Dark Secrets ✔️

Chapter 1

Afrah's POV

I open the window and watch how the sun shines beautifully in these London streets. Which is quite unusual, seeing that we are in March. It reminds me of Canada. The weather there is just like here, or maybe even worse. But when the sun shines, it brings happiness to everybody.

"What do you think you're doing?" He groans while putting the blanket over his head. I almost forgot I'm here to wake my brother up for his first day at work.

"Time to get up, you sleeping beauty," I open the curtains wider.  "Look at the beautiful day outside!" He completely ignores me. "SubhanAllah, it's already 9:30!!" I scream in horror while I look at my phone. That's when he rolls out of bed almost breaking his teeth and bones and runs to the bathroom with his towel. I laugh at his reaction for a moment before tapping myself on the shoulder appreciating my acting skills. It is still 8:00 o'clock. He always falls for it.

He must be nervous that this is his first day. It's not only his first day at work but also his first day in a new country. We moved from Nova Scotia (Canada) to London, yesterday, so everything is still very recent. My brother got his job secured before we moved. He is 25 years old and my legal guardian. Ismail Zayan is his name. He pays for my studies and buys for me whatever that I need ever since our parents passed away on the day of his eighteenth birthday. Yes, It was tough for him to take the decision of being responsible for somebody at such a young age, but he did and I owe him my life. I am now 17  years old and ready to work. Although my brother insists that I go to university, I decided that I could stop at an apprenticeship. The certificate would be enough to grant me a good job. Therefore for the next three years, I am going to do an apprenticeship here in London and I hope one day I will be able to pay back everything that my brother has done for me all these years.

Fact about me, I'm from Canada but my family is from Australia. My parents moved before I was born. So I've never really been in my parents birth country. To be honest, my mother's birth country, because my father is Canadian.

And if you're wondering how my parents died, it was a car accident. It was them and my older brother. I had two brothers and Ismail was the oldest of all. Meaning that I lost my second oldest brother on that day as well. That's all I know. My brother does not like to talk about it. It's only normal because it is a sad memory for everybody.

"Breakfast is ready, hurry up!! I shout for my brother to hear but he runs to the door instead. "Where are you going without breakfast? You will need energy for your first day,"

"There's no time! Call me if you need anything." He opens the door.

"Hey, calm down, It's still..." I look at my phone. "8:30!?" I am surprised that he got ready so quickly. "Damn boy, you're fast!" I nod congratulating him.

"What do you mean 8:30?" He grabs his phone from his pocket and looks at the time. "But you told me before..." I smile when he stops to give me a deadly glare. "Girl, you're dead!" He runs behind me and I scream while running around the whole house.

And this is my life. Only me and my brother, but I wouldn't swap this for anything else.

*** 5 years later

"What do you mean fired!?" I question Mr Cameron, the headteacher of this university.

"Visitors and staff members have been complaining about the fact that you have been sleeping at work, lately. I didn't want to come to this conclusion but I have no other choice."

"But_"

"I know you have problems going on at home but this is a university and we have a lot of work that needs to be completed in a strict time period."