Calm Before the Storm: Chapter 8.

Previously:

I took the first step to go upstairs,

Mama: "l76'a t3ali"

I turned around,

Mama: "kl shway t6l3li 9ourti bl jwal a5af a76 story bl 3'l6"

Me: "la yuma, mar7 yn76 ella etha enti 6'3'6ti hl zr" I showed her, and then went back upstairs.

That was close. My answer was too lame and it was obvious that I was lying. I just hope she doesn't ask too much again.

Our graduation's party day was finally here 3 weeks after I finished my finals. My senior friends and I were getting ready in the upper room while the guests were downstairs. When we were all finally done we went downstairs at the same time. We danced, took pictures and I had so much fun. When it was around 12 AM, we all went upstairs again and wore our graduation robes and then had our simi-zaffa, then went to our after-party.

I woke up the next morning wanting a full body massage more than anything. I went downstairs to check if my family woke up already, but the house was too quiet so I knew that they were still sleeping,

Kelly: "Judy, there's a gift that just arrived"

Me: "gift?"

Kelly: "yes, wait I'll bring it"

Me: "wait, who brought it?"

Kelly: "driver"

Me: "who? Raju?"

Kelly: "no no I know Raju, not him"

Me: "maybe they've mistaken the address, are you sure it's ours?"

Kelly: "yes, the driver told me that this for Judy"

Me: "oh really? Bring it please"

She went to bring it,

Kelly: "here"

She put it on the table in front of me and left. I pulled the box closer to me and read the card,

"Hello Judy,

It seems like just yesterday you were just a kid starting high school, congratulations on your graduation. I wish you all the best, and may you live happily forever. You don't need to freak out but I'm not telling you my name.

Yours sincerely,

Anonymous."

You must be kidding me now. I flipped the card to see if there is a name written or a hint at least, but there was nothing. I felt like I was in a movie. Such things never happen in real life, well maybe sometimes, but never to me. I admit, I freaked out.

I unlocked my phone, opened WhatsApp and typed a message to the seniors' group,

Judy:

Bnat

Feeh a7d mnkum msweeli prank?

Esraa:

Leeh wsh 9ar?

Judy:

Shklha enti 97?

Lama:

La

Esraa:

La wsho ana

Ma swait shay wallah

Twni 9a7ya fa6'ya aswe lk prank ana?

Anoud:

Tell us wsh 9ar

Ma atwg3 a7d mnna mswi prank la

Reem:

Shsalfa

Judy:

Nevermind 6l3 a5ouy

I lied. But I didn't want to tell them. I might tell Esraa only because she is the closest to me. The rest would probably tease me for it.

I privately WhatsApped Esraa,

Judy:

Don't tell them that I told you

There is a gift that was sent anonymously

I took a picture of the card and sent it to her,

Esraa:

Hatha mn Faisal wla Khalid?

6yb wsh da5l el box?

Judy:

Ya 3'bya

Mu mn wla a7d

I just lied

Mafeeni agoul lhm

Esraa:

Mn meen 6yb?

Judy:

No idea :)

Esraa:

E7lfi

Y7ms 😂😂

Ma glteeli wsh da5l elbox?

Judy:

Lssa ma ft7ta

5ayfa madri leesh

Esraa:

Bsr3a eft7eeh w gouleli

I put my phone aside and opened the box, there was a small Cartier box. I gasped.

Judy:

Yuma yuma yuma

Ana mt2kda ena prank

Esraa:

Is it a zombie?

Judy:

IT'S A CARTIER BOX

Esraa:

What?

Open it la y6l3 da5lha chicken nuggets

I opened the box and there actually was a simple bracelet.

Judy:

I think they've mistaken the address wallah

Non believable

Esraa:

DON'T TELL ME THAT THERE IS A REAL BRACELET 

Judy:

THERE IS A REAL BRACELET!

Esraa:

Ya 76'kk

Lazm n3rf meen

Judy:

Bmout w a3rf wallah

Esraa:

T7seen Nasser?

Judy:

No

Ymkn

Should I ask him?

Esraa:

6b3n la

Judy:

Yarabeh mn meen 6yb

Esraa:

Ana a7s Nasser bs ya weelk tklmeena

Judy:

Mani mklmta

Esraa:

Promise me

Judy:

Wallah

Esraa:

Good girl

9wreli elbracelet

I took a picture of the bracelet to her and she liked it. It was so beautiful to be honest.

Esraa:

Elbseeha

Judy:

Eeh inshallah I will

Bs kl ma ashoufha b9eer curious akthr eni a3rf mn meen

Esraa:

E3tbreha mni ;;)

Bs l2ni m6fra ma jbt lk shay

Judy:

Inshallah 😂😂

I switched to Twitter and found a direct message from Alia my cousin, she shared a tweet that was written by Musaab with me and captioned it.

