Lovebirds

thirty-two

The mall was bustling with noise as people walked into and out of shops, hands filled with colorful bags and logos falling out of them. Their voices mingled together, a blur of unfamiliar faces as laughter swung from aisle to aisle, children playing, and the buzz of joy simmering underneath it all.

Old things, new things, all were found in small compartments. Even in the midst of heartache and pain, people still spent time together at shopping centers like these, still walked around with their friends and created new memories.

There was no distinction between old and new. There was only life.

After finishing their lunch at a nearby restaurant, Naira and Kimi decided to stop for some bubble tea and walk around the mall just like when they were in high school. 'Window shopping' was what Kimi called it.

When they were in high school together, the duo would always make time on the weekends after their exams to walk aimlessly around a mall. Some would send them odd looks before gathering the courage to walk up to them.

Back then, Naira's cold demeanor was enough to attract flaming hues, yet her lips spoke in a harsh tone, and soon all the boys ran away from her. They saw a beauty in her indifference, but when she failed to give them validation, the beauty crumbled like discarded ash.

She knew how to reject them, but she didn't know how to reject Rayan.

His named popped into her mind at inconvenient times, and she hated it. What happened to her control, her restraint? Where was her head in all this?

Worry flooded her as she remembered his outburst from earlier, how he left the room with few words that left her in a spiral of unrest. She sipped her drink in festering thoughts of unease.

Her silent qualms grabbed the attention of Kimi, who nudged her with a shoulder. "That's not the face of fun I see," she remarked with a small smile. "Care to share?"

Naira sighed. "Sorry, Kimi. I was just thinking about the Red Knights again."

Her friend threw her head in a laugh that bubbled through her. "For a woman who used to hate the very existence of boy bands, you sure are invested in this one."

A pink tint cover her cheeks like falling cherry blossoms. "H-Hey-"

"Relax," winked Kimi with a grin too wide for her liking. "I'm only teasing. What's got you so stressed about them? They're as successful as ever."

She bit her lip nervously, knowing it wasn't her place to disclose the private matters of the band, but Naira also knew how sharp Kimi was. She was planning on law school, and nothing went under her radar untouched. Kimi knew her best friend better than she knew her own mind at times.

Not my story to tell, she told herself. It's their life, their story. I'm just a supporting character.

Her friend's eyes softened at her hesitancy, gaze saying more than her lips could in a way that only Kimi would understand. "That bad, huh?" she asked. "You know you're doing the impossible, don't you?"

"The impossible?"

Kimi nodded, gaze holding a wistful, faraway look in them as if wisdom had praised her in hues of gold. "They're a group of men told to be perfect, constantly harassed for every aspect of their life. They chase the unattainable, and you're trying to heal all the scars that you can't see."

"They trust me," she whispered in a faint voice. "I can't stop worrying."

"But you can't control the whole world, Naira."

It was almost as if a bullet broke through glass as shattering realization propelled forward, making her catch her breath at the impact.

"You're another part of this life we have, a part of their lives. Even if you can't stop the pressure, you can still rise as diamonds in the end. Build with the pressure, grow with it, and embrace it," Kimi smiled warmly, inviting hope with open arms. "Sometimes you need to let life do its thing so you can do yours."

Her heart ached thinking about the hardships before her, thinking about the sea of tears that waited for her. An image of her parents flashed behind her eyes like the slow reel of a movie, their smiles as bright as moonlight. They endured more than she could imagine, and they survived.

When Allah sent another trial their way, her parents were never shaken by their fears and held onto their faith with iron fists. They trusted Allah, believed in themselves, and continued bringing hope into their world. Life did its thing, and they did theirs.

Maybe Naira could do the same.

No, she thought. Not maybe. I definitely can by Allah's will.

This time, Naira was the one smiling without the pain of the future to stop her, unrestrained and completely genuine. "Law school is turning you into a philosopher," she joked.

Kimi shrugged, a foxy look in her dangerous brown eyes. "I gotta be there for my friend somehow, someway."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, you fool," she huffed with little thought. "Just know that wherever you go in life, Naira, count on me being there with you."

"Trust me, I know."

Kimi sent her a coy grin. "You're stuck with me, Naira Muller. Not even a popstar in love can come between this friendship."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Kimi Davis."

----

Oh oh, let's keep the feelings!

Sorry, I'm a bit obsessed with Sk8. It fit too well with this chapter. It's currently 3 am, and I'm half asleep and half delirious. Might wake up in the morning and be like, "what the heck did I write?"

Who else awed at this wholesome sisterhood?

I must sleep. Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!