It was the same routine as always—nothing royal about it. My mom woke me up with her usual call, dragging me out of bed like she's been doing for years. I was barely awake, stumbled out, and—bam—fell flat on the floor. My hand hurt a little, but whatever. I wasn't about to make a fuss. We're men. Brave, stoic, like Batman. So, I got up, acted like it didn't happen, and went about my morning.
Soon enough, I was off to school. Everything seemed normal. Until it wasn't.
Before I knew it—abracadabra—I was standing in the principal's office. What the heck? Did I accidentally trigger some teleportation spell? My brain was in overdrive. What did I do? What did he find out? My worst fears bubbled up. Is it illegal to think about her? Am I about to be arrested?
And then, out of nowhere, he said, "So, how are your classes going?"
I froze. My mind went blank. This was… unexpected. "Uh… good. Everything's fine. I've got friends here. All good," I mumbled, trying to sound normal.
He nodded like he was some kind of wise sage. "I recently talked to your dad."
Dad? I thought. Seriously? You didn't trust your own son?
"He's concerned about your studies," the principal continued. "You need to focus more, improve your grades, and think about your future."
Of course, I thought. It all comes down to this.
When I walked back into class, I could feel it—the stares. Everyone's eyes were on me. It was like walking into a gladiator arena, except I wasn't armed. Why are they looking at me like that? What did I do?
I shuffled to my desk, pretending I didn't care. But deep down, I could feel the pressure. Break came, and as expected, Nitesh was on me like a fly on sugar.
"What happened in the principal's office?" he asked, leaning in like he was about to hear the juiciest gossip of the year.
I sighed and told him everything. Just as I finished, she started walking toward us. My heart skipped a beat.
She stopped at my desk, placed her hand on it, and asked, "What happened in there?"
I froze. My mind was screaming, Abort! Abort! I panicked, stood up too quickly, and blurted out, "I told him everything. Nitesh will tell you!"
And then? I ran. I didn't walk. I ran. Like a soldier escaping enemy fire, I bolted out of there and headed straight for the terrace.
Up there, I found a quiet spot, sat down, and tried to calm myself. What had just happened? Why did I freak out like that? And most importantly, why does she always make me feel this way?
After some time, I forced myself back to class. Everything seemed normal—except she wasn't there. Some random students had taken her place. I sat down, hoping the day would just end already.
But of course, Nitesh wasn't done. He waved me over with that annoying smirk of his. When I sat down, he said, "She's angry with you."
"What? Why?" I asked, panicked. Does she know I'm always thinking about her? Can she read minds? Is she some kind of psychic? My thoughts were spiraling out of control again.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, wondering how I managed to mess things up without even trying.