Ric: I am so sorry, I didn't know, I didn't mean to be so stupid....please don't be angry :(

Ric: Are you there? I really am sorry, I am not one of those who would ...

He didn't know what else to say but kept checking his phone every time it buzzed but she didn't read or reply to any of his messages, every passing minute was like agony and he got up from the bed and put on his jacket ready to head over to the school, he had to find out where she stayed he had to go talk to her face to face, he will fall on his knees if that is what it takes for her to reply back to him, for now, he was feeling like he couldn't breathe....as he reached the door of his dorm, Vicky burst in almost hitting him in the face, "where are you off to?" he asked surprised to see Ric heading out at 1:30 am, he usually likes to stay in bed only occasionally heading to a bar or club."I will come along he said throwing the books he had in his hand onto Ric's bed, "I came to give this back to you I didn't have enough space for a new gaming PC," he said proud to have been able to earn enough with his part-time job at the club as an MC to be able to buy the coveted Gaming PC, he always wanted to be a pro-gamer but joined college because Ric did. "Hey!" he said when Ric didn't reply "where are we headed to?" he screamed after Ric. "I don't know, but I have to find her," said Ric huffing as though he had run a marathon, "What is the matter man?" asked Vicky looking a little concerned at Ric's state "what happened? ","I need to find her," said Ric feeling more and more breathless by the minute, was he having a panic attack, he had not had it for 10yrs now, and he used to have them more frequently when he was younger ever since his parents had died in the car crash and he heard the news from his nanny, but since it had been so long he didn't have his inhaler or a paper bag with him that he used to carry around all the time.

"Ric! what is wrong?" asked Vicky trying to support an unstable Ric who was struggling for his breath at this " No not that again?", he asked remembering the panic attacks too, "I will find something, I will...don't worry, just sit here, just one sec" screamed Vicky as he helped Ric sit down and ran around to find a paper bag, he remembered how bad it could get without the inhaler." Inhaler, where is your inhaler, it should be in your room right?" he asked looking around to see Ric nodding "No" he found a brown paper bag on another bike parked nearby, looked like food delivery, He threw out the food that was in it and ran over to Ric with the empty bag, "Here you go he said, breathe, just breathe slowly it will be ok" he stroked Ric's back while Ric held the paper bag around his nose and mouth and breathed in slowly trying to control his panic attack. At that moment his phone will start buzzing.

Ria: Hey sorry my phone died and I didn't have a charger at work, I am back in my dorm...

Ria: No worries, you're not the 1st, I am used to this, let's forget it and go by our day as though nothing has changed ok? bye Gn8

Ric pulled out his phone slowly while still breathing into his paper bag, Ria's messages were like oxygen to him, he immediately felt better and stopped using the paper bag, Vicky watched his friend out of concern "What's with you?, I have never seen you behave like this is a while? did something happen?" he asked still worried.

"I am not sure what the matter is with me, but the thought that she might hate me felt like I was suffocating," said Ric, thinking about what he should reply to her, seeing Ric's smiling face Vicky got angry "all this over a girl?" "I thought you were better than that!" he stated getting angrier, "I almost got a heart attack here and you are smiling at the phone?" he asked Kicking Ric who was still sitting on the ground near his bike. " I am sorry, really don't know what came over me, but all that is over now, we are all good, what do you think I should reply?" " Is it too late? , I don't want to disturb her sleep you know" he said still looking at his phone not realizing Vicky was walking back to the dorm angry. "Hey hold up!" scream Ric as he got up to catch up with Vicky to put his arms around his shoulder laughing " You are the best friend anyone can have, sorry, I made you worry, I will make sure that it won't happen again ok?...please, please, pretty please with a pizza slice on top, please ?" he asked jumping up and down making Vicky jump with him. " So who is this girl? that has made you go cuckoo over some messages?" Vicky asked stopping outside Ric's dorm room door " anyone I know?, not that girl in the bar that we met last week is it? she was hot" said Vicky trying to picture her..." I will tell you later, I am very tired" said Ric opening, entering and closing his Dorm room in one swift move that Vicky did not have time to stop him. " Hey, come on!" shouted Vicky in the hallway to which a lot of voice screamed from behind closed doors "GO TO BED... YOU UNHOLY @##%@#%$"

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Ric closed the door and leaned against it holding the phone close to his heart, he thought some more and then started typing...

