Chapter 6: Karen

"You heard?" said Dahlia as she poked Aliyah with her elbow. Both Aliyah and Dahlia were eating along with Isabella in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was crowded as usual with students either eating alone or surrounded by their friends.

"Hm?" Aliyah looked at Dahlia with her doe like eyes as she was sipping on her drink.

"The boys that were using phones in the class all got a double zero."

Isabella choked on her drink as she laughed. "Pfft. What?"

"Yeah, Mr. Taylor saw them cheating but didn't say anything 'cause he thought it'd bother the other students in class."

Isabella sighed as she stroked her hair. "What a man. I feel bad for Ken though...Mr. Taylor should have warned him."

"Poor guy just wanted to draw." said Aliyah whilst having her mouth full.

Dahlia poked Aliyah and asked with a low tone of voice. "Aliyah, who is this girl?"

"A friend."

Dahlia frowned and pouted, looking away so that neither Isabella or Aliyah can see her disapproval. She rolled her eyes and began to eat again.

The whole friend circle of Elias approached them. It was certain that Flynn was also a part of the group. Luke kept his hands on the table and leaned towards Aliyah.

"Oy."

Aliyah was silent. She got up from the seat, leaving her foods behind. Luke held her hands and pulled her with a grin. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

Elias held both Luke's and Aliyah's hands. He grabbed his roommate's hand gently as if she was a fragile and precious creature. But he held Luke's hand as if he was something to hold tight enough to leave a scar.

"Oh ho ho?!" Luke laughed sarcastically. "Mad that I touched your girlfriend?"

"If she isn't, then you'll just go around picking on her? What's wrong with you?" said Elias with a frown.

"Chillax man. Aight I'll piss your girl off a little less, how about that?"

Out of nowhere with the most unexpected resting face, Dahlia kicked on Luke's butt as hard as she could. The kick was fast as lighting, hard as rock, hard hitting as if it was a bullet. But since Dahlia was also a sweet person, perhaps the bullet's velocity was decreased and thus, Luke only fell on the ground looking 'goofy' according to the crowd.

"I beat your ass once like this, remember it." said Dahlia and held both Isabella and Aliyah's hands. As soon as she was about to walk away, Elias held Aliyah's hand from behind with a sheer hesitation despite looking calm.

"Aliyah...(I've held a girl's hand...I've held a girl's hand...I'VE FUCKING HELD A GIRL'S HAND)" said Elias.

Aliyah looked at him without any hostility in her face. "Hm?(EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK)"

"I um- *cough*" Elias covered his mouth as if he has just coughed so that he can hide the insecurity he was feeling.

To break the awkwardness, Flynn asked without no effort, "Wanna go to the arcade with us? Not today since Dahlia broke his ass- I mean back but...what about tomorrow?"

"You two free?" said Isabella.

"Yeah...Aliyah, are you free?" said Dahlia as she kicked on Luke who was still on the ground. "Hey Luke, get up from there- LUKE!?"

Later, in the hospital, a long beep could be heard as Luke was lying on the bed without any motion. Everyone except Isabella and Dahlia were startled. Dahlia cried out loud like a small child as she rushed towards Luke.

"LUKEEE-"

"Let me sleep you little!- Flynn, change your fucking ringtone! This is the second time this happened." Luke shouted after he opened his eyes and grabbed Dahlia's hair, trying to push her away from him. Isabella pulled Dahlia from there and yelled at her,

"Dahlia, it's a freaking hospital!..." As Isabella was yelling at Dahlia, Aliyah was astonished to see such sight where she is possibly one of the very few normal person or perhaps not since she too, has a hidden side like her sister-like friend Dahlia.

"Second time?" Aliyah murmured.

A female doctor entered the room in rush and yelled, "What the heck are you all doing here?! Get OUT!"

They all were yelled to go out of the room and Luke was left alone. They stood outside the hospital being annoyed that their plan has gone into veins.

"How the hell did Dahlia's kick break his bones?" said Isabella.

"We were playing soccer yesterday. The new dude who got in our club pushed him so hard that he fell on the ground, rolled many times and then got injured." said Rowan.

