London Prep: Book Three, page 22
Naomi grabs my hand, examining it. “Your nails are holding up nicely,” she says, her eyes moving over my extensions.
“When did you have them done?” Olivia asks.
“Last weekend.”
“So, you’ll want them filled this weekend,” she replies, glancing down at her own. They’re painted a classic red and even longer than mine.
“We should go get them done together,” Naomi suggests. “I think I’m ready for something more fall-themed. Maybe a bright orange or soft gold?” she asks, holding up her nails to us.
Olivia shakes her head. “No orange. But a soft gold would be nice.”
“Pink is usually my color,” Naomi adds.
“Is red yours?” I ask Olivia.
“That or pink,” Naomi answers for her.
“Like I always say …” Olivia smiles, looking at Naomi.
Naomi rolls her eyes but grins back. “Your nails should always be one of two colors and your perfume always the same,” Naomi says, finishing Olivia’s statement.
“What color do you want?” Olivia asks me.
I look down at my nails, taking in the blue gray color. “I think, next time, I’ll get black or a deep burgundy maybe.”
“A rich wine color would definitely be beautiful for fall,” Naomi agrees.
“I’ll probably get my extensions off though,” I say.
“Nooo.” Naomi pouts.
“They’re driving me crazy.”
“But they look great,” Olivia states, like that somehow makes up for their annoyance.
“Yeah, I just don’t think they’re for me,” I say as Mr. Pritchard does his best to quiet our classroom. I turn back around in my seat, facing him.
“Quiet,” he growls, standing up from his desk.
We all do as we were told, and the room silences.
“Now, we’ve got a busy week ahead of us and an exam coming up on Friday.”
“Ugh,” Naomi groans from behind me. It’s loud enough for me to hear but quiet enough that Mr. Pritchard doesn’t.
“We’re going to finish our chapter today, and tomorrow, I will hand out your study guide. You’ll be allowed to work on it with a partner for the entire class. Wednesday and Thursday, we will then spend reviewing,” he clarifies.
More primal.
4pm
When class is over, my hand aches from writing so much. Mr. Pritchard wasn’t joking when he said we would have a busy week. He spoke even faster than usual with his back to us, scribbling across the whiteboard the entire time. His handwriting is almost illegible, and between that and his quick but quiet voice, I strained the entire class to get everything written down. I say good-bye to Olivia and Naomi and head to the common room.
I spot the boys easily, finding Noah with his back against a brick wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Mohammad is standing in front of him, and from the looks of it, he’s telling an entertaining story. His arms are flying out around him, and he’s wearing a huge grin on his face.
Noah buckles over with laughter as I approach them.
“Hey.” I smile, looking between them.
“Hey,” Noah replies, still smiling. He pushes off of the wall, grabbing his backpack off the floor.
Mohammad looks between us. “Well, are you two ready for the hounds of hell to be unleashed upon you?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Mohammad! You’re terrible!”
“Just wait,” he says with a wink, nodding his head for us to follow along behind him. “You’ll find out for yourself soon enough.”
Mohammad leads us down a long hallway before pushing through a set of doors connecting our building to the primary school.
“It’s kind of crazy that this is all the same school,” I comment, taking in the new surroundings.
The hallway is brighter, and bulletin boards are hung outside of each classroom. The name of the teacher is pinned up with what looks like artwork or projects from the class.
A group of kids in uniforms pushes past us, walking through the hallway with their backpacks.
“Why do we never see them out front?” I ask Mohammad.
“It’s the same school but technically separate wings and buildings. There are two entrances even. One for primary, one for secondary,” Mohammad answers.
“So, they want to keep it separate,” I state, nodding along.
“Thank God they do. Could you imagine us all being mixed up? It would be a nightmare,” Mohammad replies.
“We’re only allowed in the primary building after school’s over,” Noah says, continuing. “Drop-off and pick-up times. Otherwise, if you’re caught here without reason, they’ll send you straight to the office.”
Noah and I follow behind Mohammad until we get to another common room. It’s similar to ours, but there are little kids running around everywhere and tons of parents.
“Mo Mo!” a little girl exclaims, running straight up to Mohammad.
He squats down, and she launches into his arms.
“Hey,” he says, picking her up and giving her a hug.
“Want to say hi to my new friend?” Mohammad whispers to the girl in his arms.
She excitedly nods her head.
“This is Mallory,” Mohammad says, turning to me.
She squishes her head down close to Mohammad’s chest with a grin on her face.
“Hi,” she whispers.
“Why don’t you tell her your name and how old you are?” Mohammad insists.
She holds out her small hand in front of her, holding up five fingers. “I’m Leela.”
“Hi, Leela. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mallory.”
She giggles before looking away.
Two other girls join us, the younger looking shy.
“And these are my sisters, Maya and Nina,” Mohammad continues as Leela wiggles out of his arms. He sets her down, and she takes off running. “Maya is ten, and Nina is eight.”
“Hi, I’m Mallory.” I smile at them and give them a wave.
“Hi,” Maya says, smiling back.
Nina peeks over her sister’s shoulder, not sure of me yet.
