I am still alive at fourteen. Every day is one closer to one I will be forced into a plane that won't come back. I probably have a year at most, if I don't get myself shot. But I will not back down, because I. Am. A. Christian.

And that is not ever going to change.

Rasheed and I are at the little creek behind our barracks. It's very shallow, which makes my task here hard.

Rasheed has heard the word and believed, and now I am trying to baptize him. I end up having to just sprinkle the water on him. Usually a minister would be baptizing him, but those are in short supply.

He climbs out of the creek and I hug him tight. He hugs me back. His voice has changed into a deep, rumbling sound.

It gives me the shivers. The good kind.

I have a crush on Rasheed, don't I? This is no time for my feminine want for love to kick in! I live in a prison camp, for goodness sakes.

But my handsome Muslim best friend is now my handsome Christian best friend. And that is hard for me to resist.

We build a fire with Juko in the evening, Rasheed and I sitting side by side on a log. He is holding my hand, but it's in a brotherly way. Juko walks away to find more fire wood. I immediately sit up and look at Rasheed.

"Rasheed?"

"Hmmm, Aisha?" I take a deep breath, summoning all of my confidence.

"In a different world, where we weren't, well, here…" I trail off.

"Yes?" Rasheed says. I try to gain the courage to ask the next part. But as I watch, a pretty girl, the kitchen lady's daughter, walks by. Rasheed's eyes are glued to her face. I falter.

"N-never mind," I say. Rasheed doesn't notice.

"She's so pretty, isn't she?" he sighs.

I feel it then. My heart crumbling, crumbling, crumbling. I get up.

"I need to go." Rasheed nods,

"Okay. See you soon." I stare at him, hard. He doesn't notice.

"Fine, then. See you soon."

The next day, I notice her- and him staring at her- everywhere. It's plain as day. I'm surprised the guards don't notice.

I do something evil. I point it out.

After they beat Rasheed for 'not being fully focused', he comes to find me. I'm sitting at the creek, head down, tears rolling as I throw pebbles into the water.

"Aisha! How could you?" he says, his voice breaking. I turn to face him. His face is mottled with bruises. I feel a tiny urge of pity, but it is put out when I feel my heart break again. I turn away. He grabs under my arms and pulls me up to face him. I try to break away, but he's stronger, always has been.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you tell me why you told the guards that I like Monibar!" I glare.

"It's always Monibar this and Monibar that. I'm tired of it! Didn't you think that maybe, just maybe, that might make your best friend, who is a girl, mind you, jealous?" I don't let him respond. "Oh, and did you ever think that maybe your best friend might have a crush on you, too?" Rasheed lets me go, shocked.

"You- like me?" I shrug.

"Don't feel flattered. It just shows I'm an idiot." I try to walk past Rasheed, but he grabs my arm.

"Aisha. I only like Monibar because I gave up on you." It's my turn to be shocked.

"You gave up on me?" He nods.

"I thought you liked Juko." I laugh,

"Juko? That small-brained brute? He's great for a laugh, but a crush?" I make a grossed-out face. Rasheed laughs.

And then we share the best kiss anyone's had under the shadow of barbed wire.