Nara's P.O.V

•*•*•*•*•

I wandered across the halls looking for the only one whose been on my mind since puberty decided to attack me. People passed by and I payed no heed to their irrelevant gossip. It was probably about the school trip our miserly principal, Mrs. Hester decided to take us. People were so excited while I was worried about the bugs that would bite my smooth and fragile limbs. How could you enjoy a night between creepy trees, eerie darkness and bloodsucking creatures sucking all of the goddamn crimson liquid out of you and giving you dengue in return. Not my idea of fun. I had made up my mind not set foot on the bus that would carry my fellow school mates to their horrid deaths.

"Rara!" called out a voice from behind me. So kept up in imagining their deaths, I didn't realize that I had passed the computer lab where the only guy in my life had been working. His voice to my ears was like the smell of nectar to a bee. And such sweet voice saying my nickname almost made me swoon. I turned around- my whole body drawn to him- and shook my head at my own stupidity. My posture immediately changed, trying to keep my beating heart in control which went erratic everytime his figure came into my sight. Afterall, I had a role to play. As his best friend. Talk about getting friend-zoned.

"Where were you going? Anyway, are you going to the camping trip? Damn, that was unexpected coming from Hester. Shouldn't we go? I mean its an opportunity to grab with both hands," He sounded so enthusiastic. How could I say no? And I wouldn't let him go there without me where all the other girls could get their perfectly manicured hands on him.

"Yes! It sounds so fun right! Spending the whole day in the scorching sun and the entire night in front of a campfire singing and roasting marshmallows. And fighting World War III against mosquitoes..." Mumbling the last part to myself, I looked up at him. More like looked into his deep brown eyes. His hair which was yet to be tamed, came down in fringes hiding his perfect eyebrows. I didn't even want to venture it off him. It made him look a tad bit more admirable than he really is. He was perfect to me. I couldn't possibly care less for what others might think.

But I doubt my thoughts would differ from theirs. Everyone liked him. Teachers, students, parents. You name and you'll find them gleaming at him with either pride or admiration. He was an athlete, his long legs designed to run. His brain worked wonders when it came to computers. Which would explain him being at the computer lab after school. He pretty much dominated the athletic and geek club of the school. And me? Well, I was happy surrounded with my paints, brushes and his portraits.

"Earth to my Rara. What are you thinking about?" He asked which brought me back to reality. Processing his words, my heart payed special attention to my as it spiraled down the butterfly lane. My thoughts were running everywhere while my brain tried to catch them to form a reply. But all I wanted to say was 'You'.

"I-I, well... I umm... wanna play Counting 10?" The words slipped even before I could keep my mouth shut.

Seriously? Out of all the petty reasons, this is what I could come up with? A ridiculous game we used to play when we were four?

Lying had never been a problem. But lying to him had always been a problem. But to my favour, he could never really catch on to lies; no matter how obvious the person may be. That only innocent little quality made him so much more likeable than he already was. To me at least. But trust me, he wasn't really that innocent.

"What?" Came his ridiculed reply to my subconscious stuttering, and I found my brain struggling again to answer him. I heard a slight hint of a chuckle in his words which eased some of my nerves.

Get a grip!

But thankfully, he continued and changed the question to something more answerable.

"You remember that game?" He asked, looking amused.

"I mean yeah. How could I forget? We practically played that game 24x7. It was our favourite thing to do during summer," I grinned, reminiscing the other quirky stuff we did. And by the looks of his face, he was probably doing the same.

"Yeah," He said, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Huh?" I questioned. What Yeah? Was that an agreeing 'Yeah', like he was agreeing with me. Or was it Yes 'Yeah', like an answer to a question. What did he mean?

"The answer to your question-" Oh! Which question? Where is my mind when I need it?

"-Your offer to play Counting 10. It will be nice. After a long time. Yeah, so why not?"

Wait? He actually agreed? That was unexpected. What was I supposed to do? So I did what everybody does in such a situation, I changed the topic.

"We should head home," I suggested frantically.

▪▪▪▪▪

"Tete.." I prompted Nate's nickname. I loved it because both of us had decided to call each other from the last two letters of our name. Hence, me being called 'Rara'.

He hummed in response. He looked a bit distracted which just pitched the nervousness in me. With him looking at all the birds and trees as though he were true spirited nature lover, my fingers began fiddling with each other.

