Hijabi Not in Distress

Chapter 16

Continuation of Flashback (4 years ago):

Sairah's POV:

"Yeah I know right. He was acting all broody and distant." I was on Facetime with Amina and Nina.

"Maybe he's hormonal." Nina said shrugging.

"That's what I though too!" I say laughing. "But something was up with him. It was after I picked up the call from Sameer when he got so weird." I say thinking about what caused his mood change.

"Well did Sameer say anything ... weird?" Amina raised an eyebrow.

"No. No of course not." I say hastily. Wait maybe Ahmed heard the weird questions Sameer was asking. Maybe he heard Sameer's remark about him and Marco. My hand flies to my mouth in embarrassment.

"What? What is it?" Nina and Amina ask in unison.

"Sameer did say something." I say closing my eyes shaking my head. "He asked if Marco and Ahmed were 'up to funny business.' and that he would have to interrogate them." We all laugh at the last part.

"Well damn he definitely got scared off from that." Nina scoffs.

"Sairah you have a real way with guys." Amina teases.

"Shut up!" I roll my eyes. "Can we please change the topic?"

"Fine. Fine. How about where the f*** is Renee?" Nina says annoyed. 

"Yea ever since she came back it like she's been avoiding us. Her grandma was fine but she's still so distant." Amina says with a little sadness.

"She couldn't even make it to your birthday?" Nina huffs.

It was true. I invited Renee and she bailed last minute. "She obviously had a reason." I say but I felt like I was convincing myself. "It's not like her to just flake."

"Leave it to Sairah to side with the person who's at fault." Nina says smiling.

"Sorry." I mutter.

"There you go again. Apologizing for no reason." Amina laughs. 

"Sor-" I cover my mouth with my hand laughing. 

Nina and Amina shake their head laughing at me. 

I end the Facetime call with them and pray isha (nightime prayer) before finishing up any homework I have. 

I go downstairs and watch some Teen Wolf with Zara whose spring break had already started. 

"Derek is fineee." Zara says munching on her popcorn.

"He's hot. But I think Stiles is the cutest. He has humor, too." I add taking some popcorn in my hand. "Oh shoot," I glance at the clock. "It's 11:30 already." I sigh and get up from the sofa. "Shabba Khair (Good Night) Zara!" 

"Shabba Khair!" She shouts from the living room. 

I brush my hair in my room and just as I'm about to switch off the lights my phone starts ringing. "Ugh! Not now!" I pout to myself before looking at the caller. It's... Ahmed?

"As-salaamo-alaykum."

"Walaikum-as-salaam. Uh what's up?" I say raising an eyebrow. Ahmed and I only talked on the phone twice. Once was for a project and the second time was the day of my birthday.  We texted mostly through insulting each other, but it was rare for him to call me. Especially nearing midnight. 

"Uh listen Sairah I was-- I was being a di-- sorry... jerk to you." He stuttered. I heard him yawn, "I know you were just being yourself worrying about others so I'm sorry." His voice was raspy since he was sleepy. It was attractive... I need to focus! 

"It's okay. And tell me something new." I let out a soft laugh. "You're always a jerk."

I hear a scoff from him. "Only you can make an apology backfire."

"It's who I am." I say shrugging.

"It's part of your charm." He whispers.

The way he said it made me feel those annoying butterflies again. And I couldn't have that feeling now. 

"Uh well it's getting late," I say awkwardly. "I'll see you tomorrow and hopefully you won't be a jerk. Sorry I mean bigger jerk than you are now." 

"Well I was hoping I could talk to you about something else."

I glance over at the clock. 11:50 PM. I need my sleep. But whatever he needed to say seemed important. I sigh laying down on my fluffy bed, "go for it."

"Okay so I- I've... God I don't know how to say this. I've thought about this for a while according to Yusuf but I only noticed now. And I-" He stutters nervously.

I twirl my hair becoming impatient. "Okay, and what have you noticed, exactly?" 

"I- uh," He stutters again.  "I noticed you never told me that you had a brother." He says in one breath. 

"What are you talking about? I told you about my siblings." I say rolling my eyes.

"Well you know I for.. forgot. And um I thought the person who called you was-"

"Oh my god! You did not." I say shocked.

"How-"

"You overheard me saying 'I love you' to my brother and you used your airheaded, empty brain to conclude that I had a boyfriend." I huff in disbelief. 

"Listen, what else could I have thought?" He scoffs.

"What else?" I scoff back with my tone rising. I had to shut my door because I could sense my anger. "Maybe use your personal knowledge about me? You claim you 'know me', didn't you. Or was that just a lie?" 

"Sairah okay I admit I was at fault. And you're right but I wasn't thinking with my head. I-I never lie to you." His voice softens. "And come on if you were me and you thought I was close to some girl how would you react?" He asks the question with rhetorical purpose.

"Hmm let me think. Maybe not jump to conclusions. If I lacked mental capability I would've snapped at you in the restaurant when Ms. Waitress was all over you. She literally kept ogling at-" I covered my mouth after blurting out the last part. Now he knows I cared that other girls looked at him. DANG IT! My brain stops functioning at 12:00 AM. 

"You mean the waitress who I hardly looked at?" He says in an amused voice. "And is someone jeal-"

"Uh yea okay Mama I'll be right there!" I cut him off hastily. "I have to go bye!" I click the end call button as fast as possible.

"You-" Ahmed's voice got cut off when I ended the call.

I felt my heart race from embarrassment. How could I let myself feel this way? I never felt this way before and I liked it like that. Why did stupid Ahmed have to bring his handsome face into my life? UGH! 

I made some duas(supplications/prayers) to God to clear my mind then I went to sleep in hopes of all my worries disappearing in the morning.