I Can Wear My Hijab

Chapter 29

The bell rang as I headed off to the lecture hall. It had been four months since I started university and all five of us had slowly but surely settled in. The kids here were all to busy to care about one another and it was nothing like high school were you would find the popular kids making fun of the not so popular kids and all that, here every one just minded their own business.

"Looking for me?" Jedeyal grinned as I was searching for the right lecture hall.

"Nope you're not the lecture hall," I joked.. Was it just me or was Jedayel getting handsomer? I mean alot of the girls in high school said he was pretty good looking but I never saw him that way but now his grin was like a charm - Ok wait! What am I thinking? Nothing, I'm not thinking, I didn't say that, Oh look I found the lecture hall, one good hour of sleeping.. Just kidding!!

"So you're not going to smoke because you wear a damn cloth on your head?" I heard a rude drawl come from the hall way, I made a turn wondering what was going on. I saw a group of girls dressed in reeallyy mini skirts with cigarettes in their hands all circled around a girl who looked around a year younger than me wearing a full hijab.

"I-I don't want to try it," She stammered.

"Why?" One of the girls blew the smoke out.

"Because it kills, and I want to live." She said, you could tell she was nervous.

"Oh that's just myths," Another one of those girls said.

"No it's not, it's proven by science," She said getting slightly angry.

"Ok, we all know the truth here is that she's just afraid," The girl from the group muttered.

"I'm sorry," I said stepping into the scene. "But if she doesn't want to smoke then you don't have to force her, you've ruined your life by smoking that, so don't go ruining any one else's ok?"

"Ugh let's go," The leader of the group said and the group melted away.

"Thanks for that," The girl in the hijab smiled, she looked kind of shaken.

"No worries, I'm Ameerah,"

"I'm Najaah," She said. "I've seen you around alot,"

"Yeah.. You should stand up to those.. Girls," I told her.

"I know, but it's not that easy,"

"Of course not, but it's the only way to get rid of them."

"No," She said, "I mean, for you it's much easier, you have friends, I'm kind of a loner,"

"Not any more," I smiled at her.

She smiled back at me.

"And even if you're alone, you are speaking up for all the Muhajibas (girls who wear the headscarf), Just remember that," I winked and then headed home.

"Hey," Meg said when I reached our apartment, her nose buried in a book.

"Hey," I said taking off my winter coat.

"So we were planning to go out this weekend," She told me.

"Where?" I asked.

"To the ice rink, you free?"

"Course," I nodded, 

"If I fall will you catch me?" Waleed teased Rob.

"If you fall you're on your own buddy," Rob said patting his back.

"Wow, six billion and counting people on this earth and not one person will catch me if I fall?" He said.

"Just goes to show," I grinned.

"Show what?!' Waleed got fake angry while Jedayel, Rob and Megan burst out laughing., "Am I that bad?"

Jedayel was the first to let go of the railing and skated around the rink for a bit to get used to it.

"Show off," Megan muttered still holding the railing tight with both her hands.

"Come on," Jedayel said coming back to us.

"Shut up!" Megan hissed.

"Bad move," Waleed shrugged.

"Here," Jedayel said reaching out for my gloved hand, I took it and let go of the railing. I held his hand tighly as I tried to balance myself on the ice.

"There you go," He smiled, slowly letting go of my hand.

"Come one guys this is so easy!" I exclaimed getting the hang of it.

"That's because we all don't have Jedayel to hold our hand!" Waleed complained.

"Jedayel go hold his hand," Rob said letting go of the rail standing shakily on the ice.

"Not gonna happen," Jedayel said firmly.

When we had finished ice skating and gotten our fair share of falls and bruises we all crowded around the hot chocolate stand drinking our hot chocolate.

"Well that was entertaining," Rob said.

"Well considering the fact that not one of you helped me up when I'd fallen, it just touches my heart." Waleed said dramatically.

"Well I think we've had enough drama for one night Big Show," Jedayel joked.

Later that night when I was warmly in bed, I found my thoughts wondering over to how warm Jedayel's hand felt when I held it on the ice today and I fell asleep into a series of strange and unexplainable dreams...