SHD

CHAPTER 2: Confidants

"Woah, is that the Portrait of Markov?" Michael asked looking at the book that the girl sitting on the bench was holding. He shouldn't be that shocked considering that the novel she was reading was a classic but he was still pleasantly surprised.

"Huh?" The girl looked up from her book, confused. She looked as if she was disturbed and taken out of a long, thoughtful dream. So much so that she didn't realize that a boy was sitting on the very same bench. She looked at Michael, still wearing a clueless look.

Seeing her confusion, Michael repeated. "The book you're reading. It's Portrait of Markov, right?"

"O-Oh, this? Yes, it's the Portrait of Markov." She said as she tilted the cover to let Michael have better look. "Do you know it?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favorites."

Her expression came to life as soon as he said that. "Really!? I had no idea someone at this school would know of this novel, let alone enjoy it." Her previously dead expression came to life.

"Yeah, you might be right about that. I just transferred here. Kind of my first day." Michael explained. With the way rumors spread here, he was kind of surprised she didn't already know just by looking at him, as crazy as that sounds.

"Oh… I see."

There were a few seconds of silence between them. It felt awkward naturally, with neither knowing what to say next. She looked a little troubled. Seeing this, Michael tried to turn the conversation around but before he could do that, The girl spoke quietly. "Well, that explains why you're talking to me in the first place…"

"Sorry, I didn't catch that." Michael saw her lips move but couldn't understand what she said.

"O-Oh, it's nothing.."

*RING*

Michael wanted to push her a little more but he let it go as he heard the bell go off. "Well, looks like we have to go now." As Michael was standing up, he realized something. "Ah sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. My name is Michael Farooq, it was a pleasure talking to you."

Sarah looked at him, bewildered. Michael had no idea why she was so surprised but didn't choose to comment on it. "Uh.. your name, if you don't mind."

That was enough to break her out of whatever spell she was under. "Huh? O-Oh, I'm so sorry, I got distracted… my name is S-Sarah Khurram. Pleased t-to meet you too!" She said, a little louder than she had hoped.

"She seems to have a little social anxiety from what I get. And a bit of a stutter. Oh well. Still, she seems nicer than even my friends." Michael thought. He would've liked to talk a bit more but his time was up.

"Oh, Michaeel! You coming or not? We're getting late." Michael heard Dua who was standing a little far from them, on the courtyard pathway.

"Be there in a sec!" Michael called out. He turned back to Sarah. "Yeah, time to leave. See you around." He said as he turned around to leave.

"Yeah… see you." She said quietly as she saw him disappear around the corner with his friend.

As Dua and Michael walked side by side, he noticed her serious look. It wasn't unusual for Dua to be a little stonefaced but it looked like she was troubled. Michael didn't have to wait long to get an answer though.

"Do you know whom you were talking to in the courtyard?"

"Well, not really. I did catch her name though." Michael placed his hands in his pockets.

Dua sighed. "I will advise you to stay away from that girl. Rumors around her aren't pretty."

Michael stopped walking. "What? She seemed alright to me." He looked at her with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

"Just take my word for it. From what I heard, she is a little cracked in the head."

Not fully convinced, he replied. "Well, you shouldn't believe all rumors. Most of them are bullshit anyway."

She sighed again, now looking him in the eye sternly. "Just trust me. You don't want to get involved with her. Just keep your distance."

He was a little surprised at her stern warning. Looking at his expression, Dua's tone softened. "I just don't want you getting in trouble. This isn't exactly a safe place and it's filled with two-faced people."

"Alright, I suppose.." Michael reluctantly agreed. "I'm not making any promises but I'll do my best to avoid trouble."

That was enough for Dua to be satisfied. "Good. Now go to your class. You'll be late."

"Alright."

With that, they both went to their respective classes.

Dua's POV:

20 minutes earlier:

I knew this was going to happen. We should have done a better job of warning him and keeping him safe. No way did he fall down some stupid stairs. He was never this clumsy.

Ryyan can see it too. The others may have bought that half-assed story but not us. As Michael disappeared from sight, I whispered to Ryyan. "We are not buying his story, right?"

