Changing His Ways

Chapter One

CHAPTER | ONE | UMAYMA | POV

"Put that cake down!" I shouted while lunging from the sofa onto his back making us both fall on the living room floor, wrestling to see who would have that last piece of cake. Technically it should be mine since I stole it from the birthday party last night while they were all too busy smoking shisha or making conversation with every single other person there. It's a pity my brother doesn't seem to understand this fact.

"You cutting my breathing off proves you're too fat to eat!" Was his comeback and it made me look down at him. I was currently sitting on his stomach, trying to snatch that piece of deliciousness out of his hands.

Next thing I knew though was me being flung on to the floor with mom standing in the doorway looking at us through her glasses looking like she was ready to get those $1 slipper off her feet and chase us around the house with it. It was a danger zone and there wasn't even a chance for us to escape - we both looked at each other knowing if we ran, there's a high chance she would come running after us, forgetting that she has 'pain' in her legs.

"You have 3 seconds to get off the floor and upstairs in your room." She even brought up her fingers to start the countdown. There was no question to it that we had to do as we were told or else things weren't going to end pretty.

Within two seconds of the countdown I was already off the floor - cake completely forgotten and running past mom to the stairs where I knew that within a few steps, was haven.

By the time I was up the stairs I knew I should probably get more exercise considering my breath was shooting out of my lungs like a fat kid running for McDonald's. These twenty steps were just too much for me; then again mom's anger was enough to make one swim across the Atlantic Ocean.

'Just hold on we're goin-' I picked my phone up as quick as I could just to get the horrible song off. It's weird that I have this song as my ringtone when I don't even like it; must've been all the times I listened to it to make me hate it.

"Asalaamalikum Assia." I said a little out of breath but happy enough knowing that my best friend was on the other line of the phone.

"Walaikumasalaam girl! How you been? Excited for school tomorrow? Have you decided what to wear yet? Should I come pick you up?" I let her finish asking all her questions, knowing that if I interrupted she would start all over again. Been there, done that, never again.

"I'm good Alhamdulilah. Homework, diva's and annoying jocks - what's not to be excited about? It's probably going to be a last minute thing like always and its okay, we'll meet at the parking lot." I replied back.

Assia is one of my best friends since first grade and even though she knew the answer to all these questions, she decides to ask me them every year on the last day of summer break; it's like she never gets enough of hearing my voice.

"I feel you bro, but no. This is going to be our senior year and we're going to be making an entrance. Halal style." I couldn't help but laugh at her because unlike me, Assia always wanted to show off her inner fashionista but doing it the modest way.

"What do you expect me to do?" I asked, fearing the answer that she was going to hit me with.

"You're coming over to mine like right now, and we are finding an outfit for you. So, just pack your entire wardrobe habibti and get move it over here!" Rolling my eyes I cut off the line after saying bye and did as she told me to.

I wasn't exactly going to pack my entire wardrobe because that is just madness in itself, so instead I got out my duffel bag which I hadn't used since school and placed all the new clothes that I had gotten over the summer break. Shopping may not be my forte but that doesn't mean it wasn't my sisters or my moms.