I woke up with a jerk, in a room with white walls, which looked kinda familiar, and then my eyes fell on everybody present in the room, looking in my direction, with concern.
"She's awake", my aunt, announced. Suddenly my mama came in my direction and slid her arms around me, so tight like if she would loose the grip I would vanish into the thin air. From her puffy eyes, i am pretty sure she cried.
Relief settled in the room as i was awake now. (did they thought I would never wake up). Then I heard my aunt talking to Izyaan.
"Now will you apologize, and give a possible explaination about your actions", her eyes darting at him as he looked down at his Converse sneakers, a hint of guilt on his face, and I almost bought it when his eyes flashed right at me, peircing into my soul, and a dirty smirk plastered on his face , which was so devilish that it makes me question his sanity. It was for a brief moment that I wonder if I had imagined it or something. Nobody seemed to notice it, but I did, I always do, notice people. and i hate myself for that.
"Fine! I will apoplogize....but he was in it too", he turned towards Isa- there he was in the corner of the room, arms folded awkwardly, like wings, squatting low in the ridiculous punishment, looking like a chicken in a funny way. A laugh almost escaped my mouth but surpressed it as everybody was here, so i couldn't do it, although i want to.
"He's already facing the consequences!", my aunt said.
"It's fine Myra, they didn't know that she had thalassophobia.", my mama spoke, in a kind tone that she usually use to convince someone, mostly my little brother.
"Is that even a word!"Izyaan snorted, but then surpressed his oncoming burst of chuckle, and in return he received a deadly stare fom my aunt, it really worked, as his face became dark as if he is having an inner batle, with his ego.....maybe he won.
"I....i am..." he looked straight into my eyes. "sorry". By looking at him I think he never apologized to anyone , but although he's apologizing, he doesnt even seem close to it, his eyes become more darker like he couldn't believe what escaped his mouth and then his lips twitched into a smirk so slight, that if I had blinked i would have missed it. But i didn't blink, i stared.
" It's alright!", I replied, my eyes never leaving his.
"Oh my god!! Lina",Layla walked from across the room towards me , hee eyes popping out in concern, and then she put her arms around me in a firm but sweet hug, the type of hug you can melt in. she smelled like marshmellows and something that i can't quite name.
"Are you okay?!" she said in a whisper.
I nodded " I am good , Lay". she then stood up and walked straight towards Izyaan, she gave him a light punch in the guts, and the drama king collapsed, like he'd been hit by a truck. It made me scoffed lightly.
"Ouch!!" he said which made her eyes rolled automatically. everybody was amused by the situation.
" You ever come near her again, and the next time you will get a puch in the face", Layla looked straight in his eyes, daring him and his eyes soften, they freaking soften for her sister. He stood up and smiled at her.
" Okay! what do you want me to do?" he demanded.
"I want you to make up with her by giving her flowers, like you did with me when you broke my sculpture", she said while frowning, which made his stoic face, goes even more softer, something glimmering in his eyes and the it disappeared, and then he clenched his jaw, maybe at the memory or maybe at the thought of giving me flowers.
He nodded and smiled at her, then glanced at me and his smile disappeared.
***********
After i assured everybody that i am okay for ten thousand times ( i am exaggerating), i was allowed to go out with my cousins.
I changed my clothes into blue jeans and black button down shirt, put my chucks on and walked outside the house into the driveway. A black Vigo sat at the curb, like it was expecting me, with Azaan and Layla up in the front , while the back seat was empty and the rest of the boys squeezed in the open trunk, grinning like they were in a music video.
I was about to take my seat when Isa's voice rang out behind me.
"Hey, American pie!"
I didn't even have to think- my eyes got rolled automatically.
"seriously? dont call me that-" i muttered. he laughed even more.
I hate it, i hate so much, to be an outcast, i know i can never fit in. They talk in their language, share inside jokes, and laugh on things that i dont get the point of, and then they call me names reminding me, constantly , that i dont belong here.
