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Fariha never believed in fate, but looking back, she wonders if destiny had been playing tricks on her all along.

It all started in eighth grade, when a boy named Yunis transferred to her school. The whispers followed him—brilliant in science, a rising star. But Fariha wasn’t impressed. She had seen him before, every morning, waiting for his school bus in the same neighborhood. He was just another student… or so she thought.

Until everything started changing.

Her once unshakable friendship with Jiya began to crack, leaving her wondering if she ever truly knew her best friend. A new English teacher arrived—Mr. Rashid—who seemed to despise her for no reason, targeting her with punishments that made her question her own worth. Her rank, once secure, began to slip, and Jiya, once her greatest supporter, now stood on the other side.

And then there was Yunis. Always near, yet always distant. Silent, but observant. A boy who defied punishments and walked out of class without a second thought. A boy who, for reasons she couldn't understand, seemed to be at the center of everything.

With friendships fading, rivalries growing, and secrets lurking beneath the surface, Fariha finds herself tangled in a web of almosts—almost friends, almost rivals, almost something more.

But in a world where nothing is as it seems, will she uncover the truth before she loses herself completely?

The Almosts

Fariha wasn't the type to dwell on things, but lately, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Jiya was distant. Not in an obvious, dramatic way, but in the small things—the things that mattered.

She no longer waited for Fariha after class. She stopped sharing notes. She even started whispering with other classmates instead of sitting next to Fariha at lunch.

At first, Fariha thought she was imagining it. Maybe Jiya was just busy, maybe she was stressed about the upcoming exams. But then it started getting worse.

One day, during a break, Fariha walked into class to grab her forgotten water bottle and saw Jiya with a group of girls, laughing.

Fariha smiled, walking toward them. "Hey, what's funny?"

Jiya's laughter died immediately. The other girls exchanged glances.

"Nothing," Jiya said, suddenly serious. "Just talking about the test."

Since when did Jiya hide things from her?

Before she could say anything else, the English teacher strode in, his sharp eyes scanning the classroom.

She and this teacher—Mr. Rashid—had been at odds since the day he arrived. He was the type who demanded quiet submission, and Fariha was the type who questioned everything.

"Why are you here?" Mr. Rashid's cold voice cut through the air.

Fariha turned to him, confused. "I came to get my—"

"Excuses." He didn't let her finish. "You should be outside like the others. Unless, of course, you prefer detention?"

The whole class was watching now. Even Jiya said nothing.

Fariha clenched her fists. Why did he always do this?

Instead of arguing, she nodded stiffly and walked out.

Fariha wasn't the top student but in English, she was unmatched.

So when the test results were released, she expected her usual high score. But that day, she wasn't at school. Neither was Yunis.

The next morning, as soon as she entered class, Mr. Rashid called everyone to stand up.

"We'll be reviewing your test scores," he announced.

Fariha took her seat, flipping through her paper. As expected, she had scored full marks in grammar.

But when Mr. Rashid walked over, he barely glanced at her paper.

"Did you do this yourself?" he asked sharply, looking straight at Jiya instead of Fariha.

Fariha hesitated. "Of course, sir."

Mr. Rashid scoffed, flipping to the next paper.

Yunis had missed one grammar question.

For a moment, the teacher was silent. Then, he frowned. "Yunis, stand up."

"You should have gotten this right. I expected better from you."

"Hold out your hand," Mr. Rashid ordered.

Everyone knew what that meant. Punishment.

Yunis' jaw clenched. Then, without a word, he turned and walked straight out of the classroom.

Mr. Rashid's face darkened, but he said nothing.

Fariha just stared at Yunis' empty seat, her mind racing.

One thing was clear—this year would be different.

Chapter 4: The Distance Between Us