Diamonds & Pearls

Diamonds & Pearls (25)-Lies Undone

Previously in Diamonds & Pearls:

           “Zayna, I’m fine. I promise I’m fine.” I said quickly, trying to kill the rage that was about to erupt from within her.

            “No you are not!” She exclaimed and then rushed back through the curtains.

            “Zayna!” I yelled, trying to call her back. “Oh no,”

            I ran out of the nurse’s office with speed that I didn’t know I was capable of. My sister was already bursting into the principal’s office. By the time I got to her, the police were holding her and she’d managed to kick Erik in the head while they were restraining her. When I saw Erik, I froze even though he was handcuffed. My heart was in my throat and I slowly backed out of the room. I couldn’t stand to see him so soon after what had happened. Flashes of him throwing me, hitting me, and biting me made their way back into my mind. His touch had been so wrong and I couldn’t stop replaying the way he had tried to force himself on me.  I felt saliva flooding my mouth and I knew for sure that I was going to be sick. I ran to the nearest trashcan and threw up everything I’d eaten earlier in the day. After a while, I was just dry heaving but within a few minutes my stomach calmed. I wiped my mouth with a broken sob.

            Oh Allah, help me make it through this day. I prayed before sinking to the cold floor. Shaking, I pulled my knees up to my chest and did nothing but hope that someone would find me.

Diamonds & Pearls

Ramadan Mubarak!

Before You Read: Hey guys! Quick reminder here! If you're delaying a prayer right now to read this story, stop whatever you're doing and go pray! Don't let anything take you away from Allah. Especially not this story. Now if you're all prayed up, go ahead and enjoy this chapter.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE-Lies Undone

            Cole found me. I wasn’t sure why he was always the one to find me but he was. When he finally found me, I heard him sigh loudly. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. You and your sister are pretty fast.” I looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. He frowned, crouching down in front of me. “Daleela, what’s wrong? You okay?”

            I shook my head slowly, my throat burning. “My parents are on their way and I don’t know what I’m going to tell them. I’ve lied so much to protect the people I love but now they’re going to want answers, I know it. I can’t deal with this. I’ve gotten myself into a heap of mess and I just can’t deal with it. They’re going to be so disappointed in me.”

            Cole sat back onto the cold floor and folded his legs in front of him. He kept his distance as usual but I was still aware of his close proximity. He gave me a reassuring look. “They aren’t going to ask you anything Daleela.”

            “How do you know?” I muttered, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. I kept my face turned away, embarrassed to cry in front of him.

            “I know because they’ll be way too worried about you and way too angry at Erik to care.” Cole murmured, giving me a small smirk. “You’re going to be fine, I promise. I’ll explain everything to your parents if you want and I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”

            “Thank you,” I said sincerely. I don’t know why but he made me feel a whole lot less panicked. It was like, if he could stay calm, I had no reason to freak out. Cole nodded slowly and I could tell he wanted to say something.

            “Daleela, something is bugging me and I really need you to be honest with me.” He said quietly, looking down the hallways with caution. His voice had lowered considerably. “What really happened while I was gone?”

            My mouth hung open slightly as I remembered the moment I had almost admitted everything to him in the nurse’s office. Right then, I’d had enough courage to just blurt it out. But right now, my mind was changed. Aiken wouldn’t forgive me if I just told him everything. I knew for sure that he would want to tell Cole himself. He owed his little brother that much after all of his suffering. Now I was tasked with the difficult choice of whether or not to lie to him. I couldn’t lie to him no matter how I tried to shape my lips to do so. Inside, I wanted him to know at least some of the truth.

            “Cole, I’m going to tell you just like I told Rafiq.” I informed him, my heart beating wildly. “There are things I absolutely cannot tell you guys yet and I know you won’t understand some of the things I’m about to say but you can’t ask questions. That is my condition for telling you.”

            He looked a bit taken aback that I was keeping things from them. Just like they had kept me safe by leaving me in the dark sometimes, I was doing the same. “Alright,” He finally agreed with reluctance.

            “While you were…absent, Rafiq and I were almost kidnapped by the men with the tiger tattoos.” I whispered so low that I could tell he had trouble hearing me. The shock as he registered what I said was evident. I watched him nervously as several expressions dashed across his handsome features.

            “What?” He muttered with a fear stricken look.

            “They tried to kidnap us.” I repeated softly. Cole looked as if I were speaking gibberish. “They were complaining about Erik making them do it when they were talking amongst themselves. Their leader, Nine, was so adamant about completing the ‘mission’ though.”

            “Nine?” He blurted loudly. I quickly shushed him. “I’m going to kill him.” Cole growled, glaring at the door to the principal’s office. I knew he was referring to Erik at the moment. “I can’t believe that f---ing psycho went as far as using his dad’s hit man to hurt you.”

            “Cole, quiet down. Someone will hear.” I murmured in panic. His expression was wild.

            “Let them hear.” He spat in pure unrestrained anger. “This is the last straw. Erik has hurt you way too many times and I’m not going to sit by and watch his dad bail him out this time. If I can’t catch Jim, I’ll have to start with turning him against his son the way he turned my mother against me.”

            Cole stood up and I rose with him wearily. “You don’t have to do this. I know for a fact that they’ll both be locked up soon.” I tried to assure him. He gave me a perplexed look.

            “And just how would you know that?” He questioned, a fired up look in his eyes.

            “I just do,” I replied hotly.

            “No offense Daleela but I’m not about to take that chance. I’m going to make sure Erik’s father does not bail him out of jail. That’s the only thing that will keep me at ease.” Cole said quietly, trying his best to restrain the fury he was truly feeling. At this point, it was difficult to argue with him. If he had a way, why should I stop him?

            “Let me ask you this,” I muttered, looking at the ground. “If you do what you’re planning, will you end up being the one in danger?”

            “No,” He answered a little too fast for my liking. “But even if I were to be in potential danger, don’t you dare get involved...I know how you are.”

            I glared at him stubbornly. “You don’t know anything.” I snapped halfheartedly.

            “I know enough.” He replied, giving me a look that took my breath away. I cleared my throat, tearing my gaze away from his painfully sincere eyes. 

            That’s when the entrance door to the school swung open and my father came storming inside. I noticed Cole slowly put some distance between us although we weren’t that close to begin with. “Abi!” I called out and his eyes snapped to me. He looked me over one time and I saw a strong sense of worry flash across his face. He rushed over to me.

            “Daleela, are you okay?” My father asked, obviously not understanding why I looked the way I did. Apparently whoever had called him had only told him that it was urgent. When he caught wind of my bruised face, his whole demeanor changed completely. He did the exact same thing Zayna had done. He gently went over the cuts and bruises on my face with care. “Who did this to you?”

            My father’s voice was a lot calmer than I would have ever imagined but his eyes were raging. “I…he…” I tried to speak but was too choked up to do so.

            “Mr. Lewis, you’re here.” Principal Washington called from the doorway to the lobby of his office. “May I speak with you for a moment?”

            Abi briefly turned away from me to look at my principal. “What happened?” My father asked. It was only two words but it felt like there was a threat in them, a threat to anyone who’d dare harm me. I knew Abi was holding back to the best of his ability and whenever he finally heard the truth of what had happened, he would completely lose it on everyone.

            “Sir, I think it would be better if we discussed the situation in the privacy of my office.”  Mr. Washington replied calmly.

            “My daughter is standing here bruised and beaten. Her clothes are ripped apart and there are tears in her eyes.” My father said through gritted teeth. I had to admit that he appeared the most intimidating that I’d ever seen him. “I’m not going anywhere until you answer my damn question. What the hell happened to my child?”

            “Abi,” I said softly, grabbing his hand in mine. “Can you just…go with him please?”

            Seeing the look on my face, I felt him relax. I could feel Cole walking up to us. “Sir, I’ll keep an eye on her until Rafiq or any of your other family members arrive.”

            Abi looked at Cole carefully before finally recognizing him. I could see only the slightest bit of distrust in my father’s eyes. At the moment, he trusted no one with my care and he didn’t know Cole well enough to leave him with such a responsibility. I mean it’s not like he’s mahram… “I appreciate the gesture but-“

            “Dad,” Zayna said, finally coming out of the lobby that led to Mr. Washington’s office. Her hijab was a mess and her eyes were puffy. She must have fought hard trying kick Erik’s ass and I was greatly touched that she felt so strongly for me. “I’m glad you’re here because I’m about to kill him.” Zayna’s voice shook so hard that I felt a sharp pain in my heart. She had tears in her eyes as she tried not to break down. When Zayna got angry, she lashed out. Then all of her feelings of anguish bubbled to the surface in the form of tears. It was the way my sister had always been and I was seeing now that she had not changed.

            “Zayna, tell me what happened. What do you mean ‘him’?” My father said in an exasperated tone. I saw that the principal had a worried expression on his face. He’d obviously never dealt with a situation like this.

            Zayna tried to speak but she couldn’t find words. She was completely choked up and I felt terrible seeing her that way. Her eyes caught mine and I watched helplessly as two pearl-like tears slipped down her cheeks. I knew she could see that I was nervous about Abi’s reaction to all of this. But he had to know eventually. “I’m sure Mr. Washington can explain the situation better than I can Abi.” Zayna said, her voice breaking only slightly.

