Author's Note: In the last chapter, Saria and Adia faced more harrassment and bullying at the hands of Ahtrai. Things eventually came to a head, culminating in Adia losing her temper and getting into a violent brawl with Ahtrai. Now, we find Saria arriving home on that same afternoon, but will she have time to craft a lie for her parents before the truth is revealed?

I do not own the Kite Runner or any of its characters or plot points. I can only claim my own OCs and any plots/backstory that are my own. As always, I do not condone the thoughts, opinions, or dialogues of the characters in this story. This is all merely a work of fiction, and should be seen as such. With that said, and without further ado, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!


Assef took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb along the back of it. "I suppose," he whispered, "that we had better go on in there and give the Harpy Bitch the greeting that she's expecting." He looked past me, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the open door of the living room; where we could just make out the hazy shape of Tanya sitting on the couch. Her back was turned to us, her head bowed slightly. In all truth, we could have just snuck upstairs and not bothered with speaking a damn word to the woman - but one some minuscule level, I understood that if we did this, we ran the risk of getting a lecture in manners. And, as you can no doubt imagine, after the day I'd had, I wasn't about to get into any more trouble.

"Suppose you're right," I responded, trying to keep the melancholy out of my voice. My shoulders slumped, and I reached behind my neck with the hand that Assef wasn't holding, scratching an itch that had developed there. My brother looked down at me, a concerned expression painted on his features. Oh, I knew that he was worried about me, that my sullen, quiet disposition on our walk home from school this afternoon weighed heavy on his mind. And yet... I couldn't bring myself to explain to him the reason for my somber attitude. To tell him of the fight that had occurred in the playground - of how my best friend had gotten herself into a heap of trouble, and had thrown me down when I attempted to prevent her from causing any more harm.

Oh, the truth would out, that I knew, without a shadow of a doubt. Sooner or later, I would either choose to spill all of the gory, insipid details to my other half, or he would chip away at my defenses and take them from me, but no matter what happened - there would be no hiding this. Not from him, at least. And yet... in this moment, as we prepared ourselves to go and greet our mother, as I switched into "submissive, subservient daughter" mode, part of me wanted to hold the secret of what had transpired for just a little longer. For what reason, I cannot say with complete accuracy. Perhaps I was still trying to process everything that had happened. Perhaps I was a little embarrassed to have been pushed by Adia, as if I'd let her get the upper hand. Perhaps because I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that once Assef learned about what happened, he would wish to seek retribution against my friend for harming me, and I, to be honest, wasn't entirely sure that was something I wanted.

Whatever the case, I told myself that we would cross that bridge once we came to it. I leaned my cheek against my darling's hand, lips twitching in some meagre attempt at a smile. Though I knew that Assef would be able to see through that, given that he knew me better than anyone. But he didn't question things, and for that, I was grateful. Maybe he'd seen in my expression that I wasn't quite ready to talk just yet. I'd need to conserve whatever precious energy I had in order to deal with Tanya, who would no doubt want to inspect my uniform and question me on how my day was. Of course, there was no way I was going to tell my parents what happened today, not a damn fucking chance of it.

Hand in hand, my dearest and I made our way into the living room. Seated on the couch was Tanya, her legs curled up at her side, one hand absently rubbing at her nylon-covered feet. In her other hand, she held a book - I couldn't quite make out the title but I could tell from the flowery cursive and pretty picture that it was a romance novel. Do you read that trite because you know damn well that your relationship with your pathetic excuse for a husband will never match up to those fairy-tales? I wondered snidely, looking down my nose in contempt at the bitch as she continued flicking through the pages of her novel, not even noticing or caring that her children were standing right there in front of her, waiting for her attention.

Assef cleared his throat, obviously wanting to get this over and done with just as much as I did. Tanya, finally, glanced up, seeing the two of us stood there before her. We remained silent, waiting for her to make the next move. She placed a bookmark into the middle of her book, closed it, then placed it to one side. "You made good time coming back," she said. Was there a hint of disappointment in her voice, I wondered, like she almost didn't want to see us? Assef must have noticed her tone, too, for he pursed his lips, and responded to our mother's words with a curt nod. Part of me feared that she might view this as disrespectful - Tanya had a very thin line for that, after all. But, fortunately for my darling and unfortunately for me, he was not the one for whom her attention was focused on.

She rose to her feet, staring directly at me as she did so. Knowing what was expected of me, I lowered myself into a curtsy, one leg behind the other, knees bent, hands gripping fistfuls of my uniform skirt, head lowered. Anyone who's disappointed that Afghanistan no longer has a monarchy need only visit our home, I thought, fighting the urge to roll my eyes, considering Tanya acts she's queen of the fucking castle lording it over her subjects.

Tanya moved around me, so close that I could feel her breath. Assef, meanwhile, took a seat on the couch that she had just vacated. From the corner of my eye, I noticed him pick up the book that she had been reading, turn it over, then toss it onto the coffee table with a roll of his eyes. Tanya, who had her back to him, didn't notice. Far too busy with inspecting her daughter's uniform; a most important task and one that required the utmost attention. I could feel her gaze roaming over my quivering frame, inspecting my uniform for any specks of dirt, anything that might look out of place. As she did so, I hurriedly pulled down the sleeve on my right arm, praying that she wouldn't notice, and that I'd be able to hide any signs of today's injury from her.

After what felt like forever, Tanya stepped back, a sign that the inspection was at its end. "You may rise, Saria," she said, in that imperious tone that I had long grown to hate her for. I straightened up, brushed a stray golden curl behind my ear, staring past her to make eye contact with my beloved, who gave me a sympathetic look, knowing how much I hated being forced to debase myself for the cunt whose presence we were unfortunate enough to be in at this time. "How was school?" Tanya asked, and I wanted nothing more than to call her out on her pathetic attempt at making conversation. Let's not pretend for a fucking second that she was genuinely interested in me. No, all she cared about was knowing whether or not I had done anything that might bring shame on the family.

My lips parted as I began the lie that I knew I would have to tell her. "It was-" But I didn't even have a chance to say another word, for it was at that moment that the phone began to ring.

Tanya glanced towards the door, eyes narrowed. "Your father can get that," she said in clipped tones, "it's probably for him, anyway." Of course. Probably just another one of his work colleagues, no doubt wanting to talk about some business venture. Not something that I was interested in hearing about, though in the back of my mind, there still lay the hope that perhaps that our parents would need to disappear for the afternoon, and that my other half and I would get the chance to spend some much needed quality time together. Would that I might be so lucky!

The seconds ticked by, and still the phone continued to ring incessantly. Tanya placed a closed fist to her mouth, her index finger bent forward slightly. She placed the knuckle in between her teeth, biting down on it. Her eyes narrowed, and she stared towards the door, as if perhaps willing my father to appear from whatever part of the house he was in, hear the phone ringing, and finally put an end to the annoying noise by answering it. She must have been wondering where the fuck he was, a question that I wanted a goddamn answer to myself.

