Elizabeth Lennox

The Sheik's Rediscovered Lover Introduction

The Sheik's Rediscovered Lover small

Zayn’s Story…

Zayn’s eye caught the movement to the left and he turned all of his attention in that direction.

“What’s going on?” Dominic asked behind him, both he and Angelo stilled as they waited to hear what Zayn had seen.

“Julia Miller,” Zayn growled back, seeing the smug eight year old with braids walk down the street with a brazenness that just irritated Zayn. A moment later, the skinnier and much shorter Ella came running down the street as well, but Ella was stealthier about her trip home from school.

Zayn’s eyes narrowed as he watched Ella’s demeanor, becoming angrier for the frightened girl. She didn’t come barreling down the street, laughing with her friends like so many of the other kids. No, she was racing from block to block, hiding in doorways, behind buildings or trash cans…basically trying to be as invisible as possible so that Julia Miller wouldn’t see her. Zayn knew that Ella was afraid of the Miller girl and her friends and he decided in that moment that he was going to eliminate the problem.

Even as he watched, Julia stopped, grabbing onto her friends’ arms so they also halted. Julia’s smile changed from one of amusement to malicious intent. “Come on,” Zayn heard the bigger girl command and her friends followed, watching to see what was going on. Julia stood still, looking directly at Ella’s latest hiding place.

Zayn thought about teaching Ella to stand up for herself, but at the moment, he needed to do something to stop Julia. The bigger girl was one of those mean, bully type kids who tried to hurt people just for amusement. Zayn wasn’t afraid of a fight if it was for a good cause. He would fight and punch and scrape, in fact, he was one of the best in the neighborhood. At seventeen, he could take on just about anyone and come out the winner. He was feared in the neighborhood because people knew that he wasn’t afraid to take on anyone.

“Come on out, Ella!” Julia snarled, her chubby body protruding over her cheap shorts, the too-small, filthy shirt unable to fully cover that stomach. “I know you’re there! It’s time you learned to just take it.”

The other two girls held back, obviously uncomfortable with Julia’s actions but also unwilling to step up and stop Julia. As far as Zayn was concerned, they were just as guilty. Not standing up to bullies was broadcasting permission for the bully to continue. He understood that Julia would simply turn on them and start beating them up, but if the three of them helped each other, they stood a pretty good chance of winning. Julia was just bigger but she didn’t really know how to fight.

Zayn knew and he wasn’t afraid to step up and help the little Ella.

He didn’t confront Julia though. Ignoring Dominic and Angelo who were also on high alert, he sprinted around through the back alleys, leaping over rotting food and stinking garbage until he came to Ella’s hiding place. “I’ll walk with you,” Zayn said a moment before she stepped out into the open. He took the skinny child’s hand in his, giving her comfort as well as a small bit of courage. “Come on. Let’s show Julia that she doesn’t scare us,” he said gently.

Ella looked up into the tall boy’s eyes, her heart racing frantically. “She’s pretty mean,” Ella whispered. But her heart soared with his presence because this was Zayn Sarkis! And if Zayn was around…she peeked over the trash can and sure enough, Dominic and Angelo were standing right behind Julia Miller and her two friends, looking huge and terrifying.

Zayn shook his head, trying to give the girl some courage. “I’m meaner,” he came back. “And I’ll teach you to be mean as well.”

Ella giggled at the idea. She was too pathetic looking to appear mean to anyone, but she put her hand in his and stood up, no longer afraid of her nemesis. She now had a bigger bully on her side than Julia could ever find because no one was bigger than Zayn Sarkis. Okay, well perhaps the dark and mysterious Angelo Donati was bigger. He was definitely meaner as well. As she peered over the top of the trash can, she smiled because Angelo, and even the equally tall, astoundingly handsome and terrifyingly fearsome Dominic Carson, appeared to be on her side as well. With these three here now…she could walk home without fear! How exciting!

“Good girl,” Zayn said as he watched the tiny Ella swallow her fears and they both stood up.

As soon as they did, Julia’s eyes widened and her bully stance changed to caution. “Zayn? What are you doing here?” she asked.

