She bit her lower lip shutting her eyes close muttering a few inappropriate words under her breath before looking up and their eyes met. She offered him a small smile, "Suhad" she acknowledged.

"How are you? How have you been?" he asked trying not to sound like he really cares but deep down he knows he did, a small smile on his face.

"I've been better"

"You look...different. You look good" he complimented trying to start a conversation with her.

She bit the inside of her cheeks, "I didn't know I looked bad before" Just being close to him brings back all those memories, the ones she so desperately wants to forget but couldn't.

He was taken aback by her answer; he quickly shook his head, "That wasn't what I meant"

"Sure" she said sarcastically turning to look at him.

He sighed not really knowing what to say to her at the moment. She is making everything so hard for him. "Jannah it's been a year already why are you still like this? The least we can do is to try to have a civil conversation without arguing" he finally said, hoping he won't offend her by sounding a little bit angry.

She set her lips into a straight line, "I don't want to talk about the past Suhad"

"I'm not trying to. I'm just being polite"

"How about you be so polite to shut up" she raised her voice at the end slightly.

His hands briefly clench before his fingers repeatedly tap the counter, "Ok now you're just being rude" he said looking away.

She opened her mouth to say something but then decided against it. She honestly didn't know what to feel anymore; the emotion she's feeling at the moment is overwhelming.

Irritation, sadness, and mostly anxiety. It was nothing she wasn't used to by now.

Thankfully the baker came out interrupting their bickering. Jannah was thankful for the interruption because she didn't know for how long she could stand his presence without breaking down.

The woman held the packaged cake in her hands, her face morphed into that of surprise when she saw Suhad.

"Suhad, what are you doing here?" She asked. She had always known him. He usually goes to her bakery whenever he's here with his siblings, and sometimes with Prince.

He smiled contrary to his actions seconds ago, "Aamir asked me to pick up the cake Daihaah ordered"

"Oh" the woman looked at Jannah then him, "I thought Jannah was picking it up" she said looking at the girl for confirmation but her attention wasn't on them. She was just staring into empty space lost in her own thoughts, "Jannah?" she spoke a little louder. This made Jannah snap out of whatever trance she was in.

"What?" she asked her voice low.

"Which amongst the two of you will pick it up?" the woman asked again making Jannah look at him briefly.

She exhaled, "He can take it" she said in a monotonous tone.

The woman nodded handing the package to Suhad whom took it from her with a thank you. Jannah bid the woman goodbye and walked out her hands clutching her bag tightly hoping to get away from everyone. However, Suhad noticed this odd behavior of hers. He said his goodbyes to the woman before following her outside.

Once he was out of the bakery, he spotted her a few feet away from where he stood walking to where her car was. He contemplated on just leaving her to walk away or talking to her. He honestly does wanted to just let her be but there's something he has to tell her. So, he followed her hastily and only stopped when he was in front of her blocking her way.

She exhaled slowly to calm herself and then looked up, "What do you want now?" she asked her voice coming out lowly because of how scratchy her throat felt. She was a bit glad that her eyes aren't glossy, but she knew it's only a matter of time.

When he didn't answer her she sighed and side stepped him leaving him behind her.

"I don't know what you're trying to prove" his voice stopped her in her tracks, but she didn't turn. "But you should stop it. That's not you. It's not the Jannah I know"

She turned to look at him, "You don't know me so stop acting as if you do"

"I do know you. Or at least I did know you. I knew the girl whom doesn't push everyone away for no reason at all, the girl who is jovial, the girl that actually cares about people. Look I don't know what happened to you, but if you keep this act up you'll just push everyone away"

His words made her eyes sting with tears, she knew everything he said was right. This wasn't her. This isn't the life she wants for herself but it's not like she has a choice. She couldn't help it. After all who will choose such life for himself?

She averted her gaze and continued walking to where her car was leaving him there not turning back. She needs to get away from this place to get her act together; she thought as she got in her car.

