"Why now? I mean it doesn't make sense. He was gone, and I was fine. Ok maybe I was not but that's not the point. Just when I started to accept the fact that I was over him, he is back. What an A class douche bag. I hate him Riya, now more than ever."

I open my mouth to appease her a little, but she beats me to it.

"WHAT THE HELL RIYA? That freaking moron was gone, puff, MIA on me for one whole year and now he is back? To do what? Say what? Can you even imagine the first thing that came out of his mouth the minute he saw me Riya? Hmm? He said I looked fat" I raised a questioning brow at her "I mean not the exact same words but that was what he meant. That stupid a*s does not get to come here and say stuff like that to me," now she was seething.

Is it just me or she is really sounding like a prima donna?

Sasha got back from her 'getaway' two days ago. Who calls it a getaway if she spent one whole month basking in the beach sun? The minute she landed she wanted to catch up with me, but with Ryan's declaration of love for Mini and the media looking at me like I was a damsel with a broken heart I was working my behind off to clear the mess.

I have become the center of attraction to all the gossipmongers. You wouldn't believe some of the captions that captured my story. Hell, even the stories were beyond unbelievable. With the newly acquired celebrity status I was VERY busy.

"Sasha, you sound like your mom." She gave me a look that pretty much yelled 'REALLY?' but I simply shrugged.

"What? That was just an observation. And I am still angry at you for enjoying in some far-off sands without me when you know I love beaches. Me being ruthless for some more time before I get serious and say something to ease you, is justified."

"Ah that. You just had to be there you know? It was amazing. There were beach parties all the time and there was this guy who showed me around. It was fun and..."

"Shut up before I stuff my sock in your mouth." I yelled at her which earned me a laugh.

"I love riling you up. It's so entertaining to..."

Just then, someone knocked on her front door. It saved me from murdering my friend who was getting her laughs from aggravating me.

"I should get that, but who could that be? I am not really expecting anyone." Sasha muttered mostly to herself and walked away to answer the door. I took this opportunity to look at the beach hat she bought me. It was a simple hat, typical cream with a brown satin tied around it to look like a bow. I was trying it on when I heard a very familiar voice talk with irritation,

"I am going crazy. No, SHE is driving me crazy. Argh, she doesn't reply to my texts, return my calls and is avoiding me. She is being as subtle as a mammoth about the whole ignoring me thing. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but this... This is driving away my last sense of sanity. I swear one of these days I am just going to kidnap her and tie her to a f*cking chair and gag her until she listens to me and understands where I am coming from."

I can almost see him pacing around Sasha's hall and pulling his hair in frustration.

"Somehow the last statement sounded very dirty to me and you don't get to sound like that when I am around," Sasha chided in a loud voice.

Frankly, I felt the same too, but I do not think that was what Nick meant. But Sasha and I being the dirty minds that we are, conjured images that meant something completely different.

"Sasha"

"Nick"

"What do I do?" he heaved a sigh of frustration. "I have never felt like this before. I am just... I don't... I feel helpless."

"I can help you but, for now I want you to forget it because we are going out. Aren't we Ry?" Sasha hollered from her living room.

WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DO THAT?

I was more than fine sprawled all over her bed, staying here and acting like I'm invisible. I didn't want to leave this room and more importantly I didn't want to meet him. Not after that day, not after I successfully steered clear of him for the past few weeks, not after I have ignored most of his messages and gave lame excuses when he called me up.

When I was contemplating on the possibilities of jumping out from the bedroom window AND managing to stay alive I heard them whisper amongst themselves.

Then I heard Sasha holler my name again.

Sigh. I guess I just have to accept the fact that I am not a ninja and live with it.

I slowly walked to the living room with all my attention bestowed on my lovely feet.

"Riya, we are going to go out for lunch. Is Chinese ok with you?"

I just nodded.

****************

"So, Riya" he paused to clear his throat and tried again "So Riya, how are you?"

It was the first time I have really looked at him ever since his unannounced appearance at Sasha's house.

Did he really ask me how I was? What is wrong with him?

I gave him a What? look and he went back to eating.

On our way here, Sasha told me that Nick was angry with one of the developers he is working with now. In Sasha's words 'he CANNOT lose her and at the same time she is not making it easy for him'.

"I nearly forgot, Coli's wedding is next week!" Sasha exclaimed "we should go shopping sometime this week. And then I will call in for our appointment before the wedding, we can get our hair, nails... RIYA, are you even listening?"

"Hmm sorry what?"

"Coli's wedding? Shopping you and me?" can't she just get the hint? I ignored everything she said because I was not interested in attending anyone's wedding, especially Nichole's.

