Maarg hated PT. Running laps in the scorching sun while the coach barked orders was not his idea of a productive afternoon. So, instead of enduring another grueling session, he had found refuge in the school washroom, sitting comfortably in the corner stall, playing Hunter's Odyssey on his mobile. Lost in the thrill of the game, he barely noticed the passing time until an irritated voice broke his focus.
"Skipping PT again, Maarg?"
He looked up to see Remmy, the class discipline in-charge, his arch nemesis standing at the entrance of the washroom. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was one of mild irritation mixed with the usual disapproval she reserved for rule-breakers like him.
"Relax, Remmy," Maarg sighed, not looking away from his screen. "It's not like I'm missing something important."
"You're unbelievable," she huffed. "You know Coach Smith's going to kill you, right?"
"Only if he finds out," Maarg smirked, not realizing how wrong he was.
Their argument escalated quickly—Remmy's insistence on reporting him versus Maarg's carefree attitude. Just as Maarg was about to throw in another sarcastic comment, the PT coach stormed into the washroom, his face red with frustration.
"Maarg!" Coach Sharma's voice boomed, cutting through the tension. "Out. Now and Remington get out of the boys washroom"
Maarg gulped as he followed the coach to the office. Remmy's smug expression didn't help. The penalty slip handed to him felt heavier than it should have.
"Get this signed by your parents," the coach ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Maarg stuffed the slip into his pocket, groaning internally and cursing remmy in his mind. This was going to be a nightmare.
Meanwhile, Jack, Maarg's roommate was having a much better day. He had woken up early, cleaned his tiny room, and even rearranged the books on his desk since his crush Sammy was coming over to work on their animation project, and Jack wanted everything to be perfect.
When Sammy arrived, she was her usual cheerful self. Dressed casually with her hair tied back, she greeted Jack with a warm smile.
"Wow, you actually cleaned up?" she teased, giving the room an approving glance.
"Hey, I'm not a slob," Jack replied with a chuckle. "Just... selectively messy."
They dove straight into their work, losing track of time as ideas bounced between them. Frames, designs, and storyboards filled the space between them. Hours flew by unnoticed until a sudden, loud knock on the door interrupted their flow.
"I'll get it," Sammy offered, standing up.
Before Jack could respond, the door flew open, hitting Sammy squarely in the face and knocking her backward.
"Oops," Maarg said, stepping in casually as if nothing had happened. Sammy groaned on the floor, holding her nose.
"Maarg?!" Jack exclaimed, rushing to help Sammy.
But Maarg was unfazed. He walked straight past them, holding out the penalty slip.
"Jack, can you sign this? Pretend you're my guardian."
Jack looked at the slip, then at Sammy, who was still recovering from the unexpected assault.
"Maarg... not now," Jack muttered, annoyed. "And you should apologize to Sammy."
But before Jack could say anything else, Maarg was already gone.
"Oh man, who tf was that? Is THAT your roommate?." Sammy asks with an irritated face.
Jack sighs and says tiredly "more or less, he's my landlord's son who lives in the room across mine. Anyway forgot that, are you doing alright? You should rest for a while, I'll have to go talk some sense into that boy." Jack cracks his knuckles as he gets out of the room
Maarg sat at the dining table, heating the leftover rajma and rice while his mother folded laundry nearby. She glanced at him with a mix of affection and concern.
"Maarg, you can't keep skipping classes like this," she said gently.
"School's boring," he mumbled, barely looking up.
"Your brother Amar didn't waste his time like this when he was in school," she reminded him. "Speaking of Amar, he sent you something."
Maarg's mood lifted slightly as she handed him a small package. Inside was a bottle of multivitamin capsules and a note.
"Take one every day, Maarg. You need to stay strong while I'm away. I'll be home soon. Stay out of trouble. – Amar"
Maarg smiled, swallowing one of the capsules with a glass of water.
As he leaned back, his eyes drifted toward the TV. The evening news was on, but something caught his attention.
"BREAKING NEWS: MYSTERIOUS INFECTION SPREADS ACROSS MULTIPLE CITIES. AUTHORITIES URGE CITIZENS TO STAY INDOORS."
A bright red warning flashed on the screen.
Maarg smirked, leaning back in his chair.
"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," he muttered under his breath. After all, anything was better than school.