The Unlovable Alina Butt by Ambreen Butt-Hussain

Author:Ambreen Butt-Hussain [Butt-Hussain, Ambreen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2023-02-06T20:00:00+00:00

* * *

Nadia and I lay in our beds, staring up at the ceiling. I was dreading going to school the next day. I figured Nadia probably felt the same. We turned to look at each other, staring blankly for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing.

We always seem to make each other laugh, no matter how bad we’re feeling. Any situation seems better when we’re together.

“What are we gonna do?” she said, sighing.

“To start with, I’m thinking of changing my name. That’ll take care of a few of my problems,” I replied.

“I feel so unhomely,” Nadia groaned, stuffing her face into her pillow.

“Same.”

We have our own dictionary of words, which only we understand. Unhomely is the feeling you get the night before the first day of school after the summer holidays. Your stomach has a sinking feeling and you’re overwhelmed with gloom, which makes it hard to fall asleep. Sometimes you can’t even explain why you’re feeling so sad, it’s just there, and you want it to pass. This time, though, we definitely had our reasons.

We heard footsteps and a loud burp. We looked at each other and smiled, because we knew what was coming.

My dad poked his head in.

“I want to talk to you girls.”

We tried to look as somber as we could. He needed to know he had caused serious damage.

He sat on Nadia’s bed. “I was trying so hard to protect you both,” he said, “but I should have realized that you are both strong enough to protect yourselves. I still want you to tell me anytime anyone bothers you. I want to know.”

He paused for a moment and then continued, “Next time I will give you my advice. But then I will let you figure out the solution yourself. Okay?”

“Okay!” we said together.

“But you have to promise me something first.”

“What?” Again we spoke together.

“You have to promise that you will always stand up for yourselves. If someone pushes you down, you will get back up.”

“Promise,” we chimed together.

But I started fidgeting. I wasn’t actually sure I could keep this promise. My dad could sense it.

“I know you can do it. You have it in you. Both of you. You just have to find your strength and show it to the world. No one messes with my little Butts!”

Nadia and I looked at each other, trying hard not to laugh.

Then he kissed us both on the foreheads and said good night. We burst into laughter as soon as he was out of the room.

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