Once upon a lie 12

Greetings loved ones!


How's uniiiiiii or schooool or woooork or kilaa ?!! way ana el youm dawamt za7maaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ;'( it took me half an hour to get there w AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES TO GET HOME! way waay ma2sat lool we could barely walk between classes mn kither ma fe nas ! el moshkila koliyatna 9'3eeraa w yaybeen 600 more students mashallah wain nro7 b3d ? ;s bs it was fun though seeing everyone agaaaain w chthyyy hehe EVERYONE is like sun-burnt w they look like they've had a good vacation , how was your day?!



So this is my 12th post 7g el story , tell me what you think;*



Love you guuuuys



Xoxo



----



It's been a while since a girl came to my mind. And i found it very weird honestly. I mean , don't get me wrong i don't MIND and i don't find it annoying at all! I just .. feel different. And i learnt that it's not easy having a girl on your mind.




You see , after that morning when me and Shai5a finally talked i spent the day with my buddies. That's when i didn't get to think of her. I didn't have THAT much sleep because of course they didn't let me. Let alone let me think about Shai5a or anything else for that matter. Lunch ran a little late because the driver my aunt Nadia sent was still on his way so we decided to play some ball




I love football. I love everything about it. The rush you get when you're just about to score .. The thrill of it when you do , the rush you're filled with when you see the other team coming to get the ball from your possession , your teammates having your back knowing exactly what your next move is .. I find it thrilling




I didn't get much time to play back in Canada , my friends were big fans of OTHER sports if you consider partying one , and i didn't mind really ..




I love my friends back their with all my heart but being here , now felt so much different and somehow better. It wasn't the same at all, Even though i had some pretty amazing time back then , this however felt more REAL , more livable. Something of more importance. Like this right here had a meaning to it all. like this , this was just the plan to get me back into my old easy lifestyle




Not everything has to be easy as in lay back while you drink some booze, enjoy life as it asses you by and care less of the whole thing ..



NO.



I had learnt that it's NOT the answer. well , i THOUGHT it was at some point of my life but .. that's just not it.




When that moment comes in your life and you finally have the chance to experience it, you'll know exactly what i mean.




You see, to enjoy life you actually have to live it. ENJOY LIVING it. Something i did the wrong way. See i thought i was enjoying myself but i figured to enjoy you'd have to be actually HAPPY. Which was something i was far from reaching.




In order to be happy your surroundings must also help. I was there at the beach right in the middle of the most awesome football game with my best friends when i realized i was enjoying myself here. That sick feeling inside my stomach and that ache in my heart was just .. GONE and i could trace nothing but a warm , nice emotion taking over that's happieness



It may not be such a big deal to others but at that point , it was a big development for me. For the first time in a long time i knew what it felt like to just live right in that moment and forget it all.




Forget the past.



Forget hurting.



Just Breathe.




" WHAYYIB LIIK !! " i heard 3bdallah shout as he passed the football to me , i smiled as i saw 3mran coming straight at me with a devilish smile on his face ready to steal it away




I took my position ready to catch it when something as hard as rocks hit my head. I ducked after it hit me feeling piercing pain from the back of my head




" ULLAH ! " I heard 3ammar say



" Oh my god! " i heard someone say behind me , i smiled instantly when i recognized the voice and turned to see her



" Let me guess , yesterday you were trying to save turtles and now you decided to kill humans? " I said as soon as she approached me




She had her hand close to her mouth and she was biting her lower lip. Her long black hair was pulled back with only a few strands coming down on her matching scary-beautiful eyes. Her cocoa butter face shining under the sun i can see she was not amused at all " I am SO So sorry , i don't know how it reached your head i was pointing it in the other direction "




" What .. what did you throw at me anyway .. ?" i looked around to see what hit me , and i saw an L shaped wooden thing laying on the sand beneath us




" It's a boomerang ?.. " She sounded guilty when she said it



" Yeah aren't .. aren't these things .. supposed to be for kids and .. and not cause brain damage ? "




She choked with a laugh " Am so sorry , i swear i didn't mean to hit you 3bdelWahab" As soon as i heard that sentence all my senses were numb




" Come again? " I heard myself murmur. Okay , What was THAT?!. Did she just say my name ?



Well of course she did i mentioned it to her but it never sounded sweeter coming out of any human being's mouth ,i swear.




" Am .. sorry?" She said again




I heard my friends out back TRYING to speak in low voices but failing to and i KNEW exactly what they were saying. Who was this girl and what the hell is going on with her and Wahab?





" No it's alright , you didn't mean it. Why is it like this anyway? it looks weird "



She rolled her eyes before she answered " Well i was TRYING to get the plastic one but my friends said i was acting like a baby .. and i wanted something .. bigger and i just COULDN'T play with the plastic one! " she was talking the same way she was telling me the crab story, breathless and beautifully nervous. But she wasn't comfortable making eye contact this time which confused me a little before i realized i was shirtless and standing right in front of a lady




I felt the corners of my eyes crinkle and my cheeks lifting lightly to form a light laugh " Well then , i hope you get the hang of it " i told her. I saw her cheeks blush instantly and then again i was left alone with a wooden stick beneath my feet and a heart beating so loud out of my bare chest




Damn it , why do you do that to me? I wanted to tell her. It wasn't fair to me..




It just wasn't fair.




" HEEEYYY! " 3bdallah punched me , " La7tha la7tha la7thaa!! "




Salim's hands were up , 3ammar was still standing there with the most RIDICULOUS expression anyone could ever have on their faces and 7amanni was lost




" What the hell man ? " 3bdallah said " EXPLAIN "




I laughed and told them a summary of what had happened between me and her , i never mentioned her name and said nothing more than the fact that we met following some short coincidences , that's all.




3bdallah picked up the weird boomerang and gave it to me " Man , you're in for a long long ride "




I smiled " Tell me about it "



" And duuuude THAT Is one HELL of an engine " 7amanni was saying as he checked out Shai5a one more time , i snapped my finger on his forehead




" a77 ! "



By nighttime each one of us was doing his own thing. We took perfect use of the definition ' Chill '




3ammar was sitting on the couch with a huge bag of chips , 7amanni and Salim were fighting over some bet they made on who's going to win a match and 3bdallah was taking a hot shower




I had some little time to think about the boomerang and i decided i should give it back. But see the problem was i didn't know when to ..




