Good Kid-Bad Kid[COMPLETED]

Chapter 66 (Bilal and Yassin)

Note: just a small chapter! Hope you enjoy it :)

Bilal:
Bilal sighed and flicked through his messages. There were at least twenty from Chloe alone, ranting on about some girl who brought the dress she wanted to buy instead. He smiled slightly, thinking about how trivial this tiny problem was and yet she'd shared it with him too. If only he could tell her where he was, she could come over, they could do things together... But no. Badr's paranoia was not going to let that happen. He didn't blame his younger brother, but he didn't like it either. He could technically move back home now, but he'd gotten used to the family feeling in this house. It felt as it should; him, Badr, Yassin, Baba and his almost little sister Laila, all together. Perhaps it was better if Chloe didn't break that tranquility.
He was just about to leave for Fankour when suddenly the house was filled with Baba's powerful voice melodiously saying something in Arabic. He froze.
What was he doing?
And yet he could understand those words, and they shook him slightly, as though urging him to do something and yet he didn't know what. Baba had never done anything of the sort in his memory, so what was this? The sound was so many emotions all at once. Fear, pride, sorrow.
Come to Salaah, come to success...
Suddenly a tiny part of him was wondering if he remembered how to do it. How to pray. He couldn't recall much, just a few words. He instantly dismissed the thought. No amount of prayer was going to save his black soul now.

Yassin:
"I like her"
"I know"
"No, seriously"
"I know"
"Are you okay?"
"I know"
"Badr?!"
Badr blinked and looked up at Yassin who was glaring at him from over his macbook. He shrugged, "I'm fine"
They were hiding out in Yassin's room because they both didn't know what to say or do around Baba. Badr was sprawled on his bed while Yassin worked away on the desk.
"Just forget it" Yassin sighed, "You're too distracted about something"
Badr was silent for a few moments, so he took it as affirmation. It seemed like Badr was always brooding nowadays except for when he was with Laila, who always managed to either annoy him into emotion or invoke his retorts. He was wondering what there was between them, if there was anything at all, and the chances that Badr would fall for a girl as polar opposite as him. Very slim. So slim that he didn't even know why he was wasting his time thinking about it. They were all fond of Laila, it was hard not to be. She was quite a character sometimes.
"I...Baba asked me..." Badr closed his eyes, the slight shadows forming under them standing out, "About Mom" he finished finally.
Yassin stopped what he was doing. He didn't know what to say or do. How hard had he and Bilal tried to get Mom's whereabouts from him, and he'd never told them more than "she's safe". That was never enough, but they also knew not to fruitlessly pester him. And now that he'd brought it up himself Yassin was unsure of how to go about it.
"What did you say?" he asked instead.
"The usual"
"Oh"
There was silence for a few moments, then Badr opened an eye, "You don't have a problem with that?"
Yassin shrugged ruefully, "What can I say? We have a right to know Badr, but Baba...well he has a greater right"
"I know" he groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"You have to look at things from his point of view" Yassin pressed on desperately, "He's been behind the bars for fifteen years Badr. Its not easy to walk away from that...and he loved Mom so much- Bilal and I know this. To know she's alive but not able to see her is...well, its torture. You know how it's been for Amu Faris. And- and what about Mom? D-doesn't she m-miss us?" a lump formed in his throat and he blinked, looking back at his screen where he'd coded on the wrong line by accident
"Yassin..." Badr sighed, "listen, it's not like that. You won't get it until you see her"
"Which won't happen"
Badr was silent for a moment but then he said quietly, "it will"
Yassin froze in shock. It will. It will. It. Will. They locked gazes, Badr's black-gold eyes with something helpless in them, Yassin's filled with disbelief. Before he could say anything further however, something strange sounded from the floor above.
"What the-" Badr muttered, bolting upright. Yassin cocked his head to hear it better.
"Its...Baba?" he exclaimed. He was calling something, which was clearly in Arabic but Yassin couldn't discern the words. Badr was on alert- of course he'd think it was a signal for an attack or something extreme like that.
"Adhan" Yassin realized.
"What?"
"It's a muslim call to prayer" he explained, then blushed slightly, "Niha sent me her favorite"
Badr seemed slightly taken aback, and it was hard not to be. The way Baba was doing it was heart trembling and almost scary in its powerful command, and yet it was also an ask to the world. They both sat in silence and listened, both lost in its strange beauty, unsure about the turmoil that was beginning to ravage their souls.

Bilal:
Bilal had just settled down on his makeshift bed in the living room for a quick nap when Laila ran down the stairs excitedly, followed by a beaming baba.
His heart softened seeing Baba smile like that, with his eyes crinkling in the corners, twinkling like stars. He could get used to it.
"We saw the moon!" Laila exclaimed excitedly, "it was so clear!"
Bilal cocked an eyebrow.
"How exciting"
Badr and Yassin strolled in, and their resemblance struck him for a moment. Badr narrowed his eyes at her, but Bilal could tell he was reluctantly happy to see her.
"Don't you- nevermind" Laila said sadly, glancing over to Baba for help. He nodded his head in that I'll take it from here kind of way.
"The sighting of the moon signals the start of Ramadan" he explained, "do you not remember Bilal? We used to search for it"
Oh. He did remember, spending evenings on the terrace of the apartment building, looking for a moon with Baba.
But Ramadan?
He swallowed...wasn't that something to do with not eating?
"Oh I forgot to tell you" Laila announced, "we're already invited to two places for Iftar- Rana's and Niha's- can we go please?" The last part was directed at Badr which seemed to amuse Baba. Badr's authoritative nature made him the boss half the time, but Baba barely knew him.
Badr rolled his eyes, "do I have to come?"
"You will" she replied, deadpan. He raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"And why is that?"
This time she rolled her eyes, "Just watch Amu, he'll come"
Baba laughed, obviously finding this very funny.
"We will all go Laila habibti" he chuckled, "It will be nice to go out"
"Awesome" she grinned and happily bounced back up the stairs. Badr's gaze followed her until she disappeared, then he sank in an armchair, crossing his feet, staring broodingly into space. He looked tired and had that look on his face whenever there was something serious on his mind. Yassin immersed himself in his computers on the dining table and Baba crossed over to take a seat next to Bilal. He pushed himself up to make room, feeling instantly awake. He wasn't quite sure about what to say or do, but to his relief Baba started the conversation.
"Bilal, in Lebanon, by your age you would have been happily married with a few children" he said with a small smile. Bilal blinked. Okay so maybe he was not expecting that.
Yassin looked up from his computer and sniggered while Badr turned his head, suddenly very interested.
"That's...interesting? Would you like dinner?" he asked uncomfortably shifting around while his two younger brothers exchanged glances and laughed silently in the background.
"I would indeed, just not now" Baba winked, "I'm being honest here son, you need to start thinking about these things, starting a family and settling..."
"He's already half-way there" Yassin piped in and they burst into laughter again at Bilal's glare. Baba beamed, "Who is this special lady?"
"She- I mean- I don't-"
"Chloe" Badr said flatly, "Her name is Chloe"
"I am assuming she is not Muslim then" Baba said, his smile fading for a moment before he returned it in renewed brightness, "I would like to meet her"
Oh shit.
You just had to, didn't you? Bilal glowered at Badr.