Mariam POV

Selim and I were eating the ice cream in a silence...

" you are not going to tell me what bothers you, are you?!" He looks at me with determination, then I gave up. " look I will tell you but I will get in trouble anyways , me and kendall have sort of hatred towards each other, though I didn't try to hurt her in such a way walahi bs she keeps to insult me , make people avoid me, and hitting me." tears were in the verge of my eyes but I tried to hold on tight. There was a silence for like two minutes then he decided to reply , " why is that ?" he said with a terrifying look yet it didn't scare me. " she keeps telling me that I should stay away from you". " No one can make you stay away from me" he said with softness.

" But Mariam I hope you can stand for yourself, I will protect you, but you should help me in that" I looked at him and kept thinking what would happen if he isn't my best friend. " You should defend your identity you know being Muslims in such a country is hard, we should stand for ourselves, you should defend your hijab" I was impressed by his words like SELIM is not a person who talks about islam and hijab, so I made the stupidest thing. I laughed.

" Why are you laughing little kid" he tried to keep himself from laughing, but I saw a glimpse of smile on his face. " It's just that YOU don't take about these things islam and stuff like that" I tried not to offend because it's the first time to talk about this and I don't know what reaction he would do. " Seriously mariam do you see me kafir ?" He laughed even he grabbed some attention of people who were around us.

We kept in silence for couple of seconds, then I started to talk.

"Selim"

" yes, marsh"

"I'm sorry because I shouted at you in front of the students , I should not have done this" I said with a guilt.

" Don't apologise , it's fine you know I don't mad at you what matter happens" He said while he stares at me with concern.

"Fofo you are" I smirked while I know that he'll get annoyed.

" oh my god" he smiled while it got my attention .

His smile tends to make my day , he doesn't play tricks with me like other girls but that doesn't stop him from annoying me with such a topic. He is like a brother to me. I don't know what I would do if he disappeared from my life.

When we arrived my house he stopped the car.

"Good night, marshmallow" he smiled at me and I don't know why? But I felt butterflies in my stomach but I have to ignore it.

"Good night, bye" I walked out of the car and he stayed out side until I entered the house.

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"So, how have you been lately" I got startled when my mom stood in front of me .

" Momma I got startled, anyways I'm good , where is my dad"

"He went to a business trip"

"Hmm okay"

"How is selim?"

"He's fine momma"

"Let him come tomorrow for dinner, I'm making biryanis for tomorrow"

I screamed from excitement " Really BIRYANIS yahooooo" I hugged her so freakin' much.

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I was sitting the next day at the cafeteria in the school and then I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey , you are Mariam right?!"

"Yes who are you?"

"David"

" oh may I help you" I asked him while I am surprised. It's the for the first time in forever.

A GUY IS SPEAKING TO ME OMGGG........

" I'm a new comer here, and I heard about you. Hence, I came here to introduce myself for hanging out together as..... friends for example"

It is the first time that a young man comes to me and would like to hangout with me. I'm confused because it's something new and I don't know how to respond.

Next thing I know that he sits beside me.

" So how long have you been in this school?"

" my... Wh.. ole life" I stuttered while I had the gut to slap myself. He laughed and I drifted my eyes to the floor while I felt my cheeks are on fire. I tried to break the awkwardness.

" Where are you from ? You don't seem from here , your accent is not british"

" I'm from australia and you? "

" jordan but I have been living here for 12 years . why did you come here?! why didn't you attend school in australia ?"

" My mom and I have decided to come here after my dad died because she is british"

" I'm sorry " I felt bad for him.

"Nothing to worry about" he winked and again I started to blush before I respond I heard someone clearing his throat. I looked behind me I found selim. He was clutching his fist and angry face.

"Who is he? "

David hangs his hand first " I'm david and I'm new here and you? "

selim grabbed his hand and tightened it with a whole force. David doesn't seem affected.

" Selim her best friend ".

" It's nice to meet you , I should leave right " David prepared himself to leave.

" yeah" I looked at selim while anger radiates from me and I didn't miss the smirk on david's face. when david left the cafeteria.

