Don't give up on me.

SECOND

Johum did find Samantha after two days. And the excuse she gave for her absence was that she had been busy with work. They both sipped their red velvet shake as they sat in the café of university.

"I have been meaning to ask you about our trip." Johum started, stirring the straw in her shake. Samantha sighed and shook her head, placing the cup of shake on the table. Rua glanced at them both from the corner of her eyes.

"I can't. I am sorry." She smiled. Johum huffed out a breath and threw her hands in the air.

"This is ridiculous Sam. We've been planning this for months and now you're backing out, this is the only trip that we have in this semester and whole class is going." She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.

"I know and I am sorry. My mom wants me around for Christmas and right after that it's Seb's wedding." Sam groaned. Sebestian was her brother who was going to get married after new year. Johum wanted to understand this but she was too darn excited for trip and now it was all in vain.

"Fine whatever." She grumbled. "At least you'll be there for New years eve right?" She asked. Rua's eyes flickered between both of them as she sipped her own juice. 

"Yeah sure." Samantha nodded, turning towards Rua. "What about you? What are your plans for Christmas now that we're not going to Florida." She said sheepishly. Rua shrugged and tapped the rim of the glass with her finger.

"Not for Christmas but I'm planning to go back to Iraq." She sighed making plan on the spot.

"And where am I supposed to go? I live here." Johum grumbled.

"Well you can always go on a road trip with the prince charming." Samantha suggested, giggling afterwards. She had made the mistake of telling them about him. She shook her head and glared at her.

"Funny." Johum glared. Samantha and Rua stifled their laughters and then sobered up when Johum casted them a death look. "I don't want to discuss him guys. Just...just drop it. I am being silly as always." Like I had been infatuated over Issam.

They dropped the subject and then made their way to their next class. Johum had been sick of her Eenglish teacher lately. He was always pointing his finger at her and a few other students who belonged to her class or were Muslims. Almost whole semester had passed but he taught nothing.

He had been giving them essays on topics that arose debates in classroom. Last week the topic for essay was, why women should have separate classes from men. The whole class had no idea what to write but most of them did not say anything in fear or getting bad grading by him.

And those who had spoken against him, including her, he mocked them and threw taunts their way.

Similarly, the week before that he had risen the topic of Muslim refugees and told everyone to prepare persuasive speech on it. Nobody knew what matter should be picked to be persuaded and all the while he kept looking at Rua whenever he made a point.

And then he had given Johum a D+ on her speech because she had prepared it in such a way that it cleared why refugees are important to be let in a country. He had been furious when thunderous claps were heard in the whole class room but given her a D.

Enough was enough and she would not tolerate it anymore. Even if Rua said nothing when she was being the target of his stupidity, she could not sit and listen to his babble. Her grand parents were from Iraq and she would make sure to defend her roots.