The Badboy, the Catfish & Me

Seven

I waved goodbye to Salah and Ameena after school before briskly walking to the bus stop. I hadn't seen Valentino since our little hangout at lunch, not even at homeroom at the end of the day, but I saw Annok, Elsa, and Jamie in their cheerleader uniforms, so he likely had practice, too.

When I finally reached the bus stop and settled on the metal bench, my phone screen lit up. I glanced down to see an email notification from CrusadEon Online's newsletter.

battle parley: fight alongside opponents against mob boss aleksander!

US players only! 8-10 p.m. EST!

I felt my chest rise at every word, knowing Valentino was definitely going to be at an event like this. I was forced to put my phone back in my pocket because the bus arrived. Boarding it, I took a seat and unlocked my phone again. There were a couple of restrictions to entering the event, but it seemed doable.

The bus lurched to a stop, and I hit my forehead against the seat in front of me. The older lady sitting diagonally from me made eye contact. I looked away, knowing my face was completely flushed with embarrassment. Thanks for keeping me humble, God.

I looked up at the passing scenery of the little city park through the somewhat grimy window. My eyes narrowed in determination. This was it. Now that I knew the shortcut to leveling up, I could make the Battle Parley requirements and befriend Valentino in-game with Tireya.

* * *

"What's got you so focused?"

I turned to look at my mom. Standing next to me, she looked a lot shorter than five foot one. We were preparing a marinade for tonight's dinner.

My face heated up, and I quickly thought of something.

"Oh, I'm just thinking about how to finish all my work with time for a break." I stopped myself, unable to tell my mom about the game now that I was seriously going to add Valentino on there. Instead, I said, "Also, I have a pre-calculus quiz next week."

Mama leaned forward and used her shoulder to adjust her glasses over her nose since her hands were all spiced up. "I'll have some free time today once I get my report done. I can help you study precalc...or we can go shopping?"

It wasn't every day my mom went out, and I couldn't pass up on the offer. Even if it meant cutting it close to finishing up my homework, leveling up, and entering the Battle Parley.

"Let's go shopping, Mama! And maybe we can go now? After we finish up with this," I added.

"Hmm." My mom submerged the chicken pieces into a bowl of zested liquid and stopped to think. "If we come back by seven, I think it'll work. We'll be home before your father gets here and have dinner ready. Did you pray asr?"

I made a face. "No, but I can right after this."

My mom ignored the look, placing a reusable wrap over the bowl of chicken.

"When you're in college, I'm not going to bother you about it anymore," she said. "But I will for now, so you understand its importance."

I walked over to the sink to wash my hands. "You don't ask me about fajr," I mumbled, referencing the predawn prayer.

"Small steps, Inaya."

At least she was promising to trust me more as I got older.

After finishing my prayer, I opened the curtains to let the afternoon light illuminate the lavender and cream-colored walls, my queen-sized bed, and two bookshelves. The light also touched my two desks, one by my bed for my computer and the second by the attached balcony where I studied.