Be kind to unkind people,

they need it the most.

Everyone tries to stifle their laughter. Violet has tears in her eyes, her body is practically covered in mud. Her so-called friends are busy scrunching their nose and laughing to themselves.

If that's how friends act, I'm glad I don't have them.

No one steps to help her.

She looks around helplessly. I step towards her, all eyes are directed towards me. I help her up, holding my hand out. Ignoring the eyes. How can people be so insensitive?

She takes my hand after a while, covering my hand with mud. I don't mind. I help her to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, she's clean. She changes into a graphic tee and some shorts, despite the cold weather. I see her shivering so I ask her if she would want my clothes, they're warmer than what she's wearing.

She declines.

Like I'd thought.

Her eyes are puffy. I turn to leave, feeling happy after helping someone.

Being kind feels good.

The busses are already packed when I come outside.

I step inside our bus and find Zayd. I pass Theo an apologetic smile, he passes me an understanding one. I'm glad I have someone like him.

I'm beyond shocked when Zayd steps out and lets me sit in the window seat. He settles next to me, the side of his body completely touching mine.

"How did you know?" I loved the window seats. Was this a guess of his?

He doesn't reply but looks at me softly. Shaking my head with a smile and look outside as the bus starts moving. I find Violet sitting next to Theo and they're talking. I swear Theo's blushing, I smile at that.

"You don't like him, do you?" Zayd grumbles, leaning forward to block Theo from my view. I notice his clenched jaws. Giggling, I lean in to kiss his clenched jaw.

"Of course I do."

"What?" His voice is so hard, a shiver runs down my spine. I again lean in to kiss his jaw.

"As a friend."

He sighs in relief.

"Good," Zayd says, leaning a little closer to me. Silently asking me to kiss his jaw again. I think he likes it. Me being me, I lean away and look outside, acting oblivious.

"My kiss," he grumbles before his hand comes to my chin and he turns my head around, sticking his jaw out. Giggling again, I lean and kiss him on his jaw once. He grumbles and glares at me. So I lean and kiss him there a couple of times. He parts his lips and shuts his eyes, sighing contently.

I smile at that.

Once I pull back, he opens his eyes and I look at his darkened blue eyes that look navy in colour. His hand pushes some strands of my hair that have come outside into my headscarf. My heart skips a beat.

I sleep the whole way back home. Zayd is the comfiest thing in the world, I swear. Despite that stone hard body of his, he was very comfortable to sleep into. My upper half was completely over his and his arm was around me, his hand over my stomach that kept running up and down. It was soothing.

I felt what they say- when I'm with him I don't just feel butterflies, I feel the whole damn zoo.

His head was resting over my head. He didn't care that people were looking our way, I felt giddy. I had thought he'd be embarrassed.

But he didn't look happy. I could feel it.

"What's wrong?" I know he won't answer.

"Nothing." See?

"Can I do something?" I ask him sleepily. He nods his head. But doesn't say anything. I wait for him to speak.

"Please don't hate me," his voice breaks at the end. I lift my head and meet his bloodshot eyes. I smile and him warmly.

"Done."

He kisses my forehead and I again close my eyes, leaning into him.

. . .

"Alya Eshaal Zaynub," my mother's eyes are red and her nose flare. See, that's where my nose flaring comes from. Flaring.. is that even a word? Sounds weird.

"I missed you too, mom," I hug her. Karim awkwardly clears his throat and leaves after putting my bag down.

My mother pushes me away. She just loves me, doesn't she?

"Why didn't you answer our calls?"

"My phone dropped inside a lake." With me.

"Lying is a sin," she says with wide eyes that are supposed to make me afraid, I guess. I walk over and kiss her cheek.

"I'm here mom, aren't I? In a single piece. Nothing to worry about. I'm going to rest a little now, mom. Super tired." I fake a yawn.

My mother shakes her head and pulls me into a hug, her facade completely crumbles. Aw, I love you too, mom. I pat her back. After our emotional welcoming, I pull back and walk inside with her, dragging the elephant of a backpack inside.

I think I can lift those dumbbells in Zayd's room now.

I decide to take a shower once I'm inside my room. So, I lock my bedroom door and walk inside the bathroom. Humming a random song, I start. I'm halfway done when I hear something outside my room, like a flop. And then a creak.

Scared as hell, I wrap a towel around me and grab my shampoo. What? I don't have anything else. Maybe I should keep a baseball bat in my bathroom too.

I hear another creak, I clearly remember that I had closed the door.

Are there robbers in my room?

Please don't let it be a jinn.

a'oodhu billaahi min al-shaytaan ir-rajeem.

I curse at myself for not bringing clothes to the bathroom, now I'm going to have to give the robbers a good show. Shaking my head, I open the bathroom door and tiptoe outside, clutching the towel close to my body. My grip on the bottle of the shampoo tightens.

Air is knocked out of my lungs when I see someone on my bed. Not just someone..

Zayd?!

Zayd sprawled on my bed, his hands folded under his head and his eyes shut.

What is Zayd doing in my room?

So I do the only natural thing to do- I scream my lungs out.

Zayd opens his eyes and I stay rooted in my place. He props himself up on his elbow and his eyes rake from my head to toe and that is when I realize I'm only in my towel that is barely covering anything.

So,

I scream again.