Chapter Two-Hana

I cross my arms and give my mum the look.

Mum, looks at me, smiling nervously as she swipes again across the screen of her phone.

"Stop staring at me like that Hana," She says, "It's giving me the willies."

"Well you should be terrified." I say, snatching the phone from her hand and closing the HalalDating.com. "I told you to stop this bullshit."

"Language," Mum snaps, slapping my hand, "You can use these words at home, but not at Aunty' s place. What will she think of you, if she hears these oh, so, terrible words sliding off your tongue?"

"I don't care what she thinks of me," I say, "Or for Adnan for all that matters."

She gives me a sly grin, nudging me gently, "He has grown even taller you know and I heard he got into the same English University you're planning to go."

"Mum, I don't care." I tell her, "Stop trying to set me up with every guy you see. Especially not Adnan, we used to go for booger shooting together."

"Well, I'm trying to let you have the normal high school experience," She says, her hijab dangling loosely. We were at her friend's house, so it didn't matter. "And I read somewhere that, it includes romance."

I cant help but smile as she giggles. Mum has this weird conception, that I'm missing out on the normal high school experience. Honestly, I couldn't care less, about going to parties and pretending to like yucky cocktails. I wouldn't mind a boyfriend though, but not that I would ever let her know. I'm horribly awkward around guys, and if there's a potential romance that we are trying to spark; I'm even worse. I used to get along well with Adnan, at least until he grew five inches in a year and sported something that looked like a leather jacket.

Adnan+Fashion was something I had never expected to happen or to like so much. It was hard enough being such a wuss around other guys, but in front of Adnan? The same guy I tore the rubber ducky of and then watched him cry and bury it? It's even worse.

"It's not my fault I ship you both." She says, chuckling and I wonder how I ended up with a mother so obsessed with my love life. "But obviously I wont force you."

I can trust her on that one.

"Zakia!" Aunt Halima calls from her room. "Come over here! Tell me if you've seen this movie before."

Mum rolls her eyes at me, before shuffling off to her friend.

Whenever we came to Aunt Halima's place, she would always be in front of the TV, perched on the hugest sofa I have ever seen in my life. She is obsessed with Marvel, but my mum's into only romance. I have witnessed her watching K-dramas all day, when I was small. That's why I spoke a little Korean when I was growing up. It's would confuse the hell out of everybody, but for my mum it was her greatest achievement. A three year old girl who could speak three different languages! She would stroll me around everywhere boasting about me. She reckons that's why I got selected in Alyson's high. The private nursing school, where I got in through a scholarship that I got when I talked to the Principal about the holes in my red t-shirt in half Korean and half English. I was the first student in history of Alyson's high to get a scholarship in Kindergarten. I have a diary entry of that day to prove it.

I studied there till middle grade, before we shifted to this small town where everyone knows everyone's business. We weren't the only Muslims there, so it wasn't difficult for me when I adopted the Hijab on my thirteenth birthday. My older sister never adopted the hijab, so it did take some while getting used to it. I'm still getting used to it, especially when I play soccer.

I take out my phone and message Daniela. I don't even bother with Rhea, she is never online.

Daniela responds me in ten seconds.

D- I was just about to message you!

H-Thinking of me, huh?

D- Yep, silly. I miss you. School's so dull.

H- Not a surprise. Are we getting an autumn break? I hope we get an autumn break.

D- Too much to hope for. This is a public school hun. There could be a blizzard and the school would be open.

H-Hmm. So how was your essy?

*Essay

D- Not bad. I got B :(

H- ARE YOU SAD RN? Gurl. I would kill for that grade.

D- It lowered my GPA tho. Fingers crossed for the final though.

H- You are too much into studies.

D- Well, if I were good at something, maybe I wouldn't.

H- Wdym? I'm horrible at basically everything.

D- Are you kidding me? Who made our school win the finals last year?

H- Oh, come on. I told you I just slipped.

D- YEAH AND YOUR 'SLIP' SENT THE BALL SPINNING BETWEEN THE LEGS OF THE GOALIE RIGHT INTO THE NET?

D- If that was an accident, I wish I had accidents like that daily.

H- Be careful what you wish for! Trust me, you DONT want my luck.

The door swung open as I leaned over the table behind me, the smile reaching my eyes.

"Whatya smiling at?" Adnan says, striding towards me in big easy steps. "Is it a meme?"

I step behind instinctively, my cheeks flaming. I'm pale and it doesn't help.

"Uh, no." I say sliding the phone in my pocket, before crossing my legs, trying to look casual. "It was nothing."

He frowns, the mark where I cut him, still visible on his forehead, although he covered it with a mop of dangly long, brown hair.

"You know if I didn't know you since we were like two," he says towering over me, "I would've thought you were like dealing drugs or something. Cause you look awfully suspicious."

"Well, haha." I say, "Great thing you're not a detective then."

Adnan loved criminal minds and basically any psychological thriller, I liked horror more. The gore, that he called, 'the substitute of meaningful conversations' was my thing. I didn't care, I liked screaming, and fingers twisting and neck snapping. Maybe that's why I loved anime, they were top notch in that league. Although I cant sleep alone because of that though.

"Oh, Adnan, Assalamualikum son," my mum peeped out of the living room, from where I could distinctly hear the OST of Oh, my Venus blaring. I wonder how Aunt Halima was dealing with her losing. My mum was a winner and since she was used to having everything her way, a sore loser.

"Walaikumassalam Aunty." He says, before keeping the paper bag on the counter. "I haven't seen you and Hana in ages."

Mum smiles, raising an eyebrow, "Oh, well," She says, winking at me, before strutting back, "Why don't you catch up? Halima is probably missing me."

I clench my fist as Adnan faces me with a grin, my mum can be horribly obvious. It's good Adnan is dumb and can never take a hint.

I contribute to that. I slammed his head once, when we were seven. He obviously remembers none of it, but he's been crazy dumb since then. I feel guilty though, he repeated sixth grade twice because of me. I was such a bully.

"So you're in your senior year, right?"

"Right." I nod.

"Good, me too."

"I know."

The silence stretches out between us forever. I know it's my turn to ask him something, but I cant. I'm tongue tied.

His phone rings and he takes it out, a thousand cracks on the screen gleaming like knives as he swipes it open. I think he's still clumsy. At least I hope so.

"I need to get this call," He says before walking off to his room. "I'll talk to you later."

I release a breath I was purposely holding, and sigh. I don't know why I get so insecure even about how my breathing sounds like, when I'm around any guy. It's not like I'm ugly. I mean, I'm no Bella Hadid, but I'm okay and I'm good at makeup. I have a good taste in music and I like reading. I have a lot to talk about, but it irks me that I get so tongue tied.

Well, tomorrow will be another day; I remind myself. Tomorrow I may turn interesting and strut off the streets, blowing kisses and breaking hearts. It's possible, anything's possible.

I shove my hands in the pocket of my jacket and march to the end of the corridoor, before I hear the loud shuffling of steps as Adnan steps out of his room, beside the living room.

"Hana," he pants, "Do you remember Ibrahim and Mustafa? They're my good friends now. They've invited me, and I can take a plus one. Wanna come?"

Before I can process what he said, Mum pokes her head around the door.

"Yes, she will, wont you Hana?"

I freeze, "Y-yeah okay."

"Cool!" He yells, "My best friend meeting my other two best friends. I cant wait."

I rush off to the room Aunt Halima gave me and slam the door shut behind me.

I still don't know where the stutter came from.