"She had dumps like a truck truck truck
Thighs like what what what
Baby move your butt butt butt
(Uh)
I think I'll sing it again."

__

Asmaa wakes up in Rory's guest room to an actual adult woman straddling her like a child.

"Good mo-r-ning, sunshine."

It's Rory, and if it was anyone else, she might've woken up and gone into full cardiac arrest.

Amazing how close she'd gotten after a full night of dancing and drinks.

"Oh my god," Asmaa groans. "How are you even alive?"

"You, my love," Rory replies. And she leans her face close to hers, grinning, "Thank you for saving my life last night."

Asmaa rubs her eyes. "Your car's still--"

"Blaire messaged me," she nods. "I'll get it before class, tonight," and she cocks her head, sitting up. "How are you feeling?"

"How are you?" She counters. "You wouldn't drink any of the water I tried to give you last night."

And Rory laughs.

"Seriously, Asmaa," Rory shakes her head, "You're too good for this world."

"I..." She frowns, "What do you mean?"

Rory waves her off. "C'mon, babe. I'm good. Hungover, but, that's expected," She beams, "Thanks for spending the night. You look so cozy."

"I know," and Asmaa sits up at once. "What time is it, by the way? I have to go home and eat and shower and change and--"

"Um, what?" Rory scoffs. "I've got food. Eat it. I've got clothes. Wear 'em."

"Uh," Asmaa doesn't know what to say. That was awfully kind of Rory, almost as if they'd known each other much longer than a night...but, they hadn't. "But, I--"

"No 'buts,' Asmaa!" Rory laughs, bouncing on top of her on the bed. "Oh. My. God. Let. Me. Love. You!"

Asmaa can't catch her breath, now. "Okay, okay!" She exclaims. "Get off me, fatty!"

"You know," Rory pauses, "that might be the rudest thing I've heard you say so far," she grins. "I like it. Now, c'mon," she jumps from the bed. "We've gotta eat so we can play dress up."

__

Asmaa loves nothing more than a fully-stocked kitchen, except maybe someone who could cook.

Rory was a cooker.

Her kitchen was full of food.

Asmaa was in heaven.

"I really am a fatty at heart," she'd admitted, going on to explain that she was a single child of a single mother who taught her how to do everything, including how to cook.

"I love food," she said, making waffles and cutting banana and strawberries and other fruits to go on top.

"And," Asmaa raised her hand, "I love to eat, so..."

So, despite laughing, Rory kept cooking because Asmaa, with her barely-there pantry due to her barely-there financial situation, was hungry and she didn't even realize how long it had been since she woke up and ate a full breakfast.

And when she's done, she takes a hot shower in a fully lit bathroom with marble countertops and an overhead showerhead and realizes that last night didn't exactly do Rory's place justice.

In the daylight, Asmaa is able to notice just how nice this place really is.

And Rory leads her into her walk-in closet and opens drawers of matching lace underwear and starts flipping through her clothes.

"Okay, so...What exactly can you wear?"

Asmaa frowns, drying her hair with a towel after choosing black panties and a matching bra. "What do you mean?"

"Good choice," Rory hums approvingly, nodding at the underwear.

And Asmaa flashes red as Rory shoots her a grin. "And I mean, you know," she turns back to her clothes, "out of respect to your religion, what do you feel comfortable wearing?"

"Oh," Asmaa nods. "I mean, honestly, I can wear whatever. I choose to wear hijab because I just..." She pauses, "because I always have. I can wear whatever. It's a personal choice."

"So, will this work?" Rory asks, holding up a black, long-sleeved cotton dress. "Since your hijab was black, it'll match. And," she grins, "you've got the underwear for it, yeah?"

Asmaa laughs. "I'll try it on. Your boobs are bigger than mine."

"Only barely. You've got great hair, by the way."

"Thank you," Asmaa replies sincerely, shaking out her long, dark hair. Her family was the only group of people who had given her that compliment in a long time, for obvious reasons. She holds out the ends, "I need a trim."

"Kezie could do it," Rory hums, sticking the dress in her hands.

"Really?" Asmaa exclaims, "She could?"

Rory laughs again, "Yes, babe. Now, damn! Put the dress on!"

"Fine, fine," Asmaa grumbles, watching as an amused Rory leans against the doorway, watching as she shimmies into the dress.

It's a bodycon.

Asmaa didn't realize this when Rory was holding it up, but she's realizing it now as it hugs every single one of her curves. Even her smaller boobs, which definitely seem bigger thanks to Rory's bra and this skintight dress.

"Holy shit," Rory's eyes are bright as Asmaa turns in the mirror, checking herself out. "Hol-y shit, you're a fucking bombshell, bitch!"

Asmaa chokes on a laugh, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Thank you?"

"No, thank you. Thank you, Asmaa, for all that ass in that dress!"

