Today Wissam got his driver's license. He's really excited to drive Dad's Mustang to the champion league's party at his friend's place. I can't wait till I have my own license. Hope he has fun.

It was an understated scribbled piece of writing; the first entry in 2005 of an optimistic twelve year old girl's diary portraying nothing about the fateful turn of events impending.

The girl being Maha Ifa Ayat.

Wissam, whom she had the bad habit of calling by name even though he was six and a half years older than her, was her brother and potential crime mate with whom she was joined to the hip. If anything prevented her from sitting on a catapult and projecting herself to the moon or anywhere as far when life got tough and rough, it was him.

From midnight snack fest to prank calling to dropping her off to school or cosplaying their favorite cartoon or movie characters using household appliances.

It was always her and him.

No longer do their unified chortles ring in the house or the park or anywhere in fact. No longer do they squeeze into a beanbag with a bowl of munchies or brush their teeth together while making comic faces at the mirror or get into a water fight while watering the plants or washing the car during the weekends.

They are all memories now.

Kaif pulls up the car near the entrance of his sister's university.

"Alright, we're here." He announces.

"What? Already?" Maha's tone drips disappointment.

"Get off now." Kaif says, "You're gonna get me late."

"You should try being for a change, Mr. Punctual." Maha retorts with an eye-roll, as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

"Don't listen to her, Kaif." Tan says, "Your sister is a zombie looking for opportunities to turn everybody like her."

"Flattering, Tandoori. Very flattering." Maha mutters wryly as she steps out of the car.

They exchange Salam before Kaif drives off.

"Do I get to know what you're so keenly searching for but can't seem to find?" Tan asks.

It never ceases to amaze Maha how her best-friend can read people almost without conscious effort. But then again, Tan is majoring in Psychology and Human Behavior.  Apart from excelling in Karate, decoding underlying meanings of words and reading between the lines are few of her other innate talents. 

"Like you haven't guessed already."

Whenever Maha has a few minutes to spare before class, she's casting about for trouble. She may be an adult, but she refuses to bid adieu to her immaturity completely.

"Wishing I'm wrong, and not for the first time."

In the hallway, their path intersects with Abigail's.

"If it isn't Professor Lopez's favorite student." She jeers.

Tan smirks. "Jealous, Abigail? Want Maha to put in a good word for you?"

Abigail scoffs, stowing away her lip gloss after coating a fresh layer. "Unnecessary. I'm on everybody's good books already." She displays a fake smile.

"Whose story is going to trend on your gossip blog this week, Gail?" Maha knows that nickname annoys Abigail. "Wait, lemme rephrase that. Whose life are you plotting to screw this week?"

"Better stay tuned to find out." With that, Abigail flips her hair and starts to stalk off.

Abigail has climbed the varsity's social ladder via marketing gossip. While the tales in the Weekly Tea are not exactly fake- which is why she's popular- they are not always hundred percent authentic, either, and has, more than a few times, tarnished reputations and burned the bridges between friends and couples.

"You know, it's not too late to turn your back on this addiction."

Abigail stops, swivels around and narrows her green eyes at Maha. "Are you preaching me?"

Maha shrugs. "Depends on how to choose to see it. It can pass as a friendly advice."

A grimace materializes on Abigail's face. "Too bad. I don't take friendly advice from people who aren't my friends." She whirls around again and struts off.

En-route to their class, the loud thud of someone dropping heavy books and papers pull Maha and Tan to a stop. They spot the person kneeling down and collecting his scattered belongings. The girls walk over to him to lend a hand.

"Thank you." The guy portrays a grateful smile. He has clear blue eyes and dark, flyaway hair.

Maha becomes dumbstruck for a moment, not because the guy in front of her was unquestionably handsome, but because his features struck somewhat familiar.

"No problem. You must be Professor Fraser's newest assistant." Tan says, as she picks up the Economics textbook.

"No. Actually I am the newest Economics Professor."

Tan looks up at him, surprised. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright." He smiles. 

"That's unexpected. Do you know what happened to Professor Fraser?" Tan inquires, a small frown creasing her forehead.

"No. Just that he won't be returning anytime soon."

