MANAL

23. Manal

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"Amiga!" From what seemed like a distance, I heard my name been called in a high pitched voice. I groaned and placed my pillow over my head.

"Amiga, get up." Hala's annoying voice filled my eardrum. "Please get up, I don't understand why you're sleeping by this time. It's barely 8o'clock."

"What do you want?" I furrowed my brows; my eyes tightly shut. Hala had seriously begun to annoy me with her antics and the worse part was that I was having a splitting headache.

"Just open your eyes and see for yourself."

"Go away!"

"Manal!" Hala yelled again, this time, hurling a pillow at me.

Without a doubt, I knew Hala would not stop disturbing me, until I give in to her wish, so I sat up, a scowl plastered on my face.

"How do I look?" She inquired and began to spin around.

My brows quirked in incomprehension—Hala was donned in a skinny jeans, a maroon colored close-fitting blouse and  a matching cap. "Where are you going to dressed like that?"

"Fresher's night!" She enthused. "It's tonight. I have been waiting for this night for a while now. What are you doing? Get up and get ready, so that we can leave early. I want to be able to sit in the front or middle row. The party is going to be lit!" 

"What?" My expression morphed from incomprehension to a scorn. "I'm not going and you shouldn't go either."

"Why?" She raised the corner of her lips. "Didn't you hear what I just said? I have been waiting for this night ever since I arrived at this school. I won't miss it for anything in the world."

"Fine then." I shrugged. "You can go ahead if you really want to." It was as if I could stop her. Her mind was already made up and knowing the kind of person Hala was, I knew she'd never heed to an advice from me. "I don't attend such type of parties."

"You're kidding, right?" She scoffed. "You don't attend parties? And what the hell do you mean by 'such type of parties'?" She air-quoted.

"Look, Hala, I'm not in the mood to argue right now. I'm not going and that's final." I stated in a firm voice. Abii had made me promise never to attend such rowdy parties and I gave him my words. He might not be there, but I could not even bear the thought of disobeying him. He had so much faith in me and I wasn't about to betray his trust.

"You will have to come with me." Hala rolled her eyes and stood daringly in front of me. "What's all these Manal? For crying out loud, you're no longer in secondary school, but in a university. I don't understand how one can be so unsophisticated. No wonder your mother still sees you as a kid. Why wouldn't she? You are a typical example of a little child. Come on, Manal, grow up!"

"What did you just say?" I rose to my feet and fixated my gaze in her. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this, I'm warning you." For some reason, Hala's words ignited a fire in me.

How dare she use ummi's words against me!

"I didn't mean to, okay? I'm sorry if my words hurt you, but Amiga, I was just trying to make you see the brighter picture of things. University is not solely about studying, but other things as well. This is one of the experiences that you'd regret missing later on. It's just a party, there's no harm in attending it. All you have to do is wear something enticing and then have a nice time at the party. It's that easy. You should know this, Amiga, you're civilized. Ignore what your father told you. He us not here to see you anywhere."