One Shots Collection By Samayra Akhtar

'This is probably the last opportunity for me.'

Thinking this Ariel agreed to go for the trip. Their college has already ended. After the exams next week they all will be separated. They all will get busy with their jobs. Some already have the opportunities in their hands while others are striving to get the one.

The five years of college has passed. They all hope to be the best architects. In these five years all have given their best. And now it's time to get in the profession. They are nervous, anxious and excited. There is also sadness that they are on the junction and will be separated.

When everyone were planning to go for the last unofficial trip, Ariel was hesitating. She has never joined her friends on long unofficial trips. But this will be their last trip together. They won't get the chance to come together again. This is the last chance to hang out together and have fun and savor the moments with each other. It is also the last chance that she can be with Adriel.

She heard Adriel calling her name.

"Ariel ?!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked towards the voice.

"You are coming, right?"

Thinking it is the last opportunity for her she nodded her head.

•••

The exams are already finished. Ariel is nervous, the next day they will be going for the trip. She has prepared everything with the help of her family. She just need to leave now.

At night she wasn't able to sleep peacefully. She was too nervous. She finally found her eyes shutting but within no time she heard the alarm. She forced herself to get out of the bed or she will definitely get late.

She left with his brother to the place they decided to meet. She was sleepy. She wanted to sleep but... sigh.

She found that almost everyone have arrived and settled in the bus. She waved to her brother and ascended the bus. She saw the empty seats at the front but was stopped from seating there. It was reserved for someone. Obviously everyone wanted to be with their best friends.

But what about her bestfriend? She has already spotted her when she entered. She has betrayed her and decided to sit with her boyfriend. How immoral and cruel! She looked for other empty seats and spotted one at the back.

She headed there and froze before taking the seat. Adriel was seating there with his closed eyes. She looked at the peacefully sleeping man. He was too handsome. She has always looked at him in the past five years. But it seemed to her that it's the first time she is looking at him. His perfect jawline, eye lashes, nose... and lips. She frozed her gaze on his lips. She shook her head when a thought to kiss those lips occurred to her.

"What happen?"

As soon as she heard those words she felt embarrassed. She wanted to run away. She turned but just at the moment the driver started the engine and she fell on the sit next to him.

She cursed her luck internally. Why the day started like this? She got embarrassed twice in front of him.

The bus started and soon she fell asleep. She hasn't sleep for the whole night, so it's not wrong to sleep, right?

Adriel looked at her with amused look. All the others were excited for the trip, there was so much noise but this girl beside her, she was sleeping. He poked her face but she was in a deep slumber. He was staring at the sleeping beauty beside her. He has never looked at her so carefully. Although he still remember the first time he met her, but they were not much close in these five years. He always found her running away from him.

He was lost in her beautiful face when that face landed on his shoulder. He snapped out and tried to lift the head but it dropped again. He sighed and open his phone. He suddenly thought of cl.i.c.k.i.n.g the picture with this sleeping beauty. He held his phone to click and almost dropped it when his friend called his name. He was startled. His friend was shocked too when he saw the scene in front of him.

In the past five years he has never seen Adriel getting close to any girl. He was further startled when the girl wrapped her hands around Adriel's arm. Even Adriel's eyes widened when he felt the hands wrapping his arm. He then looked at his friend only to see a grin on his face. He gave a thumbs up and just left.

Adriel looked at the girl, let out a sigh and averted his gaze to the other side. He stared out of the window for some time before resting his head on hers and closing his eyes. He too fell in a slumber. Afterall he too was not able to get a good night sleep because of the arrangements of the trip.

•••

Adriel's friends came back in the bus when he didn't came out. They had halted for grabbing some breakfast. When both of Adriel's friends came to look for him they found Candace standing near their seat. They walked towards her and they also froze by the sight of them sleeping peacefully.

They were surprised and wanted to ask too many questions but also they didn't want to disturb their sleep. They were looking too beautiful together. They decided to leave except for Candace.