And if i did give it back i would have to say more than just ' Here you go '




I just picked up the boomerang and got out , not having enough time to think of what to say i suddenly saw the familiar lovely tall figure standing on the porch of her Shalaih




As soon as she saw me get closer she smiled shyly , this time making eye contact with me. As she did, my heart almost melt right there on the sand. Fully dressed this time, i headed towards her holding the wooden stick in my hand " 'Evening "



" Good evening to you too " i must be crazy but her voice DID sound sexier with nightfall



" I came to return this to you " I held the boomerang up



" Ahh .. " i saw her frown , " The alleged kill tool "



" I won't press charges " i held up my arms



She reached out her long toned hands and the wind blew her sweet scent that flew right through my nostrils. She smelled like fresh cut peaches



" Shai5a " My mouth felt so sweet as her name lingered out of my breath , a thing she herself was surprised to hear. I felt the same reaction form in her as it did when she said my name.



I knew there was no better time to ask her this , so i went for it


" I wanted to- " Before i could manage to let the words out , we both heard the sound of shattered glass from inside her Shalaih



" Ambai Lamiaa this is the second glass you break! " A girl was saying



Shai5a's head turned then snapped right back at me , " I just wanted to say.. Better luck learning the game " i blurted out with a smile



If i wasn't so distracted by her dazzling face i could've sworn i saw disappointment in her eyes " Thank you " She smiled. Politely enough she waited for me to turn away before she hurried inside the Shalaih to see what happened




Oh well , i thought Maybe next time..

Once upon a lie 11

Hellooooo people! ;*



I know i know ;( badddaaaada333t these last weeks knt a VERY bad blogger am sorry ;p , bs you should know i been writing this post madre shkither sarlee ! kil ma abee asawee post akteb shwayya b3dain y6la3lee shay w ma yamdee akamla!



Sorry guys wallaah ;*



Hope you enjoy it , though!



Loveyou!


Xoxo



----



I couldn't sleep that night either. And i'll be honest, it wasn't a bad dream this time. It was HER.




All the guys went to sleep in after the Barbecue but i told them i wanted chill on the beach for a while. I don't know why i was making a big deal out of it. I mean , she's just a girl. Right? just .. a beautifully tall ,athletic, dazzling person..




I waited for one of the guys might wake up and we can play some cards, but all of them were pretty hammered. Then that question came to my mind




' WHAT IF '



Woah big words there , i thought. They sounded so cheesy like i just got out of some corny TV show to win 3 cars or 5 houses and my dreams will come true or something ..




I shook my head and got up to my feet. I don't really know what the hell i was expecting sitting here on the shore anyway. Only to be disappointed with the fact that she wasn't there. Okay, am here to clear my head a little bit , i told myself. But it would've been nice if she was here too like the night before. I was standing there hands in the pockets of my sweat pants looking out at sea when i heard a voice that i was sure wasn't a seagull or a wave's ..




I turned to see what was it but there was no one there. I ignored it and went back to my thoughts looking out at the sea again. But then i felt some drops of sand brush the tips of my toes. I shook my feet realizing i was at the beach and it was normal for sand to get caught between my toes, but the sand wasn't just sitting there brushing my feet , it was THROWN at me.




I frowned looking at my feet then followed the traces of little odd out grains of sand to arrive at a nearby spot. I couldn't sea a thing although the sun was only a few minutes away from coming up. As i got a little closer i saw a small toy shovel being used , which explained the sand that was coming at me ..




Or should i say the shovel was being abused? poor tool. The person who was using it was using it so fiercely that i barely saw his figure. Now that scene would've scared any child who ever wanted to use a toy shovel. I stood a little closer trying to see what was going on



The person was sitting down with his back to me digging in a very small ,almost shallow hole. He had a Cap on worn backwards. The dude was going at it, SO into the job that he wasn't aware of his surroundings




Maybe i should tell him he's using a toy.. I thought.



But then , i heard a soft depressed sigh " Stupid crabs ". I held back my laugh. Okay , that is NOT a guy, I told myself.




" Can .. can i help you miss ? " I hesitated before i asked , god knows i was scared it might be HER




I heard her let out a small gasp and turn her head to me quickly, scared. " I- am sorry i didn't mean to frighten you ", I apologized holding my arm out to show i had no intention of harming her. A vibe anyone would pick up from me as soon as they saw my built up body and my serious face.



I had this scar , a straight line just above my left brow that sent the wrong message somehow. But i never got it ..




I didn't know whether it was me or them, but am sure there was SOMETHING intimidating to them.



Her face fell not scared anymore just .. Frustrated. " No .. ugh .. " She put her toy shovel down and took off her Cap, giving me a chance to see those captivating intense eyes. Various strands of her hair were flying everywhere, it was straight this time but still messy ' The after-effect of the cap ' which had an instant charm on me



I waited politely for her to finish what she wanted to say " There was just these little .. tiny crabs , you know? " She said that with some weird hand gestures i didn't get at all




" And .. and .. they were just theeeeerrre everywheeerrre and they just disappear into the sand! and rocks! " Then her hands went up higher making me want to step away a little so i wouldn't get hurt, to be honest.




" And they don't know what they're getting themselves into i mean they can't just GO inside, i mean where the hell are they going?! they can't just .. just PINCH people ! they must be scared and they're scared because .. because they don't have a home and am trying to build them a home but they don't want one and .. and .. am sorry i talked like this , you understand right? " She was breathless after that whole speech




NO , i don't understand a THING You're saying woman! , I wanted to say. But instead i just smiled gently and lowered myself a little as if it gave me a better understanding of the situation. Which it didn't. Not even a tiny bit.




You know how they always say a man can NEVER get what a woman is saying? , he can never truly know what she was talking about or what she wants? , like she was made from an entire different substance created for own little world?




I read somewhere that a man's brain goes through some stages so he can actually have a conversation with a woman. You see , when a woman talks , The man listens and he only SEEMS to be on the same page but what really happens is that the man's brain has to first listen , then translate the woman's words and fill in the blanks so THEN he KNOWS what the hell she's talking about.




So when a woman is talking nonstop then she suddenly yells at the man and tells him he's so cold and he's heartless by ignoring her or just being quiet , He's NOT!




The male's brain may be still in the process of realizing WHAT the female is saying.




