Hajara POV:
"Sarah, wake up!" I yelled, frowning at my sister. The sun glistened through the slits of the closed curtains in her room making a pool of light on the floor. I opened the curtains allowing the struggling light to enter the house freely.
Today was the first day of school after the long boring summer vacation. Excitement took a toll in my body jolting me awake because I was finally allowed to meet my friends after a long time.
My thoughts were shattered when Sarah began groaning in her comfortable sleep in irritation. She's only sixteen, younger than me by a year but still the baby of the house. "Hajara, go away!" she yelled, swatting my hands away when I tried shaking her awake. She kept her eyes closed shut with her hands on top of it blocking the sunlight from reaching her.
"Sarah, school time!" I sang irritably, remembering my mother's way of waking us up when we were little which literally killed both of us.
I tried my best not to lose my patience but does Sarah care, nope. This was our usual routine, I get up first, knock on her door, call her gently for a few minutes then end up yelling in her face.
"SARAH, WAKE UP! You want to be late for school on your first day in eleventh grade?" I shouted, giving up on her. Ya Allah, this girl will drive me nuts!
"OMG, what time is it?" she gasped surprised by my shouting, acting as if nothing has happened. She jumped off the bed and started rubbing her eyes knowing as usual that she is late for school.
"It's 7:30 am. You have 30 minutes to get ready!" I frowned, gesturing at the clock. Sarah's silky messy long brown hair reached her waist and her brown eyes sparkled with enlightenment.
Sarah had fair skin just like me since we were both coming from Arab descendants... or American converts, who knows. She's very pretty, even in a situation like this. Most boys at school try to flirt with her, but end up failing instead because Sarah always kept her conversation limited with guys. What can I say, religion always comes first.
She ran to the washroom while I finish getting ready by wearing a simple long black dress, along with a long gray cardigan and matching gray scarf. I love wearing long simple dresses. Modesty is my thing, I am a Muslim after all.
I rush downstairs at 7: 45 with my backpack clinging on my back and I quickly wear my snickers and tie my shoelaces in a haste. "Hey, Sarah you ready?" I yelled impatiently.
"COMING!" She yelled back.
I sighed leaning against the wall, impatiently drumming my feet on the floor. I hated it when my sister gets me late for school. I on the other hand am always organized and on time for school but because of her, I always run late.
"Darlings, don't forget to take your lunch, I left it on the kitchen counter." My mom yelled. She's probably downstairs doing something and yelling across the house at the same time. I smile thinking about my cool family.
"Thanks, mom!" I yelled back being grateful. "Your the best!"
Yes, we do plenty of yelling in this family!
"Back at ya, darling!" Mom shouted back cheerfully.
"Hey, We're not late, chill sis!", Sarah panted as she ran down the stairs towards me in a hurry. She still looked stunning even in the outfit she picked in fifteen minutes.
"Bye Mom!" Sarah and I hollered at the same time, opening the front door to leave.
"Bye girls!"
We walk together to school in silence in the autumn season as yellow and red leaves crunching beneath our shoes. The cool autumn breeze brushed against our skin making us slightly shiver.
As soon as we reached our school, Sarah spotted her best friend Umm Habibah who waved at her furiously with a huge smile plastered on her face. Sarah dashed to give her a big hug.
"Bye sis, see you after school" she yelled back over her shoulders looking at me one last time as she waved at me.
"Bye, Sarah!" I replied waving slightly.
I made my way towards the crowded locker room where I think my friends Hannah and Aisha might be. I hated crowds, crowds were the main source of physical contact with men. If you have experience in school, you might know it's pretty hard to walk in the hallway without bumping into each other!
Being a Muslim, you must already know that not all boys are your mahram. So physical contact with them is totally haram. Let me tell you something, I'm not interested in boys at all cause they are weirdos, chic lovers, loud, and just give me the creeps. I just feel... I guess uncomfortable and nauseous in front of them when they gave me the glare. Especially, the hard long stares they always give me that tend to linger on my body and face.
"Ouch!" I yelled rubbing my head when I hit something very hard, I stumble back as I lose my balance when a hand suddenly grabbed mines and places me back on my feet. I have bumped into someone, shoot! Next time I gotta tell myself not to think while walking.
"Hey watch where you're going!" A rude unfamiliar manly voice spoke. I quickly pull back startled.
"Uh, sorry! I really didn't mean to." I replied looking up, biting my lips in fear. Time to back away and run, Hajara!
The guy is 5'8, wearing a grey leather jacket and jeans with golden messy hair, he looked at me through his brown orbs as I spoke. Lower your gaze idiot!
"Uh, it's nothing," He murmured quietly. He's completely staring at me with an awed expression with no shame. 'Duh!' I facepalmed myself, he's probably not even a Muslim. Why would he care about the whole 'lowering your gaze' thing?
'Abort awkward situation!' My mind screamed, but did my legs listen? Nope! I was stuck frozen to my spot with fear.
"I'm Yusuf." he grinned friendly, trying his best to avoid the tense situation. Wait, he's a Muslim?
"I'm Hajara," I introduced bluntly.
"You're in my class, I'm guessing?" He asked as I smiled back, trying my best to be polite. To be honest, I didn't even know if he was in my class. I never spared any glances at any of the guys in my classes before... come on, it was a total waste of energy.
