Conflicted: Guidance to the Sincere Path (An Islamic Short Story)

Part 1

"What is wrong with her?" Zee grumbled, referring to the girl that had bumped into to her previously. Zee pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and frowned. "She barely has any sense of fashion or style. How dare she think it's okay to crash into me and then run off without a sorry?"

Samah nodded slightly in agreement. She finished fixing her make up and closed the makeup box, turning her face at angle so that she was staring at Zee's reflection. Samah watched as she applied her eye make up with precision, forming a perfect winged eyeliner across her eyelids. After adding a light layer of pink lip gloss, Zee tilted her head to double-check her appearance. She wore a sparkly blue one-shouldered dress that hugged her body and fell halfway to her knees.  Samah didn't have to glance at her reflection again to know what she was wearing: a simple lime green dress that flew past her knees and parted at the side. Zee finished applying her make up and walked out the bathroom, Samah right behind her. Those who recognized them made way and eagerly greeted Zee and nodded and smiled at Samah in acknowledgement. Once they were out of the crowd, Zee resumed her expression of annoyance as a few sophomores, with no style whatsoever according to Zee and obvious to Samah, passed by her.

"Hey, Zee!"

Zee's expression instantly became a smile as she turned to meet the owner of the voice.

"Dave!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Samah stood there awkwardly, watching them flirt. Her mind momentarily went back three years, when she first met Zee at thirteen. Three years ago, Samah had met a friendly reliable girl that soon became her best friend. Or so she thought. Over the years, Zee had transformed from that friendly and cheerful girl to a girl who gave an entirely different impression than the reality that lay inside: a reality that Samah had been exposed to as Zee's closest friend. Samah found her self changing as well. Like Zee, she had also developed an obsession with popularity and fashion trends. She judged people based on their looks and steered away from the so-called "outcasts". Yet Samah purposely ignored the obvious and the qualms she had as a result. Besides, what could she do? Trying to change her ways now would only complicate everything.

"Come on!" Zee's voice pulled Samah out of her thoughts and she suddenly realized what Zee was doing. Samah's eyes widened as she saw the bottle in Zee's hand. Zee noticed her shocked expression and her eyebrows furrowed. "What's up?"

"You're seriously going to drink that? Y-you're going to get drunk?"

For the first time in a long time, Samah remembered she was Muslim. No, not really. She didn't feel Muslim, but yet she was. She was born in a Muslim family. She came from a Muslim background. Her parents were easygoing when it came to religion, but on the contrary, her grandparents had been very strict about religion and seemed wholly dedicated to it when they had lived. Samah had been four years old when her grandfather had died, and she had been six when her grandmother's death had come. She was young and had never been close to her mother's parents, but this she remembered. In the past, she had often wondered how parent and child could be so different. Now, all she had to do was look at herself. The thought of wearing a cloth on her head resulted in immediate disapproval and feelings of distaste and disgust.

Zee shrugged and sipped it casually. "Only a little. A little won't hurt."

She held out one to Samah. Samah backed away and Zee laughed. "It's okay. You'll get used to it."

Samah raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Oh, so first it's only a little and then I'm supposed to get used to it?"

Zee laughed and winked. Samah awkwardly took the bottle and took a slight sip. Her throat burned as the liquid passed through. She smiled slightly at Zee, but inside she was thinking about doing anything but taking another sip of the burning liquid, much less chugging down a whole entire bottle full of it.

"Want to make things interesting?" Zee asked. The expression on Zee's face told Samah exactly what she was thinking.

"Sure," she grinned. Samah casually set the bottle on a random table  and followed Zee towards the dance floor. She wouldn't be coming back for it. 

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