Amira

"No need to be confused. You were about to be run down by the car and I saved you. That's all pretty simple. Isn't it? And now your focus is supposed to be that you are already late for class."

"Ah, my focus, what was that again?" Amira's confusion now looked more serious.

"Are you serious? You are late for class."

"Oh, I am late for class. Yes, yes, I know. I knew it already." She said normally in a low voice until realization hit her. "... WHAT! I AM LATE!? It's a geography lecture today. Miss Devi's gonna kill me, bye see you later." She turned around to run as soon as she finished her words.

Arden grabbed her backpack and pulled her back. Right after it, another car crossed from where she was about to run.

"What are you doing!?" Miss Devi's not the one who'll kill you. You will be the one to kill yourself! Is something wrong?"

"No, no, no, nothing is wrong. What's possibly gonna go wrong? Everything's alright. Yeah, it is alright. Everything is ok."

"I can help."

"You can help? ... I don't need it."

"Ok then, I'll get going. Would you like to follow me?" Arden knows that it is not right to let her go alone.

"Ok, I'll join you."

They walked to the school together. Arden walked to the outer side of the footpath and kept checking on her from time to time. She still walked, lost. Amira forgot about Miss Devi. She was walking slowly, looking at her feet. Arden adjusted his pace to walk along with her. When they were at the door of the school, Arden stood there. He saw Amira walking in. Amira had no idea that she was left alone. No teacher stopped her from going in. Everybody knows that she's an excellent student. So there must be a reasonable reason for her being late.

On the other side, no one stopped Arden as well. Because they knew it was a waste of time, he won't listen, anyway. Arden got good grades, but he was usually rude to everyone, so no one really cared about him. That was the reason he let Aamira go in alone because if it was not for this, everyone was going to see Aamira as an outcast for being with him.

...

PRESENT

Everything just happened. Even today, Arden has no idea what made him follow her that day. It's been too long and Amira herself doesn't know what made her so confused that day. At the very least, she hasn't told Arden or anyone else about it yet.

...

(About the past, it's better to take it slow. At the present, all that is important is that our leads are going to plan a beautiful journey to death.)

After pulling the breaks to Luke's nonstop clowning, Dayla felt peaceful. But in her peace, she forgot about the assisting joker of the group, Asher.

"Thanks to the goddess that my mom prays to, I finally made it. I thought that I am gonna drop out even without finishing my studies." Asher's face told it all. He has no hopes for his studies.

"How can you be like that don't you worry about your future? I have so many expectations for my future. I wanna give my parents everything they can ask for and I want to make my parents proud, so they can proudly say, see that's our daughter. I want to give them all the happiness in the world." Gayle had a different kind of fire in her eyes this time. It was as if she can even shake the mountains at the moment.

"Haha, you two are gonna make a perfect couple. Asher would do the home keeping and Gayle would work hard to make her parents proud. Asher, I think, would do a good job taking care of her parents when they get old." Dayla always just spoke what she wanted to, no matter what the occasion was.

"What about you both, huh? Talking about us, you should know that our entire school considers you and Luke as a couple. And you almost forgot about the most famous ship in our entire town....."

"We haven't made any plans to celebrate. Do you have any plans?" Gayle was about to finish when she heard Arden speak. Although all those 4 were busy taunting and teasing each other still, they all silently and calmly heard what Arden had to say. Because it was such a rare scene to see Arden talk nicely to someone. And this someone was always Amira.

Arden had finally given a chance for Amira to say her plans out.

"Of course..." Amira was about to begin when Gayle interrupted in between.

"Sorry guys, I won't be coming. I already have a plan for this week with my parents. We'll go abroad and enjoy our time there."

"I think we all have our own respective plans. What about a party?" Dayla was waiting for a response, but all the other 5 people were in their own respective worlds. Gayle and Arsher were busy in their own brief fight over burgers or pizzas, which was better. Amira was looking at the ground in some deep thoughts and Arden was in even deeper thoughts, looking at Amira. The only one who had his attention on Dayla was Luke, who was lost somewhere while looking at her.

