Chapter Three - A True Friend

Sabrina's alarm clock buzzed sharply, jerking her awake. Groaning, she reached for it and pressed the snooze button, trying to resist the urge to grab the annoying device and chuck it into the depths of hell. She sunk back into her sheets with a sigh, listening to her mom move within the house. Her mother was always awake before her, getting up well before sunrise. Sabrina was just about to slip back into her peaceful slumber, when her mom came flying into the room.

"Sabrina." Her mother called. "Wake up, baita. Its time to pray Fajr."

Sabrina groaned and pulled the covers over her head. She had nothing against praying - even if it was insanely early. She found it hard to wake up without wanting to fall back into bed and delay it a tiny bit longer. She sighed because that never did her any good - she would end up delaying it a tiny bit too long and then she would end up missing the early morning prayer.

"Mamaaa!" Sabrina whined, anyway, "just two seconds!" 

Her mother peeled the covers off, exposing her to the chilly air and exercising one of the most child abusive things a mother could ever do. Sabrina hissed at the intense light which left her momentarily blinded.

"Don't pull that Smeagol act on me, young lady, and get up before I bring the water." Her mother threatened, mercilessly. 

"I'm up!" Sabrina yelled, as she shot out of bed. 

The memory of ice cold water slithering down her neck made her shudder. Her mother had threatened to pour water on her face one morning when Sabrina just wouldn't get up. She had thought her mother would never do such a thing so she shrugged it off and went beck to sleep. The next thing she knew, she was running around with water dripping down her face while her mother watched her with a smug little smile on her face.

Sabrina stumbled sleepily to the bathroom and made wudu. Yawning, she stumbled back out and headed to the living room where she usually prayed. Spreading her prayer mat in front of her, she performed the two rakaat of Fajr, standing in front of her Lord, trying to stifle her yawns and appear humble and focused. Slowly her surroundings melted away as she worshipped her Creator.

* * *

"Wow, what happened to 'I'm going to focus on school'?" Sabrina joked as she approached Leila who was at her locker. 

Leila was wearing a ruffled purple dress with black skinny jeans. She had on a cute leather jacket which covered her bare arms and a striking lavender hijab that looked as if ten fluffy teddy bears had been stuffed into it. Leila also had her tote which was perched on the crook of her arm. Sabrina almost sighed at the sight of her friend. She didn't really understand why hijabi girls painted their faces with make up and wore clothes that caught other peoples attention. The hijab wasn't an accessory - it was a means of protection and modesty.

"Eh..." Leila shrugged. 

Leila knew that Sabrina didn't really appreciate her sense of style and had even tried to please her yesterday by wearing what she thought made her look like she had given up on life and had recently tried every drug in the world. The sight was pleasing to Sabrina who thought she looked absolutely gorgeous without make up and overly attention drawing outfits. But Leila just didn't seem interested in dressing plain, she preferred something that gave her a confidence boost. It bothered Sabrina who actually thought Leila was just as beautiful without make up as she was with it. She cast one more glance on Leila's magnificently high hijab.

"Um..whats up with your hijab?" Sabrina inquired.

"Just trying something new." Leila mumbled, clearly flustered which made Sabrina get off her case and change the subject.

They chatted for a few minutes, mostly about the weather and how they thought it should snow and stay that way. Sabrina mentioned that it hardly ever snowed in Vancouver - at least not snow that actually lasted - to which Leila agreed and commented on her love for snowmen and steamy hot chocolate after coming inside from an intense snow ball fight. Sabrina was just about to remind Leila of the time she threw a huge tantrum over her loss in a snowball fight and had declared her hatred towards snow in general, when a fit of laughter caught her attention.

Sabrina turned towards a group of slender girls with gleaming hair and shiny teeth. They moved their hands and bodies in a strangely appealing way that made people stop and watch, transfixed. Sabrina knew these types of girls, having seen them in her old high school, smiling innocently at the teachers and then spitting out acid when they turned their backs. She usually avoided them but something they were laughing about made her blood run cold and her heart sink in despair. The girls were whispering - quite loudly, actually - about her.

"...that her? Oh my God. Khalid told me all about how she hates Arabs and is like the most stuck up...."

A group of students walked by, causing Sabrina to lose track of what they had been saying. She was stiff with embarrassment, realizing that she was a laughing stock to people she didn't even know. She suddenly felt angry at Khalid for spreading false rumors about her. As the group of human barbie dolls's words once again reached her ears, she looked away, trying to hide her reddening face. Leila took notice and looked over her shoulder, catching sight of the giggling girls. Her eyes narrowed, dangerously.

Before Sabrina could stop her, Leila stood on her tip toes and addressed the gossping girls.

"WOAH! WE CAN'T HEAR YOU AT ALL!" Leila shouted sarcastically, across the hallway. 

The girls looked over, surprise on their faces while Sabrina stifled back laughter.

"NO SERIOUSLY!" Leila went on, "PLEASE YELL WHATEVER YOU'RE SAYING INTO A MEGAPHONE SO THE WHOLE WORLD CAN HEAR YOU BETTER!"

The sound of heels stomping on the floor could be heard as the group of girls walked away, seething angrily at Leila. Sabrina, who had stared at the floor, not daring to look up, turned to her friend caught between cheering and shaking her head in disapproval. 

"You shouldn't have done that." She scolded. "Now those girls probably hate you."

