Not That Interested

Chapter 7: The one with all the flashbacks

"P-promise?"

"Yep! I promise." He holds up his index and middle finger, in our local kid sign language for "Friendship". I don't even bother to correct him that it wasn't a promise sign.

I sniffle noisily. I think I have snot all over my face. Tears won't stop rolling, and I am ashamed. I told him i never cried. Shehzer pats my head twice, and turns to leave, then he looks back and says:

"You won Mina. Your car was bigger."

I cracked a smile through all the tears. I guess Shehzer wasn't all bad.

15 years ago: Shehzer's POV (11 years old)

I am super excited about visiting Pakistan again. I loved meeting my cousins, two years ago, but now I am even more excited. I have more friends to look forward to.

My Mom's sister's house is where we stayed two years ago, and this time will be the same. two months of fun, games, and...friends! None of my Aunt's kids are my age. Her daughters are too old for me to play with. So naturally I made friends with people from the neighborhood. I hope they still remember me. I hope Mina still remembers me.

....

"Can I be your friend?" I plead with her. I like her eyes. She is so cute, like a cartoon character.

She pinches her face. "Ew. No! I hate boys!!" She and her little friend, Adiba proceed to make gross noises.

"He is a boy." I point at Areeb, who follows the girls everywhere whenever they meet. He is a tiny kid with long bangs that fall all over his face. He smirks at me.

The girls stop making noises, and stare at Areeb dumbfounded; as if they have just realized that he is a boy.

"Well, Areeb is my ONLY boyfriend." Mina announces to me.

I am not deterred. I will be her friend, if it kills me.

"Can I just shake your hand then?"

"Nope, you can shake Areeb's hand if you like. I told you, I hate boys."

......

The other kids are making fun of my Urdu accent. I barely know how to speak the language, and even that is heavily accented by my American accent. I walk off, away from the cricket game, to a house under construction at the end of the street, moodily kicking at a rock. I hate Pakistan.

I hear voices whispering and giggling from behind a giant sand pile.

"I am telling you guys, I saw it on TV; on national joruffick (geographic) channel. This is how you search for dinosaurs."

My heart pounded. It was her. I peeked from behind the sand pile. The "Trio" was crouching beside the 4 foot deep dug-up hole in front of the house. probably for a pocket garden. It was covered with prickly thorns.

Mina clung to her tiny netted dupatta (scarf) wrapped around her neck, as she leaned forward inside the hole, wielding a garden spade. The idiot!

Before I could yell out a warning, she fell.

That same day: Mina's POV (8 years old)

My stupid net dupatta was stuck on thorns. I was pricked in so many places. The hole wasn't so deep, but I could never climb out on my own. Areeb and Adiba were peering at me from above, with their mouths hanging open.

"HELP ME YOU IDIOTS!"

They still stared. Like I was an entertaining cartoon episode, they couldn't believe was real.

Suddenly Shehzer was there.

"Hang on! I got you. Wait!" He reached for my hand, and pulled me out. huffing from the strain. "What...were...you....thinking?" he asks me angrily.

I burst into tears. I REALLY hate this boy.

I hated him as he gently disentangled me from my ruined dupatta.

I hated him when he sat with me while my Mom cleaned my wounds.

I hated him when he was praised for his bravery.

I hated him when he smirked and said: "I saved your life. Now we HAVE to be friends!"

I hated his stupid messed up urdu accent.

I hated when he left, and then never came back.

I hated it when every passing summer, I would dread and secretly anticipated his return, and he never did return.

I hated that he made me miss him.

Author's Note:

Woahhh.... That was one long chapter from me. :D yay! feeling accomplished.

What do you feel about our new character? lemme know through comments please. Desperate for feedback here!