The Rainbow Friends: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The School Accident

I start my school day with a mix of anticipation and discomfort, as I enter the classroom of my amazing teacher, Mr Cunningham. Not only is he my beloved Math teacher, but he also serves as my form tutor in the mornings.

He wears a white shirt, a cyan tie, and dark black trousers. Mr Cunningham embodies professionalism from head to toe.

Behind my enthusiasm for the best day ahead, I can't ignore the persistent pain and swelling in my right shoulder, a constant reminder of the life-threatening disease that I have been battling for the past few months.

I walk into my classroom room and was greeted by Mr Cunningham at the door.

“Morning Sam, you okay?” Sir says to me knowing the fatal disease I have.

“I’m fine sir,” I replied to him.

I look around my well known space of my classroom. It has a blend of familiar features and plainness. With four square windows and a wooden door for entry and exit. Unlike very few of my other classes that boast distinctive designs, the interior walls of my classroom are devoid of ornamentation, painted in the same plain white hue as the majority of the school. Positioned in front of me is a black electronic whiteboard, a valuable instructional tool that occasionally malfunctions. At the back of the room, a white door blends seamlessly into the wall, leading to the classroom adjacent to ours—or so I've been told.

I sit down at my desk and I cherish the seat next to sir and have no desire to relocate anytime soon.

Taking my seat, I'm reminded of my ongoing battle with the disease as the pain courses through my swollen right shoulder. Though I try to push through it, the discomfort is a constant presence in my daily life.

After a few minutes, Mr Cunningham concludes his preparations and begins our morning form time. Standing in front of the class, he addresses us while writing on the plain, empty whiteboard above his desk. "Good morning, everyone," he greets us warmly. "How was your weekend?"

Everyone replies with very much different responses but I reply with, “I didn’t do anything at all.”

"In case you missed the bulletin or it slipped your mind," Mr Cunningham continues, "we have a school trip today to a place called Odd World. We'll be heading down to the coaches shortly, so please follow me in an orderly and quiet manner as other form times and lessons are going on.” With that, our class prepares to embark on our much-anticipated excursion.

As we make our way down two flights of stairs, I find myself trailing behind. Engaging in a brief conversation with a substitute teacher I admire, I bid her farewell. "Goodbye, Miss."

"Cya later, Sam. Have a fantastic time," she responds with a warm smile.

Rejoining the group, I hasten my steps to catch up with Mr Cunningham, realising I am now the last student boarding the coach. Even the other teachers managed to find their seats ahead of me somehow.

I walk out of the school and I see two bright white coaches parked right outside of the reception room. I look around and I could see my classmates milling about inside, probably chatting excitedly about the school trip to Odd World, the amusement park that we were all going to visit.

My stomach fills with a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement, especially when I recall the park's most famous attraction—the towering Ferris Wheel adorned with a captivating display of rainbow-coloured lights. The image of its mesmerising illumination and rotating motion is etched in my mind, intensifying my anticipation of reaching our destination.

I got to my coach and the door was closed. They must have thought everyone was on but no. I wasn’t on yet.

The coach’s door slides open, and I enter the bus. A freezing gust of wind hits me as I enter the full bus. I finally stepped into the grey, plain aisle and I look around for a seat I can use. The coach was freezing, a lot colder than I found comfortable. It didn’t help that I have awfully bad heat circulation.

As I scan the bus for an available seat, I find relief when I spot an empty space next to my good friend, Dan. With a sigh of relief, I settle into the seat, placing my bag on the floor beside me.

“Hello Dan,” I kindly say to him as I sit down and put my bag on the floor.

“Hello. How are you?” Dan asks me.

"I'm doing okay, despite everything," I reply, grateful for his understanding. "Are you excited about our trip to Odd World?"

“I am excited to visit the place. I have heard great stuff about it and I am looking forward to it,” Dan replies to me.

Our conversation continues as the coach begins its journey towards Odd World, gradually leaving the familiar surroundings of our school behind. The engine hums softly, creating a backdrop of white noise that accompanies our chatter.

Glancing out of the window, I watch as the scenery whizzes by. The sun peeks through the emergency roof exit, casting warm rays of light into the bus. The sky above is a serene blue canvas, adding to the sense of anticipation in the air. It feels like the perfect day for an adventure.

As we merge onto a busy motorway, the coach driver picks up speed. The sudden acceleration causes some of our peers to grow uneasy, especially Noah, who sits at the front of the bus. Noah, a Danish Muslim with a penchant for quiet contemplation and a love for Harry Potter, expresses his discomfort with the increased velocity.
I could see his outfit consists of a hijab that covers his hair and neck due to his religion. The rest of his outfit consists of a plain white jacket, black trousers with 2 pockets on both legs, and white boots. On his face are circular glasses.

Meanwhile, Nat, another friend of ours (also next to Noah), tunes out the commotion, engrossed in their own world of music and games.

Me and Dan gaze out the window, watching as the scenery flew by. The sun was shining through the emergency roof exit in the ceiling and I could see that the sky was a bright, clear blue. It was the perfect day for the trip.