She shook her friend and finally Ariel came out of her dreams. She saw herself holding someone's arms and suddenly the thought of seating next to Adriel crossed her mind. She immediately sat up properly with wide eyes and then ran off. She directly went to the restroom.

Soon her friend confronted her.

Candace started as soon as she saw Ariel. "Don't dare to say that you have hidden your relationship with Adriel from me!"

"What relationship, Can?"

"Look at your blushing cheeks." Candace commented.

"I... wh... Let's go! I am hungry."

They sat at a table with Candace's boyfriend. The trio had breakfast. Ariel asked Candace's boyfriend for a favor. "Can you exchange seats with me?"

"Sorry." He replied, "I am not leaving my girlfriend to sit with a gay."

Gay? Yes. Many people in the college started thinking that Adriel is gay. Why? Perhaps because he never had any girlfriend in five years of college nor did he ever entertained any girl in the whole five years. It was probably because he wasn't into girls. And he also knew about the rumor of him being gay spreading but he never bothered to say anything or prove anything.

In the bus some girls approached Adriel to ask to sit with him but all were chased away.

It was time to leave and still the seat beside him was empty. He saw her coming with her friends and his lips curved a little upward. But no one noticed it, not even he himself. Some time passed and she should have come by now. Why the seat beside him was still empty?

He sat straight and streched his head to look for her. He saw her standing next to a particular seat and seamed she was begging for a favor. He was displeased by the sight in front of him. He laid back on the seat and said, "Please everyone occupy their seats, we have to leave."

She dragged herself to the backseat and forced a smiled at him. She was too embarrassed to sit with him especially after drooling on his shoulder.

There was absolute silence between them and she didn't even look towards him. But it wasn't the same for Adriel. His eyes never left her since she came. The silence was also bothering him.

He broke the silence. "I want you to pay me back."

She tilted her face towards him and with 'CONFUSION' written over it.

"Pay me back for sleeping on my shoulder."

She widened her eyes. After struggling within for few seconds she finally replied, "Your head was also on mine!"

And she immediately turned her head after speaking only to find eyes staring at her. She closed her eyes and thought 'This trip is too embarrassing.'

"Then pay me for spoiling my shirt with your drool."

He said with a smile on his face.

She turned towards him but before any other reaction she already found his head on her shoulder. She was too shocked. She was holding her breath.

He chuckled and said, "Don't forget to breathe. I don't want you dying on me."

She saw the girls staring at her. She thought to herself, 'This is going to be my last trip. These girls... they won't let me come back alive. They will definitely push me from the cliffs. Or what if they poison my food or what if they put snake or scorpion in my tent? Oh God, please help me! Why is he behaving like this? Definitely I'll be killed by those bitches. Stop staring at me. Just turn your heads.'

She whispered to him, "Everyone is staring, please get up."

He lifted his head to look at her. He was still close to her. He replied in almost a whisper, "They saw before too."

His breathes on her skin tickled her. She was frozen for the moment. She then realized, he had already landed his head again on her shoulder. She looked at those girls and gave them a smile. She knew it by now that she can't do anything, so she finally relaxed on her seat.

But Adriel startled her by wrapping his hand around her arm. She widened her eyes and then looked at him. His eyes were closed. She thought he has fallen asleep. She relaxed herself and leaned back on the seat.

Hardly ten minutes would have passed that she calmed herself down when she was startled again by the guy sitting next to her. He tilted his head upwards and saw her sitting with closed eyed and headphones in her ears and his lips curved upwards forming a smile. He closed his eyes and kissed her which froze Ariel on the spot. His lips had landed on her jawline and only left after a couple of seconds.

As soom as she felt her warm lips on her skin she frozed. She didn't know what was happening. She thought it's a dream and she didn't want to wake up from this dream. She tried to calm down her racing heart and shut her eyes again. Her face was completely red.

After the kiss Adriel again closed his eyes when he placed his head on her shoulder. The smile has not escaped his lips since he kissed her. He then adjusted his head on her shoulder and tightened his grip on her arm.