under the covers [hs au]

chapter nine.

trigger warning: islamophobia

(reminder to read the disclaimer if you are confused by my warning! it's nothing too bad, obviously, but, just a reminder, haha)

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It wasn't a normal Friday. Samira was finally going back home to her family.

She only had two weeks of autumn break, not nearly as much time as she needed, but she was so excited to get to see them after three months.

She woke up to the blaring sound of her alarm with a smile on her face. She stretched, a loud crack resonating from her back. When she looked out the window, she expected the sun to be out, but all that filled the sky was gloomy clouds.

After showering and packing the last of her clothes, she cleaned her home, making her bed and sweeping the floor. She wore a pair of black Adidas sweatpants and a blue hoodie she stole from Surat—she could only imagine Surat looking for her hoodie back home when it was here in England, hundreds of miles away.

Her hair was big and curly by the end of her cleaning session. She lay on the couch, trying to figure out her schedule for the day. Her train to the airport was in an hour, but unfortunately, she had to go to the airport alone because her friends had already gone away to their families. She was the last one to leave.

Samira hadn't looked at her phone since she woke up. She was startled by the many messages from her friends.

Mahnoor: I know you're excited to come home . . . stay safe btw.

Of course, Mahnoor would tell Samira that—it was usual to get a message like this from her—but what startled her was that many of the other messages were almost the same.

Tasneem: Sorry I'm not there today. Call me if you need anything

Surat: is anyone going to the airport with you? i know you wouldnt be comfortable going alone

The thing was, Samira was almost certain she was okay with going to the airport alone.

Her heart racing, Samira immediately called her father. She bit her lip as it began ringing, waiting for him to pick up.

"Salam, Samira, ma, are you ready to come home?" Her father answered, his voice groggy. Only a teeny bit of relief flooded her heart at the sound of his voice, but it wasn't as cheerful as she wanted it to be.

"Yeah, Wapa, is everything okay?" Samira asked urgently. "I—"

"You didn't watch the news?"

"Allah, what happened?" Samira bellowed, searching for the TV remote between the cushions.

"Turn on the news."

And that was what Samira did. Though the headline she read on the news took a while for her to comprehend, it finally hit her.

Shooting in Mosque kills 50+

Samira swallowed, feeling more homesick than she'd ever been.

"Samira, do you have anyone who can take you to the airport? I don't think it's safe for you to go alone."

Samira bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her gut become numb. Her mind was boggled. "No, Wapa. I don't."

The line was silent for a few seconds. "Will you be okay, ma?" He asked softly.

Samira sighed, her body shaking with her breath. She knew what he meant: It was easy for Samira to feel vulnerable, though she tried so hard to be strong.