Don't Forget Me (32)

Zaid and I froze and at that moment I wanted to die.

"Zaid?" she could only yell out. I bet she was speechless, just like Zaid and me.

"Zaina, alageech fog," he said to his sister. I stood where I was, not knowing what to do. I felt my body heat up from the embarrassment and mortification, and  I really wanted to cry when I saw Zaina figuring out who I was.

"La2 bakalmek ta7at a7san," she insisted, and her eyes were still on me. Her tone of voice scared me. Her face was red like she was ready to spout venom, but hearing Zaid speak was a distraction. 

"Ashoufich 3al 3asha," he whispered to me and I could tell that pissed Zaina off even more as she began to walk down the stairs. 

I quickly walked away from Zaid, and avoided looking Zaina in the eyes as I walk up the stairs. I wanted to cry; I felt horrible and like I'd done something wrong. 

I left the wing and closed the doors to leave the two of them talking, or arguing, or whatever it was. I didn't want to start a feud between them; I didn't want to be seen as a problem in the family.

It was only 10:30 PM and I had an hour and a half left until my mom would pick me up again. I walked back to the reception area and got inside the elevator, pressing on the ground floor where the party was. 

My phone buzzed. 

I'll meet you in the guest wing

I got a text from Zaid and I pressed on the elevator to go back up, only I could see Lulu looking at me from the corner of her eye as she chatted with someone else. She probably told Zaina about us and was watching us the whole time. I didn't even know she was at the party.

I went inside the elevator anyway and pressed on the floor where the guest wing was, I think in the Mezzanine floor. The floor was empty and I felt like trespassing when I opened the doors of the wing.

The kitchen was clean after Zaid's mess during our breakfast for dinner thing. I sat at the living area in front of the TV and began to bite my nails nervously. I was so worried and my heart was still beating. We were so screwed, I knew it. 

I waited and waited for Zaid to come and the more I waited the more I felt like it was a bad idea. I couldn't really stand Zaid up nor did I want to piss his sister off more. First impressions always mattered and I think her first impression of me was not at the salon but when she walked in and saw her brother joking around with me in his private quarters. 

The door finally opened after thirty minutes and I quickly stood up so quickly that I nearly blacked out, but Zaid walked in, without his qitra, and his face was a deep shade of red. 

This was not good. I gulped and felt the tears cloud my vision before streaming down my cheek and I sat back down again and buried my face in my hands.

"Niyah, please," he said, almost begging me to stop crying. I tried to, for his sake. I wiped my tears, probably ruining my makeup, and looked up at him. 

"Okay Zaid. Sh9ar?" I asked him, trying to sound normal. 

He sighed, and I knew it was not good at all. 

"M3a9ba, akeed," he said.

"7awalt ashra7laha bas ma r'6at tesma3," he said. 

"Oo?" I said. I wanted him to say the obvious.

"Oo bas," he said. 

"Latchathib 3alay," I told him as I scoffed. 

"Shtabeeni agoulich ya3ni?" Zaid said, almost yelling. I'd never seen him like this and it almost scared me. 

"Inna ya ana ya ahalik, oo ini a9lan mu mn muwakheethkum, plus shayfeeni ini ana bas abi 7alalik? Agdar akamil, wallah," I said.

"Latkamleen," he said between gritted teeth.

"Zaid tistahil wa7da a7san. We can end this ilyom since bacher btsafer oo btrid 3ugub sina ila yamdeek tkoun naseeni," I said. I didn't mean to sound cold, but I wanted the best for him. I didn't want him to go against his family just because of me. He already lost one family member and I can't make him lose what was left. 

"Tabeen tftakain mini, ha? 3ugub ma daraitay shkithir ata3bich?" he said.

He didn't make any sense. 

"Akeed la2," I told him, the tears pouring down again. 

"3ayal rou7ay 3nd Ghazi a7san, wayid arya7," he said. I laughed out of anger.

"Ghazi? Hatha mustaway al7een?" I told him.

"Shdarani 3annich," he said.

"3ayal rou7 3end Lulu hathi kafwik, oo ahalik bystanson 3alaiha," I said as I got up. 

"Ee shakli bakhth Lulu dam shaklha tt7amalni," he replied angrily. 

We got quiet, and I could feel tension, anger, sadness, all wrapped in one in the air around us. 

"Bl mbarak 3ala ukhouk," I finally said as I began to walk out. I looked over my shoulder to see if he would follow me and stop me, but he didn't. He was still sitting on the couch. 

I left the wing and he still didn't chase me, I waited for the elevator and he still didn't chase me. I finally went down the elevator to the ground floor and looked for Lulu, who was busy talking to a group of girls who couldn't stop staring at my messed up makeup.

"Lulu," I called out. 

She turned around and looked at me in surprise. 

"Mabrouk, he's all yours," I told her before walking to the drop off. 

I didn't know what to cry about; the fact that I won't see him for another year, or the fact that I'll see him next year with another girl.

***
Dedicated to Reema :*

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