“Raj?” I exclaimed, not being able to believe what I was seeing as I saw Raj standing in the middle of my living room. The same guy who thought I was responsible for the post because of that abomination of an edited video, and dumped me as a friend. “Y-you’re here?”
Raj sighed. “Y-yeah, your mom called my mom and called me over.”
I nodded, awkwardly pursing my lips as I looked down.
“Okay, listen,” Raj finally sighed, breaking through the awkward silence as he walked towards me. “I now understand that that video was completely edited and that the post was all Zahir’s doing. Asifa, I owe you a big apology.”
Tears formed in my eyes as I let out that big breath I was holding, the large weights I was struggling to hold up clattering to the ground. “Raj, it isn’t your fault at all. That video was edited super realistically and the whole situation was super chaotic. I mean, the video was played in front of the whole fucking school. Even I was almost gaslighted into thinking that Amir or I said something wrong.”
Raj shook his head with an expression of guilt, looking like he was about to cry. “No, Asi. You’re my friend. I should’ve trusted you instead of jumping to conclusions. I’m so sorry.”
I wrapped my arms around Raj in a bear hug. “It’s okay. It’s all good. I’m just glad we’re friends again.”
“You’re one of the best people I know,” Raj said as we finally broke the hug. “I’m on your side. Okay?”
I smiled, giving Raj a fist bump. “Cool beans.”
“Welcome back, bro,” Nisha smiled at Raj, who beamed.
“Glad to be back!” Raj grinned as we all smiled happily. “And I’m here to stay.”
Amir nodded. “Sounds good, brother. Now what do we do with that akhrot of a guy? I won’t let Zahir get away with this. He’s ruined so many people’s lives, including my sister’s.”
“You were in the video too,” I pointed out.
“You had worse dirt on you. Which makes me mad,” Amir shook his head.
Once again, Amir wasn’t wrong about me having it way worse from the video.
“We need to find out who tampered with the projector and cast that video to the whole school,” Nisha brought up as we all turned to her.
“Isn’t it obvious that that was Zahir?” I asked, shrugging as Amir and Raj agreed with me.
Nisha shook her head. “No. He’s suspended, remember? He definitely had an accomplice.”
The room fell silent as we realized that this whole scheme wasn’t just a result of Zahir’s impulsive behavior.
There were multiple people involved.
***
***NISHA POV***
The next two days went by in a blur, with everything going on from schoolwork and tests to the chaos happening to my friends. Before I knew it, I was back in Forensics class, and I felt this uneasy spinning feeling in my stomach, because Forensics was the class where Zahir and his friends ruled.
I sat down in my seat as Dr. Hammer began with the lesson. Zahir was still gone, and I was fully aware that this was an awfully long time to be suspended.
“Where’s Zahir?” LaQuesha, who sat in front of me, asked Rashaun. “Why isn’t he back yet?”
“Oh, he didn’t tell you?” Rashaun asked LaQuesha, who shook her head. I knew Zahir and LaQuesha were close. I didn’t know if they were dating or not, but I could tell they liked each other. Or at least, that there was something between them. “Zahir got moved to DAP.”
The whole classroom fell silent as my eyes widened in surprise. DAP was a corrective school for kids who committed jail-worthy crimes like doing drugs and whatnot. It was basically juvie school.
“What?!” LaQuesha shouted, a look of horror on her face. “That’s fucking insane!”
“Language, young lady,” Dr. Hammer sternly reminded her. She sighed, saying nothing else. Hammer was normally the cool teacher who favored the popular kids. But even she was kind of… shocked today.
Class went by in a blur, and I wasn’t sure how to think or react. I’m glad Zahir got the punishment he deserves–there’s no excuse for being a bully and ruining other people’s lives–every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I’m just shocked that ordinary, invisible me and my ordinary, invisible friends have been involved in one of Stonehenge High School’s biggest scandals.
After class had ended, I packed up my things and walked out of class. I noticed that the usually carefree, unserious football quarterback Rashaun was in a serious conversation with Hayden outside the door. I knew that the serious conversation was about Zahir. I didn’t want to hear about Zahir anymore now that my friends’ names have been cleared up, but one sentence stopped me in my dead in my tracks:
“...Hayden, I knew I shouldn’t’ve messed with the projector.”
My eyes widened as my stomach dropped to the floor. Rashaun was responsible for defaming Asifa and ruining her reputation. Rashaun was responsible for ruining her friendship with Raj. Rashaun was responsible for ruining the walkout.
“Rashaun, it’s okay,” Hayden said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We all make mistakes.”
“N-no,” Rashaun’s voice broke and for a second I thought he was crying. “What I did was evil. I ruined that poor girl’s reputation and the walkout. And if I hadn’t agreed to this, Zahir might not’a gone to DAP.”
“Even if you didn’t do it, Zahir was bound to go,” Hayden shook his head.
For a split second, I was considering shouting at Rashaun and giving him a piece of my mind for what he did to Asifa. But… I could tell he felt really, really bad for what he had just done.
I just decided it was best to leave the hall.
***
***ASIFA POV***
Arts and crafts are more up Nisha’s alley. But hey, life’s all about having a growth mindset, not a fixed one.
I was hunched over my desk, munching on a donut from the box of donuts Raj got me to apologize for dumping me, figuring out what exactly to make for Shruti–a meaningful, memorable, long lasting gift, one that her parents wouldn’t take away from her. Most of all, it has to be something Shruti likes.
Twenty minutes passed by, and I had no idea what to do. I was getting frustrated with all the constraints I had to work with–until a lightbulb struck my mind.
I could make Shruti a personalized cookbook.
I quickly got to work, making a little pocket-sized book with recipes for foods I know Shruti likes to cook and eat, foods she’d like to cook and eat, with cute little birby illustrations with Pusheen cats and whatnot. I flipped through the pages, taking my time and using the cute stationery I had at my desk but never used. At the end of it, I wrote down a heartfelt message in a few glitter gel pen:
Dear Shruti,
I only met you two months ago but it feels like I’ve known you for two years. You’re so kind and genuine and loyal and unique and creative, and you spread a ray of sunshine wherever you go. This is gonna sound crazy but on the day I met you at the dumb India vs Pakistan chai brawl, I somehow knew you’d become my best friend. We’ve known each other for only two months, but I just know we’re gonna be friends forever. I’ll always be here for you and I’ll have your back no matter what. I’m always one phone call away. You’re my BFF!
Love, Asifa
YOU ARE READING
Spice and Solace
Teen Fiction"Spice and Solace" follows the intertwining lives of Shruti, Asifa, Nisha, Raj, Riyaj, and Zahir, a group of South Asian-American teenagers navigating the complexities of high school, family expectations, and cultural identity. As they grapple with...
