CHAPTER 5

"Okay, maybe it's not that hard." I thought before proceeding to

learn for the test today. I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I

glanced at my watch, it was 6 am in the morning and I was on my

way to school. In the winter mornings the atmosphere of the bus

is quite peaceful and apt for sleeping. The dim light, the cold

temperature and the silence. The bus took a turn and we reached

our destination.

"Okay, class time's up. Hand me your test papers quickly." We

heard the teacher.

"Hajera, you didn't write your class section." The teacher handed

the papers back to her.

"What's our class section?" she asked me.

"Uh F" I replied absentmindedly.

'Okay.' she wrote down.

"The speaker is mad and so is the listener. Hajera asked Fatima

and she told her the wrong section. How do you not know your

own class section?" The class laughed quietly.

Me and Hajera stifled a laugh.

"Fatima, I'm bored." Hajera groaned.

The teacher was busy correcting our test papers and we were

writing notes. It was the third period of the day.

"Want to hear some jokes?"

"Please." she begged

"Why does a chicken need to cross a road?"

"I don't know."

"To get to the other side." I replied with a "isn't this obvious"

expression.

She laughed loudly and I smacked her arm to shut her up.

"Hey, close your button." she smacked my hand.

"What's your problem with my button, it's not like I am keeping

all my buttons open?" I muttered angrily.

"It doesn't look good." she scowled.

"It's just one button." I raised one of my fingers dramatically.

I glanced over my shoulder and sensed someone's gaze on me I

turned around and see her smiling at me. I quickly turned around

and closed my eyes. Well, that creepy smile shut me up.

"Hey, tell me more."

"No, let's just quickly complete writing the notes."

"You're a weirdo and a mood spoiler."

I sighed; well, my mood was spoiled as well. Everyday whenever I

would decide to remain in a cheery mood all day and come to the

school filled with optimism, one look at her and it would spoil all

my positivity and cheeriness. This was getting on my nerves. It

would eventually leave me with a cranky and gloomy mood. I was

slowly turning into someone I was before some years ago.

Although that optimism and cheeriness was slowly fading away. I

sigh, this shit was really affecting me badly.

I glanced at my watch; we had half an hour before the exam.

"Hey, I need to buy water." Nadeeda broke the silence.

"Fatima, come with me."

We were ascending the stairs after buying her water.

"Ahh, look a cat." Nadeefa shrieked.

I turned around to find a black kitty running down the stairs.

"Aww, such a cute baby." I looked at the cat dreamily.

Much to our disappointment the cat managed to exit the building.

"Guys, we just saw a cat downstairs." Nadeefa exclaimed as soon

as we entered.

"It was a female cat." I interjected.

"How do you know, Ahmed?"

"Well, male cats have a fat kind of a voice when they meow like

this."

'Maoooo' I let out a male cat sound well, that's how it's supposed

to sound according to me at least.

They all burst out laughing, I frowned.

"That was hilarious, Ahmed!"

"Do that again."

"Do it Yallah." one of the Arab girls' chimed in.

"No, I won't." I looked away with a smile.

It was dispersal time and were waiting for the bus to arrive. Our

bus was late and the ground was almost empty just a few students

were there waiting for their parents.

"Hey, it's my turn to seek." I heard a little girl say to her friends.

There were the students of 5th grade I guess and they were having

fun. 'Lucky kids' I think and keep watching them. There was this

one little girl who was the most cheerful one, she was laughing so

much and none of her friends were able to catch her. She was

short and thin with a dusky complexion; her small ponytail was

bouncing as she ran swiftly. And, she had these adorable dimples

too. I hated being with toddlers and kids I thought they were so

annoying but there was something about her that made me smile.

She ran past me and almost fell on me losing her balance.

"Hey there, be careful!"

'Hi' she smiled at me.

"I love your dimples." I smiled back.

She extended her hand towards me.

"My name is Saniya."

'Fatima.' I shook her tiny hand

"You're so beautiful." she beamed at me.

"You're the one who is beautiful."

'Beep' I heard the bus horn.

"Bye, Saniya." I slung my bag over my shoulder, I saw her wave at

me.

I was at the rooftop of my school building. It was night time and I

was standing in the middle of the roof ground. I hear a door click

and I turn around. I frown, there was no one. I turn around and

see that same little girl standing on the edge of the roof. It seemed

as if someone else was standing there too but I couldn't see that

person, it was blur to me but I could see Saniya clearly and she

suddenly disappeared. I don't know if she jumped down or

something else happened. The other person standing with her was

still there. I just stood there and kept watching the blur image of

that person for a long time.

I woke up feeling hot and sweaty. It was 5pm in the evening and I

was alone in my room. The fan and the Ac were switched off. I

took the blanket off me and stood up thinking when will these

strange dreams stop coming to me.