Asmaa can feel her cheeks growing red with each word.

__

When Rory pulls up to King's, Asmaa has been forced into black booties and has transferred her books into one of Rory's expensive totes because "it goes with the outfit," she'd been told, and "I can't wear them today so you might as well show out and catch for me."

Asmaa couldn't say 'no.'

And because Asmaa is a lighter complexion, Rory is able to do only a bit of makeup, concealing with the foundation that matched and adding lashes and applying an eye liner that Rory hadn't yet been able to use, either.

Good thing it could all go to use with Asmaa.

"I think I get off on how beautiful you are," Rory had joked, as she pulled to the curb of the campus. "Because seriously, girl. You're a bad bitch."

And like that, Kezie pops up beside the parked Mercedes, getting out of the passenger seat of a small white Audi, grinning as she meets Asmaa outside the car.

Rory watches the car drive off. "Oop," she grins, as Kezie pulls a face, "I see someone spent the night again."

"Actually, I did not," Kezie replies. "He just came by to pick me up."

Rory purses her lips, obviously unconvinced.

"Anyway," Kezie whistles, her eyes falling on Asmaa's all-black ensemble. "Okay, okay," she takes Asmaa's hand, spinning her around, "This is amazing, fam."

"Right!?" Rory leans out of the window. "I feel like a proud mother, or something."

"Well, in that case," Asmaa tells Kezie, "I'm in all my mom's clothes."

"Figures," Kezie laughs. "From the dress to the heels, this screams Rory."

"Hey, bitch! I like what I like!"

Kezie laughs. "Asmaa, I gotta say," and she steps back, folding her arms as she nods, looking her up and down, "I'd tap that."

"Right?"

Asmaa laughs again. "Oh my goodness, you guys..."

"Seriously!" Kezie giggles. "If I caught you out somewhere I'd be all, 'Damn, ma! Where'd you get that ass from!'"

Rory laughs from her car, "Aye, love! You got a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, baby? Who let you outta the house lookin' like all that!"

"Like a snack! Yo, he let you have friends?"

"Oh my goodness. Guys, stop!" Asmaa exclaims, suddenly beet red.

Rory is cackling from her car and Kezie is no better from the street.

"Ah, we're only kidding, love," Kezie grins, still laughing aloud. "Besides," and she nudges her gently, lowering her voice all of a sudden, "I'm not the only one. Look."

And Asmaa and Rory both turn, suddenly noting the young man resting on his motorcycle, frozen with his hands on his helmet, eyes trained on Asmaa.

They make eye contact and he grins.

Asmaa turns away, blushing even more furiously.

"Oh my goodness..."

"Yes, girl!" Kezie exclaims. "Yes to all my friends being baddies!"

Asmaa smiles at this; she smiles at Kezie calling her a friend, even more than she did at that man checking her out from his bike.

It's not like Asmaa didn't know she had a figure. She's always known. Her sister had one, too. Since she was twelve and she developed early, her mother had been telling her to 'cover up' not only due to the modesty of her religion, but because, "I don't want anyone thinking the wrong thoughts about my girls," her mother said.

Covering up seemed to be more for her mother's well-being than her own.

But now, Asmaa was in her twenties and she was off on her own and she kind of wanted to live a little.

She was kind of enjoying how she felt in this dress. She was kind of enjoying how she looked.

She was definitely enjoying her new friends, and they were gassing her up like crazy. And she kind of liked looking like...well, like them. Like they belonged together. Like she was a part of this group.

Kezie shakes her head of hair, "C'mon, babe. We gotta go."

"Right," Rory waves from her car. "I'm going home. Y'all are about to go learn. Bye, my smart babies."

"Bye, mom!" Kezie calls, linking her arm in Asmaa's. "We love you."

Rory is blowing kisses from the car. "Eat lunch, okay?" And she points now, from the car, "I'm talking to you, Asmaa."

Asmaa rolls her eyes, playing along as her friends laugh around her, "Fine," she groans, catching that guy's eye again as he chuckles, walking past them. "I'll try."

"All I can ask, baby," Rory calls, while Kezie pinches her side, eyes widening at whoever this guy was "Trying to get some Asmaa," she mouths.

Asmaa nudges her back. "Shut up."

Rory's resumed laughing as she pulls from the curb.

"Bye, Rory!" Kezie laughs, tugging Asmaa onto campus. "See you later!"

Rory honks obnoxiously, driving off.

Kezie laughs, arm still linked in Asmaa's. "Ah, aren't you glad to have met us?"

"Actually?" Asmaa laughs to herself. Kezie had no idea, "Yes."

But, Kezie laughs.

"What time are you done today, ma?"

"Like, six," Asmaa sighs. "And both classes are back to back, but sometimes I swear it's just too much..." And Asmaa's voice trails off as she notices that Kezie's eyes are glued to her phone screen, her long nails tap-tapping as she texts furiously.

