✔️ fall / fɔːl / [noun] - an act of falling or collapsing.
✔️ compilation / kɒmpɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n / [noun] - collection, assortment.
w a r n i n g : This story contains certain chapters based on delusionary behaviour. And yes, of course, write-ups that re...
The cerulean waves foamed around her feet, clearing away the clumps of clay stuck between her toes. Rhea inhaled the fresh, salty air from the endless sea spread out in front of her, and let go of all trains of thoughts as she basked in the warmth of the beach sun. Music poured in from the earphones deftly tucked in her ears, and slowly, she immersed herself into the strumming of guitars and soft tickling of the rippling waves, who shied away whenever she reached out.
Someone tapped on her shoulder, making her turn off the reverberating harmony and face the intruder in her realm.
"Mind if I join you for a bit? My friend Sean's busy with his girlfriend."
Eyes the color of deep, dark wilderness greeted her with its calmness, unaware of the currents of confusion flowing behind Rhea's sapphire orbs, that matched with her beachwear for the day. Heartstrings running around uncontrolled at the sight of the school sweetheart, she patted the space beside her.
"Thanks." Daniyal settled down on the proffered spot and stretched out his tanned legs, toes grazing the foam and the sea water. It was difficult for Rhea to get back to her music; Daniyal Hamid was sitting beside her.
Next to someone whose existence had doubtless never crossed the high school heartthrob's mind.
"Left you friendless, your best friend?" was the only coherent sentence that molded in her mind.
He grinned at her, almost making her believe this was all but reality, the full lips encasing the perfect teeth.
"Might sound unbelievable, but yes." Daniyal offered a sandy palm to her, and when Rhea shook it, she grasped on the small fact that her hand did not get entirely consumed into his palm.
"Daniyal." Rhea assumed he was only introducing himself to sound even more mesmeric than he was and probably to intimidate her blue bikini-clad self.
"I know." To her surprise, he himself looked genuinely amazed at the piece of information.
"I don't think I know you," he stated, after a moment or two of staring at her, taken aback.
"Nor did I expect you to." His comment did not come as a surprise to Rhea; she was everything to her small group of friends and a nobody in the school's celeb club and what else to expect from the school celebrity, who was busy smooching the cheerleaders at every corner? Loosing curiosity and suspecting Daniyal's interest in her to be only of his selfish accord, she turned back to the sea and hoped he would simply to go back to flirting with those model-alike high schoolers, who were flocking around them for his attention.
"Hey, did I offend you?" His question, now, did come as a surprise to her. Nothing flirtatious, simple concern etched on his eyebrows. Despite the fact that she would sound like an utter dumbfuck, Rhea yet sounded her confusion over the matter.
"Why are you sitting here with me?"
Not getting his answer and shot with another question, left Daniyal in a closed spot to either answer witty or just shrug. He decided upon the first.
"Should I be standing then?" His eyes crinkled at the edges, the raven black hair creating shadows across his forehead in unruly patterns.
"Shouldn't you be toying with one of those girls over there?" Daniyal followed her finger and looked in the pointed direction. Then his scowl cleared away for a hearty chuckle.
"Is it that your boyfriend's around, or is it because I'm disrupting your music?" he asks, indicating towards her iPod on her soiled lap. Tactfully, her eyes swept over his features in one quick look before focusing back on answering his question.
"I'll pick the second option."
Without saying anything, he took one of the earphones, plucked it into his ears and turned on "Still got Time" on her device. Music again started seeping in her, and with Daniyal beside her, not radiating any form seductive behavior, made Zayn's voice sound even better.
"Mm, Daniyal?" She still hadn't gotten her answer.
"Yeah?"
"I still don't get it why you are here chilling with me."
He put his hand on his chin as if to think, and then grinned at her, suddenly making her slightly breathless.
"Maybe, I am one of those pimps who's the leader in a prostitution racket," faux whispered the Asian guy, staring straight into her eyes.
"You still haven't figured out my name, have you?" Changing the subject seemed the only way to get away from those intense green eyes. A fraction of her castigated herself for almost giving away herself to his boyish charms.
"Wait, lemme guess. Susan?" He arched an eyebrow when she shook her head in amusement.
"No, no. Mm, Claire? No? Then Adeline? Felicity?" Failing to hit her name at the fifth chance, he raised his palms in surrender.
"It's Rhea. Nice meeting you, Daniyal." Surprising herself, she offered her hand and he shook it with enthusiasm.
They sat in the hot, summer sand, aimless topics the subject of their conversation. For the first time that summer afternoon, she didn't feel stunted by the glamorous bodies thronging her space of sanctuary and felt herself slowly ease with Daniyal.
Days would pass by, and they would become friends, without assessing what lay ahead in the ever-twisting, turning future. And when the cosmos of humanity would throw them at different viewpoints about their alliance, years later, they would still seek their high school summer partner in every different set of arms.
Summers created stories unparalleled to the universe, and destroyed ones with every equations and questions solved.
The someone this story is dedicated to is one of the best people I have met till now. This is not a shout out, but a simple shower of gratification towards her mother for letting her come to this world.
