Le Chase Chapter 2

Sorry for the long wait, I've honestly been busy and I won't be able to post every single day, hope you understand. :/ Thanks for all the support and patience, jad I love you guys! I can't ask for better readers, hope you enjoy this chapter. :D x

And sorry if it's not that long, honestly worn out from today's long day and I couldn't think much, if I wrote more then it wouldn't have been one of my best chapters, it would be a bad one. Sam7ouny, I'll make it up to you guys soon enshallah, I can't think of anything right now. :/  (Writer's block.)

** Note: I do not pronounce the '9a or '6a as THA, it's just that I'm too lazy to put in the apostrophes and numbers together.

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-Current day, 2 years after chapter 1, 2 years after the Manal incident.-


"Thari, yalla goum." My mother's fingers dug deep into my back, trying to force me awake.

"Mhmm, yumaa." I groaned, my voice sounding deeper than usual.

"Yalla 7abeebi, abeek etwadeeny el jam3eya, el sayig emsafir, neseit?" Mom's honey toned voice filled my ears. My father was always at his office, his presence didn't exist much at home. I was the eldest of the family, I only had a younger sister, Wath7a, who was 14. I suddenly became the man of the house and that meant no more summer days sleeping till 6pm.

"Enshallah yuma." I sighed into my salty Lays chips smelling pillows, hearing my mother snicker happily to herself before shutting the door with a click. I pushed the covers off of me, staring up at my dark wallpapered ceiling. There was a paper on my lap, I looked down to grab it and I suddenly remembered that I found the note last night in my drawer.

"9a7alt w ana mlt'hif lajel a7akeeha,
9a7alt ana shaker raby 3leha fe 7ayate,
Jatne bkhabar 9damne feeha,
Janinatne hazaty kayany,
Galatle ensany w kanat mn 7ayate tabeene am7eeha,
Ma darat ena dnya bdounha ma 3ad abeeha,
Khthalny e7sasy ou hal edam3 mn 3youne,
Ou kaif Manal titrkny ketha?
Tb3d wela tfaker feene ana?
Sa2altaha, 3atabtaha,
Laih ou kaif hanet el3shra?
Galatle ana khla9 mshwary,
Ra7la w fe akher ayame,
Jalast w tkhayelt dounaha ednya kaif btkoun?
Bdoun 7obee laha wiljnoun?
Blaya 3younaha w 9outaha il7anoun?
"Laa mnty ib ra7la 3anee" 
"Wela 7ata elmout byakhthch mne!"
"Njara7 9outee wana a9ee7 w edmou3y tzeed w t6ee7.
Ma ligait il9outaha 9adaah,
Ikhtfat mne w ra7at akhr mada,
7aset bain il3alam akhfe alamy,
Lajel ma9dmhoum fkhtyary,
Kaif khalatnew tarakne l7aly..
Jany youm w 3areft,
3alamnee rabt wktasheft,
Enha mahy Manal ely knt at9wrha,
Ma 7abatne wela knt a3nee laha,
Sma3taha w shift'ha tkhoun e7sasy,
La ya rabyy mu aghla nasssy!
Shkarta eny 3araft,
9idgg mt2akhr lakny t7amdt w shkart,
Mathartaha akher mara w 6ala3taha mn kha6re,
Drt thahre w r7dt asawer ely ystahlne w astahela,
Manal 9af7a mn 7ayate wn6wat,
Ma3adne raj3laha 7ata lw bghat."

(THIS AMAZING POEM WAS WRITTEN BY @MMUTAIRY, SHE WROTE IT AFTER SHE READ CHAPTER 1. THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS! Sorry if the poem isn't full, full. I had to cut it off since when I saved it on my blackberry, kan mu wa'9i7. :/)

The words brought too many painful memories back, I hadn't remembered writing this until yesterday night when I found it in between my books, when I was trying to look for my essay paper for AUM (American University of the Middle East). I crumpled the paper into a messy knot before dumping it into the trash and hurrying into the walk in shower, letting the hot drizzling water slap my face, forcing me to forget about Manal and the horrible relationship I was in 2 years ago.

It was chilly outside, the wind occasionally visiting every now and then, causing me to shiver. I grabbed a wool grey beanie, covering my dark black hair as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My jaw had sharpened, showing off a more masculine version of my 18 year old self. I had a light stubble over my not too tan skin, my eye lashed dark eyes looking lifeless.

I pulled on a navy vest over my grey Abercrombie shirt that hugged my broad muscled shoulders, hurrying out of my room, finding my Mom still in her bedroom, too busy applying one of her colourful eyeliners around her wrinkled eyes.

"Yuma, yalla 3ad." I knocked on my mother's bedroom door, chuckling to myself.

"Digeega Thouthou!" Mom said in a sweet voice. I heard a few perfume bottles being moved around inside the bedroom, she was probably finishing off. I cringed at the nickname she named me. It was an old nickname from when I was 2 years old.

My Samsung Galaxy was vibrating in my hand. I looked down and found I had 8 Whatsapp chats open. I replied to my friends Thamer and 3abbas who I've known for more three years before sliding down to the chats I had with my girls.

Yes, my girls.

