Delusions of the Innocent | ✓

[10]

Amara's POV

"Beena, could you care to explain what Amara's saying?" Zoya crosses her arms over her chest.

"Guys... it's not big deal. Turns out, I don't really have a crush on him, like I don't want to marry him one day. I just wanted him." Beena looks at us nervously.

"What does that even mean?" Dina asks.

"Everyone says that Peter is a rite of passage and I don't know... that just makes me want to crave his attention and approval." Beena shrugs her shoulders.

This is absolutely part of Beena's destructive behaviour.

"Beena, you stupid girl! You don't need the attention or approval of some man to make you feel better!" I smack the back of her head lightly.

"Ow!" She pouts.

I shake my head. "What are we going to do with you?"

Beena throws her arms around me and starts giggling. "Nothing because you love me just the way I am."

This woman can seriously finesse her way into making me forget what I was angry about.

Dina and Zoya sigh simultaneously.

"You really need to fall for someone who's stable and will love you exclusively and unconditionally." Zoya pats Beena's head.

Dina nods her head. "You deserve the world, Beena. Always remember that you do not ever have to settle for less."

Zoya and and Dina's words really settled into my heart and I can tell that Beena feels their words emotionally as well because she looks like she's about to burst into tears.

On the other hand, I think that I'm being mocked for crushing on Peter. I try not to smile at their underlying message for me.

"Same with you, Amara." Zoya's words catch me off-guard.

"But Munir seems like a great guy..." Beena says.

I look at Beena, confused at first. "I don't like Mu-- " I see Zoya and Dina looking at me with wide eyes. "Oh, I mean, it's just a crush. Besides, Beena's right. Munir's a great guy; stable and all, I think."

I wanted to tell Beena about my crush on Peter so badly but something in me keeps stopping me from going any further. I've never hid anything from these girls in my lifetime of being best friends with them. It's killing me on the inside.

You'd think that of all the times I've seen characters in shows or movies hiding certain things from their best friends, which always end in a disaster, that I couldn't possibly behave like those dumb them. But here I am, struggling to tell Beena the truth.

"So... What do you guys think about going to Daamir's party tomorrow?" Beena slips it into our conversation.

"No way! People are thinking I'm sleeping with him, Ya Allah!" I yell in frustration.

The three girls look at me in absolute shock.

"Why would people—" Zoya starts.

Beena stands up abruptly, cutting off Zoya's words. "Who the fuck do I have to beat up for these disgusting rumours?"

"No one! Sit down, Beena. It was my mistake." I wave at her to calm down. "I was reading Nama'az in one of the vacant rooms but the moment I finished, Daamir and some girl walked in all over each other, so I walked out." Then, I explain how a little bit after I left, he also left, making it look like an odd situation.