Paradise, Chapter 5:

The second chapter today! I know I took ages with it but thanks to the beautiful Hessa who inspired me, I finally got to write it.

Hope you enjoy this small chapter as a bedtime story.

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Previously in Chapter 4:

Hamdan glared at him, he was about to speak, I saw his mouth open for a second but then Mi7sen bumped his shoulder, obviously telling him silently to shut up.

Bu Salem freed us from the ropes but made sure that the guys were last, he didn’t want them to do anything funny or try to attack him. He had his gun aimed at us to stop us from even touching him or fighting back as he edged away slowly towards the door.

“No funny business,” he said, his gun pointed right at us. We all stared back at him, waiting for the bullet but instead, he grabbed the doorknob, ready to shut us inside but before he locked us in the small windowless room, he said the following words that caused a shiver to trail down my back.

“Welcome to Paradise.”

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“I was seated at the far corner, my head into my knees and Muneera sat right besides me, holding onto my left arm, she would sob every half an hour and then go back to sleep, it was her way of coping but mine was remaining wide awake and silent, staring into the dark.

The boys left us alone, giving us our space but for once I wanted someone to be there for me. Being alone terrified me, Muneera was too young to understand and was too vulnerable, all I could do was comfort her with a hug and Hamdan was too mad to even speak to anyone, he kept punching his fist into the wall every few minutes to relieve his anger.

It was Mi7sen who approached me.

“Hey, Jawaa?” He hissed, I had my face dug into my knees. I was acting asleep, I didn’t reply, I simply waited for him to continue speaking.

“Jawaa? Ga3da?” Mi7sen softly whispered once again.

“Haa? Eee ga3da ga3da,” I finally got out of my little cave and faced him. He was sitting next to me in the same position, his arms hugging his legs and his masculine face resting over his knees.

“Are you okay?”  His dark eyes were hard to make out in the dark but they seemed to easily blend with our surroundings, I couldn’t read his expression but his tone sounded worried.

“Eee,” I nodded, whispering back, not wanting wake Muneera up. I caught Hamdan’s eyes staring at us, he was leaning back against the wall, watching us in the corner of his eyes. When I caught him, he quickly looked away.

“Your wrists are bleeding,” he pointed out, looking down at my hands when I was automatically rubbing them, unconscious of what I was doing.

“Yeah,” I hid them but he put a hand over my arm, stopping me.

“Ana mu makheth biology for no reason,” he gave me a smile and ripped a piece of his shirt, well he tried to but he failed at it. He only ripped the corner of his uniform and so; it wasn’t enough material to wrap around my wrists.

“Okay so it didn’t work out like how it works out in the movies when the hero saves the girl,” Mi7sen laughed causing me to smile.

“It’s not the movies or else the guy would save the girl already and we’d both be back home, happily ever after,” I sighed, looking away. I watched Hamdan, he was pacing around, his fists clenched together.

“Shfeeh?” I asked, my eyes on Hamdan.

“Em3a9eb, ohwa brou7a 3a9aby fa yabeela wakt so he can calm down,” Mi7sen seemed uninterested in his cousin. “Dgeega khan ajarib mara thanya.”

Mi7sen tried to rip his shirt again, this time half of it got ripped so his bare stomach showed. He had a muscled stomach but no six-pack, if the girls were here, they would have all gossiped about it. They had a tendency of wondering who had a six-pack and who didn’t have one in the whole school.

Mi7sen sure didn’t but it was toned.

I giggled to myself, remembering the girls.

“Haaa, y3ne yi’9a7ek 3ndech?” Mi7sen smiled, hearing me laugh but I wasn’t laughing at him.

“7aram 3laich Jawaa la etfashleen el walad, I bet he’s totally crushing on you!”

I could hear Maha say, if she was here to watch this.

Suddenly, the tears began to flow, they wouldn’t stop and I began to sob just at the thought of Maha.

“Yal ghabe shsaweit al7een?!” I heard Hamdan call out, scolding his younger cousin.

“Walla ma saweit shay! Kanet ga3da te’97ak!” Mi7sen seemed confused. I couldn’t stop the tears, as embarrassed as I felt for suddenly breaking down.

