Nomads

Chapter 30

Amir had no idea what he was doing here.

Sarah had texted everyone but Luca in a group chat and told them to come to their 'secret hideout' after school, which was just a small classroom in the arts wing that was now used for storage.

He was the first one to arrive, and he was currently contemplating whether or not he should just leave before anyone else got there. He hadn't talked to anyone over the weekend, aside from a long text conversation with Mara about the scene his friends had caused in the diner.

Thinking back on the conversation, he once again felt his chest tighten inexplicably. That girl was so... Forgiving. And kind. It astounded him. Every time they talked, all of her kindness, her grace, and her selflessness boiled down to her faith. It was so admirable.

He had never experienced being around someone who was so convinced of their religion who wasn't also judgmental and hypocritical. He really admired her and wished he could be so confident about his beliefs. 

He really only called himself Muslim to make his dad happy. Not that he could really imagine believing anything else; he'd grown up in it. He never looked into other religions, never dug deep into Islam, never even really thought about it until she blew into his life in a whirlwind of compassion and kindness and respect. She respected him, which, albeit unknowingly, none of his other friends had ever really done until recently.

Maybe he should start taking his beliefs more seriously. It must feel nice to be that passionate about something...

All of a sudden the door burst open to reveal Mason and Julia, effectively snapping Amir out of his thoughts.

Following the bickering duo into the room was Maggie, and upon noticing Amir, she sent him a hesitant wave. The other two noticed him shortly after and offered awkward greetings.

They clearly felt guilty about what they did to Mara, and because they knew he was her friend, they were unsure of how to interact with him.

"Why do you think Sarah called us here?" Maggie pondered aloud, trying to start a conversation.

"You don't think she has some plan to try to split Naomi and Luke up, do you?" Julia asked.

"She wouldn't have asked me to be here if that were the case, right?" Amir offered. "Since, you know, I think she's good for him."

"I don't disagree, per se, but Sarah has liked Luke since elementary school, and she was my friend before Luke was. I gotta be loyal to her."

"I understand that, Jules, but that doesn't change the fact that you guys went way past being loyal to Sarah by criticizing one of Mara's biggest insecurities."

"Did you know that she had all those scars?" asked Maggie.

"I didn't, because I never asked her about it. I didn't want to make her feel like she was being interrogated whenever we were hanging out." Amir sighed, thinking back on their recent conversations. "I mean, we also haven't been friends for very long, either. So it just, it never came up."

"So you don't know that much about her either, then? How can you be sure she won't hurt him?" Julia pressed.

"Does anyone wanna know what I think?" Mason asked.

"Not if it's inappropriate." Julia sneered in response.

"Firstly, that comment, it hurt. Second, it's not inappropriate, so I'm going to share my two cents whether you like it or not." He stuck his tongue out at Julia who rolled her eyes, her ears turning red. "Luke and I have been friends our whole lives, and I want him to be happy. Just like I'm sure you guys do. And I honestly think he's really happy with Naomi. She has only brought out the best in him, and we haven't given her a single chance to prove herself."