Negina | ✔️

Chapter eighteen: "You'll figure out anyways"

I remember when I told you. I don't wanna control you. I just wanna hold you.
-Adam Saleh
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Ten year old, Khalid stares as the beautiful girl dances next to the other girls. His best friend, Madina. It was her ninth birthday today, and Khalid got her a special present. A best friend necklace. He loved her, he knew Madina for five years now. Ever since their first meet Khalid has fallen in love with her.

Madina's brown locks of hair flow so beautifully in the wind as she dances with her friends. Her hazel eyes, so deep that Khalid could drown in them. Her lips were pink with fresh lip gloss applied on them.

"Come dance with me, Khalid!" Madina squeals out in her high pitched ten year old voice. Khalid, having nothing else to do, follows her to the dance floor where other boys and girls join them as their moms record them non-stop.

Khalid making up his mind, he slowly leaves he dancing and walks over to where his father and Madina's were sitting, playing some game of cards with the other uncles. He slowly walks over to his father and his whispers in his ear,

"Dad, I want to marry her." He states clearly. Yosef chuckles out loud earning everyone else's attention.

"You see, Mohammad, my son here wants to marry your daughter." He chuckles heartily. Madina's father joins him and takes the cigarette out of his mouth.

"Shall my daughter and your son get married?" Mohammad chuckles at the two children.

"Alright, we'll see each other, then." Yosef adds.

The two men shake their hands to seal the promise. That was where it all started...

Khalid sits starting at his fiancé and thinking of what would happen if he did get married to Madina. She would've been his wife and not sister in-law. He shakes the though out of his head and smiles at Negina.

"Tell me about yourself. What's your story?" Negina asks. Yet again she scolds herself for the stupidest question in the world. Khalid shakes his head, chuckles, and answers, "I don't have a story."

Negina raises her eyebrow, "what do you mean you don't have a story. Everyone has a story."

"Tell me yours then." He offers.

"Where do I start?" Negina asks nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Regretting even bringing up this topic. 

"Why don't we start at high school." Khalid suggests. Negina nods thinking for a few minutes before replying.

"Before I start; promise you won't judge, okay?"

"I promise." Khalid says holding out his hands for Negina to make sure he's not crossing his fingers.

She exhales a breath before proceeding, "High school weren't the easiest years of my life. Girls wore makeup and shorts and crop tops. While me, I was there wearing jackets to cover my body. I felt as if people would judge me, that if a little bit of the real me showed, then I'd get laughed at. My parents are against make up until you graduate high school, because before that they think it's unnecessary, so don't even get me stared on that."

"I see where your going with this." Khalid says nodding his head.

"But before that all happened, in sixth grade we went to a camp trip. One night my best friend, Emily, came to me and she said, "Hayden wants to make out with you, he'll be waiting for you at midnight at their cabin." So I though that since she since she's best friend, she wouldn't lie to me. So I did the stupidest thing and went to Hayden's cabin at midnight."