"Hey, Nemo."

Nicholas opened his eyes, lifting his head up. He felt it spin, whirling from his lack of sleep, but his gaze quickly landed on Dina. The world around them disappeared as he stared deep into the abyss of her dark eyes.

Today her hijab was different than usual, so was her outfit. With a dark pink hijab wrapped around her head, a rosy sweater that fell to her mid thighs, and jeans that hugged her legs like a glove, she looked breathtaking. He noticed the extra inch in her height, eyes on Dina's black ankle boots.

When she noticed his gaze on her outfit, she blushed, turning her cheek away, holding her books to her chest. "So... um... are you alright?" she stumbled.

"Yeah."

Dina took the seat next to him. They were both early to class. Nicholas checked the time on his phone; there was still almost an hour left before class started. He had come early to finish his essay on Malcolm X, but Professor Jerikson was nowhere to be seen, probably sleeping in. While waiting for his professor, Nicholas had fallen asleep.

Dina bit her lip. "Look," she said softly, "I'm really sorry if I did anything to make you uncomfortable and I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I swear I was only looking out for you when I told Elijah."

"How do you know Elijah?" he asked, suspicious.

"Oh, I know his girlfriend."

Nicholas stayed silent. That's how Elijah knew. She told him.

"I swear I didn't mean to hurt you, so please don't be mad at me. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, but I understand if you never want to talk to me again because that was confidential and I'm sure you don't want me near you right now-" rambled Dina as she fidgeted in her seat, avoiding his eyes.

Nicholas felt a small smile tug at his lips, finding her even more adorable than before. "Dina," he started, cutting her off. "It's okay."

"But-"

"Look at me," he probed gently.

Slowly, she lifted her head, brown eyes locking onto Nicholas's blue ones. Dina's lips parted ever so slightly as Nicholas grinned at her, feeling a wave of comfort fall over him, wrapping the blanket of her voice around him. Nicholas lost himself in her eyes, unconsciously leaning forward.

"You look beautiful today," he whispered.

A faint blush covered her golden skin. "T-Thanks," she stuttered.

His heart thumped against his chest, the sound rocking through his body, and blood rushing through his veins. He felt awakened by her presence, by her smile, by her irresistible personality. Nicholas couldn't fathom the million thoughts in his head as he became consumed with Dina. She had him in the palm of her hands.

Her lips tempted him, the string between them thinning, and he knew that she was thinking the same, but Nicholas was better than that. He would not take advantage of a woman. He would not tell her sweet lies. He would not paint her innocence with sin. Nicholas was not that type of man.

He leaned back in his seat. "You know," he said, "it's getting really hard to control myself around you."

"You sure have gotten bolder," she mumbled, a teasing smile on her lips. "Not like the Nemo who broke the rules in a library."

He chuckled deeply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Dina raised a brow. "Complimenting me is definitely a step up for a shy guy like you," she remarked.

"Maybe I'm not that shy around you."

"Oh?" she smiled knowingly, "And why is that?"

"Maybe because I finally found a girl that doesn't judge me."

All playfulness left and was replaced by the intensity behind his words. "Me?" she croaked.

Nicholas nodded. "I've been judged all my life, Dina. I've been a victim to depression," he said darkly. "It feels odd to admit that."

"Nemo," whispered Dina. "Everything is going to be okay."

"How do you know?" he questioned. "How do you know that I won't fall again? How do you know that I'll feel normal?"

Dina inhaled sharply. "I don't know," she admitted, "but I do have faith in you."

Suddenly, Nicholas wondered about Dina and her spirituality. She was always tranquil and collected in her emotions. Dina had the pen of her narrative in her hands, writing her destiny as she lived through life even when ink became smudged between her lines. He didn't understand how she was able to stay strong in her beliefs.

"Does God do that to you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Do what?"

"Does believing in God give you the strength to go forward?" asked Nicholas. "You believe in Islam so deeply that it's like no one could ever tear you away from your religion."

Dina nodded, smiling. "It's natural to believe in Allah."

"Allah?"

"That's God. Allah is our Creator and He gives us trials in life because it tests our faith, our beliefs, and our strengths. We grow from these trials and become better people in the process."

"But why would God or Allah test me like this? Why do I have to suffer?" he questioned. "If He loves His creations, then why make us suffer?"

"Because every one of us is different. What is difficult for me may not be difficult for you," she said gently. "Think of it this way. Trials are made to push us mentally, emotionally, and physically. The issue with most people is that they don't try to overcome obstacles. When you don't try, you give up, allowing darkness to consume you. When you don't try, you forget about Allah, but He never forgets about us."

"I don't even believe in God," scoffed Nicholas. "This doesn't apply to me."

"Well maybe you should start believing in Him."

"Why?" questioned Nicholas. "Science proves everything now. What proof of God's existence is there?"

"The cell theory," she replied. "Cells are the basic unit of life and all living organisms have cells, but cells come from other cells. Even if the theory of evolution was true, those apes or whatever would also had to have come from another cell. The world cannot create cells on its own even through mitosis. You need to have an original cell to start all of this, which leaves one option on the table. Allah would have to create the original in order for the replication to even begin."

Nicholas was speechless. Dina had managed to debunk his doubts by bringing another theory in biology. He opened his mouth to refute her statement, but Dina beat him to it.

"DNA structure has specific and complex structures. Gene variety had to start somewhere. One gene alone cannot create the many genes we have now. Energy production alone requires specific proteins, but if even one is missing and the gene did not code for it, the cell cannot function. We had to have an original organism to create all of this variety in the gene pool, one organism that was already perfect in bodily functions in order to create millions of copies."

Nicholas sighed, shoulders slumped. "Your brothers taught you this, didn't they?"

"You know it," she winked.

He said nothing more for the rest of class, choosing to lose himself in his thoughts. Nicholas knew so much about science, watched hundreds of documentaries, and had engrossed himself in the subject, but he never put two plus two together. Theories did not collide.

He had forgotten that science was always changing and building on previous theories. Nicholas recalled Humaid's recitations and Haroon's explanations of the verses. Perhaps, Nicholas thought, there is sufficient evidence in the Qur'an.

----

Back at it again with the updates. Holy fudge, we're at thirty chapters.

So, who's going to ICNA 2018 this year? Because you'll have the chance to really meet me. I'm doing the youth debate. *cries*

Enough about me, did you guys learn stuff from this book?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!