The Double-Tap Accident

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Issue Number One Thousand.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: "Issue Number One Thousand."

EVERYONE I KNOW knows I love Fridays. There was no special event that occurred on a Friday for me to love the day that much. There was just something about that specific day that filled me with more energy to get through the day like any other. There was a random association of joy that I had when it came to Fridays.

I didn't hate any other day of the week, but I was starting to on the Monday classes resumed. Because I was having the worst day I had ever experienced in a very long time and not because of one thing.

It was a multitude of issues.

In the morning, I had woken up at 5 AM. For no reason. It was two hours before my alarm was ready to be set off. But that was just issue number one.

When I couldn't go back to bed, I scrolled through my social media. I held my phone over my head and before I knew it my phone slipped out of my hands, hitting me on the bridge of my nose and sending a flaring pain that spread throughout my face. Gritting my teeth in agony, I groaned, rolling to my side and closing my eyes as I waited for the pain to subside.

The feeling barely abated as I sat up and ran to the bathroom. I was lucky I didn't have a nosebleed. Eventually, the pain dulled down but my nose was left throbbing and still continued to throb as I sat down at the kitchen counter close to 8 AM, eating avocado on toast when Yasmeen plopped down in the chair next to me. She was wearing a black hijab and a brown long sleeve turtleneck very similar to the purple one I was wearing.

With only two issues in this morning, with my nose and the dark circles underneath my eyes, I managed to conceal with light makeup, her presence was something I needed. I almost hugged her, about to even comment on our similar outfits but stopped myself when her eyes went wide at the sight of my nose.

She gasped in motherly-like concern, "What happened to you? Your nose looks like someone hit you."

"I dropped my phone on my face," I explained, looking at myself in the camera. The skin on the bridge of my nose was starting to turn a darker colour underneath my makeup. I was too tired to try and conceal it even further. Forget it.

I didn't know if what happened next was considered issue number three, but I was going to consider it so.

Mariam entered the room.

She had told me last week, before the silent treatment, that she was going to return this morning.

She had returned last night. Minutes after Yasmeen had come home with her parents and two brothers. We were sitting in the living room with Larine as well, talking for so long as I ate another great dish her mom had brought me and Yasmeen's little brother bouncing off the walls. I was laughing at a story Yasmeen's oldest brother was telling me about when Mariam had walked in through the front door with her big duffel bag.

She had given Yasmeen a big smile and completely ignored me as she went to her room to unpack.

She decided to do the same this morning. She entered the kitchen, her brown curly hair up in a high ponytail today. Her light blue puffer jacket was already on with a black scarf around her neck. She took out her thermos from the cabinet and poured herself hot coffee.

She was in a hurry. She was so in a hurry that she flashed Yasmeen a smile on her way out and practically ran out of the door without another word. Without another gesture.

I was going to be sick.

Yasmeen pulled her gaze away from the hallway where we could see the front door slam shut before she looked at me. She rolled her eyes, as she's done multiple times since last night when Mariam chose not to speak to me. "This is getting lame," Yasmeen mumbled.