Laila

360 degrees

With the grin still intact, Ismail being Ismail, knowing how much it was killing a girl like her to say sorry, decided he wanted to see her squirm a bit more.

He cocked his head and innocently asked, "What're you talking about?"

Laila was in shock. What had happened to the brooding, dark guy she had met a week ago? How was he suddenly replaced by this happy, amiable guy that Laila felt like she was meeting for the first time?

Her mouth hung open as she stared at this alien, charming man.

"Um, you know. For the scoff," she stuttered.

Ismail wasn't done. His devilish grin increased in size.

"What scoff, Laila?"

He was testing her patience. She ground her teeth in frustration and decided to give him her final reply. The bitch was back.

"Oh you know, when I scoffed, quiet rudely if I do say myself, when you said that you still have no job. I do apologize. Most sincerely," Laila said with her signature, sickly sweet smile as fake as a models body.

Ismail smirked at her tone. This was the girl he much rather preferred. His best friend's girlfriend's feisty best friend. Tongue twister.

"Didn't even notice it," Ismail said, nonchalant. In fact, he had felt it. Very much. He wasn't proud of the fact that he didn't have a job. He knew he had to put everything else behind him and take half the responsibility of the house on him.

Laila bristled. He had taken her apology so lightly! It wasn't every day that Laila Ali Khan went out handing apologies. It might just have been her first time ever, minus the countless times she'd apologized to her sweet, stubborn best friend.

She chose not to reply.

Ismail grinned at the angry girl beside him. He knew he was going to have fun with her.

"Apology accepted," he said, with a grin, deciding he'd tortured the girl enough for today.

More than angry, Laila was shocked at this new Ismail that she was seeing. God knows he'd been anything but happy the last time they had met. Laila didn't know which Ismail she preferred. The dark, brooding one or this new happy, charismatic one. As far as Laila was concerned, both of them made her feel awkward.

"I'm also sorry," Ismail piped up.

"For what?" Laila said in a snappy tone, but was genuinely curious to know what he was apologizing for. Last week, to her this man had seemed incapable of even feeling remorseful. His apology was just another shock he had given her today.

He sighed a heavy sigh but still managed to look amused, and said, "About my attitude last week," he paused. "I'm...not always the way I was that day. My apologies for making you feel uncomfortable."

His apology left Laila tongue tied. She didn't know what to say to him. It was hard enough to try to converse with him when he was being rude and distant, but it had become just that much harder when he was acting nice. At least she could counter the sullen attitude with her sharp one. What was she supposed to do when he was acting like such a gentleman?

"I wasn't uncomfortable," she mumbled, lying straight through her teeth.

That devilish grin returned again.

"Oh you weren't? Well I thought you were going to explode if I sat next to you even a second longer," he said and then laughed at Laila's embarrassed, heated expression.

Laila was starting to prefer the broody Ismail a whole lot more.

"What? I...that's not..." she stuttered, failing to think of a snappy come back to heal her wounded ego.

Ismail roared with laughter.

"It's okay. That's the general reaction I get around new girls anyways," he winked at her.

Laila's mouth fell open at his comment. Did he think she was one of the cheap girls that he probably hung out with? After his comment, it finally dawned on Laila who she was speaking to. No matter how good looking he was, he was still a poor, lowly person who lived in Lakshami Chowk and had no job. If Laila's mother knew she was even siting in such close proximity to a guy such as him, she would have a heart attack.

Without giving any further reaction to his contemptible remark, Laila stood up and stalked towards the small door that led into the shabby, once opulent house. She heard heavy footsteps behind her but refused to turn around. She could still hear his joyous laughter at the entrance of the small gate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long chapter! So you got to see a completely different Ismail! Let me know what you thought of him! Also disclaimer guys, Laila is a fictional character that does not represent my views on lower class people at all! 

VOTE AND COMMENT! <3