Sister friend part-2

Part-2

The awkwardness of the heels gave way to a pinching of my toes by the time we

reached the lecture hall. "Good luck," Mansi kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"We'll be here to pick you up in a couple of hours." I nodded and pulled open

the door and stepped into the hall. A teaching assistant gave my I.D. a quick

look and gave me a seat number and a blue book. Within minutes the exam was

under way and I had a hard time focusing on the test as a range of feelings

and emotions swirled within me. Taking a deep breath I applied myself to the

material and then the test was over.

The Teacher picked up the test and booklets and I shuffled out of the hall. My

feet and ears hurt and the bra straps were staring to rub into my shoulders.

Outside the hall I looked for Mansi and saw no one that I knew. Panic hit me

and then I took a deep breath. My tiny cleavage heaved as I put my head down

and decided to walk as fast as I could back to the dorm and safety.

Heels clicked loudly in my ears as I headed for the exit to the hall. The

painted fingernails on the doorknob pushed my anxiety level higher. There

were more people on the campus now than earlier as finals were ending and

evening beginning to cloak the landscape. The last bright beams of sunlight

cast a long shadow over my shoulder as I scurried along. The exaggerated legs

and my swaying hair around my shoulders was yet another reminder of the image

I was projecting.

All I wanted was to get back into the dorm and into my own clothes. I was so

intent on getting back that I didn't pay any attention to the voice behind

me. When a hand touched my shoulder I thought I would have a heart attack.

Someone had found out and I was going to be exposed and expelled. My life was

over. I turned but kept my face down too embarrassed to look up.

Sorry," the low voice spoke. "I didn't mean to startle you. But you left

this in the hall." A hand proffered the black patent leather back-pack.

"Thanks," I said as softly as I possible could and reached out for the

back-pack.

"What'd you think of the exam?" A pair of white Nikes caught my eyes.

Why was this guy talking to me? Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

Not bad." I struggled to keep the anxiety that was ripping through my breast

out of my voice. Swinging the back-pack in one hand I started to walk away.

"What'd you get for number 16?" He was walking alongside me!

My mind was blank and I stopped moving. "Sixteen?" was all I could manage.

"Yeah," he stopped too and I sense his body all too close to mine. The guy

was at least a head taller than me, even with these heels! If he knew I was a

guy he'd kill me. How was I going to escape this ordeal? "The one about the

orbits."

He paused and I could see his head shaking in the shadow on the ground. "For

some reason I froze on that one. I did the rest and then went back but I'm

not sure I did it right. What'd you do?"

I pushed up at my glasses, the sweat had caused them to slip along my dainty

nose. The problem on the exam came into focus and I softly started to explain

the steps I'd taken to solve it. Lost in the process I suddenly realized that

I was looking this guy right in the face. He had a buzz cut and the dark fuzz

glisten against the side of his white scalp. From his profile one grey eye

was staring at me and that's when I fell silent.

"Sorry," he looked away. "I didn't mean to stare, just that I don't remember

seeing you around before."

I swallowed and fear literally vibrated through me, he'd seen my Adam's apple

bob up and down. He had to, I'd felt it move two miles in my throat. But he

was still only looking at my face.

"New do," I offered, shaking the bangs on my forehead.

He smiled and cocked his head to one side. I swung up the back-pack and

sipped one strap over my right arm. He reached out and held the other strap

for me.

"Thanks." I quivered as my shoulder brushed against his hand. What was going

on?

This was a guy, and I was a guy!! Only I didn't look very much like a guy and

I wasn't sure I was feeling much like one either.

He was looking at me again. "Look," I started, "I really have to

go. 'Nother final tomorrow." I took a step away and thankfully he didn't

follow.

"Thank's for the bag." Now turned around I tried to go as fast as I could

without appearing to run. I'd made it, only I hadn't because a second later

he was pacing with me.

"What'd you have tomorrow?" I could almost feel his thigh rubbing against

mine.

"Medieval philosophy." That was true, but I wouldn't be taking it as Shreya.

"Sanjeev?" The professor's name.

"Yeah," almost against my will I turned to look sideways at him.

"Did it last semester. He's big." He stopped in mid-stride and I

did too. "Hey, you know I've still got notes from the class and I did ace the

final. Could you use some help?"

"She sure could." I looked around at the new voice, Mansi. "Nisha's too lazy

to study alone." From the relief I'd first felt at seeing Mansi and

imagining that this was all over to bewilderment at her calling me by a

girl's name and suggesting that I needed someone to study with took all of

two seconds. "Nisha'd like some company tonight. After all Shreya and I are

going out and she'd be all alone. She's a little shy, don't you think."

He didn't say anything for a moment. "If it's all right with you?" He was

staring at me with those grey eyes again. What did he see? How did I look?

Why did I care?