Zayn ignored the girl and continued walking. “How was school today?” Zayn asked Ella, pretending like Julia didn’t even exist. And when he walked by the other two girls, he glared at them, emanating anger until those two bowed their heads in shame as well.

It was a mostly quiet walk home with Zayn asking the little girl questions and her answering in one or two word responses, but by the time they arrived at her apartment building, she was at least smiling and he could see her shoulders were a bit more relaxed.

“Thank you,” she whispered, shyly looking up at him.

“You’re very welcome.” Zayn watched as the girl went into her apartment building, wondering if she and her mother had enough food. Ella looked too thin for her age, but he wasn’t sure how much an eight or nine year old should weigh.

He felt Dominic and Angelo come up on either side of them. “They need a bag,” Angelo said.

Dominic nodded his head. “Her mother lost one of the houses she cleans in Manhattan last week so they’re short on cash lately.”

That made sense, Zayn thought. The mother was pretty and could be making a lot more money if she were to use her looks to earn her living. But she obviously refused to take that dangerous career path, preferring to work at a hard, tedious job in order to be home when her daughter came in from school.

“Anyone ever find out what happened to the father?” Zayn asked, suddenly curious about the family. It wasn’t ever a malicious curiosity. The three of them just looked out for this neighborhood, trying to even out the odds of survival a bit more. Any information that would help with that effort was data and not gossip.

“Never heard the story,” Dominic replied. Angelo shook his head as well.

One Year Later…

Zayn slipped out from the secret warehouse, looking around with his peripheral vision to ensure that his appearance hadn’t been noted by anyone suspicious. Dominic and Angelo had already left the warehouse, making various deliveries to several of the people in the neighborhood. All of the donations had been pilfered during late night or early morning adventures. There were plenty of not-so-legal trucks that delivered to this area, and often one or several of the boxes off of those trucks went missing during off-loading, courtesy of Zayn, Dominic and Angelo. The three of them considered themselves the Robin Hoods of the area, wanting to even out the odds a bit for the residents who struggled daily to make ends meet.

It was three o’clock in the morning and Zayn was feeling pretty good about life in general. Six years ago, he had found a book on investing in the library. Just today, his investment portfolio had topped over one million dollars in assets and that wasn’t counting the apartment building he was working to finance. He had plans to fix the building, make it more habitable and safer for the residents. If his plans worked out, he wouldn’t even need to raise the rent. It would be more of a tax write off than an asset, but it made him feel extremely good to be in a position to help those residents. He calculated that, within five more years, he would own the entire neighborhood and he could really turn things around. He would be a silent landlord though. He enjoyed living among these people too much to move out. He didn’t need a luxurious apartment. He just needed to know that the people he’d grown up with were safe and healthy.

Maybe he could get a scholarship fund going to help kids attend college. That was a new thought. Immediately, his mind came up with the image of Ella and her bright, smiling face, eager to see him after school each day and tell him about what she’d learned. The girl was bright, excited about school and eager to gain knowledge. It would be a shame if she got trapped in the same life as her mother, cleaning other people’s houses for a living, her hands cracking from the chemicals and the backbreaking work.

The two black cars parked near the end of the street caught his eye. His step didn’t falter in any way, but he was instantly alert, his ears and eyes scanning for any sound or movement that would give him a clue as to who owned those vehicles. They might be black, but they were shiny and expensive so they stood out in the darkness like a flashing, neon sign.

When it happened, Zayn didn’t hear anything. In fact, he had gotten far enough away from the vehicles to start to lower his guard. The attack came out of nowhere, silent feet approaching from an unknown direction. One moment he was walking down the street, the next moment, a black hood was thrown over his head, his arms tied behind his back and his feet immobilized with some sort of tie as well. He tossed and turned, trying to shake off his attackers but they were stronger than he was. He was placed into a large van and the metal door slammed shut.

He froze, his mind trying to listen for any clues as to what was happening. There wasn’t even a split second between the closing of the door and the engine roaring, the vehicle speeding down the street. Turn after turn, the vehicle drove through the early morning streets of New York City.

