The nightingale girl's usual spot in the classroom was void of the owner. Beside the null sat a girl of soft features who engaged in conversations with a guy. He had his brightest smile on. Mil wanted to ask them where nightingale was, but she did not recall her name. And it was pretty embarrassing for her to ask for an unknown classmate. The nightingale girl wasn't a loner but she wasn't popular among everyone either. Just an average classmate that one could point out in the old group picture and laugh but never make an effort to call her in ten years.
"Hey Mil..." A masculine voice thundered behind her. Curious Mil jerked her head behind to find Abhi.
"Hey, what happened?"
"Can we talk for a minute? Preferably somewhere quite." His voice suddenly became quieter, softer... desperate.
"You sound awfully suspicious. Are you going to confess your love or something? Or did you get yourself in trouble? You need money? I'm broke though."
"Nothing as such. Just follow me." And he grasped Mil's arm lightly and tugged her outwards.
"Let me put down my backpack at least."
Mil let her black bag fall down in the empty bench. Unconsciously leaving proof that that she had been to school in case Abhi turns out to be a psychopath that murders high schoolers. The blame was the murder mystery videos she watched at midnight. She moved away from her usual spot. Mil had been rushed to school early that day as her father had to go out of town. That meant that the classes were almost empty and students were allowed to explore outside. Mil followed Abhi to the water taps near the bathrooms. It was almost abandoned in the morning, a drastic contrast with lunch break. Not that Mil would spend her time there during lunch anyways. It was a life hack to go to the bathroom right when the break gets over, all you had to do was steal the out-pass and make up a lie when you return to the teacher carrying on with her lesson. The one that Mil used all the time was her math club and the teachers happily believed her.
"Start spilling." Mil tucked her hands inside her pockets.
"The four of you are doing the assembly event right? Did you decide what you will perform?"
"A march."
"A march?"
"Yeah, we will borrow props from the drama club and wear our old costumes... like a military march. That was the only thing we could perform to be audible without a microphone."
"Then what about Anu, is she going to perform anything else?"
"Do you want her to?"
"Not really."
"Well then you better thank the three of us. We convinced her out of the embarrassing ideas. Or she would have ended up flirting with you on stage."
Abhi stood frozen. He was about to say something but paused.
Mil sighed, "Just tell me what's on your mind. You don't like her back? Do you want her to stop?"
"Look, Mil... Anu is pretty, there is no reason that anyone wouldn't like her. But what people don't know is that Anu doesn't actually like me. Furthermore, I have a cousin who's our senior. If he finds out about this situation, he will snitch to my family. And you know what my family is like."
"I don't."
"Don't what?"
"I don't know how your family is like. Were we secretly childhood friends but I got into an accident and had amnesia? Because as long as I remember I never knew your family"
Abhi let out a small laugh, "They are conservatives. They think dating is a sin."
"Your family is just like mine."
"All Indian families are like that." Abhi scoffed.
"Stereotypically? Yes. Also, why doesn't Anu actually like you?"
"It's a long story. But promise me you won't tell Anu about anything I said."
Mil nodded her head as the two started walking back to class. The morning crowd had begun to accumulate now. Everyone walked in the corridors, rushing to their classes. Mil had had enough of conversation for the day. She needed to let her mouth rest. If it wasn't Abhi, she wouldn't have talked as much. The number of people she could talk to without feeling awkward was countable on her fingers.
But strangely enough, she had an urge to look and talk to the mysterious nightingale girl. When the two walked in together, they were met with curious eyes that were piercing their gaze onto the two. Mil walked away towards the three girls that had reached the class by time, not liking the attention. But her eyes travelled towards the same old empty spot. She wasn't there. Mil wanted all but her to look though.
She recalled the brown eyes. As the two were preparing the song, they often locked gazes. And Mil could remember how the brown in her eyes mixed with the black. They never talked and hence couldn't be close enough to call each other friends. Mil regretted that. She was curious about her. But she was more curious about her name.
A series of teasing took over the room like a giant umbrella. Rumors: they spread like a thunderbolt. That was when people started creating fake scenarios and demonstrating them as if their grades depended on the presentation.
The first guy started "And he asked Mil if they could talk for a minute.... Mil, oh my love, it's always been you. Your pretty eyes, your feminine face... Anu could never. I've only ever looked at Anu like a brother."
"Guys, Stop." Abhi's voice was clear and concise. Deep, even. He looked genuinely frustrated and Anu's glare wasn't making things easier. Abhi sat down and his friends followed, feeling guilty. Boys that age don't mean everything they say. But jokes can cross the line too.
