyes but it's not helping reduce my pain. I stay calm and still for some time and the pain slowly leaves me. There is silence around except for the mild voice of the teacher in the adjacent classroom.

I finally revive and open my eyes with relief. I just walk in the corridor very slowly. I can hear a mild sob as I approach forward. I raise my head to see who it is and I can see Mia near the window. She's the one letting out soft sobs and that makes my heart heavy. I run towards her.

"Mia! What's wrong? Why are you out of the class? Why are you crying?" I ask her without space. She looks at me dazzled and just wipes her tears. She looks outside the window and I can't help but annoy her with some more questions.

"Mia, tell me what happened."

"James, why are you here?" she looks at me and I look at her puzzled. "I mean, how come you're outside your classroom?"

"Why are 'you' here?" I ask her stressing the word 'you'.

"I was thrown out of the classroom." She says suppressing a sob.

"What? You and thrown.. out? What?" I asked shocked. Mia is such a focused person and never distracted in the class.

"I was caught dreaming." She confesses and I blanche at her.

"What? You and dreaming?"

"Yeah, I............. I was just ....... Distracted." She says again trying to suppress a sob.

"Fine, this is your first time getting distracted in the class and the teacher –"

"No... not the first time." She says and I look surprised. "I've been caught distracted for a few days before as well."

"Fine... I mean.. Everyone gets distracted.... And many a time people are kicked from the class room.... But that shouldn't make them cry.." I try to console her. I know she is feeling embarrassed because it has happened to her for the first time.

"The teacher might have a very bad opinion on me." She says depressed.

I just turn her to face me and hold her shoulders. I look at her welled eyes and her innocent damp face with tears. Her lips quiver still trying to suppress her sob.

"It's your first time so you're probably embarrassed about it. But the teacher won't feel bad about you if you prove yourself in the next class. Show her in the exams and in the class by being the same dedicated student you were a few days ago. Simple. Right?" I say her to console her but she furrows her eyebrows and stares at me and gives me 'you are so silly' look.

"I mean.... You shouldn't be so depressed. You know something? There was once my friend who got kicked out of the class. And you know the reason why?" I ask her and she looks curiously waiting for an answer. 

"He actually had written 'You are so cute and hot. Will you marry me?' on a piece of paper wanting to play a prank on one for his enemy girl. When he tossed it towards her direction, it flew to the teacher's desk and Mr. John read it." I blurt out without thinking if that will console her or not. I look at her hoping that will make her smile and finally it works.

She laughs. I stand there looking at her cute laugh. It doesn't last for long but anyways that made her laugh. So, that consoled me to an extent. Suddenly she looked at me surprised and puts her hand against her mouth.

"What? So you remember some part of your past?" she asks surprised and I freeze. Oh no! I had actually lied about Mr. John and all that. It was just a made up story but Mia is too clever. I can't fool her that easily. Now, I'm caught in her trap.

"Umm... well yeah. It was in my childhood." I lie again but this time involuntarily.

"Wow! By the way, how come you're here? You're supposed to be in your class, right?"

"I had a small pain in my head. So,... I just came out to relax." I say her and she looks worried immediately.

"Oops! Are you alright? Please relax and you shouldn't be worrying about me." She advices and I stare at her.

"I'm alright anyways and you shouldn't be worrying about me either." I say her and she smiles.

"Hey! I will be even better if we could go for a movie this afternoon!" I say her hoping I could hang out with her. I just blurted out the idea as soon as it dived in my head. She looks surprised and finally... blushes.