Read Online Safiah's Smile by Leora Friedman - Free Book Online Page B

denim skirt
and cowboy boots. She was a sophomore, and Mandy Johnson was
hosting a western-themed party at her suburb mansion that Friday
night. Whose idea was that? she thought.
    “But you’re going, Sam,” she
insisted.
    “Yes. But that’s different,” he
pressed. He stood in the doorway, his arms criss-crossed against
his chest.
    “How so?”
    Malia refused to surrender. Her
brother was being unfair. A double standard. If he could go, why
couldn’t she?
    “ It... it just is, Malia. I
don’t like this.” Since when did
he become my parent? she remembered thinking
in disgust. Now she finally understood. At least
somewhat.
    But not at the time.
    She saw Danny lingering in the
hallway impatiently.
    “ Danny’s going? And you’re
going? But I can’t go? You’re funny, Sam. But newsflash – you’re not my
father. You’re my brother.” What
was he so worried about? she had
thought.
    “ Older brother,” he reminded with a smirk.
    “ By three minutes! And
you never let me forget it.” She had been so furious with him and so
disgusted with Danny – his obedient best friend.
    “There’s going to be alcohol there,
Malia. It’s a senior party.”
    “Oh no! Thank you Sam for letting
me know. I had no idea they would be serving beer. Really, Sam, you
are my hero,” she chuckled, striding confidently past her brother
and inadvertently shoving Danny Sawyer in the process.
    Malia felt a hand lightly shaking
her shoulder.
    “ Malia. Malia, we’re here.”
And almost immediately, she was transported back into the present.
The gloomy, surreal present. If
only I could go back , she
thought.
    They stepped into the hall. Flocks
of college students stood mindlessly chatting and spinning and
bobbing to tunes of the new millennium. Girls in platinum heels,
sequin skirts, and jewel bangles gossiped with friends, while boys
in denim jeans and J. Crew shirts pranced confidently through the
hall while sipping aluminum cans of Diet Pepsi.
    And there they stood. Watching it
all from a distance. For several interminable minutes, Malia and
Safiah simply observed, wondering what to say. What to do. But then
Malia strode through the threshold, and Safiah timidly
followed.
    The stares of their fellow
classmates were fixed on Malia and Safiah. Meanwhile, Malia eyed an
alluring tray of salted sourdough pretzels, snatched a handful from
the glass dish, and began lightly nibbling on one.
    “Did you come here for the food,
too?” a boy with light blonde hair and misty grey eyes approached
her with a smile.
    Malia turned to her left and saw
Reese, the overly-eager chemistry fanatic from Dr. Howard’s class.
She smiled. “Are you kidding? The only reason I ever come to these
things is for the food. Why else?”
    Safiah chuckled, and Reese
abruptly gaped at her. “Who is this ? Are you friends with this girl,
Malia?” he asked while promptly stepping away from the Muslim girl
with the twinkling eyes and unconventional attire.
    Malia jumped, not anticipating a
harsh tone from such a jovial character. Several sourdough pretzels
spilled to the ground, crackling into pieces. White grains of salt
peppered the hardwood flooring surrounding Malia’s satin shoes.
“She’s a friend of mine, Reese. Her name’s Safiah. Why do you
ask?”
    A thick silence swept the room. A
boy in a Ravens jersey pouring seltzer from a plastic bottle into a
small glass unintentionally overflowed his cup. Malia could hear
war droplets trickle from the metal table to the wooden floor.
    “Because, no offense, but I don’t
really want a terrorist at my school. Which, unfortunately, I can’t
really do anything about. But I definitely don’t want her at my
party,” he exclaimed, his face burning with a surge of
adrenaline.
    Malia’s heart heavied and she
gaped at the crowd of classmates, expecting a courageous soul to
speak. But not a word was spoken. Not even a gasp.
    Glancing at Safiah, Malia saw that
she was unhindered. Rather, her body was frozen. Her