Zindagi (Trans: Life)

Rally's is this cafe/espresso bar that opened about a year ago and has sort of become the de-facto place to study and to just hang out. They have comfortable chairs and tables all around for people to study and eat but also have comfortable couches to just chill in. As I walked into the main part of the café, I glanced around to see if Kevin and Kallie were there yet and found that the place was unexpectedly crowded today. I saw a table by the windows opened and walked over to grab it and wait for them to arrive.


A few moments later the waitress arrived to take my order “Can I have a low fat, caramel latte please, extra hot”.

She smiled and asked “Is that going to be all for you?”

“For now” I said “I’m waiting for friends”

Nodding she left and I took out my phone to text Kevin to ask him where he was. Just as I was about to text him, I looked up to see him walking in with Kallie. I froze for a second when I realized that they were holding hands.

Pasting a smile on my face, I got up to give Kallie a hug and looked at her questioningly. She smiled at me and whispered the she would explain later. I sat down in my seat which was now directly across from Kevin with Kallie sitting on his right.

“I already ordered a latte for me” I said “I wasn’t sure if you guys wanted anything”

“I don’t want anything” Kevin said and asked Kallie “Do you?”

“Not right now” she said.

Just then the waitress arrived with my latte and left again after we told her we didn’t need anything else.

I suddenly realized that neither of them had books or bags with them asked “So where are your books”

Kevin looked embarrassed and said “Actually Ror, I didn’t really ask you here to study”

Confused I said “Oookay? What’s going on? Why did you actually to lie to me to get down here”

He looked at Kallie and said “We have to tell you something and I thought you should find out from us instead of from someone else around school”

Suddenly I knew what they were going to tell and I felt like getting up and running the other direction. But instead I sat there like the idiot I am and said “What?”

“Kallie and I are going out” he said. They were looking at me to see my reaction with expressions of hope on their faces.

Even as I felt like a fist was trying to squeeze my heart into oblivion, I forced myself to smile and say “Really? That’s awesome. You guys are perfect together”

They both looked relived and finally seemed to relax a little.

“We weren’t sure how you were going to react” Kallie said

I looked at her with what I hoped was a convincing confused expression “why would I react badly to you news. You guys are going to be good together”

We all talked for a few more minutes while I desperately tried to come up with a convincing excuse to leave.

Suddenly my phone went off and I was my mom. “Rory, I need you come home and go to work because Lisa just called in sick”

So even though I didn’t feel like facing anyone right now, I grabbed at the excuse and fled.

Walking outside, I sat down on the bench in the park across from Rally’s and felt the tears that I had been holding back suddenly come close to bursting to the surface.

I jumped when I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Alex, an old friend of my brothers who I have known my whole life.

“What’s wrong, Rors” he asked

Suddenly needing to be comforted, I threw myself into his arms and…