𝐈𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬

CHAPTER FIVE

FIVE

WILLOW

  "Y'all get in line, I'll save us a table" the dark skinned Muslim boy said to me and Larisa, before walking away and further into the dining hall to get us a table at the back. I watched him as he moved, wondering why him, and his friend, Dindu, acted so nice towards us, towards me actually. The third friend, however, Evan, or whatever his name was. Jerk. Big time. I saw it from the way he looked me over like I was some piece of shit.

The thought of sitting on the same table as him once again in less than twenty four hours sent chills down my spine. I was afraid of getting angry, I hadn't bought a new razor.

"Douye, the line has moved. Where's your mind?" Larisa's voice snapped me back to the present. I looked in front of me to see that there was a reasonable distance between the mountain that stood in front of me and myself, so I took three steps forward to close the space.

Honestly, I loved the way Larisa referred to me by my native name. I adored it in fact. The girl just seemed so at peace with the world, so comfortable. That was something I'd always longed for.

Soon, it was my turn to get served. I took five bread slices, a slice of butter, hot chocolate and marshmallows, and a creamer. They insisted I have a fruit side dish, so I got a watermelon slice. I waited for Larisa to take her breakfast before we both walked towards the table on which the Muslim boy had already placed eight bottles of water and patiently waited for us and the others.

I didn't really know the group, but I guess I liked the way they acted somewhat neutral towards me. I preferred it to being alone, neglected and judged.

The Muslim boy left as soon as we were seated, next, we were joined on the table by Dindu.

I stared at the boy who'd woken me up from sleep last night, and sacrificed his meal ticket for me, trying to read any sign of the slightest ingenuity in his eyes so I could predict his actual intentions as to why he helped me. I found none.

It amazed me, because, like Larisa, his eyes glistened with an internal joy, I simply couldn't fathom it.

Maybe, truly, not everyone hated me.

"Good morning!" He greeted us both with a grin. "Did you guys sleep well? How was the morning drill for you?"

Larisa smiled and began to talk about her night, her dormitory, how she slept right next to Ziora Barlowe, this morning, how Ziora looked down, how girls gossipped Ziora and then acted all nice upfront, how the sports were nothing compared to what she does back home, how she'd read her Bible, and how she'd enjoyed cleaning up this morning. Ziora was just busy chewing on her bread slice while Larisa spoke, and I stared at her for a while before remembering that I had food which I was supposed to eat. So, I picked up a slice of bread, and the bread knife and began spreading the butter on the bread, each one of the slices.

"How about you, Douye?" Larisa turned to me suddenly, making me drop the slice of bread in my hand. "How was your night? How's your dormitory like?"

Oh.

First of all, I had no idea how my dormitory was, because, to think of it, I'd taken notice of nothing but that bin where I'd tossed my blade, and the position of my bed. Every other thing was a blur to me.