Omar Rising

Mr. Adeel praises the progress that Omar has made on his solar system collage. He suggests painting Pluto, and although Omar is doubtful, he makes the attempt and is pleased with the result. Mr. Adeel asks about Omar’s experience at school, and Omar admits that although he and his friends did well on their midterms, it came at the sacrifice of their social lives. Omar says he is trying to “fake it until [he] make[s] it” (142). Mr. Adeel clarifies that the saying highlights the need to show confidence until one is able get to achieve one’s goals. Omar worries that he will never succeed, but Mr. Adeel counters that no one has complete control over things, and that life is about learning, facing new challenges, and enjoying the journey. Omar agrees but still believes that if he takes the time to have fun, he will risk academic failure. Yet when Humza, Jibril, and Marwan invite him to play Ping-Pong one evening, they are surprised when Omar takes Mr. Adeel’s words to heart and agrees to join them. Omar plays hard but still feels guilty for having fun. He feels that he cannot succeed no matter what he does.