Unknown Number:
Good night and sweet dreams, darling.
I stare at the message in wonder. Who's this and why is this person texting me at this time? And, darling?
A shiver runs down my spine.
Me:
Who is this?
I lay back down with an unsettling feeling as I wait for the response. A second later my phone goes off.
Unknown Number
Who else will dare to call you darling except me? One who doesn't fear death ;)
I blink. What the heck? I immediately block whoever this freak is and lay back on the bed.
Wait, this person can't be...
No, right?
If it was one of the criminals, they wouldn't have messaged like this, right.
No, no. That's absurd. It's not them. It can't be. It's probably a prank. That's it.
They did not see me. They did not see me.
With this mantra repeating in my head, I force myself to sleep.
°•°•°•°•°•°
"Noorie, please help mee!" I whisper, shaking her hand beside me, having no clue what I'm doing in this Economic class. She turns to me with an irritated look but softens her eyes in a second.
These subtle changes of behavior in my friends remind me back to that night which I try so hard to forget and the overgrowing guilt that comes with it.
Do I deserve to be happy after being so selfish? Do I deserve to go back to normal?
"What do you not understand?" She breaks me out of my thoughts. I sigh, pointing to the three multiple choice questions that have drained me completely.
She starts explaining to me and I try my best to focus.
Manal and Layla stick their heads in between, trying to get the answers as well. Noora glares at Layla and leans past me to smack Manal on the back of her head. "You guys are doing it on your own. I'm only helping Insha."
"Oh come on!"
"You're so heartless!"
I laugh. "Shoo shoo now. Use your own brains kids."
They roll their eyes and focus on their own worksheet but I know for a fact they are gonna discreetly look and get the answers nonetheless.
Suddenly, something hits the back of my head. I immediately look back and get shocked looking at Zayan behind me. When did he get here? He wasn't there when class started.
Of course, he probably got late again and sneaked inside from the backdoor of the classroom.
I raise my eyebrow at him as he looks at me with... a little anger? Huh? I give him a confused look. His jaw is clenched and he looks away.
Dude. If you didn't want to say anything, why did you throw the paper or whatever that was at me? I swear this guy is actually insane. i shrug, deciding to ask about this after class and focus back on the damn worksheet.
Ya Allah, who even invented economics?
"Alright class, once done with the worksheet, please put it on my desk." Ms Jasmine speaks up. "Other than that, we'll be starting your assignments from today. Bear in mind, as usual, these assignments contribute as 30% to your final grade so I believe you all know how important it is. That said, I will be assigning you to your respective partners now. I will not tolerate any objections. Just deal with it." She says with a smile. Okay.
Great, now I have to complete an assignment too for this.
She starts calling out our names then and I carefully listen. Oh please Noora or Manal or Layla. I don't want anyone else.
"Manal and Aliyan."
I hear her groan in disapproval and chuckle.
"Raine and Wayne."
"Maria and Ali."
"Noora and Layla."
No! Ugh. Who am I gonna get now.
Ms Jasmine calls out more names. Noora and Layla high five each other, while Manal and I sulk.
"We were four of us. She could've put us in two pairs." I whine, annoyed. I am fine with working with anyone but when my friends are with me in one class, obviously I wanna be with them rather than someone with whom I have a 'hi' 'hello' relationship.
"Insha and Zayan."
I look at her. Great.
Well, to be honest, he is a friend so I guess it's fine.
Suck it up, Insha. It's just an assignment.
Manal nudges me. "You also got a friend!" She huffs. "I have never even talked to that guy."
Me, Layla and Noora give her sympathetic looks.
"Don't scare the poor boy off, Manny." I tease.
Noora sets her eyes on Aliyan, a boy with glasses and strawberry blonde hair, "I already feel bad for him. He's gonna have to bear with a girl who's extremely loud, really annoying and who always runs from work."
"Hey!" Manal protests. "I think you're describing yourself right now."
Noora crosses her arms. "Sure, that's why I ace all my subjects." She gives a mocking smile. Layla shakes her head while I snigger.
Manal starts to retort but Ms Jasmine starts talking again. "These are the topics. You are required to choose one of the topics and prepare a report on it. The link to the document containing these topics," she points to the whiteboard, "along with all the other instructors will be sent to you all through your email. The due date is four weeks later. You have ample amount of time to do thorough research and submit a presentable and up to mark report. And also, one more important thing. Free riders will get zero so please, if anyone's partner is not cooperating, do let me know. That's all from me. You may excuse yourself when the bell rings. Good luck."
The bell rings and everyone scurries out. I tell the girls to go ahead without me and they agree. I still have ten minutes before the next class so I have enough time to talk to Zayan.
I turn to him to see him still sitting on the chair and looking right at me. I huff and stand beside him.
"What's the problem? Why are you acting weird?"
He grabs my wrist and pulls me down on the seat beside him. I feel anger rising but I try to conceal it.
He brings his face closer. "Now, you remember me."
"We were in class, Zayan."
"Yeah, like you weren't talking to your friends the whole time."
"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"
"I was waiting for you to acknowledge me."
"I did, you didn't say anything after hitting me with that paper ball or whatever."
