Intersecting Paths

Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT



ALIA



Just walk in to the class and if you see him apologize. It's a simple thing to do, why are you making it so complicated?

Alia gulped as she walked in to her class. She felt bad about how she treated Sameer in the library three weeks back and she hasn't spoken to him since. He changed his spot to the very back corner of the room and he hasn't tried talking to Alia either.

She peered to where his spot was, letting out a disappointed sigh as she saw that it was empty.

Guess I'm going to have to wait for next week then.

There was only one class that she had with Sameer and they had it once every week. Before Alia could take a seat, Mr.Conner tapped her on the shoulder. Alia blinked her eyes shut.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit!

"Alia! How are you my darling." Mr.Conner's voiced echoed in the classroom. She turned around to face him with a fake smile. His perverted smile made her want to puke.

"Hi, Sir..." Alia mumbled in a low voice. He gave her a frown before putting his hands on his hips.

"Now, how many times have I told you, don't call me sir! You can call me Peter." The perverted smile returned on to his face, making Alia feel super uncomfortable. She maintained a fake smile as he opened his arms. "Come on now! Give me a hug!"

Alia pursed her lips as the man took a step closer to her. She opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by a loud voice.

"Sir!" The voice startled both Alia and Mr.Connor. She felt her heart sink into her stomach as she saw Sameer run into the room. He jumped on to Mr.Connor and gave him a big hug. "I love you sir!"

"Get off of me, you sweaty pig!" Mr.Connor's perverted smile was replaced with a disgusted frown. Alia fought a laugh as she watched Sameer give him a big smile.

"I thought you could use a hug before you started the lecture." He patted the professor's shoulder twice.

Sameer was in his gym attire. He wore a white V-neck teeshirt, black baggy shorts and the red and black Jordan's that he usually wore. Alia tried her best not to stare at the good looking boy but she failed. His wavy brown locks were wet and there were beads of sweat that trailed down from his forehead, neck and on his arms as well. She bit her lip nervously and glanced at the ground for a moment before she put her focus on that one bead of sweat that trailed down from his long neck and on to his perfectly chiseled chest.

Stop. Control yourself, Alia.

Alia blinked hard before she put her attention back in to the conversation that Mr.Connor and Sameer were having while she was busy ogling Sameer.

"I just have too much love for you, sir!" Sameer beamed, making Mr.Connor scoff. "Lemme give you another hug!" He was about to take a step forward but the professor had already ran towards his desk. Sameer laughed and Alia failed to fight a smile. She noticed Sameer looking at her from the corner of her eye but she continued to watch Mr.Connor run to his desk.

"Thats enough hugs for today, Sameer. Take your seat, class will start in five minutes." Mr.Connor turned around and began to write on the black board, leaving Sameer and Alia alone. She noticed him glancing at her so she looked at the ground in panic.

Now is a good chance to apologize! Don't be such a chicken Alia!

Hesitantly, Alia lifted her eyes off the ground and glanced at Sameer, who was about to make a turn for his seat.

"Sameer!" she called, surprised by how loud her voice was. He turned to face her with a raised brow. It was clear that he wasn't expecting Alia to talk to him. Alia adjusted her glasses as he walked over to her.

"What's up?" He gave her a soft smile that made her feel nervous instantly. Alia was scared to sound stupid but she knew that she had to apologize for her behavior. She could feel her throat go dry.

Just say it!

"Um, I...It..." Alia began to stutter. She mentally winced at how stupid she sounded.

I've never had to apologize to a boy before. But it shouldn't be that hard or any different from apologizing to a girl, right? So why can't those words come out of my mouth?

Sameer still had that soft smile on his lips and he raised his brows in amusement. It annoyed Alia that she was amusing him with her stupidity but she didn't let it bother her for too long. Alia let out a heavy sigh and dropped her gaze on to the floor. It wasn't the apology that was hard, Alia was afraid of letting another guy being close with her. She knew that Sameer wanted to be her friend and she was slightly attracted to him but she wasn't ready to have a guy as a friend, especially a desi guy. It was already a challenge to forget Varun after she spent almost half her life with him. She let her hand run through her brown waves as she exhaled and inhaled. Alia heard Sameer chuckle quietly.