Jannah didn't stop till she reached the house that she has been staying with her aunt. Once she parked the car in the driveway, she hopped off and banged the door shut as at the moment she couldn't care less about the car or anything else for that matter. All she wanted right now is to be in the confines of her room far away from people; away from everyone.

But most importantly, away from him and everything that has to do with him. Away from his words that are undeniably true but she doesn't want to hear it.

Her aunt that was in the kitchen heard the front door open and so it was a natural instinct for her to assume that Jannah is back as she knew it was about time she got off work. She knows it wasn't her husband as he doesn't return till around five and her son is out with his friends. But, before she could call Jannah's name she heard her door bang close loudly.

She sighed, she knew what the girl is going through but she couldn't help but feel like Jannah is only making it worse by the way she's acting right now. She didn't say anything though, she let the girl rest and have the space she needs knowing that she'll get back to normal later after resting. With that thought in mind, she continued her work in the kitchen.

~*~

Jannah rubbed her palms on her face to get rid of the sleep left in her. She stretched her arms and legs as she yawned for the last time sitting upright. Her gaze fell on the alarm clock on the bedside cabinet and was a little surprised to see that it a little after nine in the night. She remembers locking herself in her room since she came back and only slept after saying her Magrib prayers.

Realization dawned on her that she had missed her Isha prayers and because of that she quickly got out of bed and darted to the bathroom to perform ablution before coming out. She went to her closet pushing it open and picked out her hijab from the neatly folded sets beside her veils. She laid the praying mat that she placed on the ottoman earlier after she prayed. She took her time and prayed.

Afterwards, she removed the hijab folding it and placing it back in the wardrobe, she did the same to the praying mat before slipped into a grey flip flop after putting on an oversized blue hoodie on the white crop top she was wearing. She tied her curly full hair into a bun with great difficulty. She had that type of hair that is moderately long but so thick and full. She won't lie and say that she hates it but it's not like it's her best asset. However she is thankful for it. She put on a cap to cover it.

By now she knows that her aunt and her husband have retired to their room like always so when she heard the downstairs TV on she knew it was her cousin brother Kamal. And to top that she wasn't surprised when she heard the guy shouting 'Hala Madrid!' He obviously is watching football. Typical.

She ignored him and head to the kitchen first to get something to eat, she knew that her aunt left something for her; she always does. And just as she thought, there was a food warmer filled up with tuwon shinkafa and another of miyan agusi. Jannah's mouth watered at the sight of her favorite food making a wide smile take over her features.

She didn't waste time into getting a plate to serve herself. She walked to the refrigerator and brought out a jug filled with chilled kunun aya, the ultimate partner to her favorite. She picked up her plate along with a cup filled with her drink and walked to the living room where Kamal sat watching football.

"Shapeless amoeba haffa" he said turning his head for a second to look at her before returning his gaze back to TV.

"Incomplete human being" she replied sitting on the carpet Indian style with her food in front of her.

"You're just waking up ko? This girl it's like all you do is sleep brainless girl" he said not looking away the TV.

"Sleeping is good for one's brain. Besides ai gwara ni (better me). All you do is watching TV all day, jobless man kawai" Ever since they were kids, this has always been the way they address each other. It also has to do with the fact that he's just a few months older than her and has been a best friend, human diary, and her partner in crime. And believe me, that was a lot of crimes. When they were kids and in their teen years, they were always pulling pranks one after the other and getting into trouble together. The two basically grow together and he had always been like her brother since she doesn't have one.

He huffed, "So because you've started working today you're now doing shakara for me"

"Ehen now, go and get a job if you vex"

"See my problem with you is that your brain is like that of a fish. I've been working even before you know the meaning of work fool"

"Biko shattap let me eat my food in peace" she waved him off starting to eat her food. She was never the one to talk while eating food, the girl doesn't play with her food; well sometimes she doesn't.