And of course, I got the answer I expected. "Definitely not."

"Good then. Let's keep this between us for now." It would be the wise thing to do. I don't want more people to get worried. Not until we have concrete proof. But now the question comes down to who even did this.

"Poor lad. Talk about a shit first day." Ryyan's eyes filled with anger. "Whoever did this, we have to make him pay." This is very typical for Ryyan. His friends and family mean everything to him. So much so that it clouded his judgment. It's both a negative and a positive. I usually end up agreeing with his point of view either way. But that's enough philosophy for now.

"We will. First, we have to find out what even happened."

"Right. Let's spread out and ask around. We are bound to get some information." Ryyan looked towards me. "If we don't get any info now, then maybe in the coming days, weeks, or months. We can't let this go."

"Right. Till then, let's try to keep him out of harm's way." Well, we can't do anything about what has been done. No matter how much idealists like Ryyan may try to deny it, the future isn't in our hands either. We can't control it but we can definitely try to bend and form it to our will.

The key word being "Try". Still way too much uncertainty. But it still is better than submitting to fate entirely.

"I'll go check on him. Classes are about to start anyway." Might as well see what he's up to.

"Okay then. I'll stick around with the others and conduct my own investigation later." Ryyan walked back to where the rest of the group was.

Now, where would Michaeel be? Most likely checking out the place. I should start with the library. He is somewhat of a bibliophile so that's the number 1 place he could be right now.

"Sophia, have you seen a tall guy with black hair? He's a new student around here so you could have spotted him." I asked the library attendant. She is a good friend of mine but not the type I would hang out with. More like someone I would like to have with me in a debate.

"Sorry, didn't see anyone come here aside from a few seniors. It's been a slow day here." She shakes her head, much to my disappointment. "I could try asking the other attendants if it's an emergency."

"No, thank you, Sophia. Have a good day."

Strange, not in the library. I also checked the roof of a few blocks and the ground. Where could he be? Oh wait, I completely forgot about the courtyard. I can't believe such a simple place left my mind.

And wouldn't you know it, I found him just there. But as soon as I saw who was with him, I could feel my teeth grinding.

It was that girl. Red hair, violet eyes, and a book in hand. There was no mistaking it. It was Sarah Khurram. The talk around this girl has been nothing but toxic. How apparently she seduces boys to get what she wants. Or how she drove her sister to suicide. Or how she is into bloodplay.

All rumors with no evidence behind them of course. And the rumor mill of Scarsdale is quite wild. But still, so many rumors surrounding just a single girl can't be baseless. Which is why Michael definitely cannot associate with her.

Narrator pov:

Present:

The conversation with Dua stuck with Michael. He wondered what could be so awful about the girl he met. It was past 6th period now, which meant he could go home. He wasn't particularly interested in any clubs at the moment and they mandatory either.

However before he went home for the day, he wanted to meet up with his friends. Maybe arrange a hangout or meetup spot.

Existing the classroom, he saw Ryyan standing near the lockers, arms folded, waiting for him.

"Hey." He waved at Michael, wearing his signature smile.

"Hey there. What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't come to see how you're doing?" Before Michael had the chance to respond, Ryyan continued. "I'm just joking around haha. I thought you and I should talk. It's been a while."

"Well, I'm not gonna turn that down but where are the others?" Michael asked, leaning against the lockers.

"On their way home. By the way, Mary told me to inform you that we'll be hanging out after school tomorrow." Ryyan added. "If you're free of course."

"Yeah, no problem. So where should we go?" Michael and Ryyan always used to hang out after school. They usually just talked about their ambitions and interests and sometimes went deep into philosophy. Ryyan wasn't a huge fan of philosophy like Michael but appreciated many concepts that aligned with his point of view.

"I was thinking the roof would do just fine. There aren't a lot of people there at this time."

"Sure, let's go."

Rooftop:

"4 years since we last came up here. Long time huh?" Michael said, leaning on the railing. 4 years was indeed a long time. It used to be their prime meeting spot. This felt ever so nostalgic.