“Jawaa?” Mi7sen put a hand on my shoulder but I flinched, touching me only reminded me of the kidnapper’s hands on me and it freaked me out.

“La etjees’ha! Mu kafee ga3da tabche? Hfff Mi7sen, you always know how to f*ck things up, don’t you?” I heard Hamdan argue.

“Hamdan shfeek ent? Ga3da a7awl asa3dha! As if you know how to help, it’s all your fault that she got hurt in the first place, if you only listened to them then she and Manour would have never gotten hurt in the first place.”

“Mi7sen-“

“STOP!” The sudden outburst startled all of us. I took my head out of my knees, not caring about the tears messing up my face and looked to Muneera in surprise.

“Can you guys stop fighting already? God, boys are such idiots I swear!” Muneera exclaimed, her words headed towards Mi7sen and Hamdan.

“Manour heday-“ Hamdan began to speak but he got cut off.

“Shes crying because she misses her friends, okay? It’s nothing you did Mi7sen and for God’s sakes stop flirting with her, walla mu wakta tara,” Muneera began to roll her eyes, it was as if her sad façade had evaporated and her annoyance had taken over. Hamdan smirked when Muneera mentioned the flirting but I blushed in embarrassment.

“W Hamdan, we get it, you’re the eldest bas mu m3nata lazem et3a9b kel dgeega l2ena jad, and it’s nothing helping the situation.”

“Enshallah Miss Muneera,” Hamdan had a smile on his face, not looking angry at all but Mi7sen looked super annoyed. I felt sorry for him; he was just trying to help out.

“Mi7sen, thank you,” I dried the tears with the back of my hands and looked down at the piece of his shirt lying next to me. I took it and wrapped it around my wrists, after I was done, I gave him Mi7sen a grateful smile that he replied with a nod and smile before going back to his seat, away from us to give us our space.

“La7tha w entay sh3rfch Manour?” Hamdan suddenly asked.

“Sh3rfny eb shnu?” Muneera replied.

“Why Jawaa got upset.”

“I’m a girl, duuuuuuhhh,” Muneera’s child-ness came back and Hamdan laughed at her reply.

“You too Hamdan, yalla give us our girl space,” Muneera said, meaning that he should go and sit back in his place and not bother us. I laughed at her attitude, feeling better, having a girl on my side now.

Hamdan chuckled. “Asfeen asfeen bas etha taboun ay shay, e7na mawjoudeen tara. We’re just a second away, literally.”

“We know,” Muneera laughed.

“It’s good to have you back,” I smiled at Muneera once the guys left us alone. I squeezed her hand in mine and she smiled back, a sad smile but her face seemed strong and capable, no longer vulnerable.

After ten minutes of silence, one of the boys spoke up.

“Okay Manour w Jawaa, khale9taw men your girl space stuff or whatever?” Mi7sen suddenly asked, he looked depressed; sitting alone in his corner and Hamdan was too annoyed at him to keep him company.

“Mi7sen!” Hamdan hissed.

“Shnuuuu? Walla zahegt, ley meta ag3ad brou7e chithe w ana saket?” Mi7sen sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“You can come back,” Muneera finally decided. Mi7sen was first to walk over but Hamdan stayed back, not bothering to join us.

“Hamdan, tara haman enta tegder tyee teg3ad wyana,” Muneera looked at Hamdan, standing alone.

“Laa 3ade, ana t3ban shway,” Hamdan laid back on the ground, there weren’t any furniture, and it was just us and the room itself.

“Okay,” Muneera shrugged.

“Haa shraykom nel3ab truth or dare?” Mi7sen finally suggested.

“Walla mu chena we just got kidnapped Mi7sen?” I asked him, finding it so strange that he’s so chipper and normal about everything.

“Hey, do you want to be depressed and lonely for the next God knows how many hours or do you want to do something more fun?” Mi7sen looked straight at me and I couldn’t argue, he clearly had a point.

“Okay fine, I pick truth,” I surrendered.

“I’ll ask.” Mi7sen offered. “Hmm, what to ask Jawaa Al-X?” He grinned.

“Yalla 3ad khale9naa,” I huffed.

“Okay okay, on Valentine’s Day in high school, did you ever send anyone a rose?” Mi7sen asked.