" Am .. Sure they appreciate you're building them a home , they very much do but .. it's almost 4 A.M , i think you should give yourself a rest " I told her




She looked up at me and waited for more " Uhh .. umm .. " I really didn't know a shit about those stuff! (excuse my language) ,but i wanted to try anyway




" Am sure .. you know, those little .. Crabs know what they're getting themselves into .. " i nodded ,Trying to give the impression i was confident and positive of the information i was giving




" am sure they have tiny homes of their own , you just don't know they do , uhh .. they .. they can be little on the outside but they can really handle themselves out here , it's .. it's part of the .. uhh .. whole world plan and stuff "




Okay maybe i shouldn't have added ' AND STUFF ' that was stupid. But her face seemed to be beaming already , I waited as she looked at the sand then at her shovel Then , lifting her face to look at me and What do you know ?, there it is a smile!!




I smiled back " Thank you .. " She suddenly said , her cheeks forming the prettiest, shy face and man i was lost. I almost forgot my manners " You're welcome "





" Am Shai5a " She suddenly told me. I liked that name , it was unique and sort of old but .. having HER actually say it to me was just something ELSE.




" 3bdelwahab " I let her know. She smiled shyly and turned her face to the sea. I was afraid that that was it , The moment was gone and she'll just disappear like a beautiful dream like the other day




I didn't want her to go , not just yet. I wanted to talk to her , i wanted to hear her voice again , but i wasn't a big talker .. i didn't DO small talk!



What do people usually talk about when they see a girl? This wasn't Canada i can't just smile devilishly and tell her to hop in my car now, can i?




" So .. You like crabs? " The words were out i couldn't stop them i swear! , My fist clenched a little and i wanted to jump in the water right away. What kind of a STUPID question is that Wahhab? , i asked myself.




" I do ," She suddenly answered , not minding the stupid question " I think they're adorable with their flat little faces and orange color but .. i feel sorry for them because their claws are too big " She said that with such ease and confidence like she wasn't saying anything weird at all




I frowned a little but smiled again, I had no idea what this girl was saying but i found her randomness charming. Her presence gave me a weird warm feeling that i hadn't had in a long time..




" Do YOU like crabs ?" She suddenly asked me and i was startled " Me? uhh.. well i don't really have any sort of emotion towards them whatsoever " I admitted




Then i heard a magical sound come out of her mouth , she was laughing. " I admire your honesty " She suddenly told me.




" I saw you here the other day , " I told her " it was dawn and you were sitting here watching the sea "




" Yeah , i saw you too " She said shyly " See i have a theory. They say ge6 hmoomik ba7ar right? , I think that you should do that right before every sunrise. you know , new day , new plans? so when the sun comes up you'll already feel better because you put all those worries behind you "




I just looked at her. I spent no more than 6 minutes with this girl and i was already impressed. She was more than a pretty face, let me tell you. Her words dug deeper in me and made me want to hear more. No matter how weird they sounded.




" And you do that every sunrise? " I asked ,




" Only when i have a lot on my mind " She explained " Oh! Or when am bored or sleepless "




I nodded. " Why were you here? " Her question took me by surprise




" I had a lot on my mind too "




She smiled and turned her face away again. There was something on my mind that i knew i HAD to ask , But i didn't quite know where to start. But before i could open my mouth , i heard the sliding door from our Shalaih open up




I turned my face to see Salim Scratching his head , his messy brown hair all over the place " Whayyib ? " He took a moment to yawn , " Ent hnee wana adawrik da5il ? "




I looked at him then back at Shai5a , She was a little awkward i can tell " I .. I should go the sun's already out " She suddenly said and got up




I was too startled to reply , I watched her head to her Shalaih and close the door behind her



" Whayyib?! " Salim came with a somewhat loud whisper " Eggg3aaaaaad ! wallah 6ila3t mo hayyin " He slapped my back




I laughed and hit his arm " It's not what you think "




" Suuuurrrre , i was still dreaming when i saw you out here with a girl " he scratched his head




I moved closer to him , he was only a few inches away from me and shorter by a few centimeters , his body slightly smaller than mine " you what? " i told him




He swallowed and i smiled



" Dang it man , you always ruin iiiiit " He whined, i grabbed his neck " Let's go have some of your eggs , shall we? "




" Boiled or scrambled? " He grinned at me




Salim started talking about playing some football outdoors today by the beach as he cooked , but i was barely there ..




My mind could think of nothing BUT that girl




I knew after that day , Something was soon going to change

Once upon a lie 10

3eedkom mbaraaaaaaaak my beautiful beautiful peoples! ;p



Sorry etha bada3t feekom hal fatra bs tadroon 3eed a looya! i hope this will do bas enshallah there will be a longer post next tiiiiime;*




A7ibkooom ! Read and tell me what you think guys , Enjoy




Xoxo



----



I sat very still , i meant to do that. I didn't want to move afraid that any sound might tell her that am here and ruin this. But it seemed like i was forced to ,like i had no control over it. I was just NUMB.





I looked at the side of her mysterious , extraordinary face to steal another glance without her knowing. What was she doing here at this hour? why wasn't she in bed? Was she here for the same reason i was? escape her past , think of her present and her future?,look for the solutions of all her problems beneath that shiny blue creation ?




I saw her adjust her position , crossing her legs and pulling them close to her chest , folding her hands and resting her chin on top. God, I thought. She looks even more beautiful as each passing breeze moves a lock of her hair away from her face.




I quickly looked away , this wasn't right. It wasn't even polite to stare like that at someone. Besides .. if she knew she'd think am a freak .. or a stalker. Let's not forget the crazy scene of bravery where i jumped in the water after her to see if she was okay..




God i was seriously going to lose it. I didn't even know the girl and just looking at her made all sort of thoughts come through my brain




I felt her move , i could see from the corner of my eyes that her tall figure was already standing. Without looking , i suddenly got up and turned to her




She was looking at me , i couldn't tell if she was scared or surprised. I couldn't think of anything actually ..




" Hello " The words came out of my mouth before i could stop them



I saw a hint of a smile on the left corner of her mouth , She looked down at her bare feet as she smiled even wider. She pushed back a strand of her hair behind her ear and then she started walking away




She just WALKED AWAY.





WHAT?!, My mind was spinning



Where are you going come back!! , I wanted to shout




But instead i found myself smiling too. She might not have said anything back , but she smiled ..



That meant something right?



I was too happy to even answer that , i walked back to the Shalaih and found the guys still sleeping peacefully. As soon as i put my head on the pillow this time , i went straight to sleep.




