Siya's POV
The bell rang. Finally, the day was over.
I left the classroom earlier than everyone else, because honestly—there was no one to say bye to. No "see you tomorrow," no "text me later." Just me, walking out alone.
Heeee… who even cares, I told myself, but yeah… it stung.
And then I lifted my gaze.
There he was. Dad. Sitting on his bike, waiting for me like always.
I ran up to him like I was four, not fourteen. "Dad! You're on time!"
He smiled, eyes soft. "How can I be late when it's about my Minnie Mona… my pretty moon?"
I giggled. In that moment, everything felt okay again.
---
At home, though, I wasn't ready for the interrogation committee—also known as my family.
The moment Mumma opened the door, she asked, "How was your day, beta?"
And my brothers—ugh, here they go.
"Hey Siya, any drama yet?"
"Did you embarrass us already?"
I threw them my most dramatic angry face. Mumma immediately cut in, "Ignore them. Now tell me, how was it?"
"It was… good," I said, faking a smile. "Teachers, students… everyone was nice."
Mumma relaxed. "Good girl. Go freshen up."
I nodded, but when I splashed water on my face in the bathroom mirror, the lie hit me hard.
No. It wasn't good.
No one talked to me. Everyone was selfish, wrapped up in their own groups.
But what could I even say? "Hey Mumma, guess what? I spent the whole day invisible." Useless. I wasn't a kid anymore who shared every tiny detail.
---
The Next Morning
Same bench. Same silence. Same me pretending to read a book.
But today was different—I'd decided something.
If no one comes to me, I'll go to them.
I mean, why should anyone? I used to roll my eyes too when random new kids tried to join my group in the old school. So yeah… it was my turn to make the move.
And that's when they walked in.
Two girls. Together.
The whole class immediately exploded with whispers.
"Oh look, they came again."
"Always together, huh?"
"So fake. Bet they planned this."
I raised my brows. So these two were already famous.
They sat on the bench right beside me. That's when I learned one of their names—Anisha. She wasn't like the others: cute, messy, and sweet. Her bestie? Total opposite. Loud. Rude. Bold.
They were like fire and water, but always stuck together. And of course, not everyone liked them. Jealousy? Maybe.
The teacher walked in just then.
"You two! Late again. Stand up."
Anisha looked embarrassed, while her bestie argued, "Ma'am, it wasn't our fault—"
Classic duo.
---
Then came Science class.
"Alright," ma'am said, scanning the room. "What is biotic and abiotic?"
I almost laughed. God, that's so easy. But of course, my class had to overcomplicate everything.
Prann, one of the "smart guys," gave this long essay answer. Anisha also tried, but it was basically the same thing in different words. Everyone was guessing, fumbling.
Then all eyes turned to me.
"Siya?" ma'am asked.
"Biotic is living things. Abiotic is non-living. That's it."
Ma'am clapped. "Exactly! Class, give her a round of applause."
And they did. But the way they looked at me wasn't admiration. It was that ugh, nerd gaze.
Great. Day two and I'd officially earned the "teacher's pet" tag.
But then—Anisha looked at me. Not with annoyance, not with judgment. With… appreciation. Like she actually respected me for it.
And that? That tiny look made me feel lighter.
---
After school, I decided to approach Anisha.
"Hey, can you—" I started.
But her bestie immediately cut in. "Come on, bestuu. Don't waste time." She turned to me with a smirk. "Ask someone else. She's not as smart as you."
I froze. The words stung.
Before I could reply, Anisha snapped, "Stop it! I am smart."
The two of them started bickering. Me? I just swallowed my anger and walked away. No point fighting on day two.
And then I bumped into him.
Not him him—not my crush. But Vish. The funny guy.
"Hey," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "You're Siya, right? Could you maybe help me with your notes? And… if you ever need anything, I'll help too."
It wasn't fake. Not selfish. Just simple, genuine. And for the first time today, I smiled.
"Sure," I said.
It wasn't much. But it made my day.
---
Until I saw him.
My crush. With her.
Yeah, Ayaan and Ayesha together again. And the way he looked at her? God. Like she was the only person in the room.
And there I was, standing like an idiot, feeling betrayed after one single day.
"Bro, get a grip," I muttered to myself. "He doesn't even know you exist."
Still… it hurt.
---
I waited for my brother at the gate when a girl from Division A came up to me.
"Hey, where do you stay? Can we go together?"
Finally. Someone asked.
"Yes," I said quickly. "Not today, but from tomorrow, sure."
She nodded and walked off, but inside I was buzzing.
Tomorrow, I'd have someone to walk with. Someone who might spill a few secrets. Division A always knew more about Division B anyway.
For the first time, I wasn't dreading tomorrow.
I was… excited.
But little did I know, tomorrow wouldn't be as simple as I thought.