From henceforth, I'd control your diet

Jamal and Myla unite with her friends to do a short film. They leave their place of settlement to a more open area where they pay few people to act along.

At the end of it, Jamal helps Myla in some parts of the editing since she has always been the one doing it.

They have a treat in a restaurant up town in the city of Los Angeles. While everyone commands something heavily after a very and exhausted long day, Myla takes something light.

Jamal stares down at her with remorse "Why do you eat little?"

She looks at him absentmindedly before registering what he said, "I won't finish a larger portion. I have a small belly"

"You keep saying that but I don't still get it. You need to cultivate a habit of eating a lot in other to relax your stomach walls. You need to expand it with a bomb of food"

Brehilda and Tiffy look at them entering another argument. "No, I don't. I've tried and it left me not eating for almost a month. If I eat much, I loose appetite. I'm not complaining though. Maybe that's just how I am"

"Excuse me sir" he calls for a waiter and orders for another meal.

Myla looks at him, her mouth moving along with the food in it. She hopes the command is his as she ogles at his plate and it has not yet been touched. She shrugs her shoulders and keeps eating, staring at folks passing out of the restaurant.

The waiter comes back with what Jamal ordered and he takes it with gratitude "Thanks"

He motions his eyes for her friends to exchange seats with him. They leave and he replaces their space next to Myla who is still off earth. But once she gets his deodorant closer, she sniffs and realization dawns over her.

Her eyes meet Jamal staring into her brown orbits, looking serious as never. What's wrong with him?

He pushes the plait he ordered for her in front of her. It's a completely different menu from what Myla has ever eating. He knows what she likes and this is not exactly comfortable for her to do.

She looks at the plait and returns to gawk him. He ceases the food she had and lets out "Eat this"

Myla memorizes him like crazy. She sighs, "I don't change diet just like that"

He responds "I know and that's why you'd do it now"

She blinks her eyes and touches his forehead with the back of her palm. "Your not hot. You should drink something cold though. It'd adequately stabilize your temperature"

She tries to reach for her food and he sends it away "Do I look like I'm teasing you? Or laughing or getting mad?"

His eyes are wounded. She shakes her head, fear hovering over her. "Good. Now eat. If you don't, we're not going home"

"B-but-"

His severe dreaded stare warrants her to start eating. She does without any more questioning and it becomes very appetizing. She is eating really fast but he snatches this again and she frowns.

Jamal is amazed. He wasn't sure his plan will work but now he understands what's troubling her. She gets tired of everything. So many people have their favorite meals or other things they are so attached to but in her case, she has just her and herself.

She's always for the best but the best is never enough to satisfy her. Not that she wants more but—she gets weary or used to it that it never overwhelms her like it does for others.

Jamal understood this concept and decided that she tries something new. "From hence forth, I'd control your diet. You'd have a series of meals on the table and eat a little of all."

The girls look at each other.

He orders for another dish very quickly before she gets distracted with her mind. She eats gently at first and he lets her finish this one. The rest of the plates where midway complete.

...

The short movie Myla and her co-workers produced has gone viral: Fans increasing and companies sending proposals for them to act in their production house, sign contracts and all the like.

Myla and Jamal with her two friends are already known everywhere and are scared to walk around normally. This is the most frustrating part for Myla presently.

She has been to different places just because people keep calling her out and she's scared of being harmed.

She can't accept the fact that she won't be free as she was. Jamal is trying to tell her to be prudent and watchful. Fortunately for her, she graduated from school and her parents came all the way to see her so they can all celebrate together.

Her house is full to an extent. Her siblings are there and Jamal off course. Her sister doesn't cease to look at Jamal, expecting that she introduce him as her boyfriend or something.

"Cheers to God for fulfilling his word in our lives and cheers to you, Myla for accepting his professes" she smiles awkwardly as her brother brings his glass to his head.

Her friends are so fun of her parents so the ladies seat and discuss about random things, while the men talked somewhere a tad private. Jamal parade somewhere out on the balcony side with Myla's brother.

Her brother notices the interest the young man next to him has for his sister so he says, "I've never seen Myla so fun of a man the way she's to you"

Jamal brings his glass away from his lips, saying nothing.

"Myla has always been an innocent, ignorant young lady", he adds

And she still is. Jamal chuckles, knowing nothing about that has changed.

"However, time passed on and I was scared of how anticipated she could be for her career more than anything on this earth. I knew she, may never have interest for a male. Definitively not after what she expressed"

Jamal scrunches his eyebrows. What's that experience? He can't seem to say it out loud. Hopefully he'd find out some other time.

"Your right about that. I saw the same thing in her the second we met. She's a very focused lady. But also very dramatic most of the times"

They chortle. "I'm so glad she made it out of school successfully. And you know . . . I've been wondering throughout the party, are you into her?"

Yes, very much. Jamal opens his mouth and closes, not able to let out anything.

Her brother smirks "Don't push to hard. I understand. I felt the same before noticing my wife"

"Arabic I guess" Her brother stares at Jamal's features, recognition coming on display.

"Yeah, you guessed it right."

He smirks, remembering what his sister once told him. 'I'd never be with someone out of my believe.'

"There something I want to tell you. But you shouldn't let her know" Jamal utters and the man next to him nods.

"I'm a Christian. But she doesn't know because I've done everything to make her believe other wise. I know there are things we still do no matter that I accepted Christ so it's very easy for her to be oblivious about it; all because I wanted to test her, to see if she's going to condemn me for my culture."

"And what makes you convinced?"

Jamal smiles, reflecting that he asked the same question to Myla times past "I'm convicted of God's right spirit in me"

Her brother smiles "Just remember that you'd always be bound to temptations. It's just the beginning. Be watchful and tarry in prayers unlike the disciples who weren't watchful at night but slept."

Her brother rides on with his preaching just as he does to almost everyone he meet.

...

"I've been waiting for you to say something about the young man in there but I think I'm tired of waiting for you to point that out" her mom says

"Exactly mom! You just spoke my mind" her sister supports.

"If there was something anyone should know, I would have said that long ago"

"Don't be this naïve. This is obvious. He's not having a girlfriend so why don't you see that he is attracted to you? Could he just accept to sing with anyone just like the music both of you sang?" Her sister responds

"That was just music. A cooperation anyone will do"

"You know it was—not just music. By the way, people keep telling that y'all sing together again. And I have been waiting." Her sister conducts

"We are waiting." Her sister-in-law corrects and her sister sends a smile towards her direction.

"What is taking both of you so long?" The girls say in unison except her mom.

"Easy said than done", she mutters under breath taking her glass to her head.

To be continued...