HIJABI ✔️

Chapter 26

Ruqayyah's POV

"I told you not to come," I tell Alex when I reach him.

"What's going on? I woke up to your text message this morning. I don't get it. We were good yesterday and suddenly you are acting all strange again." Alex says un-leaning himself from his car.

"Yesterday was a mistake. We both need to forget that or at least pretend it never happened. And I don't think we should continue this, whatever we are, thing." I don't even know where I got the strength to tell him this.

"Why...? I don't want to forget." He steps closer and I take a step back.

"Don't make it more difficult, please... I don't think this is right. I can't be friends with you, especially knowing that I have feelings for you, it won't end well."

"So this is it? You wait until I've fallen in love with you and then you leave?" He says and putting it that way, it made me feel worse than I already did.

"Alex, don't make this hard, please. We just need to avoid each other and it will be easier." Both of us know that this is not true. It won't be easy to avoid each other, especially not in literature class where we share the same desk.

"You can't be serious." He shakes his head in disappointment, "But if that's what you want... Alright." He replies at last.

After a few seconds of a staring conquest, I walk away. I wasn't expecting him to accept it this easily. I mean... I don't even know what I expected. I should be happy... that's what I wanted, right? Why am I not happy?

***

The week went by really slow in my opinion. From the day I asked Alex to stay away, it's like there was something missing from that moment and I know it's him. Nothing excited happened, I've been hanging out with Bianca and Jameelah and sometimes I would manage to have Aisha join us. I spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday only with the girls. I remember speaking to Youssef sometimes, but not much, since I am always with Bianca and they are still not talking. Alex is keeping his word. He hasn't tried to speak to me since Wednesday morning. It feels weird having to go past him and just walk without saying a word. I already miss him, and I knew I would feel somewhat like this, but not that it would be almost unbearable.

"Have a nice weekend. I'm going to go now or my brother is going to murder me, I made him wait enough." Aisha says and I give her a weak smile.

That's the only smile I have now.

"I don't know what's going on with you these last days, but I really hope you come back on Sunday with a big smile on that face." She says and gives me a tight hug, "Assalamu Aleykum."

"Wa Aleykumu Salam," I reply as she walked out the door.

I sigh as I look out the window to see if my dad was there yet. At least today I am ready on time. I lay down on my bed, facing the ceiling and memories start to roll over my head. I shake the thoughts out of my mind and grab my phone to find Alex's number on it. Every single day I have to force myself not to call him or even text him. Now I even know his number, it's completely memorised in my head. All I do is read our old messages, but that isn't helping. So I just look at the number, expecting him to call me any minute, but deep inside I knew he wouldn't. We see each other every day in class, he looks at me and maybe he even wants to say something, but he never does.

I think it's actually the end of me and him. All that's left now are memories.

Lost in my thoughts, I hear my phone ring, and it takes me a while to think of answering it.

It was my dad telling me to come down.

I walk out to see my dad waiting in the car.

"Assalamu Aleykum," I say as I sit down at the passenger's seat and I throw my bag to the back seat.