The Hijabi's Jock

Chapter 1 : Junior Year

Suhayla was already downstairs, nibbling away at her small breakfast : vegan sausage links and buttered toast. The smell of the fresh white lilies, straight from the florist shop she visited yesterday with her mother permeated the small kitchen along with her meal.

The TV was on with the weather report for today : sunshine all day. Even with the chilly, fall winds that whistled against the windows, a bit of sunshine on a crispy fall day brightened Suhayla's mood and made her a tiny bit eager to attend her new school as a transfer student.

Her mother pecked her cheek as she passed by to prepare tea for her father before he left for work. Suhayla wouldn't have time to say goodbye this morning since his shift on Mondays was always different from the other weekdays.

"Nervous, mija?" Suhayla tilted her head to the side a bit to view her. "I know it's not the actual first day of school for you, but still - transferring to a new school is just as frightening, but I know you will be fine. You've always had a gift at charming everyone you meet."

Suhayla raised an eyebrow. "Charming everyone I meet?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes. No matter who it is - everyone we've ever met or befriended over the years has always praised you for your politeness, mija."

She didn't think she was charming. If anything, Suhayla believed she was pretty ordinary and bland compared to her old friends back at Beaumont High. She liked chick flicks, feared being alone in darkness, doesn't like horror movies, liked to play strategy games like Monopoly or checkers (chess was way to advanced for her simplistic mind) and enjoys desserts that don't have too much sugar.

I'm such a basic bitch...

"I'm sure you'll make Honor Roll this marking period or earn your first couple of awards in less than a few of months," her mother rambled further. Suhayla rolled her eyes with a smile and stood to hug her overachieving parent. It was nice to know that her mother had so much faith in her child to believe that she would be the star student of her school so soon, but Suhayla's concern and focus remained on catching up with her fellow classmates in the curriculum.

Even though it was still late September, all schools across the United States had already begun to teach the content for every class and Suhayla did not want to be the dead weight in her classes that held her teachers back from teaching the new content to the students who had been in the school since Day 1.

"Have a good day today, mija. Be careful on the bus and remember to come home right after school ends. Rayyan and his parents are coming over for dinner tonight and you promised Sr. Rubidah that you would cook for them."

"I'll try to be home by 4, if the bus doesn't take too long," said Suhayla. She kissed her mother's cheek before making her way to the mud room to grab her coat and beanie and then left the house swiftly to catch the bus.

It was only a 15 minute ride to the school, but Suhayla felt it was much shorter. Maybe it was her fear or eagerness, depending on which way you looked at it, that caused time to jump forward against her wishes. She squeezed her gloved hands in her lap and kept her gaze planted to the view outside the frost covered window as the bus pulled to a complete stop at the corner of Hillcrest High.

The sun parted through the clouds briefly and brightened the dreary, yet busy street of 174th Street in downtown Queens, NY. Different crowds of students piled onto the sidewalks opposite of the school building, waiting for the light change before the impending trudge every student would take up the hill to reach the outdated doors of the infamous school.

Hillcrest was known for a multitude of cases - some positive and others negative, depending on your own personal level of optimism. It was ranked as the best school for extracurriculars and after school activities due to the success garnered from the basketball team, dance squad and the innovative STEM programs they provided on Wednesdays and Thursdays.