"Why does your biology teacher have to make you guys stay in the lab for lunch every single day ?", Sivaangi whined.
"Ae, avanga maternity leave poraangalaam. She wants to finish lab in three months aam, sonnen la".
"Ore class nu dhaan peru, ozhunga pesi four days aachu, lunch sendhu poga mudila. PT period nu onnu kudukavey maatengraanga. Idhula aayiram tuition. Eleventh naa jolly ah irukalaam nu nenachen. No library period. Life sucks".
"Seri, polambaadha. Vaangi, weekend call pannaa pick eh pannala?"
"Sonnen la? Relative kalyanam. Ooruku poitom Saturday. Friday evening padathuku ponom, andha thadimaadu hostel lendhu vandhruka naala. Nethu night dhaan vandhen. Thought I'll see you today but then, mazhai. Seri enna panra?"
"KTV dhaan", Priya finally took a sip off the tea that had been too hot since she reheated it. 
"Veetuku vaa Priya, bore ah iruku".
"Madam, look outside. Mazha penjitu iruku".
"Afternoon vaa. I feel like mazha ninnudum".
"Illa de, amma kitta kekala, thittuvaanga".
"Aunty ta naa pesren. Naa sonnaa odaney ok solliruvaanga", chirped Sivaangi. 
"Pch, enaku biology observation note ezhudhanum".
"Priya, are you avoiding me?"
Priya panicked for a brief second before diverting her friend, "Nee aen Sivu scene podra Ippo? We can meet in school tomorrow. Venumnaa math sir ta stomach pain nu sollitu we can go sit in library and chat?"
"Rathna will also want to come. Appram free ah gossip panna mudiyaadhu", her friend whined. Priya knew it was just her best friend's tactic to have her way. 
"Appram en ava kooda friends ah irukom?"
"Because I sit with her in comp sci class. Hey vara mudiyumaa mudiyaadhaa? Summer vacation appo kadasiyaa nee veetuku vandha. Romba naal aachu. Vaa nu sonnaa scene podra? Kadasiyaa sollu, variyaa illiyaa Priya Nee?"
"Over ah pannaadha. 2 pola varen. Un amma leave ah inniku?"
"Aamaa. It's raining la?"
"Oh", Priya chewed on her lips.
"Hey varela?"
"Varen".
After another ten minutes of talking about or rather ranting about their Chemistry teacher, Priya ended her conversation with Sivaangi.
It had been a month since Priya had started eleventh standard. She had also been avoiding Sivaangi's house like a plague the past few weeks. Not that she had been a regular at her friend's house the past school years. Priya would only visit  Sivaangi's house once in a while, and she always felt very out of place. Neither had she made a habit of inviting Sivaangi or any of her other friends to her house, nor did Sivaangi visit hers. Even at a young age, Priya knew none of her friends would be comfortable in her dingy house. She had always brushed it off as "not that big a deal". In fact not being able to have her best friend over at her house was a reason she had avoided going to Sivaangi's house in the past.