That Winter You Came (Completed)

episode 7

_" you were such a weak back then" my mother always laughs when we talk about highschool.
As if being weak would explain me almost getting my nose broken . harassed and belittled.
_" i think i was the strongest in highschool Mama . sometimes i wish i could just go back in time to give my self a reward for that" i say back.
Because i deserved it .. For walking out of there in one peace.. And one brain.
Like that time when i got fainted .. I remember waking up in the hospital with this burning pain in my nose.. My eyes were tearing crazy.
And my brother was looking at me concerned.
_" can you walk miss? .. You need to do an Rx" some doctor ordered.
I stood up .. And my brother walked me to the Rx room.
My nose wasn't broken thank god.. Still it got swollen and painful.
My brother kept looking at me quietly.. One of these rare moments when he acted like an actual brother.
_" it's a boy who did this to you, no?.. This isn't a girl's doing. What happened?" he finally asked squeezing his head. Barely holding his anger.
I turned to look at him .. But didn't answer.
_" your boyfriend?" He asked with a furious tone.
So this time i had to answer:
_" No, just a boy in the class .. We had a fight over an English project"
_" when you go back to school .. I'll go with you .. You'll show that @$%& to me .. I'll let him know you have men behind your shoulders"
I nodded.
Although i knew he meant beating him up and probably getting him self in a trouble. But i nodded..
What's sad .. Is That Fouzi didn't injure me when we were in the middle of the term so i can skip few days in school until i no longer look like a monster.
No.
He did it Right before the exams ..
So i had to go to school and endure the gossipy looks of people in the street and in school.
That's something i should reward my self for .. Enduring that embarrassment.
My brother was with me all the time.
He even took me to my class .. Put me in my seat.
Fouzi wasn't there .. He was expelled. So my brother needed to empty his anger in something.
He emptied it on the teacher .. And did a drama in the class until the school guard kicked him out.
My father always working out of the town wasn't informed.
My mother ..and my other two siblings. Finally started asking:
_"Nadia .. How was your day in school?"
Sometimes you need something so serious like an almost broken nose for people to realise you were not ok.
And you needed help.
After my brother left the class .. I spent the rest of the seance just trying to find the best way to cover my face.
That was the last day before exams. So i had to focus on the teacher's review if i wanted to pass even though all i wanted was to take some painkiller and sleep for days.
When it was finally school break .. Yassmine, Badro's girlfriend .. suddenly came running through the door and stopped in front of my desk.
_" i heard what happened! .. Are you ok! .god, your face looks awful!.. That peace of @$%&" she shouted right away looking concerned.
I was surprised with her visit actually .. So surprised i just kept looking at her astonished.
She took a chair from the desk in front of us .. And sat down beside me .. Always looking concerned.
_" i knew the people here were giving you hard time. But i never realised it was this serious. I won't keep my mouth shut anymore!"
I kept looking at her astonished .. Not sure what i should say.
She frowned .. And then surprisingly added:
_" i told Badro about this yesterday.. He took good care of that Fouzi with the gang"
_" you told Badro!!.. Why!!" I shouted.
SHe barely waited for me to finish talking when she explained:
_" because we're friends. I'm a girl and i can't go have a fight .. So i asked my lion to do it for me . god i'm angry!"
It was painful to laugh .. And yet i did.
_" if you saw that Badro when he was a kid .. You wouldn't be that confident  calling him a lion" i joked.
And that was it .. How i finally got a friend in high school.
She was Rayan's ex .. My childhood's friend current girlfriend.
Not to mention she was the most popular girl in high school.
So yes.. It was really complicated and weird to act normal around her.
She visited me at lunch time too .. I couldn't walk to the cafeteria feeling so ashamed with my face.
And she amazingly skipped lunch and stayed by my side.
We often tend to judge people before we get to know them ..
I definitely misjudged her for so long.
_" how did you end up with Badro?" i asked curious.
The question that probably all the school wanted to ask.
She smiled .. Draw a heart in my notebook and said:
_" it's thanks to you"
I looked at her confused so she added.
_" well.. It's thanks to my kind heart .. But anyways. So i was walking in the street.. And i saw these two girls writing awful words on the highschool fence . it was about you .. I didn't know you . but it's not right to call someone a @$%& and write that for everyone to read and laugh . isn't it?" She looked at me as if she was talking about someone else's story.
My brain felt confused between getting angry or thinking about her question.
She sighed and added:
_" anyways .. I was lecturing them when Badro came from nowhere and started lecturing them too!.. And then one talk .. One meeting and op we're together .. It's real love isn't it?"
_" thank you" i hushed smiling.
She looked at me confused and asked:
_" thanking me for what?"
_" for stepping up for me .. No one in this school did it but you"
_" you're welcome, but it's not only me who got your back .. Rayan did too. He had a fight with Fouzi after you went to the hospital. He's expelled too"
_"what!!" I shouted so soundly my nose hurt.
And i turned to check his seat by reflex.
It was indeed empty.
_" i wouldn't have visited you here if he was here.. You know .. He's my ex and stuff.. Aymen Doual is my ex too,but an old ex so it doesn't count"
_" what happened?" I asked curious.
she turned to look at the empty seat pensively and answered:
_"don't take it seriously, he's not that kind. you reminded him of someone that's it"
When she said that .. I didn't give it much thinking.
Back then .. I never knew how powerful were memories.
How damaging they could be.
All what the sixteen me cared about .. Was her crush beating someone for her sake.
And feeling somehow happy because of that.