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“It has to be perfect,” Luds said as she licked the ice cream symmetrically. The ice cream was a perfect sphere that got smaller - not a single lick went to waste, except for the steady ice cream moustache that she didn’t notice.
Viraj smiled. She looked perfect when she ate ice cream. But she only ate a specific serving - it was a once every two weeks sort of thing - being health smart, ya know?
Damn… she was so pretty. He could look at her all day, but he avoided it so he would look cooler. But she had a way of turning his chin for kisses that made him stuck on her. And of course with ice cream getting on his upper lip.
Viraj had chocolate skin and long wavy black hair that was starting to look like an actor… Even though now he didn’t really want to be a super star director anymore. The real movie he was interested in leading was his own life. Luds brushed his hair with her fingers and Viraj would melt.
Luds had french vanilla skin and dark brown hair that curled at the edges; hair which covered her ears. It could be argued that she was Rosa’s good twin because they looked so similar; although she was a year younger. She would be joining them all at Savannah High next year.
“Oh my god it’s a bee!” Luds screamed and ran behind Viraj.
Viraj, who would have been afraid of bugs if she wasn’t around, decided to swipe at it aggressively with his phone, obviously to look manly.
”I’ll get it!” he said.
Ouch! This ended up with a bee sting on the tip of his nose.
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Luds’ mom was such a cool lady. She was the type of fresh spirited gypsy with rainbow pottery and pictures of random people she had met in the street of the wall. She called it her wall of humanity. Rosa hated it, and made it clear that she didn’t want to be on the wall of humanity. That wasn’t the case because the whole house was littered with photographs of Rosa.
“This is why I don’t invite people over,” Rosa complained as her Mom put a picture of a round looking man with a cowboy hat on the mantle.
“What? It’s Mr Red. You know him - he fixed our leaking roof two years ago. I spotted him in the mall today..” Bella said. Oh yeah... Her name is Isabella and she went by Bella.
Viraj thought she was so beautiful. He had noticed the fake eye and the scars on her face immediately - as most people did, but he ignored it. Luds had told them they had been in a car accident ten years ago - and they lost a lot that day… But she didn’t go into details.
“Mom… Viraj got stung…” Luds said coming in from the garden pulling Viraj along. Viraj had a big red blotch on his nose.
“No it’s alright…” He said, even though it hurt like a bitch.
“Oh no! Are you allergic?” Bella asked.
“Thankfully not… But really I’m fine," he said.
His “I’m fine” resulted in an ice pack and a fresh meal of pasta. Luds’ mom was such an amazing cook and Viraj always spotted the new ingredients she put in.
“This fish is incredible! You really are a genius in the kitchen! It’s different from the last time, isn’t it?” Viraj said.
“A genius? Oh, please! I’m just a regular old housewife. But you’re right, I’m using swordfish this time,” she smiled. “Luds and Rosa never say such sweet things about my cooking…”
Luds gave a jealous look and slapped him on the back, “Don’t eat too much Piggie.” If Bella had her way, then Viraj would become so fat. Portions were everything… He would be a good boyfriend and listen…
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Back on that night where Viraj and Luds first met…
“I can’t believe you bowled like that…” Luds said, “And you said you’ve never played for a regional team?”
”I just like to bowl for fun… I didn’t realise I was that good. It must be because I wanted to impress you,” He laughed and she blushed. He found her so pretty, but she had her face hidden by her hair.
They were walking home in the evening around 9 pm. It was usually quite safe when walking in groups. There was Viraj, Rosa, Luds, and cousin Frankie.
Ring ring ring! A boy clad in black on a bicycle rushed them. He stuck his clawed hand out and scratched Luds’ face as he zoomed through. She screamed and fell to the floor.
Viraj looked at the boy angrily. Dammit…
The biker skidded to a halt. He laughed, “Ewww gross…”
He held up an ear in his hand - it was Luds’ ear! The biker examined it, “It’s like a gummy… gross,” - he pocketed it like a trophy.
Luds shuddered and wept. Blood leaked from her head where she had been scratched.
”We have to run,” Rosa said.
”No way…” Viraj said, pumping his chest up… This is where heroes are born…
“How dare you hurt my future wife!” Viraj shouted - he ran up to the biker and pushed him off.
“Fuck…” The biker cursed as he wriggled out from under his bike, but Viraj was already on him. The biker punched Viraj and stepped back.
“Cunt… I’ll rip you apart…” The biker reached into his other pocket and removed a kitchen knife.
”Okay let’s go now!” Rosa shouted picking up Luds. But they were so frozen by fear.
The biker swept the knife back and forth, but Viraj took the inside and kicked him in the balls. The biker stabbed into Viraj’s backpack. Viraj grabbed the knife out of his hand and tossed it.
He reached into the biker’s pocket and took the ear. It’s rubber? It’s a prosthetic!
A man looking through a window had seen the whole ordeal and had called the police. So when the biker tried to run away - it was straight into the headlights of a police cruiser.
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The police officer was about to dismiss them and tell them to stop making so much noise, when her boot knocked the kitchen knife. She picked it up.
”God damn it…” She buzzed into her radio and was told to bring them all in.
The whole ordeal took three hours and the overwhelming opinion was that the biker attacked them and pulled out the knife. Viraj had protected the girls by fighting off the biker - it was self defence. The biker tried to say the exact opposite but when the police found another knife and weed in his backpack, the police knew he was full of crap. Viraj gave the police her ear and it had been put in evidence.
Finally the four members of Barb’s bowlers were free. The police had contacted their parents and explained everything. Bella kissed Viraj on the forehead, “Thank you for saving my girls!”
Viraj’s parents came and shouted at him for how stupid he was. They were worried sick. He would be grounded for the foreseeable future - but that didn’t matter.
Luds snuck Viraj a piece of paper in his hand as they left. Viraj looked at it when he was in his room. “Can I be your future wife? :)”
He smiled and stretched in front of the mirror. You did good Chan-Man… Then he imagined himself in a police officer's outfit. He made a gun with his hands and shot it at the mirror. More like Detective Inspector Chanda…
There wasn’t a moment to lose. He found Ludovica Cristina’s profile on MeHive and sent a message. The next day when he met with Milly he didn’t explain the whole story. He wanted to keep it for himself, and not to end up some gossip that was embellished on the bus by strangers. All Milly knew was that Viraj had a girlfriend, and that it was Rosa’s sister.
Buzz! There was a message.
Stevie: “Hey I’m sorry I couldn’t make it for the bowling, Chan-man!”
Viraj: “It’s aight! Also guess which hot shot has a new girlfriend, huh? :D”
Stevie: “No way! No girl would date you in their right mind!”
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