I woke up after a pillow punched my face " Whayyyiiiib " i heard 3ammar say, " Yalla yubaaa 5ali9naa goooouum "





" walaaaaaiiiih .. " i mumbeled " yuba ana mo nayim shfeekoooom , " I turned away and gave him my back, just to get hit by ANOTHER pillow " Yalla goum goum !" i heard 7amanni call too





I turned at them again and tried to open my eyes " Geeemmmt , bas la ta7thif m5adda thanya 3ammar la2anaa btshouf shay ma shefta " i warned. And what do you know ?! , a couple of pillows knocked me down this time





" THAT's IT ! " I got up " You're both dead " I took all the pillows i could carry showered 3ammar with them " Waaaaih baskom 3aaad , endagaitaw silf al7eeeen " we heard 7amanni complain





Me and 3ammar looked at each other and then back at him , Next thing he knows 7amanni was thrown on the floor calling out to the others for help





I took a quick shower and we had a nice energy drink that Salim made




" Ana asbegkom .. " i announced , and as i was standing by the shore ready to jump in, i heard small squashes and thuds of sand nearby , they sounded FAST and CLOSE




I quickly looked up to see a terrified girl running towards me , her face turned around back not even noticing what was in front of her




" WOAH! " I let out as the girl suddenly hit me. I held her shivering figure gently with my hands " You okay there? " She seemed out of it , she finally turned her face and looked at me with frightened eyes. Oh dear , i thought. Not you again ..





Her face was different this time , she was terribly frightened. Her eyes were shocked but still as beautiful. her body not being able to slow the pace and relax ..




" You okay there ? " I asked gently , But she seemed to be too struck to talk




" I .. there .. there was .. am sorry .. i ... " She couldn't quite catch a breath yet and i had no idea what she was saying , i just waited patiently for her to breathe and talk again



" Am sorry i hit you .. " She said as soon as calmed down , " Uhh , no no no .. that's fine really. are you alright? " I asked her again, looking back at where she came from.




But there was nothing there ..




Before she could answer me , i heard a girl call out from the Shalaih right next to us " Shai5aa ?! " I looked at the girl then back at her





" I have to go , am sorry again .. for .. this " She slowly moved away from me a shy smile forming on her pretty face that was now a bit calmer ..




She hurried to her friend who was looking at me with intense eyes and then they both entered the Shalaih closing the sliding door behind them.




Woah , I thought . What the hell just happened?




Just then a big strong hand clapped on my right shoulder " Whay-yyib?! " Salim looked at me with a smile " Wallah 6ila3t ment hayyin ! mno hathy?! "




I looked back at him and laughed " Ya 3ammiii , wallah age9 3laik etha gitlik enny a3rfha "




" Afaaa " He moved his hand away " 3alainaaaa 3alaainaa whayyiiiib ? Yalla ma 3alaaih la tgoulii al7een bas b3dain netfaham "





" Shfeekom? " 3baid , 3ammar and 7amanni were approaching us




Salim smiled and winked at me " Wala shay .. yalla yallaa la yrou7 3alainaa el wagt 6ibbaw "




" Ayabaaaaaa el may shaklaa ydawe5 el youm!" 3ammar took his shirt off and jumped in




3baid and 7amanni followed But Salim stood still smiling at me " After you "




I laughed , took my shirt off and grinned at him again. I quickly took his head in my arm and pulled him in with me " Aaaa77!! " He managed to say before we both caused a big splash , we wrestled in the water for a bit before the others joined in



We had a terrific time and i ALMOST forgot about that girl.. But couldn't entirely quit ..




I kept looking back at her Shalaih to see if she got out again , but the voices of my buddies were too distracting




By night time , we decided to have a little Barbecue since the weather was 'awesome' 3ala goulat 3ammar , We did it by the side of our Shalaih away from the shore so the cold gentle wind wouldn't ruin the fire that we set




The smell filled the air and it was just amazing , Salim managed the sauce and 3baid was grilling while 7amanni was arranging the cups and plates, 3ammar sat doing nothing but waiting for the food to be done ..




And me? well .. i took the liberty of playing some good old Kuwaiti tunes as we all sat there , the mood seemed right and the atmosphere was just perfect.




But as much as i tried to enjoy my time , my head took me back to that exact spot where Shai5a stood in my arms scared and helpless ..




What the hell happened to her?




" 100 fils for your thoughts .. " Salim suddenly sat next to me with a smile




" 100 3aaad? walah wayed .. "



He giggled " Betgoul wela shloun ? "



" Walaaih walah di3la ent .. " I shook my head




" Tara ana ele msawee el 5al6a bette3asha el youm wela laaaa2? "




I hit his head " La w yhaddid b3d ! 7alaya el wayh "




"5ali9neeeee " He said as i hit him again " Whayyib! " He got up mad and irritated from all the slaps he got " Tara eedik mo reesha ! "




" Eg3ad entheber ashoooouuuf , " I pulled his arm laughing " Okay .. Remember the girl from Mcdonald's? "



He grinned at me " Daaaamn right i do , who could forget THAT ?! "

Once upon a lie 9

Thank yoooouuuu to all my lovely lovely lovely readers and followers!



A7ibkoooom wayed w a7eb your comments!



Hope you enjoy this guys. Tell me what you think




Xoxo


----


I am not a man of many words. yes , i do have feelings, i just don't like to show them. I don't know WHO hit that guy but it wasn't me. I don't do laughing very well. Because i don't like engaging with idiots. Touch me again and i WILL have to kill you. NO! for the last time, that's not my Gun.



All answers to questions am used to hearing.


Wherever i go people may see me as a trouble maker just because of my intense eyes or the way i walk. some find it scary and try to avoid me while others find it cool or attractive and try to approach me in as many ways as possible.




My father and my friends find it weird that i don't laugh that often. we do share jokes .. lots of them , but instead of laughing i just share a hint of a smile and a shrug and that would mean they had a success. Now am not saying my life was miserable and i never laughed in my life! i mean am not Gargamel from the Smurfs!( Sharshabeel mn el sanafer as some people like to call ). I just preferred it came spontaneously over something or by someone who somehow managed to make me happy.




Maybe it's because i wasn't used to happiness or nice things that's been said or done in my 23 years of life, i don't know.. My life was fine it was just .. OK. It wasn't happy like some overrated fairytale so i found it rarely important to share feelings or happy thoughts. Whoever comes over and tells you he's happy with his life, that means he only WANTS to believe that he is. At least that's what my father used to tell me when my mother left us ..