            “Please,” The principal basically begged, holding the door for my father. Abi looked at us worriedly, his expression flowing between rage and fear of what may have happened. He let out a deep breath before reluctantly making his way through the door way.

            As soon at the door shut behind my father, Zayna lifted a shaking hand to her mouth as she began to cry. I had never seen her this way. She was always the strongest, the bravest, and the loyalist; she was never the one to break down. She reached for me and pulled me into her strong arms. I hugged her tightly. “I’m fine Zayna, I swear I’m fine.”

            “No you’re not,” She sobbed, holding me closely. I didn’t understand why she was reacting this way. I was going to be okay. I was just a little banged up. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

            “Na-na, it’s not that serious.” I said, pulling away from her. I looked into her eyes carefully and all I saw was unrestrained emotion.

            “Not that serious?” She repeated, trying her best not to raise her voice at me. “Daleela…he raped you.” Zayna whispered, her soft brown eyes holding a new fierceness that shined behind her irises like a raging fire. “I promise you he won’t get away with it.”

            “Zayna, he didn’t rape me.” I said, cutting her off immediately.

            “They said-” She started before cutting herself off. An unsure relief was spreading across her features. “When I saw your clothes, I thought he…the blood on your jilbab made me think…I don’t understand.”

            I could tell my sister was highly distraught. “He got there before Erik could…do it.” I murmured, jerking my head toward Cole. I felt a strange pang of guilt. I couldn’t imagine the turmoil Zayna had just gone through believing that I had been violated in that way.

            She let me go and slowly turned to look at Cole with red rimmed eyes. “You’re that boy.” was all she could manage to say.

            “Nice to meet you,” Cole muttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

            “Thank you, Cole. Thank you for being there, for making it in time. Thank you.” My sister said, addressing him with a noticeable amount of gratitude. I was highly surprised she’d remembered his name since she’d never mentioned him around me but once. Then again, I remembered her taking me to the hospital to see him when he had the stab wound. I looked over at Cole and he seemed almost embarrassed that my sister obviously found a reason to appreciate his help.

            “I heard a girl screaming…I just did what anyone would have done.” Cole said modestly, trying his best to keep a neutral expression. I wasn’t about to stand there and let him water down his part in saving me. His wonderful timing meant a lot to me and to see him pretending it wasn’t a big deal, annoyed me for some reason.

            “He did much more than anyone would have ever done,” I informed Zayna, my eyes glued to him. He looked at me then and I felt a strong feeling rush through me. “No one else would have done everything he did to get to me. No one else would have given me a second thought.”

            My voice was filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Cole’s eyes did not move from mine and I suddenly wished to know what was going through his mind. Was it anything like what was going through mine? He looked as if he were seeing me for the first time in a different way. “Well, bashful as he may be, I’m grateful to him either way.” Zayna mumbled. I felt her eyes flitting between the two of us and I lowered my gaze quickly. Astaghfirallah. I watched Zayna’s lips part as she prepared to speak. But then shouting grasped all of our attention.

            “What the hell do you mean?” My father’s voice boomed. We could hear him although there was a whole room and two doors separating us. “Where is he? Take me to him now!”

            “Oh no,” I whispered, tensing. This wasn’t going to be good at all. There was a shuffling as the door opened to the waiting area of the office. Two officers held Erik by either arm. As soon as I saw him, my heart sank in fear. What was wrong with me? He was handcuffed and restrained by officers, yet there I was, shaking like a coward.  When Erik caught my eyes, a hate burned in them that was so huge I couldn’t help but flinch. Then Erik’s eyes roamed to Cole and the hate was a thousand times stronger.

            “Now I get it.” Erik scowled as his lip curled in anger. “You were the bastard that saved her the first time Brackson, weren’t you?” Erik hissed as his blonde hair flapped wildly with every word he spoke. Cole’s fist clenched and he did not deny the accusation. “Oh this is too hilarious,” Erik said, looking from Cole’s tense stature to my fearful face. “You’re in love with the b----, aren’t you? That’s sick. She’s not even human.”

            I felt Zayna take an angry step forward and grabbed her wrist quickly. I don’t know what snapped in the back of Cole’s mind but before I could register what was happening, Cole had lunged. I let out a shriek of surprise as Cole brought Erik to the ground faster than the two officers could react. I heard Zayna gasp as Cole punched Erik with unbelievable force. Before he could land another blow, the burliest of the two officers grabbed him and pulled him away from Erik who lay dazed on the ground laughing.

            Cole didn’t dare try to resist the officer but I could see how much he wanted to as his dark brown eyes swirled with anger. “Well, I like this guy although I was hoping to get to that jackass first.” Zayna murmured to me with a smirk, her arms folded in satisfaction. I was surprised she could smirk right now. This was utterly insane!

            Too much was happening at once. Abi, from the sound of his voice rising, was pissed off. Erik was taunting us as he was pulled into a different room for what I could only guess as being for the sake of his safety. I was pretty sure half of the people left in the nearly empty school wanted to murder him. If I weren’t having a mini panic attack, I definitely would have wanted the same thing.

            “I swear to god he’s going to pay for everything he’s done to you.” Cole growled a few seconds after the burly officer released him and walked away. With that said, Cole stalked off down the hall and disappeared around a corner, still fuming.

            I heard Zayna suck her teeth as she watched him leave. “You two have history, don’t you?” Zayna said quietly, her inquisitive mind churning. I could feel every muscle in my body tense at her words. Was it that obvious? Zayna, seeing my complete horror, sighed in slight disapproval. “Daleela, you know I trust you but please tell me you two haven’t done anything haram?”

            I shook my head quickly. “I can’t believe you’re asking me that. I would never do that.” I breathed, my heart beating unevenly. Insha’Allah, I would never do that.

            Zayna looked relieved but only a little. “Of course I know that but it’s my job to make sure.” My sister said. Her face changed as she placed a hand on my shoulder. “Sis…whatever friendship you think you have with that boy, you need to cut it off now.  He’s in love with you Leela and from what I can tell, it’s pretty deep. You know this kind of situation won’t end well. Don’t string him along. A Muslim girl can’t marry a non-Muslim boy.”

            My mouth hung open daftly. Cole was in love with me? I knew Cole had feelings for me but what the heck had my sister of all people adamantly believing he loved me? I wished I could explain to her that I had tried so many ties to cut all ties with him but with the current situation, there was no way. And where did marriage come from?  I wasn’t ready to marry anyone. And I was not stringing him along! Cole knew the deal when it came to us.

            But were these all just excuses to keep him close to me. Was I digging up every lame excuse in the book to assure that he’d be by my side for just a little longer? If so, I was wrong. I was wrong in every sense of the word. My heart sank as I stood in front of my older sister, her gaze admonishing me as if she could hear my every thought. A look of realization crossed over Zayna’s face and then pure worry as she watched me carefully.

            “Oh my Allah,” Zayna whispered in shock. “You like him.”

            It was not a question. Somehow she knew. I felt like she’d opened me up and was prying away at my deepest darkest secret. “No,” was all I could manage to say and even to me it sounded feeble.

            “Yes,” Zayna said, her eyes searching mine and obviously finding something. She held a hand to her forehead wearily. “Oh my goodness,” She murmured as she started pacing back and forth with a panic stricken face. She turned back to me, shaking her head before words could even come to her lips. “Leela you and him…you must know that you two can’t…oh Allah, Zayan’s going to freak.”

            “It’s not like that Zayna!” I blurted desperately, grabbing onto her arm. “I like him but I know better than that. It’s just a crush…I know how to control myself. And Zayan doesn’t need to know anything.”

            Zayna looked unconvinced. “That’s what I thought about Noor.” She said, trying to make me understand something. Her words struck me into silence. “Something about the way you look at him Daleela, I can see it. It’s the way I looked when I was trying to sort my feelings for Noor out. You’re in love with him…and I see you fighting with yourself desperately, even at this very moment.”

            “Can we not do this right now,” I managed to choke out. Her words were too real and I really did not want to hear them at all.

            “Leela-”

            “Zayna please!” I said breathlessly. I could feel that I was losing a reign on my emotions. I turned in a semi-circle searching for an escape. “I need air.”

            I rushed to the double doors that led outside. I heard my sister call after me, her tone apologetic. I pushed through the door anyway. As soon as the cold air hit me with vengeful bite, my eyes fell upon the one person I prayed I would not see again. My knees went weak as I took a shaky step backward, my heart thumping so loudly that it was almost unbearable.

            “We meet again,” Jim Howards said, distaste in his tone. He looked me over slowly, from head to toe. I pulled my ripped jilbab closer to my body. “This is extremely unfortunate.” He sighed, obviously realizing that I was part of the reason he had been called to the school.

            I stepped aside silently, trying to mask my terror. Stay calm Daleela, my conscious basically screamed at me. But I could not seem to muster the performance I’d put on at the daycare, not today. I felt like my world was crashing down all at once and no one knew the truth of it all but me. Jim Howards stepped past me and made a move towards the office. My father burst out of the same exact door in the same exact moment. I watched as the two men stood face to face, having no idea who the other was.

