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'I knew it! Ai dama na sani (I knew it)! It was bound to happen eventually. But I didn't think it would be this bad...'

Janan weaved through the crowd to come face to face with her number one most trusted friend, Fatima Muhammad, who's wailing as if her eyes were gouged out.

"Fati! Miyafaru (What happened)?! Wait... Don't tell me it's true..." Her eyes widened when the other nodded weakly. Furious, Janan's eyebrows drew in confusion.

Wetting her lips, "When did he...?" She trailed off, hoping her prying didn't hurt her best friend more. "Y-Yesterday..." Fatima managed to choke out of her raspy breathing.

"What a man Allah created..." Janan sighed, exasperated. "Come on tashi (stand up), let's go outside." Fatima only managed to nod once again, her hands glued to her face. Janan was a ticking bomb ready to be set off, her blood boiling.

Outside, people that were passing were asking what was the dilemma, but Janan brushed off their questions. If she had not, Mars would've started seeing incoming visitors thrown from Earth.

"F-Fati! Thank God I made it on time. Sorry, Mr. Khalid was being an aggravating ass again." Came a panting male who was also a best friend of Janan. Abdulmalik Al-Qasim.

Janan nodded, then proceeded to help their friend in distress to their little special resting point.

Janan still low-key feeling murderous, spat towards her male friend. "See Malik? I was right about him." Malik's eyes widened.

"Did he soil her? Poured red all over her pure, white and untamed flower? Plucked her-"

"Zaka sha mari (you'll get slapped), if you don't shut the hell up." Janan gave him a slap on the shoulder, a small smile gracing her lips without her permission as her friend, Fatima, also gave a light airy laugh.

After a peaceful silence, Fatima finally dropped her hands and revealed her puffy, yet breathtaking face.

She sniffed childishly and motioned for Janan to hand her a tissue. Compliant, Janan gave her some, with the chocolates she stashed away except when emergencies like this occurred.

They were all sitting on the green grass with the mango tree giving them shade. It was a bright, sunny day that definitely didn't reciprocate Janan's best friend's mood.

"So? Danallah fada min (please tell me), what did he do? Malik and I are downright worried off our asses for you, while my killer instincts' rising for him." She had hoped Fatima would at least cooperate with her. As it was, Fatima was usually stubborn.

"Allah knows I'm ready to kick some fucker's ass." Malik gave a dazzling smile."Wallahi Malik ka kiya ye ni (I swear be careful of me), language!" Janan raised a delicate but threatening finger at Malik, his hands suspending in the air in surrender, not without whispering a sly 'hypocrite'.

Fatima's laughter wasn't contained in a jar anymore as it burst out, leaving the other two sighing in relief.

"Honestly guys, why are you always so bothered with each other's presence?" She was laughing so hard the tears of sadness were replaced with that of happiness.

"Laifin shine (It's his fault)!"

"Laifin tane (It's her fault)!" Both friends pointed at each other like the five-year-old snotty brats they were.

"Settle down now children," She wiped away remnants of her tears. Janan and Malik were pouting at her with both of their arms folded. Malik went as far as commenting that Janan was the adopted child, to which Janan professionally ignored.

"Then tell us what happened." Janan was becoming more and more desperate to know her best friend's reason of sadness.

"Well, you remember him, right?" Janan was about to say something when Malik cut her off.

"You mean Barney?"Malik sarcastically replied, arms tucked underneath his armpits. "Pfft, of course we do! Isn't that why you've been bawling your eyes out because of that guy? You're always a happy-go-lucky person, an optimist sef. There is no way something could let you down if not him, whom I despise now."

Janan was really astonished, mouth hung ajar, looking at Malik. Wondering how he got the power to read people. To Janan, even though he aced all his tests and exams, he was still a total knucklehead.

"Wow look Janan, Malik went and got a new brain." Fatima giggled, Janan joining her as Malik fumed.

"Haha, real funny." Malik rolled his eyes heavenwards as he snatched the piece of chocolate between Janan's fingers.

Janan didn't mind and instead nudged his rib, "Feeling like a joke, aye?" Malik glared at her.

"Okay, so yeah. He broke up with me." Fatima's eyes stared into a distance. She and he were like the mightiest couple in their prestigious school. People shipped them so hard. It was a shame, a disappointment that he broke up with her. Some even had the idea that they would tie the knot.

"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! I knew the bastard was gonna do it!" Janan formed a fist and clenched it hard, as if she was imagining the guy's neck

"Janan, don't call him that. He has a healthy mother and father that are alive." Fatima shook her head and giggled.

"And you still be defending him after all his loaded bull crap." Janan rolled her eyes, picking at the grass.

"And you still be saying 'language' to me," Malik muttered while forming air quotes with his pointer and middle fingers.

"What?!" Janan, already ticked, glared at Malik. He quickly shook his head 'no'.

"Are you sure you two are not secretly dating?" Fatima asked amused, the shed tears were already forgotten as her two best friends managed to revive her back to her happy state.

"NO!" Both turned to Fatima and said at the same time.

"Huh... Did he at least give you a reason why he suddenly decided to just dump you?" Janan threaded her fingers through Fatima's.

Fatima gave her a distinctive look, then replied with, "Nope, he didn't, just dumped me. That's all there is to it."

"Munafikin banza (*insult*)." Janan cussed again as Malik couldn't even believe she did it again.

A sudden chime of bells rang out, catching the attention of the group of friends.

"We'll talk on the phone, okay? Baba is coming home early today because we're expecting guests later. Ummi's words." Janan stood up and dusted her skirt, her friends following suit.

"You still call your mom 'Ummi'?" Fatima stifled her laughter as Janan rolled her eyes, walking away from the two.

She stopped, only to turn and shout, "I've got new animes and Kdrama! We can pull out an all-nighter! And no, Malik, you're not invited!" She giggled, running away before he shouted his words of protest.

~
Janan was almost done tying her milk silky scarf when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in, please." She said gently to the person outside.

One of their house maid's head popped into her room, "Alhaji yana son ganin ki yanzu (your father wants to see you right now)."

'Perhaps the awaited guests have finally arrived... Time to go greet them in a 'sweet' voice.' Janan thought with a small smile. She turned and with a slight nod, she followed her maid down the stairs and into the clean, essence-lit living room.

Only for her to come to a sudden halt as she met the source of her anger and the one of sadness to her bestie, Fatima. There, at the end of the living room, was a nonchalant-looking guy sitting on a royal one-seater. He was staring at her confused while she glared.

"You've got to be shitting me." She whispered beneath her breath. Fatima would love to hear about this.

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