I heard a number of psychologists say that a divorce may lead a child to suffer emotional pain and have suppressed feelings. That's BULLSHIT. well , at least for me. Now that WAS one of the things that made me laugh.




I did NOT suffer emotional damage , am just built like this. And my father didn't think i had that either so i was glad. All he said was that i was a man and i should suck it up and be one , so that's exactly what i did and thought every other guy should do too.




Am not scary am just not social. I don't look angry all the time i just don't see a reason for a goofy smile drawn on my face every time i walk , or see a person or when a person smiles at me. Am not a pessimist i just believe in good things happening when they DO happen.




A few things I don't really know why am saying but felt like i needed to. Maybe because i really wanted you to know who i am , what am like .. Or should i say WAS?





Because soon maybe very soon , you'll see how much of a changed man I came to be. Or maybe am REMINDING MYSELF of what Abdulwahhab USED to be.





Especially when that girl entered my life and turned it UP_ SIDE_DOWN




Literally.




I didn't want to tell my friends just yet. about the Sea incident and about how i just saw her again, i mean it was just a girl..




A very .. different sort of a human being ..




I didn't know if a 'girl' even suited the kind of creature she was. Okay, i don't want to overreact but if you see her , you'll know what i mean




She was just .. something else. She was a mixture of Yasmin from Aladdin and a Barbie Doll, i didn't see anything like her i swear




Let me tell you , i've met and seen a good share of girls in my lifetime ..





Blonde , brunette , redhead , blue eyes and brown , tall , short and gorgeous i must say. That was mostly back in Canada and thanks to 3bdallah i Did have the pleasure of meeting the blissful beauties here in Kuwait who did not serve what my friends mentioned right ..



But this one? She makes your heart just ACHE




Her hair was just so black , long and dazzling matching her intense big eyes that had a certain pull at the angle that made you feel she was hypnotizing you. Her nose was sharp , held up to make her lips show beautifully. Her skin was the perfect Kuwaiti shade and had an additional shiny tan, a trademark of the beautiful city she was from..




" EEMM222mmm ! Now where did THAT come from?! " Salim noticed her as she hand walked towards me , we watched her hop in her car and about to leave the place




" Where what came from? " 7amanni asked oblivious though he was right next to us " A77!! 6a3 el motar !! " he suddenly said




" Ee walah motarhaa 7lo bs ehe a7laa " Salim said




" La qa9dee el 7beeb ele wagef hnaak , shabab 3n ethinkom rayi7 as2alaa bcham ybee3" Salim left us to go greet the guy outside




" A5aaaaaaih! no wonder you were bedazzled bro " Salim put a hand on my shoulder and shook his head




I laughed " I seriously don't know what happened to me .. "




" Girls to that to you man , girls do that to you .. " He said shaking his head. Looking like an old man with a lifetime of experience and willing to share the good, the bad and the ugly of it all and top you up with an advice you'll use as long you live, and i liked that about him. knowing that Salim have had a good share of girls and relationships considering his looks





" Yalla yubaaa ye3naaaa yaaaaaaaah la t5alounii aroo7 adebba '3oouzii eb shalaih bo Jasssoooum ! " 3ammar was saying approaching us




" Eskit eskit , ma sheft 9a7ibna hnee sh9ar fe tawwa " Salim told him




3ammar's head snapped at me " Sh9ar goul! tabe faz3a ana hnee !! goulii wnaa a5ouk ana a3een wa3awin " 3ammar slapped his own chest ready to do whatever " W el Salam la tshoufa chthy shakla tara yenfa3 w rabbi mjarba anaa "





I slapped his shoulder " Yaaaa b3d chabdii ya bu 3amraa bs el salfa mafeha la faz3aa wala hagwetii el m3awan befeed.. " I told him




" Il salfa feha bnayya " Salim said




And 3ammar's head snapped at me again " Haaaa ! Mnu bet'thabi6 goulee bas wainhaa dalnee dalnee bas 3ala mokanhaa .. " He started looking around and i laughed harder




" La yuba shathabbe6 3ammour shfeek ! "




" Bas 3ammour ra7at 3alaik yuba 5ala9 , la t5aleenee adeg 3alal maraa al7eeeeen . 5al el tethebbe6 7aggi w 7g whayyib "




" Maaaaan i remember some good tiiiimes i haaad .. " 3ammar looked up at nothing as if reminiscing on days.




" You might think he means that, but he really doesn't .." Salim shook his head and blinked at me





" Al7een 9arla m3a morta 7 sneen w yayeb minha 3 3yal .. ma kan y7ebha gbl wala y3arfhaa , 5athahaa mn bait ahalha seeda old school marriage.. y7ebha w ymout 3alaihaa w la tshooufa hnee weyanaa bil shalaih hathy awal 6al3a lah mn 3 asabee3 kan msaferhaa m3ah shahar 3asal thanii "




" Shqa9diik el Salaam ?!! haaaaa ashouf gam ta5eth ra7tik wayeddd " 3ammar's scary voice came through. You did NOT want to get in a fight with this guy. he could take 4 down in 7 minutes, we were witnesses to that record.




" Ya yubaaaa ma qa9dee shaaay bs gam agoulaa y3ny .. " Salim explained




" Eeh .. 3abalyy b3d "




I was actually impressed. 3ammar LOVED the ladies , that's what he was always known for since we were teenagers. And he still did ,trust me .. but the love of his life was one woman and one woman only ..




His wife and the mother of his children whose been given ALL of his time and devotion. He did talk about girls and how lovely they were , but he never dared to even look at someone or cheat in any sort of way ..




And that's why he grew bigger in my eyes. He was still the old 3ammar who changed to be a better man but didn't truly lose who he really was




After all , it was what they called ' She6anat 9bayan '




" 6a3 hathak el thanii b3d , el talefoun ma 6a7 mn eeda .. haaalka el walad w la3ba fe 7esbitaa " Salim noticed and we turned to look at 3bdallah




" 5alouh 3ala ra7ta .. ya m3awad mo kil youm tilga wa7ed t7ibba, w ymkin t7eba el youm w ma tilgah bacher .. " They all turned to me




Like i said , i wasn't a man of many words. But when i say something and it's really that deep .. everyone seems to shut up with surprise




I stopped " Walaaaaih shgilt b3d?! "




" Duuuuuuude " Salim said taking a deep breath and giving me crazy eyes




" That was DEEP " 3ammar said




I shrugged " i was just sayin .. "




They didn't have to be geniuses to figure out i was a man of a deep dark past and a very bitter experience , my friends knew .. even though i didn't tell the rest of them the whole story, it was easy to guess.




