Heyloooo people. I decided that your much appreciated patience all the time I delay to update needed to be rewarded. And I hope the chapter is long enough.

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I love yaalllll😍😍❤️

I wasn't having a good day. And I have a feeling it wasn't still over.

First, on this bright and early Friday, I got into the bad books of Shezaad.

OF ALL PEOPLE.

I wanted to face-palm myself and sink into my knees. But then it didn't exactly help my situation when he challenged my too-sharp guts.

And Rona, that bitch. Allah knows how bad my claws itched to permanently marre her ugly face.

And just when I dusted off my hands after finishing that business, I got a call from Shiva.

I checked the caller ID and made my way to that secluded bathroom I found Tamara a week ago. I keep coming to this place so much that I feel I'll eventually haunt this bathroom after I die.

Like Moaning Mytrle.

I sighed when it stopped ringing but groaned as it soon started again.

Wow! Not even half a minute huh? What's with the desperation?

I let it ring for about ten more seconds as I adjusted my shawl and hummed tunelessly.

Four.

Five.

And I just answered the phone and kept quiet. I wasn't going to talk first.

"Hello?" The voice  inquired angrily.

"I'll give you two minutes Shiva. Get your ranting over with".

"Did no one teach you respect?" She asked in absolute hostility.

"Well I do remember learning that respect needs to be earned", I said

Silence.

"You were saying"? I prodded.

Lets just say that she let off steam.

A lot of steam.

Like I'd honestly care. I rolled my eyes and finished applying my lipstick.

"And you think you will succeed at something your husband failed? Doesn't your big head ever grow small?" I asked in a lazy tone.

"Watch your mouth. Don't forget who you are talking to".

"Oh I wouldn't forget even if I want to, will I step-mother? Nobody forgets their father's mistress".

I heard a sharp intake of breath.

Bingo.

Or not.

"Well it was my mistake to expect good manners from you". She gave a laughed and sighed dramatically. "How could I expect Sultana's daughter to be better bred than she was. PITY. Chasteless illbreeds".

She laughed and hung up before I could fathom a reply.

Seconds later I dashed out of the girls' room in pure fury.

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I wouldn't usually let Shiva bother me with her dog-poop. But given the aggravated condition I was already in, she had me. I was pissed off with the incident in today morning, and I had to deal with Shiva's insults now and I was angry at myself giving her the satisfaction of seeing me offended at whatever she said. That bothered me the most.

It was bearing these things in my mind, I walked, or rather marched to my next class. And then....

BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I crashed into someone. A guy. He was walking equally hurriedly in the opposite direction and so when we collided, it really hurt.

Really hurt.

The physical pain, the exhaustion, my irritation and anger and hurt all converted to words when I barked at him.

"CAN'T U WATCH WHILE YOU WALK?".

I didn't even wait for a reply and turned around and kept walking, leaving the stunned looking fellow, I was too preoccupied to notice as Shezaad, behind.

Shiva's call killed my vibe to the point that I wasn't paying attention to what was happening around me.

After relatively calming down to an extent my senses began to focus again. That is when I noticed that people were looking at me like I am a particularly repellent cockroach.

Most of them.

Anger, horror and sly smirks greeted me as if to say You-Are-Doomed, with an exclamation mark.

It took less than two seconds for my mind to grasp the situation.

Conclusion- Shezaad something or the other wasn't someone to be messed with and ran into him. And barked at him.

I gulped.

Oh boy!!! This guy gets me into nothing but trouble!!

Information was wealth. I didn't totally agree on that statement, beacuse I know and have been not so wealthy with a lot of information. But at this moment I realized that I needed it. More like I needed knowledge.

Knowledge is power.

Determined to take Shiva off my mind and driven by the urge to confirm my doubts, I made my way for my destination.

You ought to know the severity of the damage in order to plan damage control. In order to develop strategy. And if there was any update I needed to know, this was the ideal place for it.

Update? Oh right! You mean gossip.

