CHAPTER ONE

Zainab entered her class with Maryam, Yasmin and Jamila. They were all talking and laughing. Suddenly, Zainab's laughter subsided and she stopped dead on her tracks. She was looking into a boy's hazel brown eyes and she quickly moved back a bit. They mouthed sorry in unison and she felt quite embarrassed, as heat crept up from her neck to her cheeks. She then walked to her desk. 

"Hey, that was the new boy that was supposed to come yesterday but was caught up with something." Jamila said to Zainab. 

"Oh." Was all Zainab could say at that moment. She felt something deep within her spark and tried to ignore it. She opened her locker and shuffled through it as she looked for her Maths textbook. 

"Zainab! Zee!" Aisha snapped her fingers. "I've been talking to you since. What happened? You look lost."

"No, I'm not." Zainab said wearing a fake smile as she dropped her textbook on the desk. "It's just em... I... "

"I think Zainab here is crushing on someone." Yasmin said nudging Jamila and they both giggled. 

"Really? Crushing on who?" Aisha asked. 

"The new guy in class of course." Jamila said sighing dreamily.

Zainab whacked Jamila's arm which made Jamila hide her face with her baby hijab. 

"Oh, that was why you were lost in your own world." Aisha said amused. 

"Look guys, it's just a minor crush no big deal. I will get over it insha Allah." Zainab said trying to dismiss the topic.

"Guys, enough talking of crushes please." Maryam said not in the least interested with their conversation. "Mr Brown is here already."

Yasmin hurriedly went to her seat, which was close to Maryam's.

"What's his name?" Aisha whispered to Zainab. 

"Idiot!" Jamila said. "Who broke the news to you?"

"Sorry... James." Aisha said trying hard not to laugh. 

Jamila ignored her nickname. "He's name is Isma'il. Isma'il Mahmoud. Oh, and there he is oh my goodness I'm  melting." She then used her hand fanning herself. 

"Girl! Are you out of your mind?" Aisha asked, shocked.  "You can't say that! Your friend is crushing on him!."

"I'm not falling for him, you know he's not my type." Jamila roller her eyes.

"Jamila and Aisha, enough of whispering please. Bring out your maths books and open to page 72."

Zainab stole small peeks at Ismail as the teacher explained the new topic in their scheme of work. 

"Zainab!" Mr Brown called out to her as he took her out of her reverie. 

"I said you should all bring out your notebooks and solve question number five, seven and ten." He explained with a frown and for the second time today, heat crept up to her cheeks.

"Okay Mr Brown." She did as instructed and solved the question in a jiffy. The topic wasn't something new to her. She is super excellent when it comes to Maths.

"Zainab can you please focus. It's obvious that you keep glancing at Ismail. It's really creepy you know." Aisha whispered and she rolled her eyes, knowing that her friend said nothing but the truth.