Zayn tried to keep count of the number of turns to try and figure out where he was being taken, but after an hour, there were too many to remember. He couldn’t keep up.

Just as suddenly as the van started, it came to a complete stop. The doors were once again opened and his arms and legs were picked up.

Since he’d never been near an airport, he didn’t recognize the high-pitched whine of the private jet. The smell was unfamiliar to him as well, so he wasn’t able to identify the metallic scent of jet fuel and toxic exhaust as planes took off and landed at the insanely busy JFK Airport.

Was it his imagination, or were his kidnappers trying not to hurt him? He kicked and thrashed his legs as hard as possible. He knew he was hitting his targets because he heard the grunts, felt more arms grab his legs and upper body. There was an odd sensation, as if he were being carried up a flight of stairs, and then he was almost gently placed into a soft chair.

After that, there was only silence. A door behind him closed.

A soft, female voice spoke in front of him. “If you will be still, Your Highness, I will release your arms and legs.”

Zayn had no idea who the pretty voice was talking to, but he stilled, trying to hear anything that would help him get free.

Suddenly, cold metal touched the skin on his hands and they were free. Another moment later, his ankles were freed as well. The black hood was carefully taken off of his head and he blinked at the subdued lighting.

Looking around, the first thing he noticed was that he was in some sort of luxurious office space with large, leather chairs positioned around shining, wood tables.

And then he noticed the man sitting in front of him, watching him. Zayn was startled by the image. It was like he was looking at an older version of himself. The black hair, the dark eyes…the chiseled jaw and hard, angry demeanor. It was shocking.

“Who the hell are you?” Zayn demanded, furious for some reason. He felt like standing up and smashing the man’s face, but he couldn’t do that. It would almost be like smashing in his own image, they were so similar.

“Don’t you know?” the man asked, a small smile playing across his hard mouth and one of his dark eyebrows went up.

Zayn wondered if that was what he looked like, recognizing the affectation since he’d done it exactly like that on several occasions. He suddenly realized how arrogant it appeared.

“I have no idea who you are,” Zayn replied with cold, hard determination. Was this some sort of alternate universe? Was he dreaming and this was actually himself but in thirty years?

“Of course you know who I am,” the older version replied, shifting slightly in his chair. “Or you will once your mind figures it out. I’ve been told you are exceptionally intelligent.”

Zayn sat back in the chair, unaware that he was mimicking the older man. A lovely woman in a dark, blue uniform and perfectly coifed hair appeared at his side, placing a cup of coffee in front of him and another in front of the older man.

“Thank you, Alicia,” the older version replied and picked up his cup, taking a sip. The look over the rim of the cup was almost daring Zayn to drink his own coffee but Zayn didn’t take up the challenge. Adrenaline was still pumping through his body and he didn’t need any additional stimulant.

Suddenly, the high-pitched whine he was hearing increased and the office space moved. Zayn grabbed the arms of the chair, looking around to try and figure out what was happening.

“You’ll need to buckle your seatbelt, Zayn,” the older man said, doing the same himself.

Zayn didn’t bother with his seatbelt. Instead, he looked around, seeing the lights moving outside the small window to his right. “What the hell is going on?”

Even as he asked the question, the lights outside the window moved more quickly, almost a blur of light. And suddenly, there was a lurch. Zany sat up, his heart thudding inside his chest and he ground his teeth as the fear of the unknown threatened to choke him. “Tell me what’s going on!” he demanded, his voice low and threatening.

“We’re taking off,” the older man replied calmly. “I’m guessing that this is your first flight?”

Zayn’s eyes shifted from the window, to the man and then back again. Sure enough, the ground was moving away and the movement inside the cabin was suddenly smoother, almost silent.

He didn’t reply, too confused by what was going on. “Who are you?” Zayn demanded once again, pulling his eyes away from the small window in order to concentrate on his kidnapper exclusively. The plane’s takeoff didn’t seem like his most important issue at the moment.

The man sighed and carefully placed his coffee cup back in the saucer. “I’m your father,” he explained, then waited while Zayn absorbed that bombshell.

