"Don't allow the The society to oppress and define you"

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Third persons POV

Amal stares at the boy before her in wonder not that she was gazing like she had a crush on him but, he was just different after about two or more weeks of just hanging out with him during class and lunch she has began to wonder why?

Why did he care about her that much?, It is scaring her to be honest, At the same time, she felt like if she should hide anything from him he would just see right through her.

So she just decides to just be honest today as they met up outside school for the first time since they apologised to one another, for the first time ever since they became somewhat friends who just talked, well Zach did most of the talking while she just prefers to listen because his words, they had an effect on her maybe she just needed someone who is not family, Maybe she just needed that one friend that would drag her down when she begins to float. It made Zach happy that they were climbing across another wall of hers but everything was in baby steps and that's okay with him too.

"So" Zach says making Amal raise a brow at him did he have something to say?

"So" Amal says trailing of..

"You cut your hair?" Zach asks noticing her hair which once upon a time was almost reaching her butt now at the neck Length and it still looked good on her as it framed her face making her beauty more obvious.

"Um yeah,it was getting to long since I don't throw it into buns like I usually did with my head scarf it felt heavy for me" Amal explains and Zach nods in understanding his sister chops of her hair too well he helps her even when she doesn't want too. But that's a story for another day.

"It looks nice" he says making her cheeks burn

"Thanks" she mumbles

"So you have anything you want to ask me?" he asks

"Yeah,since when do you know me?"Amal asks

"Elementary school or in other words kindergarten" Zach says making her frown

"What really?" Amal asks with wide eyes

"Yeah, I remember borrowing all of your candy and you would get so mad at me" he says with a laugh making Amal's eyes to widen in realization

"Borrowing more like stealing!, so that was you huh? I see the mischief Still hasn't stopped" Amal states with a serious voice before they bursted into laughter at the memory.

"so what do you want to study in the future?" Amal asks curiously

"Still not sure yet but wherever the wind blows I guess" He says making her raise a brow, she hasn't met anyone in this century that does not have their life already planned out.

"Oh" she says softly

"What do you want to become if you don't get your dream job?" Zach asks her curiously

"A little bit of everything if that is possible to be honest" Amal stated making Zach grin

"So you can prove everyone that you can make it in life right? even though you are a Muslim girl " Zach asks making her to frown bam! he got her... AGAIN.

"How do you know me so well?" she couldn't help but to ask

"Last year of elementary school and In middle school and now in highschool" Zach states making her roll her eyes...oh right she forgot that he too had a smart mouth.

"You know what I mean" Amal states making him grin

"I guess, I just do" He mutters with a shrug

"I'm sure you don't know anything else about me" she challenged him

"Try me" he says he loves challenges

"My birthday?"she dares

"January 1st" he States making her stare at him with wide eyes

"I'm not a stalker I swear just that, I heard the teacher telling you happy birthday on April fools day" Zach rants not wanting her to run again but then again what is he saying what is the connection between April fools day and Amal's birthday?

"Don't sweat it, let's not ask more questions about me then before I run away, I hate people knowing too much about me private life" Amal states jokingly but there was a lace of seriousness in her tone and Zach sensed it.

"I have noticed" he says making her blink

"Why aren't you wearing a headscarf? didn't you love wearing that thing?" he asks curiously making her eyes widen

"Yes but that's a story for another day" she states making him nod he respect her decision

"Okay but tell me what the head scarf symbolizes in your religion?" he asks curiously he has seen girls wearing it every once in a while he knows it shows that they are Muslim but he never really understood what was it's significance.

"To me it symbolizes Modesty both on the inside and on the outside for me, the hijab reminds me that my soul is sacred, my body is sacred and also freedom I feel free inside of it, there are always people saying it is a form of oppression but no not one bit, I mean look at me now I decided that I didn't want to wear it and my parents were okay with it and I'm not even 18 yet, also a woman deserves to feel confident about herself, I felt like that in one way or the other l,I felt like a queen when I wore it back then" Amal states with a grin as she stares into a distance lost in her own thoughts while Zach stares at her he can feel it, he can see that she is longing for it.

"What about now?"he asks her curiously

"What do you mean?" she asks with wide eyes confused she was confused he makes her so confused.

"How do you feel right now?" he asks her again

"But i'm not wearing one right now" she states

"I know" he replies

"Exposed,lost,imprisoned,I feel like I have lost my identity..." she confesses with her eyes downcast

"Then why are you doing something you are not comfortable in?" Zach asks dammit he knows to much

"Who said i'm not comfortable?, it's my body" she tries to lie

"You! just now, you used other words but it still pointed at the same thing which is uncomfortable, don't allow the The society to oppress and define you Amal, some girls they feel free without this hijab or headscarf on, some feel free with their hair covered, some feel free with opened hair or dresses, some feel freedom in this hijab or head scarf and covering themselves with whatever but I'm not saying this because of anything but because I don't want you to ruin yourself" he rants making her stare at him with wide eyes

"Maybe I don't want to talk about it anymore" Amal states wanting the boy to shut up and to stop looking through her.

