Where to go? Who to trust?

Chapter 1: Youthful Petrification

"Mr. Zakir wins the game with an ace-high diamond flush." The dealer said, and passed all the chips over to Kamran.

"You filthy bastard, how the hell do you get this lucky every time?" Ethan banged a fist on the table, and let out a chuckle. He was always left unsatisfied, and with a mystery as to how Kamran would get away with the worst things.

If life was Minecraft, Kamran was playing on Peaceful mode. Kamran gathered the money he won, and folded it up. He inquired, "so, tomorrow's your first day as an A-Levels student, how're you feeling?"

"We came here to get my mind off of that shit, and yet here we are." Ethan let out an audible sigh. "Well, honestly, I'm unsure about tomorrow. It's a whole new world, and the time to experience it came too soon. I don't think I'm ready."

Ethan looked down at his feet. He was quite fearful of what high school would be like. Would he be a popular addition to Gallivant College? Or would he be one of those people who sit in a corner all day, study their asses off, and don't interact with the rest of the world? Time, would be a deciding factor here.

"Look man, I suggest you don't make this year a repeat of middle school. I know how talented you are. You can code, you can write, you freaking sing, and you're good looking! Which I mean, isn't a talent, but you know!" Ethan gazed at the lamp on one of the pillars at the casino. He thought long, and hard (a whole 5 minutes in the middle of a conversation) about what Kamran said.

"Will it all even matter if I'm afraid to talk to people?"

"You're talking to me right now!"

Ethan chuckled, "it's fine, it is what it is. I'll be better."

Kamran gave the bill fold in his hand to Ethan, almost forcing him to take it.

"No dude, you won it fair, and square."

"And I'm giving it to you, fair, and square. I don't even need it, you do."

Knowing that Kamran wouldn't take kindly to him refusing money from him, Ethan reluctantly took the bill fold, and stuffed it in his back pocket.

"Thanks for the game Mr. Aon, nobody else would've let us stay here past midnight."

"Anything for Zakir's son, kiddo."

Kamran thanked Mr. Aon, and the two walked out the casino. The past-midnight breeze hit their faces, and was pleasantly chilly. The light from the lamps flowed through 9th street like water.

"Well, this is it, your last night before you're screaming, crying, throwing up."

"That's not fucking funny." Kamran laughed as he headed over to his car.

Well, technically it was his dad, Mr. Zakir Shahnawaz's Mercedes, but oh well. Their friendship, however, was not based on one mooching off the other.

"You owe me Red Bull for making tonight miserable."

"Aww, did I hurt your feewings?" It was always amusing for Kamran to make a fool out of Ethan.

"No, seriously tonight really helped me not focus on A-Levels. I'll see you later then."

Kamran gave him a salute, and drove off into the distance. Ethan walked home, the street lamps shining upon him. The houses on 9th street were what you'd expect Pakistani houses to be like. Ropes mounted on hooks, nailed onto walls for drying laundry, no garages for parking cars, usually dimly lit gates, and gardens that were almost as pretty as the pictures in your homes. The walk home bombarded his mind with one question: "How the hell am I going to make new friends?"