Cursed With Beauty (58)

Previously: 

Khalid: Irresponsible, that was how I acted.

7amad: Someone's been provoking him. I talked to S3eed, it wasn't Salma 

Amal: So who was it?
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Amal:

 I've assumed wrong things about Salma. The guilt ate me up alive.

Me: Reem, so what were you talking about? 

 Dalal: Of all people, you should've known!  

 Dalal stared Reem in the eyes with doubt. 

 Dalal: Amal, what have you heard? 

So I told her. All that Reem's told me, and most of what I knew. 

Dalal turned around to Reem again. Right before she spoke, the bell rang for the other class.  

 Dalal: Amal, Reem, join me at the cafeteria after class. Call Salma and Joojoo too. 

 It was definitely a tense class. I was running out of patience and my mind was bursting with questions. What was going on?

As soon as the bell rang, I ran out. The wind that blew against whispered confusion in my ears, and the times I've bumped into different people made me all the more frustrated. It was as if I had entered a battle field when I reached that cafeteria. 7amad, Dalal, S3eed, Salma, and finally, Reem standing in a circle. All of them looking at each other with doubt.

Me: somebody explain, now! 

I was on the verge of exploding. 

S3eed held his little sister's hand: I trust  her, whatever she does. Whatever she did.

7amad stood back once he saw Dalal taking control of the tornado of emotions. 

Dalal: Reem knows him.. She of all people would never believe such a rumor, let alone spread it!  

With joojoo missing, most of the facts could not be confirmed. Dalal was new to speak to me, I had no idea who to trust.

7amad: Salma and S3eed, I'll handle this for you.

 Salma walked away, giving him a warm, thankful gaze. S3eed patted his back passing him by. we sat down on a table. 

7amad: :Let's not blame it on Reem, he has a troublesome older brother. She could have been confused?

Dalal's eyebrows raised in recognition, almost shock: Mayed! 

Khalid: 

I watched as Mai folded my shirts into my suitcase. From behind the doors, an expression of fear took over her, or was it worry?

 I knocked twice and entered our room, knowing exactly that she was going to try hiding her emotions. 

 Mai: I packed almost everything you need.. For four months, surely I'll send you more if you wished.  

Me: What about you? 

 Mai: I can do everything myself.

 

Me: When I'm not around? 

 Mai: Don't worry about me..  

 Later at night, they all stood by the door, giving out their farewells. 
I kissed father & grandmother's foreheads, hugged my Amal, and the swelling stomach Mai had. 

She was strong, she smiled to me, and asked me to take care. Even when Amal called about breaking down, Mai was the one to comfort her. Tough times..