Just Dance [Part 1]

War!

We are ready, war ready.

Everyone was warned but no one listened.

With the rise in heartbeat, the knot in the stomach and the sudden change of behaviour; everything changed. For some, it grows and ebbs like the tide; while for others it comes in like a storm, leaving only destruction in the wake.

They called it extreme emotion. It being the highest high.

Well, I didn’t know what extreme was!

And then it hit me on a starry night of Winterfest.

***

I think it's cute and I think it's very sweet but yet utterly foolish on how I let my friends encourage myself to go try and talk to her.

“It will be fine. You have to start somewhere”

Yeah right!

Her name is Anastasia. People called her Annie.

I heard from faint whispers that she had another name, for which she preferred more to be called by; but somehow people never called her by that name and hence I never got to know about it yet.

***

On a summer of freshmen year

All we could think of, was how to get into the decorated school football team; but there begins a class of geometry which completely creates the yard scale calculations, a pretty boring affair. The teacher continued to teach with much vigour and passion even though there was a definite digression in the class.

A sudden knock on the door and the imminent arrival of the principal silenced the class altogether. But the principal was not alone, he was with a girl, the girl whose face was partly hidden with the thick locks of her hair engulfing her face, continuing till her shoulders.

The principal took a glimpse of the entire class. Perhaps he was thinking that we had no hope and this girl is here to save us all. With an intake of a brief breath he spoke.

“Class, meet Anastasia. She will be your new classmate from today.”

This, this girl-Anastasia; she didn’t even look up or respond. Perhaps she was cursing her luck to be dragged down to a wretched place; to delve along losers.

The principal continued: “Anastasia, why don’t you introduce yourself to the class?”

She finally looks up and finally says “Hi” while she moves her hair slowly using her fingers, from the temple of her head, adjusting it on top of her left ear. This girl wore glasses and she was continuously struggling to keep hair stay at one place. She tries to rest them again.

That sight, I felt something was happening around me. I was oddly looking at her since I found her interesting and she noticed that. I looked into her eyes, there she stood still. I felt to go straight and talk to her, but perhaps that would have been awkward in the class right away.

There is never much a thought when it comes to getting attached to a person. Perhaps there isn’t any. Because it just happens, like the sudden breeze of cool air flowing in a scorching heat of a scathing desert. You do feel nice, because that is the moment when you start  thinking that it is all that you were waiting for; for that is what you ever wanted.  That is the same time when you start to lean on the feeling, its warm embrace and also start to get a liking to it and hence wanting more out of it.

Am I thinking too much? Hell yes, I am!

She settled down on a seat diagonally before me towards the right. Soon the teacher continued the geometry session. I didn’t like the session again.

Football trials were four hours away.

***

Five more rounds!

The coach was fired up in the trials. We were informed in the wee hours that the trials will be a month long affair instead of a single session. Though it came as a relief but we did not know what was in store for us.

The school hired a new coach to improve their chances of winning the state championship and to restore a balance in the side. We heard that the coach himself is an alumni of the school and was considered one of the best strikers the school and the state had ever seen during his time. Though we felt good that we would be tested and trained by one of the best, but it soon grew up as a tiresome thought in our minds.

“I said five more rounds. Pick up your speed. Don’t walk…jog, run” the new coach says while we just completed seven rounds of the huge school track. It was day fifteen of the Football trial month.  Most of my friends had been dropped out, either from selection or from sheer exertion of the schedule.

While sulking on the coach and my dreadful choice for being happy for the trials, I saw Anastasia coming in the playground taking her seat in the stands with a notebook in her hand. She brought a notebook to the playground? She started scribing on her notebook, seemingly uninterested.

By now, I think everyone knew Anastasia. Her act of settling her hair locks to her ears had many fans including me! Obviously!

At the same time, Anastasia was categorized as a nerd and it did somewhat seemed true. She had very few friends and even with the friends she made eventually, described her as being awkward, since she spoke so less. One girl even called her rude. Apparently she asked too many questions when Anastasia was working on an important assignment.

“Bitch” she says while storming across the library hall. Anastasia didn’t respond. Maybe she didn’t care or she didn’t even listen to her, considering she wore one huge Bose headset around her ears.

I was sitting two rows back from her desk in the library with my friends, watching the whole episode while the librarian was asking everyone to maintain silence and then went on the tell the girl to behave properly in school.

“Hey, why don’t you go talk to her instead of looking at her like a dumb fool?” says my friend Alok who had noticed my behaviour off late.

“No way, at least this is not the right time” I said.

“Don’t wait to write one big novel while someone completes all the short stories” proclaims Alok as all my friends explode with laughter.

“Shhh…”

 The librarian tells people to remain silent in the library while I saw Anastasia adjusting her headset.

Were you listening the whole time?

***

“Eyes on the field, Jack”

The coach seemed displeased with my actions as I was focused more on Anastasia, without noticing that I was going completely going off track in my eleventh lap. On seeing my performance, Coach called me in saying

“Do want to be in the team or not?”

  “Yes sir I definitely want to be a part of it”

“Then focus on the trails, your game and your training” says the coach while firmly looking into my eyes.

While I went back to re-join the lads on the track, I turned my head a little towards the stands. This time she was looking straight at me with a smile on her face. Perhaps she liked my performance.

“You are walking a dangerous line” says one of the mates in training.

  “Why? What did I do?” I replied in astonishment while stretching my legs.

“How can you be so dumb?” he replies back with his friends joining in. They were having a huge laugh about it.

I did not understand any of it, so I decided to ignore them and to continue the rest of the training. I have to get into the football team. Defence is my forte` and I will make sure that no-one passes me.

I will be like the wall that is difficult to break; the last man standing. Even if the goalkeeper fumbles, I will be ready to backup him up in any situation. Such pumped up I was!

Well, I indeed ended up the day on a high note, getting praises from the Coach. A praise at this stage of the trails helps substantiate your claim to be a member of the team. I was leaving the field with a happy face when one of the lads who were laughing at me, came up to me and said

“If you still didn’t get it then look behind towards the exit of the field”

I was not interested but I still looked towards the exit anyway. Anastasia was there scaling down the stairs of the stands carrying a bottle on her hand. Where did that bottle come from? Maybe I was not paying proper attention.

“Okay so what is the deal here?” I said

“Look closely...and not always you have look at her” the lad replies

I took it as a dig but I kept my calm and tried to look at the surroundings near the exit. And then I saw something.

Coach was there and Anastasia was walking towards him. They hugged while she passed on the bottle to him. They seemed happy as they were smiling. At least I saw her smile with that beautiful face, her tender eyes; as expressive as ever.

“So, they are related or something?” I asked the guy as he was waiting for me to process the information.

And then he dropped the bomb.

“Dude…Coach is her Dad”

I was not ready for this. The news completely took me aback. I could just let out an Okay reply at that point.

“So are you still at the about to talk stage?” was the unanimous saying among the guys at the field with the same irritating burst of laughter whilst I was getting ready to leave the field for home.

I had enough for a day!

***

To be Continued ☺