            Seeing them like that, I couldn’t help but compare them. They were both tall and intimidating but my dad was taller with a firmer build. Jim was pale with slick blonde hair and stark blue eyes. My father was dark with low cut black hair. His eyes were a medium brown shade and wisdom resided in his strong gaze. They were polar opposites. Both men, standing head to head, appeared to be very daunting from a first glance. Jim spoke first. “Excuse me,” He muttered, his tone dismissive.

            My father did not budge. The look on his face was guarded but I knew for sure he was holding back a tsunami of rage. “Are you his father?” Abi said vaguely, his deep voice striking fear in me. He was angry. Angry was never a good look on my dad and it scared me because I rarely ever saw him at the brink of losing control.

            Jim looked up, his lip twitching slightly. “Look, I don’t know what he’s done this time but please be aware that my son is going through a lo-“

            “I don’t give a damn what your son is going through.” My father spat coldly. He had a deadly look on his face but his calmness amazed me. “He had absolutely no right to put his filthy hands on my daughter.”

            Jim looked like his patience was wearing thin as he turned to face my father fully. “What makes you think that your daughter is free of fault?” He snapped coolly. I saw one of my father’s huge fist clench and unclench slowly.

            “Your son tried to rape my daughter.” Abi said, his voice low and threatening. I could hear a slight pain echoing from inside as he said the words. This was every father’s worst nightmare.

            “It’s not uncommon that girls these days will lead a guy on until the very last second and then call it attempted rape when they change their minds all of a sudden. We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves here. Neither of us knows the facts of what happened yet.” Jim said, his voice laced with impending anger and a condescending tone.

            My dad looked as if he were about to explode. I tried to catch my father’s eye and plead with him to calm down. I could tell that so far, he had been trying to react in an Islamically correct manner. But Jim basically accusing me of being a slut lit my dad’s anger up even more. “Don’t you walk in here acting like your son has done absolutely nothing wrong. All of the proof I need is standing right there!” Abi shouted, a vein appearing in his neck. I could see he was referring to my disheveled appearance. “He forced himself on her!”

            I felt really small and incapable in that moment. I wanted to sooth my father but I was too afraid of catching Jim’s attention for long periods of time. I felt like if he looked at me for too long, he’d figure out what Aiken, Badriyah, and me had done. “Excuse me. I need to speak to the principal if that’s not a problem with you.” Jim said, sarcasm oozing from his tone. He walked past Abi like he was nothing but a dog yipping at his feet. This angered me for some reason I couldn’t understand.

            Zayna grabbed my father’s arm before he could react to being brushed off like that. My dad took a few deep breaths and I could see him start to make thikr with his right hand. Amazed, I observed as he mumbled the words over and over; Subhanallah, Alhamdullilah, and Allahuakbar. Glory be to Allah, All praise is due to Allah, Allah is the greatest. He kept going until finally he came to relax or at least as much as the situation would allow. He walked over to me and hugged me closely.

            “I shouldn’t have put you in this school.” He murmured to me, guilt laced in his warm voice. I shook my head, trying to express that this was no one’s fault. Abi kissed my forehead gently. I could have sworn I felt a tear fall onto my cheek and it was not my own. “Your mother and I should have fought harder to get you into a Muslim school.”

            I felt a pang of guilt stab through me. It wasn’t his fault that some people in this world were evil. It wasn’t his fault that I constantly put myself in dangerous situations. And it absolutely was not his fault that he couldn’t protect me from everything. Unable to explain this with words, I hugged my father close and tried to transfer all I felt through the embrace I shared with him.

            I pulled away from my dad slowly as two very different sounds met my ears. The sound of running footsteps to my right and the sound of a door bursting open to my left. I looked to my right first to see Cole running toward us with a thick yellow folder. Then I turned to my left to see Rafiq stumble through the doorway. The thing that caught my attention most was Rafiq. He was holding his side as he limped toward us. I gasped when his face became more apparent as the light from the open door faded. Abi let me go, rushing toward Raf. I followed close on his heels.

            “Son, what happened to you?” My father asked. I could tell he was overwhelmed by the fact that Rafiq was hurt too. He blamed himself because we were under his care. I could tell by the pained expression in his eyes and the frown wrinkles that had yet to disappear on his forehead.

            “W-where…is…Erik?” Raf growled, his breath coming in short rasps. He noticed me and he froze. “No,” He basically whimpered, seeing my appearance and finally realizing that my dad was actually here in the school for a reason.

            I held my hands out in front of me, shaking my head fervently. “I’m fine Raf, just a little banged up from fighting him off.” I said reassuringly. Rafiq dropped to the floor just as Cole slid into place to catch him. I wasn’t sure how Cole did it, but he’d been there with impeccable timing. Gladly Rafiq wasn’t unconscious, just in a lot of pain.

            “He wasn’t supposed to get his hands on you at all.” Rafiq said in an exasperated tone, slumping against his best friend. “I was supposed to be there…I’m sorry.”

            The look in Rafiq’s eyes was dreadfully sincere. He too was blaming himself for all of this when it had nothing to do with him. “Raf, it’s okay. I promise you.” I murmured with a small smile of reassurance. “You taught me how to defend myself remember?” I said, holding up a lame fist.

            My eyes flickered to Cole. He wasn’t looking at me but he had a small smirk on his face. It disappeared so quickly, I wasn’t sure if I’d seen it for sure. Cole turned to my father, respect in his brown eyes. “I’ll help him into one of the chairs of the office lobby until you guys are able to go home. I don’t think he can make it to the nurse’s office, so I’ll try to bring her to him. Is that okay with you sir?”

            “Alright,” My father complied reluctantly. I could tell he wanted to rush him to the hospital but Rafiq didn’t look too badly injured. He appeared to have been in a fight and knowing Erik, he’d probably set several guys against him.

            “I don’t need a nurse! I need to kick Erik’s a-” Rafiq started rowdily but I cut him off.

            “Okay!” I blurted, gesturing for Cole to hurry and take him inside before Rafiq set off on a string of curses. When he got mad, he didn’t care who was standing around. His mouth conjured up every bad word he could think of. It was one of Raf’s less desirable traits.

            I turned my attention back to Cole and realized he was clutching the yellow folder in his hands tightly. Before he went in there, he needed to know that his stepfather was inside. I didn’t know how to tell him without looking suspicious to my dad. I had to think quickly. “Cole,” I said with slight panic in my voice. He turned to look at me and so did my dad. “Um, be careful…with him.” I said, adding a pause between the words. I tried to put meaning in my gaze but he still looked confused. What could I say? What should I do? Wait…maybe if I didn’t say it to him directly. I turned back to my dad as if I’d said nothing to Cole in the first place. “Abi, should we wait to deal with all of this? Erik’s dad doesn’t seem to see eye to eye with you and after dealing with him just now, you look really stressed out.”

            I gave Cole a sideways look and saw understanding dawn on his face as his expression turned very serious. Gripping the yellow envelope and Rafiq, he hurried inside the office’s waiting area. Obviously, he’d gotten my meaning. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” My father said, causing my eyes to snap back to his face. “I’m going to try calling your mother again. I don’t understand why she isn’t answering.” I watched my dad closely. His jaw was clenched and he had to stuff his hands into his pockets in order to keep them out of tight fists. “Zayna, watch out for your sister. I’m going to step outside to call your mom.”

            Zayna nodded and my dad left out of the front doors. I knew he needed to cool down for a second or two. Cole slipped back out into the hallway. I took notice that the yellow envelope was gone. “You need to go, now.” I informed him, not caring that my sister was standing right there. “He can’t see you anywhere near me or Erik for that matter.”

            “I handled it.” Cole muttered, throwing an apprehensive look at Zayna. He was obviously uncomfortable bringing more people into his personal life.

“No you didn’t handle anything.’ I said, trying not to shout. “Get out of here right now!”

            “I gave the secretary copies of the pictures of Erik and my mother. He doesn’t know what they are but he promised to give it to Jim without telling him who it was from.” Cole hissed as his tone turned hushed. “That man owes me a favor so he won’t tell. When Jim sees those pictures, he won’t take Erik’s side in the case against you. He won’t bail him out Daleela. Erik will go straight to jail for sure.”

            My mouth hung open slightly. “But your mom…”

            Cole’s jaw clenched as his face hardened. “She shouldn’t have done any of this. Whatever happens happens.”

            I could see he was conflicted even if he couldn’t but I stayed quiet. I didn’t want him making such huge sacrifices for me, especially when they were unnecessary. But that wasn’t the problem right now. “Thank you…but that isn’t why I’m panicking right now. He can’t see you near me for a completely different reason. There are things I’ve been doing that I haven’t told you or Rafiq about. If that man comes out here and sees you near me, everything I’ve done will be for nothing. He’ll find out the truth and we will both be as good as dead, that I can promise you. So please leave right now, no questions asked. I am begging you.”

            Cole’s expression changed and he looked slightly horrified. “What did you do?’ He asked, his voice shaking on the last word.

            “Please,” I begged, trying not to cry. He looked torn between defying me and endangering me. Finally, Cole turned on his heels and started walking down the hallway away from us. He looked back at me for a split second before turning around. His walk turned into a jog, then quickly transformed into a run as he disappeared around the corner toward the nurse’s office. “Thank you.” I murmured in relief to no one imparticular.