"Guys?? Can you listen to me for a moment, please? Try coming out of your respective imaginary world."

"Oh yes, I have heard you. You are right. Let me know the plans when everything is decided. I have something to do now. Bye! See you later." Amira forced a smile and left. She was not angry, but just a little sad.

"Let me walk you home," Arden said, looking at her. Just in a second, he realized that he made a mistake. He wanted to comfort her, but he made the situation worse. He is well aware that she lives in an orphanage and is determined to keep it a secret. But he ended up putting her in a difficult situation. Even Arden would have had no idea about it if it was not for him following her twice or thrice when he was told that Amira got bullied by street bullies. All the bullies stopped bullying her just at the fact that it was Arden who wanted them to stop. Arden had some name in the underground world. After all, he was on the streets most of the time.

"It's ok, I need to stop for groceries and stuff." She waved and left.

They all looked at her, all confused.

"What was there to be so dramatic about?" Asher always was the first one to point out Amira's odd behavior every time she did something. Maybe that's the reason Arden always felt a bit sour looking at him.

"Yeah, it's true that she gets sad easily." Dayle had her observations speak for her. "You are still standing here. It means there is something you want to say. Don't wait for the perfect moment, just say it out." She said straightforwardly to Arden. Dayle had quite an idea about everyone's behavioral systems. But it was a fact that Arden never stays with the group even for a single second if Amira is not around.

"Ok then, all I wanna say is that quickly end your travels with the family and come back. We'll still have time to go with Amira's plans."

"Ok feels good. How about you guys?" Gayle had a week-long plan with her parents and was looking forward to seeing others' responses.

Luke, "I'll just be going to my aunts' so it's ok with me."

"I am cool about it, too."

"Ok then, let me know when you will all be back, about the other info. I'll ask Amira and let you guys know," Arden said and looked at their faces, making sure that no one had any objections. Then he left in the direction Amira went.

Gayle and Asher waved their byes and went on their respective ways.

"We are left alone again. Do you want to go for a drink with me?" Luke always asked such questions to Dayla half-jokingly.

"Don't you know that I don't drink and who the stupid would drink during the day? By the way, if it's coffee, then I am coming with you. Sometimes being with you guys is more tiring than running 4 laps on the ground. Let's go." Dayla just responded causally.

Luke was stunned that Dayla agreed, and even more stunned that he had no idea that Dayla didn't drink.

...

BONUS

"Which street were we supposed to turn to?" Asher and Gayle are lost. Lost on their way to Asher's little sister's tuition class.

"I don't know. It is in your neighborhood. Why did I even agree to come with you?"

"Wait, I recognize this building... This is where her tuition class is!"

"Thank goodness, quickly find her, then I'll go home."

"There she is."

A little girl, most probably same the age as Arden's sister, was walking in their direction with her teacher.

"Come here! Let's go home." He called her.

She waved to the teacher and walked toward them at a steady pace.

"Hello Gayle, let's go home, Asher." Gayle smiled at her and offered her candy. Then picked her up.

"Yeah, let's go home," he said and started looking around, hoping that he might find a way familiar.

"Seriously! Asher, it's my first time here, but at the very least, I know the way back from here."

"That's great. Let's go!!.... Guide the way milady"

"Ok... Let's go"

After some rights and lefts, she saw a pack of dogs fighting with each other and barking loudly.

They all quietly very softly turned back to the direction they came from.

"Where do we go now? This is the way we came from and the only way I know."

" Listen, Gayle. Let's turn right from the next one."

"No, we don't know where we will end..."

"It's gonna be right..."

and they started bickering like always.

"Oof God, he's my brother. Listen, you both. Why did you even bother picking me up??? Just follow me." 'And they say I am the younger one.' She jumped down from Gayle's arms and started walking.

She kept walking ahead of them for not more than 5 minutes when she halted and looked at them.

"Where did you bring us to? This area is so unfamiliar. Did you even know the way?" Arsher looked a little impatient.

"Uh...Umm, Asher maybe we are standing in front of your house."