CRAZY LOVE FOR YOU

CHAPTER 10: "FIRST CREEPY TEXT AND 12B RULE#4"_

Monday started with rain and a bad mood.

_"It’s pouring,"_ *Zara* _said_, staring out the window.

_"Practice is gonna be cancelled,"_ Tasha _said_.

_"No it’s not,"_ I _said_, pulling on my Red House jersey. _"Kavya said rain or shine."_

Nia looked up from her notes. _"You’re going to catch a cold, Captain."_

_"Then I’ll be a sick Captain,"_ I _said_.

By 4pm the ground was wet but not flooded.

*Kavya* _said_, _"If you’re wet, run faster. Move!"_

We did sprints. Formation drills. Passing.

My shoes were full of mud by the end.

_"Good,"_ Kavya _said_. _"Annual Day won’t wait for dry weather."_

I was wringing out my socks in the changing room when my phone buzzed.

_Unknown Number: _I saw you at trials. Nice run.__

I frowned.

That number.

Not RV.

RV was saved.

_Me: _Who is this?__

No reply.

Zara came in. _"You okay? You look weird."_

_"Nothing,"_ I _said_, locking my phone. _"Just spam."_

We walked back to 12B in the rain.

I kept checking my phone. Nothing else.

Night. 9:45pm.

I was in bed when it buzzed again.

_Unknown Number: _Red jersey suits you.__

My blood went cold.

I sat up.

_"What?"_ I whispered.

Tasha heard me. _"What’s up?"_

_"I got another text,"_ I _said_. _"From an unknown number."_

I showed her.

Her face went hard.

_"Show Nia and Zara,"_ she _said_.

In 30 seconds all 4 of us were sitting on my bed.

_"This is not okay,"_ Nia _said_.

_"He knows what you wore today,"_ Zara _said_.

_"He was at trials,"_ I _said_. _"Lots of people were."_

_"But he’s texting you,"_ Tasha _said_. _"Specifically you."_

My phone buzzed again.

_Unknown Number: _Don’t tell anyone. I just wanted to say hi.__

_"Don’t reply,"_ Nia _said_.

_"Block him,"_ Zara _said_.

_"We tell Mrs Kapoor,"_ Tasha _said_.

I stared at the screen. My hands were shaking.

_"Not yet,"_ I _said_. _"Let me block him first. If he texts again from a new number, then we tell."_

The girls looked at each other.

_"Fine,"_ Nia _said_. _"But 12B Rule #4."_

_"What’s that?"_ I _said_.

Tasha put her hand in the middle.

_"We protect our own,"_ she _said_.

Zara put her hand on top. _"No one messes with 12B."_

Nia put hers. _"And we tell each other everything."_

I put my hand on top.

_"Deal,"_ I _said_.

I blocked the number.

_"If he finds a way around it, we go to Mrs Kapoor immediately,"_ Nia _said_.

_"Deal,"_ I _said_.

We didn’t sleep much that night.

Tuesday.

No texts.

I checked my phone every 5 minutes anyway.

Practice was normal. Kavya yelled. We ran.

At one point I thought I saw someone by the railing.

Blue hoodie.

But when I looked again, it was gone.

After practice, I was getting water when someone bumped into me.

_"Sorry,"_ a voice _said_.

I turned.

It was a junior girl from Blue House.

_"It’s fine,"_ I _said_.

My phone buzzed.

I froze.

_RV: _You okay? You looked stressed today.__

I let out a breath.

_Me: _Fine. Just tired.__

_RV: _Rain practice is the worst.__

_Me: _Tell me about it.__

That night, no unknown texts.

_"See?"_ Zara _said_. _"Blocking worked."_

_"Maybe,"_ I _said_.

Wednesday.

Dance practice with *Mrs. Iyer*.

_"Again,"_ she _said_. _"Feel it, Poorvi. Stop counting."_

I tried.

I fell.

_"Again,"_ she _said_.

My legs hurt.

My phone was in my bag on the side.

It buzzed.

Once.

Twice.

After practice I checked.

_Unknown Number: _You fell 3 times today. You okay?__

My stomach dropped.

_"Guys,"_ I _said_.

Zara looked.

_"New number,"_ she _said_.

Tasha was already packing her bag.

_"We’re going to Mrs Kapoor. Now."_

We walked to the faculty block in silence.

My heart was pounding.

*Mrs. Kapoor* was in her office.

_"What is it, girls?"_ she _said_.

Tasha explained. Showed the texts.

Mrs Kapoor’s face got serious.

_"Give me your phone,"_ she _said_.

She took screenshots. Wrote things down.

_"This is not acceptable,"_ she _said_. _"I will speak to IT. We will track the numbers. And Poorvi, you did the right thing telling us."_

_"Thank you ma’am,"_ I _said_.

Walking back, I felt sick.

_"I’m sorry,"_ I _said_.

_"For what?"_ Nia _said_.

_"For bringing this to 12B."_

Zara stopped and turned to me.

_"12B Rule #4,"_ she _said_. _"We protect our own. You’re our own."_

Tasha nodded. _"And you protected us by telling us."_

_"Thanks,"_ I _said_.

That night, IT called Mrs Kapoor.

_"We traced it,"_ she told us the next morning. _"It’s a student. We’re handling it internally. He won’t bother you again."_

I didn’t ask who.

I didn’t want to know.

Friday.

Practice. No texts.

The ground felt safer.

After practice, I was alone near the water cooler.

Footsteps.

I turned fast.

RV.

_"Hey,"_ he _said_.

_"Hey,"_ I _said_.

_"I heard,"_ he _said_. _"About the texts."_

_"How?"_ I _said_.

_"School talks,"_ he _said_. _"Are you okay?"_

I nodded.

_"Good,"_ he _said_. _"Because 12B would kill me if I made you uncomfortable."_

He said it like a joke. It didn’t sound like one.

_"Did you..."_ I started.

_"No,"_ he _said_ immediately. _"It wasn’t me. I swear."_

I believed him.

_"Okay,"_ I _said_.

_"Okay,"_ he _said_.

He kicked a pebble.

_"For what it’s worth, I think you’re brave. For telling them."_

_"Thanks,"_ I _said_.

He nodded and left.

That night in 12B, we made a chart.

*12B RULES*

_1. Share food_

_2. No secrets about boys_

_3. Complain about Kavya together_

_4. We protect our own_

Zara taped it to the wall.

_"Official,"_ she _said_.

I looked at it.

At Tasha braiding Zara’s hair.

At Nia reading.

At the window where rain wasn’t falling anymore.

My phone buzzed.

_RV: _Night, Captain. Ground’s safer now.__

_Me: _Yeah. It is.__

I put my phone down and closed my eyes.

No more unknown numbers.

Just 12B.

Just me.

And for the first time since DPS, I didn’t feel like I had to look over my shoulder.