Asmaa tugs her gently.

"Hello? Earth to Kezie..."

"Uh..." Kezie looks up from her phone. "I'm sorry, Asmaa. What?"

"Wow, you spaced on me," she eyes her iPhone. "Who's more important than me?" She jokes, "Your mom or your man?"

"Neither," Kezie replies. "It's just C--" She shakes her head, "My best friend."

"Oh," Asmaa hums. "But, it's a boy best friend, isn't it?"

Kezie laughs. "Unfortunately."

"Doesn't sound like you really mean that."

Kezie sighs, "I'd mean it less if he weren't so fucking mean sometimes."

"Mean?" Asmaa blinks, suddenly concerned. "What do you mean, Kezie?"

"Okay, not mean," she says quickly. "I could see the momma-Asmaa about to come out of you," she laughs. "He's not mean, just...Just so fucking overprotective and disapproving sometimes it's...He doesn't realize that we aren't six and seven anymore, and I'm old enough to make my own decisions without his input."

Asmaa hums. "Sounds like a helicopter parent, but...like, the best friend version."

"Kind of," Kezie nods. "Yeah. Exactly. Like, sometimes all I need is support," she states. "Not an opinion."

Asmaa nods. She can tell there's more to this, this best friend, but she doesn't push it. She'd only just met these girls, despite how quickly they took to her. She didn't want to rush them into sharing anything more than they were willing to.

She still didn't even really know what they did.

"Anyway," Kezie sighs, "what're you doing from now 'til class, ma?"

"Um, you mean besides all of the homework I didn't do instead of going out last night?"

Kezie laughs, "Fair enough. I should join you, but..."

Asma grins.

"But," Kezie exclaims, "I know if I stay here I'll only talk your ear off, about my life and problems..."

Asmaa stifles a laugh.

"...when I really should make it to lab today."

"Mhm," Asmaa nods. "You probably should do that."

Kezie grins broadly. "But, I'll be done at six, too, if my lecture doesn't run late again," she perks. "Want to catch a bite after?"

"What?" Asmaa places her free hand on her chest. "With me?"

"Of course with you, silly," Kezie grins. "Who else?"

Asmaa refrains from telling Kezie that for the past few months, she'd literally gone home straight after classes because she hadn't had a friend to eat dinner with, but that sounded utterly sad.

"No one," she shakes her head, threatening to split her lips from smiling so largely. "No one else."

Kezie giggles. "Good," and she unlinks arms and holds out her phone. "Number, please? So we can link later?"

"Of course," Asmaa replies, typing her digits. "Message me, yeah?"

"All day, my love," Kezie laughs. "You'll get sick of me."

When Asmaa sits in the library, there's a message waiting from Kezie.

Have spotify ma?

Asmaa frowns confusedly, not knowing where her new friend is going with this, but she responds.

I do :)

Follow me!
And think of me allllll day while you work :P

And she sends her her username, instructing to her best "working in the library" playlist, which Asmaa is more than happy to listen to.

All day, as Asmaa catches up on the work she should've done the night before, she listens to Kezie's Spotify playlist. She didn't have class until later that afternoon, so she had all day to, as Kezie had named her list, "Turn tf up" to Nicki Minaj and African rap and American trap music that she had compiled.

Asmaa was living her best life. It actually lifted her spirits. Utterly. Completely. Between Kezie and Rory, Asmaa was feeling light. She was feeling like life was better, thanks to her new friends, and she still hadn't come up with rent.

Holy shit.

She still hadn't come up with the rest of rent.

Fuck.

Maybe she'd just be late, again.

No, she wouldn't give that woman the satisfaction. What she really needed to do was move. She'd rather live somewhere completely different than have to scrape up money for this witch of a woman who wanted her gone, anyway.

She needed to pray on this, too. If she could find friends like this, then she could definitely find the right answer to her living situation, too.

And like that, Kezie comes through with this playlist because one song goes off and 'Stupid Hoe' comes on and that's exactly the shit she needs to hear in this moment.

She's in the library, after class, whispering the words to the song when her sister messages her, too.

"Ice my wrist-es then I piss on bitches, you could suck my diznick, if you take these jizzes. You don't like them disses, give my ass some kisses, yeah they know what this is, give bitches the business..."

Hey babe you ever talk to Rory?

She texts her back.

Sure did! I looooove her!

And Asmaa is still whispering lyrics, "Hey, yo Baby Bop, fuck you and your EP. Who's gassing this ho? BP? Hmm.. thinks, 1, 2, 3, do the Nicki Minaj blink--"

There's a tap on her shoulder.

And Asmaa gasps, yanking her headphones from her ears and turning immediately from her sister's new text: Yay!!! I knew you'd be friends, to the young man from the morning, the one who had been on the motorcycle, staring down at her with a slight smirk.

