Notice Me

5

As the game progressed the players became more and more competitive. Saif watched and bit his tongue as Raheem dribbled passed two opposing players both going in to tackle. Raheem's team all held their breath as the goal posts were less than 6 yards from the ball.

Raheem anticipated their moves and managed to dodge the first, swiveling around with the ball neatly to a clear, the first tackler found himself gliding across missing the ball by mere inches, but the second tackler however, anticipated that all too common trick and threw himself in, throwing himself across the grass and regaining possession of the ball sending Raheem crashing to the ground. Ridwan brought himself back up and smiled in victory as he now took lead on the ball.

"I didn't know you were into football?" Sadia's voice brought Mahira out of her trance. Her face reddened and she blinked realising she had been watching far too long for a girl who hated sports.

"I guess it's a little interesting." Mahira shrugged as her eyes traveled back to the game where Raheem was still taking his sweet time to get back up.

Mahira shook her head getting a grip of herself and tried to get the image of Raheem playing football out of her head. She shouldn't be watching like that. It wasn't right, even if she could barely see him from afar.

"Where's Ema?" Mahira asks, but just as the words come out she gets a glimpse of Ema who was now on the far end tickling Noahs belly and causing a huge fit of laughter to erupt out his tiny little mouth. He seemed to really be enjoying Emas jibberish talk rather than the tickles.

"Wow. You really are out of it aren't you?" Sadia eyes her sister who seemed a little off today. "Is something wrong?" Sadia touches her sisters forehead, wondering if it was some sort of fever.

"No. Why?" Mahiras eyes traveled with her sister's hand.

"You seemed quite quiet yesterday too. That's not like you."

"I'm perfectly fine." Mahira gives a persuasive smile and then leans across for a sandwhich in her sisters lap.

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd causing everyone in the park to turn their heads. Sadia squinted across shading her eyes from the sun. Saif ran around the park like a maniac high fiving everyone he passed by, fist pumping the air.

"Oh it's Saif." Sadia rolled her eyes knowing how her brother gets a little out of control when he would score a goal or even when his favourite team would score on the telly in their living room.

Mahira laughs and shakes her head as her brother screams at the top of his lungs finally dropping to his knees from all the running but still not quite over the victory goal as he repeatedly pumps his fists in the air.

"He is so crazy." Ema comments with a shake of her head and then laughs. "And funny."

And then a ringing sound, barely audible against the loud cheering, forces Ema to dig in her bag and pull open her phone.

"AssalaamuAlaykum...okay...I'm coming."

Ema gets up dusting herself from all the grass Noah had gifted her with.

"Well I guess I better get going. There is so much to get done at home."

"You're already leaving?" Mahira pouts leaning in for a hug.

"Yes. But do come around. You and the girls.

"Sure. In Shaa Allah will definitely try." Mahira promises.

"I'll see you soon. And definitely do try to come." Ema emphasises again one last time before rushing off to an awaiting car.

"She has a beautiful glow. You can tell she is very happy. Alhamdulillah." Sadia comments.

"Yeah. She is." Mahira sighs watching her friends retreating back until she was no longer in sight.

Sadia then narrows her eyes onto her sister and though Mahira denied anything was wrong, there was definitely something off about her little sisters behaviour. Sadia was determined to find out what it was and get to the bottom of it. What was occupying Mahira's mind that she couldn't tell her big sister about? Sadia had thought they shared a pretty close bond up untill now so she was sure Mahira would tell her.

"You know. You seem very out of it. I mean you are actually paying attention to Saifs football match. Whatever it is I want you to know you can tell me." Sadia grabbed Noahs hand before he could put another blade of grass into his mouth.

"I know." Came the two worded answer.

"So do you like anyone from there?" Sadia dives back into their earlier converataion so suddenly that Mahira almost chokes on air from the surprise of it all.

"W..what!?"

"Do you like anyone?" Sadia repeats as normal as ever.

"W..Why you asking me that?"

"Because you keep looking over at the game. I know you hate football." Sadia gave a questioning look.

Mahira felt she had been cornered with no way out. Was telling her sister the right thing to do?

"It's okay if you were. I totally drooled over Idris every time I saw him at school." Sadia's voice softened in an attempt to make her little sister comfortable to speak her mind.

"I was NOT drooling!" Mahira emphasises although the colour on her face betrayed her.

"Okay sure whatever you say." Sadia flipped a hand not convinced at all.

"So what do you want me to tell mum?" Sadia popped up the question once more awaiting her sisters response.

"Tell her I don't have anyone." Mahira shrugged.

.....

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What would you do if you liked someone? And who would you tell?