The Boy Everyone Warned Me About
1040 Words
I told myself I wouldn’t look again.
But some decisions are easier to make in theory than in practice.
By the time I finally forced my eyes back to my notebook, the lecturer was already halfway into the introduction of the course outline. Zainab was scribbling something beside me, but I wasn’t hearing anything properly.
My mind kept slipping back to the same place.
The window.
The boy.
Amir Bello.
I didn’t know why a stranger could feel so… noticeable. He wasn’t doing anything dramatic. No loud entrance. No attention-seeking behavior. Just sitting there like he had no interest in impressing anyone.
And somehow, that was exactly what made him stand out.
“Stop it,” Zainab whispered suddenly.
I flinched. “Stop what?”
She didn’t even look at me. “That face you’re making.”
“What face?”
“The one that says you’re about to do something stupid.”
I frowned. “I’m literally just listening to the lecture.”
“Mhm,” she hummed, clearly unconvinced. “Keep lying to yourself.”
I sighed and forced my attention forward.
For at least ten whole minutes, I succeeded.
Then the lecturer said something about group discussions.
Heads turned. Chairs shifted. Papers rustled.
“Alright,” he said, clapping his hands lightly, “I’m going to assign groups. You’ll be working with people you don’t usually sit with. This is to encourage interaction.”
A soft wave of complaints moved through the class.
Zainab groaned beside me. “I hate group work.”
I didn’t respond.
Because something in my chest had already tightened.
The lecturer started reading names.
One by one.
“Group A… Group B…”
Each name pulled someone into motion, chairs scraping as students relocated.
Then—
“Group D.”
I sat up a little straighter without meaning to.
“Amira Hassan…”
That was me.
My stomach dipped slightly.
“Zainab Yusuf…”
Of course. At least I wouldn’t suffer alone.
I exhaled quietly in relief.
Then the lecturer continued.
“And… Amir Bello.”
Silence didn’t fall in the room.
But it felt like it did for me.
My head turned before I could stop it.
And for the first time since I saw him, his eyes met mine.
Directly.
Not accidental.
Not distracted.
Just… aware.
For a second, I forgot what breathing normally felt like.
Then he looked away first.
Like it meant nothing.
Like I meant nothing.
Zainab’s hand grabbed my arm under the desk. “No.”
I blinked. “What?”
She leaned closer, voice urgent. “Tell me I didn’t hear that correctly.”
“I—” I swallowed. “You heard it correctly.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re in a group with him?”
“It’s just a group assignment, Zainab.”
She shook her head immediately. “No. No, no, no. That’s exactly how things start.”
I rolled my eyes, but my heart was still beating a little too fast. “You’re overreacting.”
“I am not overreacting,” she insisted. “I literally warned you about him five minutes ago.”
“And I literally have no choice.”
That shut her up—but only for a second.
“Fine,” she said finally, lowering her voice. “But I’m telling you now, be careful.”
I didn’t answer.
Because Amir had stood up.
And he was walking toward us.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Like he had all the time in the world.
My throat suddenly felt dry.
He stopped beside our row.
Close enough that I could clearly see him now.
Not just the calm expression. Not just the quiet confidence.
But the way people around him subtly shifted away, like they already knew something I didn’t.
He looked at me.
Then at Zainab.
Then back at me again.
“You’re Amira?” he asked.
His voice was lower than I expected. Calm. Controlled.
I nodded before I could think too hard. “Yes.”
A pause.
Then, “Group D.”
It wasn’t a question.
I nodded again. “Yes.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then he said, “Alright.”
That was it.
No greeting. No smile. No unnecessary words.
Just… acceptance.
Like I was part of something he had already decided.
Zainab cleared her throat loudly beside me. “We’ll discuss the topic later.”
Amir’s eyes briefly shifted to her.
Just a glance.
Then back to me.
“I don’t do delays,” he said simply.
My brows furrowed slightly. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, still calm, “if we’re working together, we start today.”
Zainab let out a small laugh that sounded more like disbelief. “Today? Like… immediately?”
He didn’t even look at her this time. “Yes.”
I should’ve said no.
I should’ve agreed with Zainab.
I should’ve done anything except what I did next.
But instead, I heard myself say, “Okay.”
The word left my mouth before I could stop it.
And the moment I said it—
Something changed in his expression.
Not a smile.
Not softness.
Something quieter.
Like confirmation.
Like I had just stepped into something I didn’t fully understand yet.
“Good,” he said.
Then he turned slightly.
“I’ll send you the topic outline.”
And just like that, he walked away.
No hesitation.
No second glance.
Zainab turned to me immediately.
“I’m going to say this once,” she whispered.
I sighed. “Here we go.”
She pointed in the direction he left. “That boy is not normal.”
I leaned back in my chair, trying to act calm even though my thoughts were anything but.
“I noticed,” I muttered.
Zainab narrowed her eyes. “And you still said yes?”
I didn’t answer.
Because the truth was—
I didn’t know why I said yes.
But worse than that…
I didn’t know why part of me didn’t regret it.
And somewhere across the lecture hall, I felt it again.
That same quiet awareness.
Like even though he wasn’t looking at me anymore…
Amir Bello had already decided I was part of his story.
- Writer
