Trust Falls

Don't Say It If You Don't Mean It

The day wrapped up pretty quickly, the time flying by. Zeenath drove me home and my mom told her to stay for dinner again. It was late and if she drove all the way back to her own home, it would take too much time. I dragged her upstairs to my room again. Or, I tried to. But instead, she gripped my hand and led me up the stairs instead of the other way around.

"Wa--hey!" I lost my footing and fell onto the bed. Zeenath closed the door and whirled around, eyes gleaming. Uh oh.

She studied me. "So, when were you going to tell me about Yousuf?"

"Eh? What're you talking about?" I sat up.

She grinned. "Oh, you know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb, Iqra."

All of a sudden, the floor became very interesting.

"Iqra. Look at me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. I saw the way you two talked."

"What? We talked. Everyone does that."

She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned closer. "Not everyone stands that close to someone they don't like...like that."
"Like...like?"
She nodded. "Like like like."
I snorted. "You sound like a broken record. What're you on about? Make it quick. I don't have time."

"Yeah? You don't have anywhere to be. Fine, I'll be quick." She turned towards me and sat cross-legged on the bed. "You like Yousuf."
"What!" I rolled over and stuck my head under the sheets. "Stop being dumb. I hate the stupid trucker."

"Tch. Really? Why?"

I groaned under my blanket. "Because he's a pain in my butt. He's a two-faced frickin' liar and I hate his guts."

"What'd he do?"
"..."

She laughed, and poked her head under the blanket. "You don't have an answer?"

I screamed and kicked the sheets. "No! I dun like him! I hate him!"

"Liar liar, pants on fire."
"No no no no no no! I don't like 'im." I shook my head. "At all."
"...Really?" She curled up under my sheets with me.

"Of course." I nodded, pouting and making my eyes big. "Everyone knows you can't like a two-faced liar. I don't like liars. No. I don't. I also don't like frickin' stupid dummies who get me in trouble with their lies, and their...their...charming demands, and and..."
"Hey, calm down." Zeenath raised an eyebrow at me and I noticed I was squeezing the life out of my poor blanket, breathing hard.

"Oh." I took a deep breath. "Better?"
She just smiled and tried to remove the blanket from my hands. I resisted and rolled away.

"Iqra. You're not calming down."
"I am too." My face was pressed against my pillow and my voice was nasally. I shrugged. "What does it matter though, right?"

Zeenath tried to pull me up and I pulled myself back down.

"It's not like anyone really cares, right? I hate his guts. We all know that." I was rambling but I didn't care. "And and..-ouch! Hey!"

I jerked up and threw the blankets off me. Zeenath straightened quickly. "What was that?"

"Oh sorry, must've been my nail."

I stared at her. "Gimme your hand."

She frowned. "Why?"

I lunged forward and grabbed it, jerking it towards me when she yelped, falling over.

"A ring! A frickin' ring!" I studied it with glee. "I knew it wasn't your nail. You don't even have long nails."

She tried to jerk her hand back and I let go, watching her fall backwards. "Euh!"
"Heh, that's what you get. Tell me where you got the ring from!"
I jumped on her and she yelped again.