Sky
I was here again at the stadium but a little early this time. If I wanted to meet my cold senior again, I wanted it to be as much aa coincidental as possible. I just really hoped she would be here today.
I started to run while scanning the stadium, hoping to find a certain green eyed woman. But even after running for half an hour didn't seem to make me find her. Of course, my luck wasn't that good that I'd find her whenever I wanted.
Feeling my muscles starting to hurt, I stopped for today. At least, I got some exercise done. With my disappointed puppy state, I took my things and left the stadium just to see a blue Jaguar parking right outside. From inside, the woman I had been secretly waiting for hurried out.
However, when she saw me, her green eyes steadied and fixated on me.
Why's she in a hurry?
Since now we were face to face, it felt a bit awkward even greeting her. I just stared at her, unable to say anything. She was wearing a tracksuit however, she looked especially hot with her hair tied to a half up top knot.
"Good morning, Senior." My voice came out very small and I wanted to slap myself for it.
Fortunately, Raeha didn't care as she just stared at my nervous self.
"Morning."
"Are you here to exercise?"
What kinda question is that, Sky?! Of course, she's here to exercise, you idiot!
"Yes. Going to hit the gym."
"Oh."
I bit my lips, lost for words. I should've prepared more for a casual chat with her.
"Are you done exercising?" Thankfully, she asked me.
"U-uh um no... actually I was about to go to the gym today too..."
"Great."
Her eyes landed on my fidgeting hands and maybe understanding something, she sighed.
"Are you perhaps nervous to go in alone?"
"What? I-
"Come one. Follow me."
She proceeded to walk inside the stadium and I also had to match her pace to catch up with her. Thank god, she was kind enough to offer that.
I've never gone inside the university gym before. So, it also made me a bit excited. I followed my senior's lead inside. The handsome guy at the reception greeted Raeha as well as a few other people who were probably acquainted with her. Some people even winked at her which she ignored. It seemed the beautiful woman was attracting a lot of attention without even trying. I, on the other hand felt my social anxiety rise.
"You got that, Nilima?"
I got out of my trance when Raeha called my name. She knew my name....
Oh right she was giving me a brief tour of the gym. I nodded at her however, frowned at how she had addressed me.
"You can call me, Sky."
I didn't like my name. The way my parents harshly called me Nilima so often, got me having a distaste for my own name.
Without looking confused like those whom I've told to call me 'Sky', the green eyed woman just nodded.
"Then good luck with the rest." She said before stepping back.
I instantly panicked.
"Uh where are you going?"
"Changing room."
"Ah right okay." I looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed.
She went to the female changing room and for a second, I thought of following her inside.
Stop being weird Sky! You have enough time to ask about the dinner dat- I mean the dinner appointment.
So, I took a look at the gym equipments. Should I use the treadmill first? But I had just run....
Standing with a contemplating mind if I should go with the treadmill or gain some muscles by lifting weights, my eyes caught a slim figure walking in through the entrance of the gym. My face instantly lit up and I thought of approaching the beautiful woman.
But the person next to her made me pause on my tracks. Panicked, I hid behind a gym equipment. It was Aliyah and....the senior who tried to harass me. What the fuck?
Aliyah straightly went to the female changing room and peaked inside. Having a look of relief on her face, she gestured the guy to follow her in. The guy looked around as if making sure the coast was clear before casually making his way and sneaking inside.
I only watched them with squinted eyes in confusion. What in the world was going on between them? Plus that was the female changing room and Raeha was still in there.
Anger surged through me. How could my best friend have an affair with the person who insulted and harassed me?! I had enough. I had to confront Aliyah. It now or she'll just avoid talking to me about it. Strike the iron while it's still hot.
I peaked inside the female changing room but there was no one inside. However, there were three wooden foldable partitions inside and if looked closely, two of them seemed to be occupied.
I heard faint giggling from the one at the corner and I did what anyone would. Shove an ear into their conversation.
"Gosh. You're acting naughtier then last night." Aliyah's voice came in at a low tone.
"You like it though."
Then a bunch of kissing noises coming from the partition made me scrunch my face in disgust.
"Stop it, Dev. I have a hangover."
"Not my concern, darling. Who told you to drink with that journalist guy last night? If I hadn't come, what would you have done?"
Last night? Wasn't Aliyah with her dad last night?
"Well... I'm sorry. I just wanted to make you jealous." Aliyah's shy voice made me cringe. I've never heard her talk like that...
"Taking revenge on me for hitting on your best friend?" the guy named Dev whispered, a mocking tone evident in his voice.
The reply that came from Aliyah next, made my heart almost stop. She went on against the only thing that made her clean in my eyes.
"Best friend? A popular girl like me bestie with her? Hah. The only thing keeping me beside that dumb smartass is the notes she provides me with."
"Doesn't look much of a smartass to me though. Or else she would've seen what clever of a vixen you were." He teased which earned a playful slap from Aliyah.
"Don't act like you and your group weren't in on it. You guys were the one who opened a group just to bitch about her and shit got out of control."
The guy chuckled before apologizing.
"Okay okay my bad, princess. Let's stop talking about it."