The gentlemen they were , they didn't ask me about it. They just nodded and hit my shoulder as in to say..' hang in there dude '. That's what we were like , that was who we were.




7amanni was just done checking out the motors out in the back and asking the guys about the best garages and the kind of engines and Rims they used.




He was one of the best racers in the city , he was ALL about everything with wheels on it. The Guy wanted to drive since he was 14 ! his father let him sit behind the wheel just to start the car and feel the roar of the engine just so he wouldn't go crazy on them.





We finally ate glad that something did come through our eager stomaches. Trying to ignore 3bdullah's teases to 7amanni and Salim's flirting games with the girls around and 3ammar's slaps for me accusing me of thinking about that girl again.





Man , that was a good evening.




It was nearly morning when we were back at the Shalaih each in his bed after long long fist fights , pillow fights and our own creation ' juice box fights '




We were pretty battered, each body laying with a crazy gymnastic pose on each bed. I finally slept ignoring the loud snoring and was so far in it that i began to dream




I was sitting on that same pavement i waited on for Kenzii to show up , waiting .. eager .. worried ..


Everything was so dark



Hearing her voice , happily i turn around only to see her father coming at me with all his strength angry , cursing me



I woke up with a gasp sweating and trying to catch a breath , i looked over at the guys who were heavy sleepers -thank god-




I went down to drink a glass of water and revive a little. I looked out the huge windows that overlooked the peaceful sea at Dawn and decided to go out for air..




I got out and inhaled deeply enjoying the refreshing breeze of the ocean. i lay on my back on the sand looking up at the sky in its' different beautiful layers ready for the sun that soon to come out. Just .. breathing




I sat up again and looked at the sea , admiring every detail from the endless horizon on my left ..



Then to the Shalaih's that were right across from ours separated by the big sea ..




To the right side's endless horizon to a.. head?




My breathing suddenly stopped and my heartbeats just grew faster. It was a person ..




Sitting up with the exact same position as mine seeming oblivious to her surroundings .. including me.

Once upon a lie 8

Thank you ALL for commenting i love yoooouuuuu ;*



Enjoy this post !




Xoxo



----


I watched as she floated gently above the blue surface , tucking her water-groomed hair behind her ears



She started swimming backwards holding her head back against the water , closing her eyes and smiling at nothing but the sky above her , her golden skin was glowing in the sunshine her hands dancing beautifully in rhythm with the small waves of the sea




I was stunned. I was struck and my eyes were just .. STUCK there looking at her. I couldn't look away , why THE HELL wasn't i looking away? it was like she hypnotized me




" Ambee you crazy person ! come back here !! " I saw a couple of girls approaching the shore looking at her




" Great now she'll never get out of there .. " Another girl said shaking her head



They didn't seem to notice me and i thought it was a better idea if i didn't wait for them to. I turned my head back to the other side of the sea and tried to think of something else




" Come on let's go , she's never going to listen , mn 9ijiich? " i heard the first girl say and i could sense them walking away back to their own Shalaih





So slowly i turned my face back to where the girl was and look at her again , i WANTED to look at that girl swimming again.





Woah , I suddenly told myself. Wahab shfeek ?




My eyes searched almost half the surface , i couldn't see a thing .. not a single floating object in there




Wait .. where did she go?! My head was thinking.. Okay, NOW am getting worried




Where's that girl ? , i searched again and again .. Why wasn't she there?




She couldn't have went back i heard what the girls said. my heart was racing and my mind wasn't thinking at all. Next thing i know i was face down in the water swimming like crazy ..





What the hell am i doing?!. what am i even LOOKING for?!




I tried to swim back to were i saw her , my mind in complete shut down. I looked like a lost fish





But then , out of nowhere i saw a head snap out of underneath the water again




It was her! it was that girl! , my mind was saying. I looked at her and tried to make sure she was okay when suddenly she turned to me




If we were only in a story , She's be a non-existing mermaid





If i was completely nuts .. i could totally make her up as a mermaid when i tell this story again , i thought.





I didn't quite see her eyes , but i saw something glow in them. They were big and dark and .. frighteningly beautiful. She looked at me intensely as if taking in the awkward situation like i was .. or , i thought again , Maybe she was looking at my silly face staring at her like i was a freak out of the waters.




Just when i tried to take another breath , she was gone.




I saw her swimming in a dash back to the beach , like a big shark was behind her




Wait a minute , would i be the shark in HER story?. I suddenly laughed at myself for my stupid thoughts




What was i doing in the middle of the sea?!



I watched back again to see her , but she wasn't there .. she just DISAPPEARED.




I laughed again at myself and swam back to the Shalaih. I went in to take a shower and A few minutes later the guys caught up with me




We were all pretty tired and just wanted to sit our butts down on the couch. We watched a little TV , Smoked some cigarettes and made some sandwiches for dinner. As much as i wanted to .. i didn't say anything to the guys about what i saw , i suddenly remembered the crazy fishermen's story with the mermaid and snapped back into reality




I looked over at 3baid who was snoring endlessly on his bed and smiled. I turned to my own sleeping position and i was out.




I woke up the next morning with a weird feeling in my stomach




You know those days when you wake up and try to remember a dream? and no matter how HARD you think and squeeze your head to try and remember it , you can't.




I swear it was just in my head a few minutes back , why couldn't i remember it now?




You know when your stomach feels the exact same way it did in the dream , funny and ticklish like something good happened in there and you want to know what




" whayiiib wain shorty Abercrombie? " 3baid suddenly cut off my thoughts



" Ha? "



" Shorty ma shefta? chinny 7a6a ams bil jan6a .. "



" La shoufa bjan6etee ymkin 7a6aita bil '3ala6 "




I shook my head and told my self i was being a little too gay. what the hell? , since when do i want to remember a dream?




I laughed a little at myself in the process. If only the guys knew ..




