Last First Chance (Al-Ameen Family Spin-Off)

Chance

HASAN

I walked into Rayyan's house a few minutes later than I was supposed to arrive. My after-work nap went too long.

Rayyan said a few of his friends and nearby cousins were coming to help pack favour boxes. He asked if I'd come help and I agreed instantly, hoping to see Maheen.

It didn't evade me how much power she held over me but I was past the point of caring. She could mess with me all day and all night. I would take it all if it meant a few more moments with my best friend.

My best friend who refused to admit that she and I should end up together. And we had ten years of heartbreak to prove it.

I walk into the living room, seeing everyone sitting in scattered groups, some folding the boxes, some filling them with candies. Maheen is not here.

"She's in the back feeding her cat," Rayyan tells me quietly. I don't respond, quietly taking my spot in the corner of the room beside him. He hands me a box and I begin to fold.

A few boxes later, I feel something brushing against my ear. I stay still, knowing it's her from the smell of her perfume. When I don't react, she does it again. I still don't move.

I feel the sofa dip behind me and she reaches out to tickle me one more time. She's using her cat's tail. This time though, I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her face down to my level. Her cheek is almost brushing against mine, but I keep my eyes trained ahead. "Hello to you too Maheen."

"Let me go."

"Are you going to keep bothering me?"

"Yes."

I look at her then, my mouth quirking up on it's own. "Fine."

I release her then. She lets her cat go and settles into the couch with a big bowl of the candied almonds. Without speaking to each other, I hand her my folded boxes and she fills them with the almonds and then passes them down the assembly line.

When I'm finished my stack, I lean back against the couch to stretch my sore arms. Maheen is staring at something on my head and reaches out, tugging at the hair on the back of my head. I don't protest, instead enjoying the feeling of her fingers in my hair.

"Would you go bald if I asked you to?" she hums.

"No."

She leans down to whisper in my ear, "not even if I asked nicely?"

I look at her from the corner of my eye. "Ask me nicely then." She slowly leans back into the couch with a smile playing on her lips. "What happened? Changed your mind?"

"Maybe," she laughs lightly. "Best not make you any uglier than you already are."

"Hasan," Rayyan gets our attention. "Can you help bring all these upstairs?" he points to the boxes of the completed favour boxes.

"Yeah, on it," I get up to take over from him. "You sit, I'll take them."

Maheen volunteers to help, taking a smaller box and leading the way upstairs. She puts the smaller box in a corner of her grandma's already full room and leads me to another room to show me where to put mine.

I set the box down beside another few that are full of favours and then look around. It's her room.

"Wow," I examine all the walls. "No more One Direction posters?"

"Are you relieved?" she teases.

I ignore her, walking over to her dressing table.

"Stop touching my stuff," she slaps my hand away before I pick up her perfume bottle.