TWO WEEKS LATER

"Wake up Ari!! We are already late!!"
- "Oh Faith! Will you stop shouting your lungs out in front of my ears?"
- "Well then go ahead and sleep as long as you want to. I'm going to school. Bye."
-"Don't get pissed off already bae! I'll get ready in a minute."
- "Yeah! yeah! Ofcourse! My dear super-woman!!" she said rolling her eyes.
She has gotten a lot more free than the past two weeks. We make fun of each other now. Like genuine ones. Not those sarcastic ones we basically throw towards your so called enemies. It's a sign of friendship isn't it? We share things. More importantly, she shares things with me. And nothing better could've happened. I know all about her past now. Atleast I think that's all. Because whatever she shared with me...that was way more than an average person can cope up with and she did. She faltered a lot in her life but somehow she did manage to cope up with all the mishappenings. And if there is more to it then I don't know. I don't know how she did all this. All I can say is, she is a very strong girl. I am not the super-woman. She is. The best person I came across my life. I remember saying that I'm being an optimistic not trying to misjudge her. Today I take that back. I don't need to be an optimistic to really know who she is. A realist can only know her true worth.

She. The one who had such a pathetic and traumatic childhood. The one who had to adjust in every situation. The one who had no one to rely on. No one who cared. No one to comfort her. Just NO ONE. She. Who stood alone. Bold. Strong. Courageous. All I can say is, I feel ashamed of myself seeing her. I remember as a child I was really irritating. I wanted everything my way and if that didn't happen by chance, I used to haul around the house and disgust everyone. Even my neighbours. And she, she had never had an option of getting anything her way. Just not anything.

I will just never hurt her. And I mean it. I just can't leave her alone. Not again. Never ever.

"Are you done dreaming?" I heard her enquirying me. "What were you thinking for so long?"
-"I...umm...what? Nothing."
-"You sure?"
-"Absolutely!"
-"Well I know you are hiding something from me but I just don't wanna nag. Not into that 'nagging' habit yet."
Oh Gosh! That tone she has. That slight tinge of audacity she has in her voice. It's kind of intimidating yeah! She will make a good leader someday. And the worst part is, I just can't afford to hide anything from her after what she said.
"I was just thinking." I say.
-"About what?" she says with a not-like-I-care look. But I know she does anyway.
-"You"
-"About me? For what joy huh?"
-"I don't know. Just that I am always sort of thinking about you."
-"I...see"
-"You know what Faith, I think you are my best friend."
-"And you are my only friend. You understand the difference right?" she smiled sarcastically. Her sarcasm gets on my nerves sometimes.
"C'mon! What's wrong?" I ask her casually.
-"You say that you are almost think about me all the time and then you ask me what's wrong with me?"
-"I think yes"
-"I should be asking you this question duffer!!"
I start laughing. She joins me soon.
"Don't you think we are already late enough? Get out of that laughing fit." she says holding out my bag.
"You packed it for me?"
-"Yeah. So what?"
-"Oh Faith! I love you."
-"Aww. Love you too Ari."
Suddenly she notices her watch.
"Holy shit Ari! We're gonna get a good round of scolding today. I guarantee you."
-"Let's go. What are we waiting for?"
We rush towards our school together.