Chapter Six - United We Stand

Sabrina sat down heavily, placing her lunch before her. The cafeteria was noisy as usual, students shoving past each other to get to the lunch line, while others laughed and chattered away, munching happily on their food. Sabrina felt sick watching them, wondering how she could possibly eat when a friendly laugh rung out from three tables over. She glanced up and closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see that familiar face.

Leila pulled up a chair beside her, going on about one of her friends while Sabrina tried to ignore that particular laugh that was coming from a table full of people who had destroyed Sabrina's Junior High years.

"...I still cant believe it! Halima hates Chemistry so I dunno why she's transferring. Well at least we'll have another Muslim in our class who's not Arab." Leila shrugged and then looked around. "Not that there's anything wrong with them. Speaking about strangely nice Arabs...where's Emaan?"

Sabrina looked up, catching Leila's eyes and then slowly turned to the table she had been trying to avoid looking at. Leila's eyes widened as she saw Emaan among Leena friends, laughing alongside Leena herself, who smiled with a secret triumph. Khalid and his friends sat beside their table, eyeing Emaan which made Sabrina sick. She shouldn't be there, she thought. But she was and Sabrina couldn't do anything about it.

"No." Leila gasped. "How could she?" 

Sabrina explained what had taken place after first class that morning, watching Leila's grey eyes turn as stormy as a thundercloud. 

"And she believed all the lies they fed her?" She asked, outraged. "I'm going over there right-"

"No, leave it." Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Obviously she was going to have more trust in her own people."

"Her people?" Leila said slowly. "We're her people. Not just Arabs. Muslims are her people."

"You know what I meant!" Sabrina said throwing her hands up.

"I know what you meant but I also know that you don't believe that." Leila said, sitting back and staring at Sabrina. "You're the one who always said it."

"Leila just-"

"'United we stand, divided we fall'." 

Sabrina fell silent as Leila leaned forward, her eyes shining.

"You're the one who believes in that." She whispered. "Don't stop now."

* * *

The next few days were slow and long. Sabrina and Leila sat together at lunch, avoiding Emaan who seemed to go out of her way to avoid them, as well. Whenever they would pass in the hall, Sabrina and Leila would greet her with salaam, hoping she would look up and they would see the nice, open minded girl she had been when they first met. But Emaan would lower her head and stumble along. Sabrina noticed something though: she didn't have hatred in her eyes. She didn't even seem to have contempt or anger towards them.

She was the same girl they knew but it seemed she was just empty. She was willing to believe people who she thinks she trusts. And that was alright, because she had no reason not to, thought Sabrina. But the more she hangs out with them, the sooner she's bound to learn the truth.

* * *

One day as Leila and Sabrina were walking down the hallway, arguing on weather puppies were more cuter than kittens, a shoulder bumped into Sabrina's, sending her binder flying to the floor. It landed with a crack and somehow opened, spilling out loose papers and half used pencils. 

"Oh, I'm so-" someone said, but was interrupted by loud snickering and amused laughter.

Sabrina realized the snickers were directed at her and the person who had bumped into her was Emaan. Emaan realized this too and looked away, avoiding Sabrina's gaze, as she bent down and helped her pick up her papers. Leena and her friends, stopped snickering as she did, realizing that Emaan didn't intentionally plow into Sabrina. They snorted, shaking their heads and stalked off.

As Sabrina gathered up the last of the contents of her binder, she gave Emaan a small smile.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

Emaan nodded and hurried off before Leila or Sabrina could say anything else.

* * *

That night Sabrina lay on her bed, reading a book she just couldn't focus on. Her mind kept wandering to Emaan's face as she helped her pick up her papers. She helped her. That must mean something right, Sabrina thought. Emaan isn't like Leena and her snobby friends. She's different even though she's the same as them. But no, she isn't the same, is she? It doesn't matter if you're from the same country - it doesn't mean you have to act or think the same way.

She sighed and opened up her laptop searching for a hadith that she had heard long ago. She typed hadiths against racism into Google and came up with the Prophet Muhammad's last sermon. She opened up her Facebook and stared at her profile for a few minutes. What better way to spread a message than through Facebook, she thought.

She started typing a part of the speech that was particularly meaningful to her.

"All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white except by piety and good action."- Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

She posted the message and released a breath that she didn't know she was holding.

* * *

The next day she walked into school a little more confident than she had been feeling lately. Somehow, writing down her beliefs through the Prophet's words had boosted her ego. She knew no one would object to his words - at least no Muslim. It was another thing they all had in common: their undying love for their beloved Prophet.

"Hey girl." Leila greeted, cheekily. "Saw your status. Spread the word, sista!"

Sabrina smiled, shaking her head. 

"You were right, Lee," The grateful girl smiled, using Leila's nickname. "United we stand. Divided we fall."

"'Course, I was right," Leila scoffed, flipping her hijab like a girl without it would flip her hair.

"Well, see you at lunch." Sabrina waved as the bell rang.

She headed to class, skillfully dodging students. She almost hissed when a couple in front of her stopped in the middle of the hallway and decided it was the perfect time to hug as if they were never going to see each other again. Rolling her eyes, she skirted around them and turned a corner. The hallway was almost empty, the students settling into the first class of the day. Sabrina almost reached her classroom when a figure stepped in front of her blocking her path. Her eyes slid up to her obstacle's face.

Khalid.

She stared at him as he smirked down at her, tucking his hands into his pockets and leaning back as if he had all the time in the world. Sabrina didn't, so she coughed in annoyance.

"Um, excuse me." She said, crossing her arms, "I have a class to get to."

"Well, too bad." He snapped. "Look, I just need to get one thing straight with you, okay?"

Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

"Stop sending your little friend to do all your dirty work. If you have something to say: say it. Dont go sending Leila around yelling things at my girls." He said, referring to last week's incident.

"Your girls?" Sabrina scoffed. "What, do you own them?"

"Shut up." He spat. "Oh and that includes Facebook." 

"Huh?" Sabrina asked, innocently. "I was just sharing something the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) commanded us to do."

"Well, maybe you should take his advice then." He spit back.

"I don't hate Arabs" Sabrina said quietly, glaring up at him. "Maybe if you hadn't blamed me for something I didn't do and then called me names I wouldn't have gotten mad at you and lashed out."

"Firstly, you did rat me out and you know it." He asked, bitterly. "You were the only one who knew."

Sabrina was quiet for a moment. She raised her face and looked him in the eye.

"Nope" She replied. "There was someone else who knew."

Khalid stood there, confused, his blue eyes narrowed in incomprehension. Sabrina took advantage of his silence and slipped past him, thinking of an excuse to tell her teacher for her tardiness. Behind her, Khalid spun around, his shoes squeaking.

"Is that how your gonna cover yourself up?" He yelled. "By pretending someone else did it?" 

Oh, I'm not pretending, thought Sabrina. But Leena is, and somehow I'll show you that "your" girls aren't as loyal as they look.

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Yay! So what did you guys think? Don't forget to vote and comment!

Oh and since Leila and Sabrina cant agree - which one do YOU think is cuter? Kittens or puppies?