Chapter Eight - Leila's Secret Plan
The next day as Sabrina walked into school, and the whispers began. They weaved through the halls, clinging onto her ears as she tried to push them out of her mind. Walking up to her locker, heads turned to see if any more surprises spilled out of it. She held her breath, easing it open and almost sighed with relief when nothing fell out. She doubted Leena would pull the same trick again, but she wouldn't put it past her.
As she gathered her things and scurried down the hall, wondering why Leila wasn't waiting at her locker like usual, she was stopped by a sharp call of her name.
"Hey, Sabrina!" A rough voice called out.
She turned and her heart sank, as Khalid sauntered up to her, shouldering past students on their way to class. He was wearing a blue hoodie and jeans that sagged down his backside. His blue eyes burned with annoyance. He looked at her as if she was the dirt beneath his feet. Sabrina wondered if she should make a run for it. But she changed her mind and hurried to get this over with.
"Can I help you with something?" She asked, bitterly.
"Yeah, actually." He sneered down at her, his voice rough. "Stop taking pictures of me and stuffing them in your locker."
Sabrina was slightly surprised. She was assuming that Khalid was in on Leena's prank. But looking back, she remembered the way he ignored Leena at lunch when she tried to get his attention. It was no secret she had it for him bad and for some reason, that he found it totally annoying. Sabrina didn't blame him, though. She couldn't imagine anyone more irritating than a love struck teenager.
"That's weird." She commented, her voice mockingly. "I thought you were the one who gave Leena all those pictures of you to slip in my locker."
"Leena?" Khalid asked, his eyes narrowing. "Why the hell would I do that?"
Sabrina raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.
"Well, then," she said seriously, while trying not to laugh. "It seems she is a stalker, after all."
"Yeah, right." Khalid scowled. "It wasn't her. It was you. But I wanna know how you got all those pictures."
"I told you it wasn't me." Sabrina sighed. "Besides, she's closer to you than I am, no? Either she printed them out or took them. It's no secret that she's obsessed with you." Sabrina said, spitting out the last part.
"And you aren't?" He asked, eyeing her.
"Ew, no." Sabrina smirked.
Khalid snorted and spun around, walking off. She heard him mutter something about Arab haters before he turned a corner and disappeared. Sabrina stared at his back, watching him go and replaying his thoughtful expression in her mind. Did he believe me? she thought. She shook her head at that idea and resumed her journey to her first class of the day.
* * *
The next day, at lunch, Leila observed Leena and Khalid from their table. Her eyes were fixed on their slightest movements. Sabrina slowly chewed her sandwich, looking around the busy cafeteria, listening to kids laugh and joke. She avoided a certain table - the same one Leila was staring at strangely. Finally, as a small smile crept on Leila's face, Sabrina couldn't hold back her curiosity. She gave a short sigh causing Emaan to look up.
"Leila," Sabrina said, "why do you keep staring over there."
"Hmm?" Leila mused, her smile vanishing. "Staring where?"
"Over there." Sabrina said nodding her head to Leena's table.
"Oh," Leila said slowly. "I was just wondering..."
YOU ARE READING
The Best Of Us
Teen Fiction"Why didn't you tell me he went here?" Sabrina managed to croak out. Her throat was dry and there was a loud drumming sound in her ears which she realized was her heart. "Oh..uh...well..." Leila stuttered and then trailed off. She smiled sheepishly...
