Mr Not So Perfect - Haikaveh

13

Kaveh was walking down the hallway, his arms filled with art supplies, making his way to the art room. As he walked, he noticed Alhaitham talking to a group of students. He seemed different, more approachable than usual. Curious, Kaveh approached them.

"Hi, Alhaitham," Kaveh greeted.

"Hello, Kaveh," Alhaitham replied. He then turned to the group. "This is Kaveh. Kaveh, these are the members of the committee. Kaveh will be joining us."

The blonde looked at the group and smiled. "Hello."

One of the students, a girl, spoke up. "Hi Kaveh, I'm Tess. Welcome," she said with a warm smile.

Kaveh smiled back at her. "Thanks."

"Are you heading to the art room?" Tess asked.

"Ah yes, I've got to finish my work," Kaveh replied, adjusting the load in his arms.

"Do you need any help? You've got a lot to carry," she offered.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry," he said, smiling reassuringly.

Alhaitham interrupted. "You guys should head into the committee room. I'll help Kaveh."

The group nodded, waving goodbye as they made their way to the room.

"Here, pass me some," Alhaitham offered, reaching for Kaveh's supplies.

"I said I didn't need help," Kaveh insisted.

"Doesn't matter, give me some," Alhaitham said firmly, taking a few items from Kaveh's hands.

"Thanks," Kaveh mumbled, feeling a bit flustered by Alhaitham's insistence.

They walked together down the hallway, the silence between them comfortable

"So, how's the project coming along?" Alhaitham asked, breaking the silence.

"It's going well. I got a lot of ideas from the gallery visit," Kaveh said, his enthusiasm evident.

"I'm glad to hear that. If you need any more help, just let me know," Alhaitham offered.

"Thanks, I might take you up on that," Kaveh replied, feeling a warm sense of gratitude.

They reached the art room, and Kaveh opened the door with his foot, allowing Alhaitham to enter first. They set the supplies down on a large table in the centre of the room.

"Thanks for the help," Kaveh said, looking at Alhaitham.

"No problem," Alhaitham replied, glancing around the room. "Do you mind if I stay for a bit? I wanted to see what you're working on."

"Sure, I don't mind," Kaveh said, feeling nervous.

Kaveh began unpacking his supplies, explaining his project to Alhaitham as he worked. Alhaitham listened attentively, keeping quiet so he wouldn't disturb the latter

As the evening went on, the two of them fell into a deep conversation, the atmosphere in the art room filled with creativity. For the first time, Kaveh felt like he truly belonged, not just in the art room, but in Alhaitham's world as well.

When he finally finished the base of his work, Kaveh looked at Alhaitham and smiled. "Thanks for staying. It really helped."

"Anytime," Alhaitham replied with a small smile. "I enjoyed it."

"I think that's all I'm gonna do for today" he wiped his hand on the clothes beside him

"It's really looking good"

"Thanks" Kaveh blushed "but this is only the base, there's much more I need to do"

"Then I will have to come often to see how it is going"

"If you're not too busy"

Alhaitham kept his promise. Over the next three weeks, he made a point to check in on Kaveh, sometimes even late into the night. On more than one occasion, he brought over food to ensure Kaveh was eating properly amidst his hectic schedule.

One night, Alhaitham approached the art room to see Kaveh in a conversation with someone, a girl. It was Tess from the disciplinary committee

Alhaitham watched through the glass of the door to see what they were talking about, but he couldn't make it out. They were just laughing. Deciding to join them, Alhaitham opened the door and entered.

Kaveh and Tess's heads turned at the sound.

"Oh, President? What are you doing here so late?" Tess asked, surprised.

"I'm here to check up on my roommate," Alhaitham said firmly.

"Roommate? You two are roommates? I didn't know that," Tess said, eyebrows raised. "That explains it. You two have very different personalities I didn't think you would get along."

Kaveh let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, he's just stuck with me because we're roommates."

"Tess, it's getting late. Why don't you head back to the dorms? We don't want to disturb Kaveh while he works," Alhaitham suggested.

"No, it's-" Kaveh began before receiving a pointed look from Alhaitham.

"Oh, then I'll wait for you, and we can walk to the dorms together," Tess offered.

"No, it's fine. I need to tell Kaveh something, and it may take a while. You should head back," Alhaitham insisted.

"Oh, okay. Well, good night, Kaveh, Alhaitham," Tess said, turning on her heels and walking out of the door.

"What's wrong with you?" Kaveh asked, washing his hands in the sink.

"What are you talking about?" Alhaitham said, placing the food on a clean table.

"She looked uncomfortable. Do you not like her?" Kaveh asked, drying his hands.

"No, she's fine. She's a member of the committee. Why? Do you like her?" Alhaitham asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Like? I like her personality, but no, I don't like her like that," Kaveh replied nervously.

"Your art piece looks good," Alhaitham commented, changing the subject.

"I just need to do the final touches tomorrow and then let it fully dry," Kaveh said, sitting down at the table where Alhaitham stood.

"So how is the winter festival coming along? Sorry, I've missed quite a few meetings," Kaveh said.

"It's fine. You're busy with the project. The festival preparations are complete; students are just practising for performances now," Alhaitham replied.

"That's exciting. I can't wait for the festival," Kaveh said, munching on the food Alhaitham had brought him.

Alhaitham watched him for a moment, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You really like festivals?"

"Of course! It's the best time of the year," Kaveh said enthusiastically. "Plus, it's a great break from all the stress of projects and exams."

1000 Words