Mark's pov:
During PE class, my mind wandered to Angelica's new friend, the girl in the headscarf. Sara, right?
Angelica always had a knack for making people feel welcome. It was one of the things I admired—and envied—about her. Angelica is actually my cousin. We grew up as close friends until things started changing because my parents kept comparing my results to hers. She was obviously better than me. Growing up, our families always said Angelica was the light in the room, while I was...well, just there.
I didn't understand why she was bothering with Sara, though. She's been planning to leave this school ever since her family moved hours away. Why make new friends now, when she's halfway out the door?
Sara's pov:
My heart sank as I heard my mother's response. I knew it was coming, but it still stung. "You just got here," she said, "you don't know anyone yet." She was right, of course. It felt strange, trying to fit in when everything around me was so different. But I also knew that if I didn't start making friends, this place would feel even more like a foreign land. I sent a quick text to Angelica to let her know I couldn't make it, but her reply was understanding. That felt nice, at least.
I decided to text one of my friends in Nigeria. I narrated everything that happened on my first day of school and the second day.
S: I can't believe the boy that said he liked me without knowing me.
F: First love at first sight, l guess.
S: You must be joking, l don't believe such.
A: Before I forget, l saw an old classmate today.
S: Who?
A:Guess with this phrase; l love someone but I cannot tell the person.
*flashback*
On a particular day, l stood at the window in my class. A boy was holding his diary. I was like can l check it?
He said no but he still handed it to me. He made a mistake and he shouldn't have handed it to me. I opened it right in front of him. But funny enough l didn't open the first page but the second page.
As i opened it l saw; l love- before i could see the remaining a friend of mine collected it from me and rebuked me saying he told me not to check it but l did the opposite.
The way she collected the diary and why l saw felt like a movie to me like an Indian movie or reading a book on Wattpad.
I was surprised and scared at the same time. This boy l had been close to him, we used to exchange novels and one day he gave me like almost twenty stories. l was trying to convince myself he might love his mother, maybe someone in his family. The boy looked innocent and we were just twelve at that time.
I couldn't keep it to myself. I told that same girl whose name was also Sara-who collected his diary from me and did not allow me to see everything. So we made a plan to check his diary when no one's in the class. The perfect time would be when everyone goes to pray Suhr. We'd pray but we won't wait for the adhkar.
I was scared of being caught. We got to the class but there was a girl in the class who was also our friend, Aaliyah. She loved things like that and easily got curious. Even though I didn't want many people to know, we had no choice.
We opened his locker and found the diary. I couldn't remember who actually opened it but one of us did.
It says;
I love a girl but i cannot tell the person because l don't know if she loves me back. But l don't want to mention the person's name in case someone checks my diary.
I must say he was smart because he didn't mention the girl's name. What surprised me was he didn't even like he upgraded to love.
There were some other things in his diary but these were the key ones for us.
I couldn't even enter the class that day because l was afraid of seeing him. My seat was beside him- different chairs and tables.
I guess l was a bit dramatic then.
*end of flashback.*
The girl l was texting now is Aaliyah. She referred to him as an old classmate because he later left the school.
After chitchatting with her for a while, it was time to pray. I prayed and read the Quran for a while before l slept.
Maybe tomorrow would be better.
**********
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