ABEER:

I stood before the notice board to read the details of the excursion trip that was going to France for two weeks.

"Abeer..." I heard Asad behind me and turned around.

"Are you free?" he asked.

I glanced at my watch.

"Half hour until my next class", I said.

"Let's go to the cafeteria", he said and I began walking with him silently.

As he brought coffees for the both of us and sat before me, I took a cursory glance around and observed everyone around.

"Will you go to the dance party with me?" he asked suddenly and I turned towards him. He had taken me by surprise and for a moment, I was speechless.

"I don't think that I'll be coming to the dance party", I said flatly.

"But....Why?" he asked.

"I just.....don't want to", I said and he fell silent for a while.

"But..... I really did not want to bring this up Abeer but you have an important decision to disclose that night", he said without looking at me.

His eyes were focused on some point at the table and that was the first time that I had seen Asad Sanjarani do that: avoiding eye contact.

"Actually Asad....the thing is that even if I come, I already have a commitment with someone for that night", I said and saw his expression change.

ASAD:

I felt like I already knew who she was referring to.

"Can I know who's that?" I still brought myself to ask and for a moment she remained silent but then she looked up.

"Alexander Collins", she replied and I released the breath that I had been holding. I was suddenly feeling so relieved.

"Can you change your mind?" I asked.

"Asad....I am the one who has asked him for this and I really can't refuse now", she replied.

"But the both of you can come to the dance together even the next year", I tried to persuade her.

"I am getting late for my class", she said standing up without even taking a single sip from the coffee that I had brought for her.

I didn't make any attempt to stop and watched her go silently because I knew that I would fail. Leaving my coffee too, I stood up and got out of the cafeteria to walk towards the Administration Block.

When I got out if the class after my last lecture for the day, everyone in the student lounge was speculating about why the dance party had been postponed to the next Wednesday instead of Saturday, unaware that it had took my two hours of debate with the administration and calls to the vice chancellor by my father's contacts in the board of governors to do so.

"Hey Alex, I want to talk to you", I said approaching Alex near his locker.

"Yup?" he asked.

"Did Abeer ask you out for the dance party?" I asked straightaway.

"No.....does she want to go?" he asked. So she had lied.

"No... I just heard someone say that", I said.

"Well... I am going with Hannah but if she wants to come then I can refuse Hannah.... I mean who would not like to go the dance party with Abeer", he said.

"No, she'll be with me", I said.

"The two of you would make a good couple", he said.

I just smiled and then left.

ABEER:

"You are going with me to the party", I heard him behind me and turned around.

I had just parted my lips to repeat my excuse when he spoke.

"Alex is going with Hannah", he said holding my gaze.
He had caught me.

"I don't want to come", I said looking down.

"The dance party has been postponed to Wednesday", he told me but I already knew that.

"But Asad...." I tried to say.

"Please Abeer.... You have a commitment with me for every Wednesday and.....its two hours of this Wednesday and forever after or two hours of this Wednesday and never again", he said and I felt the emotions beneath those words.

I looked up. Everything that I felt was mirrored in his eyes and the pain inside them was so intense that I had to look away.

"Fine", I said and tried to walk past him but accidentally slammed into his shoulder and the books that I had been holding fell.

"Sorry", I said and knelt down to pick up the books.

He helped me gather my things and I didn't know why I was feeling so uncomfortable. I quickly took the books from him and went away, knowing that his gaze followed me to the end of the corridor.