Stress in academia

Ivy's hair stood up like she just got an electric shock, ''I-I think little angel wants to play with me,'' she took the babygirl and dashed towards Diana's room like she was being chased by a ghost.

Once they went inside the room, Diana looked at Maxim who elegantly wiped his mouth with a silk napkin, sipped water, and pushed himself to his feet.

Diana copied his actions except that she stuffed two cupcakes inside her mouth before drinking water, ''You better make yourself clear before you leave,'' she said while chewing the food, looking at the man who turned around to leave, ''Or just take a walk with me. I think I will get indigestion if you don't explain it.''

…

As they walked side to side in the garden, Diana glanced at the wilted roses, ''They aren't being taken care of properly…'' she could not understand why this house was in such a mess. Even if Maxim recently brought this house, it was unlike him to leave things like this.

He would not even leave a sapling to suffer, let alone the whole garden.

Maxim tucked one of his hands inside his pockets, ''Your grades had nothing to do with me,'' he repeated his earlier statement.

Oh? With that serious tone, did he want a war or something?

Diana glanced at the man who was wearing a black round-neck T-shirt paired with casual track pants. It was quite different from his formal or doctor outfit, ''I didn't say they had anything to do with you, I was just saying that you are a genius… Why do you have to make it about me?" She looked at him.

In every school, some students would study throughout the year and get average or above average kind of marks, some students prepare for two months and get in the top 10 and some students might study one night before the exams but they will be the topper.

She believed Maxim fell in the third category.

''You graduated one year later than me,'' Maxim said.

Diana nodded. He graduated one year early, ''Why did you skip a grade though?" she has always been curious about it.

''Is it any of your business?'' Something flashed in Maxim's eyes but he masked it before she could notice anything.

Diana's lips parted, ''I was just asking…''

''I don't know if you noticed this but you got more marks in our final year than me. Not one or two, there was a difference of 37 marks,'' Maxim said.

Diana frowned. Final year…. That should be the year she graduated. Maxim skipped a grade and graduated when he turned 20. He left the university without meeting her for the last time and she graduated the next year.

During all the time they were together, she did pay attention to their marks. But with him gone, she had no idea about this.

''So, it was not about me like you always made out to be. You did well in my absence. But while I was around, you kept competing, comparing and the all-nighters you spoke of…'' Maxim turned to look at her and for the first time in her life, Diana hated the aloofness he carried, ''…those just added to your stress. The more you decided to score more than me, the further you made mistakes. So, all this time, you didn't score less because I was some sort of genius. It's just that… you pushed yourself too hard all for nothing.''

Comparison competition… All for nothing? Was that how he always thought of her? Diana's lips parted. Yes, it was true that she tried to score more than him but it had nothing to do with him.

''Your enemy in that said picture wasn't me. It was you,'' he continued.

Diana blinked. Weird, it should be the first time he talked so much to her since they met but she did not feel happy at all.

Hot tears prickled in her eyes and a weird burn spread on her face. The feeling of indignance and shame… how could she suppress it?

'Enemy… You were never my enemy. The competition in the system of academia was… my family background was… my mom's friends who compared their kids like they were vegetables, they were my enemies and the way I was raised, my damned upbringing was my enemy.'

Diana glanced at the night sky and blinked a few times.

''Also, about being friends, let's just stop that fiasco here,'' Maxim said.

Fiasco? She tilted her head to look at him, ''It is not a fiasco for me though. Back then, I wanted to be your friend. Right now, it's the same. How does it seem like a fiasco to you?"

''Friends, you say,'' Maxim nodded like he understood her point, ''Alright, how many years has it been since we parted ways?"

Diana pursed her lips. Why was he asking her that like he was clueless about it?

''How many years, Diana?" he stepped closer to her.

''6,'' Diana turned her face to the side.