School Redux

The Unlikely Alliance

"Who is that?" Dawa eyed the boy who was playing the ball at ease.

"You have to be kidding me. You don't know him?" Nischal was very surprised. He turned to look at his friend's face, which gave him a completely innocent expression.

Dawa shrugged, his expression genuinely puzzled. "No, I swear I've never seen him before."

Nischal sighed, but then again he was not very surprised. Dawa had always never paid any attention to gossip nor was he interested in it. "How can you even call yourself a student in this school when you don't even know him."

Dawa shrugged, "It's not like I can know every person in this school."

Nischal shook his head and gestured at the boy who effortlessly navigated the court. "Whenever you see that iconic hair in this school, remember it in your mind. He is someone who should not be offended."

"He's Neeraj Koirala, the quintessential rebel of our school."

"Oh." Dawa nodded his head. It was not surprising that there was someone like that in school. It has always been the school phase where most teenagers rebelled.

"What's with your plain reaction?" Nischal raised an eyebrow at Dawa's subdued response. "I expected you to be a bit more shocked, considering Neeraj's reputation."

Dawa shrugged again, his expression unchanged. "I guess I'm just not as invested in school drama as you are, Nischal. Besides, every school has its rebels, right?"

Nischal chuckled, shaking his head. "Fair enough. But trust me, Neeraj is not your average troublemaker. He's got a way of stirring things up that's... impressive, to say the least."

"Noted. I'll keep my distance." Dawa nodded, acknowledging Nischal's warning. Although he felt that it was very likely that he would not cross paths with the boy and would probably forget this encounter after a few days.

"Its almost time for the lunch break to be over. Today's not our day."

"Let's go back." Nischal turned around discouraged. He was clearly not their opponent, and he was not going to join in the fun just to be defeated miserably.

Dawa followed Nischal out of the hall. He turned his head back and his rare light blue eyes suddenly collided with another pair of eyes.

"Dawa, hurry up."

Dawa's steps faltered as he left the hall, his mind lingering on the unexpected encounter with those deep hazel eyes. There was something about them that sparked a curiosity within him, a flicker of recognition that he couldn't quite place.

Shaking off the strange feeling, he quickened his pace to catch up with Nischal, but the image of those captivating eyes stayed with him.

The day passed by in a blur of classes and assignments. It was a long-lost feeling and it was surprisingly very refreshing.

He waved his hands to his friends as he watched them take the bus and walked toward home with his hands in his pockets.

Lost in his thoughts, Dawa took a detour through a quiet neighborhood park. He was not in a hurry to go back home.

As Dawa continued his stroll through the neighborhood, he stumbled upon a small, inconspicuous shop tucked away between two buildings.

This shop definitely had its special spot in his heart.

Dawa pushed open the door and stepped inside. What greeted him was a cozy, dimly lit space filled with rows of gaming consoles, computers, and stacks of video games lining the shelves.

The air was alive with the sounds of gunfire, racing engines, and fantastical worlds coming to life.

He used to secretly come and play after he was frustrated with his studies. He still remembers that all of his saved pocket money was spent here playing games.

As Dawa glanced around the familiar interior of the gaming shop, memories of his past visits flooded back. He remembered the excitement of discovering new games, the thrill of competing with strangers, and the sense of escape from the pressures of school.

He familiarly settled into his favorite spot and turned on the PC. As Dawa loaded up Grand Theft Auto V on the PC, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him.

He was soon immersed in the game and soon adapted to his usual rhythm. Even though he hadn't played for a long time, he hadn't lost his edge.

"Dada, come here. I finally saw someone you would be interested in." A voice interrupted Dawa's serious gaming session.

Dawa looked up from his screen and saw an unfamiliar guy behind him. He looked away uninterested and glanced at the boy beside him. Unexpectedly, he found himself staring at the familiar eyes that were seen not long ago.

"He should be able to play well. Let's add him to the team for the robbery this time."

Neeraj's eyes wandered around his face and once again stopped at his eyes. "How well can you play?"

Dawa's gaze met Neeraj's, and he finally knew where the faint familiarity came from. It was amazing that he could even remember someone who he had never talked to but just seen in the PC gaming shop.

He didn't know why someone who had never talked to him in his previous life came to him and asked such a question.

"Can you play well or not?" Neeraj irritably asked when he saw that his question fell to deaf ears. He wouldn't have come to ask a stranger if he didn't have a teammate.

Dawa snapped out of his reverie, realizing that Neeraj was waiting for a response.

"I can" Dawa nodded. He still remembered the words uttered by Nischal but it was just a game. He felt that it was no big deal.

"You should play well. I am closely watching you." The average looking boy who was wearing a loose tie and messy hair stared at Dawa trying to flatter Neeraj.

Neeraj pulled up a chair beside Dawa and quickly set up the PC. As he settled in, he glanced at the familiar face sitting next to him and waved off the other person who was looking at him expectantly.

"You can go now," Neeraj stated dismissively, his tone brusque and unwelcoming.

"Ok. Dada"

"Have fun." The teenager quickly cheered up and ran away, not bothering them anymore.

As the unwanted observer scurried away, they navigated the streets of Los Santos with precision and skill, their coordination seamless as they executed daring heists and thrilling car chases.

As they reached the final mission, a high-stakes bank robbery, Dawa and Neeraj found themselves completely immersed in the game, their focus unwavering as they strategized their approach.

With precise coordination and split-second decision-making, they successfully pulled off the heist, escaping with the loot and evading the cops in a thrilling chase through the city streets.

Neeraj raised his hand for a high-five, his face lit up with excitement. He raised his head and turned to look at the person beside him.

His hand froze midair when he realized that he was not with his school brothers today.

Dawa pursed his lips. There was a flicker of amusement in Dawa's eyes, hidden behind a facade of nonchalance. A crisp sound was heard, and the high-five was completed in an instant.

Neeraj slowly put down his hand and acted like nothing happened as he turned back to his screen.

Dawa looked at his watch and said "Let's play next time when we have a chance."

Dawa picked up his bag and went to the counter to pay for the money.

"Sure. I'll call him next time." Neeraj whispered, his eyes trailing the figure darting out the door. "But say, what's his name?"