"See you there then." he smiled, walking backward and disappearing from the view.
"Ah ... see you too", I replied awkwardly.
Hope I don't!
I rushed toward my friend Hannah when I spotted her opening her locker with her finger on the fingerprint scanner. I turned her around hastily, startling her and pulling her in for an embrace.
"What about me?" Aisha popped out of nowhere and joins us making a one big group hug.
* * * * * * *
I hated Math class, but I needed to do good in order to go to university. "Ugh, Hannah I hate Math. It's only the first day and Ms. Brown is filling us with work." I cursed, knitting my brows and placing my hand on my cheeks while glaring at my paper with hatred. "Curse your math equations, curse you. May your progeny be cursed as well!"
"Chill woman, this is our last year in school. Duh, expecting hard equations is obvious. " Aisha mumbled carelessly relaxing on her chair and doing her equation with ease. I rolled my eyes, math had always been easy and her favorite. She does most of her calculations in her head without a calculator.
I took my calculator out and thumped the number keys furiously. Aisha looked at me like I've come from Mars and declared myself an alien.
"What?" I asked.
"Why are you using a calculator?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Um, to find the answers, of course, no one as smart as you!" I remarked, making her roll her eyes.
"Hey Hajara, look that guy is staring at you. He just can't stop staring at you." Hannah chuckled, pointing with her eyes at some dude behind him.
"Curse his progeny as well!" I mumbled unconsciously, taking my surface pen and jotting the equations down on my glass tablet. Math always got me mad!
"Well, I wouldn't say that..." Hannah trailed off.
I looked away from my work and glanced at the dude who she was looking at and I found myself staring at the guy I bumped earlier this morning. He looked away as soon as my eyes caught his. He's known as "hot", "handsome" or " pretty" by most of the girls in our school, well that's what heard. Why do I have to care about him again?
"What I find surprising is him having no girlfriends. I mean he's so popular, he's hot--!" Hannah rambled. I don't fall for boys with good looks, because most of the time they are made up of trash.
"That's good, I am not surprised. He's not making his abode in Hell now, is he?" I asked, biting my lips while solving my math equations.
"Earth to Hajara!" Aisha smirked, swaying her hands in front of my face. "Looks like someone just got a crush." I realized that I was still staring at him for some time.
"Shut up! I don't fall for boys", I frowned, "Get your head out of the gutter, my thoughts were pure... I was thinking about math and its reproductive system."
"K sheesh, I'm kidding". Aisha laughed, raising her hand in defense. "Well by forming love equations, that is what I discovered." She said wiggling her eyebrows.
I smacked her playfully allowing a giggle to escape from her lips. "Math lover," I muttered. I continued struggling with my work until Math class finally finished.
I quickly dash out of class as soon as the bell rings. "I'm free finally." I exhaled, raising my fists in the air while those two gave me a weird stare.
*** *** **** ***
Finally, after school, I waited for Sarah. I stood alone leaning against the wall stuffed with boredom; my friends had already gone home with their rides leaving me alone to find my sister. She took forever just to pack up her things and saying bye to her friends.
I lazily took my headphones and plugged them on my razor-sharp phone and blasted my eardrums with the Quran. You can call me weird or religious but I love listening to it, I am a hafizah after all. I have the entire Quran memorized by heart and it was my duty to protect it, revise it and secure it in my heart.
"Hi big sis, let's go!" Sarah squealed making me jump up twenty feet high. "You got startled huh?" I nodded grumpily, she giggled lightheartedly and gave me a hug easing my unnecessary fear.
I closed my eyes feeling relaxed as the Qari's melodious recitation filled my ears. I walked alongside Sarah when a painful blow suddenly jolted through me.
"Ouch!" I tripped, losing my balance and falling on the pavement, my body smashing on it to be specific. I couldn't move, I was in that position couple of seconds due to the pain shooting like lightning around my body. Few angry groans left my mouth as I tried to digest the pain.
Sarah ran to my side and yelled at the person angrily raising her fists like a caveman, all she needed was a wooden hammer. "Watch it, dude! What is wrong with you boys going around girls and hurting them?"
"Oops, I'm sorry again," The voice mumbled sincerely with a hint of guilt in his voice. He again? The guy that had bumped into me earlier in the morning. How worse can this day get?
"I wasn't watching my way honestly. Sorry, Hajara!" He apologized again.
"It's OK!" I frowned, getting up and rubbing the dirt off my dress avoiding his gaze as usual.
A guy around our age was standing beside Yusuf, staring at us intensely with his blazing green eyes. He had golden messy hair just like Yusuf and had glasses on, the same taste of fashion as Yusuf but all black.
"Sorry girls about my brother." The guy beside Yusuf interrupted, grinning broadly. "He's always daydreaming, clumsy, and doesn't even know where he's going. Sorry about that. By the way, I'm Benyamin." He smiled towards Sarah. Oh hell no, Sarah will for sure fall for him!
Yusuf slapped him playfully, acting as if he was mad. "Shut up, I am not clumsy bro!"
"I'm Sarah and this is my sister Hajara," Sarah introduced, blushing. I rolled my eyes, seriously she's crushing now? This girl gotta control her hormones!
"Sorry, we gotta go!" I grunted, pushing Sarah down the street trying to avoid this haram situation.
This was my worst day ever.