Plus-sized.

Chapter 2.

I woke up the next morning with a grumbling and empty stomach. I dragged my feet to my toilet, did my ablution before I went to pray my morning prayer. Morning prayers were always the best. Mornings always felt so calm and it always felt like I could connect to God. I sometimes even talked to God, hoping he would hear me out. Because only Allah knew what was going through my mind and my true feelings. So saying out my feelings aloud just made me feel good and made me feel like a burden has been released. After my morning prayer, I went down to the kitchen.

"Assalamualaikum Daddy. Salaam Ma." I exclaimed as I saw them in the living room, sipping on their coffees and watching the news.

"Salaam Halzinga." They replied me in unison. I went into the kitchen to make myself a hot cup of chocolate. I just loved that drink. I mean, who doesn't? But I only drank it in mornings when I skipped my dinner the previous night. After my morning hot beverage, I started getting ready for school. I decided to blast some song on my stereo system. So, I put in some backstreet boys' CD into my player and went to the bathroom. The first song that started playing was 'Larger than life'. Indeed, a great way to start my day. I brushed my teeth. Washed my hair and myself with my baby bubble bath. And, I finally came out drying myself and slipping into the short-sleeved white shirt and black skirt which had a zipper at the back. It was pretty cool for a school uniform. However, lets just say I was no one of those who can flaunt in that uniform. I looked more like a tight-fitted pillowcase.

I grabbed my backpack, my phone, my dark-rimmed glasses and my wallet. I fled down the stairs, bid goodbye to my parents and walked briskly to the bus stop. The bus came and as I boarded the bus I saw Hudson. I walked over to him.

"Missed me already?" I asked with a smirk.

"Of course! You are like my superhero. Glad you took a seat beside me."

"So that you can gladly interrogate me? No thanks man."

"So how was your day yesterday Zingz?"

"Dude, you talked to me over the phone less than 24hours ago. You seriously wanna ask such a question and try to act like a good friend? Emphasis on the word ACT by the way."

Hudson chuckled.

"Zingz you are too smart for your own good."

"Tell that to the teachers who grade my examination papers man."

"And you have a good sense of humour too. Tell me why you are single again?" Hudson continued to giggle at my comebacks. We just looked at each other and smiled. And these were the times, I swear I forgot I was a muslim and forgot I supposedly should be lowering my gaze when I see a good-looking guy.

The way Hudson Grey and I became friends was quite interesting. Like I mentioned before, the only reason why he wanted to befriend me was because he wanted help from me to get together with Lola. One day, in the bus, he just came up to me and asked me if I was Helsinki and I swear I could have pushed him out of the bus. I retorted back saying I was not the Helsinki airport or anything and that my name was Halzinga Mareef. We kind of clicked instantaneously though I was very pleasantly surprised about the fact that the freaking football captain/ hot quarterback just talked to me. My first instinct was that maybe he wanted to get to know me or he found me attracted to me or you know one of those cliche scenarios out of a teenage storybook. But, I was terribly wrong. Only after a few bus talk sessions with him, I realised his main purpose in befriending me. It was kind of very hurtful to know the truth at first because, I hoped that perhaps this was the spicing up of my non-existent love life, but I guess, my love life wanted to be in the shadows, for like, forever. Though, sometimes I do wished, he might develop some sort of feelings for me in the whole process of setting him up with Lola but I guess his only focus was Lola.