No Choice || H.S.

Chapter 13

-Two weeks later-

Harry's P.O.V

"Shut up, Tahira! You don't know anything!" I shouted at her out of the blue as she started walking away from me.

She suddenly stopped and marched back to me with anger blazing in her eyes. "I don't want to talk to you, Marcel. Leave me alone and don't make me even angrier than I am now." She said and walked away.

"Fine! I didn't want to be your friend anyway!" I shouted and walked in the opposite direction from her with my fists clenched.

-A few hours ago-

"Good morning, Marcel." Tahira smiled as she stood at the gates of the school. "Hey. Sorry, I overslept a bit." I said and she shook her head saying 'It's okay.'.

Ever since the dinner at her place it was like we have become better friends than before. The boys (un)fortunately had to leave yesterday as their month deadline was up and even Tahira was there to say bye to them. Needless to say, they were very sad about leaving but promised to keep coming to visit sometime or the other.

"Marcel, if you don't mind, can I ask you something?" Tahira asked during lunch. She wasn't eating anything but she still sat with me on our table.

"Yeah, sure." I said. I knew there was something bugging her ever since the dinner but she wasn't ready to ask so I didn't pressure her. "Why were the One Direction boys staying at your place?"

Aah.

"Uh... I... I'm the only one who's allowed to contact Harry. They wanted to check up on him." I said quickly a relieved sigh escaping my lips. "Oh..." She looked a bit agitated.

"If you want to ask anything else I can answer them after school...?" I supplied.

She instantly looked relieved "Will you? Thanks!"

"So, what did you want to ask?"

She looked shy all of a sudden. "I don't want to intrude. Honestly. But I'm very curious. It's a bad habit of mine."

I chuckled. "I think I can understand that." She smiled before sitting down on a bench and I followed her action. "Okay, now you can ask." I said and she took a deep breath.

"Why is Harry away?"

I looked away from her. I knew she was going to ask that question but it still bothered me. "You know why." I said and she shook her head.

"I know why, Marcel. But I just have a gut feeling about it..." I looked at her.

"About what?" I asked.

"That there's more to the story. I mean, when you think about it, I've done a lot of thinking believe me; Harry from a year ago, how was he?" She asked me and I looked down.

"Sweet, caring, polite." I said.

"And he knew how to respect woman." Tahira added and I looked at her confused. "Where are you going with this?" I asked.

"I mean a man can't change that much in a day. From what I know and heard, he was his old self one day and his new self the next. Marcel, a man can't change that fast." I felt sweat breaking out on my forehead.

This was way too close to home.

"Maybe he was just tired of being the good guy." I said and Tahira frowned. "You approve of the new him?" I shrugged carelessly but by the tone of her voice, I had to choose my answer carefully.

"I don't know... I mean, it's his life and he's living it to his hearts content." I said but suddenly it was like I had no control over my mouth. "But what a life! Free to do whatever he wants. No one to answer to. He can get drinks for free in some clubs and he can get laid whenever he wants to." I quickly clamped my mouth shut before I could say and ruin anything else.

However, I didn't notice Tahira looking disapprovingly at me. "So, you want to be in his shoes?" She asked and I shrugged.

"Being a nerd isn't all that nice, Tahira. You don't have friends. You don't get girlfriends. Everyone looks at you with disgust! I want his life!" I want my life back! Tahira looked at me in shock before looking away.

Without a word she got up and started walking away. What I had said finally dawned on me and I ran after her. I grabbed her wrist but she snatched it away. "Don't touch me!" She said.

"Tahira, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" She laughed.

"No one ever does, do they? It's okay, Marcel. You didn't mean it, right?" She laughed again and I felt myself frown at her tone.

"Tahira, don't be like that." A tear fell down her face and I felt like I was just punched in the gut.

"Don't be like what? Feel human? Feel hurt by what you said? No, let's just say things to Tahira just because she's a Muslim and Muslims are heartless people right? Am I right!?" She shouted and I rubbed my face with my hand in exasperation.

"Tahria, this conversation has nothing to do with your religion!" I said and glared at her.

"Doesn't it? Do you have any idea how hard it is? How hard it was for me, being an Indian, Muslim and a Hijabi in a country where they are treated like they are the dirt beneath their feet? I was just fourteen when we moved here. I didn't know a single person and everything was so different here than back home. You may be a nerd, Marcel, but you don't know the first thing of having people look at you with disgust!"

"Shut up, Tahira! You don't know anything!" I shouted at her out of the blue as she started walking away from me.

She suddenly stopped and marched back to me with anger blazing in her eyes. "I don't want to talk to you, Marcel. Leave me alone and don't make me even angrier than I am now." She said and walked away.

"Fine! I didn't want to be your friend anyway!" I shouted and walked in the opposite direction from her with my fists clenched.

I hate her!

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AN: Well... Didn't see that one coming did ya? Comment, Vote and Follow :)