The Best Of Us

Chapter 6: United We Stand

Chapter Six - United We Stand

Sabrina sat down heavily, placing her lunch before her. The cafeteria was noisy as usual, students shoving past each other to get to the lunch line, while others laughed and chattered away, munching happily on their food. Sabrina felt sick watching them, wondering how she could possibly eat when a friendly laugh rung out from three tables over. She glanced up and closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see that familiar face.

Leila pulled up a chair beside her, going on about one of her friends while Sabrina tried to ignore that particular laugh that was coming from a table full of people who had destroyed Sabrina's Junior High years.

"...I still cant believe it! Halima hates Chemistry so I dunno why she's transferring. Well at least we'll have another Muslim in our class who's not Arab." Leila shrugged and then looked around. "Not that there's anything wrong with them. Speaking about strangely nice Arabs...where's Emaan?"

Sabrina looked up, catching Leila's eyes and then slowly turned to the table she had been trying to avoid looking at. Leila's eyes widened as she saw Emaan among Leena friends, laughing alongside Leena herself, who smiled with a secret triumph. Khalid and his friends sat beside their table, eyeing Emaan which made Sabrina sick. She shouldn't be there, she thought. But she was and Sabrina couldn't do anything about it.

"No." Leila gasped. "How could she?" 

Sabrina explained what had taken place after first class that morning, watching Leila's grey eyes turn as stormy as a thundercloud. 

"And she believed all the lies they fed her?" She asked, outraged. "I'm going over there right-"

"No, leave it." Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Obviously she was going to have more trust in her own people."

"Her people?" Leila said slowly. "We're her people. Not just Arabs. Muslims are her people."

"You know what I meant!" Sabrina said throwing her hands up.

"I know what you meant but I also know that you don't believe that." Leila said, sitting back and staring at Sabrina. "You're the one who always said it."

"Leila just-"

"'United we stand, divided we fall'." 

Sabrina fell silent as Leila leaned forward, her eyes shining.

"You're the one who believes in that." She whispered. "Don't stop now."

* * *

The next few days were slow and long. Sabrina and Leila sat together at lunch, avoiding Emaan who seemed to go out of her way to avoid them, as well. Whenever they would pass in the hall, Sabrina and Leila would greet her with salaam, hoping she would look up and they would see the nice, open minded girl she had been when they first met. But Emaan would lower her head and stumble along. Sabrina noticed something though: she didn't have hatred in her eyes. She didn't even seem to have contempt or anger towards them.

She was the same girl they knew but it seemed she was just empty. She was willing to believe people who she thinks she trusts. And that was alright, because she had no reason not to, thought Sabrina. But the more she hangs out with them, the sooner she's bound to learn the truth.

* * *

One day as Leila and Sabrina were walking down the hallway, arguing on weather puppies were more cuter than kittens, a shoulder bumped into Sabrina's, sending her binder flying to the floor. It landed with a crack and somehow opened, spilling out loose papers and half used pencils. 

"Oh, I'm so-" someone said, but was interrupted by loud snickering and amused laughter.

Sabrina realized the snickers were directed at her and the person who had bumped into her was Emaan. Emaan realized this too and looked away, avoiding Sabrina's gaze, as she bent down and helped her pick up her papers. Leena and her friends, stopped snickering as she did, realizing that Emaan didn't intentionally plow into Sabrina. They snorted, shaking their heads and stalked off.