Tension filled the atmosphere as they waited patiently.

After 20 minutes, nothing happened.

"I shall take my leave then, next time bring something worth before accusing my daughters" Fadilah warned.

She left the office while the children walked to their class.

"Up top!" Fa'iza yelled.

Fa'iza and Hanan jumped and did a hi-five in the air.

"You really did leave it clean, a full proof plan!" Fa'iza exclaimed.

They entered Mathematics class.
"Wow!" Fa'iza exclaimed.

"NICE!" Hanan followed.

They sat at the corner since that was the only space left.

"Welcome children, this is your new Math teacher. Mr Richard" Mrs Clara introduced.

"I'll leave you to them" She walked away in a hurry.

"Hello children I'm Mr Richard but you can call me Mr. Ritchie or Rich"

The children observed the man. He is really nice and strict as well.

"Carla, what is it? You look bemused." Mr Rich questioned.

"You are very handsome" She smiled and looked at her shoes, embarrassed at what she just blurted.

He smiled and replied "same as you all, you are very beautiful carla, and the boys are also handsome too, each and everyone of you is".

'His compliments are nice as well' most of the girls thought.

"See you soon children and don't forget to focus on your studies"

Mr Rich left the class, "The children were all nice, they showed excitement in their eyes as I teach except for two girls, they were on scarfs, brown and yellow scarfs, they didn't seem excited, do they miss the previous Math teacher?" Mr Rich asked Mr Jack.

"No, they are new students.....just beware, they are notorious! Its hard to win their hearts or even buy their affection"

"Hmm okay!"

"The way he taught is amazing" Jamila squealed.

"Oh please, don't be deceived, that's every teacher's goal whenever they come to a school!" Hanan argued savagely.

"You just don't know anything".
The other girls argued.

"Typicals, hmm" Fa'iza walked away. ''That's how some high school girls think........the mall, cute guys, dresses........don't you guys have ambitions?"

The students walked into English class,Mrs Olivia's class.

"It's so good to see you guys again, to the new learners, I'm Mrs Olivia, your English teacher, now let's begin with Tenses"

They all looked forward listening to her.

Click! Fa'iza felt a paper that's chewed being spat on the side of her scarf, she looked back but couldn't figure out who.

Another spit ball was thrown but she didn't look back, it continued till the class was over.

An announcement was made "Your seniors will be here by 12:00pm to give you lectures on the topic Drug Abuse"

Hanan remembered him, one of the seniors.

His gray eyes, those eyes that were warm but now she judged whether its warmth is just a disguise.

Hanan loved him so much, she remembered when she was little.

"Hey stop!" Ahmed the eight years old boy shouted when he saw some of his mates kicking and throwing dirt at Hanan, the six years old girl on the floor.

He extended his hands to help her, she took it and hugged him while crying.

He stroke her cheek gently then her hair to soothe her as she cried.

"Ssh, its okay, they're gone.....relax" He whispered to her.

She pulled away from him slowly, while she still cried.  

He held out his handkerchief to her.

She collected it and looked up at his gray eyes, they were beautiful.

He smiled at her before asking "Where do you live?"

She pointed the house painted in purple, it was down the street.

"You're new here aren't you?"

She nodded quickly but didn't speak, for a moment, he thought she doesn't speak.

"Come, let me walk you home" He requested politely.

He went forward walking as she ran to him, she held his hand as they walked.

Ahmed isn't found of girls so, he was clearly uncomfortable with her holding him, most especially when he is Muslim.

"There......we are here!" He exclaimed.

"Hanan! Where have you been? What are all those dirts on you?" She hurried to Hanan. Before she continued"-Let's go in, come on"

She noticed Hannah was holding the little boy's hand, then she frowned looking at the boy.

"As-salamu'alaikum" He greeted, she didn't know who he was so, she pulled Hanan's hand from his.

"Walaikum Salam".

"Momma, he saved me from those awful children that made fun of me and also kicked me" She spoke energetically.

"So he must stay and have dinner with us" She took his hands again.

"Fatima!" Maryam called out excitedly

"Maryam!"

"I see, you've met my son already!"

"Oh, he's your son?" Fatima looked at him again, looks like his mother except he has brown hair and gray eyea like his father's.

Fatima held his face with a smile

"You've really grown up Ahmed"

"Please come in" They entered the house and walked to the sit on the couch.

"Hanny baby, go change your clothes"

"Okay momma"

Hanan ran to her room, wore a long purple dress with pink scarf, she really wanted to make a good impression.

Her mother always taught her to behave. But that was before she met Fa'iza.

"I'm here!" She sat on the sit off the dining table.

Ahmed and his mother ate pasta they said fairwell to them.

"Oh, Fatima, hope Hanan will be going to the same school as Ahmed, besides, she looks like she really does need a friend" Fatima nodded at her statement as they left.

"I guess its time you stop home schooling"

First day of school wasnt as boring as Hanan thought but not before she saw Ahmed, she ran to him with joy and happiness. She hugged him tight.

"Ahmed! Here I brought you this to thank you for what you did for me last week"She handed a chocolate bar to him.

He smiled at the cute girl in front of him.

"Oops, I have to get to class......moma said I shouldn't be late,bye!" She ran to her class, while he went to his.

It went on like that, she would always hug him when she sees him in the morning, it was innocent and platonic.

Everything was fine until when he turned 10.

"Hanan, look, I brought you flowers" Ahmed smiled.

Hanan's eyes widened"Wow, they're so pretty!"

All the boys in his class were raising eyebrows at him for giving a girl flowers, but he knew his intentions for Hanan is pure.

