"I knew it! I knew it!"
"Shh! Don't be so loud, Taylor." I looked around. "Someone'll hear you." I ducked my head.
"You're being serious?" Taylor grinned at me, leaning forward.
I hid my face. "Yes. Now can we drop it?"
She giggled. "Of course not! I knew it! You like Yousuf!"
I whipped my head around, making sure no one looked up. "Shh!! Be quiet!" I laughed, a nervous bubbling laugh as my eyes darted around the classroom. Everyone was busy talking to everyone else. My face heated up.
"Is it hot here?" I fanned myself. "Or is it just me? You know what, I'm going to ask the teacher if I can go to the restroom, you know I haven't taken a break to pee since-- Eek!"
Taylor grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into my seat. "You're not going anywhere Iqra. Tell me more." She grinned and widened her eyes, resting her face in her hands.
I jerked my head back, grimacing. "Ew. You look like a creep."
"What do you like about him?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my traitorous mouth from smiling. "Nothing. You know what? I should've never told you." I turned around in my seat.
Taylor grabbed my shoulders and brought her mouth to my ear. "His red, luscious hair....his winning, brilliant smile...his strong, muscular arms..."
I choked and pushed her away. "Ew. You little pervert. He's not that muscular."
"So you have been looking!"
My face burned and I pressed my hands to my cheeks. "No. No. Nonononono. I didn't. I didn't. Ack!" I shook my head until it hurt.
"Didn't do what?"
I jumped in my seat, sending my papers careening to the floor. I slid out of my seat to pick them up.
"I got it, don't worry."
"Uh." I sat back down as Yousuf gathered the last of the papers from the floor and stood up, handing them to me. "Thanks," I said, stacking them all in one pile on the side of my desk.
"What didn't you do?" He smiled, curious. He tilted his head and watched me.
My ears and cheeks burned. "Nothing. I didn't do anything."
Taylor poked me. "She didn't...like Will."
I plastered a smile on my face and turned to look at Taylor, sending death threats with my eyes. "What?"
Yousuf raised an eyebrow. "Who's Will?" His smile grew and he squatted down by my desk, gripping the edge to keep himself steady. "Is it your crush, Iqra?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "Is Iqra crushing on some guy named Will?"
Taylor's jaw dropped and I swatted Yousuf's shoulder. "No. I don't even know anyone named Will. Taylor's being stupid."
Taylor snorted. "I clearly said she didn't like Will."
Yousuf leaned backwards and chuckled. "Really. So who're you crushing on then, Iqra?"
My plastic smile deepened and turned into a laugh. "Pshh. No one."
"You sure? Who's this Will guy?"
I coughed, my face burning. "He doesn't exist! I don't like anyone named Will, okay?"
Yousuf laughed. Clearly, he was enjoying himself. "Then what's his name?"
I laughed. "Haha. You're so funny. Go back to your seat before I kick you."
"Fine then, Iqra. Be that way." He stood up and started walking back to his seat, tapping my head as he went.
"Eeh! Don't do that!" I put a hand over my headscarf and jerked backwards in my seat.
He just smiled and kept walking. He turned around and stuck his tongue out at me before turning back to his friends. He turned his chair around and swung his legs around it, sitting backwards and crossing his arms against the back, resting his chin on his hands.
"You're so obvious, Iqra."
"Oh shut up and get back to your worksheet, smart one."
"Help me Iqra! I suck at math!"
"Hmph. Should've thought about that before you opened your big mouth." I glanced across the room and blinked, shaking my head. I have a math worksheet to complete.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you really do like him?"
I groaned and turned over in bed. "We've already been through this, Taylor. It's been two days. Let me sleep."
"Sorry. I just can't get it through my head that you actually admitted it."
"Mmph."
"Y'all make a cute couple."
I slammed my arm backwards towards her and heard her yelp. "Shh!"
I smiled to myself and snuggled deeper in my blanket.
"What do you like about him?"
"Didn't you already ask this?"
"Yeah, but you didn't answer."
"I'll tell you tomorrow, then."
"Promise?"
I nodded. "Yes. Promise."
Taylor laughed and kicked the air. "You like Yousuf."
"Shh."
"Iqra and Yousuf sitting in a tree..."
"Shh! Let me sleep or I won't tell you."
"Okay. Good night."
"Good night." I pulled my blanket farther up so it covered half my face. What did I like about him.
I thought about his smile, how one side was deeper than the other. The way his voice sounded when he laughed while he talked. How his eyes lit up when he was talking about something he was obsessed with. The way his adam's apple went up and down when he talked. His jokes. His laugh. His hair. Dark reddish...like a bloody heart.
Oh great.
There I went and ruined the mood.
I laughed to myself and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Whatchu laughin' about? Thinking of Yousuf?"
I giggled. "Nothing."
"You were thinking about Yousuf."
I rolled over and pressed my face into my pillow. "Mmph."
"You're always thinking about Yousuf."
"Mmph! Thut uph." I giggled again, feeling bubbly inside.
Taylor laughed. "You sound like an idiot. Don't talk with your face in your pillow."
"Pbbt. Tho schleep."
"Fine."
"Poop night."
"That sounded so wrong."
"Psshh. Lemme schleep. I ain't thinkin bout Youshuf."
"Sure."
I kicked the blanket. Liked Yousuf. I..eek! I shut my eyes and fell asleep grinning.
..................
.........
...
I should've know from the beginning. I should've stopped right there and told myself to stop it. They say the four saddest words in the English language are "if I had known."
If I had known, I would've never gotten given him the time of day.
But at the end of the day, it's my fault. Not his.
I should've been prettier.
If I had known.
**************************
A/N: PLEASE READ: Ugh,I'm sorry. I suck and I'm a terrible person, I know. *cries* Life just got a bit too hectic for me...this chapter was written weeks ago, but I never even got a chance to edit it. I'll be updating only once a week from now...on Fridays. Hopefully I won't suck so badly from now on. School's ending soon...seven weeks.
Hope you all had a great week or so since the last time I updated. Thank you for sticking with me. :)
~October