Stealing Glances (bullying to love)

Why

Today is school's award ceremony, I was never an extremely smart kid but I did win one award for my work ethic. The only scary part is that I have to go up on the stage. This is my first time ever going on a stage, I'm so scared.

You will do fine Hala, just take your award and run off the stage.

I was standing behind the stage setup with all of the other students winning an award. Josiah was also getting an award for volunteering the most.

"Hey, how you doing" Josiah said out of nowhere.

I turned around and gave him a smile. "I'm great thank you, how are you Josiah"

"Good too, I hate going up on stages I'm definitely not ready" he said while laughing.

"Hahaha me too, it's actually my first ti-" I was cut off by Aladdin.

"Josiah come here, me and the boys want to tell you something" he said.

Josiah turned to me and smiled. I gave him a smile back.

I could hear faint noises of them talking, they were all laughing but I heard Josiah say "Nah chill, don't do that". I was so confused but I brushed it off, plus I shouldn't be eavesdropping.

I was about to go up on the stage, there are two people in front of me. I'm so nervous.

"Hala Abadi" the speaker said my name. All eyes fell on me. I've never felt this much attention and I hated every second of it. As I walked up the stage to get my award. My whole body was shaking. Suddenly someone threw something at me.

A tomato?

It ruined my dress completely.. I was in shock and turned to see it was Aladdin who threw it. Suddenly all his friends and other people he had around him started throwing whatever they had in their hands right at me.

Tomatoes, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, books. Anything you name they threw.

I stood at the stage in shock, tears bursting out of my eyes as Elementary school popped up in my head. If that wasn't enough, I heard some noise above me and looked up...

All I saw was a balloon pop and sticky orange juice fell all over me. I stood there, my head spinning, my eyes puffy from crying so much.

All I heard was laughter. Things still being thrown at me. I saw Carina throwing a full eyeshadow pallet at me. Then something hit my arm, something sharp I don't know what. But it was something sharp.

I saw blood coming out of my arm and felt dizzy.

I don't know what happened after that but I fell, hit my head and passed out.

Before fully passing out I heard noises.

"ALADDIN I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THIS" Josiah said.

"Hala" I heard Aladdin say.

Everything blacked out.

I woke up in the hospital, wire things attached to me, I saw Aleema, Aladdin and Josiah standing there.

"HALA ARE YOU FEELING OKAY" Aleema said with tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm fine" I faked a smile.

"I need you all out of here, she needs rest" the doctor said.

Josiah and Aleema walked out. Aladdin grabbed the doctor by his collar and said "you don't tell me what to do"

"I'm s-sorry Mr amin, it won't happened again" the doctor said clearing his throat.

"Leave the room" Aladdin told the doctor

My eyes got watery. No no no

Aladdin looked right at me, the room was empty. It was quiet, the only thing you could hear was the machines around me.

"You think it's over?" Aladdin said.

"What did I ever do to you." I said crying while my hiccups came in the way.

"You messed with me first babe, I'm just giving you a taste of what it's like to mess with me." He said while smirking.

"I apologised to you, why, why continue to do this" I said while crying and looking at the ceiling.

I looked at him, and he suddenly changed his expression from something a bit soft to villainous.

He grabbed my arm and made me sit up. I was now looking right at him. His eyes met my watery eyes.

"When you mess with someone from a mafia, you get involved with them forever." His grip tightened around my arm.

"M-mafia?" I questioned while shaking.

"You ever heard of the ZeinAmin mafia??" He said while looking in my eyes.

"Y-yes" my breath quickened. ZeinAmin Mafia was the country's most powerful and feared mafia.

He came closer, our faces were now only 3 inches apart.. "Who do you think is the Heir of the mafia?"

"Y-y-you" I said while tears fell out of my eyes.

"You're quite smart" he winked and pushed my arm away.

By now I was shaking uncontrollably. What the fuck. I got in shit with a Mafia's heir. I should've never even looked at him. I shouldn't have eavesdropped.

He snapped me out of my thoughts by saying "it's just the start Hala" as he walked out without even turning to look at me.

Why.