"Meeting up on the roof like the good old days." Ryyan smiled and also leaned on the railing. "Glad to see you're fitting in. I've been worried."

"Well, fitting in might be a strong term. But I'll be there in no time."

"Right…" Ryyan trailed off.

There were a few seconds of comfortable silence between them. Michael wondered what they should talk about. In the end, he settled for a question that had been on his mind since morning.

"Highschool seems rather rough. Have you ever been bullied?"

"Not particularly, no. I have been part of a few fights which would have counted as bullying if I hadn't beaten their ass haha." Ryyan was usually an advocate of peace but he knew how to fight too. He, Michael, and Hamza all trained in mixed martial arts at one point, with only Ryyan continuing his training.

"Woah, you must have quite the reputation here. Beating up whoever messes with you." Michael asked, astonished.

"No, not really. I keep a low profile and avoid and avoid conflicts with gangs." Ryyan explained. "That way people closest to me don't get hurt."

"Oh. I see."

Michael's mind went back to the altercation he had earlier. The guy talked as if he was from a gang. He used "we" as his pronoun so there was no mistaking it. He was from a gang. Did that mean if he ever so defied them at all, his friends would pay for it? No… they don't even know who he was. The chances of them figuring out that the new kid has a group of friends that he made on his "first day" were slim.

So no, he didn't think his friends would be in danger if he ever retaliated. "As if I would even try… I'm still not sure what to do about that." He sighed internally.

Ryyan saw the frustration on Michael's face. "Everything alright? You seem troubled."

"I'm fine. Just a tiring first day." It wasn't a total lie. At the same time, Michael was debating whether to tell his friends about what happened to him today. But after hearing what Ryyan had to say, he decided it was best to keep it a secret. He was not going to endanger his friend's safety.

Suddenly, Ryyan's phone buzzed. He took it out of his pocket and silently read the message. "Looks like I have to go. Sorry to cut this short, but my mom needs me."

"It's fine. Say hi to your mom for me, 'k?"

"Oh for sure. See you tomorrow then. And don't forget about our meetup tomorrow!" Ryyan exclaimed as he turned around to sprint away.

Ryyan had always cared a lot about his mother and helped her where ever he could, considering she is a single parent. Michael didn't know much about the circumstances surrounding the split between Ryyan's mother and father. But what he did know was that Ryyan didn't want to talk about it. Understandably so. After the split which was not all that recent, Ryyan placed his mother as his top priority.

Michael remembered all the times Ryyan would refuse to come out and play because his mom was sick. He also improved his grades so much that the school granted him a scholarship. All that to take the financial burden of this unreasonably expensive school off her shoulders. He was truly a family man type of guy who would put his friends and family before himself.

Michael used to admire him and his social stance but now, not so much. He still somewhat looks up to him but Michael's way of thinking just didn't align with his and Dua's. Part of the reason Ryyan and Dua get along so well is their similar morality. Loyalty above all else. Ends do not justify the means.

Michael couldn't yet put a finger on it but these past few years the incident today was shifting his view on it drastically. But right now, he had no idea what to do with that.

"I should go home now too. Better to collect myself and see what to do about-" His phone suddenly rang. Michael didn't recognize the number. "Huh. Well, no harm in just picking up a call." He thought, picking up the phone.

"Hello?"

"AOA Michaeel, recognize me?"

He did recognize that. How could he not? It belonged to one of the only friends that he made in his time away. Although he was surprised to hear from him.

"Umer. How've you been? Been a few months since we last talked." Michael was also surprised at the fact that Umer changed his number, but didn't choose to bring it up.

"We about to talk a whole lot in person though, so don't worry haha." Umer said gleefully as he couldn't wait to tell his friend about the good news.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Right before Michael could piece it together, Umer exclaimed. "I'm shifting to Lahore too!"

"Woah, really? That's great! I mean, how did all of this happen?" He really didn't care why umer was shifting to Lahore, he was just glad he was. He did feel bad leaving behind his friend in Rawalpindi but now, even he was joining him.