“Don’t be shy,” Mohammad insists.
Maya looks the most like Mohammad, her skin a rich chestnut color, matching his. All four definitely look related. Maya has black hair that rests on her shoulders and a long, straight nose. Nina has longer hair that’s parted on the side with thick waves falling well down her back. She has softer features, her rounded nose set centered below warm eyes.
I catch sight of Leela, who is now hiding behind Mohammad’s leg. She has the lightest hair of all of them, almost a caramel brown that wisps around her face. But she shares Mohammad’s sparkling eyes and wide grin.
I’m instantly taken with her.
“Noah and Mallory are going to come with us to the museum,” Mohammad instructs, looking between Maya and Nina.
“Cool,” Maya says nonchalantly, holding on to the backpack straps at her chest.
“All right.” Mohammad nods, grabbing Leela’s hand.
“No,” she says, pulling away from him and pushing out her bottom lip. She stomps next to Mohammad, crossing her arms over her chest. “I walk on my own.”
“No, you don’t,” Mohammad replies with a huff. He glances over to Noah and me. “Want to hold Noah’s hand?” he offers.
Leela grins, hiding behind Mohammad’s leg again, apparently over her fit.
Noah holds out his hand to her with a smile. She giggles and then runs over to him, delicately placing her hand into his. Then, she swings his hand in a dramatic swoop as they walk. It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.
“Nina, give me your hand then,” Mohammad says to his sister, who puts on a pout.
It’s easy to tell that Maya is old enough to walk on her own, and I think she knows it. She watches her sisters with warmth, but also with a certain amount of pride that you have when you’re allowed to do something others are not.
It’s only a ten-minute walk to the museum, and Leela holds on to Noah’s hand the entire time.
Nina must forget that she didn’t want to hold Mohammad’s hand because she happily walks next to him, glancing at the different faces that pass us by on the street. When we get into the museum, Mohammad lets go of her hand.
“Can we see the animals first?” Nina excitedly asks Mohammad.
I glance around, taking in the huge central room. It’s two stories high with large fossils set into place, showcasing the structure of long-lost animals.
“This is insane,” I say to Noah, who followed me over to one of the displays with Leela.
All three of us are staring wide-eyed at the remains of a dinosaur.
“So big,” Leela whispers.
“It is, isn’t it?” Noah replies.
“Do you mind if we see the animals first?” Mohammad asks, walking up behind us with Nina and Maya in tow.
“Yeah, that sounds great,” I reply absentmindedly.
I feel like I’ve been pulled into a different world, walking into this building. It just has a magical quality about it.
“I want to see a giraffe,” Leela exclaims, tugging at Noah’s hand.
“All right.” He chuckles, smiling down at her. “Let’s go see if we can find one.”
She nods enthusiastically before letting out a stream of giggles. Maya and Nina lead the way, Mohammad at their side. We move down a long hallway before entering into a large, open room.
“Look, the giraffe.” Leela points, bouncing up and down.
I follow her finger to the large stuffed giraffe in the center of the room. There are numerous animals, different species of birds, and cats spread out. The girls are already off. I watch Maya walk slowly, her gaze intense on every animal she passes by.
“Don’t touch that,” Mohammad says to Nina, who has her hand outstretched toward an elephant.
“I won’t break it,” she replies, dipping her thick brows in.
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t touch,” Mohammad replies, pushing her forward as we circle the main floor.
“What do you think?” Noah asks at my side. His eyes are on Leela, who is bouncing from one glass encasement to the next.
“It’s a little creepy,” I admit. “I guess, on one hand, it might be good for learning. But on the other, something just feels weird about it.”
Noah nods, his eyes shifting to me. “Yeah. It’s not my favorite room in the museum.”
“What is your favorite room?” I ask as we walk up a wide staircase.
Leela is at Mohammad’s side, and Nina and Maya are a few steps ahead.
“I’m not sure I have a favorite, but they do have a room called Images of Nature that’s cool.”
“Why do you like it?”
Noah stops in front of a glass encasement, his eyes scanning across a section of birds. “I guess I like the interpretation. Something about it shows the action in a way that this doesn’t. It shows movement and life. And you can see how we’ve changed our approach and relationship to nature and to animals.”
“So, you like it because you’re an artist?” I grin, bumping into his shoulder.
Leela looks up at me through thick lashes and grabs on to my hand.
“Look, it’s a bird,” she coos, tapping on the glass.
“It is,” I agree, smiling at her.
Nina and Maya lead us through the first and second levels before weaving their way through the museum. You’d think that, after a while, they’d get tired, but they never seem to.
Part of me thought when we got here that they’d get bored or put up a fight. But it’s actually a really cool museum.
And each time we go into a new section, they’re completely captivated by something.
“Leela!” Mohammad calls out as she goes running off.
Mohammad rolls his eyes as Noah follows her, standing at her side.
“He’s surprisingly good with kids,” I comment to Mohammad.
He waves off my observation. “That’s because he doesn’t have to deal with them all day, every day.”
“Neither do you,” I fire back. “But at least you get to be the oldest.”