"I'll get that, shall I?" Tanya asked in a loud and sarcastic tone, directed at nobody in particular. Her hands went up in frustration, before falling back to her sides, slapping against the fabric of her cotton dress. She motioned to Assef and I. "You both stay there. I won't be long." Under her breath, she grumbled, "At least, I hope so." With those barbarous words thrown against her husband, she practically stormed out of the room. Her footsteps echoed down the hall, until she reacehd Mahmood's office. I could hear her throw the door open, heard it slam shut behind her. And then... we were left alone with nothing but the uncomfortable silence that she had left in her wake.

I looked over at Assef, who patted the space on the couch for me to come and sit beside him. Well, I didn't need telling twice! I made my way over, toed off my shoes, and curled up next to him, laying with my head resting in his lap. Assef gently carded his fingers against my scalp, while I looked up at the ceiling and let out a cooing noise of delight. "S'nice," I muttered, feeling the worries of the afternoon begin to melt away like snowflakes in the springtime. "Wonder who's on the phone?"

Assef shrugged. He took my hand, turned it over, and pressed his lips to the inside of my wrist and palm. "No idea," he answered, "probably someone for Mahmood. No idea where the asshole is, or why he couldn't have answered it himself, though." He spoke in German, obviously, as Mahmood never bothered to learn his wife's native language - sometimes I wondered if it bothered him that she expected her children to be fluent in it, though of course I was eternally thankful that we were. "Whatever." Assef kissed my hand again, touching my fingertips against his lips. "I don't really give a shit, to be honest, Liebchen. None of our business, right?"

Glancing towards the slightly open door, I pictured Tanya seated at Mahmood's desk, the phone cord curled around her finger. Could hear her voice, all saccharine and satin, making small talk with whoever was on the other end. Agreeing to take a message for husband, like the diligent and well-behaved wife that she was now trying evermore desperately to be. Ingratiating herself to his work friends, bowing and scraping like a personal servant. I wondered if that was the reason that she lorded it over me as she did - she never got the chance to hold that power anywhere else in her life.

"Think they're gonna leave again?" Assef's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I tilted my head to look up at him, and he added, "if it's one of Mahmood's business friends. It's possible, isn't it?" Ah, and there he had read my mind again. Possible indeed - and more than probable. Mahmood would jump for any of his business associates, and Tanya, of course, would jump for Mahmood. Even if it was a spur of the moment request from one of their business partners to meet up for dinner or something, they'd be rushing out that door as soon as humanly possible. Pathetic sycophants, both of them.

I drummed my fingers against my skirt. "I hope so," I responded. "I really, really do. With any luck, they can leave for a few days and we'll have the house to ourselves." A smile made its way onto my lips as I said this, and I ran my thumb against the back of Assef's hand. "If... if that does happen, could we maybe, uhm... go on a Just Because today? Nothing too violent or anything, don't think we need a repeat of Mojdeh just yet but... maybe we could, oh, I don't know, knock a few heads together or throw someone into the mud?"

Assef chuckled, as I continued speaking. "I just... I really, really need to let off some steam, you know? Today's been..." Awful. Horrendous. Stressful. Any other negative descriptors that you can think of. "... well... it's been... a day." At this, and at my inflection on the last word, my darling looked down at me with that concerned expression that he had been giving me since we first reunited after school. How I hated to make him fret like this, and yet... "I'll tell you why later, I promise. Just... not now." Not when I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, myself. "Need to make someone hurt, y'know? Need to see the fear in their eyes. It'd do me a whole world of good - that I'm absolutely sure of."

It was hard not to swoon at my beloved's voice as he responded, a hushed whisper fraught with malevolent delight. "Well, if my darling Saria wishes to spill some blood, then spill some blood we shall. Fancy another go with my brass knuckles? You did such a wonderful job with them the last time, after all, and I'd love to see how you come into your own when using them."

Tears of joy pricked at my eyes, and I looked to my soulmate with a watery smile, mouthing the words "thank you". He was truly the most wonderful soul in the universe; to want to share the weapon that he valued above and beyond all others with me. It was a true and genuine testament to how close we were, to how much our relationship was built on unconditional and pure love, the kind that other people would never, could never, experience. I was about to say something else, to express my gratitude even further, when a figure appeared in the doorway, interrupting our private moment.

I thought, at first, that it might have been Tanya - finally returned from the phone call. I waited for her to tell us what I already suspected, that it had been one of Mahmood's business associates who called. But... rather than Tanya, I was instead faced with the figure of my father, looking at his children with an unreadable expression on his face. He stood with his arms folded across his chest, one foot in the doorway, the other out in the hall. Was he trying to decide whether or not he ought to enter, or if he should just make his way to some other room in the house. If only he chose the latter...

But no. It's not as if lady luck could ever shine down upon me. Mahmood stepped through the threshold, crossing the room to sit in one of the vacant armchairs. A cold shudder ran through me as he looked my way, and I immediately sidled closer to Assef, wriggling my upper body so that my head, shoulders and at part of my torso were now resting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me as close as was possible, and I could feel his rapid heartbeat as my head rested against his chest. In all truth, could anyone blame us for acting this way? For being apprehensive in the presence of this man? Need I speak again of his hair-trigger temper and the consequences that could result from that?

Mahmood turned to face us, rubbing his chin with one hand, the other dangling over the side of the armchair. "You're back from school," he said, in an incredibly awkward way of making conversation. Yeah, no fucking shit, asshole, I thought, glancing downwards so as to prevent him from seeing me roll my eyes. Assef made a sarcastic noise that he quickly masked by clearing his throat. I closed my eyes, wanting to block Mahmood out of my head. Wanting him to just disappear. Of course, there was a fat fucking chance of that happening, now wasn't there?

"Where's your mother?" Mahmood asked, after a few seconds of tense silence.

"Phone." Assef responded curtly. "You didn't hear it ringing?"

Another uncomfortable silence, this one lasting only two seconds or thereabouts, before Mahmood answered, "No." I heard his fingers drumming against the armchair, a rhythm that I wasn't quite familiar with. "Who's she talking to, do you know?"

My brother made a non-committal sound. "No idea. Figured it was someone for you." Just as the rest of us thought, but... Tanya had been on the phone for far longer than she would have needed to be had this been someone calling for Mahmood. And... a voice in the back of my head kept asking... if the caller had been looking for my father, wouldn't she have placed the phone down and gone to find him? I can't imagine anyone choosing willingly to make conversation with Tanya, not when she wasn't the one they were initially looking to speak to. Thinking this way made me feel a bit uncomfortable, though I couldn't quite put my finger on why this was, and so I elected to just ignore those feelings... and much indeed to mine own detriment.

