You are My Muse

Yes, I am real

"Thank God it’s Fridaaayy!” That was Leila—5 a.m. on a Friday morning.

“Thank God it’s Fridaaayy!” she sang again, louder this time, because if there was one thing Leila excelled at, it was annoying Marie. It might as well have been her full-time job.

“Oh my God, Leila, it’s 5 a.m.—shut up!” Marie shouted—or at least, what a half-asleep person would consider shouting—from her room.

“How are you still asleep on this beautiful Friday that the Lord has made, that we may rejoice and be glad in it?!” Leila replied dramatically, marching into Marie’s room, switching on the lights, and flopping onto her bed with zero remorse.

“I cannot deal with this energy at this hour,” Marie mumbled into her pillow, her voice muffled and barely audible. “Please, go away.”

Leila acted as if she hadn’t heard a word. “So, I was thinking today we’d go for a morning walk—chase the sunrise, or maybe the sunrise chases us? Either way, I miss our morning walks. The calm before the whole world wakes up, you know? And, as a bonus, it’ll totally boost our confidence for the meeting with Aisha! I honestly can’t believe we’re actually meeting her. I know we’re supposed to stick to the script, but I still have, like, a million questions! Can you believe it? We’re going to meet the AISHA!”

She paused for dramatic effect, turning to Marie, who was already drifting back to sleep.

“Nope! Not today, girl. Today, you will rise early and shine!” Leila declared, shaking Marie persistently.

With a groan that could have come from her soul, Marie dragged herself out of bed and shuffled toward the kitchen, fully aware that Leila would follow.

“You know it’s just a Zoom call, right?” Marie muttered sleepily as she reached for the coffee machine. “I’m going to need coffee if I’m going to survive your Friday energy.”

“Yeah, I know it’s just Zoom, but it’s still BIG,” Leila said, plopping onto a kitchen stool. “Make two cups, please!”

Marie rolled her eyes but complied, setting up two mugs.

“If only you woke up with this energy every day,” she said, mostly to herself, shaking her head as the coffee brewed.

_____________________________________________________________

The morning walk had been perfect for both ladies, and as Leila had predicted, it definitely boosted their confidence. They were now back at Jay’s Café, their unofficial headquarters for the past week as they worked on TGGM. Along the way, they had realized they needed advice from someone who had been in the YouTube game for a while. That’s how they landed on Aisha.

They adored Aisha’s work, especially her vlogs, which they never missed. When they DM-ed her on i********:, she turned out to be just as kind as they’d always imagined. Not only did she respond promptly to their barrage of questions, but she also suggested a Zoom call, given how many queries these two had. Aisha seemed genuinely excited to help, which only fueled Leila and Marie’s admiration for her. After all, TGGM was all about girls supporting girls.

“Hey, do you guys want anything?”

An unfamiliar voice interrupted their thoughts, making both of them look up. It was Junior—Jay Junior. Neither of them had seen him since their first silly encounter. If Leila’s expression was anything to go by, she still hadn’t forgiven him. Her glare could have cut glass.

Sensing disaster, Marie jumped in quickly before Leila could say anything unkind. “Yes! Two coffees, please. Black for her, cream and sugar for me,” she said cheerfully. Today was a big day, and Leila had already done her part with the early morning energy boost-Marie was determined to keep the mood light.

“Okay, coming right up!” Junior replied with an easy grin as he headed toward the counter.

“Positive vibes,” Marie said, turning to Leila. “We’re about to meet the AISHA. Chin up, boo!”

Marie's words worked like magic. Leila’s scowl softened into a smile, and she flapped her laptop open, logging into their meeting.

A few moments later, the screen lit up with Aisha’s face.

“Oh my God! You’re real!” Leila blurted dramatically. “Hi, Aisha!”

“Yes, I’m real,” Aisha replied with a chuckle. “And hello to you, too—Marie and Leila, right?”

“That’s us,” Marie said, beaming. “I’m Marie, and this is my best friend, Leila. We’re so excited to meet you!”

“And super grateful you made time for us,” Leila added, nodding enthusiastically.

At that moment, Junior returned with their mugs of coffee. Without thinking, Leila gave him a thumbs-up as he placed them on the table and shuffled away. Marie raised a knowing brow but said nothing.

“Anyway,” Marie said, turning her attention back to Aisha, “I hope it’s okay if we dive right in because, honestly, we have a million questions.”

“And that’s not an exaggeration,” Leila added with a playful grin.

