Chapter Five - Time to Decide

If it were any other weekend, Sabrina would be curled up in front of the T.V watching sappy old romances and placing herself into the females lead's shoes. She would imagine herself in a elegant ballgown, being swirled into a love struck dream by a prince who just so happened to be a handome young man, with fiery blue eyes and soft, windswept hair.

But this weekend, Sabrina locked herself into her room and sunk into memories of the past. Khalid's face had ignited something inside of her that brought back a time that she had tried desperately to forget. One look from Leena's cold eyes, however, had her reliving her past.

Her parents urged her to come out and eat or do something with them but she would have none of it. She didn't want to spend time with her family. She didn't want to go back to school to see Leena and Khalid and all the other kids who ruined Junior High for her. She just wanted all of it to stop. What happened in Junior High was the past.

So why was it now becoming the present?

On Monday morning Sabrina lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Her mother came in and told her it was time for school. She absentmindedly got up and stumbled through her usual morning routine. Breakfast was taken numbly. She left the house and that was when she finally really woke up. The bitter breeze seemed to shake her out of the stupor that she had been in. She was on her way to school, she remembered, dreadfully.

* * *

When Sabrina got to her locker she found Leila and Emaan emerged in a playful conversation. Leila laughed and joked with Emaan, which she did with Sabrina and anyone else she took a liking to. Sabrina paused to appreciate that they were getting along.

"Oh, here she is!" Leila exclaimed as Sabrina approached.

"Salaam." Emaan greeted, giving Sabrina a warm smile.

"What, my dear lady, took thou so long to geteth hith'r?" Leila asked, dramatically. "Please extend thy fair hand in-"

"Okay stop." Sabrina said quickly. "It sounds like you're asking for my hand in marriage! Also that was horrible acting."

Emaan burst out laughing, while Leila stood there with an expression that was half annoyed and half amused.

"I was about to say 'greeting'!" Leila protested.

All three girls erupted in laughter, clutching their stomachs. This, Sabrina thought, is the only reason I bother coming to school. Sabrina watched Leila's beautiful grey eyes tear up as she doubled over. Emaan was covering her face and snorting which made Sabrina laugh even more. 

Finally their laughter died down and Emaan pulled out her schedule, studying it. Sabrina leaned over and gasped.

"You have homeroom and first class with me!" She said, excitedly.

"Really. You're taking World Religions?" Emaan, asked, making Leila snort.

"It's the only thing she wakes up in the morning for." Leila remarked.

"Excuse me!" Sabrina rolled her eyes, "as opposed to waking up in the morning to powder my nose and spend three hours picking the right pair of heels?"

She eyed Leila pointedly, who shrugged.

Sabrina paused, turning to Emaan. "Wait...why didn't I see you on Friday, then? You weren't even in homeroom, were you?"

"I came late." Emaan shrugged. "And also the principal gave me a tour of the school...which took a while."

"Oh. Well, I'll walk you to homeroom." Sabrina offered, taking Emaan's arm.

Sabrina couldn't help it; she liked this friendly Arab girl. She felt as if she should at least try to enjoy their friendship while it lasted. Sooner or later Emaan would find out why all the Arabs hated her and she could decide for herself it if was true or not. But in the meantime Sabrina wanted to show Emaan that she wasn't the curry-licking, Arab hater that everyone said she was.

* * *

"So what's this class like?" Emaan asked Sabrina. 

They were seated in their first class of the day, World Religions. The teacher was texting at his desk, waiting for all the students to arrive. Emaan and Sabrina were in the back, mostly because Sabrina didn't like it when she felt multiple eyes burning holes through the back of her head. Emaan couldn't care less where they sat, so there they were, talking softly in the back row.

"It's alright so far." Sabrina said, "we haven't had any debates yet, though..."

...so I dont know who-hates-what religion yet, Sabrina thought to herself.

She didn't think it darkly, it was something she was used to, being part of a religion that was so different to others'. She was used to hate and odd looks. She was used to mean comments about what she wore and how she prayed. She didn't mind it; she ignored it like she would ignore a pesky fly that was buzzing around her head, annoyingly. 

At last, the teacher got up and took attendance. Sabrina doodled in her notebook waiting for the teacher to announce today's subject. 

"Alrighty, ladies and gents." The teacher, Mr. Malloy, said enthusiastically. "We're going to be studying similarities and difference between the three biggest monotheistic religions out there: Christianity, Judaism and Islam!"

The teacher went on, explaining that they had to gather into groups of twos or threes and come up with a list of similarities and differences between the three religions. Sabrina listened thoughtfully, already making a mental list of what she would write down. She smiled at Emaan, asking her to be her partner with her eyes. In answer, Emaan wiggled her eyebrows, seductively, causing Sabrina to stifle a laugh. Emaan grinned and continued to make goofy faces, pulling a poker face when Malloy's sharp gaze slid her way.

After the teacher was done explaining everything, Sabrina and Emaan pulled their desks together and got to work. There were the obvious things like all three religions believed in God and they all had prophets. The Christians had Jesus (a.s) who some believed was god. The Jews had Moses (a.s) and Abraham (a.s) and the Muslims had Muhammad (s.a.w.) Of course the Muslims believed in all of them, but Sabrina and Emaan were writing down the ones that each religion held over the others. They wrote down all the things they could think of.

Twenty minutes before class was over, the teacher got up and a walked around. He commented here and there and then stood before the class. 

"Well then. I'd like all of you to say one similarity from your list." He announced. "Starting with your group, Alyssa." 

