Something Fairytale-ish

Something Cinderella-ish (Part VI)

The day of the winter formal finally came, and Hanan woke up to the worst news possible.

"You want me to do what?!" she shrieked into her phone.

"I'm sorry, I know it's sudden, but Amina has a bad cold and she can't go to the dance. Could you please go in her place. It's a masquerade ball, you'll be wearing a mask, he won't be able to recognize you," Noor begged. Hanan sighed. How could she refuse to help her friend.

"Fine. But you'll have to find a way for me to do this without my parents finding out," Hanan muttered.

"Thank you so much! And don't worry about your parents, I've got it covered," Noor assured her. Hanan sighed again. What had she gotten herself into?

...

Hanan took a deep breath. She was standing outside of the school's auditorium, where the dance was being held. Noor, Amina, and Amir were inside Noor's car, waiting for their cue for action. Noor had told Hanan's parents that she was taking the girls and Amir to the movies, which would explain why Hanan would be gone for a good three hours. The dress had fitted her nicely, and the mask was firmly secured on her face. The heels were a bit too big for Hanan since Amina was a shoe size larger, but that couldn't be helped as no one had planned for Amina to get sick and for Hanan to take her place.

"There you are!" a loud and arrogant voice exclaimed from behind her. Hanan turned around to see Alex. He wore a black suit that fit him nicely, and his tie was an ice blue to match Hanan's outfit. Had it been a halal situation, Hanan would have admired her date (a'udhubillah). However, since the situation was anything but halal, Hanan could only feel utter discomfort. "Let's go in," he said, before grabbing her hand. Hanan immediately snatched her hand away.

"Don't touch me!" she exclaimed. Alex stared at her.

"What's wrong Amina? You've never had a problem holding hands before, so why are you complaining now?" he asked. Hanan swore under her breath. Just how far did her friend go with this guy?

"My hands are sweaty!" Hanan exclaimed. "I don't want you to hold my sweaty hands, especially since I'm kind of sick," she said, before she proceeded to cough into her hands. Alex tried to hide his look of disgust.

"I get it. Let's just go in, I'm pretty sure you can wash your hands in the bathroom," he said, before walking towards the entrance. Hanan followed him, smiling at her little achievement. She could waste a little time in the bathroom before spending time with the jerk. The two entered the auditorium, which was alight with shining disco balls and colorful lights strung throughout the room. The walls vibrated with the sound of the music, and the air was humid with the sweat of hormonal teenagers trying to show off their nonexistent dance skills. A table was set up to collect the tickets, so Alex went there to give his and Hanan's tickets.

"I'll see you in a bit," Hanan said, before walking towards the girls bathroom. She washed her hands and checked her phone. After five minutes, she walked back out and searched the room for Alex. He was standing at the refreshment tables flirting with some of the girls there. Asshole. Hanan made her way to the playboy.

"Finally!" he said when he saw her. "Why do you girls always take so long in the bathroom? Does it take longer for you to pee or something?"

"Why do boys always complain about how long girls take in the bathroom? Do you guys run out of stalls in the boy's bathroom or something?" Hanan retorted. Alex clenched his jaws before stiffly offering his hand.

"Shall we dance?" he asked.

"No," Hanan said.

"You don't have a choice. Have you forgotten what I will do if you don't listen?" he bit out. Hanan felt like beating him senseless, but she couldn't do that in front of all the other students.