Zayn sat there in silence for the longest time, his mind not really accepting the declaration. But not rejecting it either. The possibility was too ludicrous to consider. And yet….

He said the word over and over in his mind, trying to do a reality check. He tried to come up with something to say, but his mind was blank.

For eighteen years, he and his mother had lived alone. He’d asked about his father, but she’d just waved aside his questions with a smile and a change of subject or a nice story about his father and Zayn had accepted that the man was no longer in existence. The stories weren’t about who his father had been, only about what they’d done together. They were only descriptions of their love and the excitement of being with him.

Zayn had accepted that she’d been deliriously happy during that time in her life and that had always been enough for him.

But other than that, he knew nothing about the man.

His appearance now, at this point in his life when things were finally turning around, seemed suspicious. “Why are you here now?”

The man smiled slightly but it wasn’t amusement that showed up on his face. “You’ve been called up,” he replied, still with a mysterious glint in his eyes.

Zayn waited for him to continue but when the man simply stared back, Zayn became impatient. “We have a completely volunteer military in the United States,” Zayn snapped. “You can’t simply dictate that I’m going to serve and proceed to kidnap me.”

The man chuckled. “You’re not needed to actually serve in the military, but you will run it.”

Zayn sighed, impatient with trying to figure things out. If the man wanted to create a mystery, Zayn wasn’t going to participate. Instead of asking questions and demanding more information, Zayn sat back in the leather chair as if he always traveled in such mind-boggling luxury. For several moments, the two men glared at each other, neither willing to break the stand down.

In the end, the older man broke the silence. “My name is Azfal Zaman Sarkis, Sheik of Tusain.” He waited several moments while that name sunk in. “Your name is Zayn Sarkis. You are my third son and rightful heir to the Tusain throne.”

Zayn’s mind quickly processed all of that information, going through the stories his mother had told him and came to the conclusion that something was still missing. “I wasn’t your heir previously or you never would have abandoned me so many years ago. Why are you here now?”

“I didn’t know of your existence until three months ago when my second son, Tafran, died in a plane crash. My first born son, Ramin, died two years ago. So you are the next in line and will ascend to your leadership position as the next Sheik of Tusain when I die.”

Zayn’s mind was spinning and he gripped the sides of the chair to try and regain control. “I had brothers?” he demanded, astounded by the news. He’d always considered Angelo and Dominic to be his brothers and in every sense of the word, they were, except for blood. Not that he put much stock in heredity, but the idea that he not only had a father who was alive and well, sitting in front of him, but he also had brothers, was too astounding to grasp. “Why wasn’t I told?”

“They didn’t know you existed either. They never knew about you. Your mother was a beautiful woman, but she was also stubborn and never told me of your existence. As I said, you were not known to me until two months ago. It has been a hard challenge to fight off my enemies so that you would still be able to ascend to the throne, my son. But now that you are returning, and you are a healthy and strong man, we will both show the world that you are more powerful than my enemies. We will fight them off together.”

Zayn shook his head. “I don’t want any of this.” And then his mind caught on something else. “Do I have any other brothers or sisters?” he asked.

Azfal smiled, realizing that he’d just found the one way to exercise control over this strong, independent man. “You have five sisters. They range in age from five years old to twenty. You also have three nieces, all of them very small babies.” If family ties would help bring Zayn into the fold, he would use everything in his power. Most men would be demanding to know what kind of power or wealth came with the title. And Azfal was proud that this man was more interested in family. That was a very good sign.

“Sisters…” Zayn whispered, leaning forward, his mind still trying to wrap around all that he was hearing. He wasn’t even aware of the plane traveling above the Atlantic Ocean and disappearing into the clouds. He had family. A very big family, apparently.

Azfal watched carefully, noting the point when his son accepted the news. This man sitting in front of him was powerful and would be a very strong leader. He would need training though. But his investigators had already uncovered so many admirable qualities in this young man. Yes, he thought as he watched his only surviving son absorb the news that he was part of a very large family. This man would serve Tusain well. It wouldn’t be easy. He’d read the reports from his investigators that discussed this man’s stubbornness and independence. But even those attributes would serve Tusain well.

