05| red

NADIA

"How was your first day?" My brother turned to look at me. "I don't know," I respond with a shrug. "Like it was okay but I can't believe the popular girls still bully people. I mean what the heck are they, 10?" Zeke chuckled and I shot him a look, immediately wiping the smile off his face.

"You're right, you're right. It's serious." I roll my eyes, not even bothering with him anymore.

I connected my phone to the car's Bluetooth speaker, and as soon as the connection was made, the opening notes of a Nicki song filled the car. I couldn't help but nod my head in time to the beat.

My fingers drummed on the steering wheel, my head bobbing and my shoulders swaying. I felt the energy of the music course through my veins, and I let it take over. "Yeah I just did it on 'em."

"Yeah right," My brother rolled his eyes. I shot him the middle finger and carried on. "Couple wet wipes case a bum try to touch me, ew."

"OK that's enough," Zeke says, lowering the volume. "Are you serious?"

I kiss my teeth and switch to some Giveon. "Yeah, yeah - toxic bitch."

In no time, we had arrived at Everton High, the music faded out. I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached for the door handle, prepared to say goodbye to my brother. But before I could open the door, a deafening screech of tires filled the air.

I turned to look out the window, just in time to see a silver car skid into the parking lot, its brakes squealing as it slid towards the curb. It was clear that the driver had lost control of the vehicle, and I could only watch in horror as the car careened towards the front of the school.

The girl's honey-brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, and her makeup was perfectly applied. Her clothes were designer, and her shoes were the latest fashion trend. Too bad she wasn't so perfect on the inside.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. The honey-brown-haired girl looked up at me, her expression a mixture of anger and confusion.

"I could ask you the same thing," she snapped back, her voice filled with venom. "You're not welcome here." I rolled my eyes and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Well, that's a shame," I said, feigning disappointment. "I was really hoping to see you again. You're so... captivating."

"Save it. I had enough of yesterday," I say getting out of the car.

"Excuse me, who do you think you're..." She trailed off and I knitted my brows. Her gaze had averted to somewhere else and her mouth was parted slightly.

"Holy mother of-" I turned to see what everyone was basically looking at.

Ugh.

It was my brother, Zeke. He was the kind of guy who could turn heads wherever he went, and it seemed like no one was immune to his charm. I could feel the girl next to me practically drooling over him, and I felt a surge of annoyance. He was the last person I wanted to see right now, and I turned to glare at him, silently willing him to leave. But he just smiled at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Everyone had the hots for my brother.

Zeke strolled over to us, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked relaxed and at ease, as if he hadn't a care in the world.

I hated how composed he always was, even in the most tense situations. He was infuriatingly cool under pressure. He stopped in front of me, his smile widening. "Hey, sis," he said, his voice dripping with false affection. "How's it going?" I narrowed my eyes at him, not buying his act for a second. "Just great," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "What are you still doing here?" He shrugged.

"Helping you out,"

"What-"

"There's no need for things to escalate here," Zeke said, his voice calm and controlled. "If there's a problem, I'm sure we can work it out like adults."

If only he knew.

Belimai looked at him, clearly surprised by his level-headedness.

I know, I am too.

"That's very mature of you," she said, unable to hide her admiration. "I don't think I got your name. What is it?"

Zeke gave her a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's Zeke. And yours?"

"My name is Belimai," she said finally, offering him a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

She smiled. Belimai smiled, wow.

I was saved by this weird interaction by the sound of the bell and I couldn't be more thankful for the bell at this moment. I shake my head, grabbing my backpack before heading inside.

The second I enter, for the secnd time in a row now, all eyes land on me.

"I wonder who was that guy she was with," I heard.

But this time for a whole different reason.

□□□

I was in the middle of lunch with both Blue and Vicky.

We were in the middle of a project that our Biology teacher, Mr. Montgomery, had undumped on us. "I hate this man," says Vicky.

"Right he acts like-"

"As if we didn't already have enough on our plates."

"Took the words right out of my mouth,"

"What did he say the anaerobic respiration was?"

"Uhm," I bite my lip, trying to recall. "the process of breaking down glucose in the absence of oxygen." Blue scribbled down something in her notebook.

The pages of my notebook rustled as I closed it with a rustling sound. I took a deep breath and picked up my smoothie, its vibrant purple. I raised the glass to my lips and took a long, slow sip, savoring the cool, refreshing taste. My next class was dance, and I knew I'd need all the energy I could get.

"By the way," Vicky started, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Who was that guy you were with this morning? Your new man?" She punctuated her question with a playful nudge to my side, and I nearly choked on my smoothie.

I sputtered, trying to get my bearings as I wiped the purple residue from my chin. "Thank God, no!" I finally managed to gasp. "That's my brother!" Vicky's eyes went wide, her expression a perfect mix of shock and amusement. "Your brother? You never told me you had a brother!"

I nearly snorted. "Y'all met yesterday, " Blue says. "Exactly, "

With the last bell of the day ringing, the halls of the school quickly emptied as students rushed for the doors, eager to be free of the confines of classes and homework. But I was in no rush.

I pulled out a cold bottle of water from my bag and took a long swig. I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me.

As the beat dropped, to One of your girls and I couldn't help but move to the rhythm, my body swaying and my feet tapping in time.

The music was infectious, and before I knew it, I was completely immersed in the beat, moving my body in time to the pulse of the song. I felt free, uninhibited, as if I was the only person in the world.

I twirled and spun, letting my limbs go where the music took them, lost in the moment.

I felt my worries melt away, replaced by a sense of euphoria as I let go and gave in to the music.

But my dancing came to a sudden halt when I caught sight of a shadow in the corner of my eye. I blinked, trying to focus my gaze, but the figure was too far away to make out any features.

I kept the music playing, but now I was on high alert, my senses heightened and my body tense.

I was just beginning to relax when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, spinning me around and pushing me up against the wall. I found myself trapped, my wrists pinned against the cold surface, as I stared up at my assailant.