Niqabi in Love

One

Feel free to comment on any grammar and spelling mistakes. But be nice about it, please. 

Khadija POV

My Alarm woke me just before 4 am. My body was still heavy with sleep as I dragged myself to the bathroom to do wudu. Cold water, splashed in my face woke me quickly enough. I dressed in my favorite buttercream-colored prayer set, unfolded the beautiful prayer mat my best friend Natalie gave me for Eid last year and prayed Fajr. Grateful yet again that I can pray without being afraid of somebody walking in on me. 

Moving out right after my 18th birthday was hard and it is still hard having to live away from my family, but it is for the best. My family loves me don't mistake that, but they do not understand my religion and they definitely don't understand why I have to cover myself. Being on my own so young is not what I had planned for my life, but life doesn't always go the way you plan it.

After praying I continue to sit there on my mat, letting my thoughts wander. Today was my first day of the summer semester. My first day of college. I had taken a gap year after high school to save up some extra money before I started school. That way I won't have to work as many hours while I'm going to classes.

A yawn caught me by surprise. I glanced over at my bedside clock. It was only 4:19. My first class wasn't until 9:00, I could sleep for a few more hours. Putting my prayer dress and mat away I crawled back into bed. 

***

I scrolled through Instagram while I ate my breakfast. Toast with "Everything" cream cheese spread. I took a sip of orange juice and tapped the story of my favorite niqabi influencer. She was part of the reason I had decided to start wearing the face veil this year. Yeah it was hot in the summer, and people gave me strange looks but it was worth it.

I finished my breakfast and quickly washed the dishes I had used. I walked over to my closet and thumbed through the clothes hanging there. It was my first day and I wanted to make a good impression. I decided to go for a colorful, cute look. All black was honestly my favorite but I didn't feel like being called a terrorist today. 

I dressed in a lavender two-piece jilbab and matching face veil. I swiped a coat of mascara on my lashes and stood back to look at myself in the full-length mirror. I looked good, but it was time to head to school. 

I grabbed my bookbag from its place beside my desk and shoved my apartment keys into my purse before I closed the door behind me. 

The nearest bus stop was only a block and a half from my apartment building so I was there with plenty of time to spare. I sat down on the bench and pulled out my phone to read during the extra time. 

Seth POV

I woke up late.

My alarm never went off. And now I was going to be late for my first day of college. If this was going to be a common occurrence I might as well quit now, while I still have some dignity. I didn't want to go to college. Any interest I had in "higher education" disappeared at the same moment as my dreams of playing college football: When I shattered my femur in the last quarter of the second to last game of my senior year. Nearly a year and a half later and my leg still pained me at times.

But my dad insisted, even though he himself had dropped out less than halfway through finishing his degree. I groaned and hauled myself from bed.

After I showered and dressed in a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I checked the time on my phone, 8:24. It was a twenty-minute drive to the college if traffic was good, so that ruled out stopping for breakfast. I grabbed my car keys off the hook and locked my apartment door behind me. 

That was another decision my dad had not been a fan of, my moving out. But as he liked to remind me I was a grown man now. I couldn't live in my parents' house forever. I did miss seeing my little sister every day, but I still saw her several times a week. 

The drive to school took longer than I had estimated. I pulled into the parking lot just before 9:00. Grabbing my backpack from the backseat. I walked as fast as I could toward what I hoped was the correct building. I was so preoccupied with trying to find the right place that I didn't even see the girl in the purple dress until I ran into her. 

I hope that you liked the first chapter. Be sure to vote and add this story to your library.  I plan to update often so stay tuned for new chapters. 

XOXO, Niqabi in Love