Zain glanced at his phone again, the message from Ella still glowing on the screen. His thumb hovered over the keys, wondering if he should respond, but before he could, the silence in the room grew even more intense. His dad was still glaring at his plate, not bothering to say anything, and his mom was watching him with a curious but unreadable expression.
Zain sighed quietly, still not quite ready to address everything that had happened. Instead, he focused on the party.
“It’s in three days,” Zain said after a beat, his voice almost quieter than usual. “Ella’s parents are hosting a party. Theo and I are invited.”
His mom looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. “A party? That soon?”
Zain nodded. “Yeah. She said it'd be fun. Just... you know, something to do.”
His dad’s silence was deafening, and after a few seconds, he finally spoke up. “A party, huh? With that kid Theo?”
Zain stiffened, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. He wasn’t sure if his dad was angry or just disappointed, but his voice had a sharp edge to it. “It’s just a party, Dad. I’ve known Ella since I was little. It’s not a big deal.”
His dad didn’t respond right away. Instead, he looked at Zain with that familiar, disapproving gaze. “You better not let it distract you from what you’re supposed to be doing. You have responsibilities, Zain. And that’s not just about having fun with your friends. The engagement is still on, and you know that, right?”
Zain clenched his jaw. The weight of his dad’s words hit harder than usual. He didn’t want to deal with it right now—not when everything was still so up in the air. “Yeah, I know.”
His mom intervened, her tone a little softer. “Let him go, Anthony. If it’s just a party, it’s not going to hurt him.” She looked over at Zain, a quiet understanding in her gaze. “But make sure you stay out of trouble, alright? And don’t forget that we still need to talk about the... other things.”
Zain forced a nod, even though his thoughts were already somewhere else. “I’ll be careful, Mom.”
Dinner continued in awkward silence, the weight of his dad’s lingering stare like a shadow across the table. Zain couldn’t wait to leave, to get out of the house and away from the expectations that seemed to crush him every time he stepped through the door.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Zain excused himself, standing up and grabbing his jacket. His dad barely acknowledged it, and his mom gave him a small, encouraging smile, though there was still an undercurrent of tension between them.
“I’m going out,” Zain said, his voice thick with exhaustion.
His mom nodded, her gaze lingering on him for a moment. “Just don’t stay out too late, okay? And remember—three days. We’ll figure this all out.”
Zain nodded quickly, his mind already racing ahead. He had three days before the party, three days before everything could go even more complicated.
As he stepped outside, he dialed Theo’s number without thinking twice. The call connected after a few rings, and the familiar sound of Theo’s voice made Zain feel like he could breathe again.
“Hey, what’s up?” Theo answered, his voice warm, like he’d been waiting for Zain to call.
Zain couldn’t help but smile. “Just got home. My dad’s still... well, he’s being my dad.”
Theo chuckled, and Zain could practically hear the grin in his voice. “Yeah, sounds about right. What’s the deal with the party in three days?”
Zain sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. “It’s... complicated. My dad’s still pushing the engagement, and I don’t know how to explain any of it to him. But Ella’s parents are throwing a party, and she invited us both.”
Theo paused for a second. “You wanna go?”
Zain’s heart skipped. The way Theo asked it made it sound like the party could be something else entirely. Something... less complicated. “Yeah,” Zain said, feeling the weight of everything start to lift, even if just a little. “I think I do. We should go. Just... let everything go for a night.”
“Then it’s a plan,” Theo said, his tone reassuring. “I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to it.”
Zain smiled at the thought, the excitement bubbling up. “Yeah. Me too.”
As they said their goodbyes and hung up, Zain took a deep breath, feeling a little lighter. He had three days, but maybe, just maybe, things were finally starting to fall into place.
ns 15.158.61.15da2
