Chapter Two – Dream come true….or not?

Alaya tried hard to remember. She spent more than a quarter of an hour staring at her sketch, thinking where she could have seen the kind of charisma that she sees in front of her. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t figure out who it could be or where she must have seen him. It took her a while to come to terms with the fact that she might as well be imagining things. But even when she did, her heart won’t rest because she was close to sure that she must have seen him. For real.

Alaya’s phone rang while she was still lost in thoughts. With a sigh, Alaya put her sketch down and answered the phone the moment she saw Lilly’s name on screen.

“Hey Lill!” Alaya answered in a gloomy voice.

“Hey…..sorry if I disturbed your sleep Ally! But I called because it was an emergency. I just remembered that our damn unit exam on economics was pre-poned to today and I haven’t even touched my books. Do me a world of good and come to school early today can you love? It’s always easier for me when you explain.” Lilly said.

“Of course Lill, I will. Kinda surprised that Lilly Thompson forgot about an exam though. It’s not every day you hear such a thing.” Alaya said, genuinely surprised at what she had heard. Everyone in school could forget the date of an exam, but not a star student like Lilly.

“Well….you know how it is…I’m only human aren’t I? Hehe…” Lilly’s nervous laugh at the end and the change of tone in her voice made Alaya suspicious.

“What is it Lill? Are you trying to prank me or something?” Alaya asked.

“Nothing Ally its nothing. Really! I just need your help. Just be there around 7:30 ok? See ya!” Lilly said and the phone clicked before Alaya could say a word.

Alaya looked at her phone, puzzled. What was up with Lilly? Having known Lilly for more than 3 years, Alaya could trust her own instincts about her friend. So much so that Lilly can’t even plan a surprise party for her without her having hints about it. But what could Lilly be trying to hide from her today? If she remembered correctly, it isn’t her birthday today. Neither is it the first of April. What could be up? Alaya wondered.

Before she could think any further, she had a glance at the clock. Seeing that it was going 5 minutes to 6:30, Alaya rushed out of bed along with her pencil and sketchbook. She went to the study table in a hurry but as she kept the sketchbook on the table and she saw the man ‘looking’ at her, she slowed down once again. She looked at the sketch for a few seconds and then carefully tore the paper from the book and put the paper in her clear folder file, making sure that its hidden behind all of her other papers.

Not wanting to be late for the bus she had to catch at 7, Alaya took a quick shower and slipped into one of her typical tight long-sleeved tops and jeans. She wore a black shawl to match with her plain white top and black jeans. She looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled being pleased with how she looked. She knew how many of her friends were jealous of her hour glass shape and one of the intentions of wearing tight clothes was to rub it in their faces. And of course another, was to impress boys, though Alaya thought it was highly impossible being who she was, especially in a city like New York.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t beautiful. She was. With her heart-shaped glowing face, hazel eyes and naturally curled eyelashes, she did have the looks. In the past 16 years she spent in New York, there were guys who had crushes on her. Alaya got to know that many of them held back because they knew she was muslim due to her hijab. That made Alaya wish her parents hadn’t forced her to wear hijab a million times. She has had guy friends but the relationship would never go further than that. The American guys apparently never liked a muslim girl and she wouldn’t let the relationship grow either. Realizing that her father would kill her if he got to know. Being sure that the relationship won’t last because her parents would never even dream of her getting married to someone outside of Egypt. And thankfully she’d never been so emotionally attached to any guy though she found many of them cute and handsome. It was perhaps because of the distance she had always kept.

Nonetheless Alaya does want to have a relationship. She wants to do cute things with a guy and post pictures on Facebook with deep quotes about love. She wants to let her hair down and wear sleeveless dresses as she makes grand entries into parties with her man. She wants to go to the prom which is in 3 days from now, like everyone else. Alas! What a life she has. A life held back like a prisoner right in the middle of the epitome of freedom.

Putting her thoughts aside for the umpteenth time, Alaya wore her backpack took her file folder and walked out of her room thinking of breakfast. But realized she couldn’t as she heard her father reciting Quran in the living room. That was a tell-tale sign that it was a morning of Ramadaan and you can’t eat. Hating herself for not eating last night and blaming her entire family for it, Alaya headed for the door. She sensed her father looking at her but she didn’t bother to look back.

