Bittersweet 30

Chinese food is GROSS. I didn’t eat anything, bss shrabt 3a9eer ow hal 5bz ely they put in the middle
of the table. Otherwise I just stared at the rest of the guys pigging out. Especially 7amdan who half the
time didn’t know what he was eating.

After lunch 7amdan and I decided to go down to

Rodeo Drive

.

"Agoolk, fii banat 6ar!" 7amdan said, peering out the window of his car. Coming to

Rodeo Drive

with 7amdan was

a tradition since it’s a major shopping district and what do girls like to do more than shop?

7amdan and I got out of his car and started to walk down the block.

"Rashood! Hot babe at 12:00!" He nudged me.

I didn’t bother looking up, because I was too busy texting on my phone.

"Agoolk hot babe!" He elbowed my waist.

"What?!" I finally looked up.

Allah y'3rblk 7amdan. Am7ag hot!

"Haa haa shu rayk? I call dibs!" 7amdan said.

"Seer zig mabaha." I coldly said and looked back at my phone.

"Afaa! Ya5ii there's no point in doing this if you don’t cooperate with me!" 7amdan complained.

"Kaify! Ma3ybatni!"

"Enzain ana t3aybni!"

"Okay shu asaweelk?!"

"Ohooo mashay mashay!" 7amdan huffed.

We crossed the street down to the next block when 7amdan elbowed me again.

"Okay this one's gotta impress you." He said.

When I looked up I saw a 5aleejy looking girl, trying hard to look American so people wouldn’t talk.
Obviously it's not working because I immediately knew she was Arab.

"Laa laa 7amdan please." I rolled my eyes.

"Choof 3adl wallah she looks easy!" He whispered because she was getting closer.

"Shu l3ba hee?" I snapped at him.

7amdan looked at me with a confused look on his face.

"6aaaa3ooo mnu yrms." He said putting his hands on his hips.

"Shu?"

"Ma7ad '3airk enta yal la3ab!"

I rolled my eyes at his remark.

"Balak tet5anath 3aleya?" He chuckled.

"Aaaih don’t push it." I snapped at him.

"Shu mshkltk these days, you've changed. You’re no fun anymore!" He complained like a little kid.

"Bss che I've changed. 3galt." I answered him.

"Awanaa!" He laughed, "7asastni ena you're 30!"

"May59a. I just have respect for banat el nass."

"Says akbar la3ab in Dubai." He sarcastically said.

"Those days are over. I'm not that person anymore." I confidently said.

"Oooooh I get it!" 7amdan face suddenly lit up.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're whipped!" He said smiling extremely wide.

"NO!" I replied, widening my eyes.

"Yes you ARE! Wallah Rashood out of all the people I know you're the LAST person I expected to get
whipped!"

He dropped on to the ground laughing until he was out of breath.

"It's not that funny 7amdan." I said, only smiling because he looked like an idiot on his knees on

Rodeo Drive dying of laughter.

"Admit it!" He managed to say between breaths.

"Admit shu?!"

"Enk t7b!" He laughed.

"Ufff 7amdan goom goom, you're making us look stupid."

"Hahahaha Rashooody y7b! Allah ya5thk!" He said, finally getting up.

I pulled el ahbal onto his feet, and we continued walking down the block.

"So who's the lucky girl?" 7amdan devilishly said, poking me on my shoulder.

"Ma7ad!"

"Chathab! Rashood stop acting stupid and spill it."

I just ignored him and continued walking, trying to avoid his awkward subject.

"Laykoon that weird girl… what's her name? Salama?" He guessed.

"NO!" I exclaimed.

"Then it's got to be that one from Disneyland, 9a7?" He guessed again.

"Ufff laaa2!"

There was an awkward silence before 7amdan suddenly …

"LAYKOOOON…" 7amdan gasped loudly, "Man9oor's sis?!"

I came to a complete halt and widened my eyes. Mb hayn 7amdan kaif 3raf?

"Duuude!" 7amdan exclaimed. "Out of all people? Man9oor's sister?!"

I lowered my head and rubbed my eyes. I hadn’t talked about this to anyone in my life, and now it
 just happens to be 7amdan who knows. 7amdan! Out of all people!

"Ya5ii let's just go." I pleaded.

"Okay first of all, I'm HURT enk you never told me yal 7mar! Secondly, WHY?!"

"7amdan, can we not talk about this right now?"

"Laa laa we talk now!" 7amdan demanded.

"Seer zig, I'm hungry, baser akl."

"But we just had Chinese crap!" 7amdan pointed out.

"Ya5ii I didn’t eat anything! La3 chabdi!"

We finally started walking again.

"Does Man9oor know?" 7amdan suddenly asked.

"Know what?" I pretended I didn’t know.

"That you have a thing for his sis?"

"I'm still alive, aren’t I?" I smirked.

7amdan finally shut up and we continued our walk down the block to the nearest restaurant to eat
something normal!