In that awkward silence we remained, none of us speaking another word to each other. Mahmood wasn't about to make uncomfortable small talk with us, obviously not thinking it worth the effort. For that, I was grateful, I had to admit. It wasn't as if I had any interest in talking to him, either. I remained sequestered in Assef's lap, my eyelids fluttering just so as he continually ran his fingertips over my hair. Oh, such perfect bliss. It felt as though I were floating upon a cloud, up and away from all of the troubles the world forced upon me. I wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms forever, to never leave the sanctity of his warm embrace.

"Saria." Assef was nudging me, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Get up, Liebchen. You need to get up." There was a hint of urgency in his voice that I didn't like the sound of. I cracked open one eye, seeing the fluttering skirts of Tanya's dress at eye level with how I was lying. Groggily, I lifted myself up and out of Assef's lap, using the back of my hand to wipe away the sleepiness from my eyes. And yet, I stayed close to Assef, kept my hand tucked within his, part of me understanding that I would need his comfort right now. Tilting my head up, I stared into the face of my mother, and felt a sinking sensation course its way through my body, making me feel entirely depleted.

She stood with her arms folded across her chest, her body angled in such a way that it seemed like she was going to lunge for me at any second. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, almost disappearing into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes, giving me an... odd look. It was a look that mingled disappointment, concern, shame and borderline anger, all at the same time. A look that was being directed entirely towards me. A horrible realisation washed over me. The prolonged phone call, the fact that she didn't summon Mahmood when she answered. The way she was glaring at me right now. No, I thought, no, God.. please don't let this be about what I think it is about... Please...

Tanya's next words caused my stomach to drop through my feet into the ground below. "I just received a very interesting phone call from Mermon Yashfa." The world began spinning, blurred spots dancing in front of my eyes. Light became dark, and dark became light. The furniture all blurred into one strange picture, colors and fabric mingled together. I clutched tighter to Assef's hand, fearing that if I let go for even one second, I would slide right off the couch and into a broken heap on the floor. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be real. I was dreaming, yes, that was it! This was all just some nightmare, and at any minute, I would awaken...

"Saria's school teacher?" Mahmood asked. He rose from the armchair, coming to stand beside Tanya, both of them now piercing me with their fearsome glares. Tanya nodded slowly. "Why is she calling?" Mahmood wanted to know. Tanya didn't respond, being too occupied with glaring the fear of God into me. "Well?" Mahmood nudged her arm, a hint of urgency in his voice. "She wouldn't just call out of the blue, now would she? There has to be a reason. What could our little girl have done to warrant such a phone call?"

The way that he said the words "little girl" made me want to vomit. It was the same falsely sweet tone that he had used right before ordering Tanya to beat the daylights out of me. What made it worse, of course, was the fact that I knew why Mermon Yashfa had called, and if my parents wanted to pin the blame on me for any of it... then there would be nothing I could do. Tanya responded, finally. "Yes, indeed. Saria's school teacher. She was calling to inform me of a rather unfortunate incident that took place this afternoon. An incident that our daughter has found herself a part of."

Assef leaned over to whisper in my ear. "What incident is she talking about, Liebchen?" he asked. But I merely shook my head. I couldn't speak, and besides, he'd learn soon the truth soon enough. Tears welled in the corner of my eyes, and I leaned my head against his shoulder. He was no doubt confused about the situation, but, being the wonderful big brother and soulmate that he was, he realized that my comfort was most important right now, and so he pulled me close, rubbing his thumb over my quivering shoulder; kissing my forehead gently as he whispered, "It's okay, I won't let them hurt you, I promise I won't let them hurt you" over and over, in tones barely audible to anyone but the two of us.

"According to Mermon Yashfa, a fight broke out in the schoolyard during break time," Tanya explained. The instant that the word "fight" left her lips, Mahmood's hand went to his belt, as if he were about to thread it through the loops on his trousers and start whaling the shite out of me before I'd even have a chance to escape. But Tanya placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head. "Saria wasn't one of the students involved in the fight," she explained in what might have been hurried tones, almost as though she were trying to spare me from an undeserved beating. "Although, she did get hurt because of it. It was little Adia Kalahari who started things, actually. Mermon Yashfa informed me that she got into an argument with Ahtrai, that new girl, you remember her? She was-" She paused, obviously realising it best not to mention where Mahmood knew Ahtrai from. "Well... you know. Anyway, Adia attacked her out of the blue, completely unprovoked, and the two ended up in some sort of brawl."

"And what, exactly, does Saria have to do with any of this?" Mahmood asked. He pointed a stern finger in my direction. "Young lady, you'd better hope that you weren't part of any fighting in school, because if you had anything to do with this, if you so much as shoved one of your classmates, you'd best believe that you won't be sitting down for the next week, do I make myself entirely clear on that?" He then rounded on Assef, who had made a low, warning growl towards him upon hearing that threat. "And you can keep your thoughts to yourself, too, son, if you know what's good for you."

Not wanting things to escalate into another carnage of domestic violence, Tanya was quick to placate her husband. She placed a hand on his shoulder, whispering something in his ear that I wasn't able to quite make out. "Saria didn't get involved in the fight," she repeated. "She didn't attack anyone. But..." Again, she looked at me, and the glowering stare was replaced now with a look of concern. "She did attempt to break it up. To stop things from escalating. Mermon Yashfa says that, according to what she saw, and to testimony from Ahtrai, Saria tried to pull Adia off of their classmate, and Adia responded by knocking her to the ground. Gave her quite a nasty cut on her arm because of it. Saria, apparently, needed to visit the nurse's office for medical assistance."

Before I could register that the events of the schoolyard were now laid bare for all to see, Tanya made her away across the room, with all the speed of a striking viper. She stood right in front of me, poking my arm with her long nails, causing me to wince. "Pull up your sleeve," she ordered. Her countenance became softer, more gentle and compassionate as she reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's okay, sweetie. Show Mommy what happened, that's a good girl."

How I despised the patronising tone with which she used to address me. As though I were nothing more than a petulant toddler. Honestly, I almost expected her to start using baby-talk when speaking to me. How could this be the same woman who expected me to bow and scrape to her just mere moments earlier? But I knew that I had no choice in the matter, and thus, despite not wanting to, I began to unbutton my sleeve. I pushed it up, over my elbow, feeling agony shoot through me as the fabric came into contact with my injuries. And there it was now, yes, laid bare for my entire family to see. A band-aid, given to me by the school nurse, covered the main cut, but there were still little grazes and mottled bruising that ran from elbow to forearm.

Tanya covered her mouth with her hand, a shocked expression passing across her countenance. "Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh, baby..." She sounded so genuinely concerned, so truly horrified to see that I had been hurt. I wondered if she knew how hypocritical she sounded in this moment, as if she hadn't whipped the fucking life out of me not too long ago. But maybe she cared because it was someone else who had laid hands upon her prim, perfect daughter. I fixed her with a cold expression, not saying even one word to the bitch.

