INVICTUS

III

Flitting against false gods

Who wear your flayed skin

Like cloaks

By Wednesday (as I had predicted) Mrs. Wilkins became the talk of the school. You either heard about how hot she was or of the obscene graphic things they would do to her. Quite frankly I can't wait for the excitement to die down. I was sick and tired of the many 'compliments' she was receiving and I felt second-hand embarrassment every time someone wolf-whistled as she walked past. But she kept her professional facade and paid them no heed.

Out of our gang of five (from which Salih is absent), Amrinder was the only other one who didn't derive any joy or pleasure from seeing her. Then again I had long ago decided he was an immortal god who simply couldn't feel these base, earthly yearnings, that or he hid it very well.

The four of us, James, Seth, Amrinder and I, were walking past the carpark when all of a sudden we heard someone call out to us.

"Do you boys mind helping me with these boxes." It was Mrs. Wilkins.

"Sorry," says Amrinder. "I have a bus to catch. See ya all tomorrow."

She looks expectantly at us.

"Sure," I say, my voice followed by a chorus "Yes" and "Absolutely" from Seth and James.

She gave us a smile and gestured to the back of her car. Where four or so heavy boxes sat. We took up one each and made our way to the Social Sciences storeroom. I ended up walking beside her. Occasionally her arms brushed up against mine.

Finally, we arrived at the storeroom.

"Where would you like us to put them?" Asks James stopping at the door of the storeroom.

She seemed to be visibly struggling with handling the keys and the box at the same time, so she didn't give an answer.

"Would you like me to do that?" I ask.

She gives me a grateful smile and passes me the keys, her fingers clasping my own for a little before eventually, they left. James shoots me a look. I know he regrets not choosing to help. I open the door and place the keys in my pocket.

Once we're in we placed the boxes in their rightful shelves, I feel a hand at my hip. I turn to see Mrs. Wilkins her hands in my pocket.

"Keys." She says as a way of explanation taking them out.

Could you have bloody asked? I thought. But before I could say anything we were rushed out. She locked the door and thanked us for our help before walking away.

"I wish I had taken the keys instead." Murmured James.

Gross. I wanted to say.

~~~

I was trying to work my way through Calculus, slowly feeling the neurons in my brain connect as I managed to figure out the new concepts and what not. Math would have been an interesting discipline if it wasn't enforced upon us. They keep saying that we'd need it in real life. But I don't see how finding the gradient of the tangent of the curve could actually help me when I start working.

That was when my phone starts ringing.

"I know you love me Salih but I'm trying to study," I tell him.

"Yeah whatever," He says. "Okay but you know how I said that I wasn't allowed to tell about why we're Dubai?"

"Yes."

"I'm allowed to tell now, Raihana is getting married."

I felt the sudden urge to scream with joy, but I held it down and smiled.

"Tell Raihana I say congrats!" I say.

"Hey, Rai!" Calls Salih. "Rhys says congrats."

I hear a muffled voice throughout the receiver, who I could only assume was Raihana.

"She says thanks," Salih informs. "Aren't you jealous?"

I laugh remembering a time when we were seven years old. Salih's older cousin had been married, and he'd been upset because she had to spend so much time with her in-laws and hardly any time with him. She had been his favorite cousin. He told me that when we both got married we probably would never see each other again.

I almost started crying. I couldn't bear the thought of him not being there for the rest of my life. So I announced my intention to marry Raihana, so I could stay with his family.

"Yeah Nah." I tell him. "So who is he?"

"Mustafa Tariq. He's a top-notch lawyer."

"Instagram?"

"@mufasatttttttt"

So I open up my laptop and search him.

"Shit..." I breathe as my eyes fall on the dude in the photos.

He was buff. Like proper massive. He looked photoshopped, but his gym videos prove otherwise.

"He looks kinda scary," I admit.

"He's a big softie." Says Salih. "You'll love him."

"Where's the wedding going to be?"

"Here. Mustafa is moving here."

"Can I be the maid of honor?"

"Hey Rai, Rhys wants to be your maid of honour."

The muffled voice spoke out again.

"Raihana says yes, as long as you can pull the dress off."

"Like strip in the middle of the wedding?"

"No you complete dumbass!" He exclaims through laughter.

~~~

Lemme know what you think.

- Alekos P.