Chapter 1

The streets of Newark was glowing with the blazing midday sun that shone relentlessly on the passers by and the cars that travelled along the roads.

The roads shimmered in the heat of the midday sun and the sunlit skyscrapers pierced the hot, blue sky.

In the college nearby, the students were all together, throwing jabs at each other.

Kevin was standing in the midst of others holding on to an edgy Maya who wishes she could push his hand away.

“Can we go out on a short dinner babe?”

Maya was not particularly happy to hear that request. But she had to say yes, to be the good girl.

“Okay. Where are we going to?”

“We could do the Macdonald's at the campus hallway. Is that okay”

“Such a cheap place?” She mused but nodded to him with a feigned smile.

“Can I come with Layla? I just need to have a friend around.”

“Hmm, okay. I have absolutely no problems with that. You can bring Layla along.”

He did have problem with that but he was too worried to do anything that she would find annoying.

Deep down, he knew that she was only putting up with him to prove a point but he only hoped that someday, she would find him as lovable.

Once they were at the McDonald's dinner, Layla planted herself beside her friend Maya, scoffing at Kevin.

“You have to show up here Maya. This was such a poor choice, yuck!”

Kevin tried to focus on the meal he was trying to order.

“Babe, what would you like to have?”

“I could have cheese and chicken.”

He asked Layla too but she sounded so standoffish.

“I could never find it easy to eat in such a dirty place,” she sneered at him, rolling her eyes with contempt.

“This place is about the best around campus,” Kevin tried to make defences but Layla shook her head.

“Nah… you are simply trying to convince yourself, Kevin. This place,” she snarled, “is the poorest of all the restaurants in campus. It is derogatory to actually bring Maya here.”

Kevin searched Maya's eyes for her response but her expressing was bland, as usual.

Layla did not stop there. She kept going on and on.

“Why aren't you even hanging out with Liam? I heard he likes you an awful lot girl.”

Maya looked away from Layla, stifling the laughter that rose to her throat.

“I am doing great with Kevin. I am satisfied with him.”

Those words were not true but she had to stay good. She

 not want to ruin that reputation and she needed him for the sake of the academic aid he was granting her.

“Whatever. I just feel that the sassy, witty and fashionable Maya everyone knows should be dating a king!” Layla squealed. “I mean, what in Pete's name are you doing with him?”

She pointed towards Kevin who had tried his best to act as though he was not aware that all her insults were directed at him.

“Stop, Layla,” Maya cautioned her with a smirk. Deep down, she was glad with the cold shoulder.

“Yuck! All I know is that you can do better!” She maintained and turned to collect her drink from the Waiter's tray.

Are you having a nice time babe?” Kevin asked, feeling downtrodden by the fact that he was being publicly raised by Layla.

*Hey…look, Maya” the ‘look’ was her pouring her drink on Kevin, causing him to jump off as though a rat jumped on him.

“Oh dear…I didn't do that now. I'm so sorry.”

Kevin felt a rush of embarrassment. He knew that everything she'd done was intentional and she could not say that she was not aware, yet, he did not want to make his girlfriend feel bad so he simply nodded.

“It is okay, Layla”

But deep down, it wasn't okay.

He was an object of ridicule every now and then.

A few days passed after the embarrassing restaurant my moment and Kevin had not seen Maya yet.

He is walking past a field where the college boys would always play football and he finds Maya and Layla staring at the cute and rich boys of the institution.

They both seem so intrigued by the view of those boys.

“Hey, Maya…” he cooed in her ear and she was startled.

“Oh, Kevin. You startled me.”

Her voice is gentle but her expression shows that she is irritated by his sudden appearance.

“Must you tag along everywhere we go?” Layla queried him with her gaze scornfully piercing him.

“I just wanted to say hi to my girlfriend. What could possibly be wrong with that?”

“You can never be her League!” Layla sneered at him. While he was still trying to process those words, he felt the hit of a ball on his head and he landed on the ground.

He is embarrassed.

“Aww…look at him on the ground like a Janitor picking up trash,” Liam scorned him and he was the one who threw the ball at him.

“He isn't like a Janitor. He is the Janitor,” another added and they all laughed mockingly at him.

Maya said or did nothing in his defence. Layla was so entertained by that scene and laughed along.

Kevin dragged himself up from the ground and walked up to Liam and the circle of his friends.

“You have to apologise for hitting that ball on me.”

He kept a straight face and was clenching his fist by his sides.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Liam asked with a smirk. “Are you challenging me to a duel?”

“Beat him up, Liam! Show him who the boss is!”

“He is trying to steal your girl now and so, he thinks he is your equal.”

Liam felt ignited by the crowd to embarrass and bully Kevin even more, so, he dragged Kevin by his hair like a high school bully and gave him a punch to his stomach.

Kevin groaned out in pain and landed on the ground again.

The students began scorning him. “Look at the person I was almost going to root for. He cannot even sustain a common abdomen punch.”

“He is such a crybaby…”

They were having fun, watching Liam toss Kevin around in the field and beat him up.

Layla turned to Maya with a smirk.

“You really need to reconsider hanging out with this guy. Just look, he is such a joke!”