Crossing The i's And Dotting The t's

(XI) Apologetic Reconciliation

A/N The amazing cover on the side is made by Shreshthanagar

Love you sis!

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"I can't believe this! So basically, thirty percent boys are born with hollow balls?"

We were starting to attract the attention of everyone in the common area.

"Would you please lower your voice?" I hissed at him, snatching the ice-cream from his hands to  devour the last two scoops. "And it's thirty percent for the baby boys who have a premature delivery. In cases of a normal full term, the percentage is three."

Aditya grimaced, "still, the image is not pretty. So how do they fill their hollow balls? Surgery?"

"Yeah, orchidopexy." Taking aim, I threw the empty plastic cone in the dustbin in front of us. "But please stop saying hollow balls, it is cryptorchidism and the correct informal term would be 'undescended testicles'. Hollow balls sounds too...abrasive. Besides, it is used by many homophobes to claim that homosexuality is a disease. Or rather, is the outcome of this disorder."

That sobered him up quickly. "Yeah sorry," he said, "but I still don't get it...undescended? Are the inner balls supposed to descend on the outer balls?"

I supressed a smile. "Seriously Adi, would it kill you to say 'testes' and 'scrotum' ?"

"Yes, yes it would."

Mentally rolling my eyes, I explained, "all right umm...the testes of a male foetus form in the abdomen and descend into the scrotal sacs a few days before the due date. The instant where it doesn't descend for some reason, leads to cryptorchidism."

He processed my words for a few minutes, a painful expression plastered on his face. But beneath that was there a.....worried frown?

Though I didn't think much of it.

"Okay fine," he suddenly said, "that's just too much uncomfortable information for one day. Remind me why we started talking about this?"

"Well." I shrugged, "you were talking about breasts and I thought it'll be a good idea to share a fun fact about balls."

"Yes breasts!" he exclaimed, again attracting the attention of all the people in a four metre radius. "Imagine this scenario Ash, you approach a guy and ask him out, not that you'd ever do that you emotionless freak," he added the last part in an undertone but I caught it.

And I took pride in those words.

"Anyway," he continued. "You ask a guy out, Kian for instance, and he turns you down. Would you automatically assume it's because of your breasts?"

"This....conversation....is bizzare," I said slowly. "But no, I won't assume that. I guess I'd chalk it up to my face structure or pimple scars or even the possibility that he might not be willing to enter into a...relationship. God I hate using that word to describe these high school idiocies."

"Right! Right?" He almost jumped as he said this, turning to face me fully while crossing his legs, meditation style, on the step he was sitting on. "That would not be your first assumption! So why would Disha think that I said 'no' because of her breasts?"

My eyes nearly popped out.

"Wait, what? Disha asked you out? Wow man you're a stud! She's so hot!"