Elias frowned as he looked away. "Tsk. He said that he's fine. Bastard...Who told him to play with that injury?"

"Don't tick him off about it."

Aliyah looked at her cheap phone. She widened her eyes and put her phone back to her bag. "I have to go now." said Aliyah and ran away without any goodbyes.

"Wait-" Dahlia rushed towards Aliyah and kept following her.

They both stopped near a busy street. Aliyah turned back and asked, "Why're you coming with me? Don't you have violin lessons?" said Aliyah.

"No, not today." said Dahlia. She looked at the sky, wondering what excuse she can make. "I was thinking what your workplace looks like."

"(It's gonna be a trouble if she makes a fuss about it. If she knows that Ivy works there...oh no.) You don't have to go there." said Aliyah with a nervous giggle.

"I'll just follow you then. Go ahead, go to your work."

"(If I push her too much, she's gonna be sure that something's wrong...)Tsk. You're just too pushy, you know..." Aliyah rolled her eyes and started to head towards her destination as Dahlia was following her cheerfully.

She reached the workplace and immediately saw Ivy who was taking orders from some customers. She was being boiled in anger under the sweet and innocent face. She looked at Aliyah slowly and gave her a stare that indicated that she now knows why Aliyah was afraid to show her, her workplace.

Dahlia sat down on a table and ordered a strawberry cake whilst keeping an eye on Ivy.

Ivy as well, was giving a strange stare towards Dahlia as she turned away with clenched teeth hidden under her lips. But whilst she was there, nothing hostile happened to Aliyah. After eating her fill, Dahlia left with the thought that her friend is alright. "Bye, Aliyah!"

"Aliyah, come here." said Ivy.

Hearing her name, a blonde haired lady with a three years old blonde son looked at Aliyah as if she was a piece of garbage. She did not even murmur to say that, "She should go back to where she was..."

Aliyah was making a chocolate coffee at the moment. Just as soon as she heard the woman's words, she gave a slow stare towards the woman but did not say anything. She silently kept working as if it was only her fate she has to accept.

Aliyah gave the lady her ordered drinks. The lady ordered two milkshakes and a cookie in the shape of a plane. Of course, Aliyah knew what was written in her fate and so did some of the customers who were recording the moment.

She stayed silent with a tender smile the whole time. The kid took the cookie and placed the glasses close to each other. He flew the plane close to the glasses, playing whilst making the sound of a plane flying.

The cookie broke it's tip, having a crash with the glasses. Aliyah was spectating the whole scenario without any words and with a tender smile.

The lady laughed out loud and so did Aliyah as if she was entertained by it.

"Ow...The cookie's like your mom trying to go into other people's businesses and lives. I could just tell by looking at her."

The kid nodded and said with a proud face, "Yeah, mum's pretty crazy sometimes...She broke my neighbor's PS5 the other day-"

"Shut up!" The lady shouted and got up from her seat with a furious face. She was almost shaking in anger. Aliyah backed away and finished her words, "And even wrecking her brain for it if she can..."

"Shut up! Who gave you the permission to laugh with me? Didn't your mum and dad teach you nothing! You are a refugee!" said the lady with clenched teeth. It was horrendous to see her in that state and also entertaining for everyone else, even though it was another tiring experience for Aliyah.

"I'm sorry?" Aliyah gave disgusted smile which was small and doll-like yet filled with bitterness.

"When you laugh with someone while they are laughing it's offensive! You laughed at my laugh!"

"Wha-"

"YES IT IS. I want to speak to your manager, where is she?" The lady rushed towards the food counter and kept shouting out that she is really willing to speak to the manager. The manager came out of the restroom who is an old lady with white hair and many wrinkles on her. She asked with a lovely smile,

"Do you need anything?"

"Are you the manager?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to get this eyesore! OUT! OF! HERE!" The lady shouted. "This young lady over there was misbehaving!"

"What did she do? She is a lovely worker."

"She was misbehaving!"

"If you do not tell me what she did, I can't just make a decision."

Ivy interrupted and said as if she has witnessed everything keenly. "She literally said so many bad things to this lady, oh my gosh." Ivy looked up and kept her fingertips on her chest as if she has seen something incredibly brutal.

