I felt... uncharacteristically alert. We were working with the junior editorial committee on the next issue of the school magazine. I was not feeling dozy as usual, not making typos, I could even tell who and when someone was getting up and sitting back down. But I can't concentrate. This is weird, it almost hurts. Why am I so wired up? Well, I'm doing my work and all that, but I don't feel like myself.
*BANG*
I jumped in my seat, but nobody else seemed to notice. I looked around for what the noise was and noticed that Manas's hands were together. He clapped to get our attention and his claps were obnoxiously loud. But still, that felt louder than usual.
"Okay, that was good work. So has everyone finished their assigned work?"
Everyone began sounding off, I was still stuck behind my laptop though. My mind was running all over the place, and it was starting to get annoying.
“Daniel?” Manas’s voice snapped me back into the room.
“Uh, yes?” I said peeking over my laptop.
“Have you finished up?”
“Uh…” my mind blanked. I stared at him trying to remember what I had been doing the last couple of hours and Manas stared right back expectantly. “Uh… Yeah, I…” I looked into my laptop, “Yeah, I finished the layout stuff and… spaced everything based on how large the articles… will be. As we get write-ups, we can just slot them in and… and re-work the layout as required.” I reported and returned to staring blankly at Manas again.
“Okay…” Manas said, still watching me. “Well, that’s that then.” He turned to the junior committee. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice.”
“Oh no, it was our pleasure,” the junior representative said as everyone began to start packing their stuff.
I looked back down at my laptop, stared at the open documents and drafts, shook my head and proceeded to save and close everything before shutting the laptop down. As I did, a chipper voice caught my attention. It was Melinda, she was speaking with some of the junior committee members.
“Hey, you good?” Manas said.
“Huh?” I looked up at him, “Oh, yeah. I’m just stressing over something.” I replied.
“You want to talk about it?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
Manas looked unconvinced. “Hmm, you getting good rest?”
“Yeah… Well… I’m not dozing off in the middle of the day anymore.”
“Hmm… If you say so,”
“Hey guys,” Melinda said as she joined the conversation.
“Hey, good work today!” Manas told her.
“Thanks! I’m guessing you guys are heading straight home?”
“Yup, I’m on cooking duty tonight. Well, I’m in charge of cooking some of the things.” Manas said.
“Ooh, what are you cooking?” Melinda went on.
Their conversation went on. My mind was starting to race again. Melinda seemed different. I knew she seemed different. She has seemed different for quite a while. And yet, I can’t tell how. Ever since the day she gave me that key chain she’s seemed different. Imperceptibly, but in some sense she was different. But I am the only one who seems to notice. Maybe, I am just overthinking things. Yeah, I’m just thinking too much about it. You know what? Maya was right, this is not something I should worry about. If Melinda brings it up, I can help. But if she does not, it’s not for me to worry about.
“Hey!” I heard as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Manas then gave me a shake. “You’re making me more and more worried. Are you sure you’re alright?”
I looked at him, and for the first time in a while, I smiled properly. “Yeah, I’m good,” I replied. “Well, I will be in a while. I am starting to feel sleepy again though.”
Manas looked at me for a little bit longer, then sighed again, “Hmm, if you say so.”
I looked over to Melinda. “You’re headed to the station, right?”
She smiled and nodded.
“I need to use the metro as well; shall we go together?”
“Sure! I would love the company!”
“Well then,” I turned to Manas, “we’ll be on our way, you have a good day then.”
Manas looked at Melinda and me, “Man… That’s a low blow…”
“Ah, don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” I said chuckling.
Mel looked confused, “What are you guys talking about?”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing.” Manas quickly said. “Well let me not keep you then. Good work today you two! See you back in school after the weekend.” And with that, we began walking to the station.
*BANG*
I jumped in my seat, but nobody else seemed to notice. I looked around for what the noise was and noticed that Manas's hands were together. He clapped to get our attention and his claps were obnoxiously loud. But still, that felt louder than usual.
"Okay, that was good work. So has everyone finished their assigned work?"
Everyone began sounding off, I was still stuck behind my laptop though. My mind was running all over the place, and it was starting to get annoying.
“Daniel?” Manas’s voice snapped me back into the room.
“Uh, yes?” I said peeking over my laptop.
“Have you finished up?”
“Uh…” my mind blanked. I stared at him trying to remember what I had been doing the last couple of hours and Manas stared right back expectantly. “Uh… Yeah, I…” I looked into my laptop, “Yeah, I finished the layout stuff and… spaced everything based on how large the articles… will be. As we get write-ups, we can just slot them in and… and re-work the layout as required.” I reported and returned to staring blankly at Manas again.
“Okay…” Manas said, still watching me. “Well, that’s that then.” He turned to the junior committee. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice.”
“Oh no, it was our pleasure,” the junior representative said as everyone began to start packing their stuff.
I looked back down at my laptop, stared at the open documents and drafts, shook my head and proceeded to save and close everything before shutting the laptop down. As I did, a chipper voice caught my attention. It was Melinda, she was speaking with some of the junior committee members.
“Hey, you good?” Manas said.
“Huh?” I looked up at him, “Oh, yeah. I’m just stressing over something.” I replied.
“You want to talk about it?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
Manas looked unconvinced. “Hmm, you getting good rest?”
“Yeah… Well… I’m not dozing off in the middle of the day anymore.”
“Hmm… If you say so,”
“Hey guys,” Melinda said as she joined the conversation.
“Hey, good work today!” Manas told her.
“Thanks! I’m guessing you guys are heading straight home?”
“Yup, I’m on cooking duty tonight. Well, I’m in charge of cooking some of the things.” Manas said.
“Ooh, what are you cooking?” Melinda went on.
Their conversation went on. My mind was starting to race again. Melinda seemed different. I knew she seemed different. She has seemed different for quite a while. And yet, I can’t tell how. Ever since the day she gave me that key chain she’s seemed different. Imperceptibly, but in some sense she was different. But I am the only one who seems to notice. Maybe, I am just overthinking things. Yeah, I’m just thinking too much about it. You know what? Maya was right, this is not something I should worry about. If Melinda brings it up, I can help. But if she does not, it’s not for me to worry about.
“Hey!” I heard as I felt a tap on my shoulder. Manas then gave me a shake. “You’re making me more and more worried. Are you sure you’re alright?”
I looked at him, and for the first time in a while, I smiled properly. “Yeah, I’m good,” I replied. “Well, I will be in a while. I am starting to feel sleepy again though.”
Manas looked at me for a little bit longer, then sighed again, “Hmm, if you say so.”
I looked over to Melinda. “You’re headed to the station, right?”
She smiled and nodded.
“I need to use the metro as well; shall we go together?”
“Sure! I would love the company!”
“Well then,” I turned to Manas, “we’ll be on our way, you have a good day then.”
Manas looked at Melinda and me, “Man… That’s a low blow…”
“Ah, don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” I said chuckling.
Mel looked confused, “What are you guys talking about?”
“Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing.” Manas quickly said. “Well let me not keep you then. Good work today you two! See you back in school after the weekend.” And with that, we began walking to the station.
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