A NEW STUDENT

The school gates loomed ahead of me, and my heart sank as I saw students already in their classrooms through the windows. I was late, and it wasn't the kind of "a minute or two" late. It was "you better have a good excuse" late.

As I walked through the school yard, I felt the stares. It wasn't just because I was new. My uniform was wrinkled, my bag barely hanging onto my shoulder, and there was still a faint ache in my knuckles from the fight. I tried to shake it off, but the whispers followed me.

"Who's that?"

"He's new, right?"

"Look at his uniform… is he even trying?"

I ignored them. I'd been through worse back in the States—being the "weird kid" in school, always trying to blend in. This was nothing new.

But then I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Hey, wait up!"

I turned to see Ali jogging toward me, still looking a bit shaken but more composed now. His uniform was a little dirty, and there was a small cut on his lip from the fight.

"You're in this school too?" he asked, falling into step beside me.

"Yeah," I said. "First day."

He gave a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, that's one hell of a way to start."

I glanced at him, noticing the slight hesitation in his voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said quickly. "It's just… I didn't think anyone would step in like that. Most people around here either hate me or avoid me."

"Why's that?" I asked, though I could already guess.

Ali looked away, his hands shoved into his pockets. "They think I'm a thug. I hang out with some guys who… don't have the best reputation. And yeah, I've done some stupid stuff before, but it's not like I wanted to."

I nodded, not pressing him for details. It wasn't my place to judge.

"Anyway," he continued, "thanks for earlier. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," I said. "Just try not to get yourself into trouble."

Ali laughed softly. "Easier said than done."

We reached the classroom block, and I could see the teacher already standing at the front of the room, her voice drifting into the hallway.

"Well, here goes nothing," I muttered.

Ali grinned. "Good luck, man. If you survive her, you'll survive anything."

With that, he turned and walked off, leaving me to face whatever awaited me inside.

I pushed the door open, and the classroom fell silent. The teacher, a tall woman with sharp eyes and an air of authority, turned to me, her gaze cutting right through me.

"You must be the new student," she said, her tone neutral but firm. "You're late."

"I—uh—sorry, ma'am," I stammered. "It won't happen again."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more. Instead, she gestured to an empty seat near the back.

I walked to my seat, feeling the weight of everyone's stares. As I sat down, a few students whispered to each other, but I ignored them. My mind was still replaying the fight from earlier, Ali's words, and the strange sense of connection I felt to him.

This wasn't just about starting a new school or learning about my roots. Something told me that Mombasa had more in store for me than I'd ever expected. And somehow, Ali was going to be a part of it.

As I slid into the empty seat near the back of the classroom, I couldn't help but glance around. The whispers were still there, but they were dying down now that the teacher had returned her attention to the board. I tried to focus, but then my gaze landed on someone familiar.

Ali.

He was sitting a couple of rows ahead of me, his head low as if trying to avoid drawing attention. His uniform was still a bit messy from earlier, and the cut on his lip was more noticeable under the classroom lights.

So, we were in the same class. Small world.

He must have felt my eyes on him because he turned slightly, catching my gaze. For a moment, he looked surprised, but then he gave me a small nod, like a silent "thanks again."

I nodded back, then quickly turned to face the front as the teacher's voice snapped me out of the moment.

"Class, I'd like you to meet our new student," she said, her tone sharp and authoritative. I realized she was talking about me.

I stood reluctantly, my chair scraping against the floor. The entire class turned to stare, and I felt the heat rising to my face.

"Introduce yourself," she instructed.

Clearing my throat, I tried to sound confident. "Uh, I'm Jayden. I just moved here from the States, and… yeah. That's about it."

A few students chuckled, and the teacher's stern expression softened just slightly. "Alright, Jayden. Welcome. Please take your seat, and I expect you to be on time moving forward."

"Yes, ma'am," I said, sitting back down quickly.

As the lesson went on, I could feel the occasional glance from Ali. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but I could tell he wasn't used to someone like me being around. Maybe it was the fight earlier, or maybe it was the fact that I wasn't avoiding him like everyone else seemed to.

When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, Ali waited for the others to leave before approaching me.

"So," he said, leaning casually against my desk, "same class, huh? Guess I can't shake you now."

I smirked. "Looks like it. Try to stay out of trouble this time, yeah?"

He laughed, a genuine sound that seemed to catch him off guard. "I'll try. No promises, though."

As we walked out of the classroom together, I couldn't help but feel that this was the start of something. Ali might have been labeled a troublemaker by everyone else, but I could see there was more to him than that.

And maybe, just maybe, being in the same class was fate's way of making sure neither of us went through this journey alone.

END OF CHAPTER