Her Encounter | Islamic Story

Chapter 8 ✓

"SURPRISE!"

I heard choruses from an all too ecstatic crowd as I stood in the doorframe. Adrian, Mantella, Harry, Joe, Rachael, and Stella were standing in front of me. Of all the possibilities, this wasn't even the last one I had thought of. I had even forgotten that it was my birthday.

Before I regained my senses, I heard another united, "Happy Birthday Denae."

I let out a sigh and my mind calmed because having them here was way better than the people who wished to kill me.

After all those months of me ignoring them, hating them, no, not hating them, declaring my hate towards them, being the worst of me, accusing them but still; here they were, standing before me.

All of them were looking at my bewildered expression with excitement, probably hoping against hope that my incredulity meant a nice attitude from me after all this time but what they got from me was nothing I had expected and nothing they had expected.

"Didn't I tell you to stop bothering me?" I said with gritted teeth, replacing my incredulity with anger.

"Denae, please don't do this. We just want to help," Stella said who was holding a big wrapped box and like the rest of them was wearing a party hat and a ping pong on the nose, not much surprise in that. Her black hairs were tied in a ponytail.

"Yeah, D. We've been worrying a lot about you. Just let us in." That was Joe who happened to be Stella's boyfriend.

The rest of them nodded their heads. I could feel worry radiating off of them, and my heart ached to let them in. I was in a fix: either I let them in and become the person I've been trying to kill or I turn my back on them and become the evil that I shouldn't be.

"I'm sorry you guys! But what's been said has been said. You can now move your asses and let me rest in peace!"

"Please Denae, please," Joe pleaded.

"This pleading won't get you anywhere! Just shut the fuck up and get the hell out of here!"

Adrian, who was holding a large sized chocolate fountain cake with strawberries laden on it, which happened to be my favourite, looked at me and said, "Denae, we are not going anywhere until you talk to us. We aren't here to make things worse for you but to help you. You have to l---"

There was a loud slam for I had just shut the door on Adrian's face.

'I have shut the door on Adrian's face!' I repeated in my head. I felt a pang in my heart. Adrian had come even after that incidence in Biology's class. The realization made my heart ache further.

I heard low whispers outside, they were probably leaving. I sat at the same spot, thinking and holding back the tears that were threatening to betray me. I was so getting fucked up. I needed relief, some comfort. This wasn't who I was.

"Denae, open the door please."

So, they hadn't left.

"Leave, please. I can't...I just can't face any of you, neither do I want to."

"It's just me here. I've sent the rest away," Adrian replied.

"Go Adrian." My words were a mere whisper.

"Denae please just let me in. Not me, then Mantella, not her then anyone else, but please someone. Just come back." I could hear the pain in his voice which hurt badly.

"No." Again the whisper.

"Please D, this alienation won't get you anywhere. Listen, if you want I can just stand by you, only me, I can be a secret buddy to you. No one has to know. Just you and me."