I look front at Noah, and I could see that his anxiety had mounted, and he is pressed back into his seat, seeking some semblance of safety. He nudges Nat, who briefly acknowledges his concern before returning to her own world, seemingly undisturbed.

I turn around and look out the back window where nobody was sitting. I notice a red car speeding up behind our coach. It was quickly closing the distance between our coach, and before I knew it, it had zoomed past the coach and dangerously cut in front of us.

Everyone who saw it gasped in shock as the red car narrowly avoided a collision with a truck in the next lane.

As the coach continues on its journey towards Odd World, we pass by an old, falling apart hotel on the side of the road. The sight of the dingy establishment catches my attention, its broken structure and colour standing out against the landscape. I gaze at it briefly, imagining the opulence and comfort that may reside within its walls.

However, amidst seeing the hotel, a sudden surge of intense pain shoots through my right arm. It's an agonizing sensation, unlike anything I've ever experienced. Waves of pain pulse through my arm, causing tears to well up in my eyes as I struggle to contain the anguish.

Tears begin to trickle down my face, each drop carrying physical and emotional pain I have. I clench my eyes together, trying to suppress the tears from escaping.

In the midst of my distress, I reach out for support from my friends. Dan straightaways notices my struggle and turns to me with concern in his eyes. Nat, has been at the very front of the coach, even noticed and dragged Noah along with them.

As Nat drags Noah, the bus driver notices.

“Sit back down,” the bus driver says to Nat.

“Shut up. I’m helping my friend,” Nat screamed back at him.

Dan places a comforting hand on my shoulder, offering words of reassurance and empathy. But the pain persists, and I find it difficult to find peace in his comforting gestures.

As I wipe away my tears, I listen to Dan and Nat’s conversation.

“So, what happened to Sam,” Nat worriedly asked Dan, seeing if they could help at all.

“The pain in his arm is getting slightly worse,” Dan said, “so you can’t really help with that.”

Nat nods and goes back to their seat.

Noah hugs me before he leaves which makes me feel loads better. Noah has always been there for me. Even before I discovered I had the life threatening disease. I like Noah. Always there to help out.

As the coach moves further away from the hotel, the pain gradually subsides, leaving behind a lingering discomfort. I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself and wipe away the tears from my cheeks. Though the journey continues, the memory of that excruciating moment stays with me, a reminder of the challenges I face, and the strength needed to endure them.

Within two hours of being inside the noisy coach, all of the students were talking and I was doing the same. The coach was starting to get closer to Odd World and I look out the windows as the roads faded from asphalt to mud. I was looking at the trees and the meadows that surrounded the mud road. I was looking forward to the trip.

Someone turns around in their seat and faces me and Dan. He stares at us looking confused and then he asks Dan an odd question.

“Hey, Dan. Why do you sit next to Sam all the time?” The kid asks my friend.

“Dude. I am sitting next to a bro,” Dan says kindly.

I can't help but smile at Dan's words, appreciating the bond we share. It's reassuring to have such support during this challenging time.

The coach driver carries on driving down the mud road that eventually splits into two ways: Odd World or a place no one had been in years. Me and Dan were excited to go to Odd World but we suddenly spot something out of the ordinary. A mysterious shadowy arm and hand appears out of a bush and twists the wooden sign around and makes it point in the wrong direction, down the other road.

“That’s a little sus,” Dan exclaims to me, “Did you see the shadowy arm come across?”

“I did Dan. I hope the driver knows where he’s going…”

The driver notices the arrow sign and he thought it was the right way. The driver turned the coach and it goes down a mud road spiral ramp.

“Come on bus driver…” Dan says getting distracted by a yellow biohazard sign next to the road. He looks confused.

“Why are you sending us down the biohazard road?” Dan slightly laughs to himself nervously and comically.

The coach proceeds down a winding mud road, gradually descending along a spiral ramp. As we descend, a tree suddenly looms ahead, causing panic among the passengers. Miraculously, the coach driver manages to swerve, narrowly avoiding a catastrophic collision.

However, the relief is short-lived. A loud crunching sound reverberates through the bus, and the vehicle careens off the muddy road, crashing into a sturdy tree. The impact jolts me forward, my head colliding with the seat in front of me. The world momentarily blurs as I lose consciousness.

When I regain consciousness, the sounds of chaos fill the air. The screams of my fellow students echo, creating a haunting symphony of fear. The coach is engulfed in flames, the intense heat and billowing smoke overwhelming the confined space. Panic sets in as I realize I am trapped, wedged tightly between the seats.

Desperately, I attempt to sit up, but dizziness overtakes me, accompanied by a wave of nausea. Smoke begins to seep into the bus, intensifying the urgency of the situation. I notice some of my classmates strewn across the ground outside, having been violently thrown from their seats during the crash.

Among them, I spot Dan, his face pale and bloodied. Despite my efforts to reach him, I am immobilised, my body firmly held captive. The shouts of rescuers and the distant figure of someone walking away fill my fading awareness. The last thing I see is a flash of a tie, then darkness consumes me once more...