The Easiest Target

A Terrible Lie

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Azan is still sitting slouched in his seat, his elbow on the armrests, his head leaned to his knuckles, his eyes closed. My mom is gone again. I sit upright and Azan's eyes shoot open, his eyebrows knitting together.

I lay back down slowly, whispering Ayat Alkursi for protection and seeking refuge in in God from the devil playboy sitting a few feet away from me. At least the door is open. I can just scream again.

He closes the door, stuffing his hands in his black denim pockets as if he read my mind. I gulp hard and turn my head the other way: maybe I can get him to believe I'm still high. I try to give a chuckle but I buckle and draw my limbs close as he approaches, standing like a shadow over me in his crispy, expensive black clothes.

He leans his elbows on the bed, takes his phone out and shows me a video of my mom shaking me while I give off a list of my favorite male anime characters.

"Who the hell is Edward Elric? Roy Mustang?" he glares. I gulp hard. "Your mother called me your husband and you give this long ass list of men who are already your husbands." He cocks his eyebrows up. "How many guys are you dating?"

"Dating?"

"Who are they?!" he says through barred teeth.

I just gape at him because I don't know if this is the right situation to laugh in. Will he laugh if I show him who these characters are or will he sneer and look down on me? I decide it's definitely the latter and shake my head. "I-I don't know who these people are...."

A light knock snaps us out of our argument and the door opens. Kate is standing there with Toki. He's facing the other way. For a long time, I assume he's looking at something but when Kate comes in and he waits outside, I realize he won't look or come in because he's respecting the fact that I might not be wearing a headscarf — my hijab! Where is it?

Toki catches Kate by the backpack without glancing in and tugs her out when he hears Azan's voice.

"Hey," Azan accosts Toki. "Are you one of her husbands?" My face burns red and I hold my breath. That husband list was started when I first got into anime and Toki had definitely been on it at one time. He put himself at the top of it jokingly.

"Do you not come with manners?" Kate grimaces.

"Shut up, jock," Azan sneers at her.

Toki steps between them and divert's Azan's prying gaze off her. "I dare you to talk to her like that again," he warns.

Azan scoffs and squints his eyes at him but he doesn't say another word to Kate. "Is she your ex? Is that why you tricked me into getting with her?"

"I didn't trick you into anything," Toki snarls before Kate can respond. "If you don't like her, leave her alone."

"Who's Edward Elric? Is he one of your friends?"

"I—what?"

"What about Roy Mustang? They got stupid names like yours. Who are they?"

Toki covers his mouth, wipes the laughter away and folds his arms over his chest. "Why are you asking?"

"I'll tell you!" I cry, melting with embarrassment. "I'll tell you, Azan! He has nothing to do with it!"

"She said they were her husbands," Azan snaps. Toki and Kate start to laugh and I lay my bed all the way down, bring the bed sheet over my head and die of embarrassment. "What the hell is so funny?"