2016-2017. By the time Abdullah was in senior his parents were starting to settle in. His father could speak English, but his mother couldn't so finding friends who spoke the same language and were of the same religion was a blessing.
Abdullahs mother befriended a pleasant woman she spoke the same language as his mom but wasn't from the same country. Her husband also became friends with Abdullah's dad. their family had 2 sons and a daughter born the same year as Abdullah.
Because their mothers often visited each other Abdullah knew her well enough to recognise her at school. She was lively talkative and energetic -everything he wasn't.
she moved around like the world was her playground. For a boy who didn't receive much attention from people his age, her presence felt warm and gave him solace.
He developed a crush without even knowing what a crush was all he knew at the age of six years old was that he really liked her pretty hair.
At school he watched everyone but often his eyes drifted towards her he never spoke to her she was always with friends he didn't have the courage, but he admired her a lot.
One of Abdullah's most vivid memories with her was when she played a video on a big screen tv seemingly ordinary at first but then a big jump scare blasted across the screen.
It scared him so bad he went flying back if he was sitting on a chair, he would've fallen off it. She laughed so hard she struggled to breath. His hands were trembling. He just sat there shocked but… happy?
He didn't think that he could feel that happy for someone else's laughter especially at his own expense, but he did.
Later that year, when his brother was around at school, he tried various ways to get her attention, like pulling her hair. it was childish, but in his head, it meant I like you."
Over time she grew a bit scared of him Abdullah never realised, too innocent to understand how his actions were being read.
Another memory stuck to him like glue her older brothers Xbox. To him it was the coolest thing ever, he soon got his own over the years it became a memento from that time in his life.
And then came the moment that haunted him for years.
He wanted to tell her that he loved her he gathered all his courage which wasn't much and whispered so quietly not a single soul could hear. "I love you". She didn't hear him.
The embarrassment hit him like a punch he left immediately. After that day he avoided her at school he stopped engaging in talking or playing games with her keeping to himself from embarrassment
His fear and embarrassment smothered any chance of friendship he had with her and just like that Abdullah found himself alone again. From then on, he hardly ever saw.
The girl with the pretty hair…