Zara & Zaid

I lean back in one of the few chairs available, my head turned to the ceiling and my eyes closed. My sister's so-called emergency is to assist her in purchasing items from the mall's most expensive oriental store. I consider staying at school and having the dreaded conversation with Vesper, but on second thought, being here may be marginally better. I reposition myself in my seat when I hear the dressing room door open and the pitter-patter of her bare feet on the floor as she exits.

“What do you think,” she asks, putting her hands on her hips.

“I think any of your boy toys could have done this,” I reply annoyed.

“They would only tell me how good I look, I need the objective point of view of a sibling, besides I don’t have any boy toy,” she responds.

“Tell that to all the boys following you around since middle school,” I retort.

“I was not that bad,” Jiji remarks.

“You weren’t that good either,” I taunt.

"Could you please be helpful," she pleads, turning to face the store's mirror. I make an attempt to look at her. She is dressed in a bustier-style crimson outfit with golden floral motif embroidery. It looks beautiful, but it's not her style; it was too flamboyant for her. Even though my sister is a fashionista, she prefers to dress simply and discreetly. I shake my head, no, and she goes back in to try another dress. We spent around thirty minutes to an hour looking for the appropriate dress for her.

“Let’s find something for you,” she announces pushing me towards the man section.

“Yeah… no,” I object moving away from her.

“Come on, for me,” my sister says giving me a pouty look. I raise my eyebrow at her, she knows that this look only works on Dad and some of the time Mom. “Think of it as my present for you,” she adds.

“Your present for me is something I will never wear?” I question.

“You can join me at the one thousand and one nights party on campus,” Jiji adds.

I comply and follow her into the men’s section after analysing her face. She tried to hide it but I figured she had prepared some kind of surprise during the party tonight. She picks a few options for me that match the dress I helped her choose. I don’t really like the first three options, they make me look sickly, I go back into the dressing room to try on the fourth option when I hear a familiar voice greeting my sister. I try to wait out so that the newcomer will not see me in this attire.

“Come out Deke,” my sister demands, after five minutes and their conversation isn’t dying out. I resent the fact that my sister can hold a conversation with anyone in this particular moment.

“Your brother is here,” I hear the familiar feminine voice ask.

“Yeah, he’s being shy,” Jiji says as I come out of the dressing room. “Definitely yes,” she adds looking me up and down.