44 The Things which Happened in the Last Months....(3)

Ray was riding down the path, lost in his thoughts.

The things which had happened in the last few months were overwhelming for him.

He thought that his tuning with Mia was perfect. Mia was really good with him. She was kind, warm, and an understanding friend to him.

And her smile, that was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He had a hint that she liked him but he kept denying it to himself.

And he was also getting those feelings. But before even sprouting, they were burnt inside.

The incidents which happened after that, the things Gyuri, her best friend told him, all were so different than the real Mia he knew, that it was very confusing him.

~

~

Since school had started, Ray was avoiding Mia.

He was so angry with her, that he didn't even want to talk with her.

He kept his distance from her, thinking that she'll also stop talking to him after 1-2 tries.

But it didn't happen that soon.

She kept trying to talk with him. Not only once or twice, but for a bunch of times.

And every time she would come to talk to him, he felt weaker.

The things which Gyuri told him, and the things which Mia was doing, all were so contradicting that he got really frustrated.

The time, when Mia blocked his way in the hallways and so he turned in the Men's room was the time, when his heart stopped listening to him.

'Look at her. She is trying so hard to talk to you. Just have at least a look at her.' His heart said.

'No! What about the things she said about me. Think about that.'

'If she had talked such things about you, why is she trying so hard to just have a word with you?

And you are ignoring her completely!'

'I AM NOT GOING TO TALK!' He scolded himself.

'Okay don't talk. But don't you think, the things you've been hearing for these last few days and the Mia you are seeing now, both are so opposite….Don't you want to know the reason?' His heart convinced him and so he decided to talk it with Gyuri.

.

"Hey, Gyuri.." Ray said.

"Hm?" Gyuri said as her mouth was filled with ice cream.

Both were sitting at an ice-cream parlor after school.

"You know, how Mia is behaving lately, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you said that she didn't want to talk with me or she didn't think of me as a friend…"

"Yeah...So?"

"But lately, from the day school started, she's been acting like…I mean she's trying to talk with me and—"

"You didn't talk with her, right?" Gyuri asked immediately.

"Oh No. But don't you think, she is really trying hard to talk with me."

"I have talked about it, with her," Gyuri said calmly.

"You did? When?"

"A few days before. I asked her, why is she behaving like that?

I mean, she told me all those things and now she is behaving like you two were really close and you are the one who's ignoring her."

"So? What did she say?"

"Don't you look at your face in the mirror?" Gyuri raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Ray asked confusedly.

"You are the most talked-about subject in our school. The way you look, the way you behave now, everything is so changed. Girls of not only our class but of others also are going crazy for you."

"Huh? What this all has to do with Mia?"

"She is also one of them! After looking at your face, anyone would fall for you.

And she did. She confessed it to me…"

"That's nonsense! Mia is not the kind of girl who'll just—"

"What?" Gyuri slammed her ice-cream cup on the table.

"Are you saying that I lied? That's what are you saying, isn't it?

So, I am the bad guy, right?" Gyuri folded her hands.

"Oh, No. That's not what I.."

"Oh, No Ray. That's absolutely fine.

I told you everything and now you doubt me. Okay then." Gyuri nodded to herself.

"Listen, Gyuri. You are just making it worse.

I am just saying, that Mia is not that kind of girl..."

"You know her better than me?

No. You don't."

"I know...But still. I want to clear these things with her."

"So you want to talk with her! Okay. Go ahead." Gyuri said as she took the cup in her hand again.

"Um…Actually….I don't think…I can talk to her face to face. It's just so weird to—"

"What do you want me to do? Tell the things you are telling me now and get her messages for you?

You want me to be your 'pigeon' or something? Who'd pass the messages."

"Not at all. I just want her number. Her phone number."

Gyuri's eyes widened.

"Her phone number?"

"Yeah….I'll talk to her on the phone…or maybe at least, I'll have a conversation with her on the messages…"

"Ohhhhh…..So you'll message her….

Okay!"

"Huh?" Ray looked at her.

"Note down her number. It's....."

~

On the next day, Ray was standing in the hallways, at the window.

"Hey, Ray…" Gyuri came beside him.

"What is it?" Ray didn't even turn to look at her and kept staring outside the window.

His face was tired and his eyes were looking heavy.

"Didn't you get much sleep yesterday?"

"Um...Yeah...I guess…"

"Why? What happened?

Wait. Did you call Mia on the number I gave you yesterday?" Gyuri asked as she came a bit closer to him.

Ray just nodded weakly. He was looking really sad and disappointed.

"So?"

"But she didn't pick up."

"Then? Did you text her or something?"

"Yeah. I did." Ray sighed loudly.

The gloomy and sad aura around him was getting denser.

"I am so sorry, Ray. I am sorry that I was right.

Now, you believe me, don't you?"

"Listen, Gyuri. I am not in the mood to talk about it right now. So please…"

"Okay. I won't say anything further.

But keep one thing in mind…"

Gyuri came forward and kept her hand on his shoulder.

For the first, he turned and looked at her with a question mark on his face.

"I'll be here for you. Always!" Gyuri said looking right into his eyes.

Ray again looked outside the window.

'I don't think, I'd trust anyone so easily after all this happened to me.' He thought to himself.

~

~

'It's really getting so hard…..Huhhhh...

Why are you doing this Mia? Why did you do all those things?

And today? You crossed the limit…..You really did…'

Ray parked his bicycle in the front yard of his house and headed inside.

~