Nazım

Nihal// a lighthouse friendship

Which number is this? Chapter 9? Okay, alright.

Dedication note: it's for you, missy because you asked it to be so. And because I'm your favorite person to be around LOL

This chapter is just setting things up for the next one, so not too much may happen.

N I H A L
{a lighthouse friendship}

"I'm heading out."

Teyze Fatma's eyes widened in confusion after setting the bowlful of oatmeal in front of Nazım. He felt their stares- Nesrin's, Büyükanne's, and Teyze Fatma's- boring into him. And to make it worse, Deniz came in with Murat riding on his back.

"I got you!" he cheered over Murat's wild giggles. They stopped right after seeing the serious scene before them.

Nazım resisted looking up again, and stared at the steaming food in front of him. What confession did they need? He had to leave, so he was notifying them.

"Why again this time? When are you given breaks at work?"

"I got one two days ago," Nazım explained. Yesterday he spent the rest of the afternoon and later in the night at the university, and then catching up on his assignments. A little less than four hours of sleep was all he was running on.

There was silence in the kitchen, and Nazım looked up at his aunt, seeking that look of confirmation. Apparently, he got it in the form of a skeptical look, and then Teyze Fatma walked to the sink to wash her hands.

"Did you hear about Nesrin?" she asked.

He turned to face Nesrin, seeing her chew like nothing had went on not thirty seconds ago. "Did you tell her?" he muttered, suggesting the events that went on at the Çelik mansion.

Her eyes turned to a sideways look at him. Nesrin stayed silent, and it still confused him. "No," she mouthed.

"Deniz you want to tell her?" Teyze asked her son with a sarcastic tinge in her voice.

"Oh yeah," Deniz set Murat down, and like a spring, jumped for the plate of eggs being given to Murat by his aunt. "Nesrin got an honors student award."

Just the title sounded enough for him to feel a gut reaction of guilt.

I wasn't there.

And what made it even worse was he didn't know what it was. "That's great." he said, rather stiltedly.

"It's an academic award for outstanding test scores and behavior in class," Teyze Fatma explained coolly, like she just read Nazım's mind. The sink shut off. "Where were you for that, ah?"

Nazım gritted his teeth. He knew better than to let his temper get the best of him again.

Swallow your pride.

He reminded himself. Again, and again.

"Nesrin, Deniz I'll take you to school in five minutes, go get ready," Teyze Fatma said after the long, heavy silence. There was a sense of finality in her voice.

Nazım pushed his chair back but was stopped by a finger being pointed at him. "You will sit there and finish," Teyze Fatma pointed at him. There was an accusing look in her eyes. "Then you can go to whatever job you want."

Nesrin and Deniz followed after Teyze Fatma, and left. The door slammed shut, and it let in a cool breeze from outside. He noticed she'd left the window open, and heard the rain pouring outside from an overcast sky.