Every year on Valentine’s Day, our school allows us to wear regular clothing instead of uniforms to the day and we get to pay in advance for roses to be sent to people, we can do this anonymously or write our names on the card but we had to write the person’s name, to whom we wanted to send the rose to.

And every year, people would show off about how many roses they’d got. But most of them sent roses to themselves (yes you could even send one to yourself).

“Uhm,” I awkwardly said.

“Yalla goulayyyy,” Mi7sen seemed interested now.

“La2 bas ma agder agoul, fashlaaa umbay,” I covered my face in my hands which only grabbed more of his and Muneera’s attention to listen to my answer.

“Yallaa!” Muneera and Mi7sen both urged me to answer.

“Absolutely no one,” I laughed and showed them my face by taking my hands off of them.

“7ilfay!” They both exclaimed.

“Walla I didn’t give anyone a rose on V-Day,” I swore.

“Weeeh maleeqa, enzain?” Muneera whined.

“Yalla, truth or dare Mi7sen?” I laughed at their reactions.

“Dare,” Mi7sen’s eyes challenged me.

“Akeed ya Mi7sen, akeed?” I cocked an eyebrow at him, challenging him right back.

“Akeedain, yallaa dare me. Anything.”

“I dare you to tickle Hamdan while he’s asleep,” I whispered, still not sure if Hamdan was really asleep or not, I didn’t want him overhearing me.

“Done,” Mi7sen easily said. Muneera and I began to giggle, watching Mi7sen get up and approach Hamdan slowly. He tried to be as discreet and quiet as possible, he bent over Hamdan’s sleeping body and his fingers tickled Hamdan’s stomach. Before Mi7sen could even touch Hamdan’s stomach, Hamdan grabbed his hand and twisted it.

“Aaa77!” Mi7sen cried out in pain. Muneera and I began to laugh. Hamdan’s eyes shot open and he watched Mi7sen, laughing too.

“Ent mu nayem?!” Mi7sen exclaimed, trying to not cry out in pain once again.

“I never sleep when I’m in the same room as you, lal7een ma neseit shsaweit feene last year bel shaleih,” Hamdan finally let go of Mi7sen and looked back at us, we quickly avoided his eyes, being guilty of the dare.

“Ohhhh, shsaweit Mi7sen?!” Manour asked.

“Agoulehom?” Mi7sen’s eyes were mischievous as they met Hamdan’s serious ones.

“Ya wailk Mi7sen!”

“I dare you Hamdan to tell us,” I finally said.

“I’m not playing the game,” Hamdan looked over at me, he sat up from his position to see us properly.

“You were eavesdropping on us so then yes, you are playing. Yalla, we dare you.”

“Eeee we do!” Muneera join in.

“Eee yalla Hamdan,” Mi7sen joined last.

“W etha ma t7echait, ra7 t7inoun 3lay, mu 9a7?” Hamdan sighed.

“Exactly,” we all said together, laughing.

“Okay okay, ana w Mi7sen kena bel Shaleih, we were sharing the same room and I fell asleep first. I woke up and I was covered in ketchup literally, head to toe and there was make up all over my face, I looked like a mess and the worst part is? Mi7sen locked the bathrooms so I was forced to go outside to the pool where the rest of our family was to look for Mi7sen since he had the keys. Fashelny jedam el kil!” Hamdan began to explain, his hands moving as his words began to pour out.

“Best. Day. Ever.” Mi7sen laughed and we all joined in, laughing hysterically.

“Worst. Day. Ever.” Hamdan rolled his eyes.

“Yalla 3ad, shd3wa, I bet you looked great with your face all made up with lipstick and eyeliner,” I teased.

“Jawaa, don’t even go there,” Hamdan’s face looked pained as he remembered that day.

“I can imagine you Hamdan with make-up on so accurately that it scares me,” Muneera said in between laughs.

“Manour!” Hamdan groaned.

“I told you it was a good look on you,” Mi7sen chuckled. Before we could continue on joking around and laugh some more, a sound startled us.

The door was pushed open by a figure in a dragon’s mask, silencing our laughs and causing our smiles to vanish in seconds.

“You, you’re coming with me,” Deep Voice called out with his finger pointing straight at one person.

That one person being me.

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