Second chapter of the day! I don't think you'll need the "previously in chapter 34.." part since you read it a few hours ago. It's short though, didn't want to take too long on it.
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"Layal Al-X?" The professor's voice echoed through the classroom. I turned my head and looked at Layal's empty seat. "Absent, okay Leena Al-X?"
"Here." Leena called out. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I continued to stare at Layal's empty seat. It's been two weeks and she's been absent, missing every English class. I didn't even see her at her usual spots around the university, not even at the cafe.
"Well, Thari since you don't have a partner, I guess you have the choice of joining other partners and forming a group of three or finishing this project on your own." The professor walked up to me after he was done with the register.
"It's okay I'll finish it alone." I shrugged, ignoring the fact that all around me were partners of two, girl and boy, speaking in hushed tones about what they were going to write for their project.
"Well then, you won't have to sit this class since it's really just going to be partner work for the next 50 minutes. I won't mark you absent." He gave me a kind smile, I thanked him for his generosity and left the class. I was growing worried about Layal's disappearance, where was she? I knew she made it obvious that she wanted nothing to do with me, this has nothing to do with my ego but I still couldn't believe that she didn't love me.
"Bu Zaid! Wein rayi7?" Jarra7, a good friend of mine bumped into me and greeted me with a light peck on the cheek, his stubble grinding over mine.
"Khale9t men classes, al7een barid, tabe shay?" I asked, not really in the greatest of moods.
"Salamtk yal 7beeb, 3yal khala9 ana bakhaleek, ashoufk bacher enshallah." Jarra7 gave me a hesitant expression but I gave him a smile to avoid questions on why I looked so tired.
"Enshallah." I nodded and forced a smile once again, he looked pleased and finally left. I walked past the tables of the university students lounging about with their friends. I passed Bdour's table, where her and her friends usually sat. She didn't bother me with a glance or smile, after that day months ago, where I publicly rejected her in front of my friends, she backed off.
As soon as I was clear of people and in my car, just the radio on and my eyes staring at the view in front of my car, which was the university building and a few scattered trees under the hot boiling sun. I stared at my Samsung, thinking over and over again if I should call Layal or not. I had her number memorised and I missed listening to her voice, but I wasn't the desperate type, however when it came to Layal, I changed from a steel man to someone who was helpless.
It couldn't hurt to try calling, just once. Just to ask about her. I dialled her number with the touch of my fingers and patiently heard the phone ring.
"Aloo?" After a few rings, she finally answered. Her voice sounded tired and I could hear a beeping sound in the background, but other than that, it felt like she was somewhere quiet and isolated. It sounded like I just woke her up, I looked at the time and it was 3:40pm.
"Layal?" I quietly said, feeling like if I made my voice louder I'd disturb her.
"Thari, are you okay?" Her voice cracked, she sounded worried about me.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? Ma dawemtay.. 9arlech esbou3ain, wainch Layal?" I asked her, my finger tips pressing into the steering wheel of my Range Rover.
"Bas maree'9a shway, ma feene shay el7amdellah," she coughed slightly in the background. "You're okay? Cus you don't usually call. I mean, in the past few weeks, after, uhm, you know. That talk we had."
"Eee asif az3jtch bas kent ga3d as2al 3anch..." I wanted to smack myself for being stupid, calling her after she wanted nothing to do with me. But at the same time, I didn't believe her. I kept hearing the beep in the background.
"Entay bel mustashfa Layal?" I suddenly asked her, worrying even more about her.
"La2 shaku! Ga3da uhm, eb frashy bel bait bas feene 7arara, b3ad chem youm barid adawem enshallah, okay al7een tabe shay okhouy mawjoud bel bait ma agder a7acheek." She started to talk really fast, blabbering about.
And then, that was how I knew she was lying.
"7ilfay ench mu ga3da bel mustashfa." I challenged her.
"Tara mu zain na7lif wayed asasan, shfeek ma et9adigny? Ga3d etgoul ene chathaba y3ne?" Layal suddenly started to sound mad, causing me to question my gut feeling that said she wasn't okay.
"La2 la2 asif Layal mu qa9de.." I bit the inside of my cheek, yearning to make the phone conversation longer but she was obviously trying to end it. "Salamat ma etshoufeen shar enshallah."
"Allah yisalmik el shar ma yeek, yalla I have to go, bye." Layal tried to strengthen her voice, it didn't sound as tired as it did at first and she quickly hung up on me before I could word a "bye".
A sudden knock on my window startled me. I looked up and found 3abbas outside my car. I clicked on the button for the window to roll down.
"Hey, shfeek bitrid embacher? Mu 3ndk class?" 3abbas asked me, a book perched under his arm.
"6ala3ne embacher, 3abbas I need a favor," I suddenly said, I couldn't ignore my gut feeling.
"Yeah sure, what's up?" He asked, stuffing his blackberry into his pocket to pay more attention to our conversation.
"Remember when you tracked my Mom's iPhone gabel chem shahar?" I asked.