“Oldest.” Mohammad dramatically rolls his eyes. “Please. Everyone says that older siblings get what they want. They’re demanding and bossy. Well, think again. I get nothing that I want because I was followed by God’s three gifts to my family. Shiny haired angels who will forever run our household.”
“Come on,” Noah cuts in, joining us. “You know that your family is just waiting for the day that you get your life together and head off to uni.” Noah raises his eyebrows at Mohammad, teasing him.
“I’ll make them proud, of course. Get myself a respectable degree, marry a woman my mother approves of, and then move into the house next door,” Mohammad replies sarcastically.
“Sounds like your personal nightmare,” I tease.
“Basically. But I’m the only boy. So, as long as I find a suitable woman and pick a career that will make me money, my family will respect me,” Mohammad replies.
“Seriously?” I cut in, noticing his change in tone.
“Yeah. I mean, that’s their dream for me.”
“It’s not a bad dream,” Noah comments as we move to the next room.
“It is if it’s not what he wants,” I disagree.
“Who knows what I want? But right now, I don’t want to even think about a wife or a career,” Mohammad says with a shiver. “Come on. Let’s get a snack at the café.”
Mohammad waves Maya, Nina, and Leela over.
“Mum wants me to get some food in them while we’re out. They’re wired from traveling and all this excitement,” Mohammad says, motioning to the museum around us. “But you can be sure, the second we get home, they’ll turn into cranky and tired demonesses.”
“The wheels will fall off the wagon.” I laugh. Because he’s probably right.
“What do you want? Leela, do you want a warm toastie?” Mohammad asks when we get to the café.
It’s fairly busy with a few people already in line.
Leela is peering into the glass display case, her eyes on a chocolate brownie, while Maya reads over the menu.
“Cocoa, cocoa, cocoa,” Leela repeats in a high-pitched and very insistent voice.
Her display gets her a few smiles and a few glares from the people around us.
Noah lets out a chuckle.
“All right, all right, you can have hot cocoa,” Mohammad gives in, waving her back over to him.
“Mo Mo, can I have a brownie?” Leela asks, batting her eyes when she gets beside him.
“You’re having cocoa,” he insists.
And I can tell he’s trying not to use the word no.
I see her eyes light up as her forehead creases, and it looks like she’s about to throw a fit. Mohammad must see it because he squats down next to her.
“All right, which do you want? Cocoa or a brownie?”
“Hmm, cocoa!” she declares.
“Right,” Mohammad agrees, placing her hand into mine. “Why don’t you and Mallory go find us a table? Nina, do you want to go with them?”
She nods, moving beside me.
“What do you want?” Noah asks me.
“Uh …” I stutter. Because I haven’t even looked at the menu.
He waves me off. “I’ll just order you something.”
“Let’s go,” Leela insists, pulling at my arm.
I give in to her, Nina at my side. I look around the café, finding an open table with six seats.
“How about there?” I offer, pointing to a table in the corner.
Nina nods at me, and Leela pulls out of my grip, running up to the table. She hops into the middle chair, shifting in her seat.
“I sit by you,” she says, looking at me with stern eyes.
“All right,” I agree, sitting down in the far corner by the wall.
Nina quietly sits across from me.
“So, I heard your brother decorated the house for your arrival,” I say, trying to make conversation.
Nina looks at me excitedly. “Yes. Mohammad put up flowers and streamers!”
“We ate cake!” Leela shouts.
“Aww, was it yummy?” I ask.
She nods sillily, bouncing her head back and forth. Maya joins us at the table, carrying a tray filled with sandwiches.
A few seconds later, Mohammad and Noah come over, both holding trays.
“All right, we’ve got five hot chocolates, one coffee, five toasties, six bags of crisps, and one apple tart,” Mohammad calls out.
Nina and Maya both grab their sandwiches and crisps as Mohammad passes out the hot drinks.
“We got you coffee and the tart,” Noah says to me, taking the seat next to Leela. “But if you want, I can trade you my sandwich.”
“No, that sounds perfect.”
Mohammad sits between Nina and Maya, breaking up the girls. Everyone eats, content.
Well, everyone, except Mohammad, who practically inhales his food. Maya looks over at him with disgust, watching him shove a handful of crisps in his mouth before swallowing it down with a gulp of hot chocolate.
“Noah, can you check Leela’s hot chocolate?” Mohammad asks, finally coming up for air.
Noah nods, taking a small sip from her drink. “It’s not too hot,” he confirms.
“Do you want some of my cocoa?” she asks me after taking a big gulp.
“Aww, thank you. But I have coffee,” I reply, leaning down toward her.
She brings her hand up to my cheek, staring at me. “You’re beautiful,” she says with a smile.
“Thank you.” I grin at her. “You’re beautiful also. And your sisters too,” I comment, looking at Maya and Nina.
Nina is focused on her sandwich, but Mohammad is watching Leela and me while Noah and Maya talk.
“Do you like Mo Mo?” Leela asks with curiosity.
“Mohammad’s my best friend,” I confirm.
“No!” She shakes her head vigorously.
“Do you have a crush?” I ask, wondering if that’s what she’s getting at.
