“I’m 22.” Sarah appeared to be older than Dareen but still young. She had a round face with high cheekbones and small eyes that appeared larger thanks to her thin eyeliner. Full lips and olive skin. Her hair was a medium lob in black and pink Ombre. She was dressed in light blue ripped jeans and a blue and white embroidered v neck shirt in a bohemian style. She had a short, chubby body and small hands that were encrusted with colored gemstone rings.

“26.”

“No way!” Sarah said, smiling at Dareen, who also smiled. When the door opened again, another person came in, out of breath. Dareen looked at Sarah and then at the young man, who was catching his breath. “We haven’t started yet,” Sarah said with a smile.

“Thank God,” he said as he sat in front of them, not looking back and trying to calm his rising chest before returning to introduce himself. “I’m Younes.” He shook their hands, shifted his body, and looked at them after they introduced themselves. “I thought I was going to be late!  I drove crazy fast to be here on time.”

“Where do you live?”

“I live nearby, but I just got back from college, and it’s like on the other side of the city,” he said after a brief pause. “It was the last day, and I had to be there; I didn’t think they’d arrange an orientation day that quickly.” Sarah laughed as she looked at Dareen. “What?”

The girls laughed even harder at his deadpan tone and solemn expression. Younes was a tall, tanned young man with a dark brown beard and hair, a charming young man with a dazzling smile and a slightly muscled body. He wore thin black glasses, giving him the classic look of a handsome nerd. “No, you’re just like me, I came running like five minutes ago.”

“Nice! We’re the same age, we should be friends,” Younes said, looking at Dareen, who smiled and shook her head no. “What? “Do you not want to be friends?”

“She’s older, can you believe she’s 26?” Sarah stated.