They'd make my life a living nightmare. I went downstairs to see them surrounding the dining table " 9aba7hom el 5aaaair "



" Ya halaaa wyahhhiiiib ta3al ta3aaaal el salam msawee 5osh baai'6 wallah ma hagaitaa y3rf ysawee shay '3air el m'3azal " 3ammar pulled a seat for me next to him





" Yah yaaaaaaaaahh mn metaaa Chef el 7beeb?! " i asked , i had to admit i was impressed!



You take one look at Salim's face and you'd take him for a preppy dude too into his looks and maybe a little full of himself and i can't say i blame him .. The guy managed to get 11 girls to fall for him in 2 weeks




" wa7sh el salaaaaaam '3adak 3lay el youm haa ?" 7amanni commented




I laughed " 3a6nee ballah 5l ashouf bai'6ik shloun 9ayer "




We ate in peace until it was time for another joy ride on the jets , we all took off and rode away with them



By the time we got back to the Shalaih i remembered the girl form yesterday. Where was she today? No one seemed to be out accept for us




I shrugged and parked my jet. We all lined them up and took seats next to each other on the sand



7amannii digging in the sand , 3ammar just laying there relaxing his head , Salim swimming in his own tanning oil and 3bdallah checking his phone for missed calls from his Girlfriend..



We were guys after all , 10 minutes in those positions and we instantly got up for it was time for lunch



We drove in 3ammar's car til we got to McD's Bnaider



" Hoooob ayabaaaa ba6lib ana el menue kilaa! " 3ammar shouted as soon as he got in




" Hello siiiiiirrrr " The kind Philippino's greeted us




" Hala halaaaaa tkfa tkfa tkfaaa ne5aitik ! " 3baid almost flew to the counter " Make us sanwiches and make them fast haa? or i die here "




The place was surprisingly empty accept for a few foreigners minding their own business and eating in peace , it was my turn to order and just as i was about to speak,



A tall figure came in a rush and stood right next to me " Hello ma'aaaam sorry we forgot to give you your other baaaag " The lady at the counter said and i turned to look at whom she was speaking




" It's okay .. " She said and her eyes met mine




Oh SHIT. , suddenly exploded in my mind



Her eyes were black , her hair matching them wonderfully and her curls lay gently on each shoulder. Her skin was perfect cocoa butter and gold form the sun and her lips drawn in a such a way you just want to stare




I saw her shrug , eyes dropping to the floor and she was gone again




I watched her leave , baggy T-shirt and Jean shorts .. she was almost dancing gracefully as she went



" 3bdelWahab !!! " i found 7amanni nudging me



" Ha?! " i snapped and looked at him



" Shfeek tanna7t? el rayal 9arlaa sa3a ygouliik shtabe ta6liib "



" Uhh .. Ee abee Mcroyal large size , please "



" Eeeeeeehhh Mcroyaaal ? ashwa inha 6la3at ! .. Goulii ashooouuff shilly ma5ith tafkeerik ballah? "




Was he NOT here when the girl showed up? how can someone miss THAT?!




" Uhh .. " I tried to speak again , i wasn't a man of many words trust me ..




Everyone who knew me would say that i was't a talker but .. THIS was too wrong , even for me




As i thought a bit further i suddenly remembered, the girl in the dream was the same girl in the sea and the girl in the sea..




She just walked out of that door

Once upon a lie 7

Anoon malgoofa; Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay;D i announce! you're the winner 5alas , choose your prize ;p




Caramela ; eee ana b3d yeee333t ;( Slider wayed shay jameel ya jima3a a7ib ele sawah ;p



Om Ya3goub; thank yoooouuuu YOU GO TOO GIRL! lol we'll see who will win 3bdelwahab's heart ;p



H ; eeeee they're supposed to be chthyyy the hot Kuwaities ele you melt over ;( lol don't even get me started on our guys! a7ebhom ;(




Random.Rm ; Lol ok i think that's a vote for 3bdallah ppl ;p bs el 9a7ba el 9a7ba mskeen myaninitaa ;p lool




Hope ; 5alaaaas sharing is caring b3d shensawee , hal wahab mskeen lel7een ma nagga el bnyaa w il 6alabat gam ette7athaf mn al7een am glad you're liking the characters! that means am doing a good job ;p




Anonymous; am sorry sweetie i made my theme chthy coz i thought it would be easier for my readers 3ashan la te7wall 3younhom wehma ygroon long paragraphs , plus i have issues with DOUBLE SPACING lol thanks to my english Prof. ;p am going crazy over it ! bs ana a7essa 3adee y3ny unless enty shabka mn phone ;( bs i'll try ok?




Nawarii ; Okay ladies this is the second vote for 3boud! ;p lool let's see what happens shall we? love yooouuu toooooo Nawarii





I LOVE YOU ALL and i LOVE your comments akthar so tell me what you think of this one! enjoy this guys




XOXO !


-----



See the problem is that I wasn't even looking for her ..


I wasn't looking for that girl , the one who everyone keeps telling me am going to find. What if after a while you just grow out of it? you just don't care if you fall in love again? Like it's not the most important thing in your life..


What if it just doesn't matter to you?



I wasn't a guy you'd call " happy " but I was CONTENT. I didn't have a family. I had a father , and there was me. But now I do , and I kind of like it that way




I don't go to university anymore , but I like the feeling of freedom.. It might sound stupid but that's how I feel. You know , not having to worry about failing or attending.. Whatever.


And am not saying I won't go. Period. No, am just .. Waiting. I don't know if that's even the right word because if you ask me , I don't even know what am waiting for!



See I was just living .. And living for me was ok .. All smooth and easy



Not like before where I had to watch my back and try with all my power to stay away from trouble. But here , It was different somehow. Like .. I wasn't getting into trouble because trouble wasn't even there to be found


A part of me likes this change. But , the other part's like what the hell are you doing ?! Just hanging around and doing nothing.. Where did Abdulwahab go?


To tell you the truth , I don't know . To answer that I have to continue on with my story. Then , we'll see if i can find the answer


" Hii wahabii "



" Woah!! " I suddenly opened my eyes to see a small head with curls bouncing around it from all sides smiling at me with a gap between the first two teeth



I was on the floor and the room was upside down. I didn't even recognize it


" Lulu .." I tried to speak through my lazy mouth , I just woke up and not by birds or bells!. Let me tell you this , I DON'T LIKE to be woken up. AT ALL. I liked to do that on my own terms and this , here .. Wasn't good



" What are you doing here? " i asked her




" What am I doing here ? What are YOU doing on my brother's bed " she giggled




" Oh!" I snapped , I slept here yesterday because me and 3bdullah were going to the shalaih. So THAT's why I didn't recognize the room and was woken up by a tiny little fuzzy creature




" 3bdallah waina? " I asked blinking at her cute face , trying to wake up. God I was so tired



" In the bathroom , now tell me What did you do without me yesterday?"