Ella’s Story…

Eight year old Ella peered around the corner of the building, her heart racing with fear and apprehension. The enemy was out there, she thought with terror. “I can do this,” Ella told herself firmly.

She stepped out of the school building, pulling her book bag higher up on her shoulder.

Ella knew that Julia was out there somewhere, but she wasn’t expecting the bigger girl to be right outside the school doorway, lying in wait for Ella to appear.

Earlier in the day, Ella had been accosted during recess so being out in the streets now was a risk. “You’re going to give me the answers to the math questions,” Julia Miller had commanded during recess earlier in the day.

Ella had swallowed painfully, her eyes huge but not agreeing to anything. Julia was over a head taller than Ella and mean!

When the teacher had handed out the math test, Ella had stared at the answers, already doing the work in her head. But she’d taken a moment to glance over at Julia who sat in the seat next to her. Ella didn’t like the other girl. Julia was mean, cheated in any way she could and, during recess, pushed people down when the teacher wasn’t looking.

No one could catch Julia but that wasn’t the biggest issue now that school was over for the day. The real problem was that Ella hadn’t given Julia the answers to the math quiz. Now Julia was on a rampage. All her anger was now directed towards Ella.

As Ella looked around, the path towards home seemed clear. She raced through the school playground, her breath catching in her throat and a stitch hurting her side, but she didn’t stop. A stitch was one thing. Julia’s fist would be something completely different.

When she rounded the corner, she couldn’t believe her eyes. There he was! Standing there, looking big and tall and scary! “What are you doing here?” she whispered to Zayn Sarkis. He’d walked her home the previous day and had even threatened Julia if she didn’t play nicely. But for him to be here a second day? That was amazing! And extremely sweet!

Zayn stepped closer, chuckling as he watched the little girl’s wide eyes flash to the left and right. “I came to walk you home. Do you need some help?” he asked gently. He didn’t want to hurt her pride, but he knew she was terrified.

Ella licked her lips, her eyes looking around. She wanted to be brave. She vehemently wished she could stand up for herself, but she was so relieved to see Zayn’s strong, intimidating presence. “Yes,” she finally replied, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“Good. Let’s go home,” he said, tilting his head to the side, encouraging her to stand tall. “How was Ms. Manchester today?” he asked, referring to the third grade teacher of Ella’s class. “Does she still have a pet turtle?” he asked.

Ella’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know that?” she asked, walking taller as she thought about the pet turtle instead of worrying about the female menace named Julia.

As they walked down the street, they discussed the pros and cons of various pets, both agreeing that dogs were better, but cats took less care.

Turtles, they both agreed, were fine, if one were a science teacher but they didn’t really do much other than exist as a pet.

As they walked down the street, on the block right before Ella’s house, Julia Miller stood, glaring at the two of them.

Zayn stood over the smaller girl, stepping in front of Ella, acting as a shield. “Julia, you don’t look like a very nice person. I sincerely hope that you aren’t bothering Ms. Ella any longer,” he said, his voice filled with menace.

Julia looked around Zayn, trying to see Ella’s face. “This little twerp means nothing to you, Zayn. Where’s Angelo and Dominic? Don’t you have some good deed to do?” she asked with a sneer.

Zayn simply stepped in front of Julia again. “I really don’t like people bothering my friends,” Zayn said, his voice going lower.

Julia heard the message and looked up, confused. “You aren’t friends with this chic. She’s just a wimp.”

Zayn stepped closer. “She’s my friend. And I really don’t like bullies. Are you a bully, Julia?” Zayn interrupted.

Julia sputtered slightly, her hand waving towards Ella who was standing on the bottom stair of her building stoop. “She’s nothing to you. But she…”

“She’s my friend. Back off, Julia. Or your dad won’t get that delivery he’s been waiting for.”

Julia looked up again, not sure what he was talking about. “What delivery?” she demanded.

“Go ask your dad. Every Tuesday, your father receives a delivery around midnight. If you aren’t careful, we might need to let Officer Jones know about that midnight delivery.”