_

After Math lecture, Tan and Maha debate over whether they should head to the cafeteria or a café nearby for some snacks. On their way Noah Davis comes zooming towards them, slowing down halfway and finally stopping a few paces away, panting.

With his pale face and rangy build, pointed chin and immaculate signature white lab coat, Davis's appearance makes him look like the real-live version of Doofenshmirtz from from the cartoon series Phineas and Ferb.

"Hey Doof, an experiment gone wrong or what?" Maha asks, frowning slightly.

Davis inhales deeply before relaxing and putting on an optimistic smile that emanates bad vibes.

"Please tell me you're done with the assignment." He says beseechingly.

"Bro, if you're gonna speak Japanese at least get your Google translator out."

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no." Both Noah's hand fly to his head. "You didn't do it! I'm doomed! I sent you like countless reminders! How could you still not do it? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Doofus, please, if you're gonna cry kindly use the restroom instead of publicizing how horrible I am at babysitting."

"The Economics assignment, Ayat! Today's the deadline!"

"Fantastic."

"Please tell me you have a plausible explanation for not completing it."

"I'd be lying then."

"You will be the death of me! Why, oh why did I have to be paired with you?"

Maha pulls out a Kleenex from the side pocket of her bag and tucks it into a pocket in Noah's lab coat.

"See you in class."

-

Students start to trickle into the lecture hall and settle down. Richard Ambrose and Sophie Hudson are planning where they should go for their fourteenth date this month. Kevin Rader has his earphones plugged in and is munching on skittles. Aliva and Natasha are having a spirited discussion on the latest Netflix shows. Likewise, the rest are engrossed in their personal activities. Noah Davis is missing, and Maha's best guess is that he is hogging the loo in fear of Professor Fraser's supposed onslaught. Natalie, the girl's basketball team captain, joins Maha.

"I'm going to break an amazing news at practice today." Natalie says. "Actually it's going to be two news for you and Tan."

"I'd bug you to tell us early but I guess it'll be unfair on the others." Maha says. "Plus, the waiting will help me work on my patience."

Maha watches seemingly nonchalantly as the blue-eyed Professor whats-his-name enters and mounts the dais. She has been trying to shrug off the troubling feeling that she knew him from somewhere but eventually caves in to the curiosity. She eagerly waits for him to make the introduction.

"Ahem." The effort to avert attention to himself goes in vain. He takes a minute to survey his heedless audience before opting to speak. "Can I have your attentions please?" This time, heads turn. "Thank you. I'm your new Economics Professor, Rayman Kaify."

"Man, how did I not see him over there?" Maha hears a girl near her say. "He's hot."

"What's happened to Professor Fraser?" Someone asks loudly, and Rayman echoes what he told Maha and Tan earlier this morning.

The news triggers murmurs.

"Alright." Rayman claps his hand to acquire the students' attentions. "I was told you guys have been assigned some work and it's due today. Please hand it over."

Those who have completed theirs happily oblige. That's basically everybody except Kevin and Maha.

"Anybody left?" Rayman asks.

Maha and Kevin raise their hands.

"I'll be lenient this time. Hand it over by tomorrow morning." He then shuffles out a stack of papers. "I've prepared a test to perceive what you have learned so far."

"Oh no, we don't take tests on Mondays." Maha replies hastily and everyone including Mr Kaify stare at her. Wracking her brain for a quick explanation she says, "It's our mental health day, remember?" She glances around at her classmates in a way so they get the hint as to what she's trying to imply. Which they did thankfully.

"Right." Natalie pipes in. "We celebrate this day in honor of all those who went psycho trying to protest against mental torture."

"Yeah. We simply can't work today. Especially not take a quiz." Someone else joins in in a matter-of-fact tone. "That'll be extreme violation of the purpose of this day."

Judging by the look on his face, Rayman is pretty much thrown into a puzzled state.

"I haven't been told about that." He says, his forehead puckering. "So what do you do today if you don't work?"

"We talk!" Sophie exclaims excitedly.

"And?"

"We're allowed to eat." Kevin, who's a black South African, says and just as Mr. Kaify looks like he is about to object, he adds, "To eliminate discrimination and racism."

"Oh. Okay..."

"And class get's dismissed fifteen minutes early which is now." Maha finishes and everyone agrees and begin to hurtle out of the class leaving Rayman standing there speechless.