Don't Forget Me (26)

The bell rang and Zaid zoomed towards me and bumped me first that I was caught off guard. I tried bumping him back but he was too fast and manipulative and beat me to it.

"7aram 3alaik ana bint!" I said as I laughed, trying to drive away from him as he laughed and bumped me again.

And again.

And again.

I tried to bump him back but he was way too fast, and too good. No wonder he wanted to ride it.

The ride (finally) ended and he grabbed his cane as we walked out of the ride.

"Sorry itha 3awartich," he said.

"Nisait 3umri mn ziman mu rakibha," he said with a laugh.

I laughed. "Min 9ijik? Wallah 7adi kayaft, bas I call for a rematch li2ana ma knt mtzahba 3adil," I told him as he chuckled.

We walked, a bit slowly, around the park and talked about the most random stuff from our childhood.
He used to stay at home a lot since no one was really available to take him out except for his cousins once a week, so he didn't have a lot of childhood memories apart from sitting at home watching TV and playing video games.

"Fa 6ala3atna hathi shway compensation 7ag our childhood," I joked as the cold wind blew my hair away from my face.

He chuckled and nodded, asking me about my childhood.

"Maku, bas ana oo umi. Ya3ni 6al3atna nafsik, shwaya, bas bl weekend oo kla nafs ilamakin. Cinema, arcade, ilbait, oo bas," I said with a shrug. He nodded in understanding.

"Yallah?" he asked as we reached a roller coaster that looked even bigger than the previous one.
 I smiled and nodded, and he laughed. I was definitely not looking forward to it but Zaid ksar kha6ri so I went along with him as we waited in line.

"Mt2akda?" he asked me once it was our turn. It was as if he sensed the butterflies in my stomach, or maybe it was too apparent in my face. I nodded vehemently and he smiled softly. I didn't know if he believed me or not.

"Law samaht," the Indian worker suddenly said as he walked to Zaid. "Mayseer."

"Na3am?" Zaid asked, confused. The worker pointed at Zaid's cane. Was he serious? We just got off a roller coaster!

"I7na tawna rkabna wa7id elli jedam," I told him.

The worker shook his head. "Mamnoo"

Zaid's face kind of fell in embarrassment.

"An6irich bara," he said, softly.

My heart was ripped to pieces, and I told him I wanted to ride it so he would't really believe me when I'd say I didn't really want to ride it.

"La shda3wa, tara kind of ikhtara3t," I added with a chuckle.

He smiled, only it was that same smile that didn't match his eyes.

"Yallah it saves us time nerkab al3ab thanya!" I told him as I walked down the ramp with him, trying to cheer him up.

We reached a ride that was kind of like enclosed capsules that spun around and would go up and up until we were so high up that we would feel like we'd be falling down, at least that was how it was to me.

We got in, only this time we didn't run in to the girls, but a couple of teenage girls, one had super short boy-short hair in boy clothes, who I assumed was a "boya", and the other three were regular looking girls. I noticed they couldn't stop staring at Zaid and I wanted to put my arm around him just to keep him my secret, my person, like he was mine and no one really deserved to know him because he was that amazing.

"Tabeen two capsules wala we share one?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"3adi ay shay," I replied. I didn't know how big the capsules were and I guessed neither did he.

We finally got around the ride and decided on two separate capsules since one capsule was a bit too tight for us.

I took a deep breath as I looked at Zaid who smiled excitedly, which made me grin.

The ride finally started as we spun around, and I tried not to scream and sound like a baby, even if it was exciting.

We spun and spun so quickly that Zaid's face became a blur and my head began to spin. We began to slow down the higher we got and spun slowly once we got to the very top that it felt like I was going to fall out of the capsule until I looked out at the breathtaking view in front of us. The amusement park's bright lights shone in contrast to the trees, desert, and roads that blended with the dark sky. The combination was peculiar but beautiful.

"Omniyah," I heard Zaid yell out and I turned to look at him as he pulled out his phone to take a picture, I smiled at him and took out my phone, careful not to drop it, and took a picture of him then a picture of us both.

We spun around for a couple of seconds before going back down again.

"Shrayik feeha?" I asked him as he got out of the capsule.

