THE TENSION DISSIPATED A FEW WEEKS LATER.

The crumbled friend group had been spilt in two leaving Bilal in the middle. Both parties didn't mind him talking to one another except for Aziza but she had no power over that because she knew Fuad wasn't going to take it well if she tried to push Bilal away as well.

Aziza missed the old days.

She found herself staring at Faisal from a distance. She could see him goofing around with his friends and the fact that he acted like she was invisible impacted her. It was ironic how they would pass by each other like strangers when they were always together at a time.

So she tried talking to him after school.

He was making his way out of the gates, approaching the sleek extravagant looking Mercedes only for Aziza to pop up beside him. He glanced over his shoulder at her, his eyes lowering as soon as he realized who it was.

"Can I talk to you?" Aziza asks, eyes pleading. Fuad's stepped falters as he slightly turns his head to the side, giving her a chance to say what she wants to say.

"How have you been these past few weeks, we don't even talk anymore." Aziza sighed softly.

"Don't pretend like everything's okay between us, Aziza." His tone was flat, missing any hint of familiarity.

"Nothing happened between us. Not that I know of." Aziza defended, her eyes trying to search his.

"Nothing happened," Faisal turned to her, his hands tucked in his pockets. "But let's not sugarcoat things, we haven't been friends for a long time."

"For the sake of our friendship, I'd expect you at least hear my side of the story before taking sides." Aziza tilted her head to the side, appearing discouraged.

Faisal stared at Aziza wondering how a person could se so innocent but dangerous. He was friends with this girl for while and he considered her as a friend. Not as close as his three other friends but she was getting there, good thing was he never let it get personal.

When Aziza first came into their life, he was wary of her because he knew of Maryam's experience with her past female friends who always seemed to develop some type of hatred towards her. He didn't want that to happen again. So he kept a close eye on her. Behind those playful banters were his enigmatic nature.

He soon realized that she was someone who seemed to make Maryam happy, bringing out some behaviors he never knew Maryam had and he liked that. He could say he was happy she came into their lives.

When they had their first fight, he didn't know what it was about but he didn't look into it because he knew each relationship had it's bad parts. He started getting suspicious with how Maryam was acting and realized it might've been deeper, but he chose to mind his business until it escalated. Which it did.

After his fight with Fuad at the bleachers, he didn't stop seeing her the same until the day where she revealed her unvarnished truth, and he realized that she also developed the same problem with Maryam's past friends, though he couldn't help but think hers ran deeper. It seemed to him Aziza's antipathy towards Maryam was present throughout their friendship.

"I know enough." Faisal let out, his statement short.

"We might've exchanged harsh words that day, but I got tired and I know you might not know that side of Maryam but —" Aziza was under the impression Faisal was referring to their first fight, do she tried explaining it to him just like she did with Fuad.

"No words were exchanged that day." Faisal interjected, his words firm but measured. "You attacked her and she retaliated. Friends fight all the time, but yours wasn't and you know that." His eyes held a steady gaze, his expression serious but calm as if he was stating a fact rather than accusing her of anything.

Aziza was at loss for words. Her lips parted as her mimd scrambled for something to say to defend herself. She always knew Faisal was enigmatic in nature behind all those cute boyish smiles, she had a feeling she under estimated him whilst he had her figured out.

"You don't know what I went through. Yes, what I said was wrong and hurtful but so was she, and I'm not going to sit back and let you dump everything on me when we're both at fault." Aziza defended crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

"It's time we acknowledged the elephant in the room. You got what you wanted, you've already done enough. Whatever you're trying to do, refrain from it. She's been through a lot." Faisal's low matter of fact voice humbled Aziza. His tone was even, without any hint of aggression or emotion, yet his words were laced with a quiet conviction that left no room for doubt.

As soon as he conveyed his thoughts, he ambled towards his car, speeding off not long after leaving Aziza staring at the retreating car as the words of accusation hanging in the air, a cold dread creeped up her spine like a dark mist seeping into her very marrow.

•••

Aziza and Fuad faced off on the basketball court, their eyes locked in a playful stare-down. "You think you can take me down, Fuad?" Aziza asked, her voice husky with amusement.

