Can't Escape

Chapter 1

People are swarming around me, pushing past me in order to reach their destination. I stand still as I watch the commotion taking place in front of my eyes and sigh in disappointment. My eyes stay still on a few women who argue over something, anger radiating off their skin.

What is this life? Just play and amusement.

My hands slip into my bag pack to grab my earphones before clicking them into my phone and playing a nasheed. The vocals send goosebumps to grow on my skin before the actual lyrics hit my heart. I enjoy blocking out the world, even if it is for a little while.

I begin to walk through the messy crowd and make my way into my favourite store. The sweet smell invades my nostrils and I close my eyes in awe. The walls are bright and vivid in colour always making you feel welcome. Not to mention the cashier who always gives out the biggest grin to every customer.

After ordering, I stand away from the queue and lean against the counter whilst messing around with the wires of my earphone. I hum along with the vocals that play in the Nasheed and tap my feet along with the rhythm. The singer's voice is soothing and calm as they describe the beautiful attributes of Allah, leading into the chorus as he repeats His name 'Ar-Rahman'. I close my eyes slowly beginning to feel at peace blocking out the loud chatter from around me.

Peace...that's what I crave. That's all I crave.

All of a sudden I'm jolted to my side and my hip hits onto the marble counter, causing pain to shoot through me. I snap my eyes open and bite my tongue to hold back from cursing aloud. I realise the person who crashed into me is now grabbing the milkshakes I ordered with a grin etched on her face. She begins to drink from the straw in the plastic cup that lays in her right hand whilst she sticks out the other milkshake in her left hand towards me. As if offering it to me. I roll my eyes and take it from her grasp and sip on my bubblegum milkshake which I ordered.

"Thanks,babe." She licks her lips in delight and stares down at her cup whilst she takes a long sip.

Shaking my head, I lower the volume on my phone before we walk out of the shopping centre and onto the gloomy streets.

"That flipping hurt, you know." I say to my best friend of seven years. I'd met the minuscule girl on our first day at High School where she was sat alone at a table. She was ever so quiet and I always had to urge her to speak...how I wish I could go back in time to the good old days where the blabber mouth would keep her gob shut.

"Hm?" Maria is confused as usual due to her interest being in her drink. I watch as she blows into her straw making messy bubbles appear before quickly disappearing.  "What hurt?"
I'm not surprised at her reply. Maria has the memory of a fish when there's food involved.

"Nothing," I decide to forget about it as we walk side by side. The weather is cold and the ground is wet due to the previous rain whilst we were in class. I lift my skirt a little further up my waist to prevent it from touching the water. That's one of the things I hate about the rain. "How was Maths then?"

"UGH." Maria groans aloud and we get a few stares from other College students, some not even from our local one. "IT WAS HORRIBLE, THE BOYS' WERE SO ANNOYING!"

I laugh at her reply whilst she rambles on about how she is the only girl that is in her maths class seen as the other girls decided to leave. I personally hate maths but for some reason my best friend loves it.

"Yeah right," I tease Maria and nudge her with my elbow. "Don't lie to me...I know you secretly enjoy being the only girl..."

Maria's eyes go wide and she gasps, almost dropping her milkshake in the process. "Ew?! Alvina, what the hell?! Astaghfirullah?! No thanks, ew, what the hell? No, no, ew, that's disgusting I hate it, why would I enjoy something like that?!"