Since Arion and Kevin had caught James harassing her, Khadijah had the two boys following her everywhere she went. They practically dubbed themselves her protectors, walking her to classes, and they'd even begun walking her home too, much to her dismay. She appreciated their concern, but she knew they probably did it out of obligation since their mothers were friends, but Khadijah didn't really need babysitting. James spotted her with them a few times before quickly making himself scarce.
It only really became a problem when her mother caught sight of the two boys walking her home one day. Immediately, pulling her inside, slamming the door, and beginning to question her.
"Khadijah Mari, what did I tell you about those boys?" Her mother began to scold her immediately, and Khadijah bit back her groan that threatened to erupt from her throat. The lecturing had already begun, and Khadijah didn't want to make it worst.
"Yes, hooyo (mother), I know. I'm not friends with them, I swear." Khadijah tried to reassure her mother, but the older Somali woman was having none of it.
"Jacaylkayga (my love), you cannot possibly get roped into their bad habits, do you drink? Do you smoke? Do you sin?" Her mother pressed her and Khadijah quickly shook her head.
"I don't, I swear that to you, hooyo (mother)," Khadijah repeated once more as her mother shook her head, "I promise you! I'm not friends with them."
"Then don't allow yourself to be seen with them, jacaylkayga (my love)," her mother sighed, grabbing her daughter's hands, "those boys—" Timera hesitated. "They are mixed up into very, very, very bad things. I do not want you to get hurt. I know you all have known each other from childhood, but it'd be best to distance yourself now."
✧
The next day, as Khadijah walked to the subway, she groaned when she spotted Arion and Kevin waiting for her by the entrance. She made a face when she noticed they were smoking marijuana, the smell permeating her noise.
"What's good, Jah?" Arion nodded at her, taking a hit of the blunt before passing it to Kevin.
"Jah? My name is Khadijah," she mumbled, walking past them quickly, but they just fell into step with her easily. They took a few more hits before Kevin squashed the blunt beneath his foot as they waited for the train that was scheduled to arrive in two minutes.
"Khadijah is too long," Kevin stated, eyes lazily scanning the area around them, "everybody 'round here got a nickname anyways. Now, yours is Jah."
YOU ARE READING
𝐊𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐉𝐀𝐇'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 / 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐈𝐄 𝐁
Fanfiction𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐄𝐃. 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐲𝐚'𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠; 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞! ❝who wants that perfect love story, anyway? cliché, cliché.❞ DISCLAIMER. do not take this shit serious. i am not from new york, this is just for fun!