He remembered the day she told him "I really love flowers you know, if you see a pretty one please bring it for me".

He always found her cute, naive and innocent.

But as he grew older, he wanted her to stop hugging him because it is against Islam for someone thats not his sibling to do so.

"Who's picture is that? The baby is very cute......her eyes are big, bright and beautiful......." He asked Hanan.

"Its me!!!" She smiled at him before questioning.

"I'm I still cute?"

For someone as young as Ahmed, he would have just said 'yes' out of ignorance, but he thinks like a grown up, he could tell what the other boys think of Hanan, which is why he always kept her with him.

He is an intelligent boy, not just by reasoning but also in education, he usually helps her study.

"Hmm let me see, I don't think you're that cute anymore" He furrowed his eyebrow while shaking his head.

"Hmm, I guess I have to leave....bye". She turned around to leave before before he yelled

"Hanny! You've always been a cute one!"

She smiled before facing him

"Really?"

She held his hands while looking at him.

"Of course, but don't follow the others, study hard"

"Hanny, how do you view me?" He asked wondering why she spends some much time with him.

"Hmm, momma said you're my brother, I know you're not but I accept that you are, my brother is in another school and a different country and I miss him very much, luckily you're just like him......he intelligent like you and always told me to study hard! He always makes me happy, just like you, I'm still your sister right?"

He smiled at this, then chuckled "Of course" He patted her head. She always reminded him of his own sister named 'Hanan' but she is no more.

He had a double promotion due to his intelligence, now he is one of the youngest in his new class but he is taller than his actual age mates.

As soon as she left, his classmates came over.

He was promoted to the worst class, they all have dirty minds.

They smiled at him while Luqman spoke first.

"Smart boy huh, looks like Romeo got his Juliet earlier than we expected"

"What's her name again?" Katie asked.

"Oh! Hanan, or should I call her Hanny baby?" Ghalib chuckled.

"Young love huh?" Jacob mocked before he continued.

"-Don't be hasty little man, many will come for you when you get older"

"If you have bad intentions then you better leave her, I know boys like you.....always planning to destroy girl's destinys, always luring girls into your traps, I saw it that day she fell on you, you were feeling her, weren't you?".

He knew who that was from, Finn always had a dirty mind.

"I didn't do anything to Hanan! I never did! I-I......I never touched Hanan and wouldn't think of doing it" He tried to defend himself.

"Youre lying! Tell me you don't feel anything when she hugs you" Ghalib added.

Fear gripped him like it was a matter between life and death. Surely he feels uncomfortable with the hug but he didnt have bad Intentions.

He swallowed a lump before he shouted "I don't! I don't feel anything for Hanan."

"You know, if you don't want to say it in front of the girls, you can  just tell us boys" Jace whom he thought wouldn't speak said.

"As you grow older I don't know if your stuff could hold it for Hanan, you better control yourself from this time" Finn chuckled before he continued

"-don't want Hanan to loose her virginity any time soon"

He was really upset with that to the extent he punched Finn so hard blood appeared from his nose.

They fought and got suspended from school. Unfortunately, Hanan's brother saw him and had a bad impression on Ahmed.

They all made fun of him, but he knew he was protecting her from such people, though he couldn't stop feeling angry every time they mocked, he was fed up with their nonsense.

This went on and on, he was fed up with that, he started avoiding Hanan.

But guilt was feeding on his mind, she didn't have any friends, she would eat alone, and even sit in the library reading books alone and that made him feel guilty. Even when it was exam period, he couldn't help her study.

It was the last day of school after their exams,during closing hours, Hanan spotted Ahmed.

She hugged him as usual.

"I've been looking for you......" She cried out.

She ran to bring her brother.

"Brother, meet Ahmed, my super friend whom I've been telling you about, Ahmed, meet Khalil my brother" They shook hands but Hanan's brother wasn't so sure about Ahmed.

"Hanny go bring my phone from the car" Hanan walked away leaving them.

"How can you allow Hanan to hug you? Do you have any shame or do you have bad intentions towards her?" Khalil questioned coldly.

"My intentions are pure, I don't wish harm to her" Ahmed replied with complete coldness.

"There are rumors you two are always together.......-" before he could finish Finn continued Khalil's statement.

"Yeah, they've been together for so long, I bet he was feeling your sister from the under world when she fell on him" Finn made gestures with his hands indicating Hanan's butt then he chuckled with his friends before licking his lips.

"How'd it feel Ahmed?" Ghalib asked.

His other classmates laughed at him while he looks for words to defend himself.

"For fuck's sake! I don't have any fucking feelings for Hanan, and you could please tell Hanan to never in her entire life hug me again? Shit! I despise it, I'm disgusted by it.....I don't even like her, she's naive, lonely, stupid and weak, people always trample on her and she does nothing but cry, she's nothing but a weakling, I don't even want her to touch me........-"

Before he could go further, he saw Hanan with tears rushing down her cheek.

"Hanny wait! I didn't mean-"

"Call me Hanan,my name is Hanan" She yelled before running away.

The same insult ran fresh as grass in her memory, she didn't notice the tear drop until Fa'iza spoke.

"Hanan! Why are crying?"

"I just remembered Ahmed, Fa'iza.......I'm I naive, lonely, weak and stupid?"

"Hell no Hanan! If anyone hurts you then that person is goner, no one is perfect!"

"Then why does it still hurt?"

"Relax Hanan, the pain will go with time".

That was what encouraged Hanan to be partners in crime with Fa'iza. She always believed in her and saw the real her and encouraged her that its okay to not be fierce sometimes.