The bus had come the minute Alaya had reached the bus stop. She thought of calling Lilly to tell her she was coming but decided to do her own revision instead. She could only focus on her notes for about half an hour of the commute. In the other half, all she could do was look out the window with her daydreams about the future as usual. When the bus stopped near her high school, she got off and walked into the school’s campus. At that time, dead silence filled the campus and all Alaya could see were a few teachers walking by here and there. Alaya walked upstairs to the second floor and walked quietly to her class. She got to her class earlier than even their class teacher, Mrs. Meadows who would usually be doing any pending work until the students come at this time. She probably isn’t coming today, Alaya thought. She sat down on her usual seat and wondered about Lilly. As she picked up her phone to call her, someone entered the class.

“Uh! If it isn’t the beauty all by herself. Alaya! Whatcha doing?!” said Max, popularly known as the “blonde hottie” of the school. Alaya could accept that title for Max. To a certain extent at least. Max had a manly, tall figure with his muscular body starting to form due to him getting a membership in a gym just this year. Alaya could see his ice blue shirt tightly held against his growing biceps and chest. His hairdo was something he considered as his signature though Alaya has a serious assumption that it was taken from one of the Backstreet boys.

Max came closer to Alaya and took a seat right next to her. That disturbed Alaya as she usually doesn’t sit next to guys though she wanted. She had this fear deep embedded in her heart that her father might get to know though he might be kilometers away from where she is. Besides, she didn’t want to be seated next to Max. He might be a hottie from the outside but his personality was an immature, spoilt and pitiful brat.

“Feeling lonely much?” Max asked, when Alaya didn’t answer his first question. His second question irritated Alaya more than the first. How cheesy could a person get?

“Well I’m just waiting for Lilly. She needed my help for an exam.” Alaya answered in a firm voice, not wanting to carry the conversation further.

“Oh I see….so you are the smarter one huh? Beauty with brains! Such a rare thing to find these days…” Max said, shaking his head.

Alaya pressed her lips together trying to hide her smile. She may not like Max. But she liked being complimented. That was actually enough for her to start imagining Max might be “the one”. Though the fact that his personality makes her want to puke was still somewhere in the corner of her head.

“Heard about the prom?” asked Max, out of the blue

“Yeah…” Alaya answered, not knowing where this conversation was headed.

“You going?” asked Max, giving Alaya a deep look.

“No I’m not.” Alaya said, her heart beginning to race.

“Wanna go?”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Wanna go….with me?”

Alaya looked at Max, startled with the last thing he asked. He was looking at her with a side smile and confident eyes. Alaya couldn’t say a word. She didn’t know what to say or how to react since this was the first time a guy was asking her out for prom. For anything in that matter. Her heart was thumping against her chest to the point she felt a tremble in her whole body. She wanted to say yes so badly. She wouldn’t turn down such an offer no matter who it was coming from. As long as she got to do what everyone was doing. Max taking her out to prom was not a matter that will end at the prom. Max was the most famous guy of the whole school. Every girl looks forward to go out with Max. And him asking her to go out with him to the prom might even mean he wants to get into a relationship with her. How in the world can she miss out on this? But remembering her father’s face kept Alaya silent for a whole minute.

“Hehe….you can take your time with the answer Alaya. You might be even surprised by my offer. But I’ve always liked you though I never got to say so. Shit! Was not going to say that so simply.” Max said shyly, moving his hand through his hair. Alaya laughed involuntarily.

“Say yes Ally say yes!!!” screeched Lilly who made an appearance in front of the door and was apparently listening to the whole conversation.

“Lilly! I was waiting for you and you…..you planned this whole thing didn’t you?!” Alaya said, with her eyes widened with the sudden realization.

“Yup! Now you know!” said Lilly.

“I’ll leave you two to it…hoping to get an answer soon Ally!” Max said, standing up and winking at Alaya. Alaya smiled, while being surprised at her unforeseen change of attitude towards Max. What was happening to her?

When Max left, Lilly sat next to Alaya and turned Alaya towards her.

“What are you waiting for Ally? Why didn’t you just say yes when Max was here? He told me to make this plan for you this morning. He said he has liked you for long but thought you’d never accept. But I told him all about you and that’s why he just confessed to you today. Why didn’t you answer?” Lilly asked repetitively.

“I don’t know Lill. I don’t know how to feel about this. I….” Alaya couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Look Ally, if its your dad you are fearing that don’t worry about it. I will make up a story to make sure you make it to the prom and this whole relationship with Max stays hidden. How long are you going to live in fear?” said Lilly.

Alaya could not say anything to that either.