I hadn't noticed I was clutching my fists so tight that my knuckles had turned white. So, not only Aliyah took advantage of me but also she was a part of the group that had spread the false rumors about me.
After 1st year, strange rumours started circulating around me. It started with me allegedly using my parent's connection to get the scholarship here. But things only worsened when I started confronting a few of my classmates about it.
People speculated that I was an arrogant manipulative bitch and also just because I had good relationship with a few of my male professors, they thought I slept with them for good grades. Those rumours gave me a clear picture about the people around me who seemed to only care about the assumptions more than the truth.
Then I stopped batting an eye in the end cause I had only Aliyah with me. I believed having one friend in a storm was worth more than a thousands of friends in sunshine.
Deeply hurt and upset at their words, before I realized it, I kicked their wooden partition making it fall right on them.
"Ow!" Dev exclaimed when it hit his head. Deserved asshole!
"What the fuck?! Who's there?!" Now it was Aliyah's voice from behind.
Before I could reply in aggression though, a hand pulled me into the wooden partition just next to the couple's. Raeha's long hands were on me with one on my mouth to refrain me from speaking and the other on my waist, holding me firmly. My back was pressed against the wall as the woman towered over me.
"It's not wise getting into a fight here." She whispered, looking down at me.
I could feel her hot breath against my skin or was it my hot tears that threatened to fall, I didn't know. But my heartbeat fastened at the crazy situation I was in.
"Hey that was very rude, you know!" Aliyah yelled.
It seemed the couple were out from the fallen partition.
"Stay here." Raeha whispered in my ear as I shivered.
"And do not come out." She commanded me.
Her green eyes looked straight into mine as to see assurance from me that I had understood her words.
"If you don't come out, I'll kick your partition too!"
"Tsk." Raeha bit her delicate bottom lip before releasing me.
She got out of the wooden partition that covered us and faced the couple. At that moment, my heart wanted to jump out of my chest as I stared blankly at the wooden surface of the partition.
"You again!" Dave's voice rang out which was tinged with annoyance.
Again? They know each other?
"It seems you've been displaced, ladyboy."
"Don't call me that, Mandal!"
I only listened to their conversation. I could imagine Raeha's green eyes stabbing him as he fumed in anger.
"It says female changing room." She said completely ignoring him.
"So you resorted to violence just like that night ha?"
Raeha just kept quiet. So they have fought before, it seems.
"Take him out before I report this." The cold woman now said to Aliyah instead.
Much to Dave's reluctance, Aliyah did oblige to the senior woman's word. From the little Gap of the partition I saw Raeha shaking her head in disappointment towards Aliyah who seemed to look down in shame.
"I never thought of you as such an awful person." Raeha said crossing her arms.
Aliyah gritted her teeth as her face reddened.
"You know nothing. Who even are you to say that about me?"
Again I felt my anger surge. Aliyah acted like such a hypocrite. It was fine when you assumed some shit about other people but when it happened to you, you were crying out 'wHo ArE yOu To SaY tHaT? Wahh'
"Bitch, what about me then?!" I yelled as I shoved the wooden partition out of my way.
"S-sky?"
"Who the fuck are you to assume shit about me then?!"
Even if Aliyah looked a bit shaken at first, her eyes were replaced with a cold look that I never seen before. Was she hiding her this side from me all this time?
"Cause I do know you, Sky. Both of your parents are renowned professors and you're rich and have everything unlike me who has to work hard."
I looked at her in disbelief. This sly woman who I'd called my best friend, had the keys to all my safes. I told her everything. She knew everything and despite that, she was now acting oblivious.
I laughed out loud as Aliyah squinted her eyes in confusion. Before I knew it, I had slapped her across the face.
"And that's for acting as if you understood me for the last 3 fucking years, babe." I spat with so much disdain for her that it hurt.
"You bitch!"
Dev tried to slap me but the handsome woman next to me swiftly caught his hand.
"I dare you." Her tone not too high but not too low, despite having no emotion lacing around it, the simple statement sent a chill down my spine.
Dave visibly shuddered a little too.
I turned to the cold woman who had been helping me so much for these past few days.
"I'm really grateful to you but I really want to leave right now. Please, excuse me."
I turned on my heels and left the reason of my headache behind. I wanted to cry so badly but my eyes didn't shed a single tear. I couldn't do that, at least not until I was back in my comfort zone.
To my surprise, Raeha followed me outside. She was kind enough to leave her workout behind and drive me home. We didn't talk on the way. It wasn't abnormal or anything since she was naturally a quiet person.
Honestly my heart felt like it would burst open but having her suddenly hold my hand and give me a light squeeze as an assurance that she was here, gave me an odd sense of comfort. My heartbeat fastened when our skin contacted. It was strange.
She unclasped our hand when we reached our apartment building.
"Actually-
"It's okay. You don't have to say anything to me regarding it. It's not my business." She cut me off while unbuckling her belt.
I stayed quiet. It might look she didn't care but the softness in her voice said otherwise. It was hard to believe that the person who was known to freeze our whole department with just her cold and emotionless demeanor, could be this considered and kind. Well who was I to even judge her based on that? Then I'd be not different from them.
I nodded at her gratefully before getting out.
TO BE CONTINUED....