"A penny for your thoughts?"
"No, you won't get to know anything from us."
"Ayee, Don't be so cruel to your best friend."
"Oh... please when I needed you, you were busy sleeping and snoring."
"Hey!! I never snore. Don't throw dirt on my ideal image."
Sarah just stared at Ivy. She didn't retort back at her remarks. She gazed at her with a stranger's eyes.
"Okay! Fine! I am sorry. It was my fault to sleep during the classes but did you realise how boring those classes were? The class was anything but engaging and interesting... I doubt if others sneakily dozed off or not just like me. Moreover, I am not entirely at fault."
The girls sipped their drinks. After the short fiasco, they had left those girls and had gone their way, the canteen.
They sat around a circular round white table. 5 black chairs encircled it. They put their bags on the ground. Grace and Iris went to the food counter to order their food while Sarah started to accuse Ivy of not helping her when she needed it.
"Sarah, baby, I am sorry. I promise I will try not to repeat the same mistake."
Sarah gave her a side glance before her eyes drifted to her drink, bubble tea.
"Please…..Forgive me!!!" Ivy joined her hands and pleaded.
Sarah finished her drink, "Sheesh…And here I thought I would get a drink or a free meal as compensation but…."
Hearing Sarah's demand for free food, Ivy realises that her friend is pulling her legs.
Ivy's hands twitched, she wanted to give a smack on Sarah's head for making a fool out of her somehow she curbed her anger. She used the remaining willpower and chanted the reasons for not beating her and also not to lose her sanity.
"Sarah, dear, How could you think that my apology would be compared to food? Is my worth so low? Doesn't my sincere apology have any value in your eyes? I know I should have helped you but it's only the first time. While when I expected you to help me, you didn't lend me any and said that I am the older one, therefore, I should know how to resolve my problems… But Sarah, being older doesn't imply that they don't need or support..."
Flabbergasted would not be adequate to describe the earthshaking and astounding face of Sarah. Her big doe eyes were as wide as saucers. A baffled and dumbfounded look hung around her. Moreover, she couldn't believe the scene that unfolded before her.
"Woah… Ivy, you should have told me how much you were feeling neglected. I can very well understand where you are coming from since I have been through it too." Grace put on a pitiful and betrayed look on her beautiful face. She appeared to be meek. Many would have believed her facade if they had not seen her seamlessly sealing the mouths of Ziya and her followers. Although the boys present inside the canteen had the urge to protect Grace yet they didn't dare to come and greet her apart from one guy that couldn't move his eyes away from her. It won't be wrong to say that his eyes were glued to her. He was not alone to gawk at her; however, he was certainly the only one who wouldn't back down when Grace's eyes collided with him. Rather he smirked when he observed the obvious curiosity highlighting her.
Grace whirled her eyebrows in puzzlement. She thought she had met the guy or seen him yet she could not recognise him. The staring competition lingered until Iris held her arm and shook her. Grace unwillingly turned her head away.
"What happened to you? You look...annoyed?"
"Because I am."
Iris tilted her head to the side, "Huh? Why, though?"
Puzzlement etched on her.
"Because of you. Now let's go."
"Wha--? Aye, wait for me!!" Iris yelled as Grace left her and marched over to their table.
Grace sat beside Athena, resting her head on the table. Athena stayed like that with her eyes closed and her arms around her head.
Grace chugged the glass of water when she noticed Iris walking to them along with the victim's look.
Sarah poked Iris, "Why are you giving the impression of a victim?"
Iris didn't respond. She took a glance at Grace. Grace had puffed up her cheeks.
"Umm...Grace can you stop?"
"Huh? What do I stop? I am not doing anything." Grace asked oddly.
Even Ivy ceased her drama and directed her interest to Grace since she assumed she had missed out on the main topic of their chat.
Feeling the inquisitive gazes pointed at her, Grace's cheeks reddened and her face flushed. She swore under her breath as she didn't like getting attention yet due to her friend's noisiness, all the students gaped at them.
"Grace, speak something. Why are you so mum when you are the most talkative among us? You can't live without talking for a minute yet you are quiet for more than five minutes already," Sarah interestingly, quizzed Grace. The words spoken by her were half-truth.
They waited for her to alleviate their curiosity.
In the end, when they heard no words from Grace, they changed their target to Iris.
Iris raised her hands in defence, "What? Don't look at me like that. I am as peculiar as you all." She didn't have a single idea behind Grace's unexpected mood swings.
"Ugh...You both acting as if you don't know," Sarah wailed out in desperation. She put her chin on her palms and keenly looked at Grace.
"Uff!! Don't you girls comprehend? Grace won't open her mouth unless it is Athena asking her."
They banged their heads lightly onto the table. It induced a loud sound. This gained them a lot more stares than they had.
"Now, who will wake up the monster?" Sarah murmured in low volume as she didn't want Athena to hear them. It would be akin to luring a hungry lion with a piece of meat but instead falling into your trap.
Athena lifted her head. She rubbed her eyes then put on her round glass and perched it higher on her nose. She surveyed her friends. She studied their looks and weird regards. Her eyebrows wrinkled when she couldn't infer their thoughts.
Further, she glanced at Grace beside her. She looked neutral although that would be according to others however, as her friend they could see through her act. Athena saw her friend's fidgety hands and a small drop of sweat trickling down her forehead.
She realised Grace's unusual and strange behaviour. She decided to have a conversation with her later tonight.