Chapter 8

    I wasn’t able to talk to Manal the whole day, so I had enough time to think about the whole thing during and between classes. I couldn’t understand her, we just officially met each other, and that was the second real conversation we have with each other, so what gives her the right to speak to me like that? Why does it matter to her if I smoke? She said herself that a lot of guys smoke at our school! Besides, when did it become appropriate to talk to someone you just became friends with like that, and treat them this way

   I looked for her afterschool so we could talk or shout about all of this. When I saw her, I could tell just by her fast pace, and the way she wrapped her arms tight around her books that she was still upset, “Manal, wait!” when she turned around, all my anger washed away. She looked very crossed and her face begged for answers, “I’m sorry.” The words just slipped out of my mouth. I didn’t plan on apologizing to her; in fact I was looking for an apology from her.

    Her face expression changed, she actually smiled for a second, but then forced that smile off her face, “I thought you were a decent guy, but it doesn’t matter now so just tell me the truth about the cigarettes.”

    I motioned her to follow me towards the library, because I knew I wouldn’t find the guys there, “I’ll tell you the truth, but you have to promise to never speak to me in public again, and to never tell anyone about this.” I said quietly, remembering Faris’s words, ‘Now your new girlfriend knows? It's okay, don't worry about her we'll fix that problem’. He could hurt her, or constantly threaten her if she ever even thinks about making the situation between us two and the cigarettes go public. He couldn’t afford anyone knowing about me smoking, because if more people find out about me, they could find out about him and the rest, and believe it or not, their families’ reputation is pretty good here.

    “Go on…” she said, her eyes not meeting mine.

    “I only started smoking because I thought it would help the pain I got from my Mom’s death, but it didn’t help. Now I just smoke because I cant stop, and these cigarettes were given to me by Faisal, and I actually forgot about them.”

    “Now was that so hard to say?” She smiled.

    “So all is forgiven and forgotten?”

    “Ask me that question when you stop for good.”

    After Manal left, I went behind the school to smoke, and luckily no one was there. I got the box that Manal found, but when I opened the box, I found that she ruined all the cigarettes, but one when she stepped on the box. I lit up the cigarette and started remembering the girl with the dark green eyes. I always do that, when I live a perfect moment, I always tend to imagine what could have happened after, if I just said something instead of sitting there like an idiot. I could have at least said thank you, maybe we would have talked a little, became really good friends, and then who knows, we might have even get married someday, but I will never know her, because I probably wont see her again. I know it’s stupid to even think about marrying a girl I don’t know, but it’s not like I really mean it, it’s just a story I make up in my mind to kill time.

    “You know I’m really bored right now.” Said a familiar, deep voice.

    “Yeah, me too.” Replied another voice.

    “What do you think we should do?”

    “Well, I have always been a fan of teaching; how about we teach that boy with the cigarette over there a lesson.”

    When I turned around, I was stunned to see Faisal and Fahad. I got up to my feet as fast as possible, but I had nowhere to go but through them. I took a couple of steps back to think of a way out.

    “You should have never left us like that.” Said Fahad grimly, “You know, my fist really misses that pretty face of yours.” He continued.

    “Since when did you start flirting with boys?” Said Faisal to Fahad.

    Knowing that a short fight is going to start between them, I took that chance to grab the disconnected pipe, and to use it as a weapon. However, the moment my fingertips made contact with the pipe, Faisal’s foot was already moving at high speed across my jaw, making me roll over to the school’s wall. I gradually picked myself up, and stood in a fighting stance. Fahad swung the pipe, but missed me, so I moved fast and caught him with a jab on his nose. I tried sealing that moment, and ran, but Faisal was too alert, and tackled me onto the ground.

    “Leave him, he’s mine now!” Said Fahad, as he wiped his blood with his left sleeve.

    He approached me slowly, and picked me off the ground with one hand. When I was on both feet, I swung a right hook, forcing him to let me go, but Faisal was there again to stop me from running away. He held me from the back, and paralyzed my whole body. Then Fahad faced me with a devilish smile, and dug the pipe into my stomach as hard as could, which made me drop to my knees. I started coughing out blood now; my brain couldn’t find a way out, “Please, I won’t tell.” I forced the words out.

    “Let’s go, he got the message.” Said Faisal, pulling Fahad away.

    “Just one more thing.” He said, as he hit the tip of the pipe on the ground a couple of times.

    “He had enough, lets go!” Faisal pulled Fahad even harder, forcing his feet to move.

    “Let me go!” Fahad dropped the pipe and pushed Faisal onto the ground. Then he picked the pipe again, and wrapped his hands around it as if he was holding baseball bat, “This is for almost breaking my nose!” He swung the pipe onto my head, my head hit the floor hard as it went down, and everything went blank.

    Malak’s perspective

    Faisal kicked the door of the abandoned house open, as Fahad came running in behind him, “He’s knocked out!” Barked Faisal breathlessly.

    “He’s fine, he is probably on his way home right now!” Shouted Fahad at Faisal.

    “No! You probably killed him!” Faisal replied, his eyes almost as red as fahads’.

    “I did not, he is fine!”

    “What happened?” Shouted Faris, demanding a straight answer.

    “We just did as you told us to; we made sure Abdulrahamn wouldn’t say anything.” Replied Fahad.

    “So you killed him? What did you do to him?” I demanded.

    “It was Fahad – he hit Abdulrahman with a pipe on his head, and now Abdulrahman won’t wake up!” Said Faisal to Faris, and ignoring me presents.

    “You said if I stay with you, and ignored him, that you wouldn’t harm him!” I cried.

    “Malak, shut up!” Said Faris, “Now where is he?” Faris continued.

    “We didn’t know what do to, so we just left him.” Said Faisal.

    “You are supposed to be the responsible one, Fahad! Did anyone see you guys?” Barked Faris.

    “No, no one saw us.” Murmured Fahad.

    “What are we going to do about it?” Whispered Faisal.

    “Well, you guys are going back to the school and make sure you didn’t leave any evidence that will get you caught, and pray that he doesn’t say anything.” Ordered Firas, and then he faced me, “And you, if you say anything to anyone about this, you’ll wish you were in that boy’s place!”

    I swallowed hard, my eyes were filled with fear, “I won’t say anything, I swear.”

    “Get the hell out, I need to think of a way to fix all of this.”

    The moment I left the house, I ran to Abdulrahman’s home. When I got there, I rang the doorbell at least five times, but no one answered. I picked up my phone and called him. On the forth ring, I heard his sister’s voice, Maryam, at the other end of the line, “Malak, Abdulrahman was found knocked out on the school’s ground, and he is at the hospital right now.” She said with a teary voice, and hung up the phone immediately.

   

    When I got to the hospital, only Maryam and her Father were there by his bedside. I walked into the room with startled eyes at the sight of my best friend having wires all over his body, bandages around his head and an oxygen mask over his face. Maryam rose from her chair, and wrapped her arms around my frozen body, “A teacher found him, and he was brought here immediately. The doctor said he has severed damage in his abdominal, and his skull. He doesn’t know when my brother will wake up…. The doctor doesn’t know even know if Haman will ever wake up.” She whispered, her tears that were dropping on my shoulder like rain, forced her voice to break every couple of seconds.