Highschool Long Lost Crush

Food 🍔 before Shopping🛍️?

Diju POV:

Ali left for Chicago three days ago but those envelopes were still lying on my side bed table. First Letter was due yesterday but I couldn't find the will to read it or even touch it as just the reminder of this made me miss my brother more.

'Diju, Sial is here again', my mother said exasperated through the intercom bringing me out of thoughts.

I signed off from the zoom account disappointingly as Ali said he would join the meeting by 2 p.m.and it was already around 3 by now. Well, I can no longer make Sial wait or he will surely start plotting my murder and no doubt my mother will love to be her crime partner. According to her, I was being clingy when it comes to Ali and I need to let him have some privacy.

After placing the laptop on the side table, I made my way out of the door and down to the lounge from the stairs. My and Ali's childhood pictures aligned along the stairs still make it unbearable to accept his absence. Well, in his absence, Sial was making sure to be there for me anytime. So yeah, a childhood friend always comes with perks.

'Seriously, I have been waiting for you for like half an hour Madam', Sial elaborated

'I told you I needed to talk to him' I replied.

'Get over it Diju. He is busy and you will also be from starting Monday', Sial said, placing the plate on the counter. Well, his love for my mother's homemade food always bring him to this house and yeah sometimes for me too.

'Ok stop bickering you two. Now go get some some decent clothing for your University', my mother said from the couch while compiling the files of her soon-to-be-launched clothing line.

'But I already have like bunch of them in my wardrobe.' I said sighing.

'Yeah right. Alot of Track suits and yeah that one gown that your mother brought you', Sial exclaimed sitting by my mother side. I sticked my tounge out at him when my mother ruffled his hair. Oh he hates that most and I felt happy seeing him getting annoyed at her for this action.

'Diju, you need to come out in this social world and this is your time so better not disappoint me with your shopping today.'

She said side hugging Sial,

'Now I am leaving for the office as my manager is still not able to get the designers on same page. I think I need to hire more persuasive staff. So goodbye and do justice to this card'

exclaimed handing me her credit card after kissing me on the forehead

'I still find it difficult to believe that you want to pursue fashion designing but won't focus on your own wardrobe.'

'Stop being judgemental and Come on lets go.', finding the keys of my car after pinching his cheeks.

'Why everyone likes to play with my body parts', he was so pissed and I was enjoying it. But now it was my time to get bothered on this Sial's so called shopping spree. I love everything about shopping except the part of being my own model for it.

We were just still 10 minutes away from the opera mall and here I was ready to strangle Sial for his continuous reminder that how many different types of shops we need to visit today.

'How come do you even know these many female designers and their outlets location?' a thought passed through and I spoke abruptly, 'Don't tell me you are seeing someone without telling me.'

'You bet! The only girl I am in love with is sitting beside me and to make her feel special. I need to be always a step ahead.'

he taunted pinching my cheeks. He always know how to change the topic.

'Your soulmate needs alot of my prayers, Sial.'

teased him. He replied me with something but never got what he said as it was almost as if he was murmuring.

Sometimes I feel like I rely too much on him after Ali's departure. He knows everything about how to pamper a girl and makes sure to be available for every girl. Yes each and every girl. He was so famous in Highschool like a brother bodyguard.

'Don not tell me you are thinking about me being savior in Highschool' Sial gave me pointed look. Well he always knew me better but how could I stop my mischievous smile.

I was glad that we decided to be here at less rush hours so I parked the car at the nearest spot of the Opera Mall entrance gate. Just as we entered the mall, Sial insisted on checking the food court to know the working hours of McDonalds.

It was the only place that I wanted to avoid as most of people come here only for food and it is always chaotic there.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I did not realize Sial was already done with ordering the food for himself.

'Why did you order?' I asked irritatingly.

'I just couldn't resist tasting their new addition in the menu and beside you should never make food wait.' he exclaimed excitedly likewise giving me puppy eyes.