"What can I say, I couldn't leave a handsome bastard like you wandering the streets of Lahore all by yourself haha." Well, it was great to see Umer didn't lose his sense of humor.

Umer Asad. Michael never really had problems when it came to making friends but he did have a hard time finding those he could relate to. And boy was he glad to find Umer. Apparently, just a simple rivalry in science class sparked off their friendship. Umer took notice of him when he constantly answered all the teacher's questions. After a little rivalry and discussions on the subject itself, they discovered they had a lot of common interests. And in no time, they were already friends.

"Why, thank you. So when are you coming here?" Michael asked.

"In a week, but I won't be able to meet you until next month. Gotta settle and everything. Anyway, how's life? You fitting in high school well?"

"Yeah, I met my old friends so it was good. If you exclude an asshole harassing me" Michael kept the last part to himself. He didn't want to say anything unnecessary to burden his friend.

"That's great man. Hope I don't have trouble making friends…" Umer had a bit of a problem making friends or just getting along with the class. Or so he says.

"Nah, you'll be fine. Just keep your head up and be nice to everyone and you'll have no problems." Well, Michael's advice was easier said than done but it was the best he could offer at the moment.

"I don't know man, these previous guys really hated my guts. I don't want a repeat of that."

"Well, it's a new city and a new school. I know you'll do fine." Michael wasn't the best at offering any sort of comfort but he had his moments.

"Thanks, man. Aight, I'm running out of time here. See you soon dude!"

"Yeah, can't wait."

Michael placed his phone back into his pocket and looked down the roof once more. Most of the people had left. Aside from a group of delinquents pushing around an innocent student for money.

"Oh come on, not this again. It's best to not interfere… but this doesn't feel right." Michael found himself in a dilemma. He couldn't decide what was more important. His own skin or the kid that was being bullied. As seconds went by, he watched as the group pushed and kicked around the innocent boy. With each passing second, he felt the hatred for these people rising. But even with all that hatred, he knew the inevitable wouldn't change. "I can't do it. I can't help him. Why?" Michael was all too aware of the answer. "Because I'm weak. I couldn't do much before and I can't right now."

He felt pathetic. All the emotions he was hiding throughout the day about that little incident were starting to show. He felt pathetic. Weak. he couldn't do anything to prevent this. What would his father think-? He didn't even want to imagine that.

But all this self-pity and feeling of weakness was slowly dissolving into one thing. And that was hatred. He watched their smirking faces and heard their maniacal laughter. He couldn't imagine anything more disgusting. "If only these bastards could die right now-" Ok, maybe that's a little far but he felt like that nonetheless.

But he knew right now, he couldn't do anything without looking like an absolute fool like earlier. So he walked away.

Home, Evening:

"I'm home!" Michael entered his house and walked straight to his room. He slumped his bag down near his desk and sighed. The walk back home wasn't that long, around 35 minutes. He was just tired. Due to the shifting, it had been a while since he last had such an eventful day.

He saw his mom standing in his doorway. "Welcome home. How was your day?" Michael's mother asked. She was relatively tall among women. She had dyed red hair and a smooth voice. Despite nearing the age of 40, she didn't look like it and seemed younger and active.

"It was fine, I guess. Nothing special." He said, laying down on his bed and closing his eyes. He just wanted some rest after a long day. And probably some food.

As if his mother read his mind, "The food's almost done. Come to the dining table in 10 minutes." He nodded and she closed his door. His mother was very understanding, a lot more than most, Michael believed. She knew when to give him space and when to intervene. He appreciated that a lot.

Not wanting to, he begrudgingly quickly changed his clothes and washed his hands. He then joined his family at the dinner table.

They had started eating without him, not that he really cared about something so minor. He took a seat next to his sister, Ayema.

Meatballs and spaghetti. He really liked them and wasted no time filling up his plate. After somewhat of a bittersweet first day, he earned this much.

"So," As he sat down to eat, his father's voice cut through the air. He had a deep and commanding voice too which made it all the more instructive. "How was school?"

"Fine." That was the truth, wasn't it? It was just alright. It would've been a lot better if he wasn't threatened on the first day.

