Celeste

I'm bracing myself for English, waiting for Mrs. Harlow to shuffle in with her usual half-smile and stacks of marked papers, but instead, Mr. Dominic strides through the door. My pulse skips. Of course, it's him. The last person I wanted to see, especially after what happened yesterday.

The memory of yesterday-him standing too close in the rain, the warmth of his hand as he steadied me on the slippery path-flares up in my mind. I can't even look at him now. I grit my teeth and focus on the worn edge of my desk, hoping he won't notice the faint pink creeping into my cheeks.

"Good morning, class," Mr. Dominic says smoothly, already flipping open a thick textbook. He's annoyingly calm, as if nothing happened, as if I'm just another student he's never seen outside the classroom. Which I am. Right?

"We'll be covering Concord today," he announces, his eyes skimming over us. Concord. Great. He's about to explain something as boring as grammar rules while I sit here trying to pretend he doesn't exist.

I straighten up when he starts handing back our test papers. My stomach twists a little; I know I didn't do well. I had a bad feeling about it right after I handed it in, and now, as he places the paper on my desk, I can already see the glaring red ink on top. Thirty percent. My heart plummets.

My fingers go limp, and my pen slips from my grip, tumbling to the floor with a loud clatter. I stiffen, willing myself not to react, but then I feel his presence beside me. He bends down, picks up my pen, and sets it on my desk. His eyes flick to my paper, and for a second, he looks like he might say something. I avoid his gaze, clutching the edges of the test and crumpling it a little in my fists. I'm embarrassed and furious, and I hate that he's seen this.

But Mr. Dominic just straightens up and goes back to lecturing, like nothing happened. Like I'm just another student with another bad grade. I should be relieved, but instead, a hollow ache fills my chest. I'm not sure why I even care what he thinks. He doesn't care about me-why would he? I'm just another face in his class, one he'll forget as soon as I graduate. I can't wait to be done with this place. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll convince Mom to let us go back to Nigeria. At least there, I'd feel like I belong somewhere.

My thoughts are interrupted by loud laughter from the other side of the classroom. I glance up to see Yakim, Matthias, and Ezekiel huddled together, passing something back and forth. Matthias's voice rings out, obnoxiously loud as usual, "Keep it away from Calvin!" He's grinning, his strawberry-blonde hair flopping over one eye, and shoving something at Yakim, who's barely able to hold onto it before Ezekiel grabs it from him.

I roll my eyes and shove my books into my bag, getting ready to escape to the cafeteria and maybe find Kyomi, my only saving grace in this place. But as I head for the door, Ezekiel turns too fast and bumps right into me. "Hey, watch it!" I snap, but he doesn't even look at me. The crumpled piece of paper he was holding slips from his grip, fluttering to the floor in front of me.

I bend down, reaching for it, and that's when I see it's not just a scrap of paper-it's a photograph. A little boy with chubby cheeks and big, innocent eyes stares back at me, a soccer ball held awkwardly in his tiny hands as a woman smiles down at him. It's Calvin Travis, one of the quieter guys in class, the one who always has his headphones on and a book in his hand.

"Give it back, Celeste," Ezekiel says, his voice suddenly tense.

"What are you guys doing with someone else's photo?" I ask, shooting him a sharp look. "That's not cool."

Ezekiel shrugs, but he's clearly uncomfortable, like a little kid caught stealing cookies. "Noted, mom," he mutters, and the others snicker. But before I can hand it back to him, another voice cuts through the laughter.

"Haven't I told you guys not to touch that?" Calvin's voice is calm, but there's an edge to it that makes everyone pause. The three of them exchange uneasy looks before muttering something that sounds like an apology and skittering out of the room, leaving me alone with Calvin and the photograph still in my hand.

I glance down at it again, my heart squeezing a little. The photo is faded, worn around the edges as if it's been handled a thousand times. I offer it to him, my voice softer. "Here. Sorry about them. I just..."

He takes it from me carefully, holding it like it's something delicate. "Thanks," he says, looking down at the picture with a strange, faraway expression. "This is... the only memory I have left of them."

I swallow, feeling a pang of something I don't expect-sympathy, maybe? Or just curiosity. I barely know Calvin, even though he's been in my class forever. He's always the quiet one, the guy with the messy tie and the dictionary tucked under his arm, who sneaks his headphones on whenever he thinks no one's watching. But now, seeing the way he looks at the photograph, I can tell there's more to him than I realized.

"I live with my mom's brother," he continues, almost to himself. "He... well, he took everything else. Said I didn't need any of it. But this..." He trails off, clutching the photo a little tighter. "If he finds it, he'll probably burn it or something. That's why I hide it in my locker."

There's a vulnerability in his voice that catches me off guard, and for a moment, I feel like I'm seeing a different side of him, one he probably doesn't show anyone. I want to say something, to tell him I understand, but before I can find the right words, the room starts to spin.

A strange dizziness washes over me, and I feel my legs go weak. My vision blurs, and suddenly, I'm falling. I hear Calvin call my name, but it sounds distant, muffled. The last thing I see is his worried face before everything goes black.

---

When I open my eyes, the world is hazy, like I'm underwater. I blink, trying to clear my vision, and slowly, Uncle Kunle's face comes into focus. He's kneeling beside me, his expression tight with concern. And Calvin stood by his side.

"Celeste?" My uncle's voice is soft, hesitant. "Are you... okay?"

I sit up slowly, my head throbbing. Once again, I'm at the school clinic, but I have no idea what just happened. The look on his face tells me it wasn't good. "I'm... I'm fine. Just a little dizzy, that's all."

He doesn't look convinced. "You skipped lunch last night and you're running temperature. The doctor prescribed you some drugs."

I shake my head, trying to muster a smile. "I'm fine, really. Just... probably I need some rest." I force a laugh, but it comes out weak and shaky.

Calvin watches me for a moment, his gaze steady and unreadable. "You really scared me, you know."

"Thanks." I manage to say.

"Okay then, I'll take my leave sir." Calvin says to my Uncle before leaving.

There's something in his tone that makes my heart skip. I've never heard him sound like this-vulnerable, almost. And I was expecting him to say goodbye. I feel a strange urge to reach out, to thank him or say something that might make him feel better, but I don't know how. Instead, I just nod, trying to brush it off. "Guess you owe him one, huh?" Uncle Kunle smirk and helps me up on my feet.

Then we went home.