JAN
Contrary to popular belief, NO, i did NOT confront them about their odd behaviour in the english class. after that sam resumed his i-don't-give-a-shit-about-anything aura and grinned at the teacher, requesting her not to ask him any questions in the classes cuz he doesn't think he would know the answer anyway. and as all of us, including Mrs.Wilson gaped at him, he coolly sat down and fell asleep. JERK!
but of course, two minutes later, "mr.lane! can you please read out the first scene of the merchant of Venice?" mrs.wilson called out. sam got up with a wtf expression as the whole class burst out laughing at the teacher's reaction to sam's earlier cheekiness. if you ask me though, it had been kinda predictable.
"mrs. wilson... i don't think i am cut out for this, i am extremely bad at reading!" sam pouted. "you will do as i say, mr.lane! just the first dialogue of antonio will be fine" she dared him to do anything else. for a split second i thought he would just stalk outta the class, but instead he sighed, "you are pretty mean! but, i will humor you since its the first day" he took a deep breath and started in his smooth, attractive velvet voice,
"Antonio: In sooth, I know not why I am so sad;
It wearies me; you say, it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.
Salarino: Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,
That curt'sy to them, do them reverence,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.
Salino: Believe me, Sir, had I such venture forth,
The better part of my affections would
Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still
Plucking the grass, to know where sits the wind;
Peering in maps, for ports, and piers, and roads;
And every object that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt,
Would make me sad.
Salarino: My wind, cooling my broth,
Would blow me to an ague, whe-!"
"that would be enough, mr. lane!" mrs. wilson's voice shook ever so lightly and all of our jaws were currently in the basement. he had not only recited antonio but also salino and salarino and would have recited more if the teacher hadn't stopped him, WITHOUT A DAMN FREAKING BOOK! she was clearly stumped, expecting sam to be a typical delinquent, but unsurprisingly, he was a beautiful orator. the whole thing... it sounded so depressing for antonio, advising in case of salarino and hopeful for salino, just as was needed. PERFECT!
sam sat down smirking, clearly having won the round, and the teacher spoke to him no more, like she wouldn't for the rest of the year as i presumed.
......
As the news about sam's antics, spread through the school like wildfire. and people's admiration for him rose by leaps and bounds. but it was funny that whenever someone came up coquettishly talking about how influenced he/she was by him, all they would get was 'sure, i'll pass on the message!' because sam had vanished into some janitor's closet for the recess, probably ripping clothes off one of the sluts. And the cycle would continue as some new person came up, hoping to be acquaintances with him through exaggerated praises.
whenever the topic of how sam hates shakespeare romances came up and the person would invariably ask 'why?' shelly and kam would resort to glaring at their double clenched fists, and i would jump in hastily with some cock-a-bull story or revert the topic skillfully.
but i didn't ask them anything though. for one, they would tell me if they had to, and secondly, i had a feeling that i would get to know soon. i myself could make out nothing of the situation except for the obvious. obvious as in for the facts that, 1. sam had clearly been deceived in the past and 2. even though according to him, the aftermath wasn't anything worth worrying about, kam and shelly clearly thought otherwise.
i kept my mouth zipped up, either way.
......
"hey kitten, bored to death are you?"
"you wish!" i replied sullenly. it was the last period, and since the music classes for me, did not start until tomorrow, i had no work other than to do my homework in the library, because shelly had her art class, and kam his theater classes to attend. even though both had offered to ditch, i had all but kicked them into their class rooms. and so like sam said, i was extremely bored.
"that reminds me, who did you sleep with the last 3 classes you ditched today? and don't ask me to believe it was ONE girl, then you have inhumane stamina i must say!" i asked conversationally. sam looked at me, amused, "do i look like i have fucked ANYONE today?" i looked at him suspiciously, trying to ignore the fact of how hot he looked anytime a day, "well... i have never gotten laid yet so i wouldn't know by just looking at you!" i said, and then almost clamped my mouth shut in horror. what did i just say now?!
