Chapter 3

For a while, after we ate, we did nothing. The girls sat and talked and the boys did the same in the other room. Then, we decided to go sight-seeing.

So we got ready, threw on light sweaters, and left.

They took us to a park, small but beautiful.

It was already night by this time, because the sun set so early. There were hardly any visible stars because of the light pollution, but the sky was clear and the air fresh.

"Hey, Amaya," Ahmad grinned, "Race you?"

"Sure." I agreed.

So we set a target, and Maryam, Usman, Imran and Husain all joined in.

I passed Imran and Ahmad easily, and Maryam as well, but Usman and Husain's speeds were nearly at my own. Eventually, Husain dropped back, and then it was just me and Usman, running. I could see the lampost we had set as a target. I maintained my speed, then used the last bit of my energy in the split-second right before we crossed the lampost.

I was a couple of inches ahead of Usman.

"Nice," he panted when we stopped.

"Thanks." I breathed a steadying breath, "You're probably the fastest person I've ever raced, honestly."

"Where'd you learn to run?" he asked.

"My backyard," I answered bluntly.

He raised his eyebrows, "That's impressive."

I shrugged, thanked him. This was when the others finally caught up to us. We slowed down, walking, and the natural divides between the males and females fell back into place.

"You're really fast," Maryam commented.

"Thank you."

"Usman's always been really into track and stuff, so beating him? That's an achievement."

I smiled.

I was studying the back of Usman's head. He was laughing at something Ahmad said, figure shaking. And then he was speaking, making a joke, voice deep and easy.

"I'm hungry," whined Aleena, who seemed to have appeared from thin air.

"Me too," agreed Fatima, pouting, "What are we going to have for dinner, Baji?"

"You just ate guys!" Maryam exclaimed in surprise, "Go ask Mama."

"I want pizza," grumbled Aleena, drifting away from us to talk to Aunty Rabia.

We stopped at a small waterfall, leaning on the fence between us and it, and looked over at the rushing water.

"I love the way water looks at night," I sighed, speaking to Maryam.

I turned myself away, and found Usman staring straight at me. When I met his eyes, he moved his so quickly I wondered if I'd imagined his gaze. But something in the way he looked away was familiar, it was the awkwardness that always came with being caught staring at someone without realizing it.

"Me too," I thought I heard him whisper.