The tweet was:

"أخاف أخون صحبتنا وأحبك.."

@AliaAlX:

Mu hyn elwld shkla shayfla shoufa b LA 😂

@JudyAlX:

Hahaha t7seen?

I don't know why but I felt something weird ache inside me. The same feeling I got when Faisal said that he wants to get married. I couldn't identify it. It was jealousy mixed with missing. I remembered our last hug and smiled a light smile as I blushed,

Me: "Allah y7wm kbdi, wsh thal 3'ba2" I said to myself as I went to take a hot bath to free my mind from everything.

A week later, we went to my grandmother's house on Friday as usual. We had lunch and everything was normal, until the door got opened and Musaab came in with a bunch of bags,

Uncle Fahad: "hala b3zwti hala!"

Musaab smiled: "hala wallah"

My heart skipped beats once I saw him and I have no idea why my body's temperature suddenly went very high. My tummy ached and I got butterflies.

Aunt Yasmine laughed: "7mdellah 3ala slamtk! Eshtgna lk wallah!"

Uncle Esam: "eeh wallah, eljm3a nag9ha 76'ourk"

Musaab smiled: "Allah yslmkum yarab"

Alia came from the backyard and shouted: "omg! Mufaj2a y3ni? Leesh m7d gali?"

My mom got up and hugged him tight. She loves Musaab way too much. He's her favorite nephew. My ex-favorite cousin too. Lol. Everyone in the living room got up, hugged Musaab and greeted him, except for me. I was sitting on the couch showing no emotions, while I was burning inside.

Once he was done hugging everyone, he came closer to me,

Musaab: "mar7 tslmeen y3ni?"

I awkwardly smiled and got up, he opened his arms wide for a hug and I hugged him. I felt his lips curl into a smile,

Me: "el7mdellah 3la slamtk"

I let go our hug and backed off.

Musaab: "Allah yslmk"

I raised my head and saw my mom staring at me smiling,

Me: "haw wsho?"

Mama laughed: "wala shay"

I sat down and unlocked my phone, I WhatsApped Esraa,

Judy:

Bmout

She immediately replied,

Esraa:

Wsh feek?

Judy:

Yarabeh akrh ketha etha 9ar elw6'3 awkward yfshl

Esraa:

E7ki

Judy:

He's back! 🎉

Esraa:

Who?

Judy:

Musaab

Esraa:

Forever?

Judy:

No ejaza ya 3'bya!

Esraa:

Oh sorry ra7 3n bali

Wsh elshay eli awkward w bymwtk

Judy:

:(

Esraa:

What?

Judy:

Wala shay bs tw ja w m7d ydri ena byje ella ahla atwg3, elzbda slm 3lehum klhum w ana jalsa b3den ja gali mar7 tslmeen?

Esraa:

7rkat wallah

T6wrna

Judy:

I know right!

9ar ybtsm wallah mu3jza

L76'a e9bri

B3deen lmn w5rt 3na mama kant tna6'rni w tbtsm yfshl

He awl sa2ltni etha fe shay 9ar benna gltlha la

Esraa:

Jalsa at5yl wjhk w ho m7mr al7een

Hahaha

Judy:

Kli tbn please

Esm3i bagoulk shay

Esraa:

Gouli

I typed something but then deleted it,

Judy:

Wla shay 5la9

Esraa:

Ya s5eefa

Btgouleen

Judy:

Ma abi a9eer drama

Akrh eldrama

Esraa:

Wsho??

Wallah tgoleen

Judy:

I think

Esraa:

Eeh?

Judy:

I'm

Esraa:

You think you?

Judy:

Assdffghjklll

Nevermind

Esraa:

Spit it out

Judy:

I think I'm falling for Musaab

Don't judge me bs wallah

Idk

My emotions are so mixed

Lmn ashoufa tjeni butterflies w glbi ynb9' bsr3a w marra ast7i 3ks awl

Madri hatha 3shan shwya b3dna 3n b39' wla 9dg

Listen don't answer swi nfsk ma shfti shay please

Wallah ashoufa nfs a5ouy

Bs madri leesh a7yann a7sni a7ba

Esraa:

Wallah el36'eem eni 7asa

She was typing but I managed to type faster than her,

Judy:

Please kli tbn please please

Swi nfsk ma graiti shay

Bye

I locked my phone and put it aside,

Jana: "esm3o esm3o" she looked at us "elyoum birthday Musaab w 7na jaybeenla cake 93'eera w ketha"

Me: "bs elyoum mu 25 May" I interrupted,

Jana: "eeh I know, bl hejri" she smiled, "elzbda, ho al7een bl 7mam bs wgt ma ajeeb elcake please 3'no ma3ay ok?"

We nodded and I unlocked my phone again to check Esraa's chat again,

//

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