I was shocked, I didn't say a word for five minutes.

" What, a date??!! With James?!! " I said as if making sure I heard it right.

" Yep!!! " mum said.

" Mum, you are not sick, are you?!! " I said putting my hand on her forehead to make sure that she wasn't feverish.

" No, Jannah, I'm not hallucinating " she said putting my hand away.

" Then what's wrong?!! You said no last time!!! " I said.

" Nothing is wrong, it's just the right time for you to go on a date with him!! " she explained.

" The right time!!! Mum last time his mother treated me in a very bad way. I don't think this is the right time at all " I said.

" Well, maybe it is!! " she said in a mysterious way.

" Mum, is there anything you are not telling me?!!! " I asked.

" I don......" She tried to say before I cut her off.

" Mum, you are bad at hiding things from me " I said looking into her eyes.

" Well, maybe, but I can't tell you, or James will kill me!!! " she said in a hurry rushing out of the room.

Great, there is something, and she is not telling me. But why?!!

My mum can act like a child sometimes!!

I was about to go back to studying when my mum suddenly opened the door again.

" Your brother will pick you up, he will be in the same place around you because you need a mehrem " she explained.

" So I had to almost lose my life in order for my brother to become nice to me, great!!! " I said.

" Jannah, stop complaining " she said closing the door of my room, leaving me alone in my thoughts.

Why did my mother and my brother agreed for me to go on a date with James?!! Why now?!!! What are they hiding?!!!

I spent the whole day studying to make up for the time I would lose the next day. I tried my best to ignore thinking about it. Come on, if James Wayne asked a girl out, she would spend the whole week preparing for the once in a life time event, and I only had hours!!! This is not fair!!!

The next day I got up early, prayed and prepared for the big event. I had zero experience with dates. I only watch people date on TV.

I put on a pink dress, with a blue scarf and shoes.

" Great, wearing two dresses in the span of three days. That's a record Jannah " I said to myself.

My-now-good brother came around. He changed alot lately, he stopped drinking, began going to the mosque, he even didn't miss a prayer in the mosque in the last two weeks, as if being born again.

I went into his car, and he drove off.

" So it's your first date. How do you feel?!!" Hassan asked trying to start a conversation.

" That I'm being set up!! " I said.

" Why?!!" He asked.

" Maybe because there is a big secret, both you and my mother are hidding from me " I said.

" Don't worry, everything will fall into the right place at the right time" He said trying to reassure me.

Then we reached a big fancy restaurant, one of the restaurants that you would pass quickly because you know you wouldn't afford a cup of water inside.

" Here?!! Are you sure?!!" I asked in amazement.

" Yes, I'm sure, come on " my brother said getting out of the car.

I got out of the car, and I saw James waiting for us outside the restaurant.

" So James, here is your date, take good care of her, and remember you are not a...." My brother said before James cut him off.

" I'm not a mehrem. I know Hassan " James said.

So James now is an Islamic expert!!! How did he know all this?!! Maybe he googled it. He seemed to have done his homework.

Anyway, that's good, at least he would abide by my rules.

" Good, you learn fast, your date ends at 9, I'll be sitting in this Café next to you " Hassan said.

Hassan said his goodbyes and left.

" So, my princess " James said making the way for me.

" Okay, I'm leaving!! " I said pretending to walk away.

" Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, geee man, one can't have a good laugh with you " he said.

" Yep, I'm different " I said.

" Like hell You are " he said seriously.

We sat down on a table across of each other, the waitress came to give us the menus. I guess she was surprised to see a hijabi girl sitting with a white boy. James noticed.

" Is there a problem?!!" He said.

" No, no at all " the waitress said walking away.

" See, James, that's why I tell you it won't work everybody reminds us on a daily basis that we are different. you better distance yourself from me " I said seriously.

" I don't care about anybody but you, end of story Jannah " he said.

I can't say I wasn't happy at his words.

I opened the menu, and I regretted doing so, so I closed it at once.

" Okay, let's go " I said.

" What's wrong?!! " James asked.

" I mean.. the prices!!! " I said.

" Don't worry, it's my treat " he said.

" I know, but it's very extravagant. I would feel guilty eating this food " I said.

" Calm down, I guess it's okay to spoil yourself every once and a while " he explained.

" MacDonald's would have worked " I said.

" No, a special place for a special person, and they have halal food too" he said winking.

" Okay I'll take the salad " I said.

" And?!! " he asked.

" I'm on a diet " I said.

" Really!!! " he said not believing my words.

" Okay, okay, I don't know how to pronounce the names of the dishes!! " I said.

" Hhh, okay, okay, I'll order for you " he said.

The waitress came to take our order and then went away.

I noticed that there was a fish aquarium to my right, so I was admiring it's sight. Then I suddenly noticed James was doing something strange.

