SERENDIPITY | bxb.

two.

..
"i wanna be down with you."

There's a distinct diversity in the cafeteria at my school. Other than a few groups, students don't just sit together as a part of a clique. People rotate around tables and greet their friends at other tables. Drama is rare, and most people get along. Although, there would be an occasional fight or two over something that I would assume as petty. It was always entertaining to Caiden, however ­— he would be on the sidelines egging it on.

It is always obscenely loud, though. I can barely hear my music as I walk through looking for somewhere to sit. People often thought hell was a burning abyss. For me, it was trying to find somewhere to sit without embarrassing myself. I find Caiden, but he's sitting with a group of people I assume to be the new friends he made over the short vacation. There are two guys sitting on the end with their backs towards me while Caiden is sitting next to three other people on the other, including a hijabi girl with dark skin. I smile. Another Muslim.

I almost walk past, but, to my slight dismay, Caiden ushers me over. "Zaya! Come sit!" he calls over my headphones, and I reluctantly stop in my tracks, as if time froze right there. Pausing my music, I turn on my heel and carry my lunch over to where they sit. As I approach the table, I can't help but notice that everyone looks different from each other. It's almost as if they don't fit together, yet they all interact with each other so smoothly and flowingly. I just hope my awkward nature doesn't disrupt that.

"Guys, this is Isaiah," Caiden introduces as he pats the seat next to him. "Zaya, this is Kam, Therin, Rashad, Jada, Andre, and Aaliyah. Zion should be here any second." He points to everyone at the table as he names them, but I know I won't remember their names. It takes me a moment to realise he's telling me to sit next to him. Taking a seat, I notice that everyone sitting here is Black, like me, and the thought makes me feel safe. Secure.

"Like they gon' remember all that, Cai," one of them says with a feigned eyeroll. Then they turn to smile at me. "I'm Kam, what are your pronouns?" they ask me, invitingly.

"Um, he/him," I mumble. Kam had slightly lighter skin than I did and possessed a lovely array of long cornrows. I feel the anxiety creep up on me, and if I had no control, I would've gotten up and ran out before they could even respond. But I stay in my seat, with my eyebrows raised, as if alarmed. I feel dazed, and that's probably how I look.

"Well, Zay, she or they is cool with me. This is Therin, he go by he/they," she says as she points to a feminine person with a smile so bright it almost hurt my eyes. "They the geek of the group. He could probably build a teleporter if he tried hard enough." Therin waves kindly towards me; his eyes shined through his glasses.

"Oh, please, Kamryn. I do not possess that much intellect," Therin brushes off, bashfully, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He turns to me with a softer smile than earlier. "Welcome to the group, Isaiah. As you'll see, the collective is quite diverse in personality." I almost chuckle at his formal mannerisms.

"Um, thank you, glad to be here," I say in a slight mumble, though part of me feels like I'm lying. I couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the large group of people. I stayed, though. Something felt oddly inviting. As if my life was about to change and I was controlling it by the wheel.

We sit awkwardly, and I immediately feel it upon me to say something to break the ice. "Um, who's Zion?" I ask, lamely.

"He's the sportsy guy of the group. Knucklehead over here was supposed to come back with him from basketball, but his lazy ass came to lunch early," Kam banters, glancing at the guy who was busy eating his lunch. With the way he was eating it, you'd think the cafeteria had great food.