I heard my soulmate take in a sharp intake of breath behind me. Turning to face him, I noticed the absolutely furious expression painted on his face. His brows knitted together, eyes focused solely on my injured limb. One didn't need to be a mind-reader to know that he was experiencing a genuine, unbridled fury at the mere thought that Adia could have done this to me. He must have wanted nothing more than to hunt the girl down and give her a piece of his mind - chastise her verbally or otherwise. I leaned towards him, reached up to kiss his cheek, whispering, "I'm alright, I swear. Doesn't hurt anymore. I promise I'm okay." How I prayed that I might assauge some of his concerns, even if only a little bit.

Tanya moved away, standing next to Mahmood again. He, too, was frowning at the sight of my injuries. "Your mother and I will need to have a serious discussion with you about this, Saria," he said, and another cold shiver ran through my body at his words. 'Discussion' had a double meaning in the Ahmed house, and I feared the potential repercussions that this bastard could decide that I needed to face. He then turned to face my soulmate. "I'm sure you have homework to get started on, Assef." It was not a question. "Go to your room and make a start on that. We need to have a talk with your sister."

The tone he used left no room for argument. Anybody else would have obeyed our father's commands without a second thought, would have chosen to save their own skin rather than take any sort of risk to protect me. Assef was, thankfully, not just anyone, though, and so he tightened his grip around me, pressing a kiss to the back of my shoulder, narrowing his eyes at Mahmood. "My homework isn't going to get up and wander off," he said, through pursed lips. "I think it can wait a little while longer." There was no way he was going to leave me here alone with these beasts. For that, I was eternally thankful for him.

"That wasn't a suggestion." Mahmood's nostrils flared. He looked like a bull about to charge. He and Assef stared at each other, neither one willing to back down. I saw the fury that coursed through my father's veins, enraged at the idea of one of his children disrespecting him. His arm twitched, his hands balled up into a fist, his eyes never leaving my soulmate's face as he lifted his arm slightly, taking a step forward, towards the couch. I knew what he was thinking - and I swore to myself that I would not allow it.

I swear, asshole, you put your fucking hands on my brother, you even so much as think about hitting him, for any reason, and I'm not going to fucking hold back. I promise, I will make you suffer in ways you couldn't have imagined in your darkest nightmares. Put your hands on my Assef, Mahmood, go on, I dare you. You'll face the same fate as Zainab and Mojdeh, only ten million times worse!

"Assef jan." It was Tanya who spoke. She placed herself in between her husband and son, keeping her gaze focused entirely on my brother, even as she reached behind herself to placed her hand on Mahmood's arm, in an attempt to calm him down. "Saria is not in any kind of trouble, I promise you." Ah, but what good was a promise coming from her mouth? "We only want to talk to her, that's all. A private conversation, as is our right as your parents. It won't take long. Now please, go to your room. You don't have to start your homework right now if you don't wish to." Was she perhaps trying to placate him with those words? "But you will allow us to speak with Saria privately and not try to intervene. I won't ask again. Go!"

She pointed emphatically up the stairs. Assef disentangled the two of us, kissed my forehead and the back of my hand, then stood up. He gave me a pointed look, one that let me know that under no uncertain terms we would be discussing this matter once I was done here, then turned and left the room, taking any source of safety with him. I listened to his footsteps retreating up the stairs, until his bedroom door slammed forcefully shut behind him, and I could hear him no more.

With that, I was left alone, at the mercy of my parent's whims. Tanya was the first one to speak, no beating around the bush for her. "Now, Saria," she said, in that same patronising tone, "I've already heard what happened from Mermon Yashfa, but I think we need to hear, from you, exactly what your role was in this. Mermon Yashfa says that you tried to stop the fight, is this true?" There was a thinly veiled threat in her voice, as if daring me to lie. I knew for a damn fact that if they suspected me of baring falsehoods, that they would contact Mermon Yashfa, and I would face agonising consequences.

And yet... I knew that I would have to lie, at least to some extent. Or- I'd have to embellish the truth just a little. You see, I was still entertaining those macabre fantasies of what I could do to Ahtrai when the time came to seek retribution against her. If I happened to mention that Ahtrai was bullying me, then who would suspicion fall upon if something negative happened to her? Besides, it wasn't as if my parents would fight for me anyway, not in the way that I deserved to be fought for. It was with this thought in my mind that I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and began to speak.

"It happened like Mermon Yashfa said," I began, wringing my hands, "Adia and Ahtrai got into a fight. I was going to play hopscotch with Adia when it... when they just... It all happened so fast - one minute we were just on our way to play a game before going back to class, and the next... the next..." I bit my lip, pretending to be distraught by what I had seen and heard, "the next minute, uhm, there was this big fight that had broken out. They just kept hitting and pushing each other and calling each other names, saying bad words to each other."

"Go on," Tanya encouraged. "And then what happened?"

I sniffed, clenching fistfuls of my uniform, hoping that neither she nor Mahmood could see how my little frame was trembling from head to toe. "I... I was afraid that if I didn't do anything, then things would escalate and someone would end up being badly hurt." Oh, and I didn't want my friend to get into too much trouble, or to take my vengeance away from me. "So I... uhm... I told Adia to stop the fighting but she didn't listen to me, and then I tried to pull Adia away but she was real mad and she pushed me over. That's when Mermon Yashfa showed up. She broke up the fight and took us inside to the nurse's office-" I held up my injured arm, "- and then Ahtrai and Adia went to the main office."

With that story now completed, I waited with bated breath for the reactions of my parents. Would I be chastised for getting involved? Should I expect a whipping for trying to physically prevent things from getting worse? Oh, I know, I know, they had promised that I wasn't in any trouble, but it wouldn't go beyond them to lie and then proceed to brutally lay the belt to me. I told myself that if it came down to that, then I would not scream. I would not run the risk of having my brother come to my aid and end up being harmed, too. No matter what, I would protect him from that fate.

In the back of my mind, I cursed Mermon Yashfa for sticking her nose in and phoning my parents. The incident was over and done with, and I hadn't actually been involved in the fight. All she needed to do was discipline the perpetrators, and we could move on from these matters. Did Mahmood and Tanya need to get involved? Did we need to pretend for one second that they cared about me? Could things have not just been left alone? And yet here I now sat, wishing that I could read the expressions on my parent's faces, praying to any divine power that might listen that I wouldn't face any consequences from my actions.

But rather than lash out or berate me, as I had been fearing that she might, Tanya walked towards me, a compassionate expression on her face. She sat down on the couch, in the space that my darling had just vacated, opening her arms to me. No fucking way was I going to willingly hug the bitch, and so I just sat there, looking down, pretending to be made completely numb by everything. Tanya sighed, moved closer to me, and wrapped my tiny frame up in her bony embrace. Her fingers carded their way through my hair, soft words whispered in my ear.

