Page 6 of Born in Sin

Whatever he’d come to tell her, was bad. It was very, very bad. “What is it?” she asked, her voice dropping an octave.

Virat stormy gaze met her own. “So,” he said, huskily. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Crestwood

“Virat, wait up.”

Virat stopped, his hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders hunched against the chill, winter breeze.

Parash, classmate and prime ass, ran up to him, panting and out of breath. “Where’s your loser friend?”

Virat didn’t respond. He wouldn’t bother to until Parash found his manners. He turned away from him, trudging towards the track field. He was late for practice and Coach was not forgiving of something like that.

“He was supposed to finish my geography homework by today.” Parash huffed beside him, keeping pace as Virat strode forward. “Why isn’t it done?”

Virat stopped walking, turning to face the other boy. Parash stumbled to a halt, bending at the waist, his hands on his knees. A group of girls ran past them, giggling and talking. A few seconds later, one lone runner made her laborious wayforward. Celina smiled at him, sweat dripping down her face. Virat didn’t smile back.

“Tell Ishaan.” Parash had gotten his breath back. “That if he doesn’t submit my homework on time, I’ll-“

Virat stepped around him, moving towards the track field. He was really late now. Coach was going to kill him. Virat sighed, a very put upon sigh. He’d told Ishaan to stop reading that stupid book and finish Parash’s assignment last night but when did Ishaan ever listen to anyone?

Virat and Amay had tried to tell Ishaan that his stupid assignments-for-a-fee business was going to get him in trouble. But he’d been adamant that he needed the money and there were plenty of rich kids at this school who didn’t want to do their own work. It was a win-win. Until now. Where the hell was that idiot friend of his?

On cue, Ishaan jogged out of the school building and towards them, his shirt sleeve slipping off his scrawny shoulder. He pulled out a paper from his haversack, dropping a few books on the ground at the same time, and slapped Parash in the face with it.

“It better be good,” Parash sneered, pulling the papers off his face. “If not, I want my money back.”

Ishaan ignored him, stuffing his books back into his bag. Virat and he walked away from there, leaving Parash with his homework. The girls were doing another lap around the field. Celina looked like she was really struggling.

“The new girl is looking at you again,” Ishaan commented, dragging the sleeve of his shirt up.

“No, she’s not.”

But she was. Celina Fernandez was always looking at him. And it was annoying. He didn’t need a teacher’s kid bringing attention to him. Especially not that teacher’s kid.

“Jha! Adajania!” Coach yelled the minute he caught sight of them, his sweaty face red with anger. “Five laps of the ground within ten minutes. If you don’t make it in time, double the laps.”

Ishaan groaned, dropping his bag to the ground. They started to run, outpacing the girls who were still running. They crossed a struggling Celina. His feet automatically slowed as they passed her.

“Come on,” Ishaan hissed. “I don’t want to run ten laps.”

Virat sped up, easily keeping pace with Ishaan who was running flat out. His concentration, however, stayed on Celina.

“We should have taken basketball like Amay,” Ishaan huffed as they ran. Virat saw Celina stumble before she dropped to her knees, head hanging, just as they came up on her again. He stopped.

“Are you okay?” he asked the top of her head. Celina shook her head, her breath coming in short pants.

“Vir!” Ishaan yelled, jogging in place.

Virat looked at her and then at his friend, who looked ready to murder him.

“You go,” he told him. “I’ll check on her and catch up.”

Ishaan’s furious face got redder in an instant. But he didn’t run ahead. Ishaan would never leave him. Instead, he stopped jogging and walked back to where they were.

Virat was about to tell him to go ahead again when Celina toppled over, falling face first in the short grass.

“Coach!” Virat screamed, his hand going to her shoulder, trying to wake her. In the distance, the coach started to run towards them.

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