Maybe

She remembered the moment she met him.

Even after 9 years.

She remembered it as clear as day.

"What's your brother's name?", the chubby, short woman dressed in a flowing black abaya asked her.

Nyla looked up to her, holding on the straps of her bag. "Mohammed Ashiq", she replied, with her tiny little voice trying to speak with as much clarity as possible, trying to drown out the loud noises coming from class of rowdy fifth grade boys behind the lady dressed in black.

The woman turned around and shouted, "Ashiq!"

Then Nyla saw the familiar face of her tiny older brother trying to push his way through the crowd of boys and stood next to the lady in the abaya, who Nyla would later know to be Fathima Aslam, her Islamic teacher.

Nyla looked at her brother, confusion and surprise etched onto his face. He didn't say anything. Neither did she.

Ftahima Aslam decided to break the staring contest between the two by suddenly saying, "Okay, you go wait outside. He'll be out after the quiet bell."

Nyla had no idea what in the world was a "quiet bell". How could it be quiet if it was a bell?

Her class teacher, Mrs. Janet, a young woman who was always smiling sweetly, who had escorted her to her brother's class took hold of her hand and pulled her out of the Boys' Block and made her sit in a blue plastic chair next to a big gate where children were sitting on similar chairs and told her, "Wait here, dear. Your brother will be out soon."

Nyla just sat there and nodded because she was too scared. Mrs. Janet left, leaving her surrounded by a group of extremely loud kids. She wanted to follow her, wanting to be with someone she knew.

It was her first day at this school and she already wanted to run away. She made ZERO friends, she had no idea how to get to her Islamic class, and she still had no freaking idea what the hell a quiet bell was. This hellscape was completely different than what she was comfortable with. None of the students did anything entertaining while in her old school, there was at least one injury every week. The worst part was, she joined mid-term. So everyone else was settled in while she was still clueless. And to make matters even more brutal, she had wore the wrong uniform. Apparently the school had a system where they wore a different uniform at the beginning of the week. Ofcourse, she was not informed about that tiny bit of crucial information which had ended up in her being stared at like some sort of an alien that landed a few hourse ago.

Suddenly, a short bell rang across the school grounds, breaking her from her thoughts. All around her, there was a simultaneous scraping of chairs and every kid stood up and closed their eyes in prayer. She then decided that she too should get up before she got expelled from the school her parents waited four years for her to get an admission.

She got up from her chair and stayed motionless, hearing nothing but the sound of her own breathing. Oh so this was the quiet bell.

After a about a minute, another bell rang and then the chaos around the girl continued, like nothing had happened. As if every single one of them didnt just stand up together and remained silent like they were hypnotised.

By now, all the kids had started pouring out their classes, eager to get on the buses. But Nyla knew she wasnt going back in a bus.

After a few minutes, her brother approached her. "Come on", he said, without even batting an eye at her.

She silently followed him, not in the mood to argue. She just officially had had the worst day ever.

Nyla's brother lead her outside the school gate. With the straps of her heavy bag digging into her shoulders, they walked a little distance until they reached a van.

Her first thought?

KIDNAPPER!

But her brother coolly slide open the door to reveal a guy probably in his late thirties sitting in the driver seat.

Her brother introduced her and the man smiled widely and and offered his hand. She hesitated, then shook it; his hands were warm and friendly. Her brother sat in the front seat, motioning her to take a seat.

She then took a sit in the back corner of the van, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She breathed deeply, wanting to run away from that terrible school as fast as possible.

Suddenly, the door slid open again. In came a boy, his hair ruffled and his shirt all messy. He didnt notice her. But she noticed him.

The driver turned to look at the boy, let out a frustatrated sigh, and said, "Son, did you fight a war in there? Never did i have this much trouble with my first two kids."

Nyla couldnt help but giggle. The boy turned sharply to look at her. Nyla's giggle immeadiatley died down.

The boy approached her, threw his bag in the seat front of her and sat opposit to her. Nyla straightened and looked away. This was the first time any boy had sat this close to her, except for her own brothers.

They boy then said, in his squeaky little voice, "And, you are?"

"Achu, leave her alone", the driver called to him. By this time, a teacher, a small girl, and two teenage boys had entered the van, taking their seats in the front of the van.

"Im just talking to her!", the boy exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

Nyla searched for her brother desperately, wanting help, but he was busy talking to the teenage boys.

The boy, "achu", noticed her and realised that she was uncomfortable. Marvelous, isnt it? A little boy of 7, noticing someone's emotional situaltion in a split second. But then again. little did Nyla know that the boy was going to change tremendously.

His eyes softened, the crazy, naught glow in his eyes died down and told her, "Dont mind him, me dad's always this annoying. Im Kenneth. What's your name?"

"I'm Nyla", she replied in a small voice.

"Niceee," drawing out the word. He miled widely, brighting up the whole space. He then rummaged in his pocket and produced a smushed bar of chocolate and offered it to Nyla. "Here you go"

Nyla hesitated. he smiled again, motioning her to take it. She didnt know what was happening, but she trusted the boy. She took the chocolate and smiled back at him.

"Which grade are you in?", he asked her.

Nyla decided that she liked Kenneth. She thought he was nice. he was the only one who told her a kind word in this sea of chaos. He gave her time and made her feel welcome.

"Second", she replied.

"NO WAY!", Kenneth yelled. "Im in second grade too! HIGH FIVE!", he said, raising his hand.

Nyla obliged and hit her hand with his, smiling.

Kenneth then looked at her, and touched the tip of her nose lightly with his finger. That surprised her. "Friends?", he asked her.

"Sure", she said, grinning.

And Kenneth Ashford became the first friend Nyla Naushad ever made in the worst hellscape she ever saw.

Five years later, a lot had changed for Nyla.

She started accepting the school a bit more, but she still didnt love it very much.

She was in seventh grade, with a demon for a class teacher.

She had friends in her class, but she werent very close with any of them.

But she was close with one person; Kenneth Ashford.

He was still her best friend.

He was still naughty, goofy, and funny.

She thought he and her would last forever.

Further two more years later, some more change had occured.

She realised she actually liked him.

She realised that there was a chance that he could like her back.

Still, they were the best of friends.

Even two more years later, the most drastic changes had occured. Who knew someone's life would change so fast?

She loved her school now. She didnt want leave it. It was her home.

She pursued further studies, took up her favourite subject; science.

She had tons of friends at school. She even had two best friends; two absolutely crazy ones.

But she has lost her very best friend who was there from the beginning.

He did not like her back.

In fact, he didnt want to do anything with her.

He shut her out completely.

He got a new best friend.

He got a girlfriend.

Why?

Maybe he thought he was too good for her.

Maybe he thought she was lame.

Maybe he thought she was too nerdy.

Maybe he thought she was too fat.

Maybe he thought she was too ugly.

Maybe.

Two people who had once been the best of friends, now;

Nothing.

No laughing together.

No smiling at each other.

No sharing secrets.

No making each other feel better.

No giving each other pep talks.

No looking at each other.

No nothing.

Just a void filled with happy and sweet memories, and thoughts and dreams of what could have been.