Chapter 13

                                    

                                          
(Edited)
                          
It didn't matter how hard I tried, sleeping in on a Saturday was impossible. After five days of waking up at seven a.m. my body clock was altered so that I would always wake up at that time on a Saturday. 
                          
Theo said he would be coming at around noon, meaning I had five hours to burn. I used this time to read some Quran, catch up on some English homework and do a few chores like vacuuming my room and cleaning the bathroom with Zeinab. Oh, the joy. Our lazy older brother didn't bother to help us, he just shut himself in his room working on assignments for his architecture course. Nasr had always been a good artist and had a sharp sense of detail, so I wasn't surprised when he decided to pursue this type of career. Baba and Mama wanted him to enter the medical field, but since he didn't, they were now hoping I fulfilled their dream of parenting a doctor. In Sha Allah.
                          
I was halfway through making a peanut butter sandwich in the kitchen when I heard the doorbell. That must be Theo, ten minutes late as usual. The problem was, I wasn't wearing a hijab and Nasr was in his room, while my father was at his job and Immi was in the backyard hanging up the clothes. I was pretty sure Zeinab went to the bathroom, so it left me to answer the door. And Theo was getting impatient, ringing the doorbell repetitively that I felt like tearing my hair out in panic.
                          
"Hang on a second, Theo!" I called, rushing down the hallway to my room, which was right on the other side of the house. I bumped into Nasr, who had just stepped out of his room, and was staring at me in bafflement.
                          
"Why aren't you answering the door?" he asked as I attempted to get past him.
                          
"Hijab, remember?" I tapped my head.
                          
"Oh, yeah. Do you want me to get it?" Nasr pointed his thumb in the direction of the door, and I nodded. "Yes, please. Yallah, go! He's getting impatient."
                          
"He?" Nasr looked confused for a second, until he realized "Oh, it must be Theodore!"
                          
I laughed at hearing Theo's full name. He hated when people called him that. Apparently when he was little the boys at school would call him Theodora the Explorer, and since then Theo had a strong hatred for the show, as well as purple backpacks.
                          
As I haphazardly threw on a light blue scarf that sort of matched my outfit of navy leggings with red stars and a blue t-shirt, which I had to cover with a red hoodie, I heard Theo's deep voice in the hall, mingled with Nasr's and the flushing of a toilet. I stepped out of the room the same time Zeinab exited the bathroom, her hair in two French braids. I gestured for her to hurry back into her room, whispering, "Theo's here, you have to hide!"
                          
Zeinab moaned, "But I'm hungry!"
                          
"Then go wear a hijab and come out, silly girl," I crept down the hallway as Zeinab huffed to go grab a hijab, almost having a mini-heart-attack when Theo jumped out from around the corner of the wall, scaring me.
                          
"Oh my God Theo why do you always do that?" I clutched my heart, frowning as he laughed raucously. Nasr also laughed at me, along with Theo's older brother Alex. He waved at me, shooting me a smile and a swift hello before following Nasr into the lounge, carrying a folder of papers. Oh, so they were actually going to be studying?
                          
"You make it so easy," Theo finally replied with a cheeky grin as I led him into the kitchen. My stomach grumbled at the sight of my half-spread slice of toast, and I picked up the knife, dipping it into the smooth caramel-coloured pot of heaven that was peanut butter.
                          
"Ooh, you're making a sandwich? Can I have one?" Theo sat at the table, hungrily eyeing the peanut butter. 
                          
"Sure why not," I replied, grabbing two extra slices from the bag. Whenever Theo came over he would always raid my fridge and eat our snacks. Sometimes it felt like he was here just for the food instead of me, but that was Theo for you. Food before friends.