Stop Looking!

She kept running and running till she stopped to take some breathe, breathing heavily. Her hands holding her knee and she heaved in and out. She has to lose 10kg before she can be able to audition for the Korean Dream Academy. She doubt she would get a Chance to go to Korean now but she believed in Being positive. She had set her mind to it and she would make it no matter what. She was just starting to run long distances as she was told it would help her lose weight, that way it wouldn't be hard for her in the nearest future. It would be much easier that way. She smiled to her self and started to run again. She stopped in front of a Medium sized Gate which is Her House and she stopped to catch her breath again.

"Asalamalahikum" she greeted even though no one was in the Living room, Jamila still Can't seem to get used to this Place. Her parents are Immigrants,her dad to be precise. They had left their Country to come live in the United States of America. By they she meant Her, Her dad and Her. She has two elder sister; one is currently schooling in Europe through a Scholarship and other one was still in Africa, Nigeria as she is also in university and she is already in 200level So she can't leave the University just so she can come with them. She has to Finish her School years before coming to live with them. Jamila was in Grade 11 and she would complete her High School years in America. She had been excited at first but the first day of school had been Hell. She had thought the Racism against blacks Has subdued but she was totally wrong.She is not the type to not resist bullying but she had decided to stay low as it was her first day but she wouldn't take it the next time they bully her. But she decided not to worry about that for I as she could her dream of becoming a Kpop star coming true after moving to America with her Dad and Step mom who is a White Woman. Yes, she's the reason they are able to stay in America. She missed her Old friends and they had been so jealous of her when she told them but they still wished her Best Of Luck. She missed their silly jokes and Divine the guy that Liked her, he didn't hide it didn't want her to go. She smiled at the memory she liked him too but She can't be in a relationship Because it's Haram in Islam. Yes she is a Muslim. She Opened the door to her room and her heart filled with Happiness. What she had always wanted, though she has a room back in her Country it wasn't as nice as this. She only had a bed and Wardrobe where she doesn't even have hanger to hang them neatly and had to fold all the clothes stuffingly. She took off her bag and threw it right across the room, She Flopped down on the bed and brought out her Phone to take a Look at the messages her old friends sent her, and Yes she is an Hijabi. More of a reason why she's being bullied. She smiled at the text Divine sent her; "I Miss seeing your Pretty Face, Reply fast please" She texted him back and her other friends before getting up to take off her School Uniform. The Skirt was too short for her dad's liking not only her dad but she also don't like to wear short clothes, so her dad had to make her Uniform personally instead of buying it from the school premises which wasn't a problem. The Skirt reached right below her knee and she wore a White long stockings that reached her knee also topping it with a Black Hijab. She took her clothes off before going to shower.

Jamila Put on a Cargo Trousers with an Over sized T-shirt with a Headwarmer on her head. Jamila Loves dancing so much, She can't do without dancing in a day. She has a lot of dance videos on her Phone where she had learnt some but she wasn't able to make videos back in her Home. Not because her dad didn't allow it but because it was hard, her dad wasn't that rich but they weren't poor either. But things were especially hard at that period so he couldn't get the exact clothes Jamila want with Sneakers and she needed a Ring Light too, She asked her Big sister who told her she would get it for her when she's coming back home.

