Believe Me

Zaria

After Xavier left, I head up to my room. I watch soccer games. An hour later there was knocking in my door. "Come in," I say. It was Hasna. "Salaam," I say. "Salaam," she says closing the door and sitting on the floor beside me. Don't ask me why I'm sitting on the floor. When i watch soccer I just feel much more comfortable on the floor and anyways I have a way of ending up on the floor. "How are you?" She asks. "I'm fine... and you?" I question. "Great," she says. I glance at her. "How is your husband?" She asks with a smile. I roll my eyes knowing that, that question was coming up. "He's fine," I tell her.

After two hours my phone rings. It was Xavier. I swipe to answer it. "Oh, you're hubby is calling," Hasna says. "Shut up," I tell her. "Salaam alaykum," I say to Xavier. "Wa alaykum asalaam," he replies. "I'm guessing you got there safely," I say. "Yeah... classes start tomorrow," he complains. I just laugh "that's sad." I start class the next day.

"I wanted to visit you tomorrow," he tells me. "Why?" I question curiously. "I want to see you," he says. "You just saw me," I tell him rising my eyebrows. "But I miss you already," he says, a smile forms on my face but I don't respond. "Don't you miss me?" He asks me. I pause for a second lying on my bed "not yet," I tell him. I sit up. "Do you even love me?" He question. "I don't know," I admit. I don't even know what love feels like yet, never been in love with anyone in a romantic way. "You don't know if you love me?" He questions. "I don't think two days is enough to love someone," I tell him. "We've know each other for a year," he says. "Yeah, but I didn't look at you like that, I just saw you as a friend... mainly a schoolmate," I explain to him. "Wow, and I was going crazy over you," he says. I just smile

"Zaria!" Jamal calls me. "She's talking to her hubby," Hasna says. I throw a pillow at her "Shut up Hasna," I tell her. I hear Xavier chuckling on the other end. "Now she's blushing," Hasna says.My face heats up. "Oh my God Hasna, shut up," I tell her. "I have to go," I say to Xavier. "No don't leave me," he says causing me to laugh "you are goofy," I tell him. "I love you that's why," he says causing me to blush. Why is he doing this to me, since when do I blush.

"If you keep talking to me.. I won't get a chance to miss you," I tell him. He laughs "I don't care, I'd rather hear your voice then think about it" he says. I grab my other pillow and put it on my lap sitting crisscross. We talk some more. "I love you," he says. "Bye," I say. "I never heard that story," he says. "What story?" I question. "The one the husband loves his wife but she doesn't love him at all," he says. I just laugh "I never heard that story either," I tell him. "Well, I'm living it," he says. "Salaam alaykum," I say to him. "Wa alaykum asalaam," he says. I hang up and put my phone beside me.

"You didn't even tell him you love him," Hasna says sitting at the edge of my bed. "I don't even know if I love him, the way he wants me to," I admit. Her mouth falls open "you don't love your husband," she says. "I feel like I need time to love him... I can't just love him cause we got married," I tell her. "You're right," she says. We sit there watching a movie. My phone beeps. I look at it. Good night lovely Xavier texts. Goodnight pretty boy I text him with a smile. "Goals," Hasna says with a smile. I love you princess he replies. I just now realized Hasna was reading our text by leaning over and looking at my phone. I look at her. She just smiles and acts like she is watching the TV.

Jamal, Amir, and Karen, come in so we can all watch a movie. They all sit on my bed, since it was my last day before I head off to college. Everyone breaks out laughing at the funny scenes.

I pack my bags and was out the door heading for my future. I hug everyone goodbye before I leave. It takes three hours to finally get there. I pull my bags to my room noticing it wasn't a bunk bed. I put my things on one of the bed and start unpacking. A girl with puffy brown hair with her headphone on, walks in. "Hi, you must be my roommate?" she says taking her headphone off. "Yeah, I'm Zaria," I introduce myself I say shaking her hand "Blair," she smiles. "We'll be best friends," she says. I go back to unpacking.

I put my headphone on and turn on my laptop. I just browse the web. An hour later I hear a knock at the door. I look up to see Xavier at the door. I take my headphone off, closing my laptop and walking to the door. "Surprise," he says. "Salaam," I say. "Salaam," he smiles. "Oh, hi I'm her roommate Blair," she says from behind me. I turn around to look at her, she had a smile on her face. "Hi, Xavier Daniels," he says. I cover my face with one of my hands and look at him trying not to laugh. "Wow, you make friends, without leaving the room," Blair says. I glance at her. "Oh he's your boyfriend," she says with a smile. "You got good taste," she says going back to her bed and putting her headphone on and nodding her head to the music.

"Are you happy to see me?" He smiles. "Do you want to come in?" I ask. "They told me boys can't be in girl's rooms," he says. "Ok, let me get my phone," I say going inside and grabbing my phone and heading out. We walk outside.

"How was your first day of class?" I ask. "Stressful... it was crazy," he says. "Did you make friends?" I ask. "Not really," he says. "You're Xavier Daniels," I tell him. "And your Zaria Salim," he says grabbing my hand. It felt weird, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I just look around and notice a bunch of Hijabis mean mugging us which made me uncomfortable. I slip my hand out of Xavier's. He looks at me confused "what's wrong?" He asks. "Nothing," I mumble looking around. He notice me looking around. He stops walking. I turn to look at him. "Zaria, I never thought you cared about what others thought," he says. I stare up at him "then you don't know me cause it bothers me a lot, I just try not to show it," I tell him.

He stares at me confused. I sit down at a bench, he sits beside me. I fiddle around with the ring on my finger. "Like that day at the game..." I start. "The day you were crying?" He questions. I nod "apparently people were saying I was the cause of you and Arisha's breakup, everyone was just talking bad about me," I tell him looking down at the ground. "Zaria you can't let those kind of things get to you," he says. I look up at him "it's easy for you to say you're Xavier Daniels everyone likes you," I say. "That's not true... there's always going to be people that judge you or doesn't like you but there's also people that love you," he says grabbing my hand.

I stare up at him but felt my heart beating fast. I look down. "Stop looking so down... smile," he says. I look at him. "Let's walk," I tell him getting up. He gets up with a smile. We walk to the closest park.

"I got lost because I was nervous and I was almost late," he says telling me about his day. A lady with a dog was going towards us and the dog was on my side. I step to the other side of Xavier. "It won't bite," the lady says. "That's what everyone says but yes they do bite," I tell her. Xavier starts laughing. I stare at him. "You are scared of dogs?" He asks still laughing. "I'm not scared of them... I'm not a big fan of them," I tell him with a sigh. "They don't hurt you," he says. "I got chased by a dog three times," I tell him, not trying to believe dogs are sweet tales.

"How long did it take you to get here?" I ask. "At least and hour," he says. "Damn," I mumble.