The Face Behind The Veil✔

Chapter 3

     Zayden sighed in frustration and sped off in his Benz. Hafsah and Sameerah were indeed late to their class and luckily, the lecturer hadn't arrived but there were no more seats available so they had to sit on the stairs.

     "I understand you hate Zayden but if he had dropped us, we wouldn't be sitting on the floor." Sameerah whined.

     "You would've gone with him." Hafsah replied, popping a gum into her mouth through the under of her niqab.

     The class came to an end soon after and when they stepped out, Zayden was waiting by the door. Hafsah ignored him and brushed past him.

     "Hafsah let me show you how sorry I am, please." He pleaded with her but she ignored him. "Just this once, please." he added but was still ignored by Hafsah.

     Sameerah on the other hand was on the phone with Farouq.

     "Hey, could you please tell your friend to give me a chance to tell her how sorry I am?" Zayden asked Sameerah.

     Sameerah gave him a death glare before smiling at something Farouq said.

     "I won't give up." Zayden said and left.

     Sameerah hung up her call and asked Hafsah, "Don't you think you should give him a chance? He says he's sorry."

     "I know boys like him." Hafsah replied. Sameerah shook her head and placed a hand on Hafsah's shoulder. "I know you've read every single bad boy story on wattpad but not everything is like in the books. This is reality. If he says he's sorry, then he's sorry."

     "Okay, if that will get him off my back then yeah." Hafsah answered.

     "I think the Hayden ship is about to set sail." Sameerah teased.

     "In your wildest dream." Hafsah hissed.

     They attended their second class for the day and headed over to frizzlers for lunch when they were through.

     "What will you like?" one of the waiters asked. "Rice, salad, liver sauce with fish." Hafsah told him.

     "And you?" he asked Sameerah. "Yamarita, liver sauce, fried egg with fish." she replied.

     "How much is everything?" Hafsah inquired. "Nine hundred and fifty naira." Hafsah brought out a thousand naira note from her purse and was about to pay him when a hand stretched over hers and paid the money.

     "Here, I got it." Zayden said, smiling at her. Hafsah huffed in annoyance and dropped her money on the counter before walking off.

     "Hey Hafsah, wait for me at least." Sameerah called out. Hafsah ignored her until she caught up with her.

     "Seriously Hafsah? I thought you agreed to be friends with him." Sameerah sighed.

     "Yes I did but that doesn't mean he should follow me around and pay for my lunch." Hafsah replied, grabbing her take out from Sameerah.

     "I know, but give the poor boy a chance." Sameerah told her.

     They went to Hafsah's room in the hostel to eat and pray before heading to their next class. On their way to the class, they saw Zayden and the guy he was bullying the other day.

     "Look bro, I'm sorry about the other day. I was being an ass, I'm sorry." Zayden apologized to him.

     "Y y you're so sorry?" The boy asked. "Yes I am. I'm really sorry." Zayden replied and pulled the boy into a bro hug.

     Hafsah smiled when his eyes met hers, then she walked away and continued to her class.

     "Do you see why you should give him a chance? He put his reputation at stake just to please you." Sameerah said.

     "Yeah, I'll give him a chance only because you said so." Hafsah replied.

     "Now that's like my best friend." Sameerah smiled.

     After their class, they decided to go home. When they got to the main gate of the school, Hafsah and Sameerah gave some money to the beggars on the road before taking a keke home.

     Zayden was leaning against his sleek benz when they got down. Hafsah groaned but kept quiet when Sameerah pinched her on the arm.

     "Be nice." she said and left Hafsah outside to talk to Zayden.

     "Hey." Zayden smiled. A smile that could melt anyone's heart.

     "Salam." Hafsah replied.

     "I'm really sorry Hafsah." he apologized yet again. Hafsah gave him a small smile and replied, "Okay."

     "Good. Uh- thanks. So how about we start over by having coffee tomorrow morning? I know you are lecture-free." Zayden smiled with a cocked brow, giving her a look that said 'you don't have an excuse not to go with me'.

     "I won't have coffee with you Zayden. If you oh so desperately want to have coffee with me, build a coffee stall in front of my apartment complex and only then will I have coffee with you." Hafsah replied and walked inside.

     Zayden sighed and drove off. Hafsah on the other hand narrated everything to Sameerah who gave her a playful slap.

     "Damn, this girl. Do you ever listen to me?" Sameerah asked her playfully.

     "Puhleeease, he has to try harder before I become his friend." Hafsah replied.

***

     Hafsah woke up to her alarm blaring close to her ears. She woke Sameerah up and they prayed fajr together before going back to sleep.

     At 8:00am, Hafsah decided to go outside to buy bread and eggs for breakfast. When she opened the gate, she froze.

     "Good morning Hafsah. Now what excuse do you have not to have coffee with me?" Zayden smirked, leaning against the make shift coffee stall he had set up.

     "Zayden." Hafsah said in a low voice. "Please Hafsah, just this once." he said with puppy eyes.

     Hafsah thought it was cute that he went the extra mile just to please her. "Fine, just this once." she replied and sat down on a chair. He served the coffee and handed a straw over to Hafsah. She looked at him confusedly and he spoke.

     "I know you won't be able to drink with your niqab on." Hafsah smiled. That was so thoughtful of him. They chatted as they drank and Hafsah concluded he wasn't bad after all.

     "Thanks for the coffee." Hafsah told him when she was done.

     "Thanks? I should be thanking you for having coffee with me." Zayden replied. She smiled at him but he couldn't see it.

     "So, where were you headed before I stopped you?" Zayden asked.

     "I was going to get bread and eggs for breakfast." she replied.

     "Alright, I'll drop you." he told her. "No it's fine." She shook her head. "I insist." he insisted. "Okay." she agreed and got into his car.

     After buying the bread and eggs which he paid for, he drove her back home. When she opened the door to get down, he asked. "So, are we friends now?"

     She smiled before replying, "Yes," and got down.