"you are still a virgin?" he caught on immediately. i flushed and quickly buried my face in my homework. "hey, i am sorry, i didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, i was just surprised that a pretty girl like you hasn't caught a boy yet!" he said hastily. my heart stuttered, did the hottest boy in the campus just call me pretty? oh well, that must be for courtesy! i decided to brush it off.
"say, why are you ditching music? don't you love it?" i frowned. "meh! its theory today! i hate theory!"he answered, relaxing back into his seat. our school was like the only one in universe i guess which had a compulsory 'journey of music' course, held every monday for all who opted for music classes, as one of the two co-cirrucular activities we had to appear for.
for kam the activities included, baseball and theater, shelly had chosen art and long jumping, sam had obviously opted for basketball and music, while i had gymnastics and music. within these two, one had more preference and the grades of them would be accepted in the final reports. now anyone can well guess which one had more importance amongst the choices for us four.
"you can't go home without my car today, and i hear that your gymnastics would start from tomorrow, so do you wanna hang out at the basketball court? shelly says she'll ditch today's practice cuz she sprained her ankle on saturday, she'll join you too, then we can all go back home after that with kam, wanna come?" he asked suddenly. i didn't even have to consider, "sure!" i shrugged.
as we lapsed into comfortable silence, with me finishing the chemistry homework i knew the black cat had already completed, and sam spreading his legs out and sinking further into his seat, time passed by considerably fast. it was funny how he could control my moods.
"wow! you sure don't talk much do you?" sam whistled lightly after a while. i snorted, "hark who's speaking! because i know for the fact that you are not much of a talker either!" "hey! i am an ambivert!" he protested, "though its kinda nice to be around a girl who doesn't chatter my ears off for a change!" "i am an ambivert too, but c'mon no one can sit with someone like me and be sociable!" i shrugged. "why? you don't seem like meek shy nerds!" he looked at me curiously.
i gulped under his stare, if only he knew! "you are hiding something, aren't you? but its okay, i won't push you! you can come to us anytime you want!"he smiled softly and i felt like melting over like an ice-cream. but i didn't want to end the conversation right now. silence meant bringing back those memories i have tried so hard to run away from. i can't afford to live in a nightmare even in D.C.
"so, what were you doing those 3 periods?" i asked, desperate to keep talking. sam raised an eyebrow, " stalker much?" he hummed, teasing. i flushed a bit, "hey! i am just curious!" "sure you are! well, i had been sleeping on the roof! i went there to escape from crowds and woke up just about now!" "but the principal warned you, your mother..." i began worriedly. "he would have done it four years ago if he had to!" he replied smoothly. "are you THAT afraid of your mom?" i shivered a bit, if SAM was afraid, then what would I do?
"oh hell no! she is a really sweet creature, its just that she takes these things too seriously!" he laughed warmly. i could see it in his eyes that he adored her. i smiled, so the player was a mama's boy, huh? "no! never in a million years! she would die to get someone who can control ME!" he said seriously and i realised with a jerk that i had spoken out loud.
"she sounds endearing, i wish i could meet her!" i sighed, "as in meeting parents for engagement?" sam teased again. i rolled my eyes, "sure! didn't i say i would marry you for that pasta?" i drawled and we both laughed. "so how about your dad?" i asked. "dad is... normal! he loves mom too much, pampers his 'baby girl' shelly more than required, plays video games with kam but makes me do the work of the business when i am home!"he sighed and i smirked.
"well! even my dad was impressed by your hacking skills, so is mom! and i like your parents too! so the marriage should be child's play!" i grinned. "sounds interesting?" sam was trying to hide his smile as i burst out laughing.
......
