the number one to arbury

deserving

'Promise me you'll still get in touch with me after Cambridge.'

'That's a hard one. But I know I'll remember you, you've done so much for me. Thank you.'

'It's been a pleasure. You ready to go now?'

'I'm still not sure where to.'

'Try asking him,' Lina says, pointing at a contact on the screen. Zakaria Harris. First guy in the list. I've heard of him from my sister, again, but I don't know who he is. I add him to my contacts anyway, if Lina says he can help me.

'Thanks. Goodbye, I guess.'

'Bye. Stay safe, my girl.'

Out of the door, I'm on the streets again. My car is parked three houses away. I walk there, eyes on the street.

Big mistake.

Two boys are in my way. Both of them hide their faces under hoods. One of them reveals himself. Ash. No time to figure out who's the guy next to him.

'Look who's coming back. Aren't you supposed to be home right now?'

'That's not gonna work on me anymore.'

'Oh, but he's already coming to take you home.'

The other guy lifts his hood to reveal a familiar face. Eyüp. I don't even want to see him, can't even stand seeing him. Flashes of her dead body in the bed like she was just sleeping, me discovering the cyanide under her bed. It wasn't murder, but it felt like it.

'Mum's been missing you. Why did you run away again?'

'She's the one who helped me escape the other night. I'm not that easy for you to control.'

'There, you said it. If you're not that easy to control then why are you running away from me? Not ready to face the challenge? You can't just run away forever.'

'Tell that to refugees, will you.'

'I'm not even here to kill you.'

'Well, you killed Emine.'

'I thought she wanted to die herself.'

'You drove her to her death.'

'Really now?'

'Why else would she kill herself then?'

'Stop it, you were all being too soft on her. I was just trying to make her stronger. It was a fucking practice. If she killed herself just from that I don't know if she could survive this world.'

'Well, that's not how it works, Your bloody Majesty, Sultan Eyüp Karademir Harrow. By the way, have I told you that most sultans are murderers?'

'And where did you get that kind of thought? History books? You've been taking too much poison.'

'Don't you get a dose of that every Friday?'

I throw my shoe at him, it hit his right shoulder. And now both Eyüp and Ash are coming at me, each of them holding a shoe on their left hand.

---

I can see her car on the side of the street. Noises coming from the pavement, shouts and yells, a fight going on.

Mally brakes the bike by a roundabout. I get off and run to the scene. It still hurts a bit, but I'm confronting two people this time. Worst case, I'd be in as bad condition as after the first fight.

Two boys are beating up Esra with their shoes, one of them trying to pin her down. She tries to get up by pulling one of them to the ground by the hand.

She goes for Ash.

Shoes...

'What the fuck... Who was that?!'

The other boy looks behind him, holding the shoe I threw at him.

'Hey there, nice to see you again, boy,' I say.

'You again? Why don't you ever leave us alone and just mind your own business?'

'Why don't you ever leave your sister alone?'

'Look here, bitch,' he hisses, walking towards me with my shoe, pointing it under my chin, 'do you even understand this thing called being an imam?'

I snatch the shoe back from him and hit him right across the face with it, replying, 'You call torture being an imam? Boy, I know bloody well how an imam should be, I've seen one myself and he's miles away from you!'

I trip him with my legs and step on him with my bare foot as I throw the shoe yet again, now to Ash.

'Over here, you little bastard!'

'Who did you just call a bastard, lady?'

Esra pushes Ash off her, but I know it's not all her force because I can see Ash himself leaving her to get me.

'You fool,' Eyüp says to Ash, 'you just let her escape!'

Esra can barely escape. She limps to the car, where Mara has been waiting.

She's going to pass by me and the boys.

I punch Ash across the face, bare knuckle this time. Kicking is no option, I have someone to hold down. Ash's body bounces back at me, complete with an arm. I dodge his fist...but I let the other boy loose. He grasps the foot that held him and pull me down.

I don't land head first, at least. The head lands around a split second after my back does.

When Eyüp gets up, he sees his sister heading for the car. Just when I am about to chase him, Ash pins me down.

I scratch his right hand with my nails. Long and sharp after being left to grow for two weeks.

He feels it's just like scratching an itch - doesn't hurt at all. I scratch deeper and finally claw his hand. He replies by holding my hand more tightly.

His face is right on top of mine, so I spit on it.

I throw him away from me and chase after Eyüp. He's already on Esra's tail.

And I'm already on his tail too.

I take off my scarf and whip it on his shoulder. I throw it around his neck and come closer to grab the other end.

I fall right on him and finally get hold of both ends. I pull the scarf and knot it around his neck, holding him down with my body.

Long enough to make him faint.

I get the scarf back from him and get up. I look at her. She can't go fast enough to the car. Ash will get her again.

'Come on,' I say, carrying Esra to the car. I put her down by the front passenger door and open it for her.

'No, Rue, just let me drive.'

'I'll let you drive when we're by the motorway.'

I slip a letter in the compartment under the music player and we drive all the way to the edge of the town.