Fuad grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know I can. I've been practicing my moves."

Aziza laughed as she dodged around him. "We'll see about that. I'm not going down without a fight."

As they played, their banter continued, their teasing jabs and playful trash talk filling the air. "You're slow, Fuad!" Aziza taunted, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Fuad chuckled, his face glistening with sweat. "Hey, I'm just getting started. You're the one who's struggling to keep up."

Aziza rolled her eyes, her smile still firmly in place. "You're such a cheeseball, Fuad."

Fuad shrugged, his shoulders flexing as he jumped for the ball. "Hey, someone's got to bring the charm to this game."

As they clashed on the court, their movements were fluid and synchronized, their chemistry on and off the court palpable. At one point, Fuad stole the ball from Aziza, his hand brushing against hers as he darted past. "Hey, no fair!" Aziza protested, laughing.

Fuad just chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "All's fair in love and basketball, Aziza."

Aziza playfully shoved him, her eyes shining with amusement. "You're going down, Fuad."

Fuad grinned, his face inches from hers. "I'm shaking in my boots."

Their playful banter continued, their game a dance of wit and athleticism, their connection crackling with energy and joy. As they played on, their banter only grew more playful and teasing. Aziza pretended to swoon over Fuad's impressive dunks, and Fuad retaliated by doing a mock victory dance after every point he scored.

Despite their joking around, it was clear that they were both giving the game their all. Their faces were set in determined expressions, their muscles tensed with effort as they clashed on the court.

Finally, after what felt like hours of intense competition, Fuad emerged victorious, his arms raised in triumph as Aziza panted and laughed beside him.

"You win this time, Fuad," she said, grinning. "But I'm not going to let you get away with it next time."

Fuad chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I'm shaking in my boots, Aziza."

As they left the court, arm in arm, it was clear that their relationship was built on a foundation of playful banter, mutual respect, and a deep affection for each other.

•••

Maryam found solace in watching true crime documentaries these days. She was seated on the outdoor egg hanging chair, watching Midsummer murders on her iPad just as a car zoomed into their compound. She raised her head to identify the person, only to roll her eyes childishly when she realized it was Faisal from the model of his car.

He made his way out of the car dressed in his polo gear with his favorite green hoodie thrown over his outfit, his phone in hand. Maryam didn't return to her book and stared at him from the distance instead, already expecting what he was going to say to her.

"Are you checking me out, Rufai?" Faisal smiled childishly causing Maryam to roll her eyes playfully.

"I'd rather choke on ice." Maryam flashed him a sarcastic grin, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Whoa what's with the negativity today?" Faisal raised his hands up in the air making himself comfortable on the hanging chair beside hers.

"You're preparing for the tournament huh?" Maryam tilted her head to the side, appearing curious.

"Baba already bet on me." Fuad revealed, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"No way he bet on you. You guys fail that tournament every single year." Maryam laughed throwing her head back.

"Our competitors are middle aged men who have been playing the sport all their life, what do they expect?" Faisal scoffed leaning further into the chair.

"Isn't that supposed to be in your favor? I mean the younger the more agile you are." Maryam twisted her lips to the side. "I'm only hearing excuses here." She clicked her tongue annoyingly.

"You're not going to get what you want. I'm never admitting it." Faisal squinted his eyes amusedly.

"Sure you're not. Is it today?" Maryam inquired.

"Yeah, just wanted to grace you with my presence first." Faisal shrugged his shoulders.

"You look raggedy." Maryam scrunched her face.

"You see this," Faisal gestured to his outfit. "Girls dig it."

"I bet they do." She rolls her eyes.

"I bet you do as well, you're begging to get a piece of this." Faisal fired back with a childish smile.

"I've got goosebumps now, go away." She nudges him as he stands on his feet cackling, pulling his shirt down. She continued watching her documentary causing him to kiss his teeth, going ahead to pluck the iPad out of her hands.

Maryam's head snapped toward him and she was in front of him in a flash, attempting to get her iPad back. Her actions seemed to amuse Faisal as he let out a strangled laugh, taking a few steps back raising his arm higher so she wouldn't be able to access it.