            I was so afraid that Jim Howards would find out about what I’d done to his phone. If he was who I presumed he was, he wouldn’t take it lightly in any sense of the word. He’d want revenge. “Daleela what in the world is going on?” Zayna asked, grabbing me. I turned to her, grabbing her arm in return. I gave her a pleading look.

            “I can’t explain any of this right now and I know I must seem to have lost my mind but I need you right now. I need you to have my back and stay quiet for the time being.” I pleaded, my grip tightening in desperation. Zayna looked torn as she searched my eyes for reason.

            “If you’re in some kind of trouble Leela, you need to tell me now.” My sister snapped, shaking me lightly. She was confused and especially troubled, that is if I could take anything from her expression. “What is going on?”

            Before I could say anything, our father came back inside the school looking unsettled. “Your mother isn’t answering the phone.”

            “I talked to her before I got the call from the school.” Zayna said, her eyes still staring into my own with intensity. I bit my lip, praying that she wouldn’t say anything to Abi. “She told me she was going to take a nap after she got home from work. Ummi’s probably asleep.”

            Abi sighed deeply, a perturbed look on his face. “Who is this from?” Jim shouted loudly from the other side of the door.

            “I don’t know Mr. Howards. Somehow it was addressed to you.” The secretary responded calmly. “It came with the school mail. I’m not sure how or why.”

            The door to the office swung open and we all turned to see Jim Howards standing in the doorway. His face was pale and his expression was one of disbelief. My eyes flickered to his right hand. He was holding the yellow envelope that I’d mistaken for a folder. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, ruining the previously slicked back style, before hurrying across the hall to the classroom they’d taken Erik to. Seconds later, I witnessed a scene I would have never believed possible. Jim dragged his son out into the hallway by the scruff of his shirt. He was absolutely flowing with a rage so thick I could feel it in the air.

            Erik actually looked scared as his father forcefully pushed his son to the ground in front of me. “Apologize to her now!” He roared with so much fury I jumped in surprise. I cowered, taking an immediate step backward.

            “Dad, what the hell is wrong with you?” Erik cried out. He looked sickened by the idea that his father was demanding he apologize to me. Jim walked up, grabbed Erik, and slapped his son in front of all of us.

            “I said apologize,” Jim hissed in a deadly tone. The shock on Erik’s face would have been hilarious had it been a different day.

            “I’m sorry-”

            “Louder!” Jim yelled, shaking with anger.

            “I’m sorry for what I did to you.” Erik sputtered, trembling visibly. He looked up at me with fear laced confusion in his icy blue eyes. I stood stock still in disbelief. I wasn’t sure what I was more shocked about; the fact that Erik was apologizing or the fact that his father was the one forcing him to do so.

            Jim stepped over his groveling son to stand in front of Abi. If my father was shocked he hid it well. His expression was unreadable. “I apologize for my behavior as well as my son’s. I do not expect your daughter to forgive him nor accept his apology because what he has done is despicable. When I first came in, it was my automatic inclination to defend him as his father. Unfortunately, it seems that his actions turned out to be less than favorable. I wanted to believe he was innocent until I had solid evidence. I’m sorry I was too stubborn to see the evidence right in front of me.” Jim apologized lengthily, his eyes flicking to me briefly. “I assure you that he will receive the punishment he deserves to the fullest extent of the law.”

            “Dad,” Erik breathed. He had actual tears in his eyes. “You can’t do this.” I could tell that he absolutely couldn’t fathom the idea that his father was against him and honestly, neither could I.

            Abi didn’t look the least bit sorry for Erik and understandably so. I was shocked more than anything but deep down inside, a small part of me was enjoying this even if Jim was ostracizing Erik for his own reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with me. I wondered if I was wrong for enjoying Erik’s humiliation but I only wondered for a moment. In response to Jim and Erik’s ‘apology’ my father did not waver much. “I will see your son in court.”

            Jim nodded, his scary glare never leaving Erik. “That you will.” was his only reply. “Take him. I believe we’re done.” He said, gesturing to the two officers. For some reason, I got a strange feeling in my gut. He spoke to them as if he were familiar with them. Or maybe it was the other was around. Either way, the two police officers pulled Erik up from the floor by his elbows almost obediently. His arms were still bound behind his back by a shiny set of handcuffs. He looked like the criminal he was.

            The officers escorted Erik out of the building with force since he was not very willing to go with them. “Dad, I can’t go to jail!” Erik screeched, trying to yank free of the policemen. “Why are you doing this to me?”

            Jim stood there with a hard jaw and an uncaring expression as he clutched the yellow envelope in his hand. It was visibly crumpled because he was holding it so tightly. He turned back to my father with a steely gaze. “Again, I apologize for the trouble. Your daughter should not have had to go through that.” Although the words were supposed be comforting, I could find no true sincerity in his cold blue eyes. He faked it well though. “I will gladly pay for her hospital bill and clothing as well as anything else you need. Here’s my number.”

            He handed my father a business card. Abi took it stiffly. My father handed him one in return. “I appreciate that and I’ll be giving you a call. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to attend to family matters. We can talk another time.” My father stated firmly.

            “Until then,” Jim said, fidgeting with barely restrained anger. He walked past my father and out the door. I breathed an inward sigh of relief.

            “What the hell just happened?” Zayna asked no one in particular. But for some reason, I felt like the question was pointed at me.

            This was going to be a very long week.

            * * *

            Zayna drove me home and Abi drove Rafiq to the hospital. Rafiq of course tried every possible way to get out of going to the doctor but my dad was adamant about it. The car ride home was tense because Zayna was upset with me, I could tell. As soon as we got home, Zayna dragged me straight up to my room, shut the door, and sat down in front of me. The look on her face was letting me know that she wouldn’t be taking any BS today. “Go wash up and then come right back. I’ll wait.” She said with her arms folded tightly.

            Like a scolded child, I got up with my head dipped in slight shame. I rummaged through my drawers until I found a comfortable outfit to put on before hurrying into the bathroom away from Zayna’s serious eyes. My shower was short but I spent the whole time scrubbing my body until I was tinged pink under my dark skin. I tried my best not to cry again. It was becoming such an annoying and trivial thing. I climbed out of the shower and brushed my teeth for like ten whole minutes. It may seem ridiculous but imagine being kissed by Erik. Yeah…that’s exactly what I thought.

            I spit the last of the toothpaste into the sink and grabbed for the mouth wash. I gargled three separate times, ignoring the way my busted lip was stinging painfully. After that I got dressed, refusing to look in the mirror at my face. I really didn’t want to see the damage right now. I made wudu and left the bathroom. As soon as I got out of the bathroom, I nearly ran into Zayan. He was holding a bag of chips with his teeth, a plate with two sandwiches on it, and a huge cup of juice. He grinned at me and I panicked, running into my bedroom. Zayan called after me, his voice muffled by the chip bag.

            When I got inside my bedroom, Zayna sat in the same exact spot she’d been in before my shower. I don’t know what made me do it but I pulled her out of her chair and forcefully shoved her out of my room. I slammed the door shut, locked it, and slid to the floor with my back against it. Slouching on the floor and breathing heavily, I listened as my sister shouted through the door. I didn’t need any of this right now. “Daleela, open this door!” Zayna yelled.

            “Zayna?” I heard Zayan say.

            “Zayan?” Zayna murmured as her concentration on me was momentarily broken. After that I stopped listening and stayed on the floor for a while thinking. I couldn’t stay barricaded in here forever. I had to face Zayna’s questions. But after seeing Abi and Zayna’s reactions to what had happened, I didn’t want to have to witness Ummi and Zayan’s.

            I stood up and grabbed my prayer garment off of the back of my closet door. I just needed to pray. My heart was telling me that Allah was the only one who could make me feel true peace in within. I started praying, leaving all of my pain and fear to Allah alone. As I recited surah Al-Fatihah (The Opening), the words flowed from my lips with familiarity. It soothed my aching heart to do something that felt right. I stood there for a long time reciting surah An-Nisa (The Women) in the last rak’aa. It was one of the longest surahs I’d been able to memorize so far.

            “Ya ayyuha annasuittaqoo rabbakumu allathee khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatinwakhalaqa minha zawjaha wabaththa minhumarijalan katheeran wanisaan wattaqoo Allahaallathee tasaaloona bihi wal-arhamainna Allaha kana Aalaykum raqeeb.” I recited keeping my voice low and melodious.

            O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you.

            I recited all one hundred and seventy six ayats of the surah before finally finishing my prayer. It was refreshing that I remembered the whole thing since I’d honestly been neglecting my duties to Allah. After I finished praying, I made thikr and du’aa as well. I needed the quiet time and it helped me think better to be alone in worship.

            Throwing my prayer garment on a chair across the room, I stripped down to some bed shorts and a spaghetti strap top before climbing on top of my sheets. I was too tired to get under the covers. It was only five o’clock and I knew someone would come and knock soon. Until then I just wanted to be alone. I didn’t want to have to face anybody for at least a couple of hours. I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. I guess being stressed out gives me the super power of slumber.