Kamal did as she said except for the occasional yelling when his team wins a goal. Honestly Jannah doesn't understand football one bit but she never hates it either. And especially when she's living under the same roof as Kamal, she has to learn to not hate it because it's all he watches all the time.

She ignores his annoying self yelling at people that doesn't know of his existence in the world and ate up her food. She even went to the extent of licking her fingers once she was done with it.

Kamal scrunches his face up at her, "Eww, you're gross. You act like a woman whom just came back from a village" he said.

She glared at him, "You look like a gateman, please just shut up" she said standing up and walked to the kitchen hearing him laugh behind her saying something like touché. She washed the empty plates before placing them back in the cupboards. She cleaned her hands with the kitchen towel before walking back to the living room.

She sat on the couch Kamal sat but at the other end because she knows how jumpy he can be whenever the team he supports win a game; and she doesn't plan on being his victim tonight. She just sat watching the TV fiddling with her fingers not that her attention was on the TV because it wasn't. And Kamal noticed this. She is being oddly quiet.

"Are you okay?" he asked looking at her.

Her lips set into a tight lipped smile as she nodded, "Yeah I'm fine"

"Come on I know you better than that, tell me what's wrong?"

She sighed, "You're watching football now, I'll tell you later"

He rolled his eyes picking up the remote; he turned the volume down before placing it back where he kept it, "My PIC comes before anything. Now tell me, what got you like this" he said moving closer to where she sat.

She looked down and stared at her feet, "I saw him today"

"Saw who?"

"Suhad"

"Oh" Kamal said as realization dawned on him, "What happened?"

Her eye brows gathered in as she looked up to look at him, "He talked to me, he was being polite"

"And what did you do?"

She shrugged, her lips puckering, "I was so rude to him Kamal..."

Kamal nodded, "And now you regret it?" he asked even though he knew the answer. She's such a complicated human being, he knows that but he tries to understand though no matter how hard they try none of them would, and he knows that very well.

Her shoulders slumped. She used her hands to cover her face, "I didn't mean to. I...I couldn't help it, you know that" she said stuttering a bit. She removed her face from between her palms and look at him, "Kamal if only I could take back what I said and how I acted I would in a blink of an eye, you know that" she tried to explain herself exhaling loudly.

"Don't beat yourself up for it. I'm sure he'll understand if only you will explain to him" he said making her turn away shaking her head.

"You know I can't do that"

"And why is that?"

She turned to look at him, her eye brows drawing in a bit, "How do you think he will react? It will be much better if things stay this way"

Kamal sighed; he knew why she is like this. Ever since what happened she had been cautious around people. He decided to not push her any further knowing she's been through enough for one day. He just pulled her into an embrace which she returned knowing she needs it, "It's ok. Whatever decision you make as long as it's not a stupid one I'll support you" she didn't reply but he knew she heard him.

"I also missed the party Daihaah made for her husband. Today meant so much to her I can't believe I actually ditched it"

Kamal shook his head, "You're on your own that one kam. That friend of yours will kill me if I dare enter between you two. Just start thinking of ways to apologize"

She chuckled, she knows he doesn't want to admit it but deep down he is scared of Daihaah ever since she yelled at him once when they were in secondary school because he accidentally drew on her TD assignment which she spent weeks drawing. It is safe to say that he had never been that mortified his entire life.

"I've missing a lot of things of hers lately, you know since I haven't really stayed here for the past year and all. God I'm such a bad friend" she muttered as he pats her head soothingly.

"You have to make it up to her then"

"I will"

"Okay not that that's all cleared up, how about a marathon of Scream queens?" he asked squealing a bit just to make her laugh, and she did.

"You're such a goofball" she said getting out of his embrace to pick up the remote.

"You love me like that"

"Unfortunately"

~*~

Most people say they want short chapters and so short chapters it is.

So we've meet Kamal...

Jannah is...I don't know what to say seff.

Well, goodbye.

Love, Jannah.