"Did he actually ask you out?" Anu whispered.
"Of course not." Mil was serious.
"What did he tell you then?" Keisha joined in on the conversation as usual. This time however, Jabira was equally invested.
"He asked if Anu was going to do any special performance. He would have skipped school that day if you did."
"Did he really say that?" Anu was shocked.
"Not the skipping part, I made that up. That's a possibility though."
Anu sighed and turned around, sulking. She continued as the back of her head kept Mil entertained. "Look if he really asked you out then it's alright with me."
It wasn't alright with Anu. As a matter of fact, she despised the idea of Abhi liking Mil more than anything. Anu knew that Mil would never be able to return back his feelings for he was a boy. But the fact that he liked Mil better than Anu made a crisp feeling crawl around her heart like a creeper.
"Anu stop overthinking. Let's talk more over break."
And everyone settled themselves in their assigned seats. A familiar yet foreign adult entered the room. He was carrying the attendance sheets in his giant hands as his other hand held out to a small wave.
"Did everyone miss me?" He spoke. Everyone started cheering him in a soft yet loud voice. Mil followed but only realized who he was when the noise dried down. He was the T.A. that had left school for quite a period of time. No one knew why but didn't seem to bother asking. Maybe because they gave him personal space or maybe because they weren't interested. Nevertheless, he looked genuinely happy to be back.
"So, your homeroom teacher is on leave today, for a few weeks to be honest... and I see one of your classmates is too." His vision scanned the empty bench of miss nightingale. He looked away before continuing, a sudden spark of realization hitting him, "Oh, yes, her mother called me. Your friend will be missing school for some days because she has a hospital checkup scheduled, so make sure you give her all the notes when she comes back. Can I count on you?"
And the girl that, most probably spread the rumors about Mil and Abhi and was sitting beside the nightingale seat in the morning spoke up loudly, saying that she could do the assigned task. Her eyes were screaming desperation. But this wasn't the high school drama you'll find in American schools. Girls do not suck up to teachers, they suck up to the class. Pretending they are the ideal student.
For some reason, this entire conversation had shaken frustration down to Mil's bones. Why was it that no one seemed to call out the nightingale girl's name? She wanted to feel how it rolled out of her throat and tasted on the tip of her tongue. Or how she...
"Mil, give your attendance." Jabira nudged Mil.
The zoned-out girl's eyes widened as she looked at the teacher that called out her name for the third time. She hurriedly let out a 'Here' before relaxing. Her tense body stretched over the desk and laid down helplessly. Jabira looked at her with weird eyes but ignored it. The day felt awfully long and Mil wasn't enjoying it.
After school, Mil had three uninvited guests at her doorsteps. Unlike the last time when they wore pretty dresses of floral patterns, they were dressed in the most comfortable pair of pajamas. Their hair was tied behind their neck in a bun. Mil looked at them through the keyhole but dared not touch the knob. Hence so, three fists banged against the door forcefully but not hard enough for the adults in the house to be angry.
"Mil open the door." Anu's voice spoke frustrated, an emotion that an unexpected guest should never have.
"Why do the three of you always need to barge in here. Let's be civilized, huh?"
"We can barge in only if you open the doors."
A light slap on Mil's head was heard before everything went silent inside. The doorknob shuttled before the door opened wide, revealing a frowning Mil with her mother.
"Come in guys. Yesterday I had work so I couldn't look after you all. I thought I educated her enough to look after guests but she didn't even offer you anything yesterday. Now why are you just standing outside? Come in."
"Thank you, auntie."
"Hello Auntie!"
"Good evening, Auntie."
"I came back yesterday at night expecting dishes in the basin but it was empty, why didn't you all help yourself to the snacks and drinks?" Mil's mother patted Jabira on the head.
Jabira smiled "It was alright auntie; we didn't stay for long yesterday."
"Yes auntie, we just talked about our special assembly performance." Keisha emphasized, knowing that Mil wouldn't have mentioned it yet. She continued "Mil didn't mention anything about it right? I bet she was suddenly going to have a stomachache that day."
"Loser!" Anu exclaimed.
Keisha and Anu laughed mischievously as Mil stared at Jabira in fear. Mil's mother let her arm dangle through her daughter's shoulder as she smirked. "Don't worry, you'll have Mil at school every day. When is the performance?"
"Next month."
Mil smiled at her mother but took note of Keisha's loose tongue.