After Austin left, I played with my empty glass with one hand and propped my chin in the palm of the other hand. I didn't even move an inch after Austin left. I looked at my watch and realised that I sat there for almost twenty minutes.
I placed my glass on the table and left through the second door of the canteen.
I saw Rachel from a certain distance, she sat on the bench where we usually sit. She was busy reading a book, she looked beautiful. She was indeed a beautiful girl, not the most beautiful girl but she was beautiful in her own way. She has hazel eyes, her lips were pink in colour and her thick black hair was long but not as long as mine.
I walked in the direction where she was seated, lost in her world. I over heard four girls conversation while I was on my way.
"Damn!!! he is hot," said a girl in low voice and cupped her mouth.
"I agree, I love his silky hair and the way he brushes his hair at times, it makes him look more attractive," said another girl and other two girls who stood beside her, continued to watch the game.
They were my juniors.
I looked at the girls and then turned my head in the direction where their eyes were focused.
The guy about whom they spoke was tall and had a black watch. He was stood at one side with his across chest, his eyes were focused on his team mates.
I looked at that guy and smiled though he didn't see me.
I came by Rachel's side and then she looked at me and asked about elocution in excitement, "how did it go?"
"It wasn't great but I told confidently without any mistakes," I said.
"That's amazing, I'm proud of you," she said and held my hands with a bright smile. I smiled and asked her why was she alone.
"Cindy informed that we don't have classes now so I came out to read my novel peacefully," she replied softly.
"oh, "I said and looked at the basket ball court.
"By the way, what do you think about the guy who is standing there and watching the game," I pointed at him so that she could look at him.
She looked at him and then at me, there was a slight smile on her face while she controlled her blush.
"He looks fine," she replied with a slight smile. Though she said he looked fine, her smile said he was more than fine.
"How does he look while brushing his hair? "I asked her in a teasing tone.
"He looks like a cute chimpanzee," she replied and laughed.
Even I started to smile to see the way she blushed.
The guy about whom I asked her to describe was my cousin, Justin.
Justin became our school's basket ball team captain. He was smart, intelligent, good looking. He was popular especially among girls. Half of the girls from his class have a secret crush on him and they even told him directly on his face. He was an easy going guy unlike Austin who maintains a distance from people, a smile plasters on Justin's face. The guy who always did naughty things changed, he was more matured now.
"I didn't know that the guys were playing basket ball here," she said.
"Obviously you wouldn't know, you were busy reading your novel," I rolled my eyes.
"Austin doesn't have a crush on Veronica," I beamed in a low voice.
"You met him ?" she asked.
"Yes, I did," I replied with a simple nod.
I told her what happened.
"Awww... really ? you should have told him that you like him, you idiot," she said and pinched me for not utilising my chance.
"I wanted to tell him but I couldn't," I told her in a bitter tone.
She placed her palm on my cheeks and said, "that's okay babe, let's hope that you'll tell him in the future."
"Hopefully," I replied.
As we were busy with our conversation, Justin came towards us and asked me about my speech with a bottle in his hand. His hair was wet, his face shone under the bright sun. He looked more handsome than ever.
"It went good," I replied with a smile.
"That's nice," he said and looked at Rachel when she was busy with her novel and ignored him.
"Did something happen? your face turned red," Justin asked in obliviousness when he looked at her face which turned because of him.
"I .... well....I ," before she could reply he was called by one of his team mates.
Justin's team mate called his name out loud and told him to come immediately to which he gave a nod.
He looked at me and told that he would talk to me later, before he left, he didn't miss to take a quick glance at Rachel who his her face to avoid his eyes. I looked at Rachel who covered her face and couldn't control my laughter after he left.
"Okay, now stop laughing. I didn't expect him to come to us and talk and why the hell did he come all of a sudden," she said and cupped her face.
"I guess he came to ask about my speech," I replied and tried to control my laugh but I couldn't.
"Oh yeah right, did he look at me ?" she asked.
"Yes, he did," I replied with a giggle.
"Damnn!! how embarrassing," she rubbed her forehead in embarrassment.
"Let's leave from here," she suggested and I followed her.
While we were having a stroll, she asked me, "Do you want to participate in dance competition?"
"Hell .... No," I snorted.
"Oh, you sure you won't participate?" she asked me again.
"Why would I participate when I'm least interested in it," I replied.
"I thought you would love to participate, so sad," she said dramatically.
"What do you mean," I said and gave a quizzical look.
"Mmmmm ..... I overheard 10th A section's class representative talking to her class teacher. I mean Austin's class teacher and his class representative were talking about him,"she said.
"What were they talking ?" I asked her.
"I couldn't hear their entire conversation but I guess she wants him to participate," she said.
"Oh yeah, while leaving he told me that his teacher was calling him," I said.
"So ...wanna participate?" she asked me raising her eyebrows.
"You think I wouldn't?" I replied with a raised eyebrow.
After sometime, we went to Cindy, I asked her to write my name in the list of people interested in dance. I looked at Rachel and asked if she was interested, her reply was the same, she wasn't interested in dance.
Cindy told us that Veronica was the one to register the names of the people who were interested in dance. Veronica is Justin's and Austin's class mate, most of the girls of her class hates her.
Rachel and I looked at each other, looking at Rachel I understood what she had in her mind.
"Yes we have to go and give my name and you are coming with me," I said and held her wrist.
"Are you serious?" she asked me.
"Yes, I am," I replied.
I went to Austin's class for the first time, neither he wasn't there nor Justin. We stood near the door. It was embarrassing, people were staring at us as if we were aliens.
"I guess leaving right now would be the best choice," Rachel said in low voice.
I glared at her but didn't reply.
"I am standing out, I won't come in," she said.
I sighed heavily and said okay.
I found that Veronica was seated in her bench, she was busy with her notes. I walked towards her and told that I came to give my name. She understood that I came to give my name for dance competition. She took out a paper and wrote my name.
She knew my name?
I thought when she wrote my name in the paper.
After writing she looked at me and gave a bright smile, I gave a half smile as I was surprised by the way she smiled.
I said, "thankyou," and left the class.
In the evening, on our way to home, we went to a shop and bought two coke tins. I started to talk about Veronica to Rachel.
"She seems to be nice," I said .
"Who?" Rachel asked taking a sip.
"Veronica, " I said.
"What did you talk to her?" she asked me.
"Nothing," we just gave a smile to eachother. I just felt that she is sweet like Justin says.
"Ohh!!!" was her reply.
I could sense a kind of jealous in her voice.
"Justin doesn't like her in that way," I stated at her with an assuring smile .
"I don't care whom he likes," she said and kicked a stone before she sipped her coke.
"Really?" I asked.
"Well, it's his wish, the way I like him, he might like any other girl, I just hope that he doesn't dislike me, that is all I want," she admitted.
Her voice was low, she liked him since many years even though she knew that he doesn't like her the way she likes him.
"I totally understand since we are sailing on the same boat," I said with a wink.
"Cheers!!" we said in unison and laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jessica's entire schooling days were spent with Rachel. Whenever she was absent Jessica used not understand what to do. It was a hell for Jessica to survive in school whenever she was absent, even though Someone would sit beside Jessica, she used to feel lonely, the classes would be boring, her day would be incomplete. She used to scold her whenever she was absent and so did she whenever Jessica was absent. Very few people have such friends in their life and Jessica always felt blessed to have a person like Rachel in her life and so did Rachel.