"You know," he slips into the seat beside her, "this is a library, yeah?"

"Yeah, I..." Asmaa blushes again--this was just the nature of the day, apparently. "Sorry."

He chuckles, running a thumb beneath his bottom lip. "M'joking, honestly. Been a while since I've heard that song, eh?" And he looks around, "And in the library of all places."

Asmaa giggles softly.

And this attractive man grins, outstretching his hand. "Name's Zayn."

"Oh," Asmaa jokes, "I didn't ask."

"But, I figured you might," he chuckles. "Didn't get a chance to introduce myself properly this morning."

Asmaa hikes a brow. "Oh, really?"

"Really," he grins. And he cocks his head, "Now, I've introduced myself, so...?"

Asmaa grins. "So?"

"So, it's only right that you return the favor, yeah?"

"Is it, now?" Asmaa taps her chin. "I don't recall asking you for your name, so what's exactly the favor, again?"

"Wow," he hums, a smile threatening to break at the sight of her laugh. "Y'see, I didn't get a chance to do this this morning, but I thought I'd call from my bike," and he cups his mouth with a hand, "Aye, love! You got a boyfriend?"

"Oh, no..." Asmaa exclaims, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. They receive plenty of dirty looks in the library, "You saw that?"

"Whole parking lot did," Zayn laughs, his eyes squinting adorable as he clutches the chest of his long-sleeved black tee. "You and your friends put on quite a show."

Asmaa shakes her head. "Wonderful..."

"It was," Zayn's tongue darts out, dampening his lips. And he leans forward, lowering his voice, "But, to be perfectly honest, you do look great in that dress."

"Um..." She grins nervously, fidgeting with the ends of her hijab, "Thanks," she manages, and although she's completely taken by this man's boldness, she's also wondering how her luck has turned so drastically since the previous day.

Like, first the girls and now Zayn? She was being sent all types of blessings.

"Don't mention it..." And Zayn leans forward, checking the names on top of the papers she'd been scribbling on, "Asmaa," he grins. And she rolls her eyes as he giggles, and his giggle is really just too adorable. "See?" He sticks out his tongue, "Found it."

"I guess you have."

He smiles up at her, still leaning over her notes. "Supreme," he nods. "Your name, yeah? Means 'supreme?'"

She blinks. "You speak Arabic?"

"A bit," he shrugs. And he grins, "Why? Would you like me more if I was fluent?"

"Of course," she replies, and he laughs. "But, that's only because I am."

"Are you?"

"It's my first language."

Zayn clamps his teeth on the corner of his lip. "Amazing."

"You know, for someone who rides a motorcycle," she leans her head against her hand, staring at him, "you really are very cute."

"And you're really very pretty," he replies, despite the color rising up his neck. "And for the record, I haven't been called cute in a very long time."

Asmaa grins. "Must be the leather jacket."

He tugs on his collar, exposing the Arabic and wings beneath his collarbone, "And the tattoos."

"Ah," she nods. "That'll do it."

And for a moment, both of them stare at the other, grinning.

And Asmaa is held captive, entranced completely by his eyes. They remind her of home. They remind her of people's eyes from home.

Deep and brown and bright, they're so rich. They remind her of maple syrup. They remind her of dark liquor.

They remind her of...

"Where are you from?"

"Oh," she blinks herself from her revelry. "Marrakech," she replies. "Morocco. You?"

"Bradford," Zayn laughs. "Nowhere near as cool as that."

She laughs. "Everywhere seems cooler when you don't actually live there."

"All true," nods Zayn. "But, your accent is amazing, by the way."

"Oh, stop," she grins. "Enough with the compliments. I bet you're only being nice because--"

"I want you to like me?" He raises an eyebrow. "Because, if that's what you were about to say, I can tell you already, you're right."

"I do love being right."

"It's working, then?" He smirks. "Because I really hope it's working."

And like that, the bell chimes overhead, signaling the hour.

Lecture time.

Of course.

Asmaa sighs.

"I should..." she groans, turning to her papers and books, "I should probably...

"Right," Zayn clears his throat. "Of course," and Asmaa wishes she didn't hear that slight hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Not like I wouldn't love to stay," she adds quickly, "but, I have a lecture in five minutes, so--"

"Right," he nods. "Right. Right. Right."

And he rises to a stand, watching as she piles papers together and shuts her laptop and clambers for her--Rory's--tote full of her things. "I should let you go, then..."

She follows him with her gaze. "Okay."

"Yeah," He stuffs his hands in his black jean pockets.

"Yeah."

"I'll uh...I'll see you around..." He pauses, "Asmaa?"

She grins. "Hopefully."

And as he smiles, she means it. She really really means it.

__

but...be careful what you wish for, asmaa  lol

(songs are attached to chapters in case you wanna listen)

comment and vote! <3