            I was woken from my sleep by loud knocking. At first I tried to ignore it and slip back into the beautiful action called sleep but the knocking only got louder, causing me to jump up in panic. I ran to the door and opened it in a daze. I was happy it was only my mother because I was still in shorts and a spaghetti top, forgetting to cover up my legs in my haste.

            My mother looked me over one good time and hugged me tightly before slowly letting me go. I looked at her in confusion, still groggy from sleep. “U-Ummi?” I murmured, rubbing the sleep from my eyes wearily. I heard a soft sniffle as she ran the back of her hand over my cheek gently.

            “How are you feeling sweetheart?” She asked me, her voice as soft and comforting as ever. Then everything that had happened today came rushing back to me. I tried not to cringe as images flashed through my mind, reminding me of everything I’d momentarily forgotten.

            “I’m not fantastic but I’m okay,” I replied with a small smile of reassurance. My mother pulled me to her once more, kissing my bruised cheek with care.

            “You know that you can always talk to me right?” She whispered, patting my back softly.

            “Of course, Ummi.” I murmured, hugging her in return.

            “I’m so sorry I didn’t come to the school today.” My mother blurted, her voice coming out choked. “I got caught up at work and my phone had died earlier in the day. I should have been more proactive. I should hav-”

            “Ma,” I said, pulling out of our embrace and looking her in the eye. “I’m okay, I promise you. Slightly traumatized and beat up, yes, but inshaAllah I’ll be okay. It could’ve been worse but mashallah it didn’t get to that point. This wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t Abi’s fault, and it wasn’t Rafiq’s fault either. You guys make me feel terrible when I see you beating yourselves up over this.”

            Ummi took a deep breath and I reached my hand out to wipe her tears with a small smile. “I made everyone leave you alone for a few hours because I knew you’d be overwhelmed. We do need to talk soon but that’s not why I woke you. I came to get you because you have a guest waiting for you downstairs.”

            “A guest?” I asked, my brows furrowing. “Who is it?”

            “I’m so rude; I forgot to ask her name!” My mother gasped, shaking her head in annoyance with herself. “But I recognized her from a picture you posted on Facebook of you, her, and another girl so I let her in.”

            “Oh…well I’ll be down in a minute. I need to change.” I mumbled, trying to figure out who was downstairs.

            “Okay my baby, come down soon.” Ummi said, giving me a gentle smile. Before I could ask for a description of the girl, my mom was heading back downstairs. I swear she’s pretty fast for a pregnant woman.

            I headed back into my room and slipped myself into a pair of skinny jeans. I put on a long sleeved baby blue blouse and wrapped a white scarf around my head, tucking it under my chin neatly. I wasn’t sure who was downstairs so I didn’t want to go down fully uncovered. I’d always been wary of uncovering completely around my non-Muslim girlfriends. It wasn’t a prejudice thing in the least. It’s just they tended to accidently describe what I looked like without hijab to guys and they didn’t realize what a big deal that was to me as a Muslim girl. Even Jade had done that with Marz by mistake so I’d learned that lesson the hard way.

            I hurried down the stairs eager to see Jade or who I hoped was Jade. After all, she was the only one who knew my home address. But when I rounded the corner into the family room, my heart sank in my chest. Charice O’paul sat on the sofa in my living room, clutching her bag nervously. I froze in the doorway and when she saw me, she stood abruptly, nearly knocking over one of my mother’s vases.

            I tried to keep my cool but it was hard. Did she not realize what I’d meant when I said I did not want to see her ever? I balled my fists at my sides, my heart in anguish. “Here are some snacks for you girls.” My mother chirped, happy that I was finally having a ‘friend’ over. If only she knew that the girl standing in our living room at that very moment had helped Erik in his attempt to kill her husband.

            I grabbed the tray of snack foods from my mom’s waiting hands. “Is it okay if we go up to my room Ummi?”

            “Um…sure. No locked doors,” Ummi replied, a curious look on her face. She obviously felt the weird vibes flowing between us. Charice looked torn between following me and running out the front door. 

            “Come on Char, my room is this way.” I said kindly, trying not to grit my teeth. Charice looked even more freaked after I’d cordially used her old nickname. I started up the stairs, not waiting for her to follow.

            I let her enter first before walking inside myself and shutting the door behind me. “Daleela, I know I’m the last person you want to see right no-”

            I slammed the tray of snacks onto my desk and turned to her with ferocity. “Was our last conversation not enough for you?” I nearly shouted, holding the edge of my desk so hard that my knuckles were white. “What the heck are you doing in my house? Apparently I didn’t make my stance on our relationship very clear. We are no longer friends Charice. Comprende?”

            She looked up at the ceiling, her eyes glistening with tears. “You made it very clear.” She whispered, her voice small and broken. “Look, I didn’t come here to fight again.”

            “Why did you come then?” I snapped, showing no mercy. I was being harsh but that was the only way I could get through this confrontation without falling to pieces. I had to be strong.

            Charice ran a shaky hand through her long blonde hair. “I came to warn you.” She said nervously. Warn me? Yeah, right. “Erik is planning something and I couldn’t figure out much of what was going on because he caught me listening. It has something to do with numbers. I know it sounds stupid but I’m being serious.”

            “Erik is in jail,” I sighed, folding my arms in complete annoyance.

            “Wait…what? I just saw him the day before yesterday.” She sputtered before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “Even if that is the case, his dad is going to bail him out soon I’m sure.”

            It was my turn to shake my head. “Not this time. His father isn’t bailing him out.”

            “That’s not possible. Mr. Howards always bails Erik out when he’s in trouble. He has yet to let his son stay in custody for more than one night.” Charice murmured, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

            “Well, his wife cheated with Erik and he found out today. So I highly doubt he’ll be bailing Erik out any time soon. If today’s events mean anything, he basically disowned Erik.” I informed her, my nerves wearing thin. “In a few days, even if he tries to bail Erik out it’ll be too late. The criminal charges against him will inevitably land him many wonderful years in prison.”

            “Oh,” was all she could come up with. “Please just…be careful okay. I know for sure that he was planning something.”

            “If you’re done, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.” I said coldly, turning my back to her. I heard her slowly make her way to the door but she didn’t open it. There was a long silence and she still hadn’t left. She spoke before I could confront her about why she was still here.

            “It wasn’t because of nude pictures,” Charice said all of a sudden, her voice so low I could barely hear. I turned to face her.

            “Come again,”

            She turned to look at me, her blue eyes full of pain. “I didn’t betray you because of the pictures. There were pictures but that wasn’t why. I know you probably think I’m some kind of slut but I’m not.” She whispered, holding the door knob tightly. “Two years ago, I was a freshman. I was young and impressionable and very unpopular. I dreamed about being on top after being picked on cruelly for so many months. So, that’s when Aimee and her posse came across me. She promised to put me on top of the social ladder.” Charice laughed but I could see in her eyes that it was out of pure nervousness.

            “She kept her promise too because she liked me. She thought I was ‘special’ you know. She and her friends gave me a makeover and I looked amazing afterwards. It was the typically cliché rise to popularity. The whole time Aimee was so good to me. She kept her word and taught me how to manipulate people to get what I wanted. Soon I was exactly where I wanted to be, at the top. I eventually became even more popular than Aimee herself. And that’s when she changed completely. It had not been part of her plan for me to surpass her. I was just supposed to be an underdog. Every chance she got to humiliate me, she would take it but majority of the time she’d fail. Even if she succeeded, everyone took my side.”

            “That’s when Erik and Aimee made a deal behind my back. He promised to put her back on top in return for something…I don’t know what. Anyway, Erik pretended to be into me for months. He bought me things, told me he loved me, and bragged about me to his friends. I was crazy about him. Then one weekend he set up a date night for my birthday.” Charice paused and looked like she didn’t want to continue. I stood there wondering why she was telling me all of this. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was getting at though, so I stayed quiet. “We were having a great time. His dad let us use their second home outside of the city and it had this beautiful pool out back. Erik had put candles all around the edges and brought me outside. Being as naïve as I was, I was speechless. We got in, things got hot and heavy, and he took off my bikini top. Erik got out of the pool and told me to come get it. At first we were laughing and it was all a joke. But then it got to the point where I was begging him to give it back because I was no longer playing around.”

            Charice looked as if she was about to be sick. “All of a sudden, four of his buddies from the football team came outside and pulled me out of the pool. I screamed and told him to make them stop but he ignored me of course. I was covering my chest with my arms but Erik pulled them away and that’s when they took pictures and videos of me half naked. After that, they did things to me that I’ll never be able to forget.” Charice whispered, her soft voice breaking. “When they were done, they left me there on the concrete in my own blood and tears.”

            I stood there listening to her words in horror. “You didn’t tell anyone?”

            “I did,” Charice said dryly, her lip quivering as she tried not to cry. “I told my dad and do you know what he said to me? He asked me if I was okay and when I said yes, he told me that there was no need to make a big deal over it if we could help it. Then he made me promise not to say anything to anyone or he would lose his job since he works for Erik’s father. I told him I didn’t care about his stupid job and he slapped me and told me to never speak of it again. Erik told me the night he hurt me that no one would listen to me or even believe me  and that’s why I went to my father thinking he’d take my side. He’s the one person on this earth who’s supposed to be on my side but he was too afraid of losing his wealth and status to care about what had happened to me.”