I had to face it back in america too, like they used to call me freak show all the time. As one time i was sitting in lunch room and was reading my fanfics, and all the wannabe cool boys started picking on me, and I really felt awful, but Suho made things easier by kissing a girl in the middle of the lunch hall. ( P.S she was a senior), diverting everybody's attention on him. He once told me that he did that on purpose to distract everybody so they could leave me alone.
That's how Suho is, always looking out for me. Maybe he knows how to be from...nowhere, stuck between too countries. God i miss him!!
Just as i turned to back into the house, someone leapt down from the trunk, and caught my wrist, fingers closing around me, before i could react.
It was rayn. His hair were the first thing I noticed, which were soft, caramel brown, with light waves like they have never known chaos...the perfect balance between messy and magical , falling loose, covering his eyes, almost like a veil hiding the prettiest eyes known to mankind. They were green.....emerald green....they look so rare ,a type of shade I had never seen before, it seems like a whole new universe is behind those eyes. There was something about his delicate features that makes him look straight out of a painting. His skin seemed to glow without trying and the way he stood quiet....like he didn't need to speak to be noticed.
"Come Lina!", those two words, two seconds were enough to make me nod, and before i knew i was following him in the backseat of the car, i sat with him, and he chose to sit with me and not his boys.....it made me smile. ( atleast someone knows how to be kind).
After we were sat, Azaan turned on the ignition as well as the speakers and the music spilled out, loud and chaotic. I barely had a second to catch the tune, when rayn leaned in , so close, i could feel his breathe against my cheek.
He slid one of his earphones in my ear , the second one already in his. Taylor swift's voice flowed between us, like a shared secret. I looked at him, surprised by the intimacy of it all. He smiled the kind of smile that told more than the words could and murmerred.
"I dont like their taste.....Taylor is better."As enchanted begins to play.
And just like that with a single shared song the whole world went quieter.
**********
We stopped at a chinese cafe which seems like it has been picked out of a pastel dream. pink paper lanterns hanging on the ceiling , their soft glow casting a sense of magic in the air. Teal accents ran along the wall - a painting of a enchanting chinese women with her blue hair wide open and a parasol in her hand, and the shelves stacked with teapots and cat figuritives.
The air smelled faintly of Jasmine tea and rosemarry, soft chinese instrumental music played in the background, creating a mystical atmosphere.
Outside the name of the cafe was written in a beautifull calligraphy with cherry blossom surrounding it and the the leaf wines painted onto the glass. It looked like one of the those cafes where people come for the aesthetics, mostly to click pictures and post them online. The cafe was filled with mostly teenagers and families as it was Sunday. We all took our seats.
"So what do you wanna drink?" i heard Ryan asking me.
" What should i get?", he shrugged.
"I always order boba tea "
"Then boba tea for me too" I said.
Everybody ordered different things.
"I will have Coke", Azaan said, and everybody groaned, like you-could -have-ordered-better.
"What's wrong with Coke?", i asked, and they all ast glances.
"Umm...nothing American pie actually, we live on coke rather than water and we came here for a change, so he could have ordered bettter" , Izyaan said in a mock tone.
Wait he just called me American what!! i turned, deadpan.
" yep, served fresh , unlike your comebacks !", (woah i just said that).
All the color drained from his face and the table went silent.
"Say that again?!" he demanded, rage seeping out of him.
I dont know where the confidence flooded inside me and I replied.
"I dont repeat, and yeah you also seem like a Kebab", It made everybody laugh, as he made a strange face.
"Kebab!why?!"
"Because it's flat, duh" the laughter burst out of everyone and we recieved alot of judgy stares.
"Hey!! thats not true ....okay i have biceps ...i am not flat"
"I wasn't talking about your biceps...", before I could finish, Azaan yelled.
"Gyatt!!!", literally everybody was on the floor, laughing , sick to their stomachs, Isa even fell down from his chair while Izyaan was flushed, like he was just punched in the guts or worse. Weird sight huh! . he abruptly stood up and walked away, without a single word.
"Hey, really!!" Azaan yelled." That man can't take a joke." he said, in between his laugh.
"If you can't bear the crown , don't wear the crown", Rayn shouted, but he was already out the cafe.
Our drinks arrived. While he never came back.