"I'm so proud of you, sweet girl," she cooed. "It can't have been easy to watch something like that. Or to stand up against your friend when you knew that she was doing something wrong. But you knew, didn't you? You knew that you couldn't let Adia get away with her bad behaviour, and that you would have to do something to stop her." I didn't respond, and she continued. "You stood up for what was right, Saria, and I for one am very, very proud of you for that, as I'm sure your father is, too. Isn't that right, Mahmood?"

This time, it was Mahmood's turn to sit beside me, on my other side. I felt completely trapped, sandwiched in between the two of them. Now there was no chance of escape - I knew that one or both of them would reach out and grab me, pulling me back and forcing me to continue on this discussion. At least Mahmood didn't try to hug me - if I had to commend my father for one thing, it was that he never tried to force false affection, not when we were alone, at least. That was saved strictly for times when we needed to make a good impression in front of guests.

He merely placed a hand on my knee, letting it rest there for a moment before pulling back again. "I agree with your mother," he said, "although..." A stern expression painted across his face, and a jolt of terror coursed through me as he fixed me with a pointed stare, "you really should have gone to fetch your teacher rather than attempt to fix things yourself. You're not the playground police officer, Saria, and it is not your job to break up any fighting that goes on there." He sighed, looking at the fireplace, staring into the middle distance as if perhaps imagining the fight, seeing in his mind's eye my part in it. How I had been thrown down to the ground like a piece of dirt.

It's strange, but I got the feeling that the perturbed expression on his face was no longer directed towards me. Mahmood turned to face me again, trying to alleviate the tension in the room. "However..." he emphasised that word, placing his hands on my shoulders and turning me so that I was looking at him right in the eye. How difficult it was not to flinch at his touch. "... I understand that you were forced into what can only be described as a very precarious position. It's not your fault, Saria, and you will not face any sort of discipline for what happened. You were placed into a very awkward situation, and you did your very best with the resources that you had. I'm proud of you for standing to your principles and doing what you could."

Again, knots formed in my stomach. I shifted uncomfortably, reminding myself that it would serve me no benefit to tell my parents to fuck off, that I wasn't interested in their pride - not least because it could be taken away from me at any given moment, for the simplest of misdemeanours. No, all I could do was just sit there, head bowed, muttering words of gratitude. Pretending to be the shy, demure, innocent daughter that they expected me to be. The whole time, I was wishing and praying that I could just leave this fucking room. I had never wanted to be upstairs with my soulmate more than at this very moment.

While I was thinking of Assef, wondering what he was doing, how he must have feeling right now, I noticed Mahmood and Tanya looking at one another over the top of my head. A silent conversation seemed to be passing between the two of them, one that I, of course, could not be privy to, no matter how much I might have wished to gain powers of telepathy right at that moment. But it wasn't long before Tanya let me be privy to their thoughts, and when she did, I regretted that I'd ever wanted to know what was going on inside their heads.

She took my hand in hers, rubbing her thumb along the back of it. "Saria," she said, "I hate to say this, daughter, truly I do. I know that your friendship with Adia means a lot to you both. But..." She trailed off for a moment before looking at her husband, who nodded, encouraging her to continue, "... We're worried that perhaps Adia could become a negative influence on you."

How was I supposed to respond to that? Adia? A bad influence on me? Sweet, gentle, naïve Adia who played with doll-houses and made fairy princess jigsaws and drew pretty unicorn pictures? She was a bad influence on the girl who had stabbed one of her classmates to death, who tormented the other children in Wazir-Akbhar-Khan with her brother, both of whom took malicious joy in beating those kids to a pulp? The thought was absolutely laughable - or it would have been, had the situation not been so serious.

For you see, baffled though I was at Tanya's statement, I knew that, in their minds, it made sense. I was the wealthy, well-behaved, polite and subservient daughter of one of the city's most affluent families. The Kalaharis, while upper class, didn't have quite the amount of money that my family did, and what's more, Adia had just been involved in a brutal school fight, and had become physical with me because of it. Just like Mermon Yashfa on the playground, my parents were only able to see what was right in front of them, and there was no way that I could explain the truth to them, now was there?

'Oh, no, Mama, Papa, you don't need to worry about Adia. I'm sure I can handle her, I am the girl who murdered Zainab and beat Mojdeh into a coma, after all. I rather think that I can hold my own against Adia. Had to burn her for being mean to me on my birthday, after all. You know? The birthday that you two fuckheads forgot?' But of course, that would not go over well, and so, my only option, I realised, was to attempt to stand up for Adia using the only recourses that I had left. My carefully crafted persona.

I cast my gaze downwards, pouting like an innocent little waif, looking up at my mother with what can only be described as 'puppy-dog eyes'. I moved to take her hands, ready to plead Adia's case on her behalf. I was not about to have all of the hard work that I'd done to make her the perfect companion be tossed back in my face - not when I knew I could deal with this little slip-up. "Mommy..." I began, in the cutest voice I could muster. But before I could say even another word, Tanya decided that she had to have the upper hand in this conversation.

"Your father and I were both delighted when you and Adia first started to become friends," she said, rubbing her thumbs along the backs of my tiny hands. "We know that you struggle sometimes with making new friends." Yeah, because the other girls are either too fucking stupid, they bully me, or they're just not worth speaking to, I thought. "So when you and Adia started to become close, we were both very, very happy. The Kalaharis appeared to be a respectable family, and Adia to be a delightful, sweet little girl. But... several instances, this one included, have made us start to believe that perhaps we judged them too positively, too soon. I really wish these thoughts did not have to enter my consciousness, but it's becoming clear now that Adia is not the type of friend that we want for you to have."

Mahmood chimed in. "The Kalaharis are dealing with their own troubles, I understand. Their son being terminally ill, all of the stresses that come with that. I can't even begin to imagine..." He trailed off, and I wondered if he was remembering Sami, or thinking of what it might be like for this family if Assef were to come down with some fatal sickness. The mere idea of that was too much for me to bear - if anything happened to my soulmate, then Mahmood and Tanya would be forced to bury both of their children, no doubt about that - and so I forced the thought from out of my head and pretended to give Mahmood my full attention.

Though that was very fucking hard to do, given how deluded the man was. "It must be hard for Adia, too, to live with the knowledge that she's soon going to lose her brother. Living day in and day out with that knowledge, I can't imagine what that would do to a young mind. I can understand how this might have had some bearing on her behaviour this afternoon, though that of course, offers no excuse for what she did. She made her choices, daughter, and they were the wrong ones. And to be perfectly honest, I don't like the idea that my little girl is associating with someone who could be capable of shoving her like that."

