"Is everyone here?" Donia yelled, busily counting.

"I think so," replied Louis, his hands behind his head.

The group was standing in the middle of the shopping district, examining the view. Donia had arranged this trip as a 'day off' after the term one final exams. People were zooming briskly past them as they went from shop to shop.

"Okay, let's go!" shouted Mohamad.

The group navigated alongside each other, stopping every now and then to discuss the shops. Donia particularly took a long time deciding what furniture she should choose. After finally buying what satisfied her, they all headed towards a different shop to buy what they liked.

"This place is huge!" Badr exclaimed.

"Yeah it is," agreed Louis. "It sells mostly everything."

"Amazing!" Badr said, running off to buy a few snacks. "Come, Yousef!"

"Okay!" Yousef answered. He sped over to where Badr was.

"Hey, come back here!" called Louis.

"It's okay, let them go," Wael stopped him. "It's a day off, after all!"

Yasmin and Noor were both staring at a bracelet-making set. Malak was nearby, her eyes glued on a set of paintbrushes.

"Daddy, I want this!" Yasmin told her father. Mohamad turned to his daughter.

"Which one, this? Okay, take whatever you want," he smiled at her. Yasmin happily grabbed the box along with many other things like earrings and necklaces. Noor watched her, unsure whether she wanted the box too.

On the other side of the store, Jack was running around the clothing section. Bilal followed him slowly while drinking from a small milk box.

"Look! Look! Oh my god, that's so cool!" Jack exclaimed, grabbing a colorful tank top. "Would it fit me?"

"I guess so."

"Hmm...oh my God no it's so expensive!" cried Jack dramatically. Then he gazed at Bilal. "Can you lend me some money? Please?"

"Uhh...okay."

"Ah thank you so much! I love you!" Jack said excitedly. Bilal handed some points over to him. Jack hugged Bilal then skipped over to the counter to pay. Malak came over to Bilal and stood next to him.

"Hey..." he greeted.

"Oh hey Bilal! What did you buy?"

"A few snacks. What about you?"

"Just some art supplies."

They stood in silence for a while longer then Jack came back after paying.

"Hey Jack! You have so many bags! What did you buy?" addressed Malak curiously.

"Clothes, accessories..." Jack began.

"Wow, where did you get all that money?" Malak wondered.

"Ah...um, school?"

"Wow, you're so hardworking! Nice!"

Jack giggled nervously then noticed Yasmin with six full bags. "Woah! Yasmin, what's all that?" he called out.

Yasmin put her bags down and sighed deeply. "I got so many things, this place is awesome! First, I got this bracelet-making set, it has so many cool beads, I can't wait to try it! Then I got this flower pen! Look, Malak, it's so pretty! The flower is a Jasmine! It's my favorite flower! And then−look at this−I got a new pencil case! So cute! And look at all these accessories I got! This one's my favorite! And then I got this ring, it has a-"

"SHUT UP!" interrupted Jack loudly. Yasmin stopped, bewildered. "Uff, no one cares! You're so spoiled! Gosh, you piss me off!"

"What? Are you jealous? What the heck is up with you? You're so rude!"

"Look, Yasmin, NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU BOUGHT!"

"What if I just want to tell Malak?" Yasmin was angry now. Malak tried to stop the argument but they just ignored her. Nearby, Louis heard their voices so he rushed towards them.

"Guys! What happened?" he worried.

"He's so rude! He made fun of me!" wailed Yasmin.

"I didn't! She was so annoying, she just kept on talking and talking! She won't shut up!"

"Oh Jack will you just shut up and stop arguing with girls!" Louis scolded. "You're such a cheeky brat! Man up!"

"I am a man! That's why I even have a girlfrie−" Jack stopped himself from continuing what he was about to say.

"GIRLFRIEND!" Malak and Louis screamed in shock at this.

"Ahh no...well," Jack tried to take back his words.

"Why you little! What have your parents taught you! You have a girlfriend? You're too young!" Louis exclaimed.

"Jack...I never knew. Why didn't you tell me?" Malak's voice immediately softened.

"I'm sorry!" Jack gulped uneasily. "I never thought you cared..."