"I'm going to skewer you." Maryam groaned, crossing her arms over her chest knowing it was futile getting it from him.

"We weren't done talking." Faisal said amusedly. "What are you watching anyways." He peeked at her iPad flickering his eyes to her, brows raising.

"Don't judge me, I have nothing else to do." Maryam defended, her eyes crinkling at the sides trying to fight a smile when she met Faisal's eyes.

"What happened to basketball? You don't even play anymore." Faisal titled his head to the side, his expression turning serious. 

Maryam's smile faded at Fuad's question as she looked off to the side. "I'm just not feeling it these days."

"Really?" Faisal was obviously unconvinced.

"Yeah." Maryam pressed her lips together, her eyes looking anywhere but him appearing nervous.

"Your eyes are wandering a bit, aren't they?" Faisal squinted his eyes amusedly, already seeing through her facade. Maryam pursed her lips realizing she could only put up an act for so long.

"There's too much on my mind and basketball doesn't do it for me anymore." Maryam admitted, her words laced with nothing but brutal honestly.

Faisal's brows furrowed. "Is it because of —"

"No this was way before them." Maryam shook her head referring to Aziza and Fuad. That was the logical thing to assume because everyone knew Maryam was affected by Fuad and Aziza's treachery. It did affect Maryam but what everyone was clueless about was the fact that she was hanging by a thread and what they did only pushed her to the edge, but she already learned to move on thanks to Faisal and Bilal.

"What happened?" Faisal tilted his head to the side.

"Honestly, I don't even know." Maryam admitted, confused herself. Faisal stared at Maryam for a while before he released a breath, dragging Maryam to him, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, when you do find out what it is, tell me." Faisal murmured as they rocked back and fourth and weirdly enough, it was really comforting for Maryam. These past few months haven't been great for Maryam, and although she was close to Bilal, she didn't know what she would do without Faisal. He stuck by her and was there every time she needed him. She found herself growing extremely attached to him.

"You'll be the first to know." Maryam assured after a few minutes of silence. "Now you need to go to your tournament. You're running late." Maryam pulled away patting his chest earning a shrug from him in response.

"I'm staying." Faisal didn't budge.

"You're not missing that precious tournament of yours for anyone, including me." Maryam frowned, having an idea of what Faisal was thinking.

"I don't feel like going anymore. You're giving off a lot of main character syndrome Maryam." Faisal's pearly white teeth made an appearance as he let out a laugh.

"Then prove me wrong by going." Maryam tilted her head to the side, causing his smile to fall.

"I can't leave you like this." Faisal dropped the act. Maryam couldn't help but smile at that, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders.

"I'm fine, really. You made me feel a lot better. I don't feel down anymore. Besides," Maryam assured. "I know what this means to you and to waste it away in a place you're not needed is kinda sad, don't you think?" She stared at him through her lashes, flashing him a small grin of encouragement.

"Harsh, like it though." Faisal winked causing Maryam to let out a breath as a laugh.

"Teenage boys are the worst type of hormonal people." Maryam rolled her eyes playfully she pushed him towards his car.

"Faisal." Maryam called him out as he started to walk on his own only to stop and glance back.

"You're going to beat those grandpas, just keep your head in the game." She flashed him a mischievous smile, tapping her finger on her temple. He chuckled amusedly as he strolled his way to her pulling her into a hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Faisal pulled away, glancing down at Maryam. She nodded in response, flashing him an encouraging smile. He made his way to his car and Maryam waved at him car until he sped out the gates. She sauntered back to the gazebo, focusing on her documentary.

She was four episodes in when her stomach grumbled and she was quick to pause her documentary, making her way into the house to get something to eat. She pulled the fridge open on a mission to whip up the fastest thing she can gobble up. 

After much contemplation she settled on eating the leftover pizza from yesterday. She popped two slices in the microwave making herself comfortable on one of the stools in the kitchen as she resumed the documentary.

Her phone started ringing a few minutes later, flashing a picture of Faisal laughing heartily at the camera  unaware of the photo. Maryam playfully rolled her eyes at his periodic clinginess as she answered the call, putting the phone to her ear.

