I yawned awake off my bed, and looked at Stacy's bed whom was nowhere in the room. I stretched myself, pulled off my duvet and walked into the bathroom. I had my warm bone relaxing bath, dressed into jeans and hoodie as that was my usual dress. I walked out of the room to the cafeteria, ordered my café noir and silently sipped it, savouring it delectable taste.

I could remember back at home whilst my little Family tend to love a black sugar less coffee, which I could say, that graduated to being my everyday breakfast because for starter, a day without Coffee is like a house without roof or... Whatever.

I silently sipped my coffee as two ladies whom I recognized as Violet's clique gave me a weird look and sat at the table behind me. "I can't believe the Redders are playing today". Said by one of them.

"Yeah, but we got the best basketball player Jamal, so we probably have high certitude with him". Said the other one. "Plus he's handsome". She swooned.

I rolled my eyes...

What?! Its just a habit...

I hastily gulped down my coffee, ignoring the skeptical gazes from them and walked out to my History class, perhaps that was my first day in class and it was a bit nerving. That nerve wrecking feeling of being a new student in a new school full of strange faces which could be relatable to many people. Like hey; I'm just a new awkward person in a new class with no friends and bunch of unfamiliar faces, howbeit everyone else's anticipation is for you to act buddy-buddy with everybody but to me that attempt was precisely down the hill.

I walked in as I was minutes late, whilst the crowded rambling class was silent, giving me weird glances and murmuring whispers. I avoided the gazes, found a seat at the back row and sat down. Perhaps that wasn't like me sitting at the back row as I was always known for sitting at the front desk but that tend to change with the not so friendly faces at the front.

Moments later, the professor strode into the class, introduced himself as Nicholas whilst on the cue of him lecturing, the door swung open to a male figure in hoodie. Mayhap it will always be in the categories of students that there will be punctual, and latecomers peculiar to how the latecomer was lackadaisically straggling.

The lecturer gave him a brief glance and shook his head while the guy took off his hoodie with a scowl, earning a wide eyes from me 'Jamal!'. I thought astounded. He strode to the last seat which was surprisingly mine, ignoring the flirtatious look from the ladies, 'one of violets clique especially'.

He looked down at me with a glimpse of annoyance, likely because I was maybe seated on his seat or that was just his rude nature to almost anything, took off his gaze and sat down beside me.

Did he just sit beside me?!

I looked away, feeling my breath hitched and forced my eyes on the board as my peripheral vision was on the person beside me. After awhile of jotting down what the professor was saying, perhaps I was the only one jotting as Jamal was begrudgingly pressing his phone. I may say in my school life, I encountered with different kind of humans, some barely humans but a person with likely a mental issue or aggressiveness just like the person beside me, that was surely a first.

I quietly peeked to what he was pressing as he was sliding through some sport-ish figures on his phone and he seemed to sense my gaze, switched off his phone, dropped it and switched to tapping his pen whilst I hesitantly turned to the board.

"Alright, I want you guys to make a research on the African colonization, choose your country, fill your researches and ideas on your chosen topics and lastly you need duo partnership for the assignment". Prof. Nicholas stated whilst the class whispers increases. "By the way, your seat mate will be your partner for that will be more easier, have a nice day". He said at last which rendered me motionless.

What?!!

Jamal glanced my way and gaze off whilst I stirred a bit. "We can start the research today". I silently smiled, assaying to be polite.

He glanced at me again, swiftly stood up, took his bag and walked away. I sat there dumbfounded as I watched him disappeared into the crowd. My earlier thoughts of him having mental issue prevailing, noting how he was acting. I shrugged off the realization that I will probably end up doing the assignment alone and walked out of the class.

***

"Girl, where have you been all day?!". Emily said with Stacy beside, coming towards me at the cafeteria.

I smiled. "I was at the library, had assignment at my first class". I said feeling instinctively antsy of my unfortunate partner Jamal, helping with the Assignment which was likely impossible.

They sat across me. "Well, good luck to you, by the way, they are just starting the match now!". Emily said checking her phone.

Barrage of people started rushing out of the cafeteria, probably to the match. "That's our cue". Stacy said and we stood up, walked through the crowd to the court.

The conflation of classes, assignments, participating in clapping for the school sports and just being in public with bunch of oblivious different people from gender, race and not so great fashion style was nerve wrenching.

We sat at our usual seats, perhaps Emily must've reserved for us while the two team players were at the court (Redders vs MBs) shown on the screen and Violet with her clique dressed as the cheerleaders, cheering the players.

Backtracked to when I was in high school, when most likely girl students aim was to be pretty and popular enough to cheerlead or be friends with one or just be acknowledged by one but my own aim was to be in a fictional book world, cocooned in my bed, so much better than the shouts blowing up my ears...

The coach whistled and they started playing as the Redders were getting best of them, scoring higher in minutes. After what felt like endless tossing of the ball around, jumps and ducks, it was half time whilst I saw the coach shouting his throat out at Jamal, hence he was the MBs best player but likely not his winning day.

The players were back on court but was heated this time, albeit the Redders were not giving MBs a chance to score one time, but they were not giving up either. Afterwards the match was over with Redders winning the MBs and people were leaving the court discontentedly whilst some were jubilating, probably the Redders Fans or schoolmates.

"That's a heartbreak we got there". Stacy clasped her hands to her chest somberly.

"I thought the Jamal guy will do more than that!". Emily exclaimed.

'Maybe her boyfriend would've done better, not only Jamal'. I inwardly rolled my eyes.

Wait! Am I defending him?!!

I shrugged. "They will do better next time". I said instead.

"Alright girls, I'm done with this disappointment, lets go". Emily said and we bounced out.

We entered our room, and I sat on my bed, flipping on my book pages and my phone ringtone echoed.

I answered as the caller ID was my mom. "Hello mom".

"Annah! Oh my God! I've been calling you, I missed you".

"Mom, this is my first day in school!". I uttered nonchalantly.

She scoffed. "I know, Annah you should pick up your car from the Dawn car stand".

"Okay, thank you, I'm reading, I have to go, bye". She responded and I hung up.

"Are you reading already?". Stacy asked.

Albeit this was my first day in school but Stacy and Emily doesn't seem to be the kinda people that opens book for every class. Maybe they were the gifted students that will probably pass even without giving their book a glance whilst I was the opposite.

I may be the highest scorer in my class, or forever the highest ever since from grade one which they classified me as a nerd but my brain needed a bit of analysis and guesstimating to Ace my books.

"Its my assignment, because my so_called partner isn't tending to help". I responded.

"Who is your partner?". Emily asked.

I shrugged. "Jamal".

"Jamal?!". They both exclaimed.

*****

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