"Sara?", her three classmates called her at the same time, she laughed and said "be right there". She took her leave from the group of few students she was talking to and went to all the three one by one.
"Hey! You look so pretty today!" Sara said to Mehak, Mehak all shy and flustered thanked her and asked Sara if she'd be free after lunch break to help her with her homework, to which Sara agreed. Taking her leave she went to another classmate that had asked for her, "Blessings to you child" Sara in the santa clause voice greeted Jay, Jay laughed and pushed chair towards her, offering her to sit. She sat down with a wide smile and glistening eyes, "So, how may I help?" asked Sara, "I don't need anything, I just called your name and Mehak and Neha did at the same time, it was so weird" he said and laughed hiding his smile with his hand obviously that made his smile all the more attractive. Sara felt a little embarrassed and punched him lightly at the shoulder with her strong fist and got up to get to Neha, who happened to come to her right there. "Morning Neha" Sara greeted her, before replying Neha pulled her and took her out of the class. "Do you know what happened?" with hands on her mouth, and all excited Neha told Sara, "You know, Jay asked me for my number", to which Sara replied "Woah! Did you guys exchange numbers?", "Yeah! I can't tell you how happy I'm, it's so difficult to face him now", Sara shook her hand with both her hands "I'm so happy for you Neha, but I really didn't know you or he were interested in each other, haha", Neha looked down at her shoes, her hair fluttered with the wind coming from the windows of corridor, "I didn't, but I am so happy now and sad that why hadn't I, even though I always felt like he'd watch me, I never gave it much thought. I am glad I have you, with whom I can share anything. Thank you so much Sara", Sara with her sweet smile, patted her back, "That's what friends are for" before they could say anything bell rang. Neha went to her class and Sara went to her's. Before Sara could enter the classroom, she felt like somebody was pulling her from behind and stopping her from entering. "ra? S..ra?..SARA!!" and she fell down with a gasp.
When she opened her eyes, it was her sister telling her she's late for college. Confused, Sara looked around... Oh her hair is long, she was... Sleeping? "Oh God, why did I dream of my high school days. Ugh, so weird, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I wonder if today will be good day at college. COLLEGE! oh no I'm late" getting all ready, she left for college while the dream still bothered her. Thanks to the half hour commute from home to college she gets plenty of time to think things through and prepare for the day ahead. But today she was nostalgic. She reminisced about those days. She realized it only made her sad whenever she thought of her high school days. Though she was aware how many people were envious of her, and her outgoing nature, she felt a twinge of sadness that none of them ever knew anything about her, the real her, nobody, not even Neha or Mehak nor Jay "... Jay! Ugh so embarrassing." she muttered to herself, hiding her face as if wanting to disappear from the embarrassment. What was she so embarrassed about, nobody knew, she'd no one she could share with, "fine, ugh, why am I feeling so depressed" she muttered again to herself and through her fingers she saw the old lady staring her very strangely "Clam down Sara", she smile at the old lady who blatantly avoided her. "ugh, Whatever" Sara rolled her eyes and looked outside the window to look at the fields which would soon change into the view of buildings, buildings and buildings.
Lost in her thoughts, Sara was reminded of what Neha told her in her dream, which she'd long forgotten "I always felt like he'd watch me", She was reminded of those times, when She, Neha and Mehak would go together, and she'd also observed how Jay would watch... "Why did I think he used to watch me? I am not even beautiful, Mehak and Neha were way too beautiful. Why did it never occur to me that he could be watching either of the two. So embarrassing, I didn't even love him or anything, but I felt so violated, ughhh" she kept thinking about it. She had always thought that it was her whom Jay had shown interest in.
Her last days of high school days were one of the events that shaped her days of adulting and the ways of perceptions. Sara wasn't a proud person, rather she was so weak and insecure that being a people pleaser was her way of survival during school days but why? What about now? How much deep impact had that indirect rejection or that's what she felt, left on her? Who was she now, did she have friends? What was a friend anyway?