Back At Sixteen

Chapter sixteen

A faint tapping on his window broke the silence, once every five seconds.

He groaned, pulling his covers tightly, but the giggling outside was unmistakable. A smile smoothly crept onto his face, and he hesitantly threw off his blanket.

He reached for his drawer and pulled out a plain T-shirt with a little animated ninja embroidered on the pocket, and a pair of tailored shorts to go with it. This will have to do, he thought, before hurriedly pulling his outfit onto his body.

The tapping persisted, urging Khalil to rush to the window, swinging it open. The cool morning breeze swirled into his room, carrying the scent of wet earth. He inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of rain from last night. He loved rainy days.

Just then, a small stone flew in, hitting his forehead, and distributing his moment.

"Ouchie!" he yelped, scrutinizing due to the pain whilst rubbing where it landed.

"Sorry!" he heard the distant whisper of his friends' voices swarming with concern.

Khalil smiled sheepishly, but he had no time to acknowledge their remorse. He needed to get out.

He told them to wait for him by the front door. He had to make sure no one knew he was gone. With a spy's stealth, getting distracted every now and then, forgetting the task at hand, he finally snuck out. His heart racing.

Finally, he emerged onto the morning light, meeting his three friends waiting for him anxiously. They almost squeal as they see him, each trying to get a hold of him. They soon find themselves encircled around Khalil, hugging him with all their might, almost squeezing the life out of him. They missed him.

He shrieked almost like a female, laughing at how he miserably couldn't get out of their holds. As they released him, he gazed at his surrounding, it felt like this was the first time he came out.

The sky was still weeping, letting out light drops of rain. The gray clouds veiled the raising sun, casting a mystical gloom. Cool breeze blew, carrying the sound of nature along with it. The trees swayed almost in unison, looking like they were professional dancers grooving to a rhythm.

The freshly looking green dew-kissed grass, brushed gently on his foot as he slowly placed his leg. He smiled, it all felt surreal. Whether it was the muddy ground filled with puddles, or the few people that roamed around the cold morning, or everything entirely that made the scene worth viewing, he loved it.

All those months, coped up like a prisoner who did nothing wrong, made him feel glad to be outdoors again. He wasn't going to get in trouble, he just wanted to have fun with his friends like he did before. He looked at the unpaved road ahead, straight was their destination. This was enough to make him feel flustered.

"Na ƙarshe zai chi kashin kare!" Khalil suddenly yelled out, running through the mudded path.

"Not fair! Ka fara gudu first! You started running already!" Hakeem called out by the time they'd hurried onto the path too.

Khalil laughed, running further ahead. "Hey!" Yahya called, "I'm supposed to be in the lead, not the crybaby!"

"Shut up and run!!!" Both Hakeem and Usama chorused, "Or you'll be the one eating dog poop." Usama added, making a puke face.

Khalil laughed; he also missed this side of his friends.

~~~

The distant yelling and chattering of children, cheerfully running about piqued the interest of the quad to run further, their joy infectious.