5.

yes, i have to admit that i DID think about this stranger that was supposedly head over heels in love with me. and yes, i was beyond flattered, but i thought he was insane.

for the next few months, me and mariam didn't mention what happened with barrak to anyone, and we hardly even talked about it ourselves, it was just awkward i guess.

so months passed and senior year started, so the thought about this stranger went away because of all the honors classes we were taking, all we could think about was work work work until one day my phone rang around 2 am, waking me up. my phone hardly ever rings this late unless its maryoom or rawan calling to bitch about something so i picked up without even looking at the number.

"mmmmmmmmmmmmm"

"Noora?" it was a man's voice but i couldn't trace it.

"Who is this?" i was so tired that the words barely escaped my lips and came out as a somewhat loud whisper.

"Ma3ach Barrak al x, im not sure if you remember me" he was so confident with himself. calling me at 2 am? like he was sure that i was going to welcome him with open arms or something.

"How did you get my number?" i was honestly scared.

"I have my ways, listen, i need to talk to you about something, mashghouula?"

MIN 9IJA HATHA HE CALLS ME AT 2 AM O HE ASKS IF IM MASHGHOULA?!

"min 9ijik inta you call me at 2 am and expect me to be awake and talk to you?"

he giggled. what the hell was so funny? i started getting mad. "no3ich dyeeya itnameen imbacher bil weekend?" and he kept giggling.

"WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT?" i was so irritated bas i dont know why i couldnt shut the phone! i think i was somehow attracted to the idea of a guy, especially one outside of my school, that supposedly loved me.

"calm down, can we talk or should i call you at 6 am when you wake up?" and he giggled somewhere.

"inta shfeek? shtaby? what do you want from me? dont make me shut the phone and give it to my brother the next time you call" he was so annoying chinna yahil.

"bkel 9ara7a ya noora, ana abeech. i've wanted you since day one. since the time i saw you in chilies with you concentrating on your coke up until today when i saw you walking out of your school gracefully with your skirt and tie. youre so cute in that tie."

i cut him off. "NA3AM?! what today when you saw me walking out of school?! are you some kind of freaky stalker?!" how scary right?

"no no no, my little brother goes to your school, and i have just been volunteering to pick him up for the last month or so" he was so cocky it disgusted me.

"can you not call me again?"

"no i cannot not call you again. just give me a chance. please. just let me talk and if you dont like what i have to say, you can shut the phone, w kelmat rayal, you wont hear from me again ya noora"

i thought about it and decided that i'd let him talk, it seemed like a good deal, its not like i would fall for any of his bullshit. "okay, talk. you have 10 minutes, you better make it good"

"haha youre so cute youre making it seem like were in a business meeting" he giggled again. since when do guys giggle?

"9 minutes" i wasnt actually timing him, i just wanted him to hurry up because i wanted to get back to my dream about me and maryoom finding a pink dog.

"okay listen," his tone became serious, it sounded kind of hot actually, "My name is barrak al x, im 23 years old, i have 3 brothers, ahmed mohammed and nasser. im the eldest, ahmed and mohammed are twins."

"okay and this has what to do with me?" i thought it was cute that he was telling me all about his life but why? i was confused.

"just listen, please. i was in boarding school in england since i was in the 5th grade because my parents are divorced and, you know the drama. so anyways, in england, i met this girl and we got really close. eventually, i dated this girl for 5 years and loved her more than i loved food, air, or water. she was my life and i was hers, and we were going to get married, i was going to ikh6ubha but her father didnt accept me because she was ibdowiya and i wasnt and she was apparently already promised to her cousin" he seemed really really sad, maskeen, kisar kha6ree wala.

"im sorry" my eyes were watering!

"theres more," he cut me off, "she got engaged to her cousin and we still talked, and i still saw her every single day. except, one day, she went to london with her mother to get prepared for her wedding, and her and her mother got hit by a car and died instantly. this was 2 years ago, and i wasnt able to go out of my house until the day i saw you in chilies. that was my first time out of the house"

by now, i was crying. it was so sad. he sounded so sad. maskeen he really loved her! "allah yir7am7um, im very sorry"

he ignored my comment. "well anyways, when i saw you, it was like i was looking at her. you look just like her, you even have the innocence beaming out of you like she did. and honestly noora, all i want is a chance. please. i didnt have a chance with her, dont make me lose you too."

this guy was talking to me like he already knew me, which was quite freaky, but something about me made me believe him and want to give him a chance, maybe not as a boyfriend but as a friend, i was going to be there for him as a shoulder to cry on.

"ok" i barely spat it out.

"seriously noora?! do you know how happy you just made me? wala ra7 a7a6ich b3younee" this guy is bipolar! one minute he is crying and the next he is happy? its kind of cute, in a way.

i giggled, i dont know why, im not the giggling type, but i giggled, i think hes contagious.

we shut the phone and i couldnt help but thinking that maybe i made a mistake...