Chapter Title: The Last Day of Fourth Grade
The last day of fourth grade arrived faster than Riya expected.
The classroom was filled with excitement. Some students were talking loudly about summer holidays, while others were exchanging notebooks and small farewell notes.
The teacher stood near the board, trying to calm the restless class, but the joyful energy in the room refused to settle.
Riya sat quietly at her desk near the window, watching everything with her usual calm expression.
Yet deep inside, she felt something unfamiliar.
It wasn't sadness exactly, but a strange feeling she couldn't explain.
Across the classroom, Lakshith was laughing with his friends, completely carefree as always.
His voice carried across the room, making several classmates burst into laughter.
Riya rolled her eyes slightly.
Still the same annoying boy, she thought.
Over the past year, their daily fights had become a normal part of school life.
Chalk wars, pranks, teasing, and countless arguments had somehow turned into something everyone in the class expected.
If a day passed without Lakshith bothering her, the classroom almost felt… strange.
As the teacher began collecting books, Lakshith suddenly walked over to Riya's desk.
She looked up suspiciously.
"What do you want?" she asked immediately.
Lakshith shrugged casually. "Nothing. Just wanted to see if irritating fellow survived the whole year."
Riya crossed her arms. "Barely. Mostly because I had to deal with you."
He grinned, clearly enjoying her response.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The classroom noise filled the silence between them.
Then Lakshith placed something small on her desk.
Riya looked down.
It was a simple pencil.
"This is…?" she asked, confused.
"You dropped it during the chalk fight last week," he said casually.
Riya frowned slightly. She was almost sure it wasn't hers.
But she didn't say anything.
"Don't lose it again," Lakshith added before turning away.
Riya stared at the pencil for a moment before slipping it into her pencil case.
Soon, the final bell of the year rang loudly through the school.
Students rushed out of the classroom, shouting excited goodbyes and planning their summer holidays.
Riya packed her bag slowly.
As she stepped outside the classroom, she noticed Lakshith already halfway down the corridor with his friends.
He turned around for a brief moment and waved casually.
"See you next year, buddy" he called.
Riya hesitated before responding.
"Try not to annoy people during the holidays," she replied.
Lakshith laughed and disappeared down the hallway.
Riya stood there for a moment longer before walking toward the school gate.
At that time, she didn't realize something important.
All those small fights, arguments, and silly pranks had quietly become one of the most memorable parts of her fourth-grade year.
And without knowing it, the annoying boy who loved teasing her had already started leaving a small place in her memories.