Strings Attached

~Chapter 8~

"Seth, Dan! Get your asses down here real quick or I'll throw that stupid box right out of the window!" she shouts from downstairs. Oh, I almost forgot, I get to share the scolding too. "Coming in a sec, Mrs. Backwater!" I shout back. "I said right now, boys! I better see you coming down the stairs before I explode." And that's our cue to run at top speed.

We get downstairs only to see that Rosalyn, or Seth's mum, has prepared spaghetti in cream sauce, and a mug full of lemonade. My stomach starts rumbling seeing so much of yumminess laden in front of me. And without waiting for an invitation, I dig in.

I wolf down the food like the beast I am and drinking up the lemonade, I lick around my mouth with my tongue, feeling contented. "That was amazing, Mrs. Backwater. Thanks a ton," I tell her self-consciously. I'm not good with giving serious compliments to elders.

"You're always welcome, my boy," she replies, her eyes crinkling in glee. "And, please call me Aunt Rosa, if you're not good with just Rosa, alright?" "Yeah, Aunt Rosa would be great. Thanks." "And, Master Seth Backwater! I better see you studying and nowhere near the telly if you want your head intact. Are you following me?!"

"What the heck, mum! I'm no kid that you'd talk like that. Do you really have to embarrass me in front of everybody?" Seth asks his mum dejectedly. Sometimes I feel glad nobody keeps tabs on me. "I'm not embarrassing you only. Daniyal has to study too, whether he likes it or not."

And the judge has pronounced the verdict. I groan. Maybe I felt glad too soon.

_____

After about an hour of studying, I feel tired. I close my books and throw them away somewhere I can't see them for a good long time. "Come on, let's go sit on the roof," I beckon Seth, getting up from the bed. "It's only been an hour. Mum will drive me crazy!" he retorts, opening his eyes wide. "Are you scared of your mum? Man up a little!" And saying thus, I grab my guitar and go out into the balcony, immediately beginning my ascent towards the slanted roof. I know the idiot will follow in less than a minute.

I light up a cigarette and start blowing out puffs of smoke. Ah! This is heavenly. There's a cool breeze playing out here, and with such a peaceful atmosphere, I can't help but think of a few tunes. I settle my guitar on my lap and start strumming a slow lullaby like tune. It immediately starts making me feel things... things I haven't felt for a long time. There's a dull ache inside my chest I can't understand. And I keep going.

The moment is broken when Seth speaks up. "Is it her, that... 'something' Ali girl?" he asks me, pointing to something or someone in the distance. My head immediately shoots up. And sure enough, I see a girl talking animatedly on the phone in the balcony of the house across the street. She is almost completely covered, leaving only her face and hands. I can't really see her clearly though.

"Do you think that's Hiba?" Seth asks me once again. "No, I'm damn sure she isn't Hiba. Because for one thing, she's taller. And secondly, she'll never cover herself for this long even for me," I answer him, never once taking my eyes off the girl. "Yeah, that's logical."

"I'm bringing your binoculars. I need to see how she looks like," I say, suddenly getting up. Like the crazed person I am, I turn the whole room upside down until I can find the said binoculars. Grabbing them at first sight, I run back hurriedly towards the roof, struggling to find my footing in my haste. "Did she see us yet?" I ask my best friend anxiously.

"No, but if you keep performing like a monkey, she definitely will," he retorts, pinching the binoculars from my hands. "You better not see her before me, Seth, or the consequences will be dire, I swear," I warn the runt, just as he gets ready to take a look.

And the inevitable happens. The girl finally notices us. Not wasting a second, she covers her face with the scarf-like thing she has wrapped around her head, and goes inside.

Sh*t! This was the best chance we had, and we lost it. Maybe we'll never get to know how she looks like. And somehow, it makes me want to punch someone hard.

-------AUTHOR'S NOTE------

I don't have much to say except that I'm sorry for this super late update. Please do tell me how I'm doing with the story. Is it too cliche? Too boring? Too slow? Don't hesitate from telling me anything that comes to your mind while reading, I don't care if it's good or bad... And do share it if you like it... Pweez. I'm sure you won't let me down.

Cheers,

~Amenah.