Between Deadlines

Ninth grade almost swallowed Vihana Singh whole.

She spent it chasing the wrong places - looking up to seniors who barely noticed her, sitting beside a boy who made the days easier, mistaking proximity for belonging.

She wasn't unhappy.

She just wasn't home.

Then came the end of the year.
And with it - Anvi Oberoi and Prisha Malhotra.

Tenth grade felt different.
Like finding your missing pieces in the middle of a classroom.
Shared lunches. Inside jokes. Silent competition. The kind of friendship that feels permanent.

For a while, they were a trio that felt like forever.

But school teaches more than what's written in textbooks.

Between deadlines, distance, and growing up, this is the story of how something beautiful begins - and what happens when it slowly changes.

© 2026 Ruhi
All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the author.