At the orphanage
“I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you” the little girl apologized before another child came to call her.
“I want to go now” she waved Mia bye.
Mia looked at the food and felt there was no harm in it so she just ate it. After much thought, Mia decided that she was going to spend her weekend in Lakshmi’s house, then she could help her practice more. The little time she spends after school with her would never be enough for her to learn a dance before the dance competition.
At Mia’s school
For some reason Lakshmi refused to talk to Mia but little did she know that Mia herself didn’t notice. Mia was so used to being alone that she hadn’t quite adjusted to Lakshmi’s presence.
“Lakshmi I want to ask you something, may I?” Mia walked over to Lakshmi who was leaning on her locker while she was busy with her phone.
“Yes, what is it?” Lakshmi didn’t take her eyes off her phone. She didn’t even want to look at Mia, she wanted Mia to notice her vexation.
“Can I spend the weekend at your place?” Mia looked at her feet, focusing on nothing precisely.
“Seriously?” Lakshmi’s eyes widened. She was more than happy.
“Wait a minute! But why?” Lakshmi stopped her little jubilation.
“So I can help you practice and I want to know what fun is” Mia looked at Lakshmi to see her expression before looking away. Lakshmi took a quick pause before she jumped on Mia, hugging her very tightly.
“I promise you it will be more than fun, I will pick you up from the orphanage at 6pm, be ready” Lakshmi informed Mia.
Throughout the school day, Lakshmi was trying her best to get two students to enter the contest with her but it really wasn’t as easy as she thought. Many of the students ran away just by the mere sight of her and the ones who were brave enough to talk to her either had other plans or were already in another dance group. She had already lost all hope.
“Hmmn. Mia, I don’t think I would be entering the contest, no one wants to dance with me” Lakshmi rested her fist on her cheekbone as she blew some strands of hair away from her face while she sat on the stairs with Mia.
“Why?” Mia opened her palms as if she was a child.
“They are either too busy or already in another group. Some even ran away” Lakshmi gave a faint smile.
“That’s disappointing” Mia copied how Lakshmi sat on the floor and her gestures as well.
“Yes it is” Lakshmi looked at Mia and then smiled. She just wished she was as blunt as Mia was, she doesn’t sugar coat things even in the slightest way. Lakshmi couldn’t just tell if it was because of her condition or that’s just her nature.
“We will dance with you” two students walked up to Mia and Lakshmi. Both of which were girls and both of which looked a bit scared.
“And why would you do that?”Lakshmi was playing with her very long hair which was plaited.
“Because we want you to stop bullying us” one of them said before stepping away from Lakshmi.
Just then Lakshmi raised her head to look at the girls before she burst into laughter.
“What’s.. funny” one of them stammered.
“Nothing, come to my house during the weekend. Tell your parents” Lakshmi just said before picking up her books to leave.
“Okay we will be there” they finally said after Lakshmi and Mia had walked a distance from their position.
Lakshmi looked at Mia as they walked to class, she seemed to be deep in thought.
“What is it Mia?” Lakshmi asked but Mia was silent.
“Why did you laugh at them ?” Mia got herself to ask Lakshmi after a lot of consideration.
“Oh! Is that what you are thinking about? If that’s the case then you are funny. I only laughed at them because of the way they were acting when they stood so close to me. I was really a jerk bullying them before” Lakshmi was regretting her past actions.
“But laughter isn’t remorse or regret?” Mia placed her index finger on her lower lip.
“I know it isn’t but I just had mixed feelings” Lakshmi shrugged.
“Like… mood swings?” Mia was more curious.
“You can say that” Lakshmi walked into class leaving Mia to think about it. Mia was very curious and wished to know more about emotions since it was something she could hardly experience.
At Mia’s orphanage
“What are you doing!” A staff at the orphanage met Mia packing her things into a bag.
” I am getting ready, Lakshmi is going to pick me soon” Mia kept on organizing her things a bit more carefully than one would.
“Who is Lakshmi and why is she coming to pick you up. I don’t understand??” The staff was very confusing.
Mia didn’t know that she was meant to inform the lady or any other person working there that she would be going over to Lakshmi’s place.
“She is my friend and she has a dance competition to prepare for. I am going to help her” Mia nodded her head and zipped the bag.
The lady couldn’t even help herself but burst into a very uncontrollable laughter, she didn’t know what was more funny. The fact that Mia actually had a friend or the fact that she was going to help this friend of hers practice for a dance competition.
“Mia please stop your nonsense, I really don’t have the strength for this. Put your things back where they belong and go have your dinner” the lady gestured with her hands but Mia didn’t listen to her.
“Mia didn’t you hear me?” The lady raised her voice but that didn’t seem to affect Mia either. She had to struggle to take the bag away from her but Mia pushed her.
“If I don’t go now then Lakshmi would get upset” Mia carried her bag and walked away from the lady. The lady got up from the floor and began to raise an alarm, she was claiming that Mia had lost her mind completely and was going off with an imaginary friend.
“Mia stop” the lady ran behind her but Mia didn’t listen until she got to the gate and leaned on the gate, she was patiently waiting for Lakshmi to arrive.
“Mia, what is wrong with you? What drama do you want to create now? Please just take your things and get inside” the lady was pleading with Mia and at the same time ordering her. The kids ran out of the orphanage to meet the lady pleading, they stood there and watched everything like some kind of movie.
“I am going to stay with Lakshmi for the weekend. I am not running away. I am not mad” Mia kept hitting her head with her palm. The lady was making her very scared and uncomfortable.