Meant To Be

Chapter 8-Amira

"I think Zander likes me," Sophia says. I look up at her. I look up at from my drawing pad. "What?" I ask her not clearly hearing her. We were sitting at a table in the park since it was sunny out. "Zander... I. Think. He. Likes. Me," she says slowly. I stare at her and then force a smile. "How do you know?" I question. She just smiles "the way he looks at me and everytime he comes into the store, he comes to my register," she says.

I haven't told Sophia that Zander helps me watch the kids. I don't think that is important. Apparently Jem has a crush on him. I didn't realize little kids had crushes. It's just so funny. I never knew it'd be great working with Zander. He was actually a good friend.

I just stare at her, trying to keep myself from laughing. "Salaam," we hear behind us. I look up to see Xander himself. I smile at Sophia who was turning a shade of red. I look down trying my best to not laugh, I couldn't help it. I break out laughing until my stomach hurt and I was holding my stomach in pain from laughter.

"Are you ok?" I hear but I couldn't tell who said it because I was too busy trying to stop myself from laughing any further. I take deep breaths to calm myself down. "What's up with that?" Zander asks sitting down.

"Nothing," I mumble glancing at Sophia who was still blushing. Allah is the best of planners, was what crossed my mind but I didn't know why. Zander glances at Sophia confused. "Hey, you could have waited for me," a girl around 16 says. Zander looks up at her "you could have hurried up," he smirks. She slides next to him. Sophia and I were across from each other and Zander and the little girl sat next to each other everyone not really talking.

"Oh, this is my annoying sister Jasmina," Zander finally decides to introduce her. She looks up from her phone and smiles. "I'm Amira," I tell her. "I'm Sophia," Sophia mumbles looking around awkwardly. "How did you land to pretty friends?" Jasmina asks. "Thank you?" I mumble confused what she meant by landed.

"You can draw," Jasmina says looking down at my drawing pad. I look up at her, she was leaning over to my side. I rise my eyebrows. "Jas, stop being noise," Zander says to her. "It's fine," I mumble. "What do you do?" Jasmina asks me. "I'm going to design school... to design a clothing line for Muslim girls," I tell her. "That's cool," she says with a smile. I smile "thank you," I tell her.

"So, is there any other event like last week?" Jasmina asks. I rise my eyebrows unsure what she was talking about. "Color war," she says. My eyes glows up "no, but there's a party this weekend," I tell her. "We are in," Jasmina says with a huge smile. Zander looks up looking at his sister then he looks at me.

"I want in," Sophia says with a smile. Sophia never comes to these events I go to, cause of her, no offense to her, but her crazy mother. I stare at her shocked. "What I want to come to one of your crazy events," Sophia says. "You make these events?" Zander questions. "I just come up with the ideas and tell my brother to create them," I tell him. He nods and a smile appears on his face.

"This town will be boring when I'm gone," I mumble. "Design school is in France," Sophia says. Zander looks at me shocked. "That's amazing, you are lucky," Jasmina says. I nod with a smile "if I get accepted inshallah," I tell her.

I close my book, and get up. "Want to get ice cream," I say directly to Sophia. She looks up at me. "No thanks," she mumbles nervously. "I'm in," Zander gets up. "I am too," Sophia says getting up as well. He glances at her confused. I start laughing. Jasmina jumps up and we all walk to the ice cream shop.

I order my ice cream. We sit down at a booth. Sophia slides in next to me and Zander and his sister across from us. "I should make guy friends," Zander says looking at us. ."What are we not good enough for you?" I smirk. "It's not that," he says. I rise my eyebrows. He just smiles at me. "Nevermind," he chuckles.

Sophia glances at me. She shows me something on her phone. I stare at her phone confused. I look up. I tilt my head, studying Zander. He stares at me confused. "No, they don't look alike," I say straightening my head and leaning back in my seat, as I enjoy my ice cream.

Zander rises his eyebrows questioningly. "I thought you looked like him," Sophia mumbles showing him the picture. "It kind of does," Jasmina says leaning in to see the picture. I stare out the window and just stare out into the world. I wasn't really listening when they all started talking.

My phone beeps. I pick it up from the table where I set it. I thought you were going to help me Zain texts. I totally forgot I was suppose to help him with his new house. He finally decided to move from his parents house. "I have to go," I say getting. Sophia gets up to let me out. Then she sits back down.

"Salaam," I say before leaving. I head outside and walk home since I didn't my car. I get to my house and head upstairs to my room to put away my drawing pad. I put the bag, I carry my drawing pad in on my bed. I head back down and out the door.

Zain just moved to houses away. He was sitting on the front porch when I get there. I cross my arms to my chest and shake my head. "You could have at least started," I smirk. He looks up at me with a smile as he stands up. "No, cause if I mess it up, you would change everything," he says as if that was a good excuse. Even though that was true. "Hawa is inside," he says opening the door.

I head inside and see Hawa sitting on a wrapped couch. They could have at least unwrapped the couch. We start by decorating and fixing the living room up. Then we each went to either a bedroom or the kitchen to unpack stuff and decorate.

I end up with a bedroom. I open the last box that was left on the ground. I pick up a picture from the box and stare at it. I laugh at the memory. It was from when we were younger and we had a bonfire. Zain and I had chocolate all over our face from the halal s'mores.

"Hey..." I hear, I turn around to see Zain. I set the picture on thd bed and rise my eyebrows. He scratches the back of his head nervously. "I don't know how that got in there," he mumbles. I smile trying to not laugh. "I didn't know the picture still existed," I say.

"We going to take a break and get some food," he says. "I'll just finish up here," I tell him. He looks around the room. "Thanks again... It means a lot," he says. "We are basically family..." I say picking the picture off the bed and holding it up unsure where to put it. "Ill just take it," he says taking it from and putting it by the night stand. I stare at him with my eyebrow rised.

"Don't you want your parents picture by your bed?" I question. He turns and looks at me "I like to remember the happy times," he says with a faint smile. He helps me put away the little stuff that was left.

I grab my phone off the coffee table in the living room. I glance at it and notice I had a bunch of missed calls. We have been here for at least 4 hours. "You guys ready?" I hear. I look towards the door and see Zain waiting for us. I head out the door.

"So, when you gonna start staying there?" I question. He takes a deep breath "probably tomorrow after I go shopping for grocery," he says. I sit in the back seat while Hawa sits in the passenger seat. I suggested just going home but Zain insisted us all going out since we worked so hard.

We head to my favorite restaurant ever. I only came here every two months cause it caused me to much but it was always worth it. I didn't have enough money to be here. "We could just go to the café," I suggest. "I'm paying so I get to choice," Zain says glancing at me with a smile. I rise my eyebrow "you don't have to," I tell him. "It's to thank you guys for everything. If it wasn't for you I would never finish," he says.

We end up going inside. I wasn't even dressed to be there but it's fine because I was at least comfortable. "We should go to the movies next,"

Hawa suggest as we take our table. Zain just nods as he thinks about it. I glance at the two of them.

"Have you come up with an designs?" Zain questions as we wait for our order to arrive. I nod "I just pray that I get in," I say. "You are really talented and you'll make a change," he tells me. I smile. My phone buzzes as the food comes.

"Your parents are over at our house," I tell them. I put my phone in lalap as I say Bismillah and dig. I don't speak when I am enjoying a great meal. After we finish we head back home because my show was on. I get into the house saying Salaam.

I hurry upstairs and change into my sweatpant and hoodie along with my 'home' hijab. I grab my blanket and head downstairs. "Amira!" Ahmed says hugging me as I enter the living room. "Hey handsome," I smile.