The Double-Tap Accident

Chapter Thirty-Three: Doug and Julie Standard.

Chapter Thirty-Three: "Doug and Julie Standard."

I ENTERED THE kitchen where Yasmeen was studying on Friday afternoon. She liked to move around a lot, never staying in one solid location. But she seemed a lot more tense than usual. It could be due to exam fever but this felt different.

"You okay?" I asked her, taking the Britta filtered water out of the fridge and pouring it into a cup.

Yasmeen blinked. She hadn't even noticed that I had entered the kitchen. "Um, yeah. Just tired."

I took that response as a sign to slowly lower myself into the seat across from her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She assured me as her phone buzzed on the table. Taut shoulders. Closed fists. Dark circles as she glanced at the screen. Yet she expected me to think everything was fine.

Before I got the chance to push for her real response, I heard the front door of our home open. The sound of footsteps got louder until Mariam walked into the room, pulling off her sweater when Yasmeen's phone went off again.

A grin graced Mariam's face and she looked like she was about to greet us when the sight of Yas's phone screen caught her interest.

"Areeb?" She asked, staring down at Yasmeen's phone with a raised eyebrow.

"Who's Areeb?" I asked them as Mariam took the seat on the other side of the round table.

Yasmeen's cheeks flushed. Usually, she was the one making us flustered by her questions stemmed from her need to protect each of us like a mom. How have the tables have turned. Suddenly, I was extremely giddy. "No one."

"Isn't he that guy in the Muslim Association with you? Isn't he on the exec team?" Mariam said. "He's cute."

"He's VP of Finance," Yasmeen mumbled but his position didn't matter to me.

"So, he's Muslim?" I had to confirm. All clubs were inclusive on campus, and I'd attended various meetings as people attended other meetings of other clubs on campus regardless of race or religion. When she nodded, still not making eye contact with either of us as she texted him back, Mariam and I exchanged looks, biting back our smiles.

"Is he nice?" I blurted out when she put her phone down. "I'm going to assume he's nice. We only want your attention on nice men, of course."

"He's very nice."

"Hmm." Mariam and I said with interest, our sounds getting louder in teasing as Yasmeen hid her face and lightly pushed us away.

"Leave me alone. I hate you both."

"Oh, please." I laughed. "If you have a crush on someone and he's perfect for you in every way, shape, and form, please speak to him. What do you have to lose?"

"Speak for yourself," Yasmeen said, laughing at the dirty look at I shot her.

Mariam grinned. "Look at us. All happy over someone."

I fought to keep my expression the same and look at Yasmeen. There was no point in me wondering what Mariam meant by that statement. That was between her and Kyle. It wasn't going to be my business until it had to be.

Instead, I focused on my other friend with a small crush over a supposed nice guy, poking her on the side. She was quick to swat my hand down. "So do you like him like him?" I bat my eyes, laughing when she scowled at my childlike voice.

"Does he make you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach?" Mariam asked in the same teasing voice.

Yasmeen's cheeks went from a light pink to a red flush that made me grin even wider. This was adorable. "Does he help you with your presentations you have to make as President sometimes?"