𝐙𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐌 ~ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 ♡

4 - Two idiots

---MARYAM SHEIKH---

"You did what?"

Fatima looked at me with surprise. I had just told her about Zaid coming to the cafe and she was kinda impressed, something I wasnt expecting of her. "He choses to come to meet his mistress first the minute he got into town. How sweet!" She had said. I merely ignored this comment and rolled my eyes.

We were waiting for Amr to come as we had planned a picnic at the local park. The sky was getting paler and paler as time went because it was about to rain any moment. An hour passed and still no sign of Amr. That boy was always late.

"I couldn't think of anything else," I pleaded. "I was just super hungry at the time and I couldn't even think straight!"

"Still, Caffeinated or Decaffeinated?" She imitated my voice with an attitude and a serious expression. I threw a paper glass at her and it somehow relieved off my embarrassment.

"I hate to think of it just now," I sighed, holding my face with my hand. But quickly put a smile on my face. "Let's talk about you now, how is Daniel? Any reference about any ring?" I batted my eyelashes at her.

Her laughing face suddenly became dull. She said casually, "He hasn't spoken about anything yet. And, I don't really wanna ask him anyway. He seems so busy but I'm sure he'll mention it." She says that to assure me of course and I know my best friend. And I also know that a family of her own was all that she could dream of.

"You do know we're graduating this year right?"

"Yeah but I'm sure he'll say that right after." She smiled.

Her father was a lawyer and he absolutely hated the idea of one of his daughters being uneducated and not in a high position as his friends' daughters were studying to be. Both of our fathers were of the same idea.

As for Fatima, she couldn't handle all the stress that was going in her family because of her mother's eloping and her father's fourth marriage. She took the first chance to escape and that was choosing Business for her major, just to please her father.

In the mean time, I chose Architecture and chose to run away with her too as things were getting quite distant at home. Ever since my mother died, Father always had tears in his eyes when he saw me as I closely resemble mother's light meadow green eyes and her smile. He even started to speak coldly and not even leave his study during the day time. Home was just not feeling homely anymore.

So we both chose BlakeField University, which was the farthest from our homes.

"I still can't believe Amr was a part of the Khalid Family and not ever told us before," said Fatima, changing the subject.

"Now that I remember, he did say that he goes to Nova Scotia for his vacations," I said, racking my brains. "The Khalids have a vacation villa there."

"Well, speak of the devil himself here he is. There's the others with him too. Hello! We're over here!" Fatima stood up and gave a big wave with both of her hands. I turned around and sure there was Amr, joyfully walking with his flashing smile, his amber eyes lightening up as we started waving. Daniel was with him as well but my smile soon faded as I recognized the person walking beside him.

Zaid was wearing an expensive black jacket over a plain white shirt with cargo pants but boy, did he look cool in it.
He walked with his hands in his pant pockets and was having a deep conversation with Daniel seemed really interested.

For a moment, I didn't realize the boy I've known since my childhood days.

His hair was ruffled from the wind when they reached us. Daniel soon ran to hug Fatima. Amr introduced the both of us.

"Daniel, I'm sure you know everybody. Zaid, these are my best friends Fatima and Maryam. I'm pretty sure you know Maryam from before, right 'cause I heard you two were great friends in your childhood."

Zaid took one look at me and said,

"Nope, never even heard of her."

There was an awkward silence.

The smile that I had forcefully mastered had left as soon as it came. I was hoping to cover up for yesterday but guess somebody isnt going to help. Zaid's silver grey eyes glared into my meadow green ones. I folded my hands and looked away. Amr broke the heavy silence.

"O-okay, that is very interesting and I dont want to be the one interrupting it but I am very hungry, people!"

We all sat down quietly and a joke was started by Daniel and everyone started laughing. I didn't even look in Zaid's direction even once. He was pretending to not know me and two can play the dumb act. Deep down, I had hoped we could be the same stupid two kids again.

"Remind me why you had to bring him over," I said to Amr in Arabic. Me and Amr were setting out the food while the others listened to a story Daniel was saying.

"And remind me why we are currently speaking in Arab, habibti (my love) ?" Amr replied. Thank goodness, he followed exactly as I've said.

"Its the only way he wouldn't understand." I said.

"Who?"

"The silver eyed beast."

Amr stopped what he was doing and looked at me with eyebrows wide.

"And you think he couldn't understand Arabic? Is everything alright in your head, Maryam?"

"Oh, he used to tell me long ago he hated studying Arabic and how he wasn't going to."

"And how do you suppose he became a Hafiz?" Amr deadpanned at me.

"The point is--," I said interfering, "That he shouldnt be able to understand as he's sitting right in front of us."

Amr laughed and then looked at me. "You're really mad that he's here, right?"

I stared at our group. Zaid was doing something with his hands and Daniel and Fatima started laughing. They were all happy. Then all of a sudden, Zaid caught me staring. I quickly grabbed the first pile of sandwhiches and dropped them on to plates.

"Yeah, wish he wasn't."

"Sabr, habibti, Sabr."

Patience. With Zaid? No.

Amr gave a light pat on my head and whispered to my ear, "Bloody Mary's sad!" And he started to run. I hated being called like that. I ran after him hitting him with Daniel's baseball bat that he brought. Lightly. Zaid watched us in amusement.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote!
Word Count : 1120
Hope it made up for the shorter first chapters☺️