"Eee akeed, laish?"
"I need you to track Layal."
-
"Layal Al-X?" The professor's voice echoed through the classroom. I turned my head and looked at Layal's empty seat. "Absent, okay Leena Al-X?"
"Here." Leena called out. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I continued to stare at Layal's empty seat. It's been two weeks and she's been absent, missing every English class. I didn't even see her at her usual spots around the university, not even at the cafe.
"Well, Thari since you don't have a partner, I guess you have the choice of joining other partners and forming a group of three or finishing this project on your own." The professor walked up to me after he was done with the register.
"It's okay I'll finish it alone." I shrugged, ignoring the fact that all around me were partners of two, girl and boy, speaking in hushed tones about what they were going to write for their project.
"Well then, you won't have to sit this class since it's really just going to be partner work for the next 50 minutes. I won't mark you absent." He gave me a kind smile, I thanked him for his generosity and left the class. I was growing worried about Layal's disappearance, where was she? I knew she made it obvious that she wanted nothing to do with me, this has nothing to do with my ego but I still couldn't believe that she didn't love me.
"Bu Zaid! Wein rayi7?" Jarra7, a good friend of mine bumped into me and greeted me with a light peck on the cheek, his stubble grinding over mine.
"Khale9t men classes, al7een barid, tabe shay?" I asked, not really in the greatest of moods.
"Salamtk yal 7beeb, 3yal khala9 ana bakhaleek, ashoufk bacher enshallah." Jarra7 gave me a hesitant expression but I gave him a smile to avoid questions on why I looked so tired.
"Enshallah." I nodded and forced a smile once again, he looked pleased and finally left. I walked past the tables of the university students lounging about with their friends. I passed Bdour's table, where her and her friends usually sat. She didn't bother me with a glance or smile, after that day months ago, where I publicly rejected her in front of my friends, she backed off.
As soon as I was clear of people and in my car, just the radio on and my eyes staring at the view in front of my car, which was the university building and a few scattered trees under the hot boiling sun. I stared at my Samsung, thinking over and over again if I should call Layal or not. I had her number memorised and I missed listening to her voice, but I wasn't the desperate type, however when it came to Layal, I changed from a steel man to someone who was helpless.
It couldn't hurt to try calling, just once. Just to ask about her. I dialled her number with the touch of my fingers and patiently heard the phone ring.
"Aloo?" After a few rings, she finally answered. Her voice sounded tired and I could hear a beeping sound in the background, but other than that, it felt like she was somewhere quiet and isolated. It sounded like I just woke her up, I looked at the time and it was 3:40pm.
"Layal?" I quietly said, feeling like if I made my voice louder I'd disturb her.
"Thari, are you okay?" Her voice cracked, she sounded worried about me.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that question? Ma dawemtay.. 9arlech esbou3ain, wainch Layal?" I asked her, my finger tips pressing into the steering wheel of my Range Rover.
"Bas maree'9a shway, ma feene shay el7amdellah," she coughed slightly in the background. "You're okay? Cus you don't usually call. I mean, in the past few weeks, after, uhm, you know. That talk we had."
"Eee asif az3jtch bas kent ga3d as2al 3anch..." I wanted to smack myself for being stupid, calling her after she wanted nothing to do with me. But at the same time, I didn't believe her. I kept hearing the beep in the background.
"Entay bel mustashfa Layal?" I suddenly asked her, worrying even more about her.
"La2 shaku! Ga3da uhm, eb frashy bel bait bas feene 7arara, b3ad chem youm barid adawem enshallah, okay al7een tabe shay okhouy mawjoud bel bait ma agder a7acheek." She started to talk really fast, blabbering about.
And then, that was how I knew she was lying.
"7ilfay ench mu ga3da bel mustashfa." I challenged her.
"Tara mu zain na7lif wayed asasan, shfeek ma et9adigny? Ga3d etgoul ene chathaba y3ne?" Layal suddenly started to sound mad, causing me to question my gut feeling that said she wasn't okay.
"La2 la2 asif Layal mu qa9de.." I bit the inside of my cheek, yearning to make the phone conversation longer but she was obviously trying to end it. "Salamat ma etshoufeen shar enshallah."
"Allah yisalmik el shar ma yeek, yalla I have to go, bye." Layal tried to strengthen her voice, it didn't sound as tired as it did at first and she quickly hung up on me before I could word a "bye".
A sudden knock on my window startled me. I looked up and found 3abbas outside my car. I clicked on the button for the window to roll down.
"Hey, shfeek bitrid embacher? Mu 3ndk class?" 3abbas asked me, a book perched under his arm.
"6ala3ne embacher, 3abbas I need a favor," I suddenly said, I couldn't ignore my gut feeling.
"Yeah sure, what's up?" He asked, stuffing his blackberry into his pocket to pay more attention to our conversation.
"Remember when you tracked my Mom's iPhone gabel chem shahar?" I asked.
"Eee akeed, laish?"
"I need you to track Layal."
When is the next chapter :c?
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