Barriers

chapter one // the beginning

Dhalia

Still can't believe I'm waking up to my first day at Sunway University. After a few hard years with my IGCSE and A-levels, I deserve a little adventure. Besides the only reason I chose this uni was because of its scandals reputation.

I've been staying in this apartment for over a year now after I decided that living with my parents was not going to cut it anymore, thankfully I managed to convince my two best friends to live with me and share rent, Maryam and Lian.

"Guys please, I don't want to be late on the first day" I shout as Maryam and Lian tuck themselves deeper into bed.

"Leave us alone, we aren't energetic as you, you know" Mayam protests.

"Just go on without us, we'll catch up with you later" Lian adds.

"Fine I'll go, but keep in mind, I'm the only ride you've got" I say as I exit the room.

I walk with a big grin on my face as I hear them fighting to get out of bed faster than the other to catch up with me.

Fortunately this apartment is pretty big, cheap cause we are on the edges of Selangor, far away from the capital. We have a good three bedrooms and two bathrooms, me and the girls decided to share the master bedroom and use the second as a walkin closet. The third we kept as a guest room for any family members dropping by.

a Muslim and being brought up in an Arabic culture, me and Mayar have it hard, our parents breathing down our necks, though we are considered one of the lucky ones, but sometimes I do envy Lian.

I walk out of the apartment trying to tease my friends, I look around and I wonder, when was the last time anyone cleaned these halls? This condo can be used to film horror movies, with its lack of light, green carpeting and walls, honestly who decorated this place?

Across from our door staring me in the face is another door. Stories about this apartment could give you chills, no one has lived there for the past year I've been here.

"am heading out" a scream coming from the apartment in front of me, as the door slowly opens.

I run back inside for shelter and peek through the peephole.

A boy emerges, looks like he is in his early twenties, dark black short hair, skin white as snow and eyes so big, they could swallow anyone who tries to stare at them, beard on fleek and attractive glasses.

"yummy" I say as I stare at him walk away.

"Ahem, Dhalia what are you doing?" Lian asks while she and Maryam, stare at me with confusion.

"There was a cute boy at apartment six, I hope he wasn't a ghost" I reply, while still peeping.

"Well that's great and all, but what are you doing hiding behind this door?" Maryam asks and pushes me to open the door.

Hussam

As I leave this shithole of an apartment, i head out thinking this couldn't get any worse, when I see a girl rush to hide behind her door probably trying to play smooth and act as if she wasn't spying on me. The last thing I need are neighbors who kiss the ground I walk on.

My father practically forced me to leave the US and come here to learn more about his religion and in his words "stop being an egoistic ass" not that I don't like having two different cultures embedded within me, but much have preferred my mom finding a white husband instead of an Arab.

My dad is originally from Yemen, but he is an American citizen after he married my mom, their marriage was supposed to get him the green card and that was it, till they fell in love and blah blah blah.

I was supposed to come here, live with my uncle, my father's youngest brother, but after a few days with his nagging wife, I decided to stay in an apartment. I spoke to some dudes at the uni and we all agreed on staying together. All five of us.

Today is the day I start working for my bachelor degree, my goal is to live in the UK, be a successful business man and stay as far as I can from my father.

I'm walking straight to the parking lot, running to my 2016 BMW M5 Sedan making sure it slept ok.

"are you ok my baby?" asking my car while rubbing its hood. I look left and right making sure no one heard me, when I see a an S-class Maybach Mercedes that can kick my BMW's butt.

I walk over there pretending I'm interested in the car while a blind man in new jersey can see that I'm interested in the driver.

"oh no, its that girl, my neighbor".

I rush back and hide in my BMW while she drives away with the windows down listening and singing along to closer by the Chainsmokers with two other girls.

I drive straight to uni hoping we don't go to the same one.