The Imperials

Enemies

Umme Qulsum POV:

"Fifteen minutes till recess!" Ms. Charlotte hollered, stiffly pacing back and forth around the class with her hands folded behind her back, her hawk eyes surveying us like her targetted preys. "In this test, I expect an A+ from each one of you."

"Psst, Umme Q," Chantria, my best friend hissed from a meter beside me when the teacher was pacing away far off in the class. "The answer to question b, what did you write?"

I glanced at the teacher, before turning to my paper and then at my best friend. "At the beginning of the play, Lady Macbeth is depicted as an ambitious, resoluted woman, who is willing to doom her soul in order to become a queen--"

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down!" Chantria pleaded, hastily typing down my words in a hurried haste.

I slowly repeated my answer a second time, hoping Ms. Charlotte didn't catch us and suspend us for life.

"Is Ms. Benyamin cheating?" A familiar voice whispered near my ear. Leaping up, I instantly swiveled around meeting Nuh's smirking face inches away from mine. I internally groaned. Nuh bin Idriss Abbassi, also known as my rival, loved annoying me. He was fourteen or fifteen, enrolled in tenth grade, but still redoing eighth grade English due to his loser record in his report card. He was a big bully who loved picking on girls. No, not all girls though, just me. Not Chantria or Eshaal, it was me out of all mankind in this world. Why me? What was so special about me?

"Isn't Mr. Idriss a bit nosy?" I retorted sassily, flaring my nose like a bull. Nuh was a seat behind me out of all places in the class, and not to mention, from back there he had a good view of my every little move.

"Mr. Idriss, let's see your paper! Haven't you copied half the answer from Kadon next to you?" Chantria spat sweetly, eyeing Kadon who gaped like a fish, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to retort back. Chantria's blonde hair flowed down her shoulders wavily, and her oversized sweater and ripped-jeans made her look overly gorgeous rather than fierce.

"No--" Nuh tried.

"Bruh, why do you peeps suspect us?" Kadon asked, feigning an act of disbelief, tapping his feet lazily on the floor. "We never cheat!"

I rolled my eyes. "Liars!"

"You effing worthless losers!" Chantria spat.

Nuh smirked. "Says the people who just cheated."

"Go to hell!" I groaned, throwing my head back with annoyance. 

"Not without you." Nuh winked.

I cringed in disgust. "May Allah forgive me. Never with you!"

"Mr. Idriss, what did I say about talking during class?" Ms. Charlotte shrieked, stomping towards Nuh angrily like an elephant. Me, Chantria, and Kadon immediately pretended to work away in our tests with concentration without glancing up at her.

"I swear I didn't, it was Umme Qulsu--" Nuh started.

I glared at Nuh and spoke up raising my hand. "He was annoying me!"

"Nuh, you are re-doing the test again after school, do I make myself clear?" Ms. Charlotte yelled at him, slamming her meaty hand on his desk and sending all his paper and devices flying.

"Yeah..." Nuh nodded in defeat, shooting a glare at my direction. A glare that promised torture and extra bullying for the rest of my school years. "Sure, Miss..."

"Class, press the submit button on your devices and off you could go for recess!" Ms. Charlotte commanded, shooing us off as we all hastily pressed the 'submit' button on top of our test displayed on our device, and then shutting the whole thing down to leave this hell hole.