"Alia, it's ok. I know what you wanna say." He placed a hand on her right shoulder, making her eyes meet his immediately at the touch.

Alia knew that he didn't have anything against her but she still felt bad. Sameer had been nice to her since the minute she met him. He didn't deserved to be yelled at like the way she did in the library. Especially not for a nickname that Varun had given her. It was a common nickname. The guilt made Alia shake her head.

"No..." She mumbled as she went back to staring at the floor. "You didn't deserve to be yelled at." Alia could feel her cheeks burn in embarrassment. She could sense the apology wanting to slip out of her lips as she started to fidget with her fingers. "I'm sorry.." Her voice was almost a whisper.

There you said it. Now go sit down before you embarrass yourself any further.

She was about to turn and sit in her seat before Sameer's laugh startled her. He still had his hand on her shoulder and he eventually placed his other one on her left shoulder. Why would he be laughing. Alia frowned, feeling a small bit of regret for apologizing.

I may just take it back. How could I forget how annoying he is?

Alia rolled her eyes. "What are you-" she cut off her sentence as she was pulled into his arms for an unexpected hug. Alia could fell her mouth drop a little. She was definitely not expecting him to do that. Her body was slightly against his warm chest, making her feel a bit nervous at the touch. If he wasn't so attractive, maybe she wouldn't have been.

"You are adorable" he said as he continued to hugged her. Alia could feel her cheeks burn again. It was one thing that Sameer was hugging her, leave alone the fact that he said that.

Can you, like, not be attractive so that I don't need to feel nervous around you?

Despite her nerves taking over her, Alia felt a strange sense of security. Not the exact same security she felt when being with Varun, but it was still there and she didn't know how to feel about it.

---

"Before you guys go, I want to take a brief moment to talk about your assignment with you guys."

Alia rested her back against her chair as she cancelled out Mr.Connor's voice. She was already two steps ahead of everyone else in this assignment. It was a benefit of working by herself.

The assignment was to create and advertise an item with a unique feature that would be more appealing to consumers than the competitors' products. Alia's assigned item was a smoke detector. A small smirk crept on to her lips.

Not just any smoke detector...a talking smoke detector.

She felt proud of her idea. It came to her after an hour of researching and pondering. Alia had already began on her prototype for her presentation but she wanted to do more.

"Remember, this is a marketing course. Do keep in mind that the methods you use to advertise and present your product will be counted for most of the marks."

Don't worry, Mr.Connor. I've got it all under control. If I don't amaze this class with my presentation, then I will change my name.

Alia peered under her desk to check on the neon pink poster. She had to post it on the campus' message board as soon as she could.

I'll probably go after class. The sooner I find a person to create my logo, the better.

But would someone actually respond to her message? Alia bit her lip at the thought. She didn't know how to make fancy things using computer programs. A designer is a must for that part of her assignment.

Well, you are paying them for their help. If people could get naked for money, then there has to be someone in this campus who would want money for showcasing their skills.

Alia shrugged at her slight confidence. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sameer writing something on the margins of her notes. Alia rolled her eyes before she read the writing.

Did you start?

Her lips were pressed into a line as she nodded her head.

"I'm assuming that you didn't." Her voice was loud enough only for Sameer to hear. He gave her a sheepish look.

"Don't judge me. It's hard working on this dumb assignment alone."

Alia scoffed lightly, shaking her head lightly as she straightened her notes before adding them into her black, three ringed binder. She felt some amusement to know he was suffering in this assignment.

"Besides..." He began, raising his voice a little. "I'm a busy guy. I have places to be, things to do. Ya know?"

Sameer smirked as Alia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Alia didn't bother hiding the sarcasm in her voice.

