Opposites Attract.

Chapter 6 - "Goodbye, my love"

"Goodbye, My Love"

Mariam's POV:

A month has passed since my picture appeared in the newspaper. I was ashamed, I was angry but I was still in love with Daniel James - that I was completely sure of. My father and mother were not speaking to me. My brother Jamal gave me awkward glances and Amira appeared sympathetic yet confused as to how this could ever happen to me.

I was the good girl. The girl who went to college and straight back. The girl who didn't interact with boys. The girl who used to make her mother proud. But all of that? Mariam thought, chuckling to herself was like years ago. A past life. Her reputation was ruined but she still couldn't bring herself to blame Danny. Her love for him was too strong yet too painful.

I clutched my chest and began weeping for the third time that day and looked around at my surroundings of her room that I would miss more than anything in the world.

My bags were packed, my flight ticket was in my hand and I was on the way to university. Except, it was no longer in the UK. I was going to live in America with Hassan's grandma - Yasmin. I had made the decision myself not being able to face anyone who knew me. Their judgemental looks made me race back to my small and crammed room. No-one understood my relationship with Danny and she doubted they ever would. Sorrow and despair were just two of the long lost of feelings I had experienced as soon as I walked away from Danny that day.

Amira knocked on the door with a worried expression on her face. As usual, her sister looked beautiful. Her long black hair was piled in a bun at the top of her head, dressed in shorts and a vest. Despite the September weather, the house was boililng and Amira was clearly glad there was no guests around the house so she could wear whatever she wanted.

"You ready?" she asked with a small smile.

I didn't return the smile.

"Yeah...I guess." I repeated.

This was my decision and it was time to grow up and realize that time had finally come.

What was here for me anyway? Yes, I had told Danny to forget us but I was angry and emotional and I had pushed him away. Every night I laid in bed and imagined him throwing rocks at my window, sitting with me on the porch and talking about life and anything else under the glimmering moonlight. Danny had probably moved on and I couldn't help but blame mysellf. Then, there was the other theory that she used to comfort herself. There was no life for them together anyway she repeated over and over again. They were from opposite sides of the world and the fact that his father was a prestigious and well-known politician was the cherry topping to an already disastrous situation. Amira simply sat on the floor next to me, held my hand and said nothing. My sister & I were never close but I was now glad for the closer relationship that we now acquired. Amira was not only a sister anymore but a friend. It was almost as though my sister was in tune with my thoughts.

Amira was now engaged  to Ahmed and was getting married next year. I felt a tinge of jealousy in my stomach. If I had the opportunity, would I rewind back a few months ago? change everything that happend? but as much as I wanted to - I didn't regret Danny. What I had with Danny was more than just a summer crush or romance - we were in love.

I smiled at my sister and she had a melancholic expression on her face "I'll miss you, Mariam." she said sadly and hugged me as tightly as possible. It was almost as though she was trying to remember every detail about me. The look of my eyes, my laugh and the smell of my hair then she finally let go and smiled with tears in her eyes "Come on, let's go."

Ten minutes later, I was in a black taxi with my sister on the way to the airport. I took in the scenery around me almost trying to take it in as I wasn't going to return for a while. The bustling city looked inviting with several couples walking hand in hand and rushed by. The cinema, sports stadium and flyover made my heart ache. I glanced over at the train station and she saw the friendly man who played the guitar waving at her and I smiled back warmly. All of this - I would miss. 

It was my home, but it was time to find a new one. Yasmin was a lovely woman and was glad to take care of me when I had called her a few weeks ago. Hassan was ecstatic about the idea and had decided to move there to study at UCLA with me. I wasn't going to lie, I was not happy about living under the same roof as Hassan but there was no way to get rid of him if I was living with his grandma.

Finally arriving at the airport, I checked in and got my boarding pass saying a very emotional goodbye to my beautiful sister. The security checks took almost over an hour but to me, it flew by and before I knew it - I had boarded the plane to Los Angeles, California.