Sara's pov:
Sara!" a voice shouted.
I turned to see Angelica jogging toward me, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. She stopped when she saw the boy next to me, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"What are you doing with Mark?" she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and something else I couldn't place.
"Mark was helping me find my class," I said, glancing between the two of them.
Angelica's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she turned back to me, her usual bright smile returning. "Come on, I'll take you. I know the way."
Mark shrugged. "Suit yourself." Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there with Angelica.
"Who is he?" I asked as we walked to my class.
"Just...Mark," Angelica said, her tone light, but there was something guarded in her eyes.
I didn't press further, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than Angelica was letting on.
She took me to my class and afterwards left for her class.
Are you new to the school, the girl sitting in front of me asked.
Yes. I replied.
Do you like our school?
This is actually my first day. Time will tell if I like the school. I said slowly so she could hear me.
During the register, the teacher struggled to call my name and l had to correct her.
Zara instead of Sarah, someone was calling me at the back.
The voice of a boy, l guess.
Zara, look back. Let's look at your face.
My face, these people are unbelievable. Why can't they just leave me alone in peace, l thought.
Why do they want to see myself.
But l doubt if they heard me the first time.
They kept calling my name, so l turned back.
My name is Sara and not Zara. I said angrily.
I doubt they heard me though, but l don't care since l gave them my piece.
At the end of the class, l was packing my books.
Hey girl ! A white boy called looking at me.
The word he said next surprised me.
This boy likes you. I looked at the boy he was pointing to.
A black boy about my height, the one that was shouting my name before.
I just stared at them as if they were not talking to me.
So embarrassing.
It felt like the floor should swallow me .
The audacity of the boy. Thanks to him, all eyes were on me.
I couldn't wait to leave the class.
How can you like someone without knowing the person.
*****************
It was finally time to go home, and I couldn't have been happier. My first day at school had gone surprisingly well. It wasn't as difficult as I had expected. I had thought I would feel completely out of place, but I met nice people who made it bearable.
The house smelled of spices as I opened the door, and a familiar warmth settled over me.
"Assalamu alaykum," I greeted as I stepped inside.
Before I could take another step, my youngest sister, Farah, came running toward me. At just four years old and in Year One, she was full of energy and giggles.
"Walaykum Salam," my eldest sister, Abir, replied from the couch, her eyes scanning me like she was searching for clues about my day.
I knew that look too well—she was brimming with curiosity and ready to bombard me with questions.
"How was—" she started, but I cut her off quickly.
"Don't. Don't ask me," I said, raising a hand to stop her mid-sentence.
Abir smirked knowingly, but thankfully, she let me go—for now.
After eating, I sat in the living room, knowing full well that the interrogation I had postponed earlier was about to begin. My two younger sisters, Iqra and Farah, were busy playing, but Abir was ready and waiting.
"So, how was school today?" she asked, leaning forward with eager eyes.
"It was fine," I replied, trying to keep my answer short.
"Did you make any new friends?"
"Yes, I did," I admitted.
"What's her name? Did you get her phone number?" Abir's questions came rapid-fire, one after the other.
I sighed, leaning back against the couch. "How am I supposed to answer all your questions at once?"
Abir raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"Her name is Angelica," I said. "And no, I didn't get her number."
"Angelica," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Does she have any friends?"
I hesitated, thinking back to our conversations at school. Angelica hadn't mentioned any close friends, and she did say some of her friends weren't in that day. I hadn't thought much about it at the time.
"What does that have to do with you?" I asked, deflecting her question.
Abir shrugged. "Just curious. Maybe you'll get to meet her friends tomorrow."
I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I would. Angelica had been kind to me, but there was still so much I didn't know about her.
As Abir continued to ask questions, I couldn't help but feel grateful for her curiosity. It reminded me that, no matter how different things were in this new country, I still had my family—a constant in my ever-changing world.