_____________________________________________________________

“I could go on and on with a million pieces of advice, but I’ll keep it simple. Two tricks,” Aisha began. “Number one: never dismiss an idea—whatever comes to mind, write it down, even if it feels unclear or messy at the moment. Some of my best content started that way. And number two: hyper-organize during the planning stage. Plan everything to the tiniest detail, but when it comes time to execute, be ready for things to go sideways. And I mean SIDEWAYS,” she finished with a laugh.

“I think that’s my least favorite thing about life,” Leila said with a dramatic sigh. “The fact that nothing ever goes according to plan.”

“Actually, Leila, that’s one of the best things about life,” Aisha said warmly. “I get where you’re coming from—I used to feel the same. But once you start looking out for the surprises, you’ll see they’re not so bad. Some of the most unexpected things turn out to be the most beautiful or the biggest learning opportunities.”

“Well, here’s to learning!” Marie said, lifting her mug in mock toast. The three of them chuckled together.

“And it has been a solid hour of learning,” Leila said, turning to Marie.

Marie nodded in agreement. “Thank you so much, Aisha, for your wisdom—and your patience with our endless questions!”

“Oh, don’t mention it!” Aisha replied, her grin wide. “You two are amazing, and TGGM is such a brilliant idea. I can’t wait to see what you do with it!”

“That means so much coming from you,” Marie said with a beaming smile. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, ladies,” Aisha said, her warmth radiating through the screen. “I’ll leave you to it. Have a great day ahead!”

“You too, Aisha!” Leila said.

“Bye, and thank you again! ” Marie added as they both waved at the screen and ended the call.

As soon as the screen went black, the girls turned to each other and shrieked excitedly.

“We have to document this moment!” Leila exclaimed, pulling out her phone and snapping selfies with Marie.

“I wanna live forever!” Marie sang, improvising a silly tune.

“Right?!” Leila chimed in, laughing.

After a few moments of celebration, they both settled into a comfortable silence.

“I’m so glad I’m doing this with you, boo,” Marie said softly, breaking the quiet.

“Same here,” Leila replied with a smile. “There’s no one else I’d rather do this with.”

“You two look so happy and peaceful,” a voice interrupted them.

Startled, they looked up to see Junior standing there, holding a camera. They hadn’t even noticed him approach.

“Can I take a picture of you guys?” he asked, motioning to his camera.

Leila, unusually serene, just nodded, and Marie quickly followed suit. Junior snapped a few shots before lowering the camera and taking a seat across from them.

“I’ve been thinking of capturing moments like this,” he said, glancing toward the café entrance. “You know, documenting special moments here and creating a photo wall at the back. You two are officially the first for my ‘Picture Wall’ project.”

“Wow, that’s such an amazing idea!” Marie said enthusiastically.

Junior smiled, stood up, and grabbed their empty mugs. “Thanks,” he said simply before shuffling away.

If you’re wondering where Leila was in this conversation, she was currently flabbergasted.The silly boy is a photographer?! And he has such an amazing idea?! The thought looped in her mind like a broken record.

“Earth to Leila!” Marie teased, snapping her fingers in front of her friend’s face.

Leila blinked, as if snapping out of a daze. “He’s a photographer,” she said, her tone laced with awe, as though she’d just uncovered a groundbreaking secret.

“Yes, he is, boo,” Marie said with a knowing smile. “And you’re clearly impressed.”

“No, I’m not!” Leila retorted quickly, though the faint smile creeping onto her lips said otherwise.

“Leila likes a boy,” Marie sang softly, teasing.

“No, she doesn’t!” Leila insisted, stuffing her things into her bag, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her.

The girls stood, slinging their bags over their shoulders, and headed to the counter.

“Hey, Mr. Photographer,” Leila called to Junior. “Help us with the bill.”

“Today’s on the house,” Junior said with a grin. “You two clearly had some kind of win.”

“Well, in this economy, we don’t say no to free stuff,” Marie quipped. “Right, Leila?”

“Absolutely!” Leila said, leaning on the counter. “But next time, Mr. Photographer, let us know ahead of time so we can order more,” she added with a playful smirk.

“Don’t mind her,” Marie said, nudging Leila. “We’re grateful. Have a great day!”

“Bye!” Leila added.

“Bye,” Junior replied, smiling. “And you’re welcome.”

As they stepped outside, Leila glanced at Marie. “I still don’t like him,” she muttered.

“Sure you don’t,” Marie teased, grinning.

Leila rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered as they walked away.