"Psh, I don't care. That's what happens when you pick on my best friend." Leila said, as Sabrina shook her head, hiding a smile.

* * *

"I despise Mr. Evans!" Leila declared. "I hate how he gives us tons of homework and he doesn't even teach us! He comes in fifteen minutes late, tells us to flip to page whatever and answer the questions. AND THEN HE PROCEEDS TO SPEND THE REST OF CLASS ASLEEP!"

Sabrina laughed at the last part and then immediately stopped when she saw Leila's icy glare. Sabrina looked down at her lunch, turning her attention on the cafeteria and the chatter of hungry students while Leila went on complaining about other cruel teachers and their general behavior. She listened as Leila rambled on and looked up when her friend suddenly fell quiet. Leila was staring over her shoulder, her eyes blazing with fury. Sabrina turned and was met with a confusing scene.

Khalid, his face red, gritted his teeth at a couple of girls who seemed to be laughing at him. Sabrina was quite taken aback as, just yesterday, she had seen the same girls practically bowing down to his presence. The two girls glanced her way, sneering and flipping their precious hair over their shoulders. Khalid also glared her way and then stood up. His face, threatening.

"I HATE THAT GIRL!" He yelled. The two girls stopped giggling and peered at him skeptically. "How could you think that I actually like her? I never did and I never will. She's nothing but a stupid Arab hater." He declared.

The two girls smiled and made some comments that Sabrina couldn't hear. Khalid smirked at their words, however, and so Sabrina concluded that whatever passed between them wasn't positive. Leila slammed her hand on the table and stood up, making Sabrina flinch.

"That's it - I'm going over there!" She stated.

"What? Why?" Sabrina asked, confused and slightly alarmed.

"Because those girls were obviously egging Khalid on." She said through gritted teeth. "So he would bad mouth you and I'm not just gonna sit here and listen."

The last thing she wanted to see was her best friend get into an argument with snobby girls who worshipped a boy who couldn't tell the difference between Indian and Pakistani people.

"No, wait!" Sabrina yelled, trying to grab her arm. 

But it was too late. Leila walked up to the two girls and started telling them off while Sabrina absurdly thought of something nice to say at Leila's funeral. She chewed her lip as she watched them holler at each other, all of their faces blazing with fury and anger. Khalid, meanwhile, watched them with a smirk. Sabrina couldn't hear what they were saying and she wondered if she should jump in between them and break up the argument.

But as soon as she mustered up the courage to get up, Leila turned her back at the two girls, who were seething in anger, and started making her way back to the table. Her face was twisted in irritation and her grey eyes boiled in contempt. She sat down and dug into her fries, while Sabrina stared at her.

"What did you say to them?" She asked, timidly, "they look ready to murder you."

"Good, because I'm feeling the desire to run them both over with a bus." Leila shot back.

"Leila?"

"Ugh, I just told them to get off your case and stop being a bunch of babies and say it to your face if the have something to say." Leila said, avoiding eye contact.

"Well you shouldn't have." Sabrina said. "Now they hate both of us. I don't want you in this mess, Leila."

Leila stared at her like she was stupid, which made Sabrina confused. Was it wrong to try to keep your friends out of your problems?

"I'm already in this" Leila snapped. "Dont you think I was bullied, too, when they picked on you in Junior High? Didn't you know that while they pushed you around and insulted you, that I was pushed around and insulted too? I was your friend back then and that was enough to make them hate me. So what if they hate me a little more? At least this time they have a valid reason to." 

Her words hit Sabrina like a kick to the stomach. She had no idea that Leila was being bullied while she herself was. She had no idea that the kids that made her go though hell, put Leila through it too. Sabrina felt awful as she stared at Leila, guilt seeping into her very core. The chatter of the cafeteria faded away and the kids around her blurred into the walls. Sabrina looked down at her lunch in shame.

"Im sorry." she whispered.

Leila's hand snaked its way to her, placing it on her shoulder, warmly. She smiled, eyes soft.

"I'm not blaming you." She told Sabrina. "I chose to bear with them, because I wanted to remain your best friend. And you were always worth it."

* * *

Sabrina had so many things on her mind as she made her way to the bus stop at the end of the day. Leila's confession still rung in her ears. Khalid's words swam in the back of her mind. On top of all that, she had loads of homework which didn't feel so bad compared to when your best friend admitted to being bullied just because she was your friend.

What really caught Sabrina by surprise was that Leila didn't end their friendship. She really was a true friend.

That made her feel even more guilty. How could she have been so blind?  

"Hey!" A sharp voice called, "Sabrina."

Sabrina turned, absentmindedly. She was still thinking about Leila. Still thinking about the broken expression on her face while somewhere in the back of her mind a thought was triggered. That voice sounds oddly familiar, Sabrina thought. And suddenly she knew why. A girl with royal blue eyes stood before her, looking at her with an expression of contempt. Long black hair framed her elfish face. Her lips were pursed in a firm line before she smiled, slowly. The same cruel smile that she had graced Sabrina with almost four years ago.

Back in Junior High. 

Sabrina's chest tightened in fear. 

"What do you want, Leena?" Sabrina asked coldly. 

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Hope you guys liked it! Tell me what you think and dont forget to vote if you deem it worthy!

(Btw thats Leila on the side)

Baita:child (in Urdu)