There are no words in any language, German, Farsi, Pashto or otherwise, that can accurately describe the boiling fury that coursed through my veins like a pressure cooker. To hear this abusive bastard calling me his "little girl" and acting so concerned for my well-being (because that's what it was, nothing more than an act). Did he think I'd forgotten the type of person he really was? Fat fucking chance of that! I still remembered, with startling clarity, the horror I'd felt as he tore our kitchen apart in a fit of rage, then coerced Tanya into whip me until I couldn't even stand or walk, all the while pinning my brother against the kitchen tiles, forcing him to watch my beating, and completely ignoring my screams of pain and his son's pleas for the torture to stop.

Now he wanted to act like he was some worried father, who cared so deeply about the welfare of his daughter? No, I was not having that. No fucking way! "Please, Papa," I said, "it really isn't like that. I'm not-"

Tanya then cut across me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and kissing my forehead. For God's sake, what the fuck was up with all these displays of affection that she was giving me? How I yearned to do nothing more than to wrench myself free of the vice-hold she now kept me in, to bolt up the stairs and into the safety of my darling's room. "It's not just this incident, Saria, it's other things, too. Matters that are far too complicated for a young child such as yourself to fully understand." Oh, how lovely. How charming it was to be talked down to like that. "The Kalaharis are... well... I don't think they're the people we thought they were. I mean, just look at what happened when you went over there for that sleepover, remember?"

"That wasn't Adia's fau-" Mahmood gave me a sharp 'don't you dare interrupt your mother' look, and I understood it better to keep my mouth shut from now on.

Beside me, Tanya stroked my hair the way that one might to a skittish, yapping dog. "At the time, we just pushed it to the back of our minds. With everything going on, and the fact that poor Masood had collapsed, it didn't seem right to bring it up. But... I've not been able to get that harrowing phone call that you made out of my mind. How scared you sounded. The realisation that you and Adia, two young girls, had not only seen something so terrible, but were now left all alone in the middle of the night. That maniac who killed and hurt your little schoolmates is still out there, still on the loose..."

A pained expression crossed over her eyes, and she hugged me again, far tighter than was necessary. "Anything could have happened, Saria. Absolutely anything. It just doesn't bare thinking about. All those terrible 'what-ifs." Ah, motherly Tanya. How nice of her to make a random appearance. Just where exactly had she been when we were being herded into the car to go and visit Masood in hospital? When we were buying pretty flowers and trying to ingratiate ourselves with the Kalaharis? Why did she go to comfort Adia and not me when they arrived that night? All questions that I would receive no answers to.

"That's just one red flag," Mahmood agreed, "we let it go because we figured that it was just a mistake. That it would not happen again. But now, this?" He shook his head, eyes narrowed. "You need to take a good, long look into your friendship with Adia, young lady, and really consider whether or not it is something that will serve to benefit you in the long run."

Or... serve to benefit your needs, is that what you mean? I wanted to ask. You think for a second that I don't know what this is all about? Let's not pretend that you care about my well-being, or about the pain that I've suffered. All you're really concerned with is how this will affect you, how this will benefit you. You've never given two shits about me before - let's not insult either of our intelligences by pretending things are any different now.

The tension in the room appeared to be sucking the air out of it. Or was that just me? Mahmood certainly didn't seem to believe that anything was wrong, as he continued playing what he must have believed to be an award-winning role as a 'compassionate father'. "The type of friends you make and keep will say a lot about the type of person that you are, Saria, you understand that, yes?" I nodded, though in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but to wonder that, if this were the case, what did Adia's friendship with me say about her? "Your mother and I expect you to choose your friendships carefully, daughter. Anyone who is capable of behaving in the manner in which Adia did this afternoon, well, do you really think this is someone you'd like to associate yourself with? Someone who could knock you down and cause you harm?"

Well, if I were to not associate with someone who caused me harm, then I most certainly wouldn't be sitting with the two people sandwiching me between them on this damn couch, now would I? If my safety and well-being was of that much importance, then I shouldn't have been here. Mahmood and Tanya had caused me far more damage and pain than Adia ever could. Why could they not have seen that? Were they so blind to their own horrendous tendencies that they would pin the blame on Adia rather than do their own introspective thinking?

Of course, I couldn't just refuse them. Couldn't just tell them that I had no interest in giving up my friendship with Adia. That might be seen as disobedience, and we all knew how that would be dealt with, didn't we? Instead, the only thing that I could do was to play to the strengths of my manipulative talent. I looked down, making my lip quiver like some poor, helpless, little innocent. "I, uhm, I don't know if it's gonna be so easy, Papa," I muttered, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Adia... She's really my only friend at school. I dunno if the other girls would wanna let me play with them, and they all have their friend groups already so-" Oh, how I loathed the fact that I needed to debase myself like this. To appear as though I was some friendless, pathetic freak. Perhaps that was true - but I didn't want to let my parents in on that fact. But I had no choice. If I could make them think that Adia's friendship was necessary for me, then maybe they might think twice about separating us.

Though I had addressed Mahmod, it was Tanya who spoke up. She hugged me close again, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. Her words, however, and the harshness of her tone were a stark contrast to the motherly persona that she attempted to portray. "You need to make more of an effort, Saria," she chastised. "I know it can be hard to make friends, but that doesn't mean you can just be lazy when it comes to your social wellbeing." Fuck you, bitch. If you knew of the effort that I'd put into crafting the perfect companion in Adia, then you would not for a single second dare to call me lazy. She disentangled our embrace, tucking a few stray strands of golden hair behind my ears as she continued on. "I want you to try, Saria, really try. You're a bright, sweet girl with a whole lot to offer." Don't think I didn't notice the way that her eyes drifted to Mahmood as she said this; we all knew for a fact what she really meant by that.

And then... then she said something that made my blood run cold. Something that made me so angry, I do not believe there is an adequate description for it. "You know..." Tanya placed a finger to her chin, tapping on it, clearly pondering. "Ahtrai seems like a delightful young lady. She was so polite and well-mannered when she was at our house the last time. Her parents both seem to be upstanding citizens too, so it's clear where she gets that from." I wanted to ask where Ahtrai might have gotten her bullying tendencies from, but even if I'd have been able to do so, I couldn't quite bring my mouth to form coherent sentences. I was just so fucking baffled at the idea that anyone could have considered Ahtrai to be a 'delightful young lady'. "Mermon Yashfa even told me that she was asking after your welfare today, trying to make you feel better after what Adia did."

That sly, conniving little bitch! I thought of Ahtrai, feigning concern for me, pretending to all the world that she cared what happened to me more than Adia did. That she was the good guy in this situation. I thought of how she had hugged me while we were in the nurse's office. The awful feeling that ran through my body, like maggots crawling on my skin, when she had held me close and pretended to be my friend. Pretended to care, as if she wasn't the one who had started this whole fucking mess in the damn first place. And like everyone else, Tanya had fallen for her lie, hook, line and sinker. How pathetically gullible she was in those moments, and Mahmood, too. Fools, the pair of them.