" what was that about " I yelled.

" what I didn't do anything " He spoke while pretending calmness.

" That was RUDE, why have you done that?" I tried to calm myself.

" Mariam have you seen the way he has been looking at you the whole conversation?"

" How would you know when you weren't there in the first place? " I yelled.

" I have been there the whole time" his voice taken me back .

" Don't judge him , you know nothing about him"

" So do you?"

I shut myself because I know that he is telling the truth. I glared at him and I heard the teacher coming .

" What is going on here ? why are shouting? "

I didn't dare to speak nor selim and what I heard after that made me want to cry.

" Detention both of you for two hours "

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Selim's POV

If I didn't left class all of this would have not happened. But I grateful that I left because what I saw at the cafeteria made me lose my control. Now I am sitting in the library for this shit calls DETENTION. I don't know why but I lost my control andI have all the guts to protect mariam from anything . Guys , Nowadays, are not trusted and mariam is so naive . Not having a brother beside her make it difficult even more. I'm here but what happened today makes me confused. This is the first time to fight with. We didn't talk for the past hour, however, we are sitting across each other. It's foreign. She doesn't look at me, and it kills me. I don't know how are we going to each other because her mother invited me for dinner . Maybe I can excuse myself.... no if I didn't go it does mean that I'm coward. I will just go and I don't care what would happen. I heard the librarian giving us the permission to leave early because we didn't cause any trouble . I stood and then I tried to tell mariam that we're going by my car , but she left quickly. I followed her maybe she's going to the car . However, I noticed that she left school walking. I tried to follow her with my car and I stopped the car .

" Mariam get in " she ignored me and kept walking. I get out the car and tried to follow her.

" mariam come with me we are heading you house we should go together " when she didn't respond I lost control . I grabbed her arm and twisted her around.

" leave me don't touch me you haram thing" she tried to leave my grip but I moved her closer to my chest . I stared at her honey eyes and she stared back . When I realized our position I pulled back .

" Get in the car , now" I cleared my throat and she get in the care silently.

The whole drive was awkward . If did what I asked her to do would not have touch her . I know she hates it because it's forbidden for non-mehrem to touch her but I lost control. I tried to keep the boundaries that she has built since she wore hijab. My mind keep drifting what she looks like without a scarf. WHAT stop selim stop thinking like that she is like your sister. My imagination stopped when I heard her sniffing . I looked at her and I found tears falling down from her eyes. I realized that we have arrived , so I stopped the car.

" Mariam why are you crying " she didn't respond. " Are you crying because I touched your arm" I noticed that she closed her eyes even more and that confirmed my suspicions.

" I'm sorry mariam please forgive me I don't know what got over me but I didn't want you to walk alone and that was the only thing to stop you" she glared at me with burning eyes.

" So that your excuse then If I don't obey your demands then this will be the result, TOUCHING me" she yelled the latter.

" I'm really sorry , I won't do anything like that again" I felt guilty because I know she hates disobeying god's demands ,also I didn't respect that .

" I'm not like your girls that you touch them and do god knows" I felt a bang in my heart because she compared herself with those.

" Of course you are not , you are different " I noticed a glimpse of a smile in her lips.

"I would like to hug you right now" Her eyes widened and she hit e with her bag. I kept laughing and she was blushing and get out of the car.

" You're a haiwan" she shouted with smile on her face.

I locked the car and her mom greated me with a warm smile.

" Selim I missed you, why are you not visiting me often"

"Sorry auntie, I will come over often if mariam let me you know she is hotheaded "

"Hey don't talk about me like that " mariam shouted at me.

Auntie and I kept laughing then her mom stopped .

" Mariam have you been crying ?" I was shocked and I hope that mariam doesn't tell her . I noticed mariam is nervous.

" yes I was" WHAT I hope that the floor swallow me right now . " selim said a ridiculous joke made the tears fall down from his unfruitful jokes" I think her mom bought the lie and I saw mariam throws me a look made me guilty. when her mom entered the kitchen and I got closer to mariam.

" Forgive me, I promise that I won't touch you again"

And promises are made to be broken.