Confessions of a Muslim Girl

Chapter 8 - Battle of the Alarm Clock and Other First Day of School Events

Salaam! I'm sorry that I'm late uploading but school got in the way. Additionally, starting from this chapter, school is back in session so I had a lot of technical stuff to work out so that everything made sense. As always, enjoy! (:

"Guys are like cakes. Some of them are well-done on the inside as well as the outside, and some are only half-baked." -- aSh ♥

Chapter 8

Battle of the Alarm Clock and Other First Day of School Events

☼ Maysa Malik ☼

            The first day of school is probably the only school day that I actually wake up willingly. I have this habit of literally jumping out of bed on the first day of school. This habit is the cause for many bruises over the years from tripping over whatever happens to be lying on the floor around my bed.

            I have grown to hate my alarm over the years because its shrill ringing always slices a dagger through my peaceful state of sleep. Actually smiling at it for once is a feeling that is foreign to me, but I see the first day of school as a temporary truce before Battle of the Alarm Clock versus Maysa begins for the next 179 days.

            So when my alarm wakes me up at 6:20, I spring out of bed and trip over my calculus textbook, which I got three days ago at orientation. I sigh at the slight pain in my shin; if only this was the only level of pain I endured at soccer practice.

            I went to sleep in a tank top and knee-length basketball shorts, so when I leave my room to go to the bathroom, I throw on a jacket. Though I sleep in a tank top and shorts, I don’t come out of my room without a jacket whenever Zakariya (or my Dad) is home. Zakariya’s room is across the hall, and I can see that he’s still sleeping because his door is closed and the bathroom is empty.

            Nazia is still in middle school, so she won’t be up for another hour and a half. I can’t believe I’m jealous of my thirteen-year-old sister, but that’s just one of the sad facts in my life.

            When I get out of the bathroom seven minutes later, I bang on Zak’s door to wake him up. He has always been a deep sleeper, same as Nazia.

“What?!” I hear him shout through the door, annoyed. I take a deep breath and my optimism makes me feel as if nothing can stop me today.

I quickly shake off Zak’s comment and respond. “It’s the first day of school! Get up, we’ll be late and there’s no way I’m getting a tardy slip and a possible detention on the first day of school!”

There’s no response from Zak’s side of the door. I stand there patiently for about thirty seconds before I hear a heavy, angry sigh. The door opens and there is Zakariya, scowling at me in his pajamas. “I’m up, ok? Go get ready cuz there’s no way in hell I’m waiting for you if you’re not done. I got stuff to do before school.”

I take a deep breath to center my positive energy. I blink and I hold my eyes closed for a second or two. “Whatever you say, Zak. Just get ready.” And with that, I turn on my heel and march back into my room, part of my brain screaming mentally at Zak for being such a hypocrite. Isn’t he the one who wasn’t getting up?

I shake my head once I’m in my room and grab a pair of long sweats to wear while I pray Fajr namaz. I read Surah Muzzamil, and pray to Allah to give me protection and guidance today.

Then I focus on getting ready. Noha and I got together after our orientation and planned what we were going to wear today. Or rather, we just discussed what we were going to wear and then gave each other our opinion on which outfit looked best.