JAMES
Zareena was so weird.
James thought about her for the billionth time. He tried hard not to think but it was hard. Yesterday was a roller-coaster ride of emotions. But not for him though. Most of the time he was utterly bewildered or insanely confused. But he expected as much when he was spending time with Zareena. She had a way with her feelings. Yet Zareena was his best friend. She was more of a friend than Dylan. She was special; Kate wasn't lying about that. And he could tell that she was happy when she spent time with him. She was opening up to him. She even told him about her life in Zurich. From what he gathered, her lifestyle here was mostly the same but she was a little more.... Enthusiastic. But she preferred to be alone most of the time and talked with a selected few. Among those few, a person called Ardent must have been close to her because he heard that name at least once every five minutes. But, something else caught his attention too.
Zareena talked in past tense when she said something about Arden.
'He was always there for me....'
'he had always known to lighten up the mood.'
He thought it was his interest to be a detective playing again but when he said something like,
'I'm really stating to like this Arden of yours'
A dark cloud settled on her face and her eyes became glossy. He thought that she was going to cry.
'Yes' she said then, with an amused look on her face. 'You two could have gotten along just fine.'
Past tense. Again!
'So either' he thought. 'This Arden guy used to be a close friends with Zareena but got separated somehow or he was dead.'
Though the first one was more convincing and mind but he had a feeling in his gut that told the latter was more.... Appropriate?
'Or....' he quickly stopped his inappropriate thoughts. It could be nothing but his interests playing tricks again because there was no way someone could manage to be alive and sane when their parents, brother and best friend died. But this was Zareena they were talking about.
That was not the end of that conversation.
He got to know that Zareena's father was American and her mother was German. But since they were in Zurich, she mostly used German than English.
'That explains the accent.'
He was so destracted by his thoughts that the twenty minute walk to Zareena's felt like it took only two seconds. He had to walk there because he had left his car there yesterday.
'Hey Conner!' Zareena grinned at his as she came closing the door and he was momentarily awestricken.
Zareena was undeniably pretty.
Her pitch back eyes - which looked like a really big pupil; he would tease her saying that- was soft and sparkling with excitement. Well... At least one of her eyes. The other was hidden under a mass of unruly black hair that was sticking out in every direction. It was even messier than his hair. Which was saying a lot. He had never seen a girl that preferred a hair cut that looked like I-just-rolled-out-from-bed and looked absolutely astonishing in it as well.
But that was not what surprised him. Zareena was wearing a grey button-down shirt and her usual black ripped jeans. It was the first time he saw Zareena wearing something other than her uniform of black Nike t-shirt and black jeans. Not that he's complaining. Colour looks good on her. Even though the shirt was only a shade lighter than pitch black.
'Don't you look eager to go to school today?' he smiled lopsidedly.
She just shrugged and turned a three-sixty in front of him.
'How do I look?'
'Marvelous' He said.
He knew that beautiful was not enough to describe Zareena.
'I don't know why but shirts make me feel comfortable.'
'Huh?' was all he could manage.
'So.... Are you gonna stare at me the whole day? Or wanna go to school?'
He scratched the nape of his back - a nervous habit he picked from spending too much time with Dylan.
'I'm going by my car, you could....'
'Nope, it's fine.' she interrupted him. Why was she allowed to interrupt him? 'I'll go by myself.'
Even before he could protest, she went off.
During his drive he thought about what Zareena said earlier. She told him that she wore the same type of clothes because she couldn't move on from the day the accident happened. And she had been wearing the same clothes she had been wearing that horrible day, everyday as an reminder.
But today she was wearing a grey shirt. Does that mean she had move on....?'
Zareena was quite through every class. But, it seems like she had been listening because she had done all the homework. The whole school was talking behind her back. She was even named as the zombie princess. They somehow got to know that Zareena was rich and everyone was trying to get to know her better. But, no one tried to talk to her and no one tried to touch her either because they were scared of what she was capable of doing. And yet, Zareena thinks that everyone in school hates and neglects her.
He finally got her permission to introduce her to his friends during lunch. Only because he promised her that he'll buy her chocolates for another month though.
Steph and Zareena got along perfectly when they got to know that they have the same ambition to be an astronomer. They started talking in numbers and letters that the only thing James understood was the occasional English words like planet and star. Dylan entertained her with football stuff. It seems like she had her a passion for football as much as Dylan did and he was the captain and quarterback of our football team. They were friends immediately. Though the same cannot be said with Amy. She wasn't going to braid friendship bracelets just yet. The way she glared holes at Zareena when she wasn't looking tolls him that much. When lunch was over, Amy stood and stormed away. They all stared at the path she disappeared for two long seconds.
'I'll go check on her' Dylan ran where Amy went.
'she doesn't like me' Zareena pointed. 'I don't blame her either.'
'Give her some time.' Steph said nonetheless. 'It's not easy to gain her trust, but when you did, there is no trust worthy friend than her'
'You know her better than me' she shrugged and went to the next class.
James didn't know why Amy acted like that. It was hard to be Amy's best friend but that doesn't mean that it was hard to be friends with her. Amy wasn't mean to anyone. Even to the girl who slapped her across the face. She liked to get to know people but the way she acted today was.... odd.
'Hmm.... Zareena was right when she said she aroused the dark side of anyone.'
When school was finally over, they went to the parking lot together.
