There he was, standing with his friends. Without thinking twice, I walked up to him.
"We need to talk."
He looked confused. "Right now?"
"Yes," I replied, walking towards an empty bench, ignoring the giggles from behind.
What was I thinking? Was I even thinking? What was I going to say to him? I had always distanced myself from boys, partly because that's what my values taught me and partly because I couldn't understand them. Back in school, I did communicate with them when required, but since college, I have ensured I have nothing to do with them. Sometimes I wonder what would have become of me had I gone to an all-girls school; I already acted like them, or maybe much worse, despite studying in coeducation all my life.
"What is it?" he asked, looking right into my eyes.
This was too much out of my comfort zone—looking into a boy's eyes while talking to him—but there was no turning back now.
"What happened at the concert on Saturday?" I asked.
"Why are you asking, me that, out of all the people?" he wondered allowed. "Why not ask your cousin, Hafsa, yourself."
"She hasn't been able to respond since she returned that night."
"Oh really, so the liar victimizes herself now." he scorned. "Let me guess. She has locked herself in her room and observing a hunger strike?"
"You don't know what she is going through."
"I don't even want to know. Besides, having cancer doesn't mean you can lie," he replied turning to leave.
I clutched my fits. How could she like someone like him?
"She lied because she likes you," I blurted out, tears filling in my eyes. "because she was afraid to loose you. But you really don't deserve it."
He puffed, turning around.
"I don't deserve her?" he echoed, "No, Ulfat. She doesn't deserve me. A liar and terminally ill person like her doesn't deserve me. But who am I arguing with? You are her cousin; of course you are just going to support her."
"Cancer is not a joke, OK? You don't know how much pain she is in," I bellowed, a tear rolling down my cheek.
But he continued walking, ignoring me.
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Teen FictionHafsa's life was perfect, but now cancer has ruined it all. Bilal's life is a mess, and it is entirely his fault. Ulfat has a dark secret, and it is killing her from within. Hamza's life was never perfect, but now it just got worse. They're all j...
