novelxo Chapter 11
"She was nervous," Ian shrugged, not giving him a chance to recover, "I was just helping her out," he said and started around Dim, mindful to keep a good one-hand distance.
"Just from when did you start helping someone out?" Dim asked making him stop in his tracks. At Ian's innocent look, he narrowed his eyes, "I know you Ian. Just keep your hands off my girl or I will break you damn fingers." He growled when Ian smiled blithely at his warning. "Nobody rides my baby without my permission," Dim said purposely pointing his hand towards his baby, the bike. Ian just smiled and walked off, leaving him steaming in his anger as he checked out his bike for any possible damage. Ian knew well enough that Sonia would cool down Dim's temper.
A few moments later, all four of them filled in Dim's jeep. As expected, Gage took the seat beside Sonia, smiling goofily as she talked about this and that, and politely avoiding the others. When they reached Emm's place, Sonia climbed out and urged Jake to be with her, her nerves now clearly visible on her face. Dim drove, while Emm sat next to him while Ian and Gage in the backseat, sitting as if they were lounging in a limousine, whereas Sonia and Jake where huddled in the rear, talking in low tones.
They reached the college and got off. Sonia decided to stick with Jake, as he too appeared to be as nervous as she was.
"I think, it's about time we face the battlefield," Sonia quipped as they both stood together and took in their surroundings.
Jake bobbed his head up and down, letting out a breath, "Hell!" He whispered, "We'll have to go to the office to complete the forms and all. How about sticking together till we reach our destinies?"
"I thought you would never ask," Sonia smiled up at him and of their own accord, her eyes wandered over to Ian.
He was looking at her with an intensity that made her reach up and smooth her hair. At her gesture, a smile broke on Ian's face. Then he turned around and simply walked away leaving Sonia gaping after him.
Gage came in the line of her vision, "Hey," he smiled at her, "No need to worry okay? We all will be around if you need us. Stay with Jake as long as you can. Then if you can't find us or if someone is troubling you, you just have to call anyone of us. You have our numbers, right? And your phone is charged, isn't it?" He asked but before she could answer, took the cell phone from her hand to check it himself.
"Gage," Sonia smiled and laid both her hands on his arms, "I am not a five year old." She quickly continued, not giving him a chance to speak, "And I'll take care, Mommy," she grinned and squeezed his biceps - or tried to anyways.
"Yeah. Umm, you two, go on now. See ya later," he said and jogged off in the direction Ian had gone.
"Well, let's move," Jake said and they started towards the office building.
Sonia looked around as she walked besides Jake. The college campus was very large. And it was systematically organised. There were neat walkways going through lush green lawns and leading to various buildings. There were a good number of students spread around reading, writing or whiling away their time. Comfortable benches shaded by trees made it a perfect spot to read a book or complete a project in the last minute.
The students, she noted were no different from the ones back home. Sharing notes, laughing, listening to music on headphones, flirting with the member of the opposite gender or just napping.
They reached office and filled out their forms. The clerk, a woman in her mid-thirties, gave Jake an ultra charming smile and congratulated him. She oohed and awwed over his achievement of gaining a scholarship and graduating from high school a good year earlier while Sonia waited patiently for her turn. When the clerk, surprisingly more impressed, gushed at Sonia, she simply thanked her with a polite smile.
Handing them both a sheet of paper, containing their lectures' timings for the week and a slip, which they had to show to their lecturer, the clerk wished them both good luck.
Sonia scanned the paper as they came left the office building. She looked up and around her, "Jake, I think my first class is in that wing," she said pointing in the direction, "Okay then, see you later. Bye" she smiled.
Jake merely grunted his reply and walked off in the opposite direction. Sonia too, turned and started walking. She had covered no more than a yard when Jake called out from behind her. She turned back to see him running towards her.
"I forgot," he spoke, a bit out of his breath, "our lockers will be in the same building. Let's check that out first."
Sonia agreed and they fell in step again. Sonia looked around trying to get familiar with her surroundings. Suddenly she came to a stop and caught Jake's arm jerking him back.
"Whoa! What happened?"
"Hush. Look! That's Dim, right? Over there," she pointed to a lone bench in a secluded area where Dim and a girl sat. The girl was looking down as Dim was speaking to her. Sonia was unable to get a look at her face as her hair covered the side facing them.
Jake looked over, "Yeah, so what?" He snapped.
"But I can't see her, can you? Wow, Dim's got a girlfriend-"
"So what Sonia?" Jake cut her off making her turn around and look at him. He seemed to look a bit pale and Sonia leaned a bit forward, there were shadows beneath his eyes.
"Jake? Are you alright?" She ushered him to a bench and sat down beside him, "You okay? You look pale. Shall I call Dim?" She asked as she touched the backside of her hand to his forehead, checking for fever.
"Yeah. Am all right. It is just nerves I guess. Couldn't sleep last night," he leaned back away from her touch.
"Nerves didn't let you sleep or is it something else?" Sonia asked frowning at his actions.
"It's nothing," he snapped and started to rise.
"Jake, answer me," she jerked him back and he was too weak to prevent himself from sitting back.
"I was worried about you. I was worried that...that Ian will fight with you again. Or that you will be ill again and faint and no one will know until morning," he finished off breathing hard. Sonia kept quiet for awhile, then rummaged in her bag and came up with a candy bar.
"Here, have this." She waited until he removed the wrapper and took a bite. "Worrying so much is not good, Jake. I can handle Ian. And as for fainting again, I was fast asleep within moments of hitting the bed. So don't worry so much for me Jake."
When he merely kept looking at her, she shrugged, "Ahh. It's just that I am quite uncomfortable when someone worries over me. I am not used to it," saying so, she plucked the empty wrapper from his fingers and dumped it in her bag, "Let's get going."