"Mama please! Baba talk to her!" I pleaded. "Mariam. It's decided already. Why can't you be greatful?! May's gotten a scholarship and we're not going to leave her." Mama told me. "It is a great university. And Mohamed, YOU should have applied! Why? Why, you always disapoint me?" Baba added. I couldn't belive this was happening. No, no, no! I can't leave Dalia, our home and even, Kareem! I couldn't leave him...I loved him. "Baba maybe I wanna go somewhere else." Mohamed retaliated. Ahmed and Tala just cried. "Mommy? I don't want to leave Kanz and Khalid." Ahmed said to Mama as he tugged at her robe. She just picked him up and led him and Tala towards the kitchen. Mohamed and I gave May a 'Why Did You Have To' look. She just sneered back. Ya Allah. When will this get easier?

It's been a day since I called Mariam. Dang, I really miss her...Inshallah she'll come soon I hope. I finished up with my Cocoa Puffs cereal and rushed out of the door to get to my bus stop. Sometimes, I like to take the bus but since I live really close to school, I walk there. A lot of kids in the neighborhood do that and the bus driver HATES it but, what's a Highschooler gotta do, huh? Today, I was really tired so I took the bus. I took my phone out and went onto Instagram (I have data) to check some posts when I got a message from Mariam.

Mariam:

Mariam: Hey um I gt tell ya smth

Mariam: 2 tingz acc

Me: yea wassup u good?!

Mariam: Well 1st, Kareem won answer texts :(

Me: i'll tt him kk?

Mariam: kk tysm ily!!!

Mariam: N 2nd Its gon be hard 2 say..

Me: Yo jus say it!

Me: Don keep me hanging Mariam

Mariam: KK FINE IM STAYING HERE

It took me a long time to fill all of that info and proccess it. What did she mean she's staying here? And what does she mean by here? Where is she staying? I took a deep breath and formed an answer.

Mariam: Hello u dere?

Mariam: PLZZZ don be mad! I couldnt choose cuz of Mays university! I CARE SM abt our friendship n don wanna leave u Dalia!

Me: I am SOOOO MAD!!!!!!!!!!

Me: But it aint ur fault hun :)

Mariam: Ty 4 understandin' ily

Me: anytime...we can still text doe!

Mariam: N CALL :)))))

Me: Shoot bus got 2 school :( GTG

Mariam: K ttyl, MDBS

Me: whaaa?

Mariam: My Dear Best Servant ;)

I laughed, on the inside. How was I ever blessed with such a great BFF?! But if they stay in Sudan forever, I wont be in contact with Mohamed.

Mariam:

Sup? can I quickly have Mo's numberrr

Mariam: Yea sure...here it is: 712-678-9902

thnx

Mariam: Ur welcome..n don say 'sup'.

WHY?

Mariam: bc

Mariam: :)

Ugh. Mariam😑. I walked into the school and headed to my first class, drama. I passed Kareem in the hallway. "Hey Kareem. I wanted to ask you a question." I told him as I leaned on the locker beside his. He stuffed his books and backpack into his locker and looked at me, sternly. "If it's about Mariam, just drop it, ok?" What was up with him. "Oh Kareem. But I thought you liked her." Kareema started, popping out of nowhere with Raya by her side, smirking and scanning my outfit, up and down. "But what did Baba and Mama say?" She asked, pouting. "Be quiet. Nobody else needs to know, witch." He barked back. Oh siblings. It's hard when you're the same age. "Ok um..I'll talk to you later Kareem." I said. "No don't bother!" He yelled. He marched off. Oh my God what is wrong with him?! Did Kareema brainwash him, AGAIN? Kareema and Raya came up to me and pushed me a little making my books drop. Wow, Insaaf was the bully at first but now- now it was them. I headed to drama class, as I was 4 minutes late. "You are late." Said Mrs. Shakespear in her thick Russian accent (I LOVE to mimick her). Her last name was actually Maximum but, she decided to change it when she got this job. Who does that?! "Now. I know you all have been ITCHING to do a-" "Oh I am so sorry I'm late Mrs. Shakespear! I mean sorry we are late! Raya and I were just helping Mr. Tominson carry the HEAVY buckets all full of wooden flutes and it took ike 20 minutes! It was VERY terrible! But of course, Raya and I got through it." Kareema said. Well, lied because four minutes ago, she and Raya were pushing me, with pleasure and they didn't have any makeup on before except for the false lashes and lipgloss. Now, they had their whole face splatered with makeup. Yeesh. It looked like a 4 year old that just got some new paints and a paint brush🤡. "As I was SAYING. I know that you all have been ITCHING to do a school play. So I have decided, that we are going to be putting on a school play." Mrs. Shakspear started. I wonder what play we are doing. "We will be taking a vote. There are three plays. The Greatest Showman, The Titanic and Hocus Pocus. Now, everybody put your heads down." After the vote, There were 12 votes for Hocus Pocus, 7 for The Titanic and 23. Wow 42 students in our class🧐. YES WE ARE DOING THE GREATEST SHOWMAN!!!! I am SO auditioning for Anne! But Kareema and Raya were too. So were all the popular girls. And the non popular ones too. I forgot that if I wanted to audition for Anne, then if I got her part, I'd have to kiss Phillip! "Hi Mrs. Shakspear, can we not have any 'kissing' with Phillip and Anne because in my-" "Oh of course my dear. Everyone here on set matters and you and the other Muslims in my class must have a fair chance. Do not worry, I will see to it." She interrupted me. Wow that was her reaction? It surprised me. I lined up behind the 'Anne Audition' sign but sadly, I was last in lign. I watched Insaaf go first then Kareema. Then a couple of other girls then Raya. Some more girls. And when it was my turn to audition, the bell rang but Mrs. Shakespeare called me anyway to audition, which was very kind of her. Everyone was watching me. They all stayed for the audition- girls AND boys. Oh boy. This is gonna be tough. I started singing Zendaya's part for Rewrite The Stars, as all the other girls did and I have to admit, Kareema was pretty good. "You think it's easy, you think I don't want to run to you, but there are mountains, and there are doors that we can't walk through," I started, singing the song. After I finished, I saw Kareema and Raya giving me dirty looks but I didn't care- The class was clapping! And so was the teacher! "Bravo bravo." Mrs. Shakspear said in a bored tone. I went to my next class, which was gym and walked there, proudly. I never thought I'd sing THAT well. But Alhamdullallah, Allah helped me. I am so proud to be a Muslim that sometimes I cry because of my fear of Allah, He is The Merciful and Knowing Of All. May Allah guide Kareema and Raya to the right path...And may He bring Mariam and her family here saftly Inshallah.