"Fa'6ee3a," he said while laughing.

"Yallah 6arish the pics!" I told him as I opened my Whatsapp and sent him the pictures from my phone.

He sent me my picture, which was a cool picture of me blending in with the blurred lights behind me, yet I was clear for some reason.

"Ta3abt?" I asked him as we walked outside the ride.

"Ee wallah shway," he asked. "Tabeen nit3asha?" he asked me and I nodded.

It took us a long walk, and a couple of bench rests, to finally get to Burger King. It was warm inside compared to the cold weather outside, and it was kind of packed so I guessed that contributed to the microclimate.

"Ana ayeeb ilakil, oo inta i7jiz 6awla," I said, once we placed our orders. He nodded and smiled apologetically, almost for not being able to carry the trays with me.

I took our order of burgers and fries to a table next to the window, away from the group of girls that were with us in the capsule game.

I looked at my watch, it was 8:45, meaning we had to leave in fifteen minutes yallah yamdi no9al elbait.

"Lat7ateen, a3arif your curfew," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Plus sya8ti atwaqa3 twafir 3alaina wayid wagt," he joked and I scrunched up my nose to which he smiled.

"Zaid latinsa bnt3asha," I reminded him, jokingly He scrunched his nose at me teasingly and I couldn't help but chuckle.

We finished our meal in like five minutes mn kithir ma we were hungry.

"Mn zman ma kalait Burger King," I told him.

He smiled.

"Ana awal marra akl Burger King," he said.

I nearly choked on my fry.

"9ij?" I said incredulously, and he nodded.

"Umi allah yer7amha mat7ib ela akl ilbait fa ta3awadt. Sa3at a6lb McDonald's bas 7ail nadir," he said as he dipped a fry in ketchup.

I was still staring at him in awe and he laughed.

"Laat7ateen ta'3ayart shway," he said with a chuckle. "Ikhwani wayid ya6liboun Burger Boutique fa ta3awadt 3alaih shway," he said.

"Ukhwanik y7iboun y6li3oun wala nafsik yg3idoun?" I asked him. I had to ask since I was kind of an only child and all that.

"Y6li3oun, wayid," he said as he bit his fry. "Kila 3nd rab3hum o duwaween, o ikhty ma3a refeejat'ha," he continued.

"Matrou7 3nd rabi3 ikhwanik wala uhma '3air 3annik?" I asked him, hoping not to sound too intrusive.

"7ail '3air," he said with a chuckle. "Mn w ana 9'3eer mu ma3a ukhwani wayid, akthar shay wiya umi allah yer7amha, bas ukhwani 3adi ya3ni mu rabi3 7ail aw shay chithi," he explained. I nodded in interest.

"Shlonich ma3a ukhouch?" he asked, and I could tell he was comfortable telling me anything.

"No idea," I said with a chuckle, only he didn't laugh.

"His loss," he said,  and I smiled.

"Yallah?" Zaid asked as we cleared the table.

"Yallah," I said.

/

"Mashkour 3ala elyom tara wallah I had so much fun," I told him as he pulled up at my house. We were ten minutes earlier than my curfew.

He smiled. "Ana ba3ad o latishakirain minni. Ashoufich bacher inshallah?"

"Inshallah," I said with a smile before closing the door of his car. It was that sucky moment when you leave someone after a great day together and you know your great day has ended with them.

I went inside the house and greeted my mom and for some reason my heart was pounding so hard that I was worried she'd hear it.

"Ha shlon 6al3atkum?" she asked me as she looked at the TV screen.

"Wallah wanaasa, ma 6ala3tay mukan?" I asked her.

"Imbala ri7t 7ag yadich oo 6alabna khosh fa6ayer," she said. I smiled. I wondered how she'd react if she really knew where I had been, and I felt so guilty.

I went to my room and changed into my pajamas as I looked at the picture I took of Zaid. He looked so happy, genuinely happy, and the guilt I was feeling was kind of lifted off.

I changed my What'sApp profile picture to the one Zaid took of me, kind of as a token of appreciation to him, and dug in my covers to go to sleep.

I couldn't wait for day two.

***

Dedicated to Miss Careful :*

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