" What are you doing?!! " I asked him.

" Nothing!! " he said pretending to be innocent.

I looked behind me and there was an old lady, sitting alone, staring at me.

" Oh please, tell me you weren't flipping the bird for that old lady behind us " I said facepalming myself.

" What?!! She was staring at you as if you are an alien " he explained.

" I don't care, she is soo old, she could die tomorrow!! " I said.

" Okay, I'm sorry " he said.

" Don't apologise to me, go and apologize to her " I said.

" Okay, if that will make you feel better " he said.

He went to where she was sitting and apologized, I was watching him.

" Oh James Wayne, you are so funny! " I said to myself laughing at his attitude.

He came back

" Are you satisfied now?!! "He asked.

" Yep " I said in amusement.

" Okay first things first, I'm really sorry about what my mother have done, I know she could be mean sometimes " he said.

" Hay, don't call your mother mean, she is your mother after all " I said.

" What........I mean........what ?!!" he was lost for words.

" I may hate your mother, but this doesn't give you any right to call her mean " I said.

" Okay, okay, I take this back, the point I'm making is that I'm sorry " he said.

" It's okay, I already spitted all the food, I don't think I have any wine in my system " I said.

" Are you sure?!!" He asked.

" What do you mean?!!" I asked.

" Because you seem a little drunk!! " he said teasing me.

" Your pathetic jokes should be outlawed, they are not good for health!! " I said narrowing my eyes.

The food came, it looked delicious, and it was even more delicious than it looked.

" Bismillah " James said.

" Bismillah " I said after him. I was about to forget to say Bismillah when he reminded me, astaghfirullah.

I had steak with turkey bacon, a side of mashed potatoes, and a delicious Cesar salad.

James had some fried shrimps and crab cake, white rice and green salad.

We both had molten chocolate cake for dessert.

It was a really delicious meal.

" Did you enjoy it?!! " He asked.

" Alhamdulilah, like I have never eaten before, thank you " I said smiling at him.

I noticed that People were still staring at us.

" That blonde waitress there wants to go on a date with you?!!" I said teasing him.

" No, she won't be enough " he said.

" She is very beautiful, how can't she be enough?!!" I asked in surprise.

" No, you are just my right amount of enough, you are my very own hijabi " he explained shrugging.

I was taken aback by his words, " bu.. but I'm not that beautiful " I said.

" No, you are not, but you are just my type of beautiful, Jannah, you are so God made " he said shrugging.

I was speechless for about five minutes, then he tried to open a conversation.

" Have ever been to a karaoke place?!! " he asked.

" Nope!! " I said.

" Then come with me!! " he said trying to grab my hand.

" Hay, wait, remember my brother is picking me up at 9 plus he is sitting in the cafe next to us " I said sternly.

" Don't worry, I'll call him " he said.

" But,.... " I said.

" No buts, it's once in the life experience " he said.

He called my brother then he paid the check, and we left.

The karaoke place was a couple of minutes away from the restaurant.

We got into the place. A guy was singing, and he had a horrible voice, people were laughing at him. Everybody were having a good time, but unfortunately some people were drinking.

" Come on, don't worry, I'll be with you, I won't drink, I promise" James tried to reassure me.

He sat me down, and went to speak to sombody.

I sat down watching how fearless people were, they weren't ashamed of how dreadful their singing was.

" If they gave me million dollars, I would never sing in front of people, the bathroom mirror will always stay my only audience " I said to myself.

Suddenly a woman came to the stage,

" And now we will listen to -lost in Japan- from James Wayne. Please welcome him, and it's for a very special person " she said leaving the stage for James.

Everybody was cheering for James as if they knew him.

He started to sing, looking into my eyes, making me feel like I was the only person in the place, everytime he said " he would point at me. He had a nice singing voice too.

Everybody noticed, and looked in my direction, it made me blush.

I was happy, but I was terrified at the same time, terrified of the truth that I was running from this whole time, was facing me.

" He loves me!! " I said to myself.

He finished singing and came down

" Can we leave now?!!" I said.

" What's wrong?!!" He asked.

" Nothing, I just don't want to be late for my brother " I said.

" Okay " he said.

We went back to the restaurant, and we waited for my brother in front of it, after 10 minutes, he showed up.

" Okay James, I'll take it from here " Hassan said.

I got into the car without saying a word, and Hassan drove off.

He noticed that there was something wrong.

" Is there anything wrong?!!" He asked.

" No, it was fine, he respected me " I said.

We arrived home, mum oppened the door for us, she looked really petrified.

" Mum, what's wrong?!!" I asked her.

" You need to have a look at the news " she said with tears in her eyes.

I looked at the TV, and there were breaking news saying that there was a terrorist attack in our town and a lot of victims have fallen.