Diana tapped her pen against the book in front of her, lost in thought. She didn't even hear the teacher speaking at the front of the class. Her plan had seemed perfect last night—confess her feelings to Darwish, distract him, and boom, take first place. But now, she was starting to feel like her plan was completely ridiculous.
Nayla nudged her shoulder. "What's up with you? Daydreaming all the time. Thinking about your boyfriend, huh?"
"Ugh, shut up. Of course not. I'm just thinking about something," Diana replied hesitantly. Should she tell Nayla the truth? No… what if things went sideways? She had to execute this plan on her own.
Nayla raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Thinking about what? You seriously look like you're planning a bank heist or something."
Diana let out a forced laugh. "Stop talking nonsense. It's nothing. Just a dumb idea."
Before Nayla could ask what her dumb idea was, the recess bell rang. Diana immediately got up from her seat and left the classroom, leaving Nayla behind. It was time to put her plan into action.
She found Darwish in his usual hangout spot—under the old mango tree in the schoolyard. He was strumming his guitar and singing, surrounded by a crowd of students.
"What's so great about this crazy guy's singing?" Diana muttered in annoyance.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward Darwish, forcing a smile onto her face. "Uh… Darwish, can I talk to you for a moment? If you're busy, never mind, I'll just go."
Darwish looked up at her, his hands pausing on the guitar strings. "Sure." He stood up and placed his guitar aside.
The students around them watched with curiosity as Diana led Darwish to a more secluded corner. It was time to execute her plan.
She took a long, deep breath before exhaling slowly. "I need to tell you something."
The atmosphere grew silent. Darwish crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on her. "Take your time. I'll listen to whatever you have to say."
Diana's heart pounded. Ugh, just say it already!
"I… I… I like you." Her face turned red as she forced the words out.
Silence fell over them once more. Darwish frowned in confusion, staring at Diana with doubt in his eyes. "You? Like me?"
Diana forced herself to nod. "Yeah, I… I accidentally fell in love with you."
For the first time, Diana saw Darwish completely speechless. Then, slowly, a sly smile crept onto his lips. "Hmm… interesting."
The students who had overheard Diana's confession started whispering among themselves. Some were shocked, some confused, and some even jealous.
Darwish scratched his chin, his smirk never fading. "You know, out of everyone here, you're the last person I'd expect to confess to me. I won't lie, but this is kind of hard to believe."
Diana's stomach twisted. She had done it. Now, all she had to do was wait and see if her plan would actually work.