"hey jan! sorry am late!" shelly sprinted upto me. "well your ankle seems fine enough!" i teased. "of course it is! its just an excuse to hang around with you!" she huffed. "awh! thanks, but i think kam needs you more today! i hear that he has a small game? go and cheer for him!" i smiled. "but..." "no 'but's young lady, if you consider me as your bestie, do what i say and pass on my best wishes!" i said firmly, pushing her outta the basketball court. she nodded at me and sprinted off. why didn't i go with her? well i figured she would like to have some personal time with kam.
i sat down, and marveled at the sheer number of girls there to watch a basketball PRACTICE! all hail lord sam! i rolled my eyes, as the pitches of their giggles rose as the team entered in the jerseys and warmers for the first warm up. sam entered, dressed in the red-gold jersey with his warmer zip open and the number '3' visible in the front of his sleeveless shirt along with the name of the school. he turned his head from the boy he had been chatting with and winked at the girls who broke into excited squeals. his eyes caught mine and i childishly stuck my tongue out at him. i could hear his husky laughter fill up the auditorium as the coach called them to him. i braced myself for an awesome practice.
...
sam was the point guard... as expected. The point guard is typically the team's best ball handler and passer. They usually are very fast and are good at driving and short-range. Therefore, they often lead their team in assists and are able to create shots for themselves and their teammates. They are quick and are able to hit shots either outside the key but a majority are inside the 3 point line or layups, largely depending on the player's skill level. Point guards are looked upon as the "floor general" or the "coach on the floor". They should study the game and game film to be able to recognize the weaknesses of the defense, and the strengths of their own offense. They are responsible for directing plays, so they are often referred to as or play-makers. and sam filled up every criteria perfectly.
Watching him play was like magic. he was a whole different person in the court. cool, calm, composed and focused, he moved with the ball as if the the ball already knew what to do. the dribble, the passes, the defense... anyone could well see why he was the captain. he could shoot 3-pointers flawlessly. he could read the game and control the team seamlessly with just his eyes. he knew the pros and cons of every player and used them to their advantage with amazing expertise. as he 'made' the play, you would invariably realise after a while that there was NO way that they could NOT win! but the most important aspect about him was probably the way the whole team looked up to him. he was the heart of the team and the players had blind faith in him.
i watched him play, mesmerized that someone could be SO infallibly perfect, not to mention utterly hot (he looked so swoon worthy in that jersey and black bandanna) and attractive. i was so focused on him running down the court, that i didn't realise the ball flying straight out towards me with incredible speed, until the last moment.
.
.
.
i caught it, duh. the whole court gaped at me. what? hadn't they ever seen a female catch a ball? oh right, the girls here might not be the best examples. only sam was smirking, completely unruffled, as if he had expected me to not get hit. " c'mon, pass it to me!" he waved from the the farthest possible corner. i rolled my eyes and threw it right at his face.
i felt a surge of pleasure as i watched him take two steps back as he caught the ball. hah! take that felis! wait, did i just call him felis? that might be a good nickname on second thought. felis meant 'cat' after all.
......
SHELLY
"foxy!" someone called, ugh that damn nickname! but that voice... so sweet to my ears... i whipped around only to be almost lifted off the ground by kam. "hey there, marshmallow!"(wolves-> marshmallow, geddit? you are no legend, if you don't) i smiled up to him before i felt his lips lock with mine. i immediately melt against his slow kiss.
had it been my way, i would have spent the majority of the time kissing kam. it has been almost two years, but i still can't get enough of this brown haired, blue eyed, utterly gorgeous yet totally insane boy i am in love with. he is the only person who can make me completely breathless by just a look and completely whipped by just a word, kam is the best thing that has ever happened to me. its true that we still have our share of arguments but i don't intend to get over them anytime in the nearby forever.
"i love you!" i whispered against his shirt. "meh, i love myself too!" i could feel his silent laughter and hit him playfully. "ah! okay okay! i love you too, now stop punching me!" he mock winced as he rubbed his arms. "let's get going shall we? jan must be waiting!" i said and he nodded.
