Alluring Masquerade

          Hiba didn't even wait to get inside house when she shouted, "Ah, the power of dramatics," she said dramatically as if she was acting in a soap drama.

          Their house wasn't large, no small, considering that it was a terraced house. It was just right for the three of them. It was a two bedroom house; one for their mother and one that the girls shared, and a bathroom. A kitchen that was fairly large, a living-room and a front-room that you met as soon as you'd entered through the front door of the house.

          She closed the door after her and tip-toed like a ballerina over to the shoe stand, stacked her shoes, and was spinning around several times on her heel. Suddenly stopping, she bowed slowly and received half-hearted cheer from her small audience.

          She had dark brown hair that was almost black, matching her eyes, and a cute heart-shaped face. Even though she was almost sixteen, she looked at least a couple of more years older.

          Hira, on the other hand, looked a lot younger than her actual age. Sometimes people didn't believe her that she was the elder sister, which could annoy her nerves in some situations.

          "Hiba, would you just get to the point?" Hira asked, shaking her head with a small smile. "What happened?"

          Hira wanted to become a performer on stage, an actress in dramatics. And Hira thought the profession matched with her little sister's personality perfectly: dramatic.

          "Oh, but what's the fun in that...?" Hira retorted, sticking her tongue out before the mother was to notice.

          "Come and eat, sweetie!" their mother announced, ignoring her younger daughter's silly behaviour.

          "I walk in my morning tutor class," Hiba said in an impressive story-telling tone, "And as if I was the only one in the world to be praised, the whole class erupted in applause!" She danced over to the dining table and took a seat next to her mother, opposite Hira.

          "Oh, you don't say!" Hira said jokingly.

          "Oh, but I do. Anyway, I won a hundred pounds in the raffle draw, or whatever the hell you call it!" She had said it so fast that at first Hira and their mother didn't understand it. "Since I hadn't attended the day before, I didn't know what was going on until later!"She looked around expectedly.

          "Oh, my God, congrats!" Hira grinned with a little clap.

          "Oh, sweetie!" Their mother said. She hugged Hiba and congratulated her with a kiss on the forehead. "That maybe the single, most amazing news I've heard this week. Well done."

          "Thanks, mum!" Hiba smiled. "I receive it tomorrow morning from my science teacher, Mr. David?"

          "Yes, I remember meeting him on the parents' evening," their said thoughtfully, nodding.

          "Yeah," Hiba said. "Can I have some more water, mum?"

          "Of course!"

          "I'll go, mum, you rest," Hira said, getting up.

          "No, no, you keep on eating," her mother warned, pointing at the plate of food. "I need to check with the next-door neighbour for a while. Just a little talk. I'll be back in an hour or so, girls, alright?"

          "Mrs. Sophie?" Hiba asked, nibbling on a piece of carrot. "Hmm. Haven't seen her in a while."

          "Yes, she's been having some ups and downs. She's upset, wanting a friend, and I couldn't just say no." Their mother finished her glass of water and headed over to grab her long coat, slipping on her shoes.