Chapter 15: Home!

The evening air in California carried a hint of warmth as Sameer burst into his apartment, the door swinging open with force. Without missing a beat, he dashed toward his bedroom, tossing his bag onto the bed before wrapping his arms tightly around his PC.

"Oh, my dear PC, I missed you so much!" he declared dramatically. Then, as if the device had spoken back, he continued, "Huh? You missed me too? That's so kind of you."

His grin widened as he leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "Guess what? I met a girl! You won't believe it—she's cuter and more beautiful than any model out there."

A brief pause, then he added, "Girlfriend? No, not yet… but if my luck doesn't mess things up, you might just get a sister-in-law someday!"

He chuckled to himself, as if the machine asked him her name. "Oh, her name is—"

Before he could finish, his phone rang, startling him. He jumped slightly before glancing at the screen. His breath hitched.

"…A-Alya," he murmured, answering the call.

"Hey, Pervert, did you make it home?" Alya's cheerful voice filled his ears.

"Y-Yeah, just a few minutes ago," Sameer replied, still catching his breath.

"That's good, Pervert. So, what are you up to now?"

He hesitated before admitting, "Uhh… hugging my PC."

Alya's laughter rang out from the other end. "What?! Hugging your PC? That sounds so ridiculous! Anyway, when's your exam?"

He hesitated again. "…Tomorrow,I guess."

"WHAT?!" Alya's sudden yell made him flinch. "Your exam is tomorrow, and you're wasting time with your PC? Go study already, Pervert!"

"A-Yes, ma'am!" he stammered, scrambling to sit up properly.

She chuckled at his reaction. "Good boy. And hey, if you need help with any subject, feel free to call me."

A soft smile formed on his lips. "Yes, ma'am."

There was a slight pause before Alya added, a little nervously, "B-but only between 7 and 9 PM, okay?"

"Roger that."

As she ended the call, Sameer stared at his phone, his heart feeling oddly warm. "She actually cares about me," he whispered to himself.

But then, a memory from their last night in Greenland resurfaced—Alya's words echoing in his mind. "Don't waste your first kiss on me, Sameer."

His smile faded into a frown. "What did she mean by that?"

The next morning at college, Sameer sat on the last bench, gazing out the window, struggling to keep his eyes open. Sleep threatened to claim him after a long night of studying.

"I studied so much, I guess…" he thought to himself, yawning. "When will this end? Exams suck."

"Hey, Sameer."

A familiar voice called his name from the classroom entrance, pulling him from his drowsy state.

"Huh?" He turned toward the sound. "Ava?"

Ava hurried toward him, slightly out of breath. "Hey, man, how are you?"

"I'm fine. What about you? And your leg?"

Ava smiled, flexing her leg slightly. "Oh, both are fine now, thanks. So… where's Tom?"

"Washroom."

A mischievous glint flashed in Ava's eyes. "I see. By the way, I heard you got yourself a girl in Greenland?"

Sameer nearly choked on his own breath. "Wh-what?! How do you know that?!"

Ava grinned. "Tom told me. Now spill the details! I want to be friends with her."

Before Sameer could stammer out a response, Tom's voice interrupted them.

"Oh, my Ava!" Tom called out, running toward her.

"Oh, my Babe!" Ava beamed back.

Without hesitation, they hugged and shared a quick kiss, completely oblivious to the stares of their classmates.

Sameer groaned internally. "How can they do stuff like that in front of so many people?"

Tom turned to him with a smirk. "Hey, bro, you're in my spot."

"Huh?"

"Look at the seating arrangement for the exam. I'm supposed to be on the last bench, you're on the second-last, and Ava's on the third-last."

"Wait… so I'm stuck between you two?"

"Exactly."

Ava grinned. "Isn't it exciting?"

Sameer sighed. "Exciting? How? I'm trapped between lovebirds."

Ava leaned toward Tom, whispering something before turning back to Sameer with a grin. "Think of it this way—you're the messenger of lovebirds now!"

As Tom and Ava shared a laugh, Sameer buried his face in his hands. "Man, this sucks. Exams suck."

After the exam, the three walked toward their respective destinations. Tom and Ava chatted animatedly while Sameer trailed behind, lost in thought.

Ava let out a deep breath. "That paper was a bit hard."

"Yeah, agreed," Tom nodded.

Ava suddenly brightened. "Hey babe, let's grab something to eat."

"Fast food?" Tom suggested.

Ava nodded enthusiastically.

Tom turned to Sameer. "Hey, bro, you coming?"

Sameer, lost in his own thoughts, snapped back to reality. "Huh? What?"

"Wanna join us for some fast food?"

Realization hit him. "Wait, did you forget we have our part-time job? We're running late!"