            Charice glared at the floor as she tried to gain control of her emotions. “I didn’t betray you over the pictures that Erik has of me. When he tried to blackmail me with them and turn me against you, I told him to go f--- himself. But when he threatened to do to you what he did to me, I caved. I couldn’t let you go through what I went through and I’m so sorry I didn’t take your father’s safety into consideration. I really did take his phone to call an ambulance, I swear. But Erik caught me making the call before I could complete it. I promise I was just trying to protect you the best way I knew how. I couldn’t let Erik do that to you. I couldn’t let it happen again…”

            Charice burst into tears and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. I pulled her into a hug as she apologized to me over and over, her body shaking with every sob. I looked up at the ceiling, trying not to cry myself.  “Why the hell didn’t you tell me this when I confronted you the first time Char?”

            Charice pulled away from me, the tears never ceasing. “I was too ashamed to tell you the whole truth. You’re the first person I’ve ever told besides my father.” She murmured. “I couldn’t stand having you hate me. You and Jade are the first real friends that I’ve had. I didn’t want to lose you the way I’ve lost everyone else I have tried to form some sort of relationship with after what happened.”

            I looked down in slight shame. “I apologize for the way I treated you.” After hearing what she’d gone through, it was hard not to feel at least a little sorry.

            “No! Don’t say that.” Charice blurted. “You had every right to be angry with me. Even now, you still have a right to be majorly pissed. After what I let happen to your dad…I knew you’d never forgive me.”

            “Honestly, I would have never forgiven you if you hadn’t come here today.” I confided, relief spreading inside me. “I did not want to hate you but it was the easiest way to ignore the pain I felt over what you did. Thank you for deciding to tell me the truth. You have no idea how relieved I actually am.”

            I felt so much lighter after her confession. You don’t realize how much hate weighs you down until you no longer have to carry it. I’ve never been the type of person who enjoys being mean or tormenting someone, even if they’ve hurt me in the past. But at times it is easier for me to be angry and mean towards a person who has hurt me rather than allowing myself to break down in tears because I feel wronged. Although things probably wouldn’t be exactly the way they were before, I was willing to forgive Charice. Even though she went about it the wrong way, she’d only been trying to keep me safe.

            “H-How is your father doing?” Charice asked timidly. I could tell she was afraid I would get angry if she said the wrong thing.

            “He’s fine; his aches from the accident have subsided already.” I replied, awkwardly staring at my teddy bear across the room.

            “That’s good,” She said with a soft nod.

            “Char,” I murmured, taking a seat. “Don’t you think you should report Erik and the guys who did that to you? I mean I know it’s been two years but you deserve justice. They shouldn’t be able to get away with what they did.”

            “No, I can’t. Bringing up the past won’t do me any good. And I have no evidence.” Charice sighed, drying her now puffy eyes. “I just wish I could forget everything and move on but it’s so hard sometimes.”

            “I’m sure it is,” I murmured empathetically. I couldn’t completely imagine how she felt. Erik hadn’t succeeded in harming me but with Charice, he not only succeeded, he’d gotten four other guys to do it too.  It made me sick to my stomach to just think of what happened to her. It made me feel a thousand times more relieved over the fact that Cole had guaranteed Erik’s incarceration.

            “If you don’t mind me asking Daleela, what happened to your face?” She asked, looking me over worriedly. I lifted a hand to my cheek self-consciously.

            “Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that I’m the reason Erik got arrested.” I muttered, loosening my scarf slightly. I was getting a headache for some reason.

            “You are!” Charice exclaimed worriedly. “What in the world happened?”

            “Well, he tried to…it doesn’t matter.” I mumbled, unable to finish because of the fear in her eyes. I didn’t want to mention the attempted rape. I think that would be a bit much. “He violated a restraining order my parents got against him and beat me up a bit in the process. I’m just glad he’s finally where he belongs.”

            “Me too,” She replied with a sad grimace. “It makes me feel better to know that he won’t be able to torment me, you, or anyone else for that matter.”

            “Charice…I’m really sorry that happened to you.” I told her gently. Now I understood a lot of things I hadn’t before. Why she was so fidgety around Aimee, why she feared me becoming comfortable with Cole, why she was weary of approaching the guy she liked; a lot of it made sense.  Her insecurities and strange actions that I’d picked up since we’d become friends all seemed relevant now.

            I could tell she didn’t know how to respond as she fiddled with her hair nervously. I knew that she felt vulnerable because I’d learned her secret. “I should probably get home. My parents will be pissed that I snuck out.” She’d snuck out to warn me about Erik? That was a big deal considering how her parents were. “Thanks for not kicking me out of your house the moment you saw me.” I shrugged with a half-smile. I’d definitely thought about throwing her out when I first saw her sitting on the sofa but I decided to leave that bit out.

            “No problem,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck underneath my scarf. “Oh! Can you take some of this snack food? My mom’s going to be all dramatic if she sees we didn’t eat any.”

            She smiled, walking over to the tray and putting some small cakes and chips into a paper towel. After that we walked downstairs silently. My mom peeked around the corner of the kitchen curiously. “Leaving already? I was hoping you’d stay for dinner.”

            “Yes ma’am, I have to get home to my parents.” Charice replied, brushing a golden lock behind her ear nervously.

            “Aw, well I hope to see you back over soon. Daleela has a tendency to sulk around lately so it’s nice to see her having company.” My mother said smoothly. I cringed at her words.

            “Ummi, seriously?” I whispered with a groan, running a hand over my face. She just winked at me.

            “See you another time Charice. Have a nice evening.” My mom said sweetly before disappearing back into the kitchen. Well, apparently they’d gotten acquainted while I was getting dressed.

            I saw Charice to the door. “Be safe getting home. It’s dark already.” I murmured.

            “I will. See you at school…I hope.” She replied before leaving. I shut the door and locked it before sighing deeply. That was crazy. Could this day get any longer?

            As soon as I got back upstairs, Zayan was standing in his bedroom doorway with his back against the frame. He had a weary look on his face and I watched him closely for a minute before he realized I was there. He straightened up almost immediately at the sight of me. “How are you feeling?” He asked with a rigid jaw.

            I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans nervously. “Fine,” I replied, trying not to groan. Did I really have to go through a questionnaire with every person in the house? I was okay; I’d said it a million times already. I mentally berated myself. They were just worried about me.

            “Come here,” Zayan said with an unusual seriousness in his tone. I apprehensively walked over to him and he stood to the side so I could enter his room. When I entered, I was shocked to find Zayna sitting on the bottom edge of Zayan’s bed. I’d assumed that she had gone home already. “Have a seat.”

            I plopped onto Zayan’s bed with a deep groan. “Do we have to do this right now?” I whispered, shooting Zayna an annoyed look. Zayan shut the door and sat down at his desk.

            “Yes we do.” Zayna snapped at me. “I cannot believe you kicked me out of your room earlier. I only wanted to talk to you and I have good reason to do so.”

            “I was overwhelmed Zayna! Too much was happening way too quickly. I couldn’t keep up and I needed some freaking time to myself. Is that wrong?” I replied fiercely. Why couldn’t she just understand me and leave me be?

            “After the craziness I witnessed at the school, what the heck did you expect from me if not a thousand questions?” Zayna hissed, rising to her feet.

            “Zayna chill out,” Zayan muttered, his face expressionless. I knew behind that mask he was thinking hard. “Daleela, from what Zayna has told me, you’ve been lying and hiding a lot. She has every right to be concerned as your sister.”

             “I know that,” I mumbled in annoyance. I was screwed. They were going to grill me until they were satisfied with the information they received. “Can we just do this quickly? I want to go back to my room.”

            It was a long conversation. I told Zayna that Cole was stepson and stepbrother to the Howards. I explained how Rafiq and I had been trying to save Cole and his young sibling from the wrath of their stepdad who was abusive and power hungry. I mentioned how Cole had been helping us collect evidence against Erik. I left out big chunks of the story on purpose. Either because I feared they would be in danger or because it was too big of a secret to tell. “So, you endangered yourself like that over one guy?” Zayan inquired his jaw tight with anger.

            “That’s not why. You don’t understand Zay. He’s done so much for me.” I declared defensively.

            “Like what Daleela? What has he done that is so great that you feel indebted to risk your life for him?” Zayan protested. He looked angry that I’d been keeping so much from them. I could tell because of the vain in his neck as he spoke and the way his muscles went stiff every time I said Cole’s name.

            “He saved me twice from Erik. That’s enough for me.” I justified, folding my arms.

            “So what Daleela? You can be grateful without feeling the need to return the favor.” Zayan protested with a growl. “Is he pressuring you to help him just because he helped you out once or twice?”

            “You just don’t get it.” I whispered in response. “You may not feel this way but I feel like he deserves my help. He didn’t have to help me either of the times he did but he chose to.”

            “Daleela that doesn’t negate the fac-”

            “You weren’t here so stop acting like you know better than me. He was there every single time I needed him, not you!” I shouted, interrupting him completely. I regretted it as soon as I said it but even more when I saw the pain on his face. “Zayan, I didn’t mean that.”

