Niya's POV
It was lunchtime, and the energy in Malcolm X High’s cafeteria was at an all-time high. The smell of hot fries and chicken sandwiches mixed with the usual chaos of a crowded school. Groups of students clustered at their usual tables—jocks loudly bragging about last night's basketball game, girls giggling over their phones, and a group of kids who were always freestyling by the vending machines. I clutched my Kuromi-themed notebook tightly against my chest, scanning the room for Tyra. She always sat at the far table near the window with her crew.
“Yo, Niya! Over here!” Tyra’s voice cut through the noise, and my heart skipped a beat. She smiled at me, her perfect teeth gleaming under the cafeteria lights. She was leaning back in her chair, all chill like she wasn’t the finest girl in this whole school.
I made my way over, weaving through the maze of tables. Just as I was about to sit next to her, the doors at the back of the cafeteria slammed open, snatching everyone’s attention. A hush fell over the room like somebody hit pause on a movie.
That’s when I saw them. Lakeyah and Kehlani.
They didn’t walk into the cafeteria; they owned it.
Lakeyah led the way, her dark locs pulled into a clean ponytail, and her sharp Detroit accent sliced through the room as she shouted something to one of the guys by the door. She was rocking a black bubble coat over her uniform, the kind that told you she didn’t care about no dress code. Kehlani was right behind her, her slicked-back hair and gold hoops shining like she was straight out of the Bay. She had her arm draped around some girl I didn’t recognize, probably one of her “girlfriends of the week.”
The entire cafeteria was watching them, even the teachers.
“Damn, here come Hood Royalty,” Tyra muttered under her breath, leaning closer to me. “I swear, they live to make a scene.”
“They do all this every day?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Every. Single. Day,” Tyra replied, shaking her head.
Lakeyah and Kehlani made their way to the center of the cafeteria like they were walking a red carpet. Lakeyah slapped hands with some dudes on the basketball team, while Kehlani grabbed a fry off somebody’s plate without even asking. The girl she was with giggled like it was cute, but I could see the embarrassment on her face when Kehlani leaned in and whispered something in her ear.
They finally settled at their usual table, which just so happened to be the one across from Tyra’s. My stomach tightened.
“Why they gotta sit so close?” I mumbled, trying to focus on the sandwich Tyra slid my way.
“Because they messy as hell,” Tyra said, shaking her head.
---
The loudness picked up again, but the energy in the cafeteria was different. People were still watching Lakeyah and Kehlani out the corners of their eyes. It was like everyone was waiting for the drama to start because it always did.
“Niya, you good?” Tyra asked, her voice pulling me back.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I lied. My hands were sweating against the cold plastic of my notebook, and my appetite was gone.
Tyra gave me a look but didn’t push. She turned back to her friends, cracking jokes and throwing fries like nothing was wrong. But I couldn’t relax. Not when I felt Lakeyah’s eyes on me.
“Who’s the new girl?” I heard her say, her voice loud enough to carry across the room.
I froze.
“You talking about Kuromi over there?” Kehlani added, laughing. My cheeks burned.
“Nah, I ain’t seen her before,” Lakeyah said. “What’s her name?”
My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to ignore them, hoping they’d move on to someone else.
---
Kehlani wasn’t having it.
“Aye, you,” she called, her voice smooth but sharp, like the edge of a knife. I looked up against my better judgment, meeting her piercing gaze. She tilted her head, smirking like she already owned me.
“You got a name, or we just call you Hello Kitty?” Kehlani asked, leaning back in her chair.
“Niya,” I said, my voice small but steady.
“Niya,” Lakeyah repeated, testing it out. “Where you from, Niya?”
“Eastside,” I replied.
Lakeyah raised an eyebrow. “Eastside, huh? You don’t sound like it.”
“She sound like she from the suburbs,” Kehlani said, earning a laugh from their table.
I clenched my fists under the table, my nails digging into my palms. Tyra’s voice cut through before I could say anything.
“Y’all done?” she snapped, glaring at them.
Lakeyah leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “What you so mad for, Tyra? We just talking.”
“Talking, my ass,” Tyra shot back. “Y’all bored or something?”
Kehlani chuckled, shaking her head. “Relax, Tyra. Ain’t nobody trying to steal your little friend.”
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on us.
---
After what felt like an eternity, Lakeyah and Kehlani finally turned their attention back to their table, laughing and talking like nothing happened. But I knew better. This wasn’t the end.
“Niya,” Tyra said, her voice low. “You gotta stay out their way. They ain’t nothing but trouble.”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.
But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.
---
That night, as I sat at the dinner table with my family, I couldn’t get Lakeyah and Kehlani out of my head. My mom was telling us about her day at work, and my little brother was complaining about his math homework, but I was miles away, still hearing Kehlani’s voice and seeing Lakeyah’s smirk.
“You okay, baby?” my mom asked, pulling me back to the present.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said quickly, forcing a smile.
But I wasn’t.
And I had a feeling things were about to get a lot worse.
999 words