I suddenly laughed " ask me what I didn't do! O5ooch ma 5alla mokan ma waddani yah "




She frowned at me not liking what she heard " well don't go with him ! He doesn't know all the cool games I do"



I nodded trying to be cool with it " games? .. Uhh .. Okay ? Sure maybe I can do that .. what do you like to play? "




Poor me , i had no idea what i was getting myself into



She suddenly grinned at me , a devilish smile that was too pretty to be called that. But it was enough to scare anyone who'd never tried playing with a 5 year old before




" We can have tea in my mini teacups and we can make chicken in the ovvveennn and we can dress up Barbie , i hadn't changed her clothes since yesterday! "




" Oh dear ! " i made a face " Then we must do it fast "




Suddenly something burst with laughter behind me , it was 3bdallah in a towel




" Wenta 3ala shno gam tith7ak ?" i asked sternly




" Rou7 rou7 labbis Barbie na6ra "




I turned to Lulu " Lulu .. Barbie 3o3o ele lazm nlabes'ha malabes'ha " She laughed and i smiled at 3bdallah



" Chub. 6il3aw barra athnainkom "



" Excuse me pretty lady I have to go to the restroom and I'll be right with you " I got up and went to do my business. Then got out again and saw 3bdallah smiling at me. Fully dressed this time thank god



" So do you want to have breakfast here wela bil shalaih? " 3bdallah asked



But before I could answer , we saw lulu standing in the doorway hands on her hips " come on the tea is not gonna pour itself "



" Enty mn wain te6li3eelina?!! " 3bdallah asked her , the man seriously looked frightened



" Wahabii is having breakfast with ME " she looked at me " 9a7? " Her eyelashes were hard to resist



" Uhh.." I didn't have to answer , I was lead to a pink room with little butterflies hanging from the walls and I was intimedated by the scene



There was a small table with little teacups and cupcakes on it. And the food was real! Oh dear , I thought to myself



" Okay you sit on the floor la2anna el karasee ma ykaffoonik " She told me




" Eee ee feek 5air kasser karaseeha , you'll be sorry " 3bdallah was saying




I looked at him " Why do you think she doesn't talk to me anymore? i just liked to experience them.. they looked too nice " he held up his hand " Eg3ad eg3ad bas kammil shi'3lik ana rayi7 2akil akil 9ijji cupcake man "





" ma 3alaik kila eyee yby yakil cupcakaty la2ana y7ebhom la2anhom 7ilween bas ana ma a3zema " Lulu told me , and it wasn't 2 minutes until 3bdallah's head popped in again " Lulu .. can i have a cupcake? "




I threw a pillow at him and he threw it back " Hey hey!! " Lulu shouted " Gam t5arboon 7aflitii bas mabeekom 6il3aw barra "




" Afaa Lulu .. w breakfastnaaa w el oveennn wel Barbieeee wain ra7aw? " she pouted at me, picked up a cupcake and gave it to me " Thank you for coming "





She was waiting for me to leave i knew it , " thanks " I smiled and left the room




" Tabe takilha kilaha? " 3bdallah was looking at me , i laughed and gave it to him




by 10:30 we were on our way to Bnaider , the weather was already beautiful and the sun was perfect



We arrived there and couldn't wait until we unpacked and settled in , we instantly took out our shorts and towels and hit the water



Man it's so good to be out here again, I thought to myself




The feel of the waves crashing in and splashing salted drops upon your face , the sun shining right down on the dazzling blue sea to make it a little greenish warming you in the process ..




It was all so relaxing that i couldn't believe it. I really really needed that. Then i asked myself a hundred times ' why didn't i think of coming back here sooner .. under other circumstances .. or by choice?



But i was glad i was here anyway. we got out the fresh water to have a meal that my aunt had prepared for us. A name no man could ever resist " M6abbag Zbaidee "




We ate in joy as usual then waited a while for the food to settle in before we hit the water again



By 4 o'clock the guys; 3ammar , salim and 7ammanni showed up. They were old buddies and neighbors of ours and were both surprised and happy to see me again after all those years



" Welaaaak bo shmais el shalaih ele yamnaa el thaher tawhom nazleen , w rabbe 9a5ar 9a5ar .. kil hal modda nyee ma nadree shesalfa yamnaa " 7amanni was saying as he took his bag upstairs



" E7liif? walah wala adree 3anhom ana ge6nee hnee w ensanee " 3bdallah answered




" Haa whayyiiib goulina 3ad shlounhom hnaak ?! ga6eenik bain hal sheger wel 7emer ma thaba6tlik sitta , sab3a.. ? " 3ammar asked




I laughed " La yubaa wain .. ana 3gb ele shefta hnee .. la tes2alnaa 3n ele hnaak ma ygayshoun w rabbi "




" Yah yah 6a3 el 7beeeeeeeeeb!! motayyam mn awalhaa ! mno hathy ballah ele 6ayi7itik mn awalha ? " Salim asked me excited




" Wallah mako .. bas el banat hnee akeed '3air 3n ele hnaak "




" Eee wallah akeed hee el zain kilaa , bs ma gilna shay bs el ta'3yeer 7lo ya5ouk wel 7aya tajarob ent shwaraak .. " 3ammar laid back on the sofa



" Ra7at 3laik 3ammour , hatha went metzawwej b3d w tabe ta'3yeer .. 3yal e7na shngoul" Salim said




" La yubaaa la 7beebee hathy om el 3yal '3aaair hathy akeed mako mithilhaa .. " He smiled as if remembering her face , Salim threw the tissue box at him




" Yalla shabab gemna gemna gemnaaaa!! " 3bdallah was already running to the beach towards the lined up jet-skies



We all followed having a crazy good time. But after a little while i had a little headache , i signaled for the guys and went back to shore , i stopped the engine and found myself thrown off on the soft golden sand




I laid back enjoying the relaxing sensation , the light breeze touching my face , inhaling the sweet fishy scent of the water ..





I got up again and watched the waves , taking in ever detail when i heard a strong splash nearby




I couldn't tell what went in the water exactly but a head came out on the surface again. It took me a few minutes to realize it was a girl