Nicholas leaned against the trunk of the tree, the sharp edges digging into his back. The book in his hand was a classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray. He wasn't in the mood to start a new book, so he reread the older ones that his teachers used to force him to read.

The autumn leaves fluttered down in different shades of deep reds, yellows, and browns. A gentle breeze caressed the blonde strands that had fallen to his forehead, blowing them with the gradient of leaves. Nicholas's wool sweater kept a small amount of warmth to his body, but he didn't mind. He loved the cold, the freezing temperatures, the chilly atmosphere. The frost numbed his skin like the way books numbed his emotions.

He sighed, closing his eyes as he placed the book down on the bed of grass beside him. The city was bustling with noise, cars honking, teenagers laughing, and dogs barking. Thanksgiving was right around the corner, and Nicholas was feeling as lonely as ever. He opened his eyes, willing the dangerous voices to stay in their prisons of solitude.

Everyone would spend the holiday with their family, except Nicholas. Elijah had packed up to spend time with his girlfriend's family, leaving Nicholas alone for the next couple of days. He would sit in his small apartment, watching the parades on the television and maybe visiting the library. It had become a routine of his. Every holiday, he'd open the library and sit until the last hours of day faded away.

"Dina, you screwed up," said a very familiar deep voice from behind him.

Nicholas shifted in his seat after hearing her name, looking for the source of the voice.

"Haroon, you're supposed to help me with my tajweed (Quranic grammar)," scoffed Dina.

Turning around, he spotted four siblings sitting in a small circle. Each held a thick book in their hands, the leather cover glistening with golden calligraphy. Nicholas assumed that they must have been reading a holy scripture, he just didn't remember the name.

"I am helping!" exclaimed Haroon, adjusting the beanie on his head from the howling winds. "I'm telling you that you suck in a nice way."

Dina scrunched her nose in annoyance. "That's just rude."

Their little sister, Dunya, looked up from her recitation, her curious eyes on Nicholas. Uh oh, he thought. Nicholas quickly hid behind the tree again, hoping that the siblings didn't see him. Heat crawled up the back of his neck as he heard the crunch of twigs from the footsteps that neared him.

"Hey, Nicholas," greeted an amused voice to his right. It was most likely Haroon.

"Didn't know you were so afraid of us, sport," laughed another deep voice from his left, probably Humaid.

"I'm not," he mumbled, holding his book against himself. "I was just startled."

Haroon's light brown eyes glimmered, his frames reflecting a small amount of sunlight. "Mind if we join you?" he asked.

"I don't."

"Awesome," grinned Humaid before turning to his sisters. "Dunya! Dina! Come over here."

Dina and Dunya walked towards the twins. Nicholas's eyes instantly met Dina's gaze, getting lost in the dark brown orbs that seemed endless in his mind. Her lips curled into a smile, shining her bright white teeth at him and warming his heart more than his sweater could. He wanted to run to her, but her brothers were there.

"Hey, Ne-I mean Nicholas," she amended as she sat near her brothers.

Humaid raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. "You two know each other?" he asked, glancing between the two of them.

Dina blushed, looking away. "He's the librarian."

"I already knew that, Sherlock," countered Humaid.

Dina opened her mouth to argue back, but Nicholas stood up, clutching the book to his chest and keeping his head down. He felt the light brush of his stray blonde hairs right above his eyes. For some reason, he felt anxious in the presence of all the siblings. Dina was the girl his heart longed for. No one could even compare.

Yet, there he was meeting her brothers that were cunning enough to destroy his very existence if he made the wrong move. He didn't feel nervous that they'd kill him like the majority of Americans. Nicholas knew Muslims weren't horrible. Dina wasn't and her family seemed a lot like herself.

"Where are you going, mister?" asked the little girl with a loose hijab on, her big brown eyes staring up at him as she clutched the fabric of his jeans. "Don't leave when we just met," she begged.

Nicholas was at awe. She looked exactly like her older sister. They shared the same almond-shaped eyes that would beckon him towards them with the promise of comfort. Her nose was slender while her lips pouted at Nicholas in an adorable way. His blue eyes moved to Dina, who was nervously fidgeting with the ends of her sweater, a sparkle entering her dark eyes, begging him to stay.

There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to tell her. If wishes existed, he wished for Dina to be in his arms, cuddled up next to him and whispering sweet nothings to him because around Dina he was never alone. Dina's personal light absorbed the darkness that had once consumed Nicholas. Her touch, her words, and her soft voice plunged Nicholas's barriers and engulfed him in her sweet warmth.

A strong hand clamped down on his shoulder, making Nicholas almost drop his book. "Come over to our place," smiled Humaid. Nicholas realized that Humaid was the jock of the twins, his strength unmatchable. "I still got two hours till practice."

"It's not necessary. I'm going to head home," said Nicholas, keeping his voice low.

"No! Humaid, don't let him go by himself!" exclaimed Dunya.

Dina picked up her little sister, placing Dunya on her hip. Her fingers fixed Dunya's hijab, making sure all her hair was tucked away. Dunya rested her head on Dina's shoulder, clutching onto Dina's neck. The bond between the two sisters radiated a string of energy towards Nicholas.

"Don't let him go," she whispered. "He looks so alone. That's not fair."

Humaid and Haroon exchanged glances, almost like they were communicating mentally. Dina ignored her brothers as she gazed at Nicholas with longing, wistful about their moments in the library. Nicholas couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"It's settled then. Nicholas will come with us and spend his holiday at our place," stated Haroon with a proud expression. Nicholas opened his mouth to make an excuse, but Haroon held his hand up. "Don't make me tell Humaid to drag you to our place," he joked.

"Fine," Nicholas sighed, defeated.

The boys pulled Nicholas towards their house, Dina and Dunya following behind. He kept glancing back at Dina's smiling face as she teased her little sister, the two of them erupting with laughter. Although she looked the same as she did every other day, she seemed to get more beautiful by each passing second. She was a rose in a world of thorns, pushing past all to spread her love no matter how many shadows loomed over her.

Dina spread her love like a wildfire, and Nicholas was waiting for it to burn him.

----

Just dropped my parents off at the airport, and I've got to say, it's pretty damn heartbreaking with the village violence going on. I'm praying to Allah that my parents will come back untouched.

Treat your parents right, everyone, because you never know when it'll be last time you hold them.

Anyway, Nicholas is about to meet Dina's parents O.o Thoughts? Oh, so I want to enter a chapter from each of my books to my school's lit magazine. Tell me which chapter from this book would be good to put in!

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!