Chapter Text
When Nicky got off the bus, he noticed a small shadow behind the half-wall. He looked over the half-wall to see if everything was okay.
Nicky: "Hi, Amira. What are you doing? Is everything okay?"
The little girl with the big messy curls and brown eyes shook her head, so Nicky decided to sit down next to her.
Nicky: "Wanna tell me what's wrong?"
Amira: "I'm hiding. From my big brother."
Nicky knew very well who Joe was. Joe was the boy Nicky had had a crush on for the last year, but Nicky didn't even know if Joe liked boys or girls.
Nicky: "From Joe?"
Amira nodded.
Nicky: "Why are you hiding from Joe?"
Amira rolled her eyes while looking irritated.
Amira: "He is SO annoying. Every time I climb on the monkey bars, he insists on helping me so I won't fall down and hurt me."
Nicky: "That shows he cares for you."
Amira let out a huff.
Amira: "I wish he would leave me alone. And I'm also angry at him."
Nicky: "Do you want to tell me why?"
Amira rolled her eyes again.
Amira: "Today, when I told Joe I wanted to join the trampoline club, he said it was a bad idea because I could end up getting hurt."
Amira placed her head on her knees with a sigh.
Nicky: "It sounds like your big brother is having the same problems as my big sisters have."
Amira tilted her head.
Amira: "What do you mean? And how many big sisters do you have?"
Nicky: "Seven. And what I mean is that when I was your age, my big sisters were also very annoying—they still are at times, but now that they have their own families and boyfriends, they have left me in peace to some degree."
Nicky scratched his nose.
Nicky: "You see, Amira, the trick to get rid of very annoying siblings is to keep them distracted by something else."
Amira thought for a moment about what Nicky had just said. Then she looked at Nicky like she had gotten a brilliant idea.
Amira: "I know what to do with Joe. I'm getting him a boyfriend, and while he is distracted by the boyfriend, I can climb on the monkey bars and join the trampoline club without him around."
Nicky: "Okay."
Amira then looked at Nicky with big, puppy eyes.
Nicky: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Amira: "You're going to be Joe's boyfriend."
Nicky: "Sorry, what? Why me?"
Nicky was sure Joe didn't know he exited because they had only spoken a few times at school, and every time, it seemed like Joe was somewhere else in his mind.
Amira: "Because Joe likes you - a lot."
Nicky: "It can't be the case..."
Joe was drop-dead beautiful, and everyone liked him; the same thing couldn't be said about Nicky. No one really spoke with him in school because he didn't like doing the stuff most of the boys his age liked to do.
Amira: "I know it's true that Joe likes you. Let me show you."
Amira found a book in her backpack.
Amira: "This is one of Joe's books with drawings."
Amira flickered through the pages.
Amira: "Isn't that you?"
Amira showed Nicky a sketch of him sitting on the beach. Joe must have drawn it on their last school trip. And it was a beautiful sketch, but why did Joe draw him?
Amira: "I know there are more where they came from. Joe also writes poems about you, so he must like you."
Nicky didn't know what to say.
Amira: "So, please, Nicky. Be Joe's boyfriend so that I can do fun things."
Before Nicky could say or do anything, something blocked the sun. Nicky looked up and saw another face with brown eyes and messy curls.
Joe: "Found you, Amira."
Joe looked to his right.
Joe: "Nicky? What are you doing here?"
Amira: "He told me he was looking forward to your invitation tomorrow. You know, the burger at the diner outside town where most of your friends never come so that you could be alone."
Amira stood up and took her backpack. Joe and Nicky looked at each other with a shy smile.
Amira: "I'll make sure Joe is there at 5 PM. And I promise he won't wear a tank top, shorts, or flip-flops on your date."
Joe looked down at himself before he looked at Nicky.
Amira: "Let's go home so I can find you some clothes."
Amira took Joe's hand.
Amira: "Thanks for the talk, Nicky. It helped a lot."
Amira then dragged Joe with her, leaving Nicky alone back.