"No, of course I do!"

"S-sorry..." Jack scratched the back of his head. Louis shook his head in disappointment then left to find the others. Malak just stared at Jack while Yasmin examined her receipt. Bilal went to throw the empty milk box in the bin and then he came back.

"W-what? Why are you staring at me?" Jack asked Malak, his cheeks getting redder by the second.

"Who is she? Is she in our school?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Don't break her heart!" Malak warned while raising her index finger. He nodded and she smiled as she placed her hands on her hips.

The next day was very busy. Donia had been packing bags since the day before and the children were all rushing to get ready. It was the beginning of December, so the morning was breezy and the wind was howling outside. The cold seemed extreme but it gradually started becoming milder.

Once outside, they met with the grown-ups and the group headed off to the port. They took the bus because Mohamad did not know the way to the seaport.

Everyone inside the bus looked bored and busy at the same time. Some read newspapers while most had their eyes glued to their smartphone screens, either checking texts or merely playing games. Whether they were sleeping, talking, or reading, everyone had one thing in common: they were desperately waiting for their destination to come.

Yahya was sitting next to Wael and Murad near the front of the bus. He tried to start any sort of conversation with them but always dropped the idea because of his nervousness. Wael occasionally smiled at him, which made Yahya feel even more nostalgic. He had so much to share, but no confidence to share it.

Once the bus finally stopped, the group walked out and were relieved to find the port right in front of them. It was fresh, with its clean floors and tangerine-colored sea walls. There were no signs of any tourists so the harbor appeared empty. Seagulls were hovering above the creaking boats that sat in the clear sea waters. They all waited for Mohamad to check-in for the boat rental he arranged earlier.

After Mohamad finished speaking with the yacht owners, he motioned for the group to follow him. "Come on, guys! We are going to set sail for Estermage Island today!"

Yasmin chuckled. "My dad is so excited by the way," she told Badr.

"I am too!" Badr grinned.

"Same!" she grinned cheerfully. Badr thought Yasmin looked really cute when she smiled. He blushed hastily while moving his hands behind him.

Donia beamed at the kids. A few seconds later, her face was suddenly filled with horror. "Mohamad! One child is missing!" she shrieked.

"What? Who?" queried Mohamad.

The students searched amongst each other. "Noor, daddy! Noor is not here!" Yasmin gasped with a shaky voice.

"Where is she?" Louis questioned. "I'll look for her! And you, come with me!" he pointed at Yousef.

"Eh? Me?" Yousef hesitated before they spotted a figure running towards them.

"Noor!" Donia cried. "Where were you?"

"Don't worry, I was just collecting shells," Noor replied. Mohamad laughed in relief.

"Alright then, let's go!"

The group resumed their journey along the shiny Nuport harbor and Noor turned to her friends. "I also collected some insects."

Yousef choked. "Bugs?"

"Yes, do you want to see?" she offered.

"Ah...no..." he shook his head. Noor held out her hand to show him the insects on her hand.

"No, please..." he started.

"What's wrong?" Noor puzzled. "They're so cute, look! This one is a sand crab. And the one next to it is a blood worm. So cute! Do you want to hold them?" She extended her arm towards Yousef.

"AHHH!" he screamed and ran away hysterically. "NO! Stay away! Stay away!"

Badr, Malak, Yasmin, and Jack all started laughing while Bilal was confused at Yousef's reaction. "Is he afraid of bugs?"

"I don't know," Noor watched Yousef scream in agony. "But seriously guys, look, they're so cute!"

They finally stepped on the deck. The sailor saluted them from an end of the long deck and led them to their rented yacht. The yacht made squeaky noises when they climbed its ladders.

"Are you okay?" Badr called out to Bilal who looked like he was having a hard time getting on the yacht.

"Uhh...It's scary." Bilal struggled while staring downward at the wooden floors of the boat. After he finally managed to get on, he quickly moved away from the edge and wiped his forehead in relief. A few minutes passed before the sailor finally cut the rope and operated the yacht.