Julia looked down at Ella, then back up at Zayn. She had no idea what delivery her father received at midnight on Tuesdays, but her father wasn’t someone Julia wanted to mess around with. Her dad had a habit of backhanding anyone who got too close, too far away, didn’t finish their dinner on time or finished too quickly, didn’t eat the right amount….or basically any infraction he thought up when his arm swung around.

“My dad doesn’t need the Tuesday delivery,” she claimed, unsure if her father even had a Tuesday delivery.

Zayn didn’t answer, but one of his black eyebrows went up in question.

It took several more moments, but Julia eventually started to show signs of backing down. Her eyes turned worried, her shoulders drooped ever so slightly and her feet narrowed from her fighting stance to one that indicated…well, that she wanted to run away as fast as possible.

Ella breathed a huge sigh of relief, her hand moving to the cold, metal banister. She didn’t even mind the chipped paint or the ever-present scent of rotting trash. Zayn had accomplished in moments what Ella thought she would never be free of – Julia’s tormenting retribution!

In the next moment, Julia silently turned around and walked down the street. When she reached the corner, Ella smiled as the bigger girl started running. Ella had no idea what was in the Tuesday deliveries, but the threat was enough to scare the girl.

Throwing herself at Zayn, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, her eyes closed with delight. “Thank you!” she cried out, excitement over her new-found freedom all encompassing. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

She heard Zayn’s chuckle and felt his arms wrap around her shoulders as he bent down lower. “You’re welcome,” he came back. “I think I need to teach you how to stand up for yourself, little one. There will be other girls who will try and intimidate you.”

Ella pulled away, wonder in her eyes. “Would you really teach me how?” she asked.

“Of course,” Zayn answered, chucking her on the chin before he stood up. “I have to go now, but I’ll see you after school tomorrow?”

Ella only nodded her head with happiness shining out of her thin features. She tugged her book bag back up onto her shoulder then raced inside, eager to tell her mother about her walk home.

Ella and her mother spent the rest of the evening making cookies, the only way they could think to thank Zayn for his assistance.

The following day, Ella peered out once again from the door to the school building and, sure enough, there he was! She skipped down the steps, her face shining with happiness and relief. “You’re here,” she stated the obvious when she reached his side. Ella actually preened slightly as the other students saw her standing there talking to Zayn. Everyone in the neighborhood knew Zayn as well as Angelo and Dominic. They were a little like movie stars and just being seen with one of them was huge!

She dumped her book bag on the ground and unzipped the top, pulling out a small package. “These are for you,” she said, suddenly nervous about handing him the offering. “They are a thank you for your help with Julia.” She smiled and peered up through her lashes. “And are you the one who put the bag of groceries outside our door last night?” she asked.

Zayn looked into the bag and his grin widened. “Cookies?” he said and pulled one out. He ignored the question about the groceries. He had done that along with Angelo and Dominic so he wasn’t going to take credit for that. He just hoped she and her mother ate a bit better for a few days until her mother found another home to clean that would replace the income she’d lost on the apartment she’d lost in Manhattan. Biting into the chocolate chip cookie, his eyes widened in surprise. “These are amazing,” he said and gobbled up the entire cookie.

Ella’s smile grew wider. “My mom helped me make them. She puts something special in them.”

“What is it?” he asked, taking two more out of the bag as they started to walk home from school.

Ella shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know actually. She snuck it into the mix while I was finishing my math homework.”

Ella’s eyes widened when, they’d just turned the corner, Angelo and Dominic appeared.

“What’s in the bag?” Dominic asked, crowding his friend when he tried to hide the cookies.

Ella giggled as Zayn tried to hold the bag away from Dominic. He wasn’t fast enough because Angelo, who was standing silently to the side, simply plucked the bag from Zayn’s hand and grabbed a cookie.

While Zayn was trying to grab his stash back, Angelo tossed two cookies to Dominic who instantly caught them, chomping down on one before Zayn had a chance to grab it back.

“Wow!” Dominic exclaimed. “These are awesome!”

