Till The Count Of Five ✓

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Virtue can be forgotten but opportunity can never be missed.

Kiara

15th March 2018, Thursday
17:30

This was not Pizza Hut or Subway or Domino's. It was Castle Barbeque of all the places, almost half an hour away from my house and miles away from Ash's words. I scowled at the liar next to me.

"Move," she said.

I folded my arms and refused to budge. "No. You lied. You told my parents that we were going to celebrate near your house. Where is your house? Oh right. It's farther than my house."

"Your parents won't find out."

"I did. And I'm not happy."

"Fine by me. Sulk in a corner but remember I would not be able to enjoy the party if you're not enjoying it."

Leave it to this girl to blackmail people. Just because our exams were over, it did not mean we could lie. I looked around the place. Vicky could organise some good parties. I had to admit it was a pretty place, a little crowded but I wasn't surprised. Ash had already joined everyone for a dance and I was alone for once. I sat on a chair near the entrance, ready to jump out if she tried to get me to dance.

"Junior." Vicky grinned at me. "Is this really you?" He ruffled my hair and poked at my specs.

I shoved his hands away, annoyed at the fingerprints on the glasses. "It is overstepping your boundaries and invading my privacy."

"Where's the demarcation line?" He asked. "Come on, Junior, loosen up. I know the moment everybody gets busy dancing, you'll call a war on the food. Have it. No one's judging."

I scowled at him. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"

He shrugged. "Are you not my junior?"

"I am, Vi-." An idea came in my mind. "Of course I'm your junior, Vee."

His smirk fell. I guess somebody was not enjoying nicknames anymore. Then he nodded and said, "Fair enough, Junior."

This guy was good as long as he gave you his full grin that squinted his eyes. The moment his mouth opened, one should run for the hills.

Ash approached us, right arm over Vee's shoulder. "Are both my friends going to sit here as statues?"

"Junior gave me a name- Vee." He pinched my cheeks. "How cute."

I mumbled under my breath about my unlucky life that had to give two of these lunatics as my friends.

"Where's Shay?" Ash asked.

"I thought she wasn't coming," Vee said. "Is she?"

When they both shook their heads at each other, I sighed in relief. Good. Finally a day when she was not sticking to her. My gaze fell on the beaded necklace around Ash's neck, the colour on the beads pale and chipped off. This was the gift Shay could afford. I wanted to puke. How was Ash even wearing this worn out piece?

"It's breaking," I said, touched the necklace and inspected it. "The string is different than before."

Ash nodded. "It broke in the morning. I put the beads in this string."

"Explains the misalignment." That earned Vee a glare from Ash.

I could not help but agree. However, it was Shay's fault to give something that was already in poor condition. I thought Ash would remove it and place it in her pocket but her frown stated otherwise.

"I'll mend it," I offered despite my unwillingness.

She removed it and gave it to me. I untied the string and slipped the beads out of it, my hands shaky and almost wanted to break the string. Someone walked past us, hitting the table with his hand and few of the beads fell down.

"Idiots," Vee muttered and collected them. I stared at his hands, half-tempted to stop him. "Why don't you do it in the restroom? It's right around the corner."

I collected the material and followed him outside. Numerous possibilities ran through my mind to use this opportunity and get rid of this gift. Ash sat at my place, her face on her palm as she stared at the mushrooms with a forlorn look.

"She really likes it," I said.

Vee smiled. "It's from Shay. Why won't she like it?"

I said nothing. He opened the door of the restroom and made space for me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded.

He frowned at my response but left. I placed the dismantled parts on the marble shelf and stared at my reflection. Shay was her go-to friend. She needed an extra hand? Shay. Someone to get ideas from? Shay. Someone to judge her paintings? Shay. Shay. Shay. Shay. Everywhere, it was Shay.

"Where were you during the lunch break? I thought you'd come to meet me," I said on the phone.

Ash replied. "I was in the Art Room."

"Without me? How do you do things alone?"

"I wasn't alone," she said with a laugh.

She was with Shay. That girl even had a nickname. She wasn't Sheereen while I was just Kiara.

My hands worked with the beads and the string which I hadn't realized was sharp. I closely examined it. A sharp string disguised around Ash's neck. It could cut her and she wouldn't even know. I grinned at the final piece. The beads hid the sharpness.

"Stop."

My head whipped around at the loudness with which a door was shut that made the mirrors on the wall rattle. I placed the necklace in my pocket and opened the door. The still rattling sign on the opposite door read 'Male'.

"Stop, please."

I took a step towards the door, careful to not push it.

"What if someone comes?"

I knew that voice. My eyes widened at realization.

"The door is locked," said another guy.

Who was he?

My hands lightly brushed against the door and it moved. Liar. It wasn't locked. I held it from moving any further. Nobody said anything, as if vanished. Through the slit of the ajared door, I dared to peep in. Pinned against the wall was Rishab. Another guy's hands were all over his face. I gasped. Sameer.

"What is wrong with the us?," he said. "You're dating my sister and I-"

Rishab cut him off with a kiss.

I, already have seen more than I should be, stepped back and decided to calm my breaths. Here was Rishab and inside was Ash. It had been three months since they started dating. What was he doing?

"Junior." Vee called my name. I saw his shadow and ran, colliding into him.

"Whoa, what's up with you?" He grabbed my shoulders and steadied me.

I rubbed my hands on my jeans. "Nothing. I was just coming."

"You wasted your time. Ash is saying to let it go. She'll see it later." He rubbed his neck and gulped. "Shay had a fight with her over the phone. It's something to do with their portraits."

I gulped and looked back at the restroom.

"Junior, are you listening?"

A sharp string disguising around her neck.

"Junior?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm listening to everything."

And watching too. I felt sick but it was the perfect opportunity.