Faking It's

Faking It Chapter 3

Aziza scanned her surroundings before stepping out of the house. She didn't want to run into Salim today-she needed to avoid him at all costs.

As she walked past the gates, she sighed in relief. The school wasn't too far, and she usually walked unless she was in a hurry, in which case she took a tricycle-but that would mean sacrificing her break money for the day.

Just as she picked up her pace, a sleek car pulled up beside her, cutting off her path.

Her heart sank. Not again.

She kept walking, pretending not to see anyone, but the car's window rolled down, revealing Salim's sharp features and effortless smirk.

"Get in, Aziza," he said casually, driving the car at her walking pace.

Aziza clenched her fists. How was she supposed to get out of this? She had never entered any man's car before, and she couldn't afford to be seen with him. People would talk-his mother would find out.

She ignored him and kept walking.

With a sigh, Salim stopped the car, stepped out, and caught up with her. He walked beside her for a moment before opening the passenger door.

"Are you trying to defy me, Aziza? Or are you going back on your word?" he asked, his voice calm but firm.

Aziza hesitated, her nails digging into her palms. She had no choice. With a glare that could burn through steel, she climbed into the car, slamming the door behind her.

Salim chuckled as he got back behind the wheel.

She hated every second of this. But what could she do?

As soon as the car started moving, Salim glanced at Aziza and sighed.

"Calm down, Aziza. There's nothing difficult about this. Besides, it's only for a short time-maybe today, maybe tomorrow," he assured her.

Aziza stared ahead, saying nothing.

"But for this to work," he continued, "we have to stick together. We have to do everything together from now on."

She frowned. Everything? What exactly did he mean by that?

She would soon find out.

When they arrived at school, she quickly reached for her bag, but Salim was faster. He grabbed it before she could take it, leaving her stunned.

"Let your boyfriend help you," he said casually, slinging both her bag and his over his shoulder.

Aziza's heart pounded in fear. Does he have a death wish? His mother, Hajiya Aisha, didn't even want him to carry his own bag-yet here he was, carrying the bag of a mere housemaid's daughter.

"Let me walk you to class," he added.

Aziza panicked. "No, please, junior master-"

Salim stopped abruptly, his expression darkening.

"Don't you ever call me that again," he said, his voice low but firm. His sharp gaze sent chills down her spine.

Aziza swallowed hard and quickly nodded. She didn't even realize she had done so until he smiled in satisfaction.

"Good girl," he said.

With her heart pounding, she walked quietly beside him, wondering what she had just gotten herself into.

As they walked, Aziza couldn't ignore the strange looks people were giving them. Whispers filled the air, and curious glances lingered on her far longer than she was comfortable with.

Before she could fully process it, Salim's friends appeared in front of them.

"Salim, what are you doing with this girl?" Musa asked, frowning.

"She agreed to my offer," Salim replied casually.

"What?" Jafar looked at him in disbelief. "Are you sure this will work? Look at her, Salim. Do you even want to be seen with her?"

Aziza instinctively glanced down at herself, finally seeing the stark contrast they were pointing out. Salim stood tall in his crisp white long-sleeved t-shirt, perfectly fitted black jeans, and polished sneakers-every inch the elite university heartthrob. Meanwhile, she wore her traditional atampa attire, a loose-fitting gown with patterns that screamed 'village girl,' and a simple hijab that barely reached past her knee.

She swallowed hard.

"That's none of your business, Jafar," Salim shot back.

As Salim and his friends continued their discussion-particularly Jafar, who seemed determined to highlight her flaws-Aziza swiftly took advantage of the distraction. She snatched her bag from Salim's grip and turned away, walking toward her lecture hall without another word.

Let them talk. Let them convince him that this is a bad idea, she thought. It's for the best. For him and for me.

From a distance, she could still hear Jafar scoffing.

"Hannah will never be jealous of her."

"Let's find someone on Hannah's level."

"She's too local for you, Salim. She'll just ruin your reputation."

Aziza clenched her fists and kept walking. She didn't belong in their world, and they were making sure she never forgot it.

This was Aziza's second lecture of the day. She sat at the front of the lecture hall, her eyes fixed on the board, trying hard to concentrate. But just as she started noting down a key point, something hit her lightly on the shoulder. It wasn't painful, just enough to catch her attention.

She turned around, startled, only to see Salim seated a few rows behind her-not too far away.

Oh, Salim... She hadn't expected him to show up after everything that happened earlier. Shouldn't he be listening to his friends? she thought.

He gestured toward the small folded paper that had landed near her feet. Hesitating for a second, she picked it up and unfolded it.

It reads 'Hannah is close by. Please behave and follow along'

Aziza's heart clenched. So this is it, huh? She slowly lifted her head and glanced around. A few seats away, Hannah sat with perfect posture, her attention focused on the lecturer, completely unaware of what was happening between them.

Aziza turned back to Salim. He gave her a small wave, urging her to respond.

Forcing herself to smile-just a little-she gave him a slight wave in return before turning back to the board.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

____

As soon as the lecture ended, Aziza stood up quickly, eager to leave before Salim could catch up with her. But before she could take a step, he was right beside her, holding her bag.

"Babe, let's go," Salim said smoothly.