"Did you meet up with your friends? I'm sure Dua and Ryyan didn't leave school." His mother asked. Of course, she was only well acquainted with only Dua and Ryyan. They were a trio before a whole group was formed.

"Yeah, I did. Along with all the others."

"That's great! Well, at least you don't have any shortage of friends eh."

That is true. He does have a lot of companions. But why does he feel like that connection is a little severed? Maybe it's just because they met after a long time. Or maybe it's because there's something he can't tell them. Why can't he tell them and ask for help? Pride.

Michael was lost in his head again until his sister took him out. "Ay, why's your cheek purple?"

Michael internally cursed at himself for not doing anything to cover up. And also at his sister, who was being surprisingly observant.

"None of your business." Michael slightly hissed at her. But of course, that didn't affect his sister at all.

"None of your business." Ayema mimicked her brother, unaffected by his cold demeanor. They actually had a good sibling connection but the majority of the time, they were just like normal siblings.

And it was too late. His mom and dad noticed it too.

"Oh, how did I miss that!? What happened?" His mother asked, gently examining the little bruise. "Did you fall? Did someone hit you?"

Ah yes. The questions began. At least he was prepared for those. He just told them the story he went with all day. That he fell down some stairs. Of course, his sister couldn't let that slide and joked about the situation. He was a little thankful for it since it brought up the mood. That was until he noticed that his dad didn't say anything about it. He was just looking at him. Expressionless.

Dinner came to an end soon and everyone began leaving the table. Michael tried standing up too but his father grabbed his arm as he stood up. "I want to have a word with you. Come with me." His voice was as commanding as ever.

Michael nodded and followed his father to the upstairs patio. He closed the door behind them. A few seconds of silence set in before his father broke it.

"What happened today? You will tell me here and now and with full honesty." Of course, if anyone was going to see through him, it would be the man standing before him, his father.

Michael told everyone a fake goofy story. And frankly, he was getting tired of it. Maybe he couldn't tell his friends out of pride but to his father? He was difficult to lie to. And pride wasn't an issue against him. Even though he knew telling his dad would be a mistake.

Michael sighed, knowing what he has to say. He explained everything. In very thorough detail. In a way, he felt as if a burden was lifted off his shoulder. But he knew this was a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing because he can't tell his father everything. Especially because of what was about to happen.

"That was pathetic." Of course. What else could he expect from his father, the definition of toxic masculinity. He continued. "you laid there and did nothing. How can you call yourself a man?" Michael, as always, was unable to talk back to his father. Not because he was afraid of him, but because he didn't know what to say.

"And you're saying that you went about your day as if nothing happened!? Where's your rage?! Your self-respect!? Are you gonna let them walk all over you?!" He raised his voice, his stare becoming even colder. His eyes dug into his son's. He walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You're a fucking disappointment."

Michael couldn't meet his gaze. He didn't want to cry. Not in front of his father. Not right now. He slightly winced at his father's harsh words and took a back step.

A few painful seconds of silence pass.

By the time he looked up, he was surprised to see that his gaze had softened. If only a little bit. Even his tone softened. "Michaeel. You are a smart boy. Way smarter than others." Michael was dumbfounded at his words. One second he was getting bashed and now, he's getting praised? "I just wish you use that genius brain of yours. Be it for pride and respect or for others."

This was a lot. Way too much to process right away.

"I hope you understand that what I do is for you. You must be better. To survive and thrive." Those were the final words said between them that night.

Michael let out a sigh as his dad left. He felt like he was holding his breath the whole time. He wanted to scream. To shout. "What the hell, what the hell, what the hell.." he repeated over and over to himself. This was enough for one day.

He went back to his room and laid down. He closed his eyes which were tearing up a little as he went over his day. Having a dad who is in the military is torture. "A disappointment? A fucking disappointment?!" Those words rang in his head over and over again.

"Why is he like that? Just because he's seen shit in the military doesn't mean he has any right to do all this to his own son!" His thoughts were a jumble. He wanted to be mad at his father so badly. But yet, he was continuously stopped by a creeping thought. "What if he's right? What if this mental torture of unachievable expectations is necessary?" Michael cursed at himself for even considering it.