"Don't tell me you're making calls in the middle of a match." Maryam chuckled amusedly into the phone before he could get a word in.

"Maryam," Bilal's voice filtered through her phones speakers and her phone came crashing down the floor moments later, the phone screen shattering. Only that wasn't the only thing that shattered.

Maryam burst into the waiting room as shallow breaths escaped her lips. There were a few people scattered around the waiting room with grave faces and Bilal was the first to come toward her, his expression mirroring hers though his only scared her more. Tears filled his eyes though he seemed to be holding them back.

"What happened?" Maryam stammered, her words tripping over her own tears as she grasped Bilal's arm with urgency.

"How is he?" Maryam asked, her eyes desperate. Bilal remained quiet as he gently pried her hands off his shoulders holding onto one as he pulled her with him to the room at the end of the hall, pulling the door open.

Her legs trembled beneath, threatening to buckle at any moment, as if the ground beneath her feet has turned to quicksand. Each step is a stagger, a lurch, a desperate attempt to find balance in a world that's spinning out of control.

There was a woman sitting on the chair beside the bed, her shoulders slouched. There was a person on the bed but Maryam couldn't help but dismiss the idea of the person being Faisal. She didn't know when her hand slid out of Bilal's as she approached the bed in an agonizing pace, only to reveal Faisal on the bed, multiple tubes stuck inside him, an oxygen mask covering most of his face, leaving the view of his eyes which were closed.

Maryam felt a heavy, crushing weight pressing down her chest, making it hard to breathe, think or exist. Every fiber of her being screamed in torment leaving her shattered consumed by an overwhelming state of hopelessness. She could only stare at the face that she saw not too long ago, laughed together and felt his warmth when he embraced her.

"He was victorious." The woman uttered, her words barely audible, as if spoken in a dream. Maryam turned towards the voice only to notice Faisal's mother whose face was damp with tears, staring at his unmoving figure blankly.

"The smile that broke out his face was bright, and he wasn't satisfied and took it upon himself to take that away." She paused, her voice getting shaky.

"He hit him with a mallet, straight to the head, only for the horse to drag him through the mud." She paused, her voice growing shaky only for her to clear her throat, willing herself to continue.

"Suffered multiple fractures, broke multiple ribs, legs, doctor said he's in a persistent vegetative state." As she listed the injuries, Maryam and Bilal could feel the dread creeping up their spine, the reality of the situation dawning on them like a ton of bricks.

"You realize what that means, don't you?" His mother finally looked up at Maryam who was shrouded in despair, her mind painting a terrifying picture of what happened.

"Excuse me." Her voice wavered as she stood to her feet. Her hand came to rest on Maryam's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze, and repeated the same to Bilal on her way out of the room. She took a hit and she looked like she was going to collapse any minute but she maintained her composure until she left the room, leaving Maryam and Bilal alone in the silent room, only the sound of the monitor beeping.

Maryam claimed the seat his mother was occupying moments ago, taking Faisal's hand in hers. It felt colder than ever, though it was the same hand that held hers whenever she needed comfort, emitting warmth and safety.

Maryam's body trembled, wracked by uncontrollable sobs, as if her very foundation was crumbling. The pain was a living thing, a beast that gnawed at her insides, refusing to relent. Each breath was a struggle, a reminder that she must face another moment, another hour, another day of unrelenting suffering.

"I shouldn't have let you go." Maryam choked out a sob, wrenching the words from her throat, as if they were being torn from her soul.

"I should've been there with you, I wasn't there for you when you needed me, the one time you needed me, I wasn't there." Maryam's vision was clouded with tears, her shoulders quaking with each sob.

This feeling is an abyss of sorrow, a chasm of pain that threatens to swallow her whole. It's a desperate, helpless cry into the void, a plea for respite, for mercy, for an end to the agony that ravages her  soul. It's a feeling that defies words, a pain that cannot be expressed, only endured.

Bilal let his tears flow behind her as he approached his two best friends, standing beside Maryam. He couldn't bear to go in alone but seeing Faisal on that bed mixed with Maryam's heart wrenching wails put him in an emotional state of distress, a hallowing blend of pain, anguish and suffering.