            “You’re right,” Zayan agreed as he crouched in front of me. The look in his eyes made me feel terrible. “I was gone…but you aren’t allowed to act like you haven’t been lying to the people who care about you. I don’t read minds Leels, so how the heck was I supposed to know you were getting yourself in all of this trouble. I can’t protect someone who doesn’t want to be protected. And you need to get something straight Daleela. I have been your brother all of your life. I have had your back all of your life. So do not come in here defending some guy you met a couple months ago.”

            “I’m sor-”

            “Save it,” Zayan cut me off cleanly before rising to his feet and walking out the door. I flinched as the door slammed shut.

            ‘You were out of line.” Zayna murmured, looking at me like I was crazy. I let my face fall into my hands before running them through my hair miserably.

            “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry Zayna.” I replied sincerely.

            “I don’t think I’m the one that needs an apology.” Zayna sighed with a shake of her head. She gave me a reproachful look. “You can’t lash out at us just because you find us worrying about you burdensome.”

            “I don’t mean to be that way. I’m stressed out. This isn’t about Zayan or Cole. This is all me.” I lamented, trying not to cry over the mess I’d made. I felt dreadful about what I’d said to Zayan. He didn’t deserve that and I was being completely unfair. Everything he’d said to me was right.

            “I know you are stressed but you’re handling it the wrong way. We deserve answers. You can’t get upset because we’re asking for the truth after finding out you’ve been lying for Allah knows how long.” Zayna said softly, reaching a hand out to mine. She squeezed it gently. “I have to admit that I didn’t have nearly as many issues as you when I was your age though.”

            I laughed wearily and she joined in quietly. “Are you guys going to tell Ummi and Abi?” I asked, trying to mask my anxiety.

            “Zayan and I spoke briefly about it. I want to tell them but he doesn’t.” Zayna responded with a gloomy sigh.

            “He doesn’t?” I said in slight surprise.

            “Nope,” She replied, giving me one of her signature looks of pity. “He wants you tell them the truth directly.”

            “Oh,” was my only response. I should tell them but I was too afraid they would get hurt. I could handle them yelling at me and maybe even their disappointment but their safety was uncompromisable. I stood up to leave.

            “Leela, I know you’re trying to help that boy out of the goodness of your heart but he has too much baggage to be involving yourself in his life the way you currently are.” Zayna tried to say comfortingly. “I understand you care about him but you cannot keep doing this.”

            “I’m not doing this because I care about him or whatever else you’re thinking Zayna.” I said shakily. “I’m doing this because I can’t stand the thought of his three year old sister, his seven and nine year old brothers, and even him being treated unjustly. It isn’t fair that they have to suffer because of the cruel adults that run their lives.”

            “That kind of situation is handled by a social worker or a judge Daleela, not you!” My sister snapped lightly, her voice strained. “You’re sixteen years old for crying out loud!”

            “All of that has been tried before. No one’s going to help them, not when their stepfather has so many connections.” I retorted. “How can you and Zayan care so little about people who need help? It’s just plain cruel.”

            Zayna looked angered by my outburst. “We feel bad for them Daleela but we’re not about to watch you get hurt for the sake of someone we don’t even know. Last time I checked, that’s what family does. They stop each other from making stupid decisions that could potentially lead to them getting themselves killed!”

            “I owe him,” I whispered, my chest hurting. They wouldn’t stop me. I couldn’t stop now when I was so close to fixing this.

            “Leela,” Zayna murmured, turning my face gently. “I get it sis. He’s a good guy. He helped you more than once and I will never forget that. My husband has a family lawyer. If you feel this strongly about their situation, I will take care of it.” I tried to turn away but she gently kept me facing her. “You hear me? I’m going to do what I can but you need to stay out of that kid’s personal life. He’s surrounded by danger and no matter what you think you owe him, I’m not going to let you get hurt.”

            Zayna hugged me closely and I gave up trying to fight her. “You really think the law will do anything for them?” I said pessimistically.

            “I do if we fight hard enough.” My sister responded squeezing my shoulder gently. I stared off into nothingness. No matter how my sister tried to reassure me, it didn’t change my mind. I was going to make this right if I could. The law would come later.

            You better be grateful I care about you so much Cole Brackson, I thought with a mental sigh.

* * *

            Rafiq and Abi made it home from the hospital just in time for dinner. Rafiq looked a lot better than he did earlier. He still held his ribs every once in a while but Abi told us that the doctor said they were just bruised. It was weird sitting at the table together. Everyone was there; Ummi, Abi, Zayan, Zayna, Rafiq, and me. I could feel every set of eyes at the table on me from time to time. Did they think I would just break down sporadically or something? It was the first time no conversation occurred at our dinner table. It felt ghostly almost.

            My father abruptly cleared his throat. “I’m taking you out of that school Monday morning.” He said sternly. My mother slammed her fork down, causing me and everyone else to jump.

            “Michael,” My mother said through gritted teeth. She obviously felt differently on the subject. “We talked about this.”

            “I’m not about to let my daughter endure any more torture at that school.” Abi retorted readily. “What kind of school allows such things to happen on their grounds? Does it even make sense that the boy was able to steal keys that are supposed to be secured by the staff? Does it make any damn sense that he was able to get as far as he did with her? If Rafiq’s friend hadn’t heard her screaming, we would be dealing with a situation a thousand times worse than the one we have now.”

            “Abi,” I tried to say. 

            “I’ve already made my decision.” My father interrupted.

            “We haven’t finished talking, so what decision are you talking about exactly?” My mother hissed.

            “I’ve said all I have to say Khadijah.” Abi replied, his eyes swirling with slight agitation.

            “Well I have not. Last time I checked, we were a unit. We don’t make such huge decisions alone!” Ummi snapped, obviously upset. The look on her face was full of hurt and anger. I’d never seen them argue like this in front of us and to think that it was over me made me feel guilty. She gasped loudly all of a sudden, holding her stomach in pain. Their argument forgotten, my father immediately crouched beside her chair.

            “What’s wrong?” He asked with worry reverberating in his deep voice. Ummi pulled away slightly.

            “Nothing, I’m fine. The baby just kind of kicked me in an uncomfortable place.” She mumbled, rubbing her belly softly.

            “Are you sure?” He questioned, placing his own hand over hers.

            “I am sure,” She said, her tone hard. She stood up. “I don’t feel like arguing. I’m going to go take a warm bath. I suppose we’ll talk again when you actually care about my opinion.”

            Ummi walked, or more accurately ‘wobbled’, out of the room. Abi stayed crouched on the floor before sighing deeply. He then sat back down in his chair, running a large hand over his face. “I’m taking you out of that school because I should have a long time ago. None of this would have happened if I had done my job properly.”

            “Isn’t it too late in the year to transfer? There are like two months left in school.” I said quietly, unable to keep the weariness out of my voice. “I really don’t want my grades to fall.”

            “We won’t let that happen. Insha’Allah your grades will be fine.” Abi replied, taking a deep breath. “As far as schools go, we have to talk to your principal and see what we can do since we’re so late in the year.”

            “What about my friends? I’m just getting used to where I am Abi. I don’t think I’m ready to start over completely. It was hard enough the first time.” I muttered, trying to keep the distress I felt out of my voice. I could understand why my dad wanted to take me out of that school but couldn’t he at least wait until the end of the school year?

            “I understand this is going to be difficult but I don’t see any other way. I’m not leaving you in that school.” My father said adamantly.

            “The problem is gone Abi. Erik isn’t coming back insha’Allah. I don’t really understand the point of uprooting me right before the end of the school year.” I tried to argue lightly. I could feel my sister and brothers’ eyes on me because I’d said Erik’s name.

            My father stood up and grabbed his plate from the table. He kissed my forehead gently. “I’m just not comfortable with it. We’ll talk on Monday, after I…after your mother and I come to a real decision.”

            He gave salams to us and left the room with a completely stressed out expression. “Does anyone have depressing news or more questions because I’d really like to be go to my room now?” I said barely above a whisper. When no one spoke, I stood up and walked to the doorway. I turned back to look at them. “Zayan, I’m really sorry about what I said earlier. I hope you know I didn’t mean it. I don’t know what got into me but I was being a brat and I apologize. Zayna, thanks so much for doing your job as my sister. Even though I act unappreciative at times, I really am. Rafiq, please keep still for a week or so and allow your body to heal. May Allah make your recovery a quick one, Ameen.”

            With that, I made my way upstairs as exhaustion washed over me. As soon as I shut the door to my room, I could do nothing but collapse onto my bed. Face flat into my duvet, I let out a scream. The covers muffled it well and it somewhat helped alleviate my never ending thoughts. After I’d let it all out, I couldn’t help but wish for a way to escape all of this for a little while. Even though I’d partially made this mess, I wasn’t ready to clean it up yet.

            A chiming sound caught my attention. What the…oh my Allah! It was my phone. I’d completely forgotten about Aiken and Badriyah. The start screen of my phone read ten missed text messages and three phone calls. One phone call was from Badriyah. The other two were from Rafiq. There were four texts from Rafiq and six more from an anonymous number. I opened Rafiq’s messages first, even though we were all home now.