Until his mind went back to the shit that caused all this mess. "Yes, those cunts have to pay. For what they did to me and others. Maybe dad was right. I have to change my ways." He didn't know what kind of other shit those bullies get up to but he had seen enough. His hatred for them rose every time he thought of them. The more he thought about it, the more disgusted he was at the fact that people at that school do nothing and let them walk over them.

He sighed again. His father didn't have to unman him but he had a point. He can't just sit there and do nothing like today. "I have to be better."

Earlier, Scarsedale:

Sarah was confused. Her day was going like any other usual day for her. She came to school earlier than everyone else to have some free time in the library. And after school started, it was the usual routine for her. Which was getting stepped on by almost every single person she knew at the horrid place.

Most people avoided her because of the rumors that surrounded her. And the people who didn't avoid her made her life as miserable as they could. The whole routine had happened so many times, she had memorized it. Before homeroom, it was harassment in the library.

"Oh look at you. Thinking you're better than everyone else cuz you got a book in your hand. Speaking of which, gimme that." Her bully, Zoha, snatched the book from Sarah's hands.

"W-Wait.. Give that back!"

"Jesus, how can you even read this shit. Never mind, a freak like you must have a thing for shit like this hahaha. But since I'm feeling a little generous, I'll let you have it." She said, smirking and waving the book in front of her.

Sarah didn't have her hopes up though. She knew it was never that easy. And then came the condition.

"If you beg for it." Zoha's smirk grew even wider. Of course, she was having fun.

"Damn Zoha, you really gonna make her beg hahaha." One of her friends, a Korean boy named Shin, laughed.

Feeling utterly humiliated, she asked again out of desperation. "Please... Give it back."

"Didn't you hear her bitch!? Get down on your knees. Or kiss this freaky novel goodbye." Shin added. He sticks around Zoha but sometimes, he terrorizes her by himself.

Sarah embarrassingly placed her sat on her knees. Reducing to tears. When will this hell end?

"Ah man, this shit is too good. Let me record this." Zoha pulled out her phone and pointed the camera towards her. Sarah's eyes widened in horror. This was worse than usual.

"P-P-Please don't d-do this…" Tears were streaming down her face. She couldn't imagine the humiliation if something like that leaked.

"Too late, already recording." Zoha smirked. "Alright, say the words and you get your book back."

Sarah couldn't believe this. It was hard getting used to torture like this. But she knew she had no choice. Her self-esteem was already in the gutter, so might as well.

"I-I… P-Please, give me my b-book back.."

"HAHAHAHAHAHA will you look at that! That's gold hahaha." She and Shin were having the time of their lives. She couldn't bare looking at the camera.

"Good girl. Here you go, as promised." He tossed the book at her. "Don't worry, we won't release the video. If you do as we say hahaha." The two of them laughed and joked around as they left the library.

Sarah stood up to quickly and wiped her tears away. She was just grateful no one was around to witness such humiliation.

The incident at the library was a little worse than usual. And now they had a recording on top of that too. That spreading might just push her remaining self-esteem out the window. She was horrified. But that was every day for her so, she'll have to accept it anyway.

After the library incident, she prepared herself for the actual school. Homeroom and other periods went by as usual with people calling her names such as 'whore' or 'freak'. Most of which were completely baseless. They were just common dehumanizing slurs. But some seemed too real and cut a little too deep.

It was at lunch break when the cause of the confusion appeared. A boy, who seemed to be her age and belonged to the same school, tried to talk with her. No one did that. Everyone avoided her. It was so… strange? Frightening? Sarah couldn't pinpoint the exact word for it.

And the boy seemed nice too. Something which was completely alien to her. She was so confused. She wanted to ask him why. Why even bother talking to someone like her? And then the truth came forward.

He was a new student. Sarah felt… disappointed. "Of course, no one who knew about me would want to talk with me. He just hadn't heard the rumors or knew me well enough to keep his distance. Or worse." It made so much sense and yet she was disappointed.