Ric: Gn8 :)

The next day as Ria and Marice entered the classroom Ria's phone buzzed...

Ric: Goodmorning, you look good today :) welcome to class.

Ria looked up to see Ric smiling broadly at her from the last bench, he was sitting in the seat next to where she usually sat, which mean the axis of the class had moved from 3rd bench to the last bench and every seat around the last bench was filled up with girls and a few guys too." What the heck?" exclaimed Marice, "why is that dweep sitting next to your seat? is he planning on taking over the last bench?" she asked getting angry again remembering what Ric did the previous day. At that moment Vicky entered the class and said "Hi! sweethearts, should I help you get to your sea..." he was cut short by the sight in front of him the whole class had shifted to align to the last bench leaving the front few rows empty and Ric was smiling at them and waving them over. "What has gotten into him since yesterday?" asked Vicky looking at Ria and the angry Marice which made him back away with his arms held up and he turned and ran up the stairs to the empty seat on the left of Ric.

Ria stood staring at Ric and all the girls who were giving her sinister looks and pulled Marice to go sit in the front row." I hate the front row we cannot talk" said Marice, they usually needed to use the phone to chat since Marice was still not very good at sign language even though she takes classes every day. " Why do we have to move for that big shot?" she asked turning around to shoot Ric an angry look but was surprised to see him heading their way, "He is coming here," she said still surprised, "Hi! there", "can I sit here?" he asked sitting down in the seat next to Ria, Ria turned to shake her head no, " she says no," said Marice full of glee." Come on, I just want to be friends," he said looking at Ria, who got up and headed out of the classroom, stopped at the door to turn around and indicated that he should follow. Ric got up happily to follow her out, this caused a loud murmur of protest and some choice curses to ring out in the class. Marice and Vicky both were watching from their seats in surprise.

Ric ran to catch up with Ria, who went out to the next hallway and stopped to turn around and took out her phone to start typing...He looked at her typing and pulled out his phone too...

Ria: what are you doing? you cannot sit next to me, I will become a villain to all the class girls and we are not even friends why do you want to do something like this?

Ric: I want to be friends, why can't we be friends? :(

Ria: Why would we be friends your world is completely different from my world, we need to stay in our own orbits, if we cross over we will cause a catastrophe.

Ric: why are we from different worlds?, I believe we are all just human beings we can be friends, you are just using these words to get rid of me rt?

Ria: Think whatever you want to but, us friends, never happening, you can go back to your seat and let me and my friend get back to our seat

she sent this message and started walking back to class, it was time for it to start, Ric read the last message and ran up to her walking backward in front of her he asked: "Why do you not want to be friends, do you hate me?" Ria looked up and signed something with her fingers which made him stop in his tracks, not because of what she said but because he did not know what she said, meanwhile Ria went back into class picked up her stuff and indicated to Marice that they can sit on the back bench. Vicky kept looking at the door expecting Ric to come in any second, but when minutes went by and Ric had not come back, he went up to Marice and asked " Hey what happened?" Marice replied "Looks like your boy got rejected, must be hard for him since he may never have been rejected right?" she asked sarcastically. Angry protest rang out from the girls in the class but they couldn't do anything as the professor walked in at that moment. "Sorry Sir I am not feeling well," said a surprised Vicky as he grabbed Ric's bag and headed out without hearing what the professor had to say.

He found Ric standing in the hallway looking at his phone, "what's wrong?" he asked tapping Ric on his back, "she said something. I am not sure what it was" so I am googling it, "what like in some other language?" asked Vicky, Ric looked up contemplating if he should let Vicky know that Ria was mute or not. "Marice was saying you got dumped, is that true?" Vicky asked "you have been strange since you met that girl Ria" he continued without waiting for Ric to reply."Strange, strange how?" he asked still searching on his phone. "are you into that girl?" asked Vicky which made Ric lookup "Can I be into her?" he asked himself feeling like he liked the answer to be yes.....