Hijabi Style: The Surprisingly Average Life Of A Teenage Muslim Girl

No Stopping Us Now

Everything in life comes unexpectedly. I'd thought that Kennedy's willingness to be angry on my behalf was going to bring us closer together as friends. I would soon discover that my prediction was totally wrong.

By lunchtime, all of Caldwell knew about the fight. Apparently, Major was showing some bruising as well, though I had yet to see for myself. All the same, no one knew what the fight was about.

Hamzah joined us at our usual table just as Tessa and I began to berate Kennedy with our concerns.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Tessa exclaims. "You're not the violent type!"

Kennedy sighs. "That bastard deserved it." he spits out.

Tessa and I look at each other in shock. Under normal circumstances, Ken wouldn't talk about anyone this way. The situation must have been serious.

Meanwhile, Hamzah is completely oblivious to Tessa and I's reaction. "Big deal. You had to teach him a lesson."

"Exactly." Ken agrees.

"No, don't say that to him!" I yell at Hamzah. I turn towards Kennedy again. "Tell us what happened. In explicit detail." I urge.

"Okay, okay." Ken agrees as we all scoot closer to him.

"Go on!" Tessa cries out impatiently.

"Remember when you finally told me about your feelings for Major?" Kennedy asks me.

"Feelings?" Hamzah raises his eyebrows in surprise, suddenly becoming interested in this new information.

I nod, ignoring the peanut gallery's reaction.

"I know that he said he loved you. Right?" He bites down and his jaw clenches.

"Right." Tessa whispers.

Ken suddenly begins to shout. "So why the FUCK is he with Rochelle? Right in front of you? How dare he do that to you?!" With each question, Ken's voice gets louder, and more and more people turn to watch him. He's standing now, making a scene.

"STOP!" I yell, pulling him back down into the booth and out of sight. "Calm down!"

Ken takes a breath and Hamzah is actually silent for once. Tessa pats Kennedy's back.

"Ken, it was my idea." I whisper, ashamed about how my plan with Rochelle affected him.

"What are you talking about?"

"I let Rochelle have him. It was my idea."

He looks at me with an unreadable expression and doesn't answer for what feels like years. Finally, he opens his mouth. "That is the stupidest load of crap I have ever heard."

"What?!" I exclaim, suddenly taken aback by his blunt insult.

"First of all, you can't 'give' him away. He's not a thing. And secondly, he doesn't know that you did this for him. He has a mind of his own, and his choice was to betray you, plain and simple."

Tears well in my eyes, but by God, I refuse to cry today.

"You can't say this doesn't bother you! Come on, Yaz! He's an asshole!" Ken yells at me.

And even when I know that he means well, I can't help but be defensive. For Major, no less.

"That's not true! You don't even know him!"

"There's not much to know! Other than he's a liar, and he deserved to get punched!" he shouts.

Tessa and Hamzah try to get us to stop arguing and shouting, but they fail miserably. There's no stopping us now.

"You know what? Mind your business! You always force your way into things! I didn't ask you to stick up for me!"

"Oh, really? Who else is going to do it? You let everyone walk all over you!"

"Screw you! You have no right! Just stay the hell out of my life! I never wanted you in it anyway!" My face turns red in anger.

"Fine," he says, calmly. "You know, I should have just left you the way I found you that day." Ken pushes my tray of food to the floor and walks off.

His words sting, and I know that he is talking about the day he found me convulsing on the cafeteria floor. I wring my hands in despair and fiercely hold back my tears- so strongly that it hurts.

As I follow him with my gaze, I see an openmouthed Major, who has clearly heard the entire showdown.

Great. I'd proved I wasn't over Major to the entire school, including Major. And I'd practically lost one of my very best friends.

And on top of that, he wished that I was dead.