"Of course I'm disappointed… I'm a horrible, selfish person. It's not even his fault and yet…" Her self-esteem was in shambles. Self-loathing was all she could do now. It had become one of her hobbies at that point.

She hated herself for it but the joy that just one conversation with a stranger that didn't dehumanize her was indescribable. He seemed as passionate about books as she was. And he wasn't judging her for it either.

'That's because he doesn't know you. If he did, he'll hate you just like everyone else.' A voice in her head told her. "Shut up." She quietly whispered to herself. She doesn't even recall when she started hearing voices doing the devil's work. If there was no one to keep her self-esteem low, they'd always help with that.

But they were right, if anyone including the boy named Michael knew what she was like, they would despise her.

She continued with her day. She opened her locker to find it filled with hair stuck in shaving foam. This wasn't anything new, just another way of people letting her know her place. The onlookers laughed at the sight as they went about their day. Of course, no matter how many times it happened, it wouldn't make it any less difficult and disgusting to clean it up.

After cleaning the whole mess, she made the mistake of going into the bathroom to wash her hands. As she was washing her hands, someone came from behind and dumped a bucket of water on her.

Now soaking wet, she hesitantly turned around.

"You should've seen your face HAHAHAHAHA! Did you have fun cleaning your locker?" It was Laiba and her group of delinquents. All of them wearing their usual sick smirks.

Sarah didn't answer. There wasn't anything she could say in this situation. Especially dealing with them.

"Awww didn't appreciate it? Alright, I'll let you in on a secret hmmm." Her smile grew wider and wider as she went on. Her group snickered with her as well. "The hair in that foam you had to clean out? Some of it was mine and my boyfriend's pubic hair!"

Sarah wanted to puke. She felt utterly sick and disgusted. There was no end to their creativity.

The group laughed with her. "Nice idea babe. I swear, only you can come up with something like this haha." Her boyfriend, Adil, called from behind.

"Honestly, I thought me and Shin got her the worst, haha you guys topped us there." Zoha added.

Their voices were growing fainter and fainter as Sarah quietly repeated to herself. "Endure this. Just endure it. You deserve this. This is your fault."

She blamed herself for this. Her self-loathing was the only thing that made her situation logical to her. Otherwise, what was the point? It must have been her that maybe wronged them in some way. Or maybe this was God's way of punishing her. According to her at least.

She did her best to sneak into her house unnoticed so her clothes, which didn't have enough time to dry, won't raise any questions from her parents. She quickly locked the door behind her and began undressing.

"Sarah, dear, are you home?" She heard the voice of her mother from across the house. Her mother, who was British, was nearing her 40s. Her being a brit made Sarah a half-breed. Her mother had brown hair and eyes, and a pale complexion. She belonged to a brit family who lived in Pakistan for quite a few decades, but her maternal grandparents moved to England. Her mother always insisted that Sarah inherited the best of both parents. Her father's dark hair and eyes, and her mother's features.

"Yes mom, I'm here!" Sarah said loud enough so her mother could hear from her room. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

"Alright, honey but make it fast. Your dad will be home soon and the food is almost ready."

"Okay, mom."

Sarah sighed as she bathed in hot water. Finally, she could get some rest after such a long day. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Think of happy thoughts."

That was becoming harder as days went by.

Bonus:

(Typical Hamza, Mary and Ahmad conversations)

Hamza: If I accidentally sat on a voodoo doll of myself, would I be trapped forever in that position, doomed to starve to death?

Ahmad: How am I supposed to know?

Mary: You say, as if we don't use you as a source of knowledge of the occult.

Ahmad: *sighs*

Ahmad: You wouldn't be trapped.

Ahmad: Dandelions symbolize everything I want to be in life

Mary: Fluffy and dead with a gust of wind?

Hamza: Unapologetic. Hard to kill. Feral, filled with sunlight, bright, beautiful in a way that the conventional and controlling hate but cannot ever fully destroy. Stubborn. Happy. Bastardous. Friends with bees. Highly disapproving of lawns. Full of wishes that will be carried far after I die.

Hamza: edible