CRAZY LOVE FOR YOU

CHAPTERS 11: TEXTS-TO-FACE-TO-FACE

Two weeks passed.

No creepy texts.

No unknown numbers.

Just school, practice, and 12B.

IT said they "handled it internally."

Mrs Kapoor said the student got a warning.

I didn’t ask for a name.

I just wanted it to stop.

And it did.

_"You’re smiling more,"_ Tasha _said_ on Thursday morning.

_"Am I?"_ I _said_, tying my braids.

_"Yeah,"_ Nia _said_. _"You look... lighter."_

_"Must be the ladoos running out,"_ Zara _said_.

Practice was normal.

Kavya was killing us.

_"Annual Day in 4 weeks! If you want to look stupid on stage, keep dropping the ball!"_

I didn’t drop the ball.

I scored 3 goals in scrimmage.

Kavya nodded at me once. That was her version of a standing ovation.

My phone buzzed during water break.

_RV: _3 goals. Show off.__

_Me: _Did you count?__

_RV: _Maybe.__

_Me: _Of course you did.__

Zara peeked over my shoulder. _"Who is it?"_

_"No one,"_ I _said_, hiding my phone.

_"Liar,"_ she _said_.

That night the texts got longer.

_RV: _Blue House lost today. Again.__

_Me: _Tough.__

_RV: _Coach says I need to pass more. I say we need to shoot more.__

_Me: _As captain, you should listen to coach.__

_RV: _As captain, you should know coaches are wrong sometimes.__

_Me: _Don’t tell Kavya I said this but... yeah.__

I laughed in bed.

_"Who are you texting?"_ Zara mumbled.

_"Sleep,"_ I _said_.

Friday.

Library period.

I was in the back corner with Nia, doing math.

The door opened.

RV walked in with 2 books and a notebook.

He saw me. Froze.

I pretended to read.

He sat 3 tables away.

My phone buzzed.

_RV: _Fancy seeing you here.__

_Me: _Fancy seeing you anywhere.__

_RV: _Are you mad I’m here?__

_Me: _Why would I be mad?__

_RV: _Because last time we talked I was weird.__

_Me: _You’re always weird.__

He looked up and smiled. Small.

I looked down fast.

Librarian _said_, _"No phones."_

We both put them away.

After library, I went to get water.

He was there.

Alone.

_"Hi,"_ he _said_.

_"Hi,"_ I _said_.

Silence.

The bad kind again.

_"So,"_ he _said_. _"Math?"_

_"Math,"_ I _said_.

_"Hard?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Need help?"_

_"No,"_ I _said_. _"Nia helps me."_

_"Right,"_ he _said_. _"Nia."_

Another silence.

_"I should go,"_ I _said_.

_"Yeah,"_ he _said_. _"Me too."_

We walked in opposite directions.

My phone buzzed 10 seconds later.

_RV: _I’m bad at this.__

_Me: _At what?__

_RV: _Saying hi to your face.__

I didn’t reply.

Saturday.

No practice.

12B was doing laundry and gossip.

_"Rumi called,"_ Tasha _said_. _"She’s coming for Annual Day."_

_"Really?!"_ I _said_.

_"Yeah,"_ Zara _said_. _"She wants to see Captain Poorvi."_

My phone buzzed.

_RV: _Are you free today?__

_Me: _Why?__

_RV: _No reason.__

_Me: _That’s suspicious.__

_RV: _It’s really not.__

_Me: _Fine. 20 minutes. Near the banyan tree.__

I didn’t tell 12B.

I got there 5 minutes early.

He wasn’t there.

10 minutes.

Still no one.

_Me: _You stood me up.__

_RV: _No! Coach called me. 5 more minutes.__

He came running 7 minutes later.

Hair messy. Out of breath.

_"Sorry,"_ he _said_.

_"It’s fine,"_ I _said_.

We sat on the bench.

Not close. Not far.

Just... bench distance.

_"So,"_ he _said_.

_"So,"_ I _said_.

Crickets.

_"How’s dance?"_ he _asked_.

_"Bad,"_ I _said_. _"I kicked Zara yesterday."_

_"She deserved it,"_ he _said_.

_"Probably,"_ I _said_.

He picked at his sleeve.

_"I read your transfer file,"_ he _said_ suddenly.

I went still.

_"What?"_ I _said_.

_"Not the details,"_ he _said_ fast. _"Just... that you transferred. That it wasn’t your choice."_

_"Why?"_ I _said_.

_"Because I wanted to know why the new girl runs like she’s trying to outrun something,"_ he _said_.

I didn’t know what to say.

_"You don’t have to talk about it,"_ he _said_. _"I just... I didn’t want to be another person who made you run."_

I looked at him.

Really looked.

He wasn’t scary.

He was just a boy who sucked at talking.

_"Thanks,"_ I _said_.

He nodded.

_"Can I ask you something?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Do you hate that I text you?"_

I thought about it.

_"No,"_ I _said_. _"I don’t hate it."_

He smiled. Real this time.

_"Good,"_ he _said_.

The bell rang.

_"I have to go,"_ I _said_.

_"Yeah,"_ he _said_. _"Me too."_

We stood up.

_"See you,"_ he _said_.

_"See you,"_ I _said_.

I walked back to hostel.

My phone buzzed.

_RV: _That was better than texting.__

_Me: _A little.__

_RV: _Next time I’ll try to talk for more than 5 minutes.__

_Me: _Don’t push it.__

Monday.

Sports Display practice.

Kavya _said_, _"We’re adding music this week. Get used to it."_

Halfway through, I missed a step.

Someone from Blue House was watching from the railing.

RV.

He wasn’t smiling. Just watching.

After practice, my phone buzzed.

_RV: _You looked good today.__

_Me: _I messed up.__

_RV: _Everyone messes up. You got back up.__

_Me: _That’s what we do.__

_RV: _Yeah. That’s what we do.__

Tuesday.

Dance practice.

*Mrs. Iyer* _said_, _"Poorvi, you’re getting better. Less giraffe, more dancer."_

Zara cheered.

After, I was packing my bag when I heard,

_"Captain Poorvi."_

RV.

Standing by the door.

With his basketball.

_"Hi,"_ I _said_.

_"Hi,"_ he _said_. _"Can I walk you?"_

_"To where?"_

_"Hostel."_

I looked at Zara. She gave me a thumbs up.

_"Sure,"_ I _said_.

We walked.

Not talking much.

But not awkward either.

At the hostel gate, he stopped.

_"So,"_ he _said_.

_"So,"_ I _said_.

_"This is me saying hi normally,"_ he _said_.

_"You did okay,"_ I _said_. _"7/10."_

_"I’ll take it,"_ he _said_.

He turned to leave, then stopped.

_"Poorvi,"_ he _said_.

_"Yeah?"_

_"I’m glad you’re here."_

He walked away before I could answer.

Back in 12B, Zara tackled me.

_"DETAILS!"_

_"Nothing happened,"_ I _said_.

_"He walked you,"_ Nia _said_.

_"And?"_

_"And that’s something,"_ Tasha _said_.

That night, texts were normal.

About practice. About homework. About nothing.

_RV: _Night, Captain.__

_Me: _Night.__

I stared at the ceiling.

DPS felt far away.

Riya felt far away.

The creepy texts felt far away.

Here, I had 12B.

I had practice.

And I had a boy who was learning how to say hi.