Aziza noticed how he subtly glanced sideways-checking Hannah's reaction. It annoyed her, but she forced herself to play along.

"Yes, ju-" She almost slipped, nearly calling him junior master before stopping herself. Seeing the warning look Salim threw her, she quickly corrected herself. "Yes, dear," she said, her voice strained as they walked out of the hall together.

Once outside, she couldn't hold back her irritation.

"Don't you have anything better to do than stalk a lady?" Aziza asked, her tone laced with sarcasm. She was referring to him following her to lectures just to win Hannah back.

Salim ignored her, merely glancing at his watch before speaking.

"This is the time Hannah usually has lunch at the restaurant. Let's go there," he said.

Aziza frowned. "No, I usually study at this time," she countered, hoping to escape.

Salim shrugged. "Okay, no problem. You can study there."

Aziza sighed as she followed him to the school restaurant. As she walked beside him, she couldn't help but pity herself. From secretly admiring Salim from afar to now being used to fix his relationship-her life had truly taken a strange turn.

Salim met up with his friends before heading to the restaurant.

Aziza was surprised to see that they no longer gave her the disapproving looks from earlier, particularly Jafar. It seemed they had come to terms with Salim's decision-at least for now.

As they entered the restaurant, Aziza immediately felt out of place. She had never bought food here before. The atmosphere, the neatly dressed students, and the expensive menu all made her feel like she didn't belong.

Salim took a seat, and she hesitated before sitting beside him. His friends sat across from them, flipping through the menu, casually discussing what to order.

Aziza, on the other hand, barely glanced at the menu before setting it aside. Instead, she pulled out her book and started reading. She had no intention of buying anything-everything here was beyond her means.

Salim's gaze landed on her.

"Won't you eat, my dear fake girlfriend?" he asked, his voice smooth but firm.

Aziza's grip on her book tightened. "I'm not hungry," she lied.

Musa chuckled. "I don't think so. Salim, you can't keep your fake girlfriend hungry," he teased.

Salim smirked. "You're right," he agreed.

"Aziza, what would you like to eat?" Salim asked, his tone patient but firm.

Aziza hesitated. She knew they wouldn't understand-people like them never had to think twice before ordering. How could she explain that everything here was beyond her budget? Even if he ordered for her, she wouldn't be able to pay, and the thought of him paying for her made her stomach churn.

"Don't worry, Aziza, my friend will pay for it," Jafar interjected, his voice laced with mockery, as if taunting her.

Salim shot him a sharp glare, and Jafar instantly fell silent.

Aziza remained quiet, lowering her gaze. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be here, sitting beside Salim, attracting unnecessary attention.

When she still didn't answer, Salim turned to the waiter. "You know what? Just bring us everything on your menu," he said casually.

Aziza's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

His friends didn't even flinch. They were used to this. Salim had done the same thing countless times before-especially for Hannah.

Aziza swallowed her frustration. "Salim, why waste food?" she asked, her voice low.

He didn't respond.

She turned to the waiter. "No, please, you don't have to-"

But no one listened to her.

Minutes later, their table was filled with plates upon plates of expensive dishes, a display of extravagance that made Aziza feel even more out of place.

His friends ate without hesitation, but Aziza remained still, her hands folded in her lap. No matter how tempting the aroma was, she refused to eat.

"Aziza, eat," Salim said, his tone firm yet calm.

She shook her head. "I'm not hungry," she lied, even as her stomach twisted in protest.

Salim exhaled, leaning closer. "Now, behave, my dear," he murmured, picking up a spoonful of food and bringing it to her lips.

Aziza wanted to reject it, but the slight tilt of Salim's head toward Hannah's direction made her pause. He was signaling that Hannah was nearby, watching.

She hesitated, then quickly gestured to him, indicating how uncomfortable she was eating in front of others.

Salim sighed and turned to his friends. "Musa, Jafar, find another seat."

Jafar huffed in disbelief. "Seriously? You're kicking us out because of her?"

Salim shot him a look, and with a dramatic groan, Jafar and Musa moved to another table.

With no more excuses, Aziza finally relented, allowing Salim to feed her, one careful bite at a time. She focused on swallowing rather than the heat creeping up her face.

Across the room, Hannah barely glanced their way before leaving just as quickly as she had come.

Salim noticed, his smirk fading slightly. He set the spoon down and leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

Aziza smirked playfully, trying to tease him. "It looks like she doesn't want you anymore, maybe it's time you set me free."

Salim's gaze darkened as he shot her a warning glare. "You better eat your food because I'm leaving this place soon, and you're coming with me."

"I'm done eating," Aziza replied calmly. She had already tried so many different dishes, and she didn't want to overeat.

"Are you sure?" Salim raised an eyebrow.

She simply nodded.

Without pressing further, Salim signaled for the waiter and handed him his ATM card. "Alright, let's go," he said, standing up. He gestured to his friends. "Guys, we're leaving."

Aziza hesitated, glancing at the table still covered with untouched food. "Salim... the food," she called after him. "Is it just going to be wasted like this?"

No one responded. No one even looked back.

Her heart sank, but she had no choice-her bag was still with him. Silently, she followed, her steps heavy with frustration.