Crossing The i's And Dotting The t's

(XX) Ridiculously Overrated

The last weeks of May were spent in haphazard shopping sprees, following Alia's merciless fitness routines and giving myself up to Radhika's irregular yet frequent makeover attempts. The two girls were intent on transforming me into my best possible version. I'd be lying if I say that I didn't like the changes. My hair was now shoulder length with light brown highlights and I'd lost about six kgs.

Any kind of physical activity had been non-existent in my daily schedule since the past two years. As a result, I was keen to shed the extra weight which had seemingly popped out of nowhere. Alia was the best and the worst kind of self-appointed trainer. Encouraging in a brutally honest way, she loved bossing me around and glaring at me whenever I asked for a break.

So when I was sitting on Alia's bean bag, basking in the refreshing feeling of having spent the past hour swimming laps, the nervousness in my forever confident friend's voice surprised me.

"Umm...how do I look?"

I looked up to see her modeling a white and gold summer dress for me. It hung loosely over her shoulders and hugged her waist after which it flared around her knees.

"Prettier than usual..." I said, recovering from my shock and quickly typing 'ttyl' on Kian's chatbox, as I was texting him while waiting for Alia to finish showering. "What's the occasion?"

"We're going shopping."

My brows shot up, "are we? How come I didn't know?"

"Shh!" she frantically hushed me as she dashed forward, almost tripping over our unfinished game of checkers lying on the floor. "This is just a cover. You'll help me in getting out out of the house, pretending to go shoe shopping wimme and then you'll go home and I'll go for coffee with Aryan."

"Woah! An entire secret mission for coffee? Are you sure that dress isn't bulletproof?" I drawled, not quietly.

"Shh!" She hushed again before grabbing my hand and dragging me out of her room. Her parents didn't question us as we walked out of the front door and soon went on our seperate ways.

Despite all the covering up I was forced to do, I was happy for Aryan and her, even felt a bit proud if I may be honest, having introduced the two of them in the first place. Yet, there was a tiny part of me which was left somewhat envious after seeing their eager, tentative, young and secretive love turn into a blissful and relaxed (though still secretive) romance.

I knew that I could have that, but reluctance was gripping my arms and holding me back. Yes, I was well aware that anything I'd start with Kian right now would most likely end within a couple of months, given the fact that college was just a few weeks away, though that wasn't it.

I was scared.

Which was an utterly stupid thing to feel. Yes, my only attempt at a 'relationship' was complete disaster, but this time should be different of course. I mean, for starters, I actually liked this guy, have had a crush on him for ages.

Then there was the prospect of asking him out.

Dense as I generally was when it came to being perceptive about the feelings of humans other than myself, I somehow was able to detect Kian's. An unusual hesitance surrounded him whenever we were hanging out with each other, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't get past the nerves.