The atmosphere on the ship was very peaceful. Malak, Yasmin, and Noor were helping Donia with cooking something that smelled good. Jack watched them with curiosity while Bilal fiddled with some book. Mohamad left every now and then to check which direction they were heading and Louis was taking a nap beside Wael and Murad, who were in a deep conversation. Badr stood next to Yousef on the end of the rather small ship, gazing at the clear water beneath them. Nearby, Yahya was sitting down alone, admiring the view of the sky from above. He took out a PSP from his pocket. Badr noticed this and nudged Yousef.

"What's that?" Badr inquired.

Yousef shrugged. "How would I know?"

Badr decided to ignore Yahya as he looked back to watch the sea. After a while though, the game Yahya was playing made such loud noises that Badr couldn't take it anymore.

"How come he bought a PSP before us?" he whispered to Yousef.

"I don't know. Maybe his friends bought it for him."

Badr rolled his eyes while Yahya sighed slowly while still playing the game. Yousef tried ignoring the blaring sounds but he couldn't.

"Turn the volume down!" Yousef yelled. Yahya peered at him.

"What?"

"Turn the volume down! It's annoying!"

"If it bothers you so much then leave."

"Well I bet that even if I go to the other side of the ship I would still hear you!" Yousef argued.

"No, you won't, try it!"

"Shut up!"

"Guys!" Bilal's voice was heard from nearby. "Stop arguing!"

Yousef and Yahya were now face-to-face, ready to start a fight. Jack rushed over to the two guys and forced his way between them. Because he was considerably more muscular than both of them, he managed to hold them back from hitting each other.

"Stop! Stop! Don't fight!" he exclaimed. His brawny arms prevented Yousef and Yahya from getting close to each other. Bilal approached them.

"It's okay guys, don't be violent."

Yahya sighed at him. "Well...to be honest, this shorty started it!"

Yousef coughed loudly as he struggled to hit Yahya since Jack wouldn't let him. "Who did you call short!? You're gonna DIE!"

Louis woke up from the noise nearby. "What's happening?" he questioned Wael and Murad.

"Oh, they're playing..." Wael laughed. "Kids are so cute."

"Hahaha yeah right!" Louis grinned as he laid his head back and closed his eyes.

"You!" Jack turned to Badr. "Don't just stand there like a scarecrow! Do something!"

"Oh...oh ya!" Badr said, startled. "Come on, Yousef! Hit him! Hit him!" he cheered. Jack groaned while crossing his arms.

"Oh you useless idiot!" he shouted. "Please don't start a fight here guys! Yousef, calm down!"

"Leave me alone!" Yousef ordered. He stormed away soon afterward, his hands in his pockets. Jack sighed in relief. Yahya shrugged then walked away.

"What was that about?" Bilal asked Badr.

"I don't know...well, whatever! It's alright now."

Bilal nodded. He then decided to go check what the girls were cooking. He paced over to where the girls were.

"Uh, hi," he greeted. The girls inside the kitchenette all greeted him back. Malak came closer to him and stood next to him.

"What are you guys cooking?"

"Meat and some vegetables! It smells so good, right?" Malak answered.

"Yeah."

The two of them stared at the ground of the ship for a while after that. Malak noticed that Bilal had a book in his hand.

"What's that book?" she was suddenly curious.

"Oh, this? Uh...it's...it's kind of..." he looked away shyly. "I made it..."

"You made this, wow! Can I see? Is it a story?"

"N-no! It's...it's...just a collection of...leaves."

"Oh! So you collect leaves and put them in here?" Malak watched Bilal open the book. Different kinds of leaves were stuck on there with some notes written next to them.

"Wow," Malak commented. "I actually know some of these! This one helps with tummy-aches!"

"Yeah, you're right. I thought I was the only one who thought leaves were interesting."

"I'm interested! Though I only know the ones that help in curing diseases..."

Bilal nodded and flipped the page. As the duo continued talking about the different types of leaves that were found in Bilal's book, the ship was nearing its destination.

Author's note: Hey guys, sorry we didn't update for a while. We had school, but now it's over, yay! We hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, please vote and comment down below. And also, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! We have reached more than 300 votes now!! (and we are nearing 3K reads!!) so we are extremely grateful for everything! Thank you!! ❤❤