Oh the stupid alarm clock, who invented these things?
Devil man, I tell you.

I try to open my eyes but I fail and start to search for my phone with my eyes closed.
Once I find it, I shut the bloody sound of the alarm and try to open my eyes that are constantly deciding to go back to their previous position of being closed.

I check my social media and get out of bed.
I kinda like mornings when I have to work.
Right now I work in a coffee shop since I haven't been studying.

I put on a black shirt and white jeans and let my hair down.

While walking down the stairs I remember something.
Freaking chocolate fudge!

Mason is coming today!

A million wild animals, which i am sure are more than butterflies, let their wings go wild through my entire body.
I can feel the excitement and nervousness from the tip of my toes to my throat, up to the point at which I think that if I open my mouth, these wild animals may come out instead of words

I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a cup of black coffee.
I am not quite sure I like black coffee but just like every morning I shrug to myself and drink it in one gulp, letting the hot liquid slide down my throat.

"Kim oh my god you are putting the vase in the wrong place!" Rose shouts and I trudge towards the lounge in confusion

What I see in front of me makes me chuckle reflexively, I definitely should have seen this coming.

"What are you guys even doing?"

"We have to clean up everything today" Rose says to Kim while wiping off her forehead.

My my, has no one taught her that ignoring someone, especially me, is rude.

"What is going on in here?" I ask again, lightly chuckling.

"Get here woman. You aren't special" she shouts at me too.

"But why are you guys cleaning everything?" I interrogate

"Because Mason is coming today Amelia" Kim comes up to me and shakes my shoulders
"Mason Rogers! He might be your best friend and you might know him from his high school years but we are meeting our favorite youtuber for the first time. Not to mention a very famous one too"

"Guys, really, it isnt that big of a deal. He won't mind" I say "and besides I have to get to work and then I have to come home early. Mason is going to be here soon"

"Okay, you're excused" she huffs "but only because we're meeting Mason because of you"

"Have fun" I grab my keys and go out of the house.

-----------------------

I reach the coffee shop in 10 minutes. It's just opposite the ocean and is named "cake by the ocean".

I first came across this coffee shop when I had an intense craving for red velvet cake and now whenever I see the name, I laugh.

I am sure Mar did not know that her coffee shop's name was going to be SUCH a song.
I enter the coffee shop and the strong smell of coffee hits me.
I might not like coffee but I love it's scent.

"Hey Mar" I say to the lady who owns the shop, Martha.
She is quite old now and if I don't have my grandmother here, I have her.
She has been with me through a lot of tough times and has given me all the motherly affection that I didn't allow my mom or grandma to give me.

"Hey sweety" she smiles at me while preparing an espresso

"Go give this to that guy over there" she says and I nod.
I give the man his order and go back behind the counter

"Mar, I was wondering if I could go home early today" I say

"Of course honey but is everything alright? I mean you haven't really asked to go home early before." She's right though.
In all the years that I have worked here I have never asked to go home early, especially since the last year.

The first years were because I loved this place too much.
But since the last year, I've even worked over time here because I want to escape my thoughts, my life, everything surrounding me

But today I have a reason to remember my life, don't I?

Yes. Yes I do

"Yeah. It's just that Mason's coming to visit" I say

"That Mason?" She says, referring to my best friend or maybe ex-best friend.
I'm really not that clear about our relationship as best friends anymore

"Yeah. That Mason" I say and smile

"Well then of course. In fact I say why are you even here, go back home" she says , practically kicking me out

"Oh I'll work for at least some time!"

"I'm glad that he's coming back. He'll bring back my Amna" she says while patting my cheek.
She has never said anything like that before.
Heck, I haven't even heard that name in a long long time.

--------------------------------------

I work in silence for about an hour before my eyes land on the clock.

"Holy moly! Mar I gotta go" I grab my bag and run out of the coffee shop as fast as I can.

------------------

I kill the engine and get out of the car.
Opening the door, I look around the house.
It's amazing how much they managed to do in an hour.

I follow the voices of laughter coming from the lounge and every atom of my being tingles.

I come to a halt as I see him

His eyes, which are the same shade of green, scintillate.
He stands there, with his hands stuffed in his pockets, like there is nowhere in this enormous world he would rather be than here.
He smiles and I can't help but stare at him.
He looks SO much better than he did 5 years ago.
He has changed, in a good way and quite obviously he's staring at me too and as much as I try not to notice it, I see a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Yeah, I shouldn't be surprised, I tend to have that effect on people now.

"Hey broccoli" he says, his voice not too loud.
I missed his voice too

What's next? I missed his toes? His fingernails? His eyebrows?

What I do next makes me realize that I am completely bonkers because I hug him.

Yes folks, you heard it right.
No need to scratch your ears...eyes.
I am hugging Mason Rogers.

I feel his muscles tense up but he relaxes quickly and encases me in a hug too, like he would never let me go.

His scent fills my nose and I smile to myself

Pros and cons, eh?

He waits a moment, thinking I might let go and I think I should let go too.
Only I don't want to.
It's as if he is an ocean, one I would earnestly drown in.

It is at this point in time that I realize the amazing difference between our height because right now, I can hear his heartbeat in my ear and all the blood rushes up to my face

I sense movement but only feel it when he places his lips on my head and gives me a little kiss.

HOLY PLANTS AND BUTTERFLIES!

As soon as his lips touch my head, I shiver involuntarily and in response, he holds me tighter.
He knows something is going on.

For these few moments, I feel like my life is perfect and I forget everything that lies outside of his arms.

I want to go back.
I want to go back to how I was.
I want to go on little adventures with him and get scolded by my grandma.
I want Kate and Brie to tease me about Mason and I..... I just want to go back to how everything was.

I want to forget all that has happened to me in the past few years.

I want the earth to stop turning, I want time to stop existing and I want the sun to stop burning.

God, why does my life have to be this way?
Why do I have to be so different now?
Why can't I just cry my eyes out like I want to and tell him everything that has happened to me so he could hold me and tell me that I am okay?
That my life is going to be alright?

All my world freezes and the only things I can hear are his heartbeat in my ear and my heartbeat in my throat

For a nanosecond, I want to replay that moment and to give him an answer, to hug him tighter or kiss his cheek or just do anything dammit!

My heart still nudges me to do this but my very dear mind takes over and awakens my senses from their peaceful slumber.

My hands start to shake, my legs start to tremble and tears fill my eyes.

He doesn't get to do this to me.
He can't just come and make me go completely nuts!

NO!

I swiftly let go as if he is a time bomb
This can't be good
I am not even supposed to hug him
It's not even appropriate.
What kind of a Muslim am I?
What am I even doing?
And why am I leaking through my eyes
No
No
I can't cry
I just can't
My legs automatically start running up to my bedroom and out of the corner of my eye I see bewilderment written on Mason's face

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
Is all I can chant to myself