The End of The Beginning

seven

seven

Tuesday, September 7th

I'm making breakfast even though I'm not hungry at all. My life isn't ruined and it's time to start acting like it. I still have a semi-permanent home and a (albeit complicated) family. Right? Yeah. And I have friends. Last night on Facetime, Malika asked me what classes I have today and we actually have 2 more together. Music and study hall. My Eggo waffles pop out of the white toaster. My Grandpa's house looks like it hasn't been updated since the 80s. The walls of the kitchen are pink and there are floral curtains and porcelain dolls everywhere. Just like how my grandma loved it. I grab my Eggos out of the toaster with my bare hands, they're fresh and warm. I grab a paper towel off the roll and head toward the door. I have to walk to school now, which isn't a huge problem cause it's less than a mile away from my Grandpa's. Still enough to complain about. Pat, stomp, pat, stomp, pat stomp. I haven't spoken to Camden since dinner last week. I'm not sure what to say. He walks apprehensively into the kitchen.

"Hey, Soph."

"Hey."

"Listen, I know you're mad at me. I only found out a couple of months ago and Mom made me swear not to tell-". I pull him in close for a hug.

"Camden, I love you. Anything our crazy Mom does won't change that. It's really her fault for making you keep a secret like that, okay? I'm not angry with you at all." He laughs into my shoulder. I pull away so he can tell me what's funny.

"Well, I wasn't going to call her crazy but I guess you aren't wrong," he says while smiling.

"Someone's gotta tell the truth around here y'know." I joke. "Anyway, I gotta go."

"Bye, Soph!" he yells as I slam the front door.

...

I walk up to the front of the school. I'm tired. A 15-minute hilly walk at 7:45 am sounds a lot easier than it really is. I grudge up the grey cement steps and step into the large double doors. I'm immediately met with the buzzing sounds of the halls, though not as crowded as it is during school time. Students lounge in the main corridor, sharing conversations on its checkered gray and white floors. Laughter, complaining, and more laughter. I'm not late but what do I even do so early? Homeroom doesn't even open until 8:05 am. I pull out my phone to text Malika when a familiar voice says-

"Soph?", I look up to see Mero. Or Romero. Still not sure which sounds right. We've been chatting this last week. Mostly small talk, asking about other kids in the neighborhood, and asking what lunch we both have 30 times.

"Oh, hey, what's up!"

"Nothing, nothing. I just ran away too early yesterday, I didn't even get to ask for your Snap or anything."

"Yeah, sure, no problem." As I reach into the back pocket of my baggy jeans I realize I had already been holding my phone in my sweaty, red palms. I fumble my phone as I turn it on and unlock it, feeling his dark brown eyes trace the room, come back to me, and repeat. He looks at people like he's studying them, though I don't know what about me deserves such careful consideration. "My username is sophia-ca, I'll just wait to make sure it goes through." He gives me a nod and adds me on his phone.

"Perfect, thanks," he says with a genuine smile. "Well, I've got to head to advisory but I'll catch you in Gym, right?"

"Yeah." As he walks toward his advisory class other students stop him to talk. He dabs them up and they start conversation about football and stuff like that. I probably look creepy staring.

...

As I walk into the gymnasium, the smell of rubber immediately clouds my nose. I had a total of 10 minutes to walk to 5th-period gym class and change into my clothes. I don't know who made that rule but it's completely impossible. I nearly turned my scratchy gym shirt inside out.

"Soph!" yelled Mero from the far side of the gym. He was jogging towards me when I noticed Gigi following behind him like a lost lapdog.

"Hey," I said while I walked toward him. I awkwardly stopped about 3 feet away from him, not knowing how close we should stand together.

"How was Mrs. Abdullah? I heard she was putting up new decorations?"

"Yeah, she was, a lot of stuff about Geometry. I honestly didn't even know she was the Geo teacher until Malika told me."

"Ooh, speaking of Malika- did you two ever figure out the style of song Mrs. Boor wants us to write?"

"No, haha, I still don-"

"Well, Mero aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend?" interrupts Gigi. She clings onto his arm and rests her head on his shoulders. She looks up at him with shining eyes.

"I think she can introduce herself, but if she wants me to I can." he turns his head towards Gigi and softly brushes her off of him. He looks back at me for confirmation.

"Huh? I mean sure if you want to." my eyes flicker between Mero and Gigi. He laughs.

"Well, this is my friend and new neighbor, Sophia. She helped me the first day of school when I was totally lost."

"If her name is Sophia why'd you call her Soph? Are you two really that close already?" Gigi laughs.

"If your name is Ji with a J why do you tell people it's Gigi with a G?" Mero jokes back. He didn't answer how close we are.

"'Cause it's pronounced the same way, silly." She hasn't acknowledged me directly this whole time.

"That's a really beautiful name," I say to get her attention. She finally breaks her attention away from Mero.

"Thanks, my Umma gave it to me."

"Your what?" I ask. She looks me up and down like I've said something wrong.

"Her mom," Mero confirms. "You're confusing her, y'know?" Mero looks down at Gigi, smiling. Mero is a few inches taller than me and Gigi is a few inches shorter than me. The top of her head is barely up to his nose.

"Well, whatever. Hey, Soph since you're pretty acquainted with Mero, you should meet the whole gang. We're having a hangout type of thing for my birthday in, like, a month. It's going to be super fun. It's at my house."

"Oh, totally! I need to know the address so I can tell my-" I almost say my Dad, knowing he was the one that would say yes to these kinds of things. I feel my heart sink. "-my mom."

"Sure, Mero will send you my Snap. Right, Merooo?"

"Okay, Gigi." Mero looks playfully annoyed. "Bye, Soph."

"Bye."