DaloulAlX: Tharii love weinik?;( I miss u.

TaibaAlX: Heey:$ t3al 360 today?

FayAlX: Tharoo, ee kaifee that's your new nickname. :::  Weinikk 7ubi? Shfeek kela nayem?:p

I clicked on each chat, not bothering to reply to any of them. They kept me busy but a part of me was ashamed of myself, I didn't want to be the Thari those girls knew when I was around my mother. A part of me regretted of how I'd become but it was me, I didn't how to change, I'd grown used to it.

Also, there was no girl that could ever become half as great as my mother.

"Yalla?" Mom gave me a wide smile, her pearl white teeth shining at me against her light skin. Her dark knotted hair had hints of white, showing off the years she had lived.

"Yuma, shfeech kashkha?" I laughed, looking at the loose dark jeans and Burberry cardigan she was wearing, which was paired with her Louis Vuitton limited edition purse.

"Bitwadeeny 360 3shan netrayag." Mom gave me a devilish smile as we both approached Dad's sky blue Bentley. He rarely used it, he left it for us. He was the kind of father that would spoil you with presents but you would never see him around, it didn't even feel like I had a father. And I didn't really mind, whenever he was around, all he did was yell.

"360? Mu tawich etgouleen btrou7een el jam3eya?" A deep laugh escaped from my lungs once we were both perched in the leather-ed Bentley. It smelled like cigarettes, my father's scent. I checked the time on my Galaxy before starting the engine of the Bentley. 10:43 am. My sister Wath7a and brother Zaid were still asleep.

"Mazaji teghayar." Mom smacked her favourite nude Mac lipstick against her thin lips as she stared at her reflection in her gold compact mirror. Mom's mood seemed good, she was usually in a bad mood these days, keeping herself busy around the house after Dad began to never show up at home.

We arrived at the 360 mall, passing the large parking areas and parking the Bentley in a secure parking space inside the parking building. I took my mother to Meat Company, her favourite restaurant. (She wasn't the eggs breakfast type.)

We found a table that was near the entrance of the restaurant, giving us a view of the mall and the cafe' Coffee Republic' in front of us. A few couples and families were scattered around, not much people were in the small mall, it felt deserted.

Once we were seated, my Galaxy wouldn't stop vibrating against my leg, annoying me. I peaked down at my phone sneakily, when Mom had her face dug deep into the Meat Company menu, knowing my mother took table manners seriously, so that meant no phones while we're heaving a meal.

Taiba Al-X calling. 

Hathee meynouna? 7ana.

I answered the call, keeping my eyes averted away from my mother's.

"Aloooh." Taiba flirtatiously said into the phone.

"Ana al7een wya ome, tabe shay?" I said casually, not making it obvious that a girl just called me. My mom knew I had girls as friends, it was normal but she never approved of me having too many of them. She always warned me that my girlfriend should be the girl I marry, not a girl to play with. After thinking Manal was 'the one' 2 years ago and being shattered, I didn't think any other girl was going to be 'the one' for me.

"Allaah cuuute! Weinik?" Taiba didn't get the hint.

"Akelmik b3dain, I'm busy." I grunted, trying to end the call as casually as possible.

"7upee digeega! Ohh shiftik, enta in Meat Company ely labes beanie?" Taiba giggled. I heard the same giggle not too far away, I looked up and found Taiba. She looked different, she had a more chubbier face than in her pictures and her overly dyed hair was up in a bun. Her feet was covered with elephant sized Ugg shoes that I hated.

"Hmm." I nodded, tearing my eyes away from Taiba's dark ones. Honestly, I felt bad for playing around with the girls I had on my phone but I never did officially state that I was with any of them. I was honestly not interested in any of them or interested into commitment. The cold marriage between my parents didn't encourage me into wanting to get married anytime soon anyway.

"T3aal digeega, khal omik teg3ad brou7ha shway." Taiba continued, she was trying to honey coat her voice. Her girl friend was a tall lanky girl with long dark hair that framed her oval face, both of them had mischievous smiles on their faces.

But what pissed me off was that Taiba would ever think I'd ditch my mother for her.

"I'll pass." I gave Taiba a far away grin. Mom was still staring at her menu, not noticing anything.

 "Tharourii." Taiba pouted, her voice sounding childish.

"Tara ana bakel, akelmich b3ad shway." I hung up before she could reply. Taiba's face twisted a bit in disbelief.

One thing I knew for a fact, those 3 girls who were on my Whatsapp had at least 10 other guys they spoke to everyday, so I didn't find any harm in the whole thing until today. 

I had been doing this for months, getting the hang of it after 3abbas and Thamer taught me how.

"Thari." I heard my Mom's stern voice. I looked up from my Galaxy and her eyes held a hidden message.

"Halla yuma?" I replied casually.

"Khalti shlounich?" I heard another voice suddenly interrupt us. I looked up to find Taiba and her lanky friend standing next to her with stupid grins painted on their faces.

"Thari mnu hathoul? Asfa bas a3arifch?" Mom gave the girls a sudden glare but her voice was polite, she was observing the girls and how they were dressed inappropriately.

"Thari ma galich? Ana kha6eebta." Taiba gushed.