The Books Don't Feed Me Lies Like The People Do

Three Word Letters

Dear Sabi,

I remember when you first moved here from California. You had your earbuds in, and you looked kinda scared. Of course Janel pounced on you, naturally. All the popular girls stared at you with distaste and loathing. Just because you looked a little different. I never thought much of it honestly.

I remember the first day you walked into the lunch room. Earbuds in, World off. You ate all by yourself that day. Janel would come to join you the next few days, trying to get you to conform to everyone else here. To fall under one category. Of course you still don't though. That's part of the beauty.

I don't quite remember it all. Just bits and pieces. The first day I met you, we were in Social Studies, and we had to pick a partner. Everyone gave that one look to their friend, that said  we're partners and of course, Dan looked at me, and I couldn't help but think about you. I decided that I would try to reach out. Knowing it would probably come back to bite me in some way, shape or form. Which it totally did.

"Hey, do you want to be my partner?" I asked, I was pretty sure I was blushing at the time.

The best thing is you didn't even notice me in front of your desk in the very front of the poorly lit room.

"What? Sorry, I couldn't hear you. I was reading," You said. I don't remember what book, all I remember is not knowing of it very well.

"Did you want to be my partner?"

"Oh, sure, I guess..."

"Sammie..? Right?"

"Sabi."

"How do you say it again?"

"Sabi. Saw-bee. What's your name, if I may ask?"

"Noah."

"Noman?"

"Noah."

"No, I know. I was just messing with you. You know, I speak English."

I was shocked by this, because I didn't imagine anyone giving you a hard time about having a darker skin tone. At the time, I had no idea you were of Arabian decent. Or that you write in Arabic. If anything, I would've thought you were of Mexican decent by your skin. That taught me not to judge a book by it's cover.

"I-I know... Sorry... I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry about it, it happens all the time. Even back in California." You gave me a sad look, almost like you felt sorry for my lack of knowledge. Then we pulled out our books and worked out whatever worksheet the teacher gave us... What was his name... Gosh, I don't remember.

After that first encounter, I didn't think much of you. I did my part to help you get to know people... Right? No. And it haunts me every day.

I was going to my locker, which was probably like twenty feet from the lunch room. And what does Steven do?  He goes right up to you and says something in Arabic. He sneers at you, and makes a clearly fake sad face. Stupid football players, they don't know anything.

You were just unpacking your stuff, that's all, and one of Steven's 'friends' pushes you closer to your locker, but it was still shoving you against the locker in my eyes.

All because that day you decided to wear a royal blue and black sari... And I wish you still did. I wish you weren't ashamed of that day anymore.

What did I do that day? I watched like the coward I was. Dan kept trying to get me to go to lunch, but I wouldn't. I wanted to walk with you. I wanted to sit with you. I wanted everything to do with you. Of course you have no interest in me, and I don't blame you. Letting you get bullied by football players is a strange way of saying 'I love you.'