ROYAL✔️

4. /Jerk Face/

Some people from Birnin-Gabas, like most humans, are opportunists. They befriend you only when they know they'd be getting something in return. Whenever what you have to offer gets exhausted, you suddenly become un-useful. Amina, Bilqees and Rayyana, are the 3 divas of BGU. Amina's father is the Waziri (Vizier) while the other 2 had council members for parents. Just because Amina's father is the waziri, she decided to make herself Royal. Being top of the hierarchical system was something everyone wanted deep down.

"You’re Maleeka right?" Amina had asked as if she had no idea who Maleeka was, as if they never played hide and seek when they were little. As if her family wasn’t envious of the relationship between Sarki Abusadiq and Sa'eed. As if that wasn't why Amina's father persisted she played with Azeema and Maleeka hoping that became a medium for him to become close to Sarki, just like Sa'eed. It's either he realized some friendships weren't made to be interfered with or he got tired of trying.

"I am having a birthday party this weekend. I was wondering if you'd like to come" Rayyana said, gleaming with delight. Ignoring Hanan totally, Hanan looked as if Chris Brown had personally come to say hello with the way she held her breath, squeezing Maleeka's hand making her wince. If Maleeka didn't know their mission, she'd have been happy that she got invited to a party. But she knew these types of people. They definitely wanted something in return. It's always tit for tat with the likes of them.

"Could you bring princess Azeema with you when you're coming?" Rayyana chirped in blinking multiple times. Bull’s eye! She knew it. That dumb picture Azeema had posted had made people suddenly realize she did exist. The dumb caption she added made matters worse. If she wasn't beside Azeema on her IG page, these dimwits wouldn't have come all the way to her department from the faculty of science which is a long walk, though they had cars, it's still very far.

"Sorry. I can't make it. I've got stuff this weekend" she said, smiling cheekily. Bilqees and Rayyana looked taken aback. They had expected her to jump up in delight. Amina wasn't that surprised. She had a tiny idea how Maleeka was. She'd known she was a nutshell, tiny but hard to crack.

"It's okay if you can't come. How about you extend our Invitation to Princess Azeema" Rayyana said, refusing to give up.

"No can't do. I am not friends with the princess. Why don't you ask Amina? She's in the best position to invite her for you" Maleeka said, staring at the 3 of them innocently.

"I thought you guys went out yesterday. We saw it on her page. Aren't you the one she called a long lost friend?" Bilqees the impatient one said angrily, looks like she wasn't very nice and loved going straight to the point.

"No I'm not. Maybe it's a relative" Maleeka said, agitating them all.

Amina hissed loudly. She eyed Maleeka menacingly.

"I told you she was useless. '' Amina complained as they trotted, swinging their waists as if they were runway models. Maleeka didn't hear the end of it because, Hanan kept complaining about how Maleeka had ruined her chances of mingling with the Divas. She complained throughout the day, not without succeeding to give Maleeka a headache. When Maleeka got home at around 12 noon, she greeted her mother then went straight to bed. She would sleep all afternoon. If not, she knew she'd fall ill. Her beauty sleep always comes first. She was awakened by her mother's voice spewing threats. She quickly sat up breathing heavily, scared something was wrong had happened. She quickly came out of her room.

"Mama is everything okay?" she asked, looking at her mother whose face held nothing but anger.

"Are you asking me? Maleeka, have you prayed Asr?" her mother asked calmly.

"Mama, I was tired. That was why I had to sleep. I was just resting" Maleeka said grumbling. She couldn't believe her mother had woken her up from her sweet sleep. She knew it wasn't good to sleep by this time of the day, but she couldn't resist because the stress was overwhelming and having to hear Hanan complain about the same thing over and over again added to her stress.