His body contorted in anguish, twisting in ways that seem almost inhuman. He could remember his bright smile, seconds before it happened as he pumped his fist in the air, the months of practice finally paying off, until it was taken away right in front of him.

Maryam on the other hand scooted closer to Faisal, her face swelled with tears.  "Faisal, it's me, Maryam. I'm here, right next to you. I wish you could hear me, see me, respond to me — but I know you can't. And it's killing me." She trailed off, her sniffles echoing the room.

"You've always been there for me, through every up and down. You've seen me at my worst and still managed to make me feel like I'm worth something. You've been my rock, my confidant, my best friend.  I remember the laughter," She couldn't help but laugh as she recalled their banters and his egoistic comments.

"And now — now you're lying here, unconscious, unresponsive. It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from. I feel like I'm losing a part of myself, like —" Maryam cut herself off as violent sobs wracked her body verklempt with mind numbing anguish, words failing her. She could only bury her face in his chest, letting Bilal take over.

Bilal sat on the bed beside him, taking his limp hand in his. "You'd probably push my hand away and fire all the homophobic comments if you were here," Bilal reminisced the memory of him doing similar things.

"I keep thinking about all the things we still wanted to do, all the places we still wanted to see, all the memories we still wanted to make and your ridiculous idea of pedophiles swarming Japan. I keep thinking about how you'll never get to achieve your dreams, how you'll never get to live the life you deserved." He rasped, his voice like sandpaper on wood.

Maryam figured he was probably going to hole himself in his room. He wasn't emotionally constipated but in cases like this, he usually tried to stay but he excused himself as soon as he realized he was getting emotional and shut everyone out. She fixed her position as she rested the side of her face on his chest staring at his face. Her hand came to cup his jaw as most of his lower face was covered by the oxygen mask.

"I'm so angry, Faisal. I'm angry at the world, at fate, at the universe. I'm angry that this had to happen to you, to us. I'm angry that I can't fix it, that I can't make it go away. But most of all, I'm sad. I'm sad that I might never get to see your smile again, sad that I might never get to hear your laughter again, sad that I might never get to feel your presence again." Maryam continued, her sorrow morphing into anger with each minute. The lump in her throat growing.

"Faisal, please — please come back to us. We need you, I need you so much. Don't leave me, don't leave me alone in this dark world. I can't do this without you, I can't face this world without you by my side. I love you, Faisal. I love you more than words can say. You're my everything, my soulmate."

She clutched Faisal's hand tighter, as if holding on would somehow tether him back to her, to the life he deserved, to the laughter and warmth that had once been so effortlessly his.

Bilal remained silent, his presence a steady anchor in the storm of her anguish. He was hurting too, but he understood that there were no words that could bridge the chasm of loss Maryam was drowning in. So he let her grieve, let her break, let her pour out the unspeakable pain that clawed at her chest.

"I—I should've stopped you," Maryam whimpered, her body shaking with the force of her sorrow. "You didn't have to go. If I had just—if I had just asked you to stay a little longer—" Her voice cracked, the weight of regret suffocating.

Faisal, who had always been so full of life, so annoyingly persistent in his teasing, now lay still. Unmoving. Silent in a way that was unnatural to him.

"Please wake up." The words barely escaped her lips, but they carried the weight of an unspoken plea, a desperate wish that time could be rewound, that fate could be rewritten.

The beeping of the machines was the only answer she received.

Bilal finally moved, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. "Maryam—" His voice was gentle but firm, grounding her in the present when she wanted nothing more than to escape into denial.

"He—he was fine this morning." Her voice was hollow now, disbelief settling into her bones. "He was fine, Bilal. He was teasing me. He stole my iPad. He—" A sob broke free, violent and raw.

"I know." Bilal's voice wavered. "I know."

She could only stare at Faisal's unmoving body with tears rolling down her cheeks, her mind repeating the same thing over and over like a broken record.

He's going to wake up.

He will wake up.

But knowing did nothing to change the reality in front of them. The Faisal they knew—the one who laughed too loud, who got on her nerves, who always, always made sure she was okay—might never return.

And that truth shattered her more than anything else ever could.