Maybe I should ask this another time?

No. Before I changed my mind, my mouth decided to blurt out what had been going on in my mind for once.

"Promise me something," I began, looking down at the muddy path, just in case he decided to look at me. I didn't want eye contact right now. He hummed again. Gosh! Why can't this idiot be serious for a moment?

"Promise me that...that you'll never forget me after high school. This is our last year and then you'll move on to to Harvard." What less did you expect from a guy like him. "We'll be far. Too far for my liking. You'll meet new people and make new friends. Just promise me that you'll never forget me, that I'll always be your best friend."

I managed to meet his eyes and looked up at him expectantly. He held a blank expression which sourced the disappointment now flooding in my veins.

"What?"

"H-huh?" I stuttered.

"I mean, why would you ask me to promise something so ridiculous?"

My heart dropped faster than the apple on Newton's head.

"There's this girl. She had a habit of asking really stupid questions. Her questions were as stupid as she was..." he began to narrate, his lips twitching into that cheeky grin. I smacked his head thrice latching a fake smile on my face.

He looked away chuckling to himself. But only one thought dawned my head.

He didn't answer my question.

▪▪▪▪▪

He was late.

When was that boy ever early? Not that I ever mentioned a particular time to him. But a guy's got to use his brains!

The clock down in living room dinged loudly, notifying me that it was six pm; my annoyance growing with every second.

The bell rang at precisely 6:04. I heard the distant sound of my mom greeting Nate.

The idiot finally decided to show his face. Why did he have to accept my offer? I was just flustered, for God's sake!

His rhythmic footsteps approached my room doors and I subconsciously straightened my hair and glanced quickly at the mirror. Huh, I looked normal.

I jumped from my bed when I heard the door slam open.

"Nate-"

"Quit whining. We got a game to play."

We went to our conjoined backyards. There were plenty of places to hide here.

The weather outside wasn't bad. The sun was nowhere close to setting. Everything seemed perfect. Even the guy standing before me was perfect. His eyes were perfect. His eyebrows were perfect. His-

"Are you even listening to me?" He broke me out of my thoughts. I. Am. Getting. Carried. Away.

"H-huh? Oh yeah! Yup. Every word," I looked away. My lying abilities were getting horrible by the second. 

He raised his sharp eyebrow quizzically but then proceeded, without suspecting anything. I mentally phew-ed.

He held out his palm and I understood.

"Rock. Paper. Scissors," We said simultaneously.

I put rock.

He put paper.

I groaned.

He grinned.

"You better start counting," He elevated my dismay.

"You better hide, you asshole!" He knew I hated to be the one counting.

"I can't help it if you're so easy to read, Rara," He mocked, then chuckled before running out of my sight. Not for long.

I dreadfully walked back to the counting spot, which was basically a secluded corner in my side of the backyard marred with faded scratches.

"1...2...3..."

And ten seconds went by in a blink. Now I had thirty seconds to find that idiot. My first guess was his usual hiding spot, which was a thick cluster for bushes which could basically conceal a lion behind it.

Needless to say no one in my family was into gardening.

Much to my luck, I didn't find the guy there.

Hmm... I probably had 20 seconds left. Let's just hope he played by the rules and stood rooted to his initial hiding spot. I swear if I catch him cheating...

I'd probably kiss him.

No. No. No. NO!

So I ran to his backyard and peeled through all possible obscuring areas. But much to my terrible seeking abilities, I was unsuccessful.

I basically had 10 seconds left. I kept a timer to accurately manage my time. We both did.

I stood smack in the center of his garden, looking around helplessly. Dammit! I've lost touch with this game.

I swift movement caught my attention. I turned towards it, only to catch a stack of tires crowding my vision. How had I not seen that?

2...

I ran towards it like a wobbling cheetah.

1...

I kicked apart the tires.

Dang it! He'd escaped.

But he was here. And the evidence lay in the form of a sticky not stuck to one the tires. Below it, was a neatly kept transparent gift box.

I picked up the box and pulled out note. It read-

Remember this place, Rara?

I looked at the transparent gift box. It contained a delicate little silver bracelet with a tiny shovel-shaped charm hanging from it along with a polaroid picture. I immediately knew what the photo was about.

I looked down and realized.

I stood in the sand pit.

What are you playing at, Nate?

•*•*•*•*•

Yeah, Nate. You've played with her feelings long enough.