"The research is due next week. Failure to submit on time will lead to an instant fail," Mr Heywood said. I quickly scrambled to write down what he had said, not because I didn't have a book to get the information from but because the big words inside caused my head to spin. That's why I had to write everything down.

"The information is in the textbook," Nio chuckled. We were sitting next to each other because I came to the realization that he was not the problem, but I was, and I needed to guard my thoughts at all times as Philippines 4:8 said:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

So, I had no right to put all the blame on him.

"Hello, Earth to Destiny," he said, waving his hand in front of my face, pulling me from my thoughts. I blushed as I watched his mirth-covered eyes look over at my shy ones.

"Uhm, yeah. I'm on Earth," I replied, feeling stupid for my response, out of everything I could say, did I have to say that?

A deep, velvety laugh startled me. Nio had the most beautiful laugh that I felt a laugh of my own ramble from my chest like some sort of trigger from his contagious laugh. Many heads turned to look at us as we laughed, the looks we had varied from amusement to confusion to anger?

The girl that I had learned was Samantha looked angry and hurt. She viciously grabbed her sparkly pink bag resembling her princess pink outfit before storming out of the class. A short brunette followed her out as well, running after her. Murmurs broke out as people whispered about what had just occurred.

"Silence!" Mr Heywood barked out, and the class fell into pin-drop silence, with the occasional turning of pages.

"What happened?" I eventually whispered out to Nio, who just shrugged in answer giving his textbook his undivided attention and I got the message loud and clear, he did not want to talk about what had formerly taken place.

An hour passed by and neither of them made an appearance. The clock tower chimed, making me worry. But I had already said a short prayer for them, and I was sure that the Lord would watch over them.

"Bye," I said to Nio as I strapped my bag onto my shoulders and took my textbook.

"Bye, amore," he said more enthusiastically with a dazzling smile. It seemed like he had forgotten about the entire incident, and I didn't want to seem too meddlesome, although I was still bothered. I smiled back at him and left the class.

Walking to another class, my eyes and ears were focused on the buzz and swarming people I was yet to know, but I knew that the Lord knew. Sometimes it just amazed me how the Lord knew everyone on Earth, all seven billion people. How he knew all our likes and dislikes, our joy filled and mourning times, our sickness and health times, it was simply amazing! What was even more amazing was that He did it because he wanted to, because He desired to know us and have a relationship with us. What an amazing God we serve!

These thoughts got me thinking about how Samantha must've felt really angry about what she had seen, inconsolable even but in truth, she could cast all her worries and anxieties unto the Lord and He would make her yoke lighter, take away all that bugging her. How I wish I could tell Samantha all that was weighed down on my heart by the Holy Spirit but being the timid girl I was, prevented me from preaching the Word to everyone I came across. It was during these times when I was left puzzled thinking about how I could speak to anyone about anything else, just not God, but this would not continue! The Lord had given me all the power and authority to preach the Word and fight against all powers and principalities.

My thoughts were interrupted by a man who had just decided to walk up to me. He smiled, and I smiled back.

"Hi," he said with a bright smile. He had a fair complexion that brought out his dark blue eyes and messy mop of blond hair. He had this calming nature to him, and his American accent was definitely unique, a contrast to the thick Italian accent that I had come to love.

"Hello," I gave him a reserved smile as I quickly paced out of the potentially dangerous situation.

"Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. It's just that I'm new here, and I don't know my way around here, and you just looked more approachable," he explained.

"It's fine. So may I please know your name?" I looked into his deep blue pools, relieved that he was not done kidnapper, though that was not realistic as we were in a public space.

"Samuel, and you, my beautiful lady, are?" he asked in a fake British accent paired with a fake bow, making me chuckle and laugh, breaking down my walls.

"Destiny," I shook the soft hand that he had held out.

"Nice to meet you, Destiny," he grinned.

"Likewise. Sooooo...which class are you supposed to be going to now?" I awkwardly asked.

"I'm supposed to be in Physiology, taught by Ms Williams?" His brows were furrowed as he read out his timetable.

"Oh, surprisingly, I am also going to the same class so we can walk together. It's actually not that far," It was a surprise that the class he was looking for I was going to. Wow.

"Really?" His eyes lit up and his playful demeanour was back and I could hear the excitement in his voice.

"Yep."

*****

"So she was like, 'Can I have your report'?" Samuel impersonated what I thought his mother sounded like.

"And I replied and said, 'I ain't giving it up'." He shrugged.

"She asked why."

"Then I replied and said, 'My friend borrowed it'. Here comes the nice part. 'He wanted to scare his parents'."

By the end of the joke, I was laughing uncontrollably, tears in the corners of my eyes. I took deep breaths before regaining my composure.

"Did that really happen?" I asked, still catching my breath.

"Yep," Samuel replied with a firm nod and a smile.

"My mom would've taken off her slipper and beaten me up," I said honestly.

I remembered when I was ten years old and I bullied a girl named Nosipho at school. My teacher finally called my mom after numerous attempts to stop the problem, and when she found out, she was so furious that she waited for me to return home. When I arrived, she took off her expensive slipper and beat me on my butt like nobody's business.

"Oh, is she one of those strict moms?" Samuel frowned.

"Not really. She just wants what's best for me, and a mother always knows what's best for her child," I smiled. After years of that incident, I learned that what happened shaped me into a better person.

"You speak so highly of your mom." There was a bit of sadness in Samuel's tone, which he hid behind a smile.

"As I should. What about you? Don't you think like that about your mother?"

"I used to, before she abandoned me, my dad, and my little bro, for another dude, not daring to look back." He said nonchalantly, but I could see the pain in his blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry." In situations like these, I never knew how to respond.

"No need to apologize. It's not your fault," he smiled.

Our class was over, so we were just conversing and getting to know each other. I found that he was a hilarious and kind-hearted person who I could just talk to and start laughing with.

We parted ways with a goodbye wave and a final joke.

I found Sienna in the hallway, eyes glued to her cellphone screen and earbuds in her ears as she slowly bobbed her head from the back to the front.

I knew calling her would be pointless, so I jogged over to her and covered her eyes with my hands.

She started moving her head before removing her earbuds, and that's when I let go of her. As soon as she saw me, she jumped into my arms, and we hugged like we were long-lost sisters.

"Girls!" My best friend called.

We turned to her as she rushed over to us. She pulled Sienna into a kind embrace. Yes, Thato had apologized for her attitude before, and now they were like two peas in a pod, which made me happy because maybe we could be like the three musketeers.

"So who was the handsome man you were just talking to? Laughing with, must I add?" Sienna asked in a suggestive tone.

"Which man?" Now Thato was curious. Myself with a man? Never in her wildest dreams.

"He's just a classmate that needed help going around," I replied honestly.

"Really?" They asked in unison.

And that's how my day went.