Alyssa, a tiny brunette with chocolate brown eyes and hair with blond streaks, got up with her group. They all looked at each other, silently begging one another to say something from the list. When none of them took the challenge, a black haired boy sighed and blurted out something that Sabrina failed to hear.

"Very good," the teacher said, absentmindedly, "Next." He pointed to Sabrina's group.

Sabrina and Emaan stood up and scanned their list. Sabrina looked at Emaan.

"I wanna say it." Emaan whispered. Sabrina nodded and smiled.

"Well." Emaan began, raising her voice. "Christianity, Islam and Judaism all have a head covering. The Christian nuns call it the wimple or cornette and Muslims call it the hijab. Jewish women cover their hair with a tichel, wig, scarf or hat.

Mr. Malloy nodded politely and Sabrina and Emaan were just about to sit down, when a boy, with silky brown hair that nearly covered his eyes, spoke up:

"Well, nuns and Jews aren't forced to wear it, so yeah." He said, eyeing the two half crouching, half standing girls.

Sabrina straightened herself up, and eyed the boy right back.

"Its true that the hijab is compulsory for Muslim women but we aren't forced to wear it." She explained.

"Right." the boy scoffed. "Then why do you? Doesn't it get hot in that towel?"

"I'd rather face this heat then Hell's.'" Emaan countered.

"Too bad, then." He smirked. "Cause that's where you're-"

"Manners, please." The teacher interrupted.

Mr. Malloy, who had been observing them, raised his hands toward the mean faced boy.

"Why do you think women are forced to wear the hijab, Michael?" The teacher asked. "And please explain it nicely, " he added.

"Well," Micheal, began, looking bored. "They always show it on the news how Muslims force their women to wear it and I don't believe that its their own choice. Who would choose to wear that thing? Don't you guys wanna be normal?" He asked, leaning back on his chair, a questioning expression on his face.

"We are normal. Just because we wear a head covering doesn't make us some type of alien. Besides, the people you see on T.V are extremists. Every religion has them but the media loves focusing on us just because we're different. Muslims don't "oppress" their women with the hijab. God ordered women to wear it and that's why we do. It's for our protection." Sabrina explained.

"And to guard our beauty." Emaan added. "We believe that a Muslim woman is more precious wrapped up than exposed."

"Also, if Muslim women are forced to wear the hijab, then what explains those who don't?" Sabrina asked.

At that moment every head in the room turned to an Arab girl who was busy fixing her hair using her iPhone as a mirror. Even though Sabrina didn't mean to single out the only Muslim girl in the class who didn't wear the hijab, all heads turned her way. The girl glanced up, feeling a room full of eyes on her and blushed. Her green eyes met Sabrina's, narrowing in question. Sabrina couldn't remember the girl's name but she remembered her as one of the girls who swooned over Khalid on the first day of school.

"What?" The girl asked, annoyed.

The teacher, who looked as if he was fighting to roll his eyes, sighed.

"We're discussing the hijab. Micheal here, holds the opinion that Muslim women are forced to wear it while Sabrina argues that they aren't." He explained quickly, eager to get back to the discussion. 

For a split second Sabrina thought the girl would deny her statement out of her hatred for her. Sabrina was sure that the same girl who glared at her now, was involved in ruining her life back in Junior High. She saw her eyes burn fiercely, and Sabrina almost closed her eyes in worry. Sabrina watched as the girl's eyes slid to Micheal's.

"Of course we aren't." She said, exasperated. "Does it look like someone put a gun to my head and say 'wear this or else'?" 

Sabrina let out a sigh of relief and turned to Micheal who looked as if he was tempted to say 'yes'. But he just shrugged, grumbling about head covers and questioning its purpose. The bell rang as the teacher urged them all to fill up their lists and look into controversial topics. Sabrina could tell this teacher relished heated debates.

As they walked out of the class, Emaan and Sabrina discussed lighter topics such as lunch and shopping. They were sharing traditional beauty tips when a looming figure approached them. It was the Arab girl from class. Her dark curly hair framed her narrow face. Her emerald eyes glowed intensely.

"Listen, Paki." Mean Green Eyes said, rudely. "Don't think I stuck up for you cause I like you."

"Why would I think that?" Sabrina muttered.

Mean Green Eyes heard her quiet remark but seemed to miss Sabrina's sarcastic tone. 

"Exactly. Why would you? You don't think at all." she laughed.

"Um," Emaan said, interrupting. "If your religion was more important to you than your anger for...Sabrina, then why isn't it now. Isn't it against Islam to put down a fellow Muslim?" She asked, eyeing Mean Green Eyes who stared down at her.

"Look, kid." Mean Green Eyes said, as if Emaan was decades younger than her. "You don't even know what she said about us. She hated on us first."

"C'mon." She sighed at Emaan's blank expression. "Its time you learned the truth."

The girl grabbed Emaan's arm, throwing a disgusted glance at Sabrina before dragging Emaan down the hall. Emaan struggled, looking back at Sabrina with pleading eyes but Sabrina couldn't do anything. Mean Green Eyes was right: it was time Emaan learned the truth. Sabrina just hoped that Emaan wouldn't believe all the exaggerated lies they would feed her. Maybe, Sabrina thought hopefully, maybe she is different.

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Wow, already on Chapter Five! Hope you wonderful people enjoy and vote if you like! Dont forget to share your thoughts:)

Btw, dedicated to Reaper333, for answering all my questions on Judaism. Thanks:) I encourage everyone to check out her stories and give her a follow:) Also the graphic on the side was made by her! THANK YOU, ONCE AGAIN!

 tichel: head cover worn by many married Orthodox and Conservative Jewish women.