"Rock."
"Paper."
"Scissor."
"Shoot!" they yelled, simultaneously.
Nicholas had his fist clenched while Dina's palm was open, imitating the paper motion. His blue eyes widened in disbelief. She won three times in a row. Was that even possible? Dina's grin only widened at his shocked expression.
"Pay up," she demanded.
Nicholas groaned, reaching into his bag to pull out the chocolate bar. "I call bullshit on this."
They had made a bet by playing a childish game, if Nicholas lost he owed her a chocolate bar. He was almost certain that he would defeat her, yet she took him by surprise again. He didn't know whether to be frustrated or impressed.
"Nemo! Clownfish don't curse," gasped Dina.
"You're hilarious if you think I'm even remotely close to Nemo."
"Oh please," she scoffed, "I bet you're a big softie on the inside."
"Hell no."
"Lying never gets anyone far in life, remember?" she teased, her brown eyes glimmering at him.
For a second, Nicholas' mind went blank, his heart warming up to the dark eyes that seemed to lure him closer to his doom. He knew she was bad for him, he knew she was only going to cause him heartaches; he knew she was consuming his thoughts, yet none of that mattered to him. All logic flew out the window, and Nicholas refused to acknowledge the negatives.
"Politicians, Dina. They're the biggest liars of them all," he stated.
"Our president doesn't count."
He raised a brow at her. "Why not?"
"He was born a liar."
A smile graced his lips, unable to resist himself. How she managed to distract him from the world, he had no idea. He leaned against his chair, visibly amused at the proud look on her face.
"You have a twisted sense of humor, you know that?"
"All part of the charm," she winked.
Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Tell me which idiot would ever boost your ego like that."
"Oh, Nemo. You're so bashful. You've clearly told me more than once that I'm a unique individual," she grinned.
Immediately, Nicholas averted his gaze away from her. "I-I never said that," he mumbled.
"So, why are you stuttering then?"
"I'm not," he denied, quietly.
"Right."
He could feel her gaze boring into his, a small tint rising to his cheeks, and Nicholas cursed his pasty skin. She could read through him like a book, flipping through his pages and uncovering every story. He was a fragile shard of glass that was at the palm of her hands, yet he didn't seem to break, not around her.
Around Dina, he was free, he was a survivor with her. He forgot about his past, his parents, his friends, they were all a mere memory compared to the emotions he felt in the present. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but lately Nicholas had been welcoming his newfound obsession with open arms.
The slight patter of rain on the window snapped him out of his thoughts. Nicholas moved his gaze to the window beside him, seeing that Dina had already walked towards it and was gazing fondly at the gray skies.
"Hey, Nick?" she questioned, softly.
He was surprised by the name and tone that she used. The playful demeanor had disappeared, leaving behind a timid girl in its place. Her voice was hushed, low enough only for his ears to hear. She gently bit down on her lower lip, the action stirring a familiar feeling through Nicholas.
He cleared his throat, "What?"
"Do you ever wonder whether you're making the right choice?"
"Sometimes," he shrugged, "I mean, I never look deep into it."
Her arms wrapped around herself as if she was giving herself reassurance. Her dark brown eyes had glazed over, confusing Nicholas even more. What did she mean? He focused his attention on her, the sound of the rainfall had dulled into his ears, he only listened to her soft breaths.
She didn't say anything.
Her lips were shut, her eyes were trained on the window, her body leaned against the wall besides it. Nicholas took the time to admire her beauty. He mentally traced the bridge of her nose, the outline of her cheeks, and the shape of her lips. The playful mood had shifted, and Nicholas felt the intensity of the situation.
He stood up, walking by her side, and sitting on the window sill besides her. He didn't say a word either, but he didn't move his gaze away from her as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Her long eyelashes fluttered every time she blinked, her lips tempting in ways he was never tempted before. She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves, her eyes occasionally glancing at him.
God, she was beautiful, he thought. He didn't care that he couldn't see her hair or her body, he was just grateful to be by her side, relishing every moment in the library with her.
"It's so beautiful outside," she said in awe as the raindrops dripped down the window. "Look, Nemo."
He did.
"Isn't it so pretty?" she asked, completely ignoring her small moment of vulnerability.
"It is."
"Rain is just so peaceful," she sighed. "It's like washing all your worries away."
"The great Dina has worries?" he joked.
"Everyone does. Some people just hide it better," she tightly smiled.
He didn't like the sadness that reflected from her eyes, and he wondered if it had anything to do with that day he tried confessing. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut. However, no matter how hard he denied his feelings, they got stronger each day.
Each day, he longed to hear her voice, her laughter, and her words. Each day, he missed her presence. Each day, he wished she was his. He could have laughed at himself. She was a Muslim. Nicholas knew Muslims could not date.
"Dina, what's wrong?" he asked, worried.
"Nothing."
He pushed his body closer to where she was. "Don't lie to me," he whispered, his voice dropping.
He heard her soft intake of breath, her golden skin was tinted with a rosy color, her fingers curling around her sleeves. When she lifted her doe like eyes at him, he almost swore that time had stopped. Her eyes stared deep into his. Dina's eyes had an innocence that most girls didn't have.
She was completely untouched, pure of any wrongdoing like a white dove. She had wings that were strong enough to carry burdens, yet her struggles never seeped through the cheeky facade she always had. The testament of modesty she wore on her head gave Nicholas enough reason to believe that she was devoted to God and His commands, but he didn't understand why.
Dina sighed, stepping back. "I don't know. I just feel really stressed out lately," she confessed. "It's like everyone has these high expectations for me, but I just don't think I can please them."
We're not that different.
"I know I can't please everyone and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it's hard."
"Hey," he started softly, "you're only human. It makes sense if you feel overwhelmed."
"Do you ever feel overwhelmed, Nemo?" she asked, genuinely curious.
He didn't know how to respond. There were many sleepless nights of panic attacks that he had suffered through. Fear would consume him in the darkest hours, tormenting his mental stability and forcing the most irrational thoughts to cross his mind. As if sensing his discomfort, she smiled reassuringly at him.
"You don't have to answer. I understand," she said as she caressed her left arm, looking away from him.
"I do."
She tilted her head at him, "What?"
"I do feel overwhelmed sometimes," he repeated in a firmer voice.
Her lips slowly curved into a smile, her pearly white teeth shining at him. Nicholas couldn't tear his eyes from her, she consumed his vision and she had no idea. A familiar sensation built up in the pit of his stomach, building its way to his heart, which thumped louder every second that passed by.
"It's okay, Nemo. You have me now," she grinned.
At a loss for words, he only nodded. That seemed to be enough to satisfy her. It was interesting how she knew him better than the very people that raised him. Dina read him like a book, and for once, he thought he could do the same.
----
Funny story, I showed this one kid in my AP Biology class my wattpad stats and this kid told another girl at our table. She screamed, "You're famous on Wattpad!"
And so began the chain reaction of my tiny biology class crowding around my table and screaming. They put it on their social medias too, so my entire class knows about my books. My cover has been blown >.<
On the subject of science, Nicholas and Dina have some chemistry, right? *wink wink*
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