Jamila
AH, we finally landed in Chicago and first thing I want to do is go to sleep, it's 9 a.m and Saara already wants to go sight-seeing. I'm not going to stop her but I'm just way too tired.
"Search up some good brunch places to eat at." Saara asked me.
" Girl, it's too earlyyyy, please go to sleeep." I yawned while removing my scarf and flopping on the bed next to Meera, poor girl was already knocked out.
" Fine, I'll just go out to eat by myself." She said while walking to the door and Amina threw her bag at her head.
" Saara, get your ass to sleep, it's too early, we'll go out around 4, SAAXO(sleep)." Amina yelled.
Saara came back stomping in a childish way and sat on the couch to use her laptop.
******
It's 5 p.m and we all woke up and started getting ready. I planned to wear black skinny jeans, a white top, my teddy coat and a black hijab with a beanie and black heels. The weather is honestly atrocious, it's just way too cold. I did my makeup very naturally and Amina and Saara were taking the longest to get ready, me and Meera were already done and just sitting down using our phones.
" Okay we're ready, let's goo." Amina cheered while we started whooping and laughing. We decided to go to Gionardo's Pizza because it was the nearest to our hotel and we really didn't wanna travel far because it was already getting dark out.
As we head in the pizza parlor, we already see so many hijabis, loads of middle eastern men, asians, black muslims like woww, I think they all are attending the MAS ICNA and they stay at our hotels linked the building. The girls and I tried to squeeze in between people to head to our table like the whole place is just packed but I love it.
We just started chatting up and talking about life and what we are going to be doing for our mini trip here while they were preparing our pizzas.
I couldn't help but notice the group of men that were sitting right next to us and kind of staring at us. It was a mix of middle eastern men, somali or ethiopian or east african, and south asians. As I turned my head for a quick second I was trying to play it off like I was looking for my server, a guy made direct eye contact. Welp, that was very awks and I turned my head very quickly.
Our server finally came and served our pizzas, and wow it was so delicious, I had like 3 slices. After around a hour of us eating and telling stories and such, we went to the restroom and freshened up but it was so crowded in there, I decided to go outside and just sit on the bench to wait for my friends, plus I really wanted the fresh air anyways.
Just my luck, the group of guys that were in the restaurant were stepping out and making so much noise like wow. They started talking and such and the one whom I made eye- contact with sat right next to me on the bench. I scooted away to indicate "um sir this kinda awks".
" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to weird you out, I was just going to ask if you need help or something because you over here alone." He apologized.
I turned to face him. "I don't need a "ride" home, I'm not from here, I'm attending the MAS ICNA and my friends are coming out soon but thanks for the offer." I replied with turning my head the other side.
" You're attending it the MAS ICNA? So are me and my friends, we're from U.K and part of the MSA at our universities."
He had me at MSA, I always wanted to be apart of that at OSU, but I decided to go to attend there my junior year. I turned back at him and decided to be less snarky. " You're apart of MSA? That's really cool, I really want to be apart of that my junior year."
" You definitely should and one the best things about is, free trips all around the world to attend the best Islamic conventions."
I smiled at him. "Yeah... In Shaa Allah. I'll be apart of soon."
He returned the smile and held out his hand. " I'm Rayan by the way, hopefully we can see each other again."
I shook his hand. " I'm Jamila and yeah In Shaa Allah."
And with that, he walked away with his friends. I let out a HUGE sigh.
Did that just happen?
I avoided all interactions with guys in my city and haven't really talked to any in so long, so that was really something.
I sat there in my thoughts staring off into space and heard my friends stepping out.
"Jamila?? Where were you, we were looking for you everywhere??!!" Meera snapped.
I snapped out of my trance. " I told you guys that I was going to step out silly."
" Whatever, let's go visit The Bean." Amina exclaimed.
Ugh, I didn't want to go The Bean anymore. I need some time to recover from what just happened. I stretched out my arms and faked a yawn. " Guys, I'm honestly so tired, I think I'm going to head back to the hotel and sleep or something. I'm so sorry." I lied and hoping they would buy it.
" Jamilaaa, come on, I know you can stay awake for a few more hours , stop tripping." Saara sighed.
I started walking backwards. " Guys, I'm so sorry, I need to sleep, I'll see you guys later, ". I turned around and heard a " Stay Safe" from them. Ha, I know they're tired of me, but I'll explain everything later to them.
I head back into the hotel, and my sick ass was hoping I'd "accidentally" bump into Rayan again and we figured out that we were at the same hotel. I smiled at thought.
Here is the beginning of my shenanigans liking a guy who I think is very sweet just by doing the bare minimum, but hell no. I'm never going to do the mistake of falling for someone jut by doing the bare minimum every again, and it was just a friendly little thing.
I unlocked the door with our card and removed all my clothes and got into something comfortable and threw myself on my bed. I wasn't going to sleep. I was just going to daydream, but not about Rayan. Just the odds of me or any of my friends finding someone on this trip.
I accidentally fell asleep and was awoken by loud ass steps to my room. I opened my phone and checked the time and it was literally 1:23 a.m.
I opened the door and it reveals my friend's holding some bags of clothes and ice-creams. " Heyyy, you guys didn't get me no ice-cream?" I whined. " AND?? You're back at 1? What were yall doing for that long?"
They all rushed inside and started taking out the clothes to try them on. " We told youuu to come but you didn't listenn". Meera sang off. I opened my mouth in disbelief, they're so mean.
" Here Jamila, I got you some ice cream." Saara held out. I jumped on her and gave her a hug. "Wow, you're so real." I gushed and hopped on my bed. They all started wearing the cute clothes they bought and I was rating them for like an hour, and then we all decided to go to sleep quick, because tomorrow is the first day of the convention, and we had to be up by 9 a.m to attend the youth conference where we would find a bunch of people our age attending also.
Darn, I forgot to tell my friends about the guy I met.
Whatever, I'll just tell them tomorrow morning.
