Sapphic Sabiyya

Author's note: This story will not be updated any further. It has instead been restarted as a separate story found here:

https://chyoa.com/story/Sapphic-Sabiyya.30884

Sabiyya laid upon her bed and gazed at the ceiling. This boredom was paralyzing. University sat on the far end of summer and her job didn't begin for another week. Her friends were already working so she was left to spend the middle of the day by herself.

Her friend Yanaye Nkechi worked as a stocker at the local super market. She was rather shy, but was very friendly towards those she was comfortable with. Yanaye was born in California to a Nigerian immigrant mother. When she wasn't working, she could be found at the skate park or gaming online.

Vaidehi Bhatta took orders from the drive thru at a popular fast food chain. A bit of an oddball, she wasn't always as keen to social norms as everyone else. Both of her parents had come from India to study abroad and had stayed afterward. She had a knack for digital art and often played online with Yanaye.

Hao Shui cleaned the litter from the stands of the baseball diamond after games. She didn't smile as much as the rest of her friends, but this was not because of an unhappy personality. She was simply a less enthusiastic person than most other people. Her father had fallen in love with her mother while on holiday from China. Though she worked at a baseball diamond, Shui enjoyed playing basketball. She was already talented at the sport, and her above-average stature only aided her.

Mariana Encarnacion worked as a secretary at a psychiatrist's office. Her parents had immigrated from Guatemala because they believed it would provide their daughter with more opportunities. She herself was a very sentimental person. She saw beauty in everyone, and was always very caring. Thus, to those with only a first impression of her, it often came as a surprise when they learned of her break-dancing hobby.

Holly Bennett gave musical lessons. Her charisma and ease with social interaction made her a very casual character. She was always mellow and flexible. She seemed content with just about everything life threw at her. She planned to finish her university years away from England. Perhaps she preferred the atmosphere here, or perhaps she didn't want her parents too keen on her late nights out - assuming she even returned the same evening.

There was also Azariah Briggs, the biggest one in Sabiyya's circle. She worked a temp job at an animal shelter. As a child, Azariah had been bullied for having been adopted by a couple that differed from her in skin colour. What's more, she had two mothers. Things changed for the better in secondary school. Sabiyya had only been in the country for a matter of months, but when she encountered Azariah, she and her friends welcomed the pariah with open arms. Azariah made frequent visits to the local fitness centre and had carved a robust form for herself.

Sabiyya's family had been busy too. Nasreen, one of her younger sisters, was finishing an educational course that ran for the first few weeks of June. Asmaa - Nasreen's fraternal twin and technically the youngest sister - would be coming home from Sweden within a week. Sabiyya's mother, Masroora, spent the day at work as a medical transcriptionist.

With an exasperated sigh, Sabiyya rose from her bed and examined her shelf. Perhaps it held something to inspire her.

There were family photos, softball trophies from her childhood, and a couple of antiques from Syria. She picked up an old tea kettle; a thin layer of dust sat atop it. She ought to dust her room one of these days.

She looked the kettle over, hoping something about its craftsmanship or maybe its purpose would give her an idea for a way to pass these lengthy days.

Maybe she should get into tea culture. That might be a fun way to show off for her friends and family. 'Wow, Sabiyya, since when are you so good at boiling water?' It might not be the most impressive thing, but it could still be fun to learn the nuances of tea making.

She opened the lid on the pot to peer inside and received a puff of dust in her face. She recoiled in surprise before entering a sneezing fit. She hastily set the kettle on her desk then bolted to the kitchen for a tissue. It was a little while before she could open her eyes again. Even though she was no longer sneezing, she still felt as though the dust was swirling in her nostrils.

When she was able to breathe comfortably again, she returned to the desk in her room. "Dirty little thing." Sabiyya muttered to herself as she replaced the pot on her shelf.