"Was there a rule that stated you couldn't talk before me?"
I look at him, annoyed. "What really is wrong with you? Why are you being so cranky today?"
He hooks his legs behind my seat and abruptly pulls it closer to him. My heart starts beating rapidly due to the closeness and I feel something in my stomach.
"I want your attention, Insha. And if you don't give it to me, I'll take it from you." He says in a dark tone, staring into my eyes.
What does that even mean?
For a second, his voice sounds familiar. Like I have heard it somewhere else. I'm probably just losing my mind.
I sigh, being done with this conversation. "If you don't want to tell me what's wrong, I'm leaving."
I stand up to leave but he, once again, grabs my hand, standing up as well.
I immediately grab the table to stop myself from colliding into him.
This is enough.
"Didn't I tell you to not touch me and grab my hand as you please? At least you should respect this, Zayan." I say angrily, trying to get my hand out of his steel-like grip.
He doesn't let go and I'm about to shout at him, but he speaks up.
"Why did you block me?" His grip keeps tightening and I'm reminded of that day in the hallway when he did the same.
I look at him for a second before things click in my brain.
"That unknown number was you?" I glare at him. I take his silence as a yes and continue, "I should be asking you what the hell that was then. What did you even mean by that and no, how did you get my number and why didn't you, in simple words, tell me it was you?" Seriously, I don't understand what's going on with him.
Those messages were so creepy, well creepy enough if you have no idea who the person messaging you is.
I wince as his fingers dig in my flesh. My right hand goes up to take his hand off but to no avail.
"You should've known it was me, darling." He has the audacity to say. I stare at him like he's grown two heads.
"Don't call me that!" I snap. "And you didn't answer my question, where did you get my- ow let go! That hurts, Zayan!" I shout at him, afraid of his behavior all of a sudden. He was fine yesterday.
His grip loosens a little but not fully. I give him a death glare.
"If I want, I can even find out which hospital you were born in, a number is a piece of cake." He sneers, his voice laced with something dark and dangerous.
I get goosebumps. What is going on?
Is he the same person I talked to yesterday?
"What does that mean?" I inquire, suspiciously.
"What you heard."
I take a deep breathe. "Zayan, let go off my hand right this instant." I nearly scratch his palm trying to get it off my arm and thankfully he lets go. "I don't know what's wrong with you and what you are saying, but this, all of this was really incomprehensible for me and your behavior is creeping me out. So, if you plan on being... like this.. don't talk to me then."
I grab my bag and walk towards the door. Before I take a step outside, I'm yanked back into the classroom, my other arm in his grasp.
"What the hell is-"
"I'm sorry." He whispers, looking at me with softened eyes.
I pull my hand out of his grip. My fingers rubbing the arm he held before. I'm positive there was a small bruise forming there, judging by the way he held so tightly and painfully.
What even is this? What am I doing? This guy has given me two bruises on my hand already, in a matter of like three to four days. And he can't seem to understand the meaning of 'let go'.
"You've got to be kidding me." I say scornfully.
"I'm really sorry, I messed up again I know. I was kidding back then." He expresses. "Actually that was just a joke because my uncle works in the police so I just said that in fun. As for your number, I.. got it from Manal! Yeah from her."
I raise my eyebrow at that. From Manal?
As if reading my mind, he says, "You can ask her if you don't believe me. I'm really sorry though. I just got angry because you blocked me."
I scowl at him. "That doesn't give you the right to behave like that. And I didn't even know it was you, otherwise I would've never done it, obviously."
"I know, I'm sorry. I was joking about the messages too and before I could tell you it was a joke, you blocked me."
I cross my arms, flinching due to the bruise.
Looking at his guilty face, my heart starts to melt. His gaze does something to my heart and mind. I felt something different, something that felt nice when he grabbed my arm which went away when his grip tightened to the point of leaving a mark.
No. Insha. No. This is not happening. I just met this guy. Come on, now. Mentally shaking my head, I look at him. "Fine. It's okay." I cave in. "But don't you dare be like this again, okay?You really freaked me out like last time in the hallway."
He stares at me with something in his eyes for a while and I start to feel uneasy again but then he smiles a full blown smile and I think my heart stops. All I could do was just stare at him, amazed at how beautiful he looks smiling. I had an urge to take a picture of him right now, but obviously I can't do that. I'll become the creepy one then.
He smirks, "thank you, darling." He winks. He slowly rubs my arm where his grip was. "I'm really sorry about that too. I didn't mean too. My anger just sometimes gets out of control."
I shake my head, dismissing it, "it's okay, it doesn't hurt that much." I kind of lie. Then it clicks and I glare at him and push his shoulders. "I told you to not call me that!"
"I don't take orders from anyone, darling." He countered, laughing seeing my expression.
I slowly smile, ignoring a weird feeling at the back of my brain.
He isn't lying about all those excuses, right? No, no, he isn't. What he said is true. He even told me to ask Manal if I had doubts.
He wasn't lying. I trust him.
Besides, finding someone's number is no rocket science nowadays. I'm just overthinking, that's all.
"You sound like a spoiled brat." I push him slightly as we walk to our next class and he laughs, shaking his head.
It would've been so much better if he was.