HER CRUSH

Chapter13

Abdullah..
"I came back from school yesterday and, to say the least, I caught a cold.  my bonding with Zara is becoming stronger; the girl is really nice and friendly. And Asma, she traveled to Dubai with her family. I just called her now, telling her that I'm going to Kaduna tomorrow. She seems mad at me, but I told her that she's just a friend of mine. We talked for some hours, and I started feeling sleepy.

Sufyan and I returned together, but he left a few minutes ago. I have no idea where he went. We had a minor disagreement  typical us. Sufyan's like me; he gets possessive when someone he cares about is close to someone else. He's jealous, and it sparks a fight whenever I call Zarah my best friend. I often do it intentionally to annoy him, knowing it bothers him.I admitted, "I'm no better. I'd feel the same."
Closing my eyes, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep.

***

My phone's insistent ringing pierced the silence, rousing me from slumber. I ignored the call, slowly getting out of bed. A refreshing bathroom routine revived me.

"Alhamdulillah, I'm feeling better," just a lingering headache."Settling on the bed's edge, I closed my eyes, savoring the brief respite.

Opening them, I reached for my phone. Multiple missed calls flooded the screen:

- Abba (1)
- Asma (5)
- Bro (6)
- Ukhti (1)
- A new message from Zarah

"Did I oversleep?" I wondered.

The clock read 2:30 pm. I have indeed overslept!

My growling stomach suddenly made sense. I thought it was noon.

"Bro" flashed on the caller ID again. I answered.

"Hey, bro..."

He took a deep breath, pause.

There's a silence before I spoke, "What's with you and calling me?" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "We just slept in the same house, and I've seen you today."

He started to explain, "I just went somewhere and..." but I cut the call before he continue. "He's not serious at all,"

I called my sister and Asma, but I didn't call my father because we have issues with him, and I knew there is something behind his call. Lastly, I checked Zarah's message, "Hey, how's your health? I hope you're feeling much better now." I smiled, replying, "Alhamdulillah, I'm feeling much better now! Thank you."

After that, I took a bath, slipped into black jeans and a white shirt, and put on my hoodie. I slid my legs into my sleepers and shoved my phone into the pocket of my jeans. Then, I made my way to Ummi's part of the house, where I spotted her sitting on the couch with my sister.

After exchanging greetings, my mother and sister asked about my health, and I reassured them, "I'm feeling better." I then headed to the dining area to grab some lunch.

As I sat down, I mentioned to my mother, "

Ummi, I'm going to Kaduna tomorrow." My sister's curiosity was piqued, and she asked,

What's the plan there?"

, "I'm meeting a friend." I replied

, "Come on, Akhi, tell the truth! You're going to meet your girlfriend, right?"

"God, she's just a friend, and nothing more. Please stop teasing me about it. I'm not cheating on Asma; she's just a friend, and that's it." "Ummi, please tell her to stop; this isn't funny anymore. Even if I have a girlfriend, what's the issue? Men have the right to marry four wives, after all."