Noor appeared at their dorm room just past one in the morning. Zafira had been awake, going over some homework for Philosophy. She glanced up when Noor walked in, cheeks flushed and expression joyful. The happiness faded from Noor's face when she met Zafira's gaze. Quentin followed behind her with a bottle of champagne. It was clear that they both had been drinking a little and laughing a lot. Good for them, Zafira thought. She couldn't care less. Quentin, after giving Noor a long kiss that Zafira wished she could erase from her memory, held up a hand in farewell and left the room.
"You didn't come," Noor said. Her tone was accusatory.
Zafira gave a languid shrug that was at odds with the unease she felt inside. "I was busy."
"With what?" Noor snapped, storming over to Zafira and picking up one of her homework pages. "With fucking Philosophy homework?"
"I have to stay ahead of you," Zafira replied, keeping her voice even.
"I hate you!" Noor cried. And then she did something that Zafira never would've seen coming in a million years. Noor smacked Zafira across the face. Zafira reeled back, one hand pressed to her smarting cheek. "I hate you and I hope you die!"
Noor stomped over to her bed, throwing her clothes everywhere as she dove into the sheets. She rolled over so that she was facing the wall farthest from Zafira, pulling a pillow over her head. Zafira could still hear her quiet sobs.
"Noor," Zafira called, anxious now. Then, louder, "Noor."
"What?" She turned over to look at Zafira, revealing her blotchy face and red eyes.
"I didn't know it meant that much to you," Zafira said quietly.
"You didn't know?" Noor repeated. "You didn't know?"
"You only told me about it once and--"
"You should've known! You would've known if you had paid any attention to me, like friends are supposed to do!" The anger in Noor's voice sparked frustration in Zafira.
"Well maybe that's the problem, then!" Zafira said. "We aren't friends! You've made that very clear since the beginning! And yet you expect me to follow you around to your stupid theater prod--"
"They're not stupid! They're not stupid!" Noor shouted. "And if you had even an ounce of compassion or kindness in your empty, dead heart, then we would be friends! Ever wonder why you can't seem to hold onto anybody except for Vincent? It's 'cause you're awful! You're horrible! I can't stand you! And the minute I try to be your friend you go and insult me!"
This tirade shocked Zafira into silence. "I..."
"I'm going to sleep now," Noor said, sullen. She rolled over once more.
"Goodnight," Zafira said aloud to the darkness once Noor's breaths had evened out. How she ached to hear a simple goodnight replied to her. But if she had wished Noor sweet dreams or goodnight before Noor had fallen asleep, she likely would've been met with another furious rant about how dreams could never be sweet or nights could never be good as long as Zafira remained in Noor's life, in Noor's dorm room, on Noor's cursed speech and debate team. And as Zafira pondered Noor's many words long into the early hours of the morning, she wondered if Noor might possibly be right about her.
---
crazily, i'm only publishing poetry and this book right now :O ~character development~
anyways
what's ur opinion on this noor-zafira feud? should noor be this mad? i'm torn tbh...
YOU ARE READING
Noor & Zafira
Romance[gxg] Noor hates Zafira, and Zafira hates Noor; They're content to keep it that way. But there's a fine line between hate and love, and when a speech-and-debate competition thrusts them into a world of late-night donut runs and studying to Noor's ba...