“Think about it Ally! This is our last year of high school. If you don’t find a man this year, when are you going to? College is going to be one hell of a busy place. You are not going to find time for these things later on in life you know? And you will regret your whole life if you say no to the most famous guy in the whole batch you studied in high school with!” said Lilly.

“Maybe you are right Lilly. But I don’t really like Max as a matter of fact…he’s got a kind of attitude…”

“I know how you feel about that too. But I supported Max with this plan just as a first step for you to get out of your shell Ally. You can’t possibly live your whole life like this. You deserve to have the very best! But you have to start with someone less than perfect to eventually be with the one you love the most. Besides, there is no one who is perfect in real life is there? Just give this one a try and see how it works out for you. Who knows you might even meet another man you like at the prom. Just like in movies!” Lilly said, with a twinkle in her eyes giving Alaya a glimmer of hope.

“Hehe….Thank you for always being there for me Lill…speaking of another man, it reminded me of a dream I had last night.”

“What kind of dream?”

“Well….i think it was the prom I saw in the dream. There was a very handsome stranger who asked me to have a dance with him. And we did. So perfectly and beautifully. It just felt…..so right!”

“Whoa! Alaya….dont you think your dream has just come true?”

“How?”

“A handsome man, has just asked you out to have a dance with him at the prom. OMG Alaya you are the luckiest girl in the world!!!”

“Wait…what?”

“Max is the man in your dream and you are going to have a dance with him. Oh God I think I’m going to cry! I’m gonna call Max right now and you are taking this phone and saying you are going with him!”

“But….”

“No buts and no ifs just shush!” Lilly said putting one of her hands on Alaya’s mouth.

Alaya just kept on looking at Lilly as she made the call and told Max that Alaya had something to say.

“Just say it!” Lilly whispered holding the phone on Alaya’s ear. Alaya shook her head.

“Don’t be shy Alaya just say it!” Lilly said aloud so that Max could hear and Alaya is irritated. Lilly kept saying ‘just say it’ until Alaya was too annoyed to not get out of this situation.

“OK OK!!! I’m going with you Max!!” Alaya blurted out.

Lilly screeched with excitement while Alaya heard Max saying ‘really’ from the other end of the phone. Alaya reassured Max that she is going, while still having second thoughts in her mind. Max expressed how happy he was and clicked the phone saying he will see her there.

The second thoughts kept disturbing Alaya throughout the whole school day. Her hunger was less of a problem compared to the stress she was going through. How could she have accepted to go to the prom? What will happen when her dad gets to know? How in the world did she accept Max’s proposal? Is she that desperate of a girl to accept a proposal of any guy that came her way? Doesn’t she have any standards when it comes to choosing men?

The questions that ran through her head made Alaya feel terrible about herself. As a result, she walked out of the class without talking much to Lilly though her friend was talking to her non-stop. The one news that caught Alaya’s attention was that there was a company that was coming to advertise their product at the prom.

“The company is owned by some Egyptian guy. Its huge. I heard that it has branches that offer multiple services. Medical centers, shopping malls, restaurants, you name it! All of it owned by one guy. You never told me that Egyptian dudes were so rich, Ally.” Lilly said. Only if she got to know any Egyptian guy besides her cousins, Alaya thought.

Alaya departed from her friend at the bus stop. Lilly went home in a taxi while Alaya waited for her bus. It was cold and windy though it was the afternoon. Alaya still felt uneasy. Not just because of the wind. But also because her heart kept saying that Lilly was wrong. Max is not the man from her dream. He isn’t even close. He doesn’t even look like him.

That thought reminded Alaya of her sketch. She had the sudden urge to take a look at it. So she opened her folder that had started ripping from the side. If she wasn’t holding the file properly, the papers would fall any minute. But just the moment she opened the file, a girl who walked by her bumped into her and all the papers fell on the pavement. Just at the second, Alaya heard and saw the bus approaching. In a hurry, Alaya bent down to take all of her papers. But many of the papers were flying away with the wind. Alaya took hold of as many papers as she could and stood straight as the bus stopped. As she got on the bus, she looked back to see the papers she left and told herself she could get a copy of all of it. She was happy not to find her sketch on the floor and dearly hoped she had taken it with her.

But Alaya was wrong. Her sketch was there, near the pavement. She hadn’t noticed because it was upside down. It turned to the right side as the bus rushed just an inch away from it and moved to the middle of the road. Just then, a black Range rover drove by and stopped just at the moment its wheels touched the corner of the sketch.