            Where are you? Are you alone?

            Daleela, if you’re alone you need to get somewhere with people now!

            Are you okay? Respond as soon as you get this.

            Daleela if you’re in danger right now, I swear I’m trying to get to you. Text me back!

            These were all from earlier at the school. I wish I would’ve saw them sooner but I have the tendency to keep my cellphone on vibrate during school hours. I scrolled up to the anonymous number and opened six text messages.

            It’s me; we made it to the police station. The evidence has been submitted, just in case you’re worrying.

            They told us to meet someone at the courthouse, so we’re headed there with copies.

            I have to go in for questioning. Hopefully everything will go fine.

            For now all charges of murder against me have been dropped. They’ll finish analyzing the new evidence and set a trial date. I’m innocent…for now.

            Smooth sailing ahead mashallah. I just received a call from my lawyer. After the documents are processed, the Howards will be behind bars before you know it.

            Daleela, are you alright? You haven’t responded to any of my messages. By the way, have you heard the news? Erik was arrested today. I don’t know what happened but he’s just made our job a hell of a lot easier.

            I read the messages carefully. Alhamdullilah. At least something had gone wonderfully right today. It felt great to know that Aiken and Badriyah have received nothing but good news regarding the evidence. I knew it would take a while since they were reporting multiple crimes but it was amazing that they’d done so much in one day. Maybe my job was done. Maybe all I had to do now was let Aiken deal with everything. It was his business after all. I was just meddling and probably even getting in the way at times.

            I smiled to myself happily. Today wasn’t so bad. I mean it could have been so much worse. In a weird way, it was almost comforting to know that so many bad things could have happened today but did not. It sounds ridiculous but I was sincerely grateful. I replied to Aiken’s text messages, assuring him that I was fine and very happy to hear the fantastic news. I didn’t tell him that I was the cause of Erik’s arrest because there wasn’t really a point in doing so. It’s not like it would change what happened. Plus, I was tired of repeating the same story over and over again.

            * * *

            I could hear someone knocking on my door. My eyes opened slowly as the direct sunlight from my window rendered me blind. I moaned and turned over onto my back. “Who is it?” I shouted groggily. Rafiq burst in and stood over my bed with one of those perturbed looks on his face. I sat up in confusion, trying to make sense of his expression. “What’s with that look? Did something happen?”

            “Your dad just got a call from Cole’s stepdad.” He informed me, slightly short of breath. I registered this for a minute, lost in my thoughts. He couldn’t have found out about the chip, could he? No, that’s ridiculous. He wouldn’t call my father about that.

            “Wait…I don’t understand. Why is he calling Abi?” I asked worriedly, my throat becoming dry from anxiety.

            “He says he wants us all to come to his house for dinner tonight. It’s supposed to be an apology for what happened to you. I’m not buying it.” Rafiq replied, a look of disgust flashing across his face. I sat there in shock. Of all of the things I was expecting him to tell me, it wasn’t that.

            “And how did Abi respond?” I muttered, my heart beating frantically. I clutched my blanket by the fistful, afraid of what he’d say.

            “Your dad told him he had to speak with your mom first and then he’d get back to him.” He declared. My heart dropped. I knew that meant that Abi was considering it. He probably thought he could prevent making things worse between them, despite his dislike for the man. He probably even believed that Jim could help us win the case against his own son. Jim Howards was suddenly on my side and it freaked me out to the core. Who knew when he’d flip the switch and decide to do something horrible to us all? He could only be against Erik for so long. Afterall, Erik was his son.

            “I have a terrible feeling about this Raf.” I whispered, trying to calm my stomach.

            “Then convince your parents not to go. Tell them it makes you uncomfortable.” Rafiq insisted, shifting from foot to foot.

            “But what happens if we reject his invitation?” I interjected quietly. My voice shook even though I willed it not to. “What if he chooses to fight for Erik? He has money and power. He knows people and we don’t. The Howards will crush us.”

            “Wait, what?” Rafiq said, holding hands out for me to slow down. “Why wouldn’t he fight for Erik? He always has. You’re talking like he’s seriously siding with us or something.”

            “Cole didn’t tell you what he did yesterday, did he?” I mumbled uncertainly. He shook his head in response. “After Erik did what he did to me, Cole was angry. He decided to make sure Erik didn’t get out of jail by means of his dad. So he set it up so that Jim received the photos of Erik and his wife kissing. Long story short, he was pissed off. He even hit Erik and made him get on his knees to apologize to me.”

            The look on Rafiq’s face was one of amazement. “I’m not trying to be insensitive to how freaky the situation must have been for you but I totally wish I had been there to see that.” He admitted, trying his best to hold back a smirk. “So you’re saying Jim Howards has basically ostracized his son?”

            “Yes,”

            “And that he could potentially be fighting on your side, even if his intentions have nothing to do with you directly?” Rafiq went on.

            “Pretty much,” I muttered grumpily.

            “I think we should milk this situation. We’d get some compensation money and lock Erik up for many years to come. It’s a win-win. We should use his anger toward Erik against him. You know what they say La La. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” He ranted. I looked at him blankly.

            “Your never cease to amaze me with your endless plotting. Ever since we were kids, you’ve been like this. You haven’t changed a day in your life.” I laughed before giving him a sad smile. Rafiq sat down in front of me.

            “But seriously Daleela, before your parents come to a decision on whether or not to go, you need to tell them how you feel about it.” He said, holding my hand reassuringly.

            I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to go.” I said finally, unsure if this was a good or bad choice. Rafiq slapped his hands on his thighs.

            “Well then, I guess we’re not going.” Rafiq responded with a reassuring grin. “Well that is, as long as your parents decide not to go. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t make you, even if they chose to go on their own.”

            “I know they won’t. But even if they decide to go, I have to go with them.” I said with a loud groan. “If I don’t go…I just have this really bad feeling, you know? I want to make sure everything goes right.”

            “I’ll go with them in your place then.” Rafiq said with a sincere look in his eyes.

            “Or maybe I should let the adults in my life deal with these things for once.” I mumbled tiredly. Rafiq nodded.

            “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all.” He replied with that same ‘I’m down with whatever’ grin he’d had since we younger. He had always been my ride-or-die brother. “Who knows Daleela? This could be the way things should have been handled from the beginning.”

            “I guess you’re right.” I sighed deeply. I inwardly prayed that he was right because if he wasn’t, all hell was going to break loose. I tried to find as much comfort in Rafiq’s optimistic expression as possible but I still could not shake the feeling I had. It was like all of my previous lies were coming to light with a vengeance and soon it was going to cause huge trouble. No matter how I tried to keep up my lies, I knew every single one would eventually come undone.

           

            * * * * * * *

Assalamu Alaikum & Ramadan Mubarak everyone! May Allah grant you piece of mind, a sound heart, patience, and strength in this blessed month. May He protect us from the evil in others hearts and our own. May He give us success in our fast and accept it. May He shower his mercy upon us and allow us all to see next Ramadan. And if this is our last Ramadan, may He accept it from us all in full. Ameen!

First I want to start by saying (& I know you’re tired of hearing it), I’m so sorry for the delay. This chapter was supposed to be posted last Friday but mashallah, that didn’t happen. Then it was supposed to be up on Monday and mashallah that didn’t happen either. And yesterday I was like, I’m absolutely positively going to post inshallah but I got some news yesterday and it completely threw me for a loop and I couldn’t sleep and it was just stressful. Anyway, all of that aside, I’m just happy to finally be posting.

I remember when I posted Chapter 24 I was having an anxiety attack because I thought it was poorly written. I kid you not, I didn’t look at any of the comments on that chapter until a day later because I was scared you guys wouldn’t like it. So thank Allah that you actually did. I think one of you hit the nail on the hammer when you said I probably thought it was bad because I was uncomfortable writing it and subhanallah, I think you’re right. The scene with Erik was really emotional for me to write because I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact that there are guys who do this to women. May Allah protect all of you from that Ameen.

Updates:

Ramadan is like my favorite month of the year I prefer to give my full attention to it so I have some potentially sad news. I won’t upload again until sometime after Eid. I feel like I should focus my energies elsewhere and I don’t want to distract people from their fast either. I know it’s an Islamic book but I just feel you guys can be reading Qur’an and getting more benefit from that than from my story.

Every few days or once a week, I’m going to try to upload in Outrageous Rants of a Muslimah. It’ll be things like tips for fasting, things you should avoid, patience, etc. Hopefully that’ll be more relevant to you guys than D&P.

I also won’t be writing because I need to finish my summer school work. I’m totally behind and I’m being a total procrastinator. Goodness, why can’t I be responsible for once in my life! I’m starting to believe procrastination is a disease.

I will be going to Taraweeh prayers Inshallah so, if my rants seem like a drunken person wrote them, I apologize ahead of time lol. I tend to be so sleepy the next day.

I can literally tell you guys that my Ramadan has started off like no other (won’t go into details) and I really need time to just breathe and absorb the spiritual beauty of the rest of this month.

Love all 664 of you (and counting) ♥

May you all be blessed and given entrance to paradise, Ameen.

Take care,

-PurityInMyHeart