While Angelo and Dominic reveled in the taste of the soft, delicious cookies, Zayn grabbed the bag back, snatching two more for himself.

“Thanks for the cookies,” he said, trying not to appear rude by talking with his mouth full, but the cookies genuinely were too good to stop eating. “I think these are the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had,” he mumbled.

Ella beamed with pride. With her hands behind her back and her shoulders swinging back and forth, she grinned up at the three boys. “Thank you so much for getting Julia away from me.

Angelo’s eyes darkened and Dominic stopped chewing. “You let us know if that girl, or anyone else bothers you, okay?”

Ella nodded. “I will,” she promised.

Zayn gently pulled one of her braids. “And keep getting those good grades, okay?”

Ella laughed. “Definitely.”

The three boys moved off down the street but Ella continued to watch them. Something was bothering her and she bit her lip as she finally walked inside.

The next day at school, Ella watched Julia during math class. The expression on the mean girl’s face gave Ella pause. She wasn’t sure what was going through Julia’s mind, but Ella was pretty sure that Julia didn’t understand how to do the work. It was fractions and most people misunderstood fractions. They were fun, in her mind.

During recess, Ella hung out at the edge of the playground. Several times her friends called her over, but she just smiled and waved them on. She stood by the swing set, watching Julia and Rosie, Julia’s best friend. Several times, Julia glared over at Ella.

Finally, the big girl stomped over to where Ella was standing. “What do you want, wimp?” she growled. “You’re pet dogs won’t be around forever.”

Ella was terrified, but something inside of her knew that there was more to this issue. Ella looked up at Julia, behind her to Rosie, then took a deep breath and spilled out what she wanted to say. “Julia, if you need help with math, I can show you how to do some of the problems. I have a few tricks that I use to remember how to do fractions.” She’d said all of that in a rushed whisper, her bravery failing her in the face of Julia’s contempt.

The offer, so unexpected, transformed Julia’s face from snarling anger to complete confusion. “Huh?” was her only response.

Ella shrugged slightly, her charity-box shirt slipping off of her shoulder because it was about three sizes too big. “I won’t let you cheat off of me, but I can help you.” She waited for a reaction. “If you want, that is…” Ella wasn’t sure what else to say.

Julia finally recovered, then shrugged. “Who says I need your help, brat?”

At least Julia hadn’t punched first. Ella considered that a good sign. “Fractions are pretty hard,” Ella came back, her voice only slightly more confident. Julia at a distance was scary. Julia up close was terrifying. “I have some memory tricks. They aren’t hard and I could teach you, if you’d like. But if you don’t want that, I understand.”

Ella started to walk away. She was about five feet off of the asphalt playground when Julia called out to her. “Why would you help me?” she demanded.

Ella turned back, blinking at the harsh sunlight. She shrugged and looked down at the dirt. “I’m sure there will be things that you could help me with later on. I was just offering to help you with something I’m good at. Maybe we could trade talents?”

That made more sense to the bigger girl. Julia wasn’t used to anyone being nice to her. Offering to do something was generally a trick that

Julia had learned to avoid in her short, young life. Julia’s stance altered. “What if…”

“Maybe you could teach me to be more confident?” Ella offered, her shoulders cringing at the idea. “I know I appear wimpy. And you’re so strong. I don’t really…” Ella desperately wanted to get rid of her “victim” posture and Julia was the most confident girl in her grade. Ella suspected Julia was also just scared, but she hid it well.

Julia’s shoulders puffed up with pride. “Yeah, I could teach you that.” She nodded her head slightly before she said. “Okay, here’s the deal. You show me fractions, and if I can learn that, then I’ll teach you how to look stronger.”

Ella tried to smile, but she was still so scared of the bigger girl. First lesson, she told herself mentally – don’t back down. “Okay. When?”

Julia considered things for a moment. “After school. I don’t want to be seen with you. So we’ll meet behind your building.”

Ella nodded, accepting the time and place with relief. “Okay. Sounds good.”

