Pretending

~9~

Zahara's POV:

I drive to my house after I drop Rachel. As I walk up the stairs to my room, my hand clenches and anger takes over me. How can he do this? Can't he see I am doing this for him? He fucking hurt her. Manhandling a girl? How low can he go now? Her arms were bruised. How can he hurt a girl? I knew he is rude and a monster for everyone. He and his four friends used to bully everyone when we were young. But I thought it might have gone down now but it has only increased. He was not born like this. I have to bring him back or else I am going to lose the good side of him. He is not a monster as many people in our school think. He is not and I know it. And I swear that I will kill his monster side. I walk into my huge room and look at the amazing photos on the walls. One of them I love the most. In the photo Prince is giving me a piggy back and I have huge grin on my face as my hand tightly clung to his small neck. He had an expression where he was faking that I was heavy and it took him a lot of efforts to carry me. We were 8 at that time. I sigh as I strip out of my clothes and change into my comfortable pajama shorts and a loose baggy t-shirt. Getting under the soft sheets I tried to let sleep overcome. But I can't sleep because of the great hunger. But I am so not going down and facing my egoistical cousin brother. What he did today was wrong. He might be having his dinner down and I am not going to eat because I don't wanna see his face. A frustrated sigh escapes my mouth as another awkward growl erupts from my empty stomach. As if on cue the door of my room opens and the amazing aroma of chicken curry lingers in my nose. I sniff in the air and my mouth starts watering uncontrollably. But my sniffing is instantly cut off as I see the tall figure of my cousin heading towards my bed. He is about 6 feet or something. About 6 inches taller from me and Rachel. My eyes instantly harden and I glare at my jerk of a cousin. He sighs as he comes and sits next to me on the bed. I shift over the edge as if he is made of dirt. A look of hurt crosses his face but he immediately composes himself. Good... he should know how it feels to be hurt.

"Eat." Saying this he puts the plate of food in front of me. My eyes fall down to plate as I see the appetizing food which waited for me to devour it. Pulling my eyebrows in confusion I glance up at my cousin and my eyes instantly soften. He is looking down at me with so much care and love. He does care for me or else he wouldn't have cared if I had eaten or not. I slowly took the plate from him and started eating the delicious food. I am hungry and there is no way I am going to deny food how much ever angry I am. After finishing the appetizing food I hand the dish back to Prince. He takes the plate from my hands and stares at me. It looks like he wants to say something but is searching for the right words. I just look at him and give him a sign to tell me what he wants. He sighs and clears his throat. "Rachel is not a good girl, Zahara. Leave her. You will only get hurt and nothing else. I know the girls of her kind. They only become your friends for popularity and leave you once they get it."

I just glare at him. How dare he say that? She was the best person I had ever met. She always helped me. Just because his and his stupid friend's ego is hurt he is trying to turn against her. "Don't you dare say that about her. Don't you remember me saying that she was the one who saved me from those girls? She was the one to muster up the courage to speak to them so they could stop bullying me on the first day of my school. When I was crying, she was the one to give me a shoulder to cry on, not you." I say anger dripping from my tone.

He shook his head as if not believing me. "You really think she is that brave? For all you know she might have done it purposely. She might have used those girls against you. This all can be planned. Her coming at the time you were getting bullied and all... don't you understand?" I just look at him weirdly. What the heck is he trying to say? He groans when he sees my confused face. "You won't understand now but you will know what I mean when you start to see her true colors. Just be safe." Saying this he leaves the room.