"Oh, crap!" Tom's eyes widened. He turned to Ava apologetically. "Sorry, babe, I've got to get to work, or I'll get fired. Bye!"

As Tom and Sameer took off running, Ava sighed dramatically before waving.

Later that evening, Sameer and Tom arrived at the mall, hurrying toward the locker room to change into their uniforms. Moments later, they took their places at the cash counter.

"Made it just in time," Sameer exhaled.

"Phew, yeah," Tom agreed.

As they settled into their roles, Tom spoke up. "You know, bro, I really like this job. Sometimes, I think about making it permanent."

Sameer hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm. Being a cashier in a mall isn't a bad gig, honestly."

At that moment, a middle-aged man approached them.

"So, the Greenland brats are back?"

Sameer and Tom looked up. The moment recognition dawned on them, they stood up immediately.

"Good evening, Manager," they greeted in unison.

The manager smiled. "Good evening, boys. Back from Greenland, huh?"

"Yep, we got back yesterday," Tom grinned.

"I see. Had a good time?"

"Oh, it was amazing!" Tom beamed.

"Glad to hear it. But if I'm not mistaken, your final exams are happening right now, aren't they?"

Sameer awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Y-Yeah…"

"So what are you doing here? Go home and study!"

Sameer and Tom exchanged confused looks, unsure of what to say.

The manager paused before chuckling. "Relax, I'm not going to fire you. Let's call this a 'student offer.' On top of that, you can take half your salary now."

Their faces lit up with joy.

"Thank you so much, Manager!" Tom exclaimed.

"Yeah, thank you!" Sameer echoed.

The manager smiled. "Don't mention it. Just focus on your studies now, okay?"

As they left the mall together, walking under the city lights, Sameer sighed contentedly. "Our manager is seriously kind, don't you think?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah, he's the best."

Sameer's Apartment – Night

Sameer sat at his desk, surrounded by stacks of books and scattered notes. The dim glow of his desk lamp cast soft shadows across the room as he took a sip of water and set the bottle down. He exhaled deeply, rubbing his eyes before leaning over his notes with renewed determination.

"Alright, let's do this. Time to study." He muttered to himself, his voice resolute.

For the next two hours, the only sounds in the room were the scratching of his pen against paper and the occasional rustle of pages turning. His concentration was unbroken—until his phone suddenly buzzed, vibrating against the wooden surface of his desk.

Frowning slightly, Sameer picked it up, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the name on the screen.

"Alya…" he whispered.

Unlocking his phone, he opened the message.

Alya:

"How was your exam?"

Sameer:

"Yeah, it was fine."

Alya:

"That's awesome, pervert."

"Need any help with studies?"

Sameer:

"Honestly, not really."

"All subjects are kinda easy."

"Except for the last exam."

Alya:

"What's the subject?"

Sameer:

"Philosophy…"

Alya:

"You know what, pervert?

I'm great at philosophy."

Sameer:

"Really? So, can you help?"

Alya:

"Sure."

Sameer:

"Bro & Ava too?"

Alya:

"Okay."

"But wait… who's Ava?"

Sameer:

"Bro's GF."

Alya:

"I see."

"OK, bye, pervert. You study."

Sameer:

"Yes, ma'am. Bye."

Placing his phone back on the desk, Sameer leaned back in his chair and gazed at the ceiling with a soft smile. His thoughts drifted, slipping away from studies and exams.

"Man… I wonder when this exam will end so that I can go to Greenland again… to her."

His phone screen lit up again, but this time it wasn't another message. Instead, the screen displayed his lock screen—a photo of him and Alya together at the fair. He picked up his phone again, staring at the picture for a moment before whispering to himself.

"That day at the fair with her… it was like a dream. She looked so cute that day." He paused, then chuckled softly. "No, wait, what am I saying? She's always cute. Come to think of it, we really did make that day unforgettable."

Closing his eyes, he let his thoughts wander, recalling the sound of her laughter, the warmth of her presence, the way she smiled so effortlessly. Lost in the memory, her voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"What are you doing, pervert? Didn't I tell you? No distractions—just focus on your studies!"

Sameer jolted upright in his chair, his heart racing.

"Y-Yes, ma'am! I'm sorry!" He blurted out before pausing, his brows furrowing. "Wait… that wasn't real."

He blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Am I losing my mind? No, no… that can't be it." He rubbed his temple before sighing. "But then again… maybe it's not so bad to be a little crazy about her…"

His thoughts threatened to spiral again, but he shook his head more firmly this time. "No, no distractions! Focus, Sameer, focus!"

Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and pulled his notes closer, diving back into his studies.

As the night stretched on, the soft glow of the lamp illuminated his determined face, while his heart quietly held onto thoughts of Alya.