My inner voice chuckled. There was no where else in Empire that news can get juicier than in the busiest girls' washroom. Not even at the Broadcasting Room.

THAT I knew by experience. Not a fullstop was lost when girls gossiped.

When Shezaad walked down the school hallways, it was usually very much occupied with women. Though Allah knows why. I mean yeah, he is good looking. But to drop everything to sniff around someone like bloody spaniel? That's just too much!

So I knew a number of girls, without a doubt witnessed what happenedin the corridor.

I slowly slipped into the supply closet and locked it. Allah help me and not let me find any creepy crawlies in here. I muttered a silent prayer.

The supply closet's door had a hole so I could see if anyone was coming. Its wall was adjoined with the bathroom wall. I could clearly hear everything from a muted sigh to a bloodcurdling shriek.

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Several minutes later, when the coast was clear I slowly slipped out unnoticed.

I was questioning my sanity and thinking about how I was going to crawl out of the hole I dug myself into, when my phone beeped.

IT was a message from Winnie. Strange. She never texted unless if was urgent as an almost bursting bladder.

Meet me. Parking lot. NOW!!!!!!!!!

Number one. I didn't like her tone.
Number two. I didn't like the amount of exclamation marks involved.

Is she alright? Did something happen? Did some guy get involved with her again? Am I already late?

I sent her a quick text before I bolted.

Right there.

All kinds of what ifs raced through my mind as I raced at top speed to the parking lot.

Ya Allah please!!! Let her be alright!

I was panting heavily when I reached my car and saw her waiting for me. Well pacing, to be accurate.

I ran to her quickly to throw my hands around her. It was so relieving to see she was perfectly fine.

What was with the message then?

I wondered.

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Do you ever just look at your best friend and wonder, dear lord! Why me??

Or even better,
if only this bitch didn't know me from Eve, I'd know what to do with her!!!!!

Yeah that was an exact definition of what I felt at the moment.

I was worried out of my wits when I met her wondering if she lost an arm, or worse if she cost someone his arm only to be greeted by a "YOU HAD THE NERVE TO BARK AT SHEZAAD SHEROFF AFTER ONE FUCKING WEEK AT COLLEGE?" in her painfully earsplitting voice.

The fuck!!!

Not even an hour passed and it is already out of the Legatees Department? Is it going to be on the paper tomorrow?

I imagined a photo of mine, head photoshopped and swapped with that of a dog's open snout with the caption "barking" in bold block capitals.

"ANSWER ME YOUNG LADY!! You decided to open fire in his territory?"

"I didn't", I frowned, "decide on it", I finished my sentence before she opened her mouth to shoot whatever question she had for me.

She narrowed her eyes to slits.
"Don't sass me young lady".

Jeez! Did my mom hire her before she died?

"Zoya what do you think you are doing?"

Her tone was earnest and clearly very very exasperated.Why was everyone making a mountain out of this mole hill, I for the life of me couldn't understand. It was annoying me more. It made me want to punch Shezaad something or the other square on his face, just to see how I would be recieved. And to check if it will bust a vein on Winnie's forhead.

"Winifred". I said in a strained voice. This drama was taking a toll on me.

She sighed. I knew she knew that tone. She immediately switched from bossy mamma bear mode to supportive best friend mode. She is always very compassionate.

Bipolar woman. I almost smiled in affection. Almost.

I told her everything that happened from Shiva's call to the little corridor incident, which didn't seem little to the rest of the world, save myself.

"That bitch", Winnie exclaimed.

See what I meant about compassion.

She calmed down to a great extent when I detailed things out for her, skipping the morning exchange.

No need to bother her with that. I'll save that for dinner.

Still, I hoped she didn't hear it from someone else before me.

By the time I finished it was about time she left if she didn't want to miss her next class.

"I'll see you later tonight", and I turned to go when she grabbed my arm.

"Zoya, you are dealing with the Nemo okay? Please watch what you're doing. This is Shezaad Sheroff we are talking about".