42 ??Weird cravings??

LEIA

"Oh no," Hoor suddenly said, eyes wide. "Leia, we have to run. Hurry, hurry. He's coming here."

I shot up, she grabbed my hand and then we were bolting. I was feeling pretty lethargic after running though the back door, down the stairs and then all the way to the bathroom.

It really wasn't good for the baby. Or at least it didn't feel good.

My head swirled.

"Are you okay?" Hoor locked the door and turned to me.

"I don't know . . ." I grappled my head, feeling the world before me sway.

Hoor clutched my forearms. "Come with me. Let's get you to a classroom." When she had sat me down in a random classroom, she helped me out of my veil. I felt like I could breathe again.

She looked up softly at me. "I'll get you water and something to eat."

She was at the door when I called out her name.

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring some Slanty?"

She stared at me for a moment before laughing out loud. "Okay. Yeah, sure." Then she left, softly closing the door behind her.

I winced as I clutched my stomach. "My little angel . . ." And then I rambled.

I was still talking to my belly when Hoor emerged. Her eyes dropped to my stomach. I immediately removed my hand though I knew it was hard to miss the big bump.

"It's fine. You don't need to hide from me. I already knew."

I bit my lip, accepting the water from her. She flopped down on a chair in front of me, the shopping bag swinging in her hands. I wanted those Slanty so bad right now . . .

"How?" I asked instead.

"First drink, then we'll talk."

I downed the whole bottle in less than a minute.

"Okay. Well," She pointedly looked at my stomach. "If that isn't obvious enough, when I hugged you, I definitely felt it. Kinda hard to miss."

I instantly grew worried. "Do you think other people might be able to tell?" Was Zayn able to tell?

She shook her head. "You did a good job of covering it up."

I narrowed my eyes. "Did you just make fun of my clothes in hidden words?"

Amusement danced in her ashen irises. "I wouldn't dare. I just meant . . . your clothes are humungous enough to cover up your belly."

"Oh," Relaxed now, I eyed those Slanty.

Hoor instantly offered the whole bag to me. I picked a blue one out and before I knew it, I was popping the crisps into my mouth.

Hoor stared at me in wonder. "I'd only heard of 'eating for two' before, but now I am seeing it with my own two eyes."

"Have I put on a lot of weight?" I asked between chewing.

"I wouldn't know," she smiled. "What with your clothes and all."

I tried putting on a poker face but laughter burst out of me anyway.

"Really, though. I'm very impressed by what you do. Not many people have the courage to dress up this way. Especially not at our age."

"I don't have courage," I told her. "Somehow I am able to do this. Its God who gives me confidence. Honestly, I was scared out of my mind before I enrolled in this school. Sometimes, it gets difficult to be the only one. But then I look around and I see other people who wear these clothes and I see that they have a more difficult life than mine. That's what gives me hope and motivates me to do better."

She took hold of my hand and I was thrown off-guard at the gentleness in her eyes. "I don't know if I should be saying this but . . . you're my role model. I look up to you. To your confidence and the way you're able to be kind even after living in this harsh world."

I squeezed her hand, smiling bigger than I had ever before.

"All right," she jumped up from her seat. "Enough of this emotional talk. Tell me who the father of this child is."