"Ivy, I asked what she did. Not how bad it was." said the manager.

"You won't listen to me, right? Well then, I will leave this place. It's not a place for high leveled people like me!!" The lady was rushing back to the door and stopped near the table as soon as she heard Aliyah murmuring, "Yeah, we're the 'low leveled' ones. A freaking Karen..."

The lady took a glass of the drink and got close to Aliyah in a rush that some of the drinks fell on the ground. She splashed the drink on Aliyah as aggressively as she could. Aliyah looked away in a moment as her dark hair covered her face and the tears. She wiped the drink from her face with her hands and moved her hair away. Everyone was surprised and entertained. No one was speaking for her.

She could say something back to the lady but she didn't since it would prove her hostility towards her. She nodded and asked, "Benny can I go home now? I'll work some extra hours some other days."

"You shouldn't even come back in the first place." said the lady.

"You are not the one to decide that." Benny frowned.

"I'm going." said Aliyah and went to the staff's room. She covered her head with a scarf she carries around in her bag and left in the same dress, not being able to endure the embarrassment.

She ran back to her unit. The dog looked at her going back but it did not bark like it always does. Perhaps, it too was feeling a sorrow for seeing her in that state.

Aliyah took some cloths and went straight to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. The sound made Elias come out of his blanket. He panicked and asked, "Who's there?!"

He soon heard Aliyah's cries from the bathroom and the sound of the faucet running.

"Aliyah!" Elias banged on the door as he yelled her name. "Aliyah, come out!"

Aliyah came out of the bathroom and lied down on the mat on the floor as she tucked herself in the blanket. She took her cheap phone and opened google whilst scrolling some names as if she has lost her mind. Elias snatched the phone away and asked her,

"Why're you searching for names?"

"I should change my name. This name's my curse." said Aliyah as she got up from the mat.

"Why are you trying to change your name? It's beautiful."

"You talk emotions." said Aliyah and tucked herself in the blanket once again. Elias was speechless to see her in that state. He opened his phone and saw a video that Isabella has sent with a text, "Dude, what kind of lady is that?! WTF."

He lowered the volume of the sound and watched the video. His eyes were widened and his jaws dropped slightly. He kept his phone away and got close to Aliyah. He heard Aliyah's silent cries and slowly moved away from her.

"(Can't believe that lady got offended by this...The way Aliyah roasted wasn't even that good yet she got offended...speak of a true karen.)" Elias leaned a bit towards Aliyah.

"You don't have to go there. I'll ask mom for more money. I get more than enough already anyway. If I ask her for a little bit more then-" Elias was about to finish his words but he was interrupted by Aliyah who got up from her bed in a rush. "You're taking her for granted."

"You- I'm not! She makes millions. What's wrong if she's spending it on someone else without knowing?"

"I'd appreciate it if you just stop putting your nose in my businesses."

"Then I don't want your appreciation. You won't let me do anything about them, not let me pay even when you are the reason why I'm here."

The bell rang and Aliyah got an excuse to ignore Elias. She was walking towards the door and Elias was getting in her way, stopping her, forgetting the awkwardness he felt whilst holding her hand in the public. As Elias held Aliyah from her shoulder firmly and pulled her close which left Aliyah speechless and flustered, he calmly said,

"I'm not letting you go without an answer."

"It's none of your business." Aliyah pushed Elias away gently and went towards the door. Elias was still going with her, trying to assure that she is fine.

"Aliyah..."

As soon as Aliyah opened the door's lock, Elias pulled her away, holding her wrist and cornered her with the wall. They both were close enough to feel each other's breath and feel an emotion that was coming from the bottom of their heart, pumping the adrenalines through their body whilst also giving them a tranquilizing feeling. It was as if the few seconds were a lot.

Because of the sudden pull and since Aliyah was holding the doorknob whilst Elias pulled her, the door opened and the person standing behind the door could see them in such state. "Your pizza delivery-" said Dahlia who was wearing a local pizza shop's deliverer outfit in red and white. She widened her eyes as she backed away looking at Elias and Aliyah who were in such state. They looked at Dahlia without any clue what to say whilst being as speechless as she was.