"You should try to befriend Ahtrai," Tanya continued, and Mahmood made a few 'mhm-hmm' noises of agreement to her words. "I'm sure that you two would get along very well, and that she'd have no problem with letting you sit with her at lunchtime and play with her and her friends." Yes. That's right. She was suggesting that I try to ingratiate myself to Ahtrai and her Posse of Dipshits. I could only imagine how that would go. The sick and twisted delight that Ahtrai would get out of having me as a 'friend', how she would probably try to turn me into some groveling little lapdog that knelt at the feet of her new mistress and did whatever she said without question. But maybe that was the kind of friendship that Mahmood and Tanya expected me to cultivate. After all, this was the type of daughter that they wished me to be, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to imagine they'd like me to have a more 'dominant, controlling friend'.

I wanted to slap that fucking simpering grin right off of Tanya's face. "Perhaps we could arrange for Ahtrai to come 'round here for a playdate," she suggested, to which Mahmood nodded. "Wouldn't that be nice, Saria? Maybe even invite the whole family around. You could show her all your toys, and maybe, if her parents were agreeable to it, you could even visit her house, too." In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to pick up my shoes that lay discarded on the floor and use them to bash my parent's faces in. To beat them with the same ferocity that they had used to beat me throughout the years. I wanted to leave them broken, bloody and dying on the living room floor. How dare they? How fucking dare they suggest that I have a 'playdate' with Ahtrai. To use that word, for one thing, as if I was some goddamn two-year-old. And to suggest that I invite my bully into my room, to have her threaten the sanctity of one of the only places I had for myself?

The only fucking way that Ahtrai would be going into my room would be over one of our dead bodies - and I can tell you right now, it would be over hers. Alas, I couldn't just say this to my parents. In their eyes, they were doing me a favour, and I would be disrespectful if I tried to dismiss this or argue against them. Yet... I knew now that I had to get out of here. Every pore in my body was screaming at me to leave this place, to hurry to the sanctity of my other half's room. He was the only person in the world that could soothe me right now, and it had been far, far too long since I'd felt his comforting arms wrapped around me.

"Thank you, Mama, Papa, for your concerns," I said. "I'll take your words on board. But for now, may I please be excused? I have a lot to think about, and I need to do some real soul-searching, if it please you." How I prayed that they would relent. That they would see there was no more point in continuing on this conversation, at least, not for now. What more could be said that wasn't already spoken of?

To what little credit I could give him, Mahmood seemed to be of the same opinion as me. "Of course, Saria. You are excused. But please, take what we have said today into consideration. Do that soul-searching, as you said you would. Really consider your friendship with Adia and what it means for you. You are an intelligent young lady, and I know that you will make the right decision." He gave me a pointed stare as he said those last words, and I knew that he meant he expected me to make 'the right decision' for the family, and not myself. Too bad that we were forever going to be on opposing teams when it came to that.

I rose from the couch, offering a polite curtsy to my parents before bending down to retrieve my shoes from off of the floor. Looping the straps between my fingers, I slipped out of the room, practically darting up the stairs, bounding almost two at a time. Had to get away. Had to leave those assholes in the fucking dust. I reached the top of the stairs, not even hesitating for a moment before I rushed towards my brother's room. Without even giving it a second thought, I hurriedly knocked on the closed door, adding, "Assef, it's me, can you please let me in?" in hushed tones as I did so.

Being the incredible, wonderful soul that he is, my brother hurried to open the door the instant that he heard my voice. The sight of him, standing there, looking at me with such genuine concern on his face, it brought tears to my eyes. Before I could help myself, they were spilling down my cheeks, my breath coming in little, hitching gasps. All of the anguish, suffering and pain that I had gone through this afternoon was flooding out like a damn tidal wave.

"Oh, my love." Assef ushered me inside. I tossed my shoes to the floor while he shut the door again, hesitated for only a mere second, then turned the lock, affording us some little privacy. I felt absolutely numb as he wrapped his arms around me, escorting me over to his bed. He pulled me down onto his lap, cradling me in his arms, pressing feather-light kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, my hands. Tears rolled down my face, more coming as the last ones dried. "What happened, Liebchen?" Assef asked, in a tone that let it be known that I would be telling him every sordid detail of what had happened this afternoon, from playground to parents.

I sniffed, leaning my head against his chest. "It was Ahtrai," I said in German, though I kept hushed, whispered tones out of fear that Tanya might come up the stairs and start listening at the door. Wouldn't put it fucking past her, really. "That... that fucking cunt. She spent the whole goddamn break teasing me and Adia. Drew a fucking picture of me freaking out over that lizard, kept on calling us freaks and just wouldn't leave us alone. And I tried to take Adia away from that place, to stop everything from spiraling like it did, you have to believe me, Assef, I really, really tried!" He kissed the inside of my wrist, a silent acknowledgement, and I continued my frantic tale, "But she just kept following us, pulling our hair and shoving, pinching, calling us names. And then... then Adia, she just... she lost it. Absolutely lost it. She called Ahtrai a bitch and screamed at her to leave us alone, and then before I could even think, she'd tackled her to the ground and like, landed this goddamn wicked right hook to her nose and then the two of them were kicking the living shit out of each other."

Assef took in all of my words, and I could hear the chuckle in his voice as he spoke again. "Well, I can't sit here and pretend like Ahtrai didn't deserve a beatdown, Liebchen," he said. "Although, truthfully, I'd always hoped that you would be the one to get the first punch in. Your her main target after all, for whatever reason only her pea-sized brain can understand. I'd never have thought that Adia would have had it in her to get physical with anyone. Seems there's more to that little goody-two-shoes than meets the eye." Was that... a hint of pride in his voice as he said those words? I hoped so... I wanted my darling and my best friend to form a bond, that would only serve us all better in the long run. And with Masood dying, perhaps Assef could even become a replacement brother figure for Adia. I knew they would never be close as the two of us were, that was not humanly possible, but a familial affinity, none-the-less.

But then... my darling's tone shifted. He lifted my head from off of his shoulder, cupping my chin as he asked, a stern look in his blue eyes; "And how did you get involved in that, Sar? Is it true what your schoolteacher said on the phone? That Adia pushed you over?" There was a feral, almost animalistic to his voice as he said this, his protective streak now being on full display. It was a far cry from the pretend concern that our parents had displayed. Just being on his lap, having him hold me close, was like a soothing balm, healing from the blasphemous feeling of Tanya's arms around me.

