Chapter 17

"Enjoy then, you're acting more and more like a sl*t everyday. Congratulations." I clapped for her in sarcasm before leaving the bathroom.

I typed as quickly as I could whilst hiding behind the school's hallway entrance door, I clicked on S3ood and started typing my DM.

Shoug: S3ood, don't follow back Nwaira Al-X. I'll promise to explain once I'm back home, just don't follow her!

Finally, the rang bell and it signaled that it was time to go to my Maths lesson. I never was this excited to attend my Maths lesson before. I needed to speak to Lulu and Fajer about Nour.

I dumped my History textbook into my bag and hurried outside the class, not bothering to walk Basma to her next lesson, she was busy talking to the teacher anyway.


I walked into our Maths class and as usual, our Maths teacher was late. A few of the boys were sprawled on their chairs, chatting in their booming voices, silencing the gossips of the girls who were gathered in the corner of the classroom, but there was no sign of Fajer and Lulu anywhere.

Dalal was hurrying towards me, her face full of panic.

"Dalal, shfeech?" I looked at her, worried.

"Shoug, umbey, lazim tiyeen m3ay. AL7EEN!" Dalal grabbed my arm and pulled me along, guiding me to the girl's bathroom.

"Dalal, sh9ar?!" I panicked too, Dalal crouched down to check if there was anyone in any of the cubicle bathrooms. Once she found no one, she stood back up and came up to me.

"I need help, promise me you'll never, ever tell anyone! I trust you on this." Dalal's eyes kept looking back at the girl's bathroom door, checking if anyone was about to come in.

"Eeh, I promise! Yalla goulaaay, ga3da etkhar3eeny!"

"Adre Nour your cousin, walla I'm not being rude or anything.. Please believe me over her, I'm not lying about this!" Dalal's hands grabbed my shoulder as her eyes became intense.

"Dalal spit it out, walla ba9edgich." I assured her.

"Okay okay, please forgive me. I never told you about this guy I liked but Nour's been sending him DMs about me on twitter, telling him lies about me. Now he won't reply to me on twitter and he just unfollowed me." My eyes nearly bulged out once I heard her words. What the hell is this girl trying to do?

"Digeega, shdarach ena Nour gamet etgoul hal ashya2 to this guy you like?" I asked. Dalal seemed a bit hesitant at first, she shifted her eyes down to the ground, looking ashamed.

"L2ana galet 3ani ga7** w Mish3al, screen captured it for proof. That's before he unfollowed me, ma ri'9a yi9adegny!" Dalal's hands began to shake, "I just found this out in Chemistry when I checked if I got any DMs men Mish3al..."

"Dalal, calm down, okay? Ana bakelemha." I took her hands in mine and squeezed them, her palms felt sweaty but cold. She wouldn't stop shaking, I could see the tears forming in her eyes. "Dalal, allah yikhaleech la tabcheen! I promise you I'll fix this, okay? G3day ghasley wayhich, ana brou7 agool 7ag Mr Ferdins ri7tay 3nd el nurse."

Dalal nodded and I looked at her again, giving her a reassuring hug before leaving the bathroom. That b*tch was going to pay.

"Shoug, decided to attend the lesson now?" The teacher asked with an attitude. I heard Nour smirk, I noticed she took my place in the front row of the classroom. There were three tables where me, Fajer and Lulu sat. Lulu looked helpless, she mouthed a "Sorry".  I decided to take the seat that was next to Dalal's, the girl who sat besides her was absent.

"I was helping Dalal to the nurse sir, sorry." I got out my Maths books and sighed, I guess the talk with the Lulu and Fajer had to wait.

The lesson was dull, Dalal showed up to the lesson after 30 minutes, her eyes were a light shade of pink. It wasn't obvious that she was crying 30 mins ago until you sat right next to her and noticed  that there were tiny droplets of tears resting above her long dark eyelashes.


I swear, when the bell rang, I heard the song "hallelujah" play in my head. I collected my things and made my way to Nour, I rested my hand over her arm and smiled lovingly at her.

"Nwaira, 3adi akelmich digega? 3an el zwara this week," I asked in a sweet tone, Nour looked surprised at my approach.

"Eeh, akeed Shougo!" Nour gave me a big smile, Lulu gave me a weird look, I nodded at her signaling that I'd talk to her later. She nodded back before ushering the rest of the girls out of the classroom, giving me and Nour alone time.

"So, what's up?" Nour asked happily, she had bought the fake act.

"So, I'm guessing you still didn't send Ali those real pictures of you?" I asked easily, her expression shifted and her smile melted.

"Maybe I did, you don't know," she kept blinking, I knew Nour for years and years, I knew that meant that she was lying.

"Ana mu ghabeya, ma dazeiteela shay." I stated, "Listen, that's your business but if you get into my friend's business then it's war. Either you stop sending Mesh3al those lies about Dalal or I'll send Ali a DM that will make him very angry. I've known Ali for long to know that he has an eye for pretty girls, it's your choice." I shrugged, I was willing to blackmail her for Dalal's sake, the image of her shaking and her panicked expression wouldn't leave my mind.

"Ana? Adiz Mesh3al DMs? A9lan mnu Mesh3al?" Nour's eyes kept blinking.

"Agoul, besich chithb. Ali's account isn't private, that DM could be sent easily. Just remember that, yalla bye." I left her before she could utter another word, Dalal was downstairs by the playground with Lulu and Fajer, waiting for me.

Three of the girls waved me over and Lulu grabbed me by my arm, "Sh9ar?!" I looked at Dalal's pleading eyes, she hadn't told the rest of the group. Dalal was the type of girl that never talked to a guy in a flirtatious way, she practically hated all the boys in school. This was probably her first crush ever.  And I wasn't about to tell them about Nour's fake pictures, like I said, that was her business.

"I was telling her that I wasn't going to give her a proper tour, she was going to find another person for that because..." And then I told them everything. How she and Ali had betrayed me. I included every last detail and watched their expressions turned from shock, anger to sadness.

"Shoug! Laish ma gilteelena?" Lulu pulled me by my arm and hugged me tight.

"Eehh, chan sa3adnach!" Fajer frowned.

"Bs al7een hatha mu el mushkela, we're here for you now." Dalal smiled at me.

"Agoul laish ehya gamet tilazag feena chithe," Lulu complained, the four of us made our way outside the school. I thanked each of them and waited till Lulu and Fajer left. I stopped outside our SUV, Lisa waiting inside and turned to Dalal.

"Dalal, I took care of it. Just wait for Mesh3al's apology DM on twitter." I looked at her and she smiled in relief.

"Thank you so much! I wouldn't know what to do without you Shoug," Dalal took me in for a super tight hug, I laughed.

"Dalal, shway shway 3lay! I can't breathe," I made a fake suffocating noise. Dalal quickly let go of me and smacked my arm playfully.

"Khara3teeny!" She laughed.

"9aida, yalla I'm going. See you tomorrow." I smiled at her before getting into the SUV.

"Good day at skoowl Shoug?" Lisa-Anne asked, I nodded and widened my smile. My smile faded as I remembered something.

S3OOD!

Logging into my twitter quickly, I searched for my DM box. I sighed in relief and felt a smile play on my lips as I read the words.

S3ood: If you haven't figured out yet, you're the only girl I'm following in my following list. I'm not about to change that. ;p