I snorted and searched for the empty table. I found it just by the elevator and made my way towards it after informing him. He returned after awhile but not with one but two Mc burger.

'I thought we were here for shopping not to fulfill your cravings Sial'

I almost shouted.

'I need these to energize myself for your constant refusal to everything that need to be bought today and beside don't be jealous my love you can also have a bite',

I cut him off by saying,

'oh! I surely am and no Thanyou for offering. I just don't get it how you get to have six packs after so much food whereas I run 1 mile everyday in that grumpy forest and still struggle to shed this stubborn fat'

exclaimed pointing at my tummy.

'Oh no no. Don't get started with me you fitness freak. I still remember how you and Ali won all the races in kindergarten and not to forget the number of Marathon Championship trophies you both have in your study room. I have always been so proud of you and you should also be thankful to that forest for some alone time that you get unlike me who workout among bunch of gossipers'

Sial exclaimed wiping his fake tears off,

'until now that you are all the time off the radar.'

Although I just had no reply but he was already off to the food court to order Mc Flurry for his sweet tooth.

However, that led me to recall the best days of my life when not only me, Ali and Sial used to spend alot of time together in that forest but also never felt the absence of my parents in life as much as I feel now. Their chase to keep the monopoly in the fashion industry not only intervened with family bonding but also forced us siblings to choose professions accordingly.

'Wow! Who thought soon to be fashion designers are future competitors in funky clothing line so here a matching slush for you ', a voice interrupted my thoughts.

I diverted my attention towards the face of that voice whose hand landed just by mine after placing the offered slush on the table and that caught me off-guard so I replied,

'Well, firstly thank you for being so observant and nice to meet you too. Beside your slush colour is not less funkier than mine.'

'Pleasure is all mine. Should I take that as a compliment from my competitor?' he questioned giving me a lopsided smile.

'Ask about that from your eyes because the slush shop might have tried to replicate your eye colour within that slush and truthfully still did no justice to it.' replied rhetorically by leaning forward to have a better look at his eye colour.

His response came in the form of contagious laughter that eliminated any hint of sadness that I had before and brought a genuine smile on my face. However, after leaning forward on the table, his next words made me skip a beat and left me more confused against our last encounter .

'I missed this.' said pointing finger first at me and then at himself and continued, 'That smile is the only thing that I came here for again after that day misunderstanding.'

Before I could have asked him what he means by the misunderstanding, Sial came rushing to the table and took me by surprise by holding my hand, kissed my forehead and then brought my chair by his side with his hand. While I was processing all of what just happened, Ronell tone changed,

'I was not aware that you had company. I thought that was a misunderstanding before. My apologies, I should take my leave.'

This sudden mood swing left me more baffled when I heard Sial asking,

'What misunderstanding?',

He was looking at me while pointing at Ronell's retreating figure.

'If you have not ambushed me like that. I would surely have asked him what he meant by that.' my irritated tone now was more like a shock to Sial than to me.

'and here I thought I was saving you from another intruder.'

he looked hurt when he said that after bringing some space in between us but his next words felt like a heart attack,

'Do not tell me! Was you actually flirting with that boy.'

'What??' That led me to spill the slush on his shirt that I was quite enjoying until now as it literally tasted like cocktail that Ronell brought me.

'Yeah! both of you were leaning into each other as if next part was not for public eye to witness', exclaimed Sial.

I gave him a blank look to which he placed hands above his head and changed the topic into from which shop we should start first. This was our gesture to tell that we are just messing around.

'You are delusional, Sial.' I took the slush in my right hand and headed towards distbin to throw it away as most of the spilled part also landed in the glass.

'Just give it to me. I am still hungry.' I didn't reply to him even knowing that he was already behind me to snatch it away from me. I threw the slush away half-heartedly as I was really enjoying it before Sial's outburst. Additionally, now I was not in the mood of shopping anymore but Sial was not going to let me go so I followed him like a lost puppy all day.