"Yes, that's right," I answered, through gritted teeth. "I was just watching it all unfold, couldn't actually believe, myself, what was happening. But then... I could tell that Ahtrai was going to get the upper hand. And I mean, a fight in the middle of the schoolyard? It was only a matter of time before someone ran to fetch a teacher. I didn't want Adia to get into trouble so I... I tried to put a stop to it. I didn't even think for a second, I just dove right into the middle of the conflict, trying to haul Adia away from Ahtrai. That's when she lost it on me. She screamed at me to get away and before I even had fucking chance to register what was happening, she had... she just... she fucking shoved me, Assef, fucking knocked me to the ground. I mean-"

Rolling up my sleeve, I bent my elbow upwards, displaying the injuries that Adia had left me with. Assef's face twisted into one of pure, unadulterated rage. "After everything you've done for her, my love," he practically snarled. His eyes fixed on his brass knuckles, sitting on the shelf across the room. I knew what he was thinking, what he no doubt wanted to do to both Adia and Ahtrai. Both of those girls were damn lucky that they didn't get to feel my brother's unbridled rage made manifest into a violent attack against them. Not that I would've minded for a second if we'd gone to give Ahtrai a piece of our minds right then and there. Hell, I despised that cunt so much that I was now entertaining the most twisted of fantasies about holding her hostage and using her as a punching bag for however long it took until she eventually died in agony.

But Adia... that was a whole different story. Yes, I was upset that she had pushed me. How could I not be? Like my darling said, after everything I'd done for Adia, all I had sacrificed, evey effort I'd put into our friendship, those times I had been there for her when she needed it the most, all of the times that I'd seen her when she was at her lowest and never, ever passed judgement on her for her breakdowns, all of the times that I had held her in my arms and soothed her fears and worries... I was like a protective big sister, always there for that girl when she needed me. And this was how she repaid me? This was how she showed her gratitude? By tossing me to the ground the way one throws away a fucking chewing-gum wrapper? No, that could not, would not, be tolerated.

Still... I didn't want to abandon my friendship with Adia... not when I had put so much effort into molding her into being what I needed from her. What kind of fucking reticent would it make me if I threw in the towel now? "I'm mad at her too, my Assef, and I know I can't just let her get away with it. Look at my fucking arm, for God's sake. She needs to learn that it's not acceptable to.. to treat me like that. I get that, really, I do. You don't need to tell me how I deserve better, I understand. But they... Mahmood and Tanya.. they... they're..."

Now I genuinely couldn't stop myself from openly crying, bringing a hand up to cover my mouth as I tried to get my emotions under control. Assef wrapped his arms around me, cradling me tightly against his chest, whispering soft, comforting words into my ear. I wiped my tear-soaked cheeks on the heel of my hand, soft whimpers emanating from my throat. "They went on some fucking tirade downstairs, bitching and moaning about how Adia isn't a good influence on me..." My brother snorted, clearly understanding as much as I did how ridiculous it was for anyone to consider Adia to be a negative influence on me. "Mahmood kept going on about how I need to think about my friendships and then, Tanya, she... she said... she said..."

I clenched fistfuls of my brother's shirt, wanting to burrow myself inside his warmth, to remain in his comforting embrace for the rest of eternity. I hiccuped, trying to get myself under some level of control. Easier said than done, mind you. "The fucking bitch thinks that Ahtrai would be a good replacement friend for me. Oh, she didn't say it in so many words, but I understood the implication. She even suggested that Ahtrai and I could have playdates together. Playdates, Assef, fucking playdates! Like I'm some fucking toddler! Goddamn it, god fucking damn it! I hate them! Mahmood, Tanya, Ahtrai, I fucking HATE ALL OF THEM!"

The last stentence was one that I practically whisper-shouted. Oh, how I wanted nothing more in that instant than to rage against the entire world, to burn it all to ash, leaving only Assef and myself as the sole survivors. Fuck my parents, fuck Ahtrai, fuck Adia, how dare they make me feel this way? How dare they not show me the honor and respect that I knew I so richly deserved? Just who the fuck did these pieces of worthless human excrement think they were?

Assef let out a low exhale through his teeth. He must have been just as frustrated by this turn of events as I was. We were in-sync in practically everything, after all, and our emotions were no different. "Adia needs to hurt for what she did to you, my love," he said, pressing kisses to each of my fingertips, slowly, softly, making my heart flutter. "She crossed a line, and she needs to fucking suffer for it. If she ends up getting a fucking in-school lashing because of it, then that's no harm in my opinion. I doubt Faraya and Javid would be the type to beat their kids, but in this instance, damn, I want them to be. Fuck, I want to go over there and whip her into a bloodied pulp myself, do their fucking job for them if they won't do it themselves."

I whined in protest, and my soulmate hushed me, running his fingers gently over my scalp. "I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't want that. I promise I won't do anything..." He was as good as his word, of that I was absolutely certain. "It just... it just pisses me off so much that anyone, much less someone who you've been such a wonderful, caring friend to, would treat you in that way. You were only trying to help, Liebchen, that's all. It's not your fault. It's never your fault. You're blameless in this, you need to remember that."

My lips twitched in some feeble attempt at smile. Assef rubbed gentle circles into my back, cooing gently into my ear. "But I understand that you don't want to lose your friendship with Adia, and certainly not for someone like Ahtrai. I get that. I wouldn't want to throw away one of my friends for some asshole either. You just need to make it abundantly clear that if she's going to turn into some ferocious wildcat, she can't turn that rage onto you. She has to channel it into something that will benefit your friendship, not decimate it."

"Maybe I could train her to use it to protect me against Ahtrai and her cunt friends. Turn her into my own personal guard dog." I imagined Adia as a ferocious rottweiler, or maybe a yapping little chiuahaha was a more accurate description of her.

The thought made me giggle, and Assef smiled, too, playfully nuzzling our noses together. "Sounds like a good idea, my Saria," he responded, and it made my heart glow inside to hear him agree with my silly suggestion. He hugged me close again, kissed my forehead, my fingers, the inside of my wrists. "Today's been a pile of shit for you, my love, I know. You don't need to say anymore, I understand. I'm so fucking sorry that you keep having to deal with this kind of shit. Would that I could burn your school to the ground with every single person who'd ever hurt you trapped inside." Would that he could, indeed. "But I'm here now, Liebchen, and I promise, you won't have to suffer this alone. Whatever happens, whatever comes of this, we will face it together. You have my word on that. There's no problem that we can't solve together, my love, remember that."

As always, my soulmate knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. I smiled, feeling more at peace with the situation at hand. There would still be trouble to come, of that there was no doubt. I would indeed have to do some real work when it came to my friendship with Adia, not least try to convince my parents that she was worth keeping around. It would be a long road ahead, but with my most precious Assef by my side, I felt confident that I could reach the finish line.


In the next chapter, Saria spends the day with Assef and Kamal, who have grown closer in the past few weeks. But one person is noticeably absent from the group, leaving her to wonder just how far her big brother might have gone in his quest to defend her honor. Look for that, coming soon!

As always, a massive thank you to everyone who reads this story! Reviews and comments are more than welcomed; I love to hear from and have discussions with readers. Stay safe and well, and I send my best wishes to you all!