Hooked By The Hijabi

Eleven

(2004)

Sunlight filtered through the classroom's windows, and the curtains rippled gently in the afternoon breeze of mid-May. Wissam worked on his calculus in the otherwise vacant room. Lunchtime took the chaos of his classmates outside. Finals were next month, while interschool football tournament was less than a week away. Unlike most of his teammates, Wissam didn't want to depend on a football scholarship to get into a good university.

Wissam lifted his head up as someone knocked on the door.

"May I come in?" Yamira asked.

Wissam scoffed. "It's your classroom too."

He returned his attention to task at hand but got perturbed again as Yamira slid onto the seat in front of him with her face toward him. Placing her arms on the backrest, she rested her chin on top.

Wissam quirks an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

Wissam attempted to focus on the math problem he was in the middle of solving, but someone's intent gaze was becoming disconcerting.

"If you have something to say to me, get it over with."

"I don't."

"Then why're you here?"

"Why can't I be? Like you said, it's my classroom too."

"That's not your seat."

"You're not sitting on yours either."

Wissam was struck silent. He was sitting on his best friend's seat because it was next to the window and the weather was pleasant outside.

"Touché." He began to collect his study materials to move back to his seat. Lunchtime was almost over anyway. "Nevertheless, you're bothering my concentration."

"Why? Do I make you flustered because I'm too pretty?"

Wissam nearly dropped his things.

"Sorry, I lied. I actually do have something to tell you." Yamira says, suddenly solemn. "I need a favor."

"Oh, yeah? I don't think I can fit it into my schedule. Sorry." Wissam replied flatly as he proceeded to his desk.

"You have a sister who goes to Mellow Ridge, right?"

"Why?" Wissam asks, evidently surprised.

"My brother goes there as well. He's quite reticent and doesn't know how to have fun. I was wondering if your sister could befriend him and bring him out of his shell. I saw you two a few times here and there and she seemed pretty lively."

The chime of bell indicated the end of lunchtime.

"What do you say?" Yamira prompted.

The request appeared harmless.

"Send me a picture of your brother." Wissam hesitated a little. "Can I, um, ask for a return favor?"

"Go ahead." Yamira smiles brightly.

"Your Spanish notes..." Wissam said meekly, rubbing his neck.

"Sorry?"

"Can I look at your Spanish notes?" He said, louder this time. "I'm kind of lagging behind. You topped the class on the subject last semester and also aced most of the tests on this semester..."

"Deal." Yamira grinned. "The bleachers. Meet me after school."

Rayman came from behind Wissam and slung an arm over the latter's shoulder. "What were you talking about with the heiress? Wait, don't tell me..."he widened his eyes and said in an accusatory tone, "Senior prom?"