They had decided on buying this House because of jemilah as it has a Perfectly sized Room for a Dancing studio, She could make her dance videos there. Light was fixed there instead of getting a Ring Light too. Jamila don't know what it feels like to have a mum but she's loving her step mum so far. She hadn't made Videos yet and she was going to do that today. She was so excited and hope it comes out well.

~~~

Jamila breathed heavily as she came out of the Dancing room, she is so hungry wondering where her dad is, right then the door opened revealing Jamila dad.

'Speak of the devil…' muttered Jamila before running to hug her Dad and right behind him was Her step mum. "Salamalaykum" He greeted,

"Walayhikumsalam" Jamila replied, her Arms uncoiled around her and she went on to hug her step mum who had spread her arms for her to come closer.

"I'm making Dinner" She said to Jamila and Her dad and Jamila blinked.

"Already?" She asked

"Of course, it's 5 in the evening darling" she replied before making her way to the kitchen. It did Cross her mind before on why this white woman would marry her Dad, of course Her dad is a handsome man and is also manly, how ever he is not that rich yet she didn't even mind. She wondered how they even met but she didn't want to intrude. It was only after their wedding was in a week did her Dad told her he was getting married though she was mad at first, Who is she to say no when her two elder sis agreed to it.

She wasn't used to this at all, Back at home they don't eat until 8 at night, and she was the one to prepare the dinner of course who else would if not her.

Even one of her Friends had once joked of marrying her father if he was not Jamila's Dad.

"Dad," she called and he tilt his head for his eyes to meet hers.

"I made a video, do you wanna see ?" She asked excited and he nodded for her to quickly join him in the Long Couch sitting there in the middle of the Couch.

"Wow my daughter is a Pro" He said and Jamila Blushed.

"No way, Am I that good?"

"Yeah You are really trying" He smiled at her, And she nodded her head at him.

Jamila Wasn't that Pretty compared to her two elder sis, she wondered if it was because she is the Last Born where the two of them Had taken all the beauty and left her with nothing. But she was still pretty to look at. Her dad was handsome despite his Old age and Her mum is also beautiful because she had seen her Picture. Jamila Is a 15 years old girl and she is Currently In Grade 12, Jamila is Smart for her Age but not in an academic way. Back in her School at home, almost all the teachers Hated her and she didn't know why. She really hope it wouldn't be the same in this new school. Her Mum had given birth to Three girls and left them just when Jamila was Two years and no one knows why, Therefore Jamila didn't have any memories of her left. She didn't even care as she has her Dad who love her and her Sisters. The First Born, Maryam Is the One in Europe studying through a Scholarship and she is also the prettiest among the three of them. She loved Jamila the most because she was the most deprived of Their mother's love and The second Born Aayat is the one back at their Home, she also loved Jamila the most too just because they spent most times together and they are always fighting and abusing each other and making up again without evening apologizing to each other. Jamila always says she Loves Aayat and Maryam equally.Maryam supports Jamila dream to become a well known dancer and helped her at some points too. Jamila was the least attractive but still had a lot of guys flocking around her back at home but she doubt that would be the same case over here. She wasn't pretty at all compared to the white girls in her school. She was Black too. Jamila went to the kitchen to help her step mum prepare for dinner.

"Dinner is Ready." Jamila told her dad and they both went to the Dining room to eat.

"Lets Pray." Her step mum said and Jamila glanced at her dad who nodded his head. She saw her father close his eyes and she did the same too.

"We thank our Father and His Son for blessing us with this Blessed food for Dinner, We are grateful. Thank you father." And they all opened their eyes.

"Amen" they chorused.

"Bismillah" Jamila said before digging on her food, her eyes Caught the slight change in her step mum eyes which quickly dissipate before she could catch more of it. Her Father said the same thing. "How was school today?" Her step mum asked.

"It was fine." She Lied.

"Did you make new friends?" It was her father that asked and She shook her head.

"Not yet, I just settled down but I'm sure I'm gonna make a lot of friends. Dad you know how much people wanted to be my friends back at home." She mouthed, her mouth full of food while smiling.

"Yes I quite remember that" He nodded his head at her. "I'm glad you are able to adapt to this situation quickly, No matter what no Dad is always here for you" He smiled at her and she Smiled back at Him. "Jessica, Can you pass the Salt?" He said to the step mum as the salt was beside her. That made Jamila wonder what to Call her step mum,

"Umm What Can i Call You ma?" She asked carefully while holding her gaze.

"Jessica is Fine" she replied and Jamila gasped.

"What? That is disrespectful I'd rather call you Bestie." Jamila said and she smiled before nodding her head. She is a woman of few words, Jamila thought.

After Dinner, they all retired to bed that night. Before Falling asleep, Jamila created a TikTok account and posted her dance video there but she wasn't expecting anything big to happen before falling asleep that night.

She woke up to pray before any of her parent would wake up, she wondered if her step mum would get angry if she was caught praying, but she should've known before she married her Dad right? She got ready for school and made herself and her parents Breakfast Before leaving for school. She doubt her Dad would have any money with him and she wasn't comfortable enough to ask her stepmom for money. She was right in time as the School bus stopped in front of her house Gate. She Opened her Phone to reply to her friend text messages.

She smiled when she read the text from Divine, it says; "Don't you dare Look at other guys there okay? Are they more handsome than me?" She laughed out loud when she got to the second part and the students in the bud as staring at her but she cared less. They didn't stop staring at her and she wondered if they had never seen a Black girl laughing so hard or they had never seen a Black girl as pretty as her. She ignored their stares and focused on her phone.

"Hey, she's the one" a Girl murmured loud enough for Jamila to hear which caught her attention. 'What are they talking about?' She thought. A white girl came up to her and showed her a video of herself dancing. Her eyes widened.

Ohh that was it. But How did they see that? She gasped in realization, did her video Go viral?? "Is this You?" The girl asked and Jamila didn't reply and adjusted her Sitting position, the Girl Glared at the Back of her head and Jamila could feel it vividly. She sighed, tilting her head "Can You stop Looking!?" Jamila almost yelled. She would've Left the bus but she don't want to turn up late. "Only if you answer the question!"she replied

"Fine, it's me. I'm the girl in the Dance video." Jamila replied calmly and the Murmurs even turned Worse. The white girl stomped away from her angrily.

"Wow that's her, she is good."

"I envy her skills tho."

"She isn't even that good, I woould have done that better than her."

"She's such an attention seeker."

Jamila Entered the school premises with so much people looking at her, she felt awkward as she walked to her Class. She should have worn a mask if she had known it would go viral. When she opened her TikTok, likes and comment just kept appearing on her screens and it was way too much, it made her Phone hang and she had to close the app back to check the amount of likes later.

When it was time for Lunch, before she could leave the Class she saw Charlotte and her girls walk towards her desk.

"You are an attention aren't you? You are new and already got so much people to like you?" She said with her two friends behind her. Jamila thought this only happened in Tv shows and Stories, never had she thought she would experience something like this in her life. "Sounds like you are Envious" Jamila Replied.

"What? Even her Accent is Hilarious" one of the charlotte friend said while laughing.

"Me? Envious? Of someone as useless like you." Charlotte said gritting her teeth.

" Why would you then waste your time talking to a nobody like me unless you think You're in the same league as me. Then Are you also Useless?" She retorted.

The whole class who had gathered around them gasped at Jamila's Boldness, no one has ever dared to go against Charlotte as not only was her parents rich but they are also very powerful and ifluential.

Jamila was still sitting on her chair with her demeanor calm while charlotte looks like she's about to burst out.

"You-"

"I have better things to do, if you will please excuse me." She then left the Class to get some fresh air. Before Charlotte friend could stop Jamila, Charlotte stopped her. " Let her go." Charlotte and her friends walked out of the Class too.

When Jamila came back to the Class, fully knowing they would've left. People started murmuring again about her.

" she's so foolishly bold"

"She doesn't know what's about to come over her."

"Causing trouble when she just got here"

"She Looks Mean too"

"Then Stop Looking" Jamila said Calmly with her not so tiny voice as she glared at the girls spouting nonsense.

"You Look mean" the girl repeated,trying to show she was not afraid of her. She came to stand in front of her.

"I am. Move"