"Oh my god! Don't tell me you are not coming. Did you get the wedding invitation?"

"Seen. Read. Forgotten. And no, I am not attending the wedding."

"What? But why?"

"Why? Really? You are asking me why?"

I didn't want to go to the wedding.

One because the ceremony was back at home. The place I don't plan on going, ever.

Two Nichole and I haven't exactly been best of friends. The only reason I tolerated her was for Sasha.

And three, frankly there is no three. I just didn't want to go.

"Yes, Riya I am asking you why? How can you do this to her, she has been our friend since high school"

"She has been friend since high school," I corrected.

"She was friends with me all through college," I don't think she can hear me anymore.

"Because the two of you have gone to the same college, unlike me"

"But she begged us to come"

"She begged you to come"

"Last day of school we all promised we will all attend each other's weddings"

"I don't remember being a part of that cult"

"And James is also very close to us"

"I haven't seen that guy in years"

"So, it's decided we are going"

"Haven't you heard a thing of what I said?"

"Riya come on, it will be like a reunion. Everyone will be there. It will be fun. And Nick's coming too"

"I am?"

"He is?"

Both Nick and I asked at the same time.

There we go, even more reason to skip the entire thing now.

"If he is going, I am not going," I said, narrowing my eyes at Nick.

Wait. Did I say that out loud?

Hehe, looks like I did. Bah who cares, it's the truth.

"Why?" Nick asked with a look of complete confusion and Sasha was nodding her head at Nick's question, mirroring his expression.

"Because, be-cause" he makes my heart thump and he is getting too close to me, which I am not liking. Not one bit.

And also, he is so very hot with his sexy shirt on and is totally drool worthy.

Shut it.

I feel like a horrible person right now. How can I crush on a man who's girlfriend is not only my friend, but also sitting right next to me.

"Because I don't like the way he eats. Or the way he is holding his chopsticks. He has no table manners" I whispered the last part, so only Sasha can hear.

"You are the one to talk? You have got soup all over your face and the gravy on your nose. You spilt your water twice and almost dropped your plate."

"I DO NOT... I DID NOT... I don't, shut up."

And that Riya idiot is how you should never talk, you are embarrassing me. You could have at least waited for me to come up with some comeback; you didn't have to blurt out the first thing that came out of your mouth.

Guess what? You weren't helping when I needed you.

"Wow that's original. Like it or not Riya I am going to the wedding. You can suffer in your little apartment, imaging all the fun we will be having at the wedding." He then turned to Sasha and continued "Sasha we must never force someone to do something they don't want to do. Like forcing your little friend here to have a fun when she loves being lonely and miserable."

That hurt. Not in 'how can he say that? It makes me sad' kind of way. More like 'how can he say that? It makes me so angry' kind of way.

"I am going to the wedding" I said trying to play it cool "and I am going to have fun." I didn't want him to know that I was angry. I did not show real emotion to most people.

I didn't want them to know that they affected me in some way. I always thought that if someone has the knowledge of how their words or actions affected me, they gained some sort of power or control over me.

Call me stupid but that was what I thought. The playful anger or hurt or emotion I showed most of the time is what people expected, that is the exact emotion they want from me; when they say something to me, I show it. But times like this when I really feel it, I just don't show. Very few people have seen me, the real me. I am not faking my way in life, I am just living with few cautions and safety measures, staying out of pain's reach.

I don't give a damn if someone thought it was stupid, in the end I suffered. Not any of them who commented (saying from experience, a lot happened in college).

"Oh no you don't have to, because did you know that you have to be in the presence of people, you can't just avoid them and act like they don't exist. You need to have an actual conversation and get out of that place without having a fight. You think you can handle that?"

"Really? Oh god Nick, I think you are forgetting a little itsy bitsy teeny tiny detail here. . You are the plus one. I was invited, and I am going to have fun. So, you don't have to give me lessons on what to do or how to behave." Nichole and I aren't exactly friends. But he does not have to know that.

"Are you sure about that? Because the last time I saw you at a wedding, you were getting kicks from mocking babies," he said with a smirk.

"That was one time." I shouted and lifted myself from the chair and with one dramatic turn I went to the ladies' room.

The nerve of this man. Ok maybe it was not one time and I don't mock babies. I just make faces and it isn't my fault that they don't find it funny. Stupid kids, stupid Nick, stupid Sasha, stupid weddings, stupid parti...

Wait, the last time when Nick and I were in a wedding?

When did he see me making faces at babies? I haven't attended any wedding in a long time.

~*~*~*~*~*

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