Damon Winters

It was finally March. Sunlight poured from the sky, touching the soft ridges of branches that were covered in a blanket of snow. White specks of dust fluttered towards my window as I squinted my eyes on the road.

The shimmering snow glittered, untouched and begging for attention. The air was frosty, freezing to the point where I could see my breath, but nonetheless, was a sight for sore eyes. Bits of green peeked through their winter caps, a sleek glaze of white frosting the suburban roads as fur-lined coats populated the streets.

Every time I stopped by a red light, I found myself admiring the crystal flakes that drifted with the wind, following a gentle wind through denuded trees. I found comfort in the soft bits of snow we had received, relishing the peace that came with a gentle storm.

As I drove through lanes, all that was on my mind was Amira. I couldn't get her out of my mind anymore. It was not just attraction towards her, but so much more. She wasn't perfect, but she was perfect for me. Just like the flurries outside, Amira eased my worries away. She was the calm to my chaos.

She was smart, sweet, caring, had strong morals, modest, and had the most beautiful eyes. A strong string pulled us toward each other, where everyone else became a blur. Only Amira consumed my thoughts and mind like a drug. I sighed. 

Oh Amira, you have no idea how much I want you, I thought.

After I parked my car, I walked to my locker before heading towards my first period class. As I walked into history, I saw Amira's maroon colored head scarf elegantly wrapped around her head. 

Her fingers vigorously scribbled something down , her head bent low and face twisted in concentration. Without realizing, I walked towards her. She didn't notice me as she was so into what she was writing.

"Hey," I said softly.

Amira jumped and looked up at me. Her warm brown eyes looked so welcoming like they were beckoning me towards her, tempting me with an aching need to be loved. She quickly averted her eyes to the ground and muttered to herself.

"So what are you writing?" I asked as I leaned over her desk to look.

Her body tensed, clenching her hands into fists. Breathing in deeply, she sighed, her long eyelashes covering the eyes that haunted me in my slumber. I couldn't help but want to wrap my arms around her and pull her closer to my chest. I was just about to do that when my eyes landed on her writing, and I froze, suddenly catching every word.

Whisper whisper,

In through the ears,

Right to the heart,

Quiet as can be,

Lips that never tell,

A fragile girl,

Covered in another's tale,

Acts as if she is at ease,

But it's a lie,

Worries surround her,

Pain chases after her,

She has no idea how to escape,

Secrets cover her,

Her soft lips seal them away,

No one knows,

What's hidden inside.

I stared at Amira in shock. She looked away from me, almost embarrassed at the pure masterpiece that she created. This girl in her poem reminded me of her. There were so many secrets to Amira that I had yet to discover. Could it be that Amira's past was really rough? What were the secrets that she concealed so easily?

"I know it's pretty bad writing, but this is the way I escape from the troubles in life. This and praying," she said with a faint smile that reached her eyes.

"Bad? Are you nuts? This is heart touching, Amira. Why have you never shown me your writings before?"

"I thought they weren't that good," she muttered.

I chuckled deeply and pulled out a chair next to her. "Sweetheart, you're excellent at so many things. It's one of the many reasons why I admire you."

She looked up at me and gave me a breathtaking smile that made my heart stop. Her soft lips were tempting me to taste them. They were begging to be caressed by my lips and tongue. Her sun-kissed skin was making me clench my fists to refrain from pulling her head towards me and smashing my lips against hers.

Amira's lips were moving, but I couldn't pay attention to what she was saying. All I could think of was how she would feel against my body and how she tasted. I could already imagine her cuddled up next to me as we watched a movie or just talked.

I wasn't after Amira for sex, but for so much more. Something that other girls never could give me. It was the love and care she provided me with. 

She made me feel protected by her warmth. It felt as if I could do anything with her by my side. She made me feel so euphoric. When she wasn't around to talk with me, I felt restless, unable to function without her attention on me.

I needed Amira in my life. Whoa, I thought. This girl hit me way too hard with feels.

"Damon!"

I snapped back to reality. "What?" I asked innocently as if I did nothing wrong.

Amira glared daggers at me, lips pressed in a thin line. Even her facial expressions brought joy to my usually dull, gray life. Every second, every minute, every hour with Amira was a burst of colors, a new world that I had to discover.

"Is there ever a day where you don't glare at me?" I laughed.

"Keep dreaming, jerk," she huffed.

"Are you seriously mad?"

No response.

"Amira?"

Silence.

"Come on, Amira. Don't be so childish," I teased.

She just leaned her head onto the palm of her hand as she looked at me with a smug look.

"Okay, you win. I'm sorry for not listening," I sighed.

Amira brightened immediately, flashing me her pearly teeth. "It's all good."

This time I was the one glaring at her.

"Now, Damon is there ever a day where you don't glare at me?" she mocked me.

"Damn you," I mumbled under my breath.

"Damon! Profanity!" she exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes at her. "We're in high school," I said as I gave her a blank stare.

"Still profanity," she argued.

"You say shut up all the time. Isn't that profanity?" I asked amused at her argument.

"No. That's child profanity. Those are allowed."

I laughed and some of my other classmates that came early turned to look at us like we had lost our minds from our contagious laughter. "You're weird," I grinned.

"And you're insufferable," she smirked.

"Oh, big words. I'm so scared," I said sarcastically.

"I would be if I were you. Never go against a linguistic person,"

"And I'm not linguistic?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Aw, you poor soul. I know you wish you had my skills, but we all can't get what we wish for."

I leaned in close to her until we were inches apart, my voice dropping very low for her ears only. "The only thing I wish for, Amira, is you," I whispered.

She tensed. I could sense the inner battle in her from the way her hands shook, the way her eyes widened in disbelief, and the guilty bite of her lips.

"Why do you get so tense every time I'm close?" I asked.

"I'm not used to guys being so close to me," she said, a little breathless.

"Oh, well you better get used to it, sweetheart. I'm starting to crave for you," I replied, keeping my voice low and husky.

A light pink, that was barely noticeable, stained her cheek. Amira sighed. "I'm sorry, Damon, but we can't be anything to each other. You're going to get hurt."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me," I dared. I refuse to let her get away from me.

"Damon," she started.

"Do it," I demanded.

"I can't," she sighed defeated.

I smirked. "Stop fighting this, Amira. We can still be together. Please, be with me," I pleaded as I grabbed her hand.

She shook her head and looked at me with a pained expression. "I have to fight it, Damon. I don't have a choice."

"We all have choices, Amira. What's your choice?"

"You don't understand," she gasped.

"Then make me understand," I encouraged.

With a quiet, shaking voice she said, "We have choices in life, but those choices can do more bad than good if we don't have guidance to the right choice. I don't have a choice if I know what the right choice is."

"Amira," I whispered.

She was in pain. My sweet, pretty girl was in so much pain and I couldn't help her. I had never felt so helpless in my life. In that moment, I realized that Amira was hiding more than I ever thought.

She hid her emotions. She never showed that she was in pain. I felt terrible because I was the cause of the pain.

"Do you like me?" I asked as I tilted my head.

She mutely nodded her head.

Realization hit me hard. She liked me, but she couldn't be with me.

Assalamualaikum!

Yeah, I really need to work on updates. Anyway, I'm on summer break now! People have said that my book repeats a lot with the emotional stuff, but the reason for that is because that's how the mindset it for a lot of Muslims going through with this. They're at an impasse.

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