The Pact

#12 Hoho, surprise

For the past few days, I've been a wreck. A zombie. All the time I stayed home, there would be no one to talk to, Arush, as you might have figured is not even sparing me a glance; I don't even know if he stays here or not anymore. Martha, on the other hand had to go visit her daughter and the others suddenly got too busy.

About the college durations, the first day, I sat on the same table during lunch, but some how everyone sensed something was wrong and the whole atmosphere got uncomfortable. Later, I found out the fact that we fought in the cafeteria was not a secret. So, I stopped joining them and went out to have lunch everyday. Let them be the way they were before I intruded.

Yeah, none of the guys asked me to join them, nor did they ask what was up with us. That hurt like hell and I  alienated myself more.

Ultimately, what I'd feared the most happened, I became a loner.

I missed home the most now. I missed Josh.

But this didn't make me wish to apologize to Arush or something because I still felt what I did was right. Or maybe my ego felt so.

It was yesterday that I experienced the happiest moment of my life, I was walking to my next class, when someone called me from the back, I turned, and found Jo standing there.

I'm pretty sure I didn't move for some hours or mili-seconds, and when I did, I sprang up at him.

I pinched, kicked, hugged, and punched to make sure he was actually there and I wasn't dreaming.

"I...I...I can't ..oh well, my goodness, are you really Jo?" Yes, I was ecstatic.

"Yep, Bozo, I am. I'm actually here, and well you can't get rid off me this easy."

"That is the last thing I would want."
I hugged him again.
We remained like that for real long.

After some time Jo patted on my back, "Hey, your husband's giving me the stares, and no I'm not telling you to unhug me and I could totally take him down, but for that to happen too, I need you to get back."

"Stop, yeah, I get it." I said, laughing all the way, untangling him.

I turned to face the glaring Arush, his eyes on Jo, even now, he was not looking at me, that hurt for unknown reasons. He was with his gang and for the first time in so many days, his friends were actually paying attention to me. I was most hurt by G's behavior as he was the most I got acquainted with and had classes with me too, he looked really pained somehow.

Anyway, why did they even care, they didn't when I roamed around alone in the whole campus. Why now? Why now when my best friend meets me?

I thought of simply ignoring them and walking off, but then I thought of something better.

"Hey. People. Meet my best, oh, no, my only true friend, Joshua. Jo, you already know Arush, these are his friends."

"Oh, stop now. You know that we were more than happy to befriend you, it was you who alienated yourself. Only if you tried a bit harder..." G sneered.

"What? I did what? For your kind information, true friends would not have let me go, you of all people, I thought you would at least come to ask me how I felt, all alone in this huge place." Tears started threatening my eyes, so I stopped babbling, Jo held me to provide support.

"No, you won't Shreya. And you need not worry, I'm here now." He said.

"Seriously, AM, fuck you. Now you made her cry, I am out of it now." G blasted outside, Megan following him.
Rachel gave me a helpless look, while Paul ushered her out too.

G's outburst, other's expression all hinted at one thing, Arush forbade them to communicate with me.

Now I felt shattered. Until now, Arush's anger was justified and that is why I didn't do anything about it. But forbidding people, that was not cool. He said he would support my decision right, why would he corner me?

My eyes were boring into his, I needed answers. And yes, he was looking at me finally.

But suddenly, he averted his gaze and turned to walk out, that is when Jo said in a high tone, I understood that it was for Arush to hear.
"You know what, bozo I'm not here to visit you but to stay with you and graduate with you. Now you don't need to worry about anything."

I was watching Arush, he stopped in his tracks for a moment and then walked off. So he heard. He heard that Jo is here to stay. What.

Now, I was the happiest person alive.

"What? Are you really?" I asked him, for it was too much to believe.

"Yes, I am."

"How?"

"Meet me at lunch, I'll explain everything then."

So, apparently as soon as I left, my old college came up with a transfer program tied up with my current university. Jo was the first to apply and he got it and it was final, he would be studying here. Though we had very few classes together, I was happy. I couldn't believe someone would do such things for me, best friend for a reason.

I even offered him to stay with us in Arush's house, but he declined saying, "The kid's gotta live and if I stay with him, there is a scarce chance for that to happen."

But I knew, actually he didn't want to be indebted to Arush anyhow.
And that actually got me to thinking, why should I live with him, in his house.
Oh, yeah his father pays for it all. My tuition, food, rent, everything.
So, the first thing I needed to do was to get a job and rent a place.