Cry of the Unbroken ✓

✒ B R E A K

Then there were days like this where he be left feeling helpless and incapable.

He found himself driving up to Ahsan's school at home time. Ahsan looked at his car parked by the curb and sighed.

"You're really weird sometimes," he mumbled but entered to sit in the passenger seat, nonetheless.

"Assalamu Alaikum," Masroor said in reply.

Ahsan rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Wa alaikumus salam." He took out his phone. "Letting  Kate know where I'm at before she thinks I was kidnapped."

"I was thinking of getting a subway before going to the park?"

Ahsan shrugged. "Sure."

There was a question swirling around Masroor's thoughts. But, he knew, even though he had been talking to Ahsan for almost six months, it would be far too soon to ask.

The moment where Ahsan flinched away from him found a permanent place in his mind. How did a boy who flinched away from the touch of a man come to believe himself to be attracted to the male gender?

He didn't question the early sexual awakening, having seen the syllabus even children in the primary schools are taught. Is it any wonder there are issues of teen pregnancy when there are lessons in schools encouraging children to explore their sexual side, going as far introducing self-touch lessons?

No, the question was why did Ahsan think he was attracted to men, when he veered away from them without subconsciously?

♦

They found themselves back at the same park like something is pulling them towards it. Ahsan had gone for a subway sandwich and soda, while Masroor had a wrap for himself with a chilled lemonade.

"How is school?" He asked, randomly picking a safe topic.

"It's fine," Ahsan groaned back.

Masroor quirked a brow. "That doesn't sound fine."

"We need to choose our GCSE subjects," he mumbled back. "I don't know what to do?"

"Do whatever you feel passionate about." Masroor winced, as he said it such a typical answer.

Ahsan sat up. "What did you do?"

Masroor shrugged." I went to a small, private Islamic school. There really wasn't choices."

"You were doing law, right? Now you changed degree?" Ahsan recalled.

Masroor scratched his cheek with his forefinger. He hoped Ahsan won't take it the wrong way. "Social work."

"How comes?"

"Because all Asians go into law, medicine and engineering. And I just went along with it until I realized I didn't want to do it anymore." He sipped at his lemonade. "So, do just whatever for now,
You can always change later. There is no rush."

Ahsan snorted and gave him an amused look. "So do BA in a subject you don't like for three years then switch after that?"

Masroor shrugged back, not even embarrassed. He really enjoyed social work in a way he couldn't connect with law.

Ahsan was giving him a knowing look.

"It's not exactly because of you," he tried to defend, "Well, not completely."

Ahsan muffled out a small laugh. "I'm not offended. Rather I'm flattered."

Masroor sighed out in relief. He feared Ahsan would feel like he's been made into a project. Masroor would never disrespect him like that. Ahsan not a broken thing to be fixed like someone's project.