"Hey, I am a popular guy. What to do?" He carelessly shrugged as Alia watched him with a raised brow.

"Okay, popular guy." Alia exhaled as she got up from her desk, Sameer doing the same after a few seconds. "While you're busy with whatever it is that you have to do and wherever you need to be, don't come running to me for help on the assignment."

Sameer pursed his lips as he glanced at the ground, making Alia smirk a bit.

Ugh, why is he so attractive?

Alia hesitantly glanced at his white shirt, wondering if there were abs hiding behind it.

No. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I drooling over him?

She blinked hard to stop her ogling. His coffee brown eyes finally met hers and he gave her a sheepish smile. Alia tensed a little as she tried to maintain her cool.

"Wouldn't it have been nice if we were like partners?" he chuckled, making Alia raise a brow. "I mean, I'm pretty sure we can make a good team, ya know?"

"Oh, please!" Alia scoffed. "I am glad that I am on my own on this assignment!"

Alia reached under her desk for the poster that she needed to hang. She furrowed her brows a little as she fought a smile. The thought of them being a team seemed nice to hear about. Much nicer than it should be. Her back was now facing him, so she quickly smiled before composing a neutral face.

"But just imagine, yaar!"

Sameer lightly placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and squeezed them. Alia could feel her body tense at the sudden touch. She was afraid of blushing but she still managed to keep calm. Alia inhaled some air before she faced him. Sameer's face was not that far from hers.

Oh crap...those eyes are capable to knock out any girl.

To distract herself, Alia crossed her arms against her chest.

"So explain to me how you think this team would work, because all I see is a dead end." Alia bit on her tongue as Sameer sighed.

"Alia! How do you not see it?" he exclaimed mockingly. The two of them were now walking, side by side, out of the classroom.

"Look, it's pretty simple. My charm and fun behavior will benefit is in so many ways. There is no way anyone will get bored of watching me present. Then all that's left for you to do is the actual work that needs to be handed in."

Sameer gave Alia a wide smile as she watched him with annoyed eyes.

"Seriously?" Alia asked while shaking her head a little.

Before he could answer, Alia slapped his arm and started to walk faster.

"Arrey, yaar! It was a joke!" His voice was still clear behind her. Sameer's laugh made her roll her eyes.

"You have a really bad sense of humor" she called out behind her shoulder.

"So you don't like the idea of us being a team?"

Alia could sense him smiling as he asked the question. She turned to face him as she kept walking.

"Not right now. Talk to me afterwards."

Alia smiled as she watched Sameer raise his brows in surprise. She then turned for the hall on the left, leaving him behind.

It was obvious that he wasn't expecting her to give such a playful reply. In fact, even Alia was surprised at her own response.

He's not that bad. Sometimes he can get annoying but I guess that's what makes him fine the way he is.

Casually, Alia peered behind her shoulder. She looked to see if Sameer was still behind her but he wasn't. Alia sighed and allowed her body to ease the tension.

I need to stop feeling so tense and nervous around him.

Alia replayed the moment of Sameer running into class in her head. She felt a bit thankful for him saving her ass from that perverted professor. The way he jumped on him to hug him wa hilarious.

Pagal...

Unconsciously, Alia smiled. It was a genuine smile that exposed her teeth and made her cheeks feel tight. She felt a bit awkward while smiling. Alia hardly smiled in such a way. Not since Varun walked out of her life.



VARUN


"I am so fucking sore from that volleyball practice!" Jason sulked, allowing his shoulders to slump.

"You are such a drama queen." Varun rolled his eyes. "Stop crying and pass me an orange juice."

He watched as Jason walked over to the beverages in the small refrigerator. Varun stood behind the cash register, waiting to pay for his food.

"So did you see her today?" Jason asked, his voice low and sneaky. Varun cringed.

Is this gonna be a daily thing now? When was the last time we had a conversation without bringing up Alia?

