Haleema a young girl destined to reach for the stars the moment she steps onto her university campus set to begin a new year as a freshman. Ready for a new chapter the hijabi has the next few years of her life all written in her thick agenda. With h...
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Somehow I ended up sitting on the single chairs right next to Yamir, with Patrick on my other side who had a whole hookah to himself, Yamir and Gustav shared one, and Rachel and Arnold too. This whole room wasn't full with maybe 20 or more people, the whole smokey atmosphere was quite cool to be honest.
I tried not to stare at Yamir as he leaned back against the chair with his legs parted his long fingers wrapped around the hookah stick watching the thick smoke slip away from his lips, and his jaw ticking- I should stop.
"Haleema?" Patrick's deep voice asserted breaking me from the trans.
"Sorry," I mumbled, looking back at him.
"You wanna try?" He asks, tilting the hookah stick in my direction.
"Sure-" I croaked, reaching out to grab the stick from his hands.
"You don't have to, if you don't want to Haleema." Yamir's (now) rough voice pointed out from behind me.
Without looking back I roll my eyes, from my peripheral vision I could tell Gustav's grinning face even with he hookah in his mouth. With the stick in my hand I press it against my lips and suck the smoke in. A whole lot of smoke which resulted in a coughing fit. Rachel and Arnold lift their heads up from their phones alarmed.
"You okay?" Patrick asks, concern written on his face.
"Yeah, i'm good." I grin recovering from the coughing fit, handing him the hookah back. " I remember why I don't smoke this in the first place," I continue still letting out a few coughs.
"You'll get used to it don't worry about it-" Rachel answers, letting out rings of smoke. "You'll get better as you go." She grins.
"Want some water?" Gustav requested.
I shook my head. "Im fine-"
"Have some water." Yamir interjected- more like demanded. His hand already handing over a bottle, while the other lifted the hookah to his lips. His face hard as stone, as always. I can almost hear his 'told you- you shouldn't have done it' from inside his head. I grabbed the bottle from his hands, quite roughly only to struggle to open it.
"Let me-" Yamir announced.
"Its fine-" I refused. " I got it." I huffed. But continue to struggle.
"Haleema-"
"I said I got it," I mumble. The top still won't budge open. Who the hell makes them so hard to open in the first place. I mean give me a break- we are meant to open it at some point, so why do they close it so damn tight.
"For the love of God Haleema, let me fu**ing help you-"
"Let me do it on my own,"
"You're struggling- let me help you." He sternly replies.
"Queres que eu falo em Portuguese? Eu consigo abrir-" ( Want me to speak in Portuguese? I can open it-"
"Haleema, for fu**s sake babe let me get it for you"
"Oh my god, Yamir!," I screeched, but not loud enough for heads to turn. Standing up from my seat in frustration and place the bottle into his opening hands. I step away from the table walking away over the direction of the door way.
"Where are you fu**ing going!" He grumbled from behind me.
I opened the swinging doors stepping out into the fresh air.
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I walked into the compound/apartment deck bathrooms walking past a pair of teen blondies taking a selfie in the sink mirror. I walk over to the mirror, splashing cold water on my face trying to cool my face down from all the smoke. I look up from the sink to find Rachel standing behind me with her fist beside her head as if she had a knife.
"OH MY GOD, RACHEL! What is wrong with you!" I yelp, with my hand on my chest the other closing the tap. "So funny. " I mumble, grabbing paper towels to dry my face.
"Sorry!" She laughs. "I just really wanted to do that to someone ever since I watched it in those horror movies."
I sigh. "And you chose the wrong person, you weirdo."
"I guess I did," She giggles.
"Do you think I overreacted back there," I mumble. Playing with the sleeves of my white long top, which flowed over my grey-dark bluish jeans.
"It's normal for a first timer-." She replies.
My eyebrows are scrunched at this point in confusion. "I meant did I over react with Yamir?"
"Oh! Of course not, it's a love-hate thing. You guys are adorable together especially when you bicker. No one gets Yamir worked up like that-" She continues.
"Stop right there-"
"You guys are so in denial, should've seen his face when Patrick handed you the hookah. I mean for someone who is closed of and all, he really did care for you back there-"
"He was secretly mocking me- he just wanted to push my buttons-" I roll my eyes.
"He didn't want Patrick to pressure you,"
"Why because I'm the prude right! Sweet Haleema shouldn't touch the cancer stick!" I proclaimed, hitting my palms against my thighs. Awkwardly one of the bathroom stalls open to reveal an elderly looking women, who silently walks over to the sink area to wash her hands, as Rachel and her mature self tries not to laugh at the situation.
Rachel then grabs my arm leaving the bathroom.
"I'm not doing this with you- " She continues. "Can we go back now?" She asks. Point second later, my phone buzzes and its a text from an unknown number.
Sorry if I pressured you into anything -P
I hold the phone in front of Rachel, showing her the text which she smiles in response. Told you so. She mouths
It's fine, don't worry about it! I text back. We start to walk back to the lounge area, Patrick and Arnold are gone which according to Rachel have gone to get drinks for entry into the party.
Before arriving Gustav letting out puffs of rings mumbles something to Yamir, which causes him to look up from his phone tucking it away right when we arrive. I sit back into my previous chair, turning to face me Yamir sticks out a fist in my direction as if asking if were cool. I cross my legs grinning and fist pump it right as he blows a cloud of smoke in my laughing face.
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❃ Asalamualeikum sunshines- may peace me upon you! ❃