"umm... why is it so crowded? and this isn't even the music room, why were we told to gather here?" jan looked lost. she was adorable! "well, the rivalry between the girl's band and the boy's band has been legendary! so whenever they have a showdown, the whole school gathers out here!" i answered. "i am supporting those hot girls obviously!" kam grinned and i hit him again. ever since he won yesterday's game, he has been quite gay and happy.
alya, the lead vocalist of the girl's band took the mic, "good afternoon to all present here, there has been many new entries in the music classes this year, so i was wondering is there are any female drummers here! we need one! and if she plays good, she has permanent spot in the band!" the hall quietened. lauren, the emo lead guitarist had been the part-time drummer, since three years ago when there had been a scarcity of drummers. the females in our school are more interested in matt red lipsticks, you see.
i guess that they got serious this year, since we had finally put our foot down and kicked sam into the band last year as the lead guitarist and the boys have acquired straight wins since then. both the teams have best of the talents and had been evenly matched but then sam threw them outta balance. "... anyone?" she repeated, as no one volunteered.
a shy hand shot up slowly, "i can try?" it was a question. not because she wasn't good enough but because it was the first time for her to go about doing things on her own. i had noticed it earlier in jan too, she was really modest and was grateful even for the things we took for granted. not only did she underestimate herself all the time but also because i could see in her that she was completely unused to being helped by friends. i wonder what she had gone through in the other school.
"you will?" alya's eyes were wide, the whole hall was staring at her, surprised. jan visibly shrank away. but then alya, lauren, susan (guitarist) and blair (keys) broke into relieved smiles, "thank you! thank you so much!" they surrounded a very startled jan, who had frankly expected violence as per her expression.
JAN
they took me? they didn't boo me or hit me or make fun of me? they really really took me? even though the whole auditorium was gaping at me. sam was smirking again, unsurprised, shelly was beaming with pride, but i could sense that she knew all that was going on my head and kam was positively almost bursting with excitement.
"but.... your dress..." susan scrutinized my boring t-shirt (sam's *evil laugh*), button down shirt left open, jeans and ankle boots combo, while i gaped at their total rock-band attire. "is it absolutely necessary?" "absolutely! we need to bring those boys down you see and appearances matter a lot!" blair said firmly. "okay!" i sighed. "but how..." lauren frowned, "leave that to me!" i winked.
the whole crowd watched as i stalked up to sam and stretched my hand out to him. he looked at me with raised eyebrows and then sighed and dropped his car keys in my hand, "its on the dashboard!" he knew exactly what i wanted. "give me seven minutes exactly! i will be back" i called as i ran outta the room.
SHELLY
o....kay then? she ran out. and immediately hell broke loose. many people were against the idea of someone entering he prestigious band without prior auditions but many people supported the 4 members all the same when they calmly said that they trusted jan and the battle would be her auditions. both kam and i were obviously one of the latter group and sam looked as if he was getting ready for the showdown as he conversed with his own group.
"i am back!" jan skidded into the room in exactly seven minutes and the crowd let ot an enormous gasp. she usually looked beautiful in anything she wore but this was just...HOT. she had just altered her outfit a bit. they half sleeves of the black shirt were stitched back to sleeveless, and the shirt was tied on the left side just below her ribs, the jeans were folded to the ankles and the button down shirt was tied around her waist. even her usually flipped straight hair was tousled and held in sam's bandanna. she looked SO badass! all in 7 minutes!
"i had to take it to the embroidery room and stitch the sleeves, sorry sam!" she said sheepishly. "you can do whatever to my wardrobe if you look that sizzling all the time! i don't care!" he smirked, eyeing her with awe. jan rolled her eyes and joined the group, "will this do?" "if there is anything more than 'do' then its that!" blair praised. "how are you so good and fast?!" susan admired. "these are not much, but, i do wanna be a fashion designer in future!" she anwered. oh yeah, she HAD mentioned it before! But, that's awesome! i totally need tips from her then, but why does she herself dress so boring then?
"so.." the music teacher entered, "is everyone ready? the rules of this time are simple, 3 songs to each group, first song needs to be of some kind of famous group, the team that wins the first round chooses a member for a solo second song, then he/she chooses someone from the other group as the challenger, any song, any track, any group, whatever! last song needs to be of some foreign language! is it understood?" all the five of both teams nodded.
the boys won the toss and the battle began...
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