THE TOWER OF LIFE

CHAPTER 10: THE HAPPY SMILE

"You have no right to talk to me like that, you slut!" Habiba spat.

Amina's eyes widen "Don't... don't even go there."

Habiba smirked knowing she had pushed a button "Did I say something wrong? Uhn? We all know that your Mum is a slut, she left you for another man."

Amina's grip on the desk tightened, she hated hearing that especially when it comes out from Habiba's mouth and Habiba would use it as an opportunity to upset her.

Amina breathed in and out to calm herself, she didn't want to get angry unnecessarily.

"So what?" Amina smiled coldly.

Habiba was taken aback but didn't let it show "What? You heard what I said, your Mum is a slut."

Amina decided if she wanted to play the game that way, she was also ready to play along.

"And what makes you any better than me, uhn?" Amina held her head high.

Habiba's eyes flew wide "What?"

Amina smiled "I know all about your family, don't forget that." Amina knew Habiba's darkest secret but she wouldn't stoop low to her level.

She picked up her phone "And what do you think your Mum would say to all you have just said? What would she say when she finds out you have a crush on your school teacher?"

Habiba's eyes grew wider than a saucer, she was left speechless.

Amina smiled, knowing she had won. She smiled at Aina'u "Shall we?"

Aina'u had a huge smile on her face "Yes, we shall!" And they left Habiba and the rest of the class shocked. It was the first time Amina stood up to Habiba who took pleasure in making Amina's life a living hell.

Once they were out of the class, Amina breathed out.

"That was a solid one you threw at her." Aina'u giggled softly.

Amina shrugged nonchalantly "I did that to defend myself."

"Who is she anyways?"

As they walked to the canteen, Amina told her all about her childhood with Habiba and her Mother.

"She isn't your friend at all, she's just a sassy idiot."

Amina laughed at Aina'u's reply while she watched her munch on her sandwich.

"But why don't you have any friends?" Aina'u pointed out.

Amina shook her head with a slight shrug "I really don't know."

Aina'u smiled "But you are a very sweet girl, I wonder how someone like you has no friends at all."

Amina contemplated telling her the truth and decided that since she had gotten a new friend, she planned to keep her close.

While Aina'u ordered her food and ate, Amina told her the truth.

"When Mum left me, I was actually broken. I had never ever felt that way in my life, it was the first time I had lost someone in my life and that person was my Mum, she was the closest to me. Habiba was there for a week or so but soon she started withdrawing back with her Mum whom I had once considered mine."

Aina'u had forgotten all about her food as she paid rapt attention to what Amina was saying, her heart aching with pain for her new friend.

"Soon, I had no one. I couldn't let anyone in any longer, the people I had trusted the most, betrayed me in the most painful way ever and I wasn't sure I could ever go through the same thing again. At a point, some became my friends out of sympathy but I would always shut them out of my life."

"Recently I realized that I was wrong, I should have given them a chance because I think their intentions might have not been as I had presumed. I was selfish to have pushed them away, I was thinking about myself and never considered their feelings."

"I always thought that they had a perfect life going on and they were being friends with me because of sympathy. For that reason, I closed myself out of the world thinking it would get me the peace I so much needed. But... I was wrong, I was as much depressed as I could get and I broke down."

"I have really gone through alot in my life but during this journey, i realized that I have been selfish for always thinking about myself only, not caring about others' feelings and hurting them in the end."

Aina'u placed a supporting hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly "You are not to be blamed for all that but I'm glad you learnt from your mistakes, not many people do that."

Amina smiled "Thank you! Sorry I made you skip your lunch, it's already past break time."

Aina'u shrugged "I'm not really hungry and meanwhile I can just eat this in the class before the next lesson begins."

"What are you ladies up to?" Amina flinched at the voice.

Aina'u rolled her eyes "Trying to eat and gist, what else?"

Junior grinned "Been watching you both, you seem to have a lot to talk about."

Aina'u winked "Seeing as we are best friends, of course we have a lot to catch up on."

"Whatever let's get back to class." Junny waved her off.

"We didn't come here together, did we?"

He feigned hurt "What could I have done when you have forgotten all about me?"

"Oh! Sorry! I think I must have hurt your feelings."

He glanced at Amina "You are doing me a favour keeping her to yourself, she's such a push baby."

Amina giggled "Sure thing!"

They walked together to class, Amina munched on banana while Aina'u finished her lunch before the next teacher came in.

After school, Aina'u begged Amina to follow them home.

"But..."

Aina'u shook her head "There is no buts, you are coming with us. And Junior can tutor you in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He's very good, it will be like killing two birds with a stone."

Amina sighed, it wasn't as if she didn't buy the idea, it was just weird going to a friend's house. She hadn't done it in like forever but she wanted to and decided to go for it.

"Our driver is here, he can take us all home." Aina'u pointed to their car.

Amina nodded "Let me call my driver and tell him to go on without me."

She did that within a minute and was glad he didn't ask her any unnecessary question.

During the ride, she texted her Dad to let him know she was studying with a friend. Even though she knew it was useless, she wanted to play her own part and be a good child.

"Who are you texting? Your boyfriend?" Amina was surprised the question was coming from Junior, he had been nice to her the whole day but she couldn't help think why he was trying to be nice to her.

"Nope! My Dad!"

"Oh!" He looked straight ahead, a smile tugging his upper lip.

"Why are you interrogating her? Leave my friend alone." Aina'u looked up from her phone. She was sitting between them and had a smug smile on her face.

"You act as if she's only your friend, she's my friend too, isn't it Amina?"

Amina looked between them both and smiled "Yeah!"

Aina'u glared at her "Are you with me or against me?"

"There is no reason to argue, okay!" She raised her hands up in surrender.

Junior laughed, a happy smile on his face.

Aina'u smiled at the sight, she had to confess, it had been long since she last saw him that happy.