Varun cleared his throat loudly, as he looked at Jason with wide eyes for a few seconds. It was a clear sign that he didn't want to talk about the topic.

They paid for their food and headed over to the nearest cafeteria table. As Varun took a seat, his eyes skimmed the room. He felt some slight disappointment.

Why do I always have that hope that I would find her here?

"Okay, now tell me. Have you seen her today?" Jason smirked a little, making Varun groan in annoyance.

"You know, you're acting no different than a desi aunty right now." He bit into his apple as Jason laughed. "Ever since you found out about my situation and about her, you just find it necessary to interview me about it everyday."

"Thank you" Jason replied while imitating an accent. Varun punched his shoulder as he failed to fight a smile.

The truth was that Varun didn't actually have any issues talking about Alia with Jason. In fact, it felt nice that someone else in this planet knew that he has feelings for her. But recently, it was getting a bit obvious that Jason knew something that the rest of his friends didn't know of. Liam had almost caught them talking about Alia last week. Luckily, they changed the topic the second they saw him.

Varun did see Alia today. He had taken a quick glance at his phone as he was exiting the washroom and the first person he laid his eyes on was her. Her presence made his heart sink to his stomach. Varun wasn't used to seeing her walk around the campus.

Alia had been smiling to herself. It wasn't just any typical smile, it was that same smile where her dimples would be defined. Varun could feel warmth filling up his heart and he couldn't blame himself. He was seeing that dangerous smile after years. Alia ran her hand through her long wavy hair as she made a turn at the end of the hall, making Varun let out a sigh. He wasn't sure when he would see her smile near him again.

But I shouldn't be having these feelings for her. I've been avoiding them for a reason. It's for the better.

He took another bite of his apple and chewed on it slowly.

It is for the better...right?

Varun wasn't sure if he had a proper answer to his own question. A distraction was needed.

"Yo, where's the next party at?" Varun asked Jason, allowing a smirk to creep onto his face.

---

There was an empty soda can that was near Varun's foot as they walked out of the cafeteria. Without hesitating, He kicked the can.

"This party is going to be so live, I can already feel it!" Jason seemed to be more excited about this party than Varun.

"I'm sort of broke though. My new laptop wasn't given to me for free." He rolled his eyes as Jason scoffed.

Varun's parents usually sent him a cheque worth about $1500 every month. His father had warned him that he would stop sending the cheques if continued to slack off in his studies. Varun pursed his lips at that thought.

They wouldn't do that, I know them too well. Maybe they will just decrease the amount the send but I know that they wouldn't cut the whole thing.

"Hey, if you need instant cash, check out the message board" Jason suggested. Varun raised a brow.

"The message board?" he repeated. "What message board? The campus has one of those?" Jason laughed at him.

"Yeah dude! It's down that hall." He pointed towards a red bulletin board that was against the brick wall. "I'm pretty sure there will be something to earn cash from."

"Sweet." Varun smiled slightly to himself.

Who would've ever known that this message board will become useful to me?

Jason let out a groan as he checked the time on his phone.

"My class starts in two minutes! I'm out!" He ran off the opposite direction, leaving Varun by himself.

Varun walked down the hall to where the message board was located. There were several different signs and posters that had been hanged up on the board. He raised a brow as he looked at one colorful sign to the next.

Wow. People actually put effort into this kind of stuff. I wouldn't have ever been able to guess that.

As Varun was analyzing the posters, he laid his eyes on a specific one. It was a simple sign that had the words GRAPHIC DESIGNER NEEDED printed clearly in the middle. Varun was a pro at creating graphical designs; he was definitely interested.

There was a contact number right underneath the text. Varun dialed up the number without hesitating.

I might make this money easier than I thought I would.

Varun smirked as the phone rang. A few rings occurred before it came to a halt. Varun furrowed his brows in confusion. Why did they cut the call? He re-entered the number and just before he could tap on the dial button, he got a text from that same number.

