The Perks of Being a Hijabi

Chapter Seven

Now I have to love three months without Hussen, seems easy enough.

I stretched my arms and yawned asi got out of my bed and walked toward my bathroom to make wudu. I prayed Fajir, when I finished praying I made a dua.

"Ya Rabb! Forgive the sins committed by my loved ones, Oh Allah! Bless this marriage I have gotten myself into, bless the family of my spouse and my family as well. Ya Allah, guide my family and my spouse's family to the correct path. Bless me and my spouse with a family, fill your love into the hearts of my children Inshallah, fill the hearts of the people who have gone astray with your love Ya Allah! Ameen!"

I quickly got dressed in my school clothes and a hijab, then I went downstairs to greet my family.

"Asalamualakum Ummi, Asim. Where is Baba?" the seat where Baba usually sat was empty. Ummi looked down at the floor when she answered me.

"Asalamualakum Zainub, ummm your father is still asleep,he isn't feeling well." I wondered why everyone looked so sober and sad as I shoved a creamy bagel in my mouth. After breakfast, Ummi dropped me and Asim at the bus stop. Ummi must have told Hussen's family about the three month separation, because Hussen didn't come to pick me up.

"Fiamillah!" I waved to Ummi. "Take care Ummi." she shyly waved back. Weird, Ummi always waved really loudly to me whenever I left for school.

"Zainub, come sit down." Samia was in our usual spot, the 7th seat on the right side of the bus. I say down and she began to talk, just like old times.

"Where is Hussen?"

"Oh, Ummi thought we were rushing the marriage so, we can't see each other for three months." I smiled but Samia didn't return my smile for some reason.

When we got off the bus, the entire school body was standing outside.

"What's going on?" I whispered in Samia's ear.

"Didn't you know? Today is the pep assembly." She bewildered that I didn't remember. Why would I remember, I hated pep assemblies, they were just horrible! The crowd of high schoolers split in half when the cheerleaders came through with the football players behind them. The cheerleaders at my school are so cheesy! Their cheers are so ratchet, like can't you do something else? All this peppyness was making my head spin.

"Come on let's go over here so we can't be near those haram cheerleaders." I grabbed Samia by the arm and made her follow me farther away from the crowd. Right when we were about leave the crowd, the leader of the group of girls that hate me and Samua walked up to us.

"So Zainub, I heard you got married, is that true?" she sneered. The funny thing about this girl is that she knows my name but I don't know hers.

"Actually I'm not currently married, I'm just engaged. Why do you care so much?" I glared at the girl.

"Well, I-I'm just so much better than you! That's why." I raised my eyebrow at her, she looked almost proud of her combat.

"So you care about my life story 'cause you're better than me? Are you sure you're not... Stalking me?" I made a dramatic pause in the middle of my sentence. All of the girls looked bewildered and quite shocked.

"W-why would we stalk y-you? Come on girls we're wasting our time with these girls." She tried to sneer through her shock, but it didn't work. when the girls disappeared in the sea of students shouting and hollering, me and Samia began to laugh hysterically.

"Oh my Allah! You really gave them a fright!" Samia said through laughter.

We laughed some more and talked a out other things, but soon it was the end of the pep assembly and time to go to Second period since the pep assembly took up our time for First period.

In second period I had Calculus with Mr. Risemiller. Samia didn't have second with me, so I was kinda lonely until one of my other friends Khadijah came into the class room. Khadijah was one of my other best friends, we would always have sleepovers together usually at Samia's house.

"Asalamualakum Zainub, I heard you're getting married." Khadijah hugged me tightly as I got up from my seat.

"Yeah, I'm getting married after school ends. Umm.... Khady could you be one of my bridesmaids?" I looked Khady in the eyes and I could tell she was more excited then ever!

"Of course I'll be your bridesmaid! But will you be mine?"

"Wait, you're getting married too?!" We jumped up and down in excitement.

"Yup, and you, Samia, Garo, and Zaria are going to be my bridesmaids!!" I squealed with joy as I embraced Khadijah.

"Okay class, settle down," Khadijah went back to her seat beside mine. After Mr. Risemiller gave us a long lecture about pep assemblies, we began the boring lesson on math.