School. It's the place where everyone's constantly comparing themselves to each other. The quiet ones sit at the back, unnoticed. The ones with talent shine in the front. But what if the rules changed? What if the ones at the back were given a chance to show what they're really capable of?
The bell rings, cutting through the classroom's noise.
"Alright, class! That's all for today," the teacher announces, and everyone starts gathering their things to leave.
Kamani doesn't move. He's not even paying attention. While everyone else is talking and heading out, Kamani's lost in the pages of a book—
The History of Time - by Stephen Hawking
It's hidden under his desk, but he's absorbed in it, his mind far away from schoolwork.
"Kamani!" A voice pulls him back to reality. It's Shahun, his friend—or at least someone who tries to act like one.
Kamani doesn't look up. He's still focused on the book. "Did you finish the project work?"
Kamani glances up for a moment, then shrugs. "Nah, I'll do it later." His voice is absent, distant. His eyes are already back on the book, searching for the answers it holds.
Shahun frowns, clearly annoyed. "Why do you always waste your time on those books and stories? You never finish your textbook chapters, and now you're reading stuff that doesn't even matter. No wonder you keep failing your exams." He pauses, as if expecting Kamani to react. "You're blocking your own path to success, Kamani. If you want to get anywhere, you need to start focusing."
Kamani hears Shahun, but his words barely register. He's heard it all before, and it never changes anything. Shahun keeps talking, but Kamani isn't really listening. The classroom is emptying now, everyone rushing outside for break time. Kamani stays behind, like always. He sits in the last row, the last person left in the room.
Shahun shakes his head, frustrated, and walks off. "Come on, man. You should come to the front and actually study. Stop wasting your time."
But Kamani doesn't care. His mind is already elsewhere. Time. Distance. What if they were connected? What if time wasn't just this thing that kept moving forward, but something that could change depending on where you were, how far you were from something?
He's so caught up in his thoughts that the world outside doesn't matter. The clock ticks away, but Kamani barely notices. Something feels off, something he can't explain. Something about time—it's not what it seems.
Kamani stands up slowly, the classroom now completely empty. He moves toward the window, looking out, but his mind is far beyond this place. Far beyond the walls of school, beyond the predictable path everyone seems to follow.
Something is changing. And Kamani feels it.