After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

21. Jie

"What?" Prem asked in a small voice not daring to meet Fluke's gaze.

Fluke who had his hands crossed over his chest kept staring at him wordlessly. "I can't believe that you have the audacity to ask me that question." He spoke after what seemed to be an eternity to Prem.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Prem mumbled under his breath.

"You didn't do anything right either, Prem!" Fluke's sharp gaze was still on Prem who was bedridden, his body covered with plasters and band-aids.

Prem pouted when he heard Fluke's words.

"Your selection match is in less than three months, Prem. For god's sake, can you stay away from trouble for a while?" Fluke was on the edge of losing his temper.

"It wasn't my fault this time thou!" Prem defended.

"Not your fault? Then whose fault, is it? From what I heard; it was you who threw the first punch!" Fluke squeezed the stress ball in his hand to prevent himself from lashing out at Prem.

"That guy was hitting on my Jie!" Prem justified. As he was a single child, he was rather attached to his elder cousin than anyone else. His cousin too loved him like her own little brother.

"Jie has her boyfriend to take care of that matter, Prem. He was right there. Standing next to you."

"Exactly. He was standing there. Just standing there. Doing nothing when that bunch of jerks circled my Jie." Prem's voice was rising, anger evident in his words. "He is so useless. I don't even know what Jie sees in that guy."

Just as he finished speaking, he felt a smack on the back of his head. "Awww." He turned his head to see the attacker. "What the hell Earth? Why the hell did you hit me?"

"I hit you hoping that your mud-filled brain who start working for once," Earth said shaking the hand that he used to hit Prem with, in pain. "But it seems that it is not going to help."

Prem glared at Earth. "Both of you are ganging up on me. I am at a disadvantage here."

"Oh? Do you know how to count and know that you are at a disadvantage? Where the hell did this knowledge of yours go when you got in between a bunch of university students all alone, beating up one of them? You should thank God that they didn't find out your real identity or else you would have already been on suspension." Earth lectured him.

"Can you guys cut him some slack this time? He was only trying to protect me." Priya, Prem's elder cousin who was a freshman in university, entered the room with drinks and snacks for the three teenagers.

"Please stop pleading for him Jie. You will only spoil him if you keep doing that for him. you have already lied to his parents about the whole fight thing." Earth took a glass from the tray Priya brought in.

"Those guys were really annoying Earth." Priya sat at the head of the bed and ruffled Prem's messy hair. "If Prem hadn't intervened, I had no idea what I would have done."

"You should have asked your boyfriend to handle it, Jie. Prem's match is in a few months. If he ends up in trouble, there is no way our school would allow him to take part in the competition. And you know that he needs the school's approval letter to take part in any match. Not to mention the injuries. If these injuries were serious, it would have been impossible for him to take part in the match." Earth was really irritated.

He understood that Priya was helpless in the situation but that didn't justify her letting her teenage cousin go fight with a bunch of grown-ass university students.

"I understand. I am sorry." Priya hung her head low in shame. She knew that Earth was right. But her boyfriend didn't seem to care about her discomfort. He in fact had joined those people, laughing and joking with them as they teased her.

"Let's just leave it." Fluke sighed and waved his hands in dismissal. He looked at Priya and spoke "On a serious note, Jie, I think you should break up with that boyfriend of yours. That guy seems to be a huge red flag to me."

"I think the same, Jie. What is the use of having a boyfriend who doesn't even care when you are in danger." Earth looked at the petite young girl in front of him.

Priya bit her lip and kept quiet.

"I have been telling her this ever since the day she started dating that guy. She just won't listen." Prem added pouting.

"He is not as bad as you guys think," Priya mumbled. She knew well enough that her boyfriend didn't love her or anything. Neither did she love him. But she was in love with the concept of being in a relationship and wanted to experience it during her university days.

"You don't have to defend him, Jie. All three of us know what kind of person he is. We ran a background check on that guy as soon as we heard that you were dating him." Earth said in a serious tone. "He is an outright douchebag, Jie. It would be better if you stop associating with someone like him."

Priya forced a smile hearing the three friends' concern. She too was a single child. But thanks to her little cousin, she had three younger brothers and a little sister, each of whom loved her like their own.

"Aw. I love you guys." She opened her arms.

Earth and Fluke went over for a group hug.

"Hey, you guys are leaving me out," Prem called out from the bed. The three other people chuckled upon hearing Prem's whining. They moved to the bedside to include Prem in their group hug.

"I will certainly talk to him about our relationship," Priya said breaking away from the group hug.

"Not just talk, Jie. You have to make a clean break with him. and if he refuses to let you go then you can just tell us. We will handle him." Earth said.

"Of course, my cutie pie." Priya lightly pinched Earth's cheeks playfully. "What will I do when you guys get your own girlfriends? I will be so lonely then." She sighed dramatically.

"Prem has already got a girlfriend, Jie. And Fluke has one following him around like a tail." Earth smiled cheekily as he sold out his friends.

"Really?" Priya jumped up in excitement. "I already knew about Prem's. but Fluke's... I didn't know. What is her name? Is she in your class? Details. I want details."

Fluke smiled sheepishly and looked at the elder girl who was like a hyperactive puppy "We aren't dating yet Jie. We are just friends."

"Yet." Earth highlighted the word.

"And Earth confessed his love and is waiting for an answer." Fluke didn't bat an eye before talking.

"Really, Earth? You found someone you love and even confessed? Was I gone for too long that I missed everything?" Priya said with a small frown in a disappointed tone.

Earth glared at Fluke who was making a face at him. "Nothing is final Jie. Like Fluke said I am still waiting for a reply."