'Hey Z-girl?' Dylan asked. 'Wanna come to my place today? Everyone else is coming. It's just a hang-out'
'I'd love to'
They talked about what to buy in their way. Zareena was eager about it too.
'oh no!' she exclaimed out of the blue. 'I almost forgot. I'm sorry guys I can't come today.'
'Why?' Steph whined. 'Oh please come!'
Amy rolled her eyes.
'What's up with her' James thought.
'I.... um..... I have to meet someone.... With Julie. Sorry, it's important. Maybe next time?'
'Okie' Dylan said as he put his hand on her shoulder. Amy glared at his hand so hard that Jane's thought it burn a hole! ' No problemo sissy. Next time for sure?'
'for sure' Zareena nodded and waved them good-bye.
As she went James thought for a while.
'meet someone with Julie?' he thought. 'was Julie alright?'
The way Zareena was worried about her yesterday came to his mind.
'Maybe....'
'No, it's not right to follow her' he argued with his mind.
'but....'
'No buts!'
'Hey guys?' He said still looking at Zareena as she walked away.
'Yeah okay' steph said 'we get it it's fine'
'what?' he gave her a confused look taking his eyes away from Zareena.
'You want to follow her right?' steph said a little irritated that he didn't get what she said 'I get it. You may go.'
James smild and went to his car. He stopped a few houses away from her's and waited for her to come out but he didn't have to wait long because they came out after a minute Zareena event if all the purpose they were in. He followed the bus they got on and when it stop near the hospital they got out.
'Why were they going to the hospital?'
James went inside and saw that they were waiting for the doctor. After like fifteen minutes Dr. Cowan came and talked with them. He knew Dr. Cowan. He treated his mother when she had panic attacks and other kind of mental attacks but why were they meeting him? what was wrong with Julie?
Zareena was so worried when she said that Julie forgot to take her medication. But from the time he had spent with Zareena's aunt, he didn't see anything out of ordinary in her. but James wasn't prepared for what happened next. Instead of Julie Zareena was the one who went in with the doctor. Julie just sat down and took her phone out. James had to remind himself how to breath. He slowly walked near Julie and sat down. When she saw him she was startled but regained her posture in an instant.
'What's wrong?' James asked. But when Julie didn't seem to understand what he said he tried again. 'what's wrong with Zareena?'
'um.... Zareena....' James waited patiently until Julie gathered words. 'she hasn't been like herself lately.'
'what do you mean?'
She took another deep breath before answering.
'Zareena told you about her parent' s accident?' she waited until he nod to continue. 'After that her ADHD got worse, if that's even possible. And she, as you noticed, goes into a shock when she remembers something about her past.'
'ADHD?'
'Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.' Julie explained. 'can't stay still, repulsive, short attention span.... All that stuff. And it's bad for her. She could easily wander astray in her mind and go into a shock. Last week, she had three in a row! All of this is because she wasn't wearing her safety belts and had hit the back of her head in the dash!!'
'Julie calm down.' James said slowly. Zareena didn't have a shock when she was with him, after that day they had dinner together though.
Julie took a deep breath and looked at him. For once, she looked older than her age. There were worry lines beside her eyes and her forehead. Her bright, happy brown eyes were drained from sadness and responsibilities. They held an emotion that a twenty-six year old couldn't hold. She was, after all, taking care of a sixteen year old teenager.
'She's scared. But she's not afraid to die. It scares me! She's afraid to live. She needs someone who will understand her. And she's too stubborn to accept it. She thinks that she can lift the weight of the sky alone! I can't be that someone, although I tried to be, she won't open up to me. And even if she did, I could never understand or relate what she was going through at such a small age. She can't control herself James.' She was near tears now. 'You saw what she did to her hands right? That's the least she could do to herself. She tries to cover her mental pain by hurting herself! I don't know what to do. She won't tell anything to the doctor either. She's mad at me because I think that she needs help. She wants help. She knows it but, she won't take it when it is given, then she moans all over saying that no one cares about her. When will she understand that there are good-hearted people who are willing to help her? I can't do this anymore. I love her. I can't just sit by and watch her ruin her life!'
James listened to Julie, until she was done. He knew, at situations like this, he just had to listen that console. She needed to get it out of her system or else she would be in that same room with Zareena.
'Sorry.' She said wiping her tears. 'Didn't mean to....'
'No, no. it's okay.' James said. 'I'm here to help.'
Julie looked at him and smiled thankfully.
'I know it's too much to ask, but can you help her James? She would listen to you.'
'Why would she listen to me?'
'Hasn't she done it already? You made her promise not to hurt herself again and I didn't see a scratch in her body after that.'
'Why would she tell her personal stuff to me?'
'She had done that too. Hadn't she told you about her childhood? Even I don't know much about her as a child. Hasn't she told you about her ill-ness the first day you've met? She thinks that you'll help her, but she's too egoistic to ask. And she's afraid that you might reject her, like her other friends. She's afraid that you might think her as anomalous. I know it's too much to ask from a person who bearly now us but, can you help her? Be with her like a friend? I'm desperate now. I'll do anything to save her.'
James didn't know how to answer. Will Zareena open up to him? Like Julie said she would? Even if she did, how can he help her?
a lot of unanswered questions overwhelmed his brain but, he would never back down a friend in need.
'I'll do my best Julie.' He said.
She wrapped him in her arms, like she could squeeze that thanks into him and it made him dead set on helping Zareena, no matter what.