With that, Ella spun around and raced off to find her friends, relieved that she’d at least made the offer. As soon as she sat down next to her friends, Ella wondered what she’d just done. She’d agreed to meet the meanest girl in school, the one who had bullied her and tormented her for years, behind her building where there would be no witnesses if Julia decided to pummel Ella. What was she thinking?

The whole day, Ella trembled and worried so much that by the time she walked out of school at the end of the day, she was almost sick with worry.

Zayn immediately spotted Ella as she walked down the steps of the school. “What’s wrong, Ella?” he asked as he walked in step beside her.

Ella took a deep breath, blinking back the tears. “I think I did something really stupid,” she whispered.

Zayn stopped and touched her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” he asked, bending down to her level so he could look into her eyes.

Ella bit her lip, then rushed out, explaining what she’d offered to Julia only one day after he’d fixed the problem for her.

Zayn listened carefully, but when she was finished, he stood up and smiled down at her. “That was very brave of you. Are you sure you can teach her fractions?” he asked.

Ella cringed. “I think so, but I’m not positive.”

Zayn laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I think Julia sincerely wants to learn this stuff. And what you’ve done was amazingly sweet, but I already knew that about you.”

Ella laughed, shaking her head. “I’m pretty sure I can show Julia how to do fractions, but I’m not sure if Julia can show me how to appear confident,” she came back as they both started walking down the busy street towards her building.

She and Zayn walked and talked and he laughed at some of her quips. As she came closer to her building, she spotted a red shirt suddenly whip out of sight. “I think Julia is here now,” Ella whispered to Zayn.

Zayn nodded and bent low again. “I’ll find a place to watch out for you.”

Ella felt uncomfortable with his offer. “You have more important things to do than watch out for me,” she said, shuffling her feet on the sidewalk.

“No I don’t,” he chuckled. “Go ahead. I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

Ella sighed with relief. She pulled her book bag higher on her shoulder, raced up the stairs to let her mother know that she was home, then moved more slowly down the stairway to the back of the building. Sure enough, Julia was there, leaning against the filthy brick wall.

“Ready?” Ella asked, swallowing painfully. Even knowing that Zayn was most likely close by, she was still nervous. The stink of rotting food and urine didn’t help much.

Julia pushed away from the brick wall and came closer. “You sure you can teach me this stuff?” she demanded.

Ella took a deep breath. “I think so,” she replied. “Let’s try,” she suggested.

Julia hesitated, then took out her book. The two girls sat down on the grungy stair and Ella opened her book. It took only a few minutes, explaining her trick to Julia before the girl’s eyes widened as comprehension hit. “That’s all?” she demanded.

Ella nodded her head. “That’s it. Not much to it.”

Julia looked down at her torn-up notebook, now scribbled with the various tips. “This is too easy,” she grumbled. “I don’t know why our teacher didn’t tell us all these things.”

Two days later, Julia and Ella were once again behind the building. Julia kept poking Ella’s shoulders. “Stand up straight,” Julia commanded.

“You can’t slump your shoulders like that.”

It took several more pokes before Ella learned to pull her shoulders back and keep her head high. “That’s it,” Julia said, nodding with approval.

“Now you don’t look like a target. As much,” she said with a wicked grin. “So maybe you could help me with multiplication?”

Ella smiled with relief and the two sat down once again and they went over the multiplication tables. It was all a matter of memorization and Julia wasn’t as good at that. But they worked at it several more days and Julia poked Ella on the playground several times, indicating that Ella needed to straighten her shoulders.

It wasn’t that the two girls became good friends over the next few days. It was more that they simply weren’t enemies. Julia was thrilled when she got her math test back and received a C for her efforts, which was enormously better than the Ds and Fs she normally got. And Ella walked down the street feeling much better about herself.

She spotted Zayn along with his friends, Angelo and Dominic, several times. She had conflicting feelings about her newfound freedom. She’d loved walking home from school with Zayn. He was fascinating to talk to and oh-so-handsome! But with her new courage, he would simply wink at her from across the street and give her nods of approval. It was nice, but she missed talking to him. She accepted that life didn’t always give one what one wanted. But she also knew that it gave one what one needed.

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