Loved You First ! Zarry !

Chapter 17 - H : Together

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental or only for recreational purposes.
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Leena Ahmad Almashat —

Those who don't jump
will never fly


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H

We were standing on the top bunk eyeing and smiling at each other. He tried not to laugh, so did I.

"Let's go on the count of 3" He showed his three fingers.

"Sure, I am ready" I was super excited. It wasn't every day you found a partner in crime, ready to jump on the bed, that too a bunk one.

"One" anticipation filled the room.
This was so much more fun than doing it alone.

"Two" He braced himself nervous. I reached out for this hand, and he let me. We were holding hands then. It stopped slight trembling of his fingers.

He nodded at me, and I nodded back.

"Three" We jumped together. Our feet off the bed, flying in the air for a tiny second.

"Again" I exclaimed when we bounced back on the mattress.

We did it again, higher, still holding hands.

"This time let's try touching the ceiling"
He reminded me of our initial intention, which I had completely forgotten.

"One two three"
He counted it faster.

We jumped laughing, letting go of our hands, stretching it upwards.

I looked up, "Wowww" and exclaimed.

His fingertips touched the ceiling.

"Let's aim for higher" he said as we landed back on the bouncy mattress. He wanted me to reach the top as well.

"Let's go" I screamed with enthusiasm. I put my full force in jumping off.

Both of our fingertips touched the ceiling at the same time. And we beamed at each other, elated.

Z's mom was standing at the door.

OOPS!!!

"What are you boys doing?"
I smiled at her, showing all my teeth, trying to look innocent.

"Nothing" Z replied calmly.

"Zain?" She said his name like a warning.

"Ummm... seeing if we could reach the ceiling if we jumped high enough"
He made it sound like the best responsible and finding gold idea one can think of, she shook her head in disappointment but looked amused. She tried looking angry and stern, but I could tell she was smiling inside by curves on the corners of her mouth.

"Did you?" she asked, "reach the ceiling".

"Yes, both of us" he happily reported back.

"Good" She replied thinking "the experiment is successfully complete. No more jumping on the bunk bed"

"Ever" She emphasized.

"Understood" Z said looking down, accepting the verdict.

Well, it was fun till it lasted. Maybe we could jump on my bed next time, just for funsies.

"I thought you were worried about heights"
His mom said curiously looking at us.

"I am but Harry here thought it would be a good idea to...try"

She tilted her head and finally smiled.
"Well, Harry has managed something we usually find difficult, making you try new things.
Well done, Harry.
But both of you, no more making trouble, ok?"

"Yes Mam" I vigorously nodded being as sincere as I possible could. I didn't want her to stop inviting me to her house. I had to see Z more.

He joined in on my actions of vigorous nodding and looking sincere.

"Good. Be careful and come downstairs soon, you can eat snacks and Harry call me Trisha or Aunty if you want to go the Asian route, no Mam please"

"ok" I agreed.

She, Trisha left shaking her head in amusement.

I guess we were funny.

We looked at each other and started giggling nonstop.

Everything was so funny.

We had to stop when he coughed a few times. I rubbed his back.

"I am okay" he said after some time, smiling at me.

"Let's lie down" I stretched on the mattress.
"alright" he said, staring down at me.

I made space for him, and he took his place beside me.

We kept lying down silently, giving our bodies time to breath normally again. Our bodies touching, me on the ladder side and him on the wall side. He was warm.

"How was school?" He asked after few minutes of soothing silence.

"Boring... I kept waiting for it to be over"
We laughed.

"Yours?" I asked him.

"Too long for no reason" he said throwing his hands in the air. We laughed again.

"My stomach hurts" I told him.

"Maybe you have gas, at least that's what my Baba says" He snickered.

"Noo, its all the laughing" I pushed him away playfully.

"Do you know there is a baby in my mom's tummy?" He sat up, his back against the wall.

"Really?" I looked at him, making my hand lift my head.

"Yaa" he was serious.

"How did it get there" I wondered.

"Don't know" he shrugged his shoulders.
We looked at each other confused.

"Maybe Gems, my sister, might know. I will ask her"
"Tell me too"
"Sure"

"Bhai! Mom is calling you downstairs for snacks before Harry's mom is here to get him"

One of Z's sisters informed him. Her head had piped inside the room, information delivered, and she was gone within seconds. In a flash. Puff!

He didn't look happy, twisting his facial expressions in weird ways.

"What's Bhai?"

"Brother in Urdu and Hindi"

Did he speak other languages than English I wondered or was it just one word.

"Let's go down?" He finally asked, looking disappointed.

I didn't want to go.

"ok, should I go down first, and you can follow me" I suggested. He nodded.

I quickly got down. He took his time.

I waited.

The sun had gone down, sky a mix of pink and purple, I glanced at the window. I knew it was time for me to leave, but I wanted to stay. So, I decided to ask him.

"Can I stay?"

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