"Okay, then what do you want to talk about?"he asks her

"What did you do with all of my candy that you stole?" Amal asks making him let out a groan

"Oh My, are you actually serious?" he asks in disbelief

"Yesss! I want to know what you did with all of my Candies,you should know by now that i don't play with food" she states making him smile

"I have noticed and yes I ate all of it on my way to a family vacation I went on" he confessed with smirk

"You are such a jerk" she states sending him a glare

"But That was several years ago" he states In defense making her roll her eyes

"Yet you still ate my shawarma" she eyed him warily

"Gosh, would you ever let that go?" Zach laughs

"Nooo shawarma is one of my only fav"Amal states with a pout

"Is that a traditional dish?" he asks curiously

"eh something like that" she says with a smile

"It's really delicious" Zach says making her grin

"I know right, anyways what are you?" she asks Zach making him frown

"What do you mean?" he asks

"What are you?" she repeats again

"Human" he replies like the total smart ass he is

"are you Latino,French Spanish,African american Hispanic i'm confused on your race,what are you?"she explains making him laugh

"A mixed race that is what I am, my mom is mixed so is my dad so trust me you will get more confused if I go on" He states with a smile but Amal nods and smiles back encouraging him to say more.

"Try me" Amal says with a smirk

"My mom is a mixture of Hawaiian and Spanish from my dad is a mixture of French and African American" he says to her it and it finally made sense to her on how,he has very curly afro not like a pure African but something that a kind of fro that a mixed Mexican boy can have,also explains how he has blue eyes,also his skin tone was not completely white but he wasn't black either...somewhere in between biracial light skin.

"so that makes you French, African American, Spanish and Hawaiian wow" She replies she was truly stunned

"That's a lot huh?" he asks with a grin

"Yes that's so cool, I mean getting to have many cultures to dabble in according to your choice you are lucky as heck" She states he nods in agreement

" Also get to visit those beautiful countries in the name of visiting my cousins and aunts!" he states with a laugh

"Lucky you!, I wish I could get to travel like that in the name of relationships" She says making him frown

"What are you?"he asks curiously

"Arabian" She says making his brow shoot up in realization

"Well then putting you under the stereotype" He jokes making her glare at him playfully

"There are also Muslims from different places like India,China,England,America,Africa and a lot more out there" She explains he nods in agreement again

"Yeah I know, I was only messing with you so Where are you from?" He asks her curiously

"Syria,Damascus in particular" she states making his eyes to widen he has heard of the damage that has been taking place there.

"Wow" he finally says

"Yes I know right, i have so many uncles and aunts even cousins who are Muslims who were killed by this so called muslim terrorists, you don't even want to know about it,I can't even visit anyone but hear the news of their deaths like i heard my da...nevermind" She says with a sad smile while looking down at her shoes not noticing the look Zach was giving her of pure sadness and pity even though no one likes pity but he really couldn't help it.

"If it makes you feel any better i don't think All Muslims are terrorist, terrorism has no religion heck let me use myself for example, if I try to mug you right that would be me terrorizing you does that make any sense? and i'm not even Muslim!" Zach rants making a faint smile appear on her face

"What are you?" Amal asks curiously

"Was actually born into an Atheist family so here I am as an atheist" Zach says carefully watching her expression but her eyes held no judgement... Most religious people don't like smart asses Aka Athiests.

"I'm surprised that someone actually gets me I wish the rest of the world can be like you be it whether they are Jews, Christians,Buddhists,Hindus,Taoists or any other religion that is out there" She says with out thinking well the word was out he felt flattered.

"What's the time?" she asks making Zach look down at his wristwatch

"5;39" he says

"Oh I better get going then it's almost time for prayers" Amal explains while standing up she pulled her hood to cover her face more

"How many times do you guys pray daily?" Zach asks curiously

"5 why?" Amal states raising a brow at the boy

"Nothing, Can I drop you off?" Zach asks gentlemanly making Amal brows furrow

"No, My house really is just around the corner" she says wanting him to go home

"Okay then let's walk" Zach insists making Amal roll her eyes internally this boy just is following her everywhere nowadays.

"Don't stress yourself you are living on the other part of town?" she says

"Not stressing myself just escorting my new friend" he says with a smile making her smile back too as she stops in front of her house making his eyes widen while Amal pushed a stray of curl of her hair being her ear shyly, she really doesn't want to boast but her parents did well as they built the house from their hard work it was pretty dope Alhamdulilah(which means Thank God).

"It's really beautiful" he comments

"Thanks, I uh will just get going now " she says awkwardly.. She doesn't know what else go say

"Oh okay bye then" He says with a smile and this time Amal smiles back

"Bye" Amal waves before entering the house meanwhile Zach smiles before he started to work back towards where his car was packed, he can't believe she opened up to him so much today, he got her to talk about her pain now he knows that her problems are not only from school but from life too and that's a win situation for both of them because she will feel better as she has spoken to someone about her problems that's her allowing Zach to pack some of her burdens and put it on his back,that's what friends do they share absolutely everything.

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