Can't talk on the phone right now! Meet me at the quiet study area in the library.

---

The library happened to be on the opposite end of where the message board was. When he finally reached there, Varun was about to enter the library when a familiar voice called out his name.

"Yo Varun! Wait up!" Varun turned around to find Sameer tuning up to him.

"Oh, hey man. What's up?" He gave Sameer a high-five when he approached him.

"I was just going to meet up with someone. You?" Sameer asked as they walked into the library.

"Same story" Varun replied before chuckling. "I saw some sign on the message board that said that a graphic was needed, so here I am."

"Nice. I'm just here to surprise a friend." Sameer smiled, making Varun raise a brow.

"Does this friend happen to be the same girl you told me about earlier today?" Varun smirked as he saw Sameer nod his head.

"Yup. There may actually be a chance that things will work out. I hope it does." Sameer rubbed the back of his neck. Clearly he liked this girl a lot.

"That's good for you dude!" Varun patted his back. "You got to show me who this girl is. I'm not leaving until you do." Sameer laughed out loud only to be shushed by a librarian.

"Alright, that's fine. Just follow me."

They began walking up the staircase of the library. Varun hardly came up to the upper level of the library. There were students who sat at the tables and studied quietly. He assumed that this is where the quiet study area was.

"This is the quiet study area?" Varun asked Sameer, keeping his voice low. Sameer shook his head a pointed to a room with transparent windows.

"It's over there. That's actually where she is right now." Hearing this made Varun raise his brows.

This meant that the girl that put up the sign on the message board is also the girl Sameer likes. A smirk crept on to Varun's face as he peered over to Sameer. He looked back at him, furrowing his brows with confusion. That's when Varun ran towards the quiet study area.

I actually have a way to embarrass Sameer in front of his girl without making things awkward!

Varun ignored Sameer, who had been hissing his name in a low voice. He slowed down as he finally reached the quiet study area. The room was nearly empty. There was only a girl who sat in the far corner with her back facing the entrance. She seemed a bit familiar from behind.

Maybe I've seen her before. I'll probably know who she is as I get a better look at her.

He took a few more steps towards her as he tried to guess who the girl was. Varun was now a meter away from her and the girl ran her hand through her hair. That's when Varun came to a halt.

No way.

Varun recognized the hair. He knew whom the wavy long hair belonged to. His heart dropped to his stomach.

Alia.

This was the same girl who he saw run her hand through hair earlier in the day. This was the same girl who Varun was supposed to contact about the poster on the message board. This was the same girl that Sameer was leading him to meet. This was the same girl he was in love with.

Alia.

He was at a loss of words. She was the girl he wasn't expecting to find in this room. Yet here she was.

I need to say something to her.

Varun hesitantly opened his mouth to speak but it wasn't his voice that came out.

"Alia! There you are!" Varun turned to see Sameer entering the quiet study area. He felt his body tense.

So Alia really is the girl Sameer was talking about today.

"Varun..." A familiar voice called out.

The voice came from her. It was soft and slightly strained. Her voice was almost new to him. Varun may have seen her multiple times throughout the past two years but he hadn't been able to hear her speak. He could've sworn that there was also some sadness to her voice.

Hesitantly, Varun faced her slowly. There sat the girl he considered to be the most beautiful person on the planet. But this time she had been facing him, their eyes meeting after what seemed like decades. Varun felt his heart skip a beat as he looked through the frames of her glasses and into her eyes. The twinkle wasn't there.

"Alia..."


*******

HELLO!!!! I finally updated!!! I'm sorry for not posting sooner!! I've been lazy to do so at first and when I wanted to write and continue with the story, I couldn't because it was the week of finals and I had to study lol

SO YEAH HOW WAS THE CHAPTER? I wanted it to be long because you readers waited so patiently for this and this is my way of thanking y'all! Oh and how do you guys feel about Alia and Varun finally meeting? ;)

I will try to update soon!!!!

comment/vote/follow!!!!