When we first met (A Zatima Story)

Explination

The morning of graduation dawned, but for Fatima, it wasn't a time of celebration. She hadn't spoken to Zac since the dinner incident, and it weighed heavily on her. She'd been avoiding him, choosing instead to process everything on her own. She knew it couldn't last much longer, but she just wasn't ready to face him yet. Andi, her best friend, wasn't having it, though.

"Fatima, it's graduation day, and you still haven't talked to your man. What's going on?" Andi asked, watching Fatima as she sat quietly, lost in her thoughts.

"I just need some time, Andi. I'm going to talk to him—just not right now," Fatima replied, trying to push away the nagging feeling in her chest.

Andi gave her a skeptical look. "T, you need to talk to that man. He's been blowing up my phone asking about you. He's worried."

Fatima sighed. "Okay, I'll talk to him today. Just... not right now."

---

Meanwhile, at Zac's house, the tension wasn't much different. Zac had been trying to figure out how to reach Fatima. He paced the living room, glancing at his phone in frustration.

"Man, Ti isn't talking to me, and I don't know what to do," Zac admitted to his cousin, Cameron, who was lounging on the couch.

"Well, have you talked to that other girl yet?" Cameron asked, referring to Maya, the ex who had recently dropped the bombshell that she was pregnant.

Zac shook his head. "Not yet."

Cameron sat up. "Bro, you need to figure out if that's your baby or not. You can't leave this hanging."

"I don't think it's mine," Zac muttered, rubbing his head. "But I'll talk to her. You're right."

"And you need to talk to Fatima today. At graduation, man. You two need to figure this out."

"I know. I will," Zac said, feeling the weight of everything press down on him.

Cameron glanced at the clock. "Well, you better get going, then. Graduation's about to start."

---

After the graduation ceremony, Zac finally found himself face-to-face with Maya. He'd been dreading this conversation, but he knew it was inevitable.

"Zac, it's your baby. I wouldn't lie about something like this," Maya said, her voice firm but her eyes pleading.

Zac shook his head. "I need to see proof, Maya. Other than that, we don't have anything to talk about."

Maya's expression hardened. "Why are you being so disrespectful?"

"I'm not," Zac said, keeping his tone calm. "I just need to know if it's my baby or not."

Maya crossed her arms. "Did she get in your head? That girl, Fatima—did she make you act like this?"

Zac's patience thinned. "Her name is Fatima, and no, she didn't do anything. Look, Maya, I have a good future ahead of me, and I just need to know the truth. We had some good times, sure, but we also had some bad ones. You've got to move on and let this go. I'm happy with Fatima now, and it feels like you're doing this just to hold on to me."

Maya's eyes welled up with tears. "So that's it, huh? We're really over, after everything we've been through? Zac, I lost my virginity to you. I thought we were going to be together forever. We made promises, and then you met Fatima, and suddenly I don't exist to you anymore."

Zac sighed. "Maya, it's not like that. You started acting weird when I became friends with Ti. Things changed."

Maya swallowed hard. "Fine. I told my parents I'm pregnant, and they set me up with a doctor's appointment to see how far along I am. It's on the 3rd. If you want to come, you can. If not, I'll let you know."

"I'll be there," Zac said softly.

Maya gave him a long look before turning away. "Whatever, Zac."

---

Zac didn't waste time after that. He rushed to find Fatima, determined to talk to her before the day slipped away.

"Ti, can I talk to you for a second?" Zac asked when he finally found her standing with Andi.

Fatima hesitated but nodded. "Yeah, I'll catch up with you later, Andi."

Zac wasted no time, blurting out, "I talked to Maya about the baby."

Fatima's face was unreadable. "Okay... and?"

"She has an appointment on the 3rd to see how far along she is. To see if it's mine or not," Zac explained, searching her face for any sign of relief or anger.

"Good for you," Fatima said flatly, her voice distant. "But I really have to get going."

"Ti, come on. Talk to me. These short answers aren't it. I miss you. I've been doing everything I can to make things right between us."

Fatima's cool façade finally cracked. "Zac, your ex might have a whole baby by you. I don't know how you expect me to be okay with this, because I'm not. I'm hurt, I'm angry, and my mind is all over the place. I just need time to think."

Zac felt panic rising in his chest. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No," Fatima replied quickly. "I still want to be with you. I just need some space right now."

Zac let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Okay, Ti. Can I come over tonight?"

Fatima nodded. "Yeah, I'll let you know what time."

"Alright, I'll see you later," Zac said, relieved but still unsure.

---

Later, at Fatima's house, Andi could tell something was still bothering her best friend.

"Are you ready for the party?" Andi asked, trying to lift Fatima's spirits.

Fatima gave a half-hearted shrug. "I guess."

Andi frowned. "What's wrong? We graduated today. You should be happy."

"I just can't stop thinking about Zac and me. We're not in a good place right now," Fatima admitted.

Andi sat down beside her. "What did he say?"

"He told me about Maya's appointment and how he's sorry about everything. But I don't know, Andi. We haven't been dating that long, and this is a lot."

Andi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look, T, this isn't something you just bounce back from. It's going to take time, but you have to be patient. You have to believe that you two can work this out."

"I know, but it's hard. I don't know if I can do this," Fatima said softly.

"You need to tell him how you feel, or it's going to build up inside you. That's how resentment starts," Andi warned.

Fatima nodded, her resolve growing. "You're right. I'll talk to him tonight when he comes over."

"Good," Andi said, smiling. "Now let's go downstairs and enjoy this party. We graduated!"

Fatima smiled back, grateful for Andi's support. "Thanks, Andi. I needed this."

"That's what best friends are for," Andi said with a wink, pulling Fatima towards the door to join the celebration.

Zac?

Fatima??

How do you feel about Andi's advice to Fatima?

How you feel about Maya?

GIIIVE ME FEEDBACK (thanks love you 😁)

Ok i'm done bye ahhhhhh