Things We Left Unsaid

A New Face, An Old Secret

By Monday morning,I already knew Zara would be walking through the school gates.

She had told me herself.

Still, seeing her standing at the gate in the same uniform I'd worn for years felt strange.

Not bad strange.

Just strange.

At home,she was my new neighbor the girl who had moved into the house beside ours and somehow managed to make our street feel less boring.

Now she was standing among hundreds of students, looking like she belonged there.

I smiled when she spotted me.

" You made it."

She walked over, adjusting the strap of her bag.

" I told you I would."

" I know, I'm just surprised."

" You thought I was lying."

" No."

She raised an eyebrow.

" Then? "

" I don't know, I guess it feels different seeing you here."

She laughed softly.

" You'll get used to it."

" Maybe."

Before I could say anything else, someone came up behind me.

" Who's this? "

I turned.

Folani.

He looked from me to Zara ,then back to me.

" This is Zara." I said.

" I know that much."

I frowned.

" How? "

He shrugged.

" You've mentioned her."

" I have? "

" Twice."

" That doesn't mean anything."

He smiled.

" That means you talked about her."

Zara looked between us.

" So you're folani? "

" That's me."

The first bell rang before the conversation could continue.

Students started moving towards their classroom.

Folani pointed towards the building.

" We should go before the teacher locks us out."

" Teachers don't lock students out." I said.

" He might start today."

" You're ridiculous."

" And yet you still follow me."

I shook my head and walked towards the building.

Zara followed.

For some reason I felt lighter.

Maybe because the morning wasn't as awkward as I'd expected.

Maybe because having Zara around didn't feel like I was having a stranger in my life.

She already knew my street.

She knew which house was mine.

She knew my mother had the habit of calling me from the gate instead of simply coming inside.

And now she was learning my school too.

By the time we reached the classroom,Dami was already there.

He looked up when we entered.

His eyes immediately landed on Zara.

Then he looked at me.

" Another person? "

I laughed.

" What's that supposed to mean? "

" Nothing."

Dami looked at Zara.

" Hi."

" Hi"

" New? "

" Yes."

" Welcome."

" Thanks."

He nodded and looked at me.

" So this is the neighbor you've talking about ."

I stared at him.

" You two are beginning to annoy me."

Folani laughed.

" You're just realizing."

I dropped my bag onto my chair.

" Both of you, leave me alone."

Dami smiled.

" She's already tired of us."

" Very."

Zara sat beside me.

Dami leaned against the desk in front of us.

" So how's the neighborhood."

" Fine." Zara said.

" Don't believe her."

I looked at Dami.

" What? "

" She probably hasn't seen the mosquitoes yet."

Zara laughed.

" Actually, I have."

" And? "

" I survived."

Folani shook his head.

" Strong woman."

I threw a small piece of paper at him.

He caught it.

" Violence? "

" Deserved."

Dami laughed.

The teacher entered before the conversation could continue.

Everyone returned to their seats.

For the first few period, everything went normally.

Zara participated when the teachers asked questions.

Dami kept whispering joke when the teacher turned his back.

Folani somehow managed to make me to laugh when I was supposed to be paying attention.

By break time,Zara had already been introduced to half the class.

It was almost funny watching everyone become suddenly interested in her.

" So," Dami said as we walked towards the cafeteria, " What do you think of the school? "

Zara looked at him.

" It's okay."

" Only okay."

" I'm still deciding."

" That's fair."

Folani walked beside us.

" Give her a week."

" A week for what? "

" To discover the school isn't as peaceful as it looks."

I looked at him.

" Don't scare her."

" I'm telling the truth._

Dami nodded seriously.

" Unfortunately."

Zara smiled.

" What exactly happens? "

" Nothing." I said quickly.

Folani looked at me.

" You're hiding something."

" No."

Dami laughed.

" She's definitely hiding things."

I rolled my eyes.

The old feud was the first thing that came to my mind.

But I didn't want to talk about it.

That chapter was finished.

We'd spent enough time, going through what had happened, who was responsible and what people would have done differently.

I didn't want Zara's first week in school to become an exploitation of the school worst memories.

So I changed the subject.

" What are we eating? "

Zara smiled.

" That's an important question."

We continued towards the cafeteria.

Everything was normal.

Until we saw Ashley.

She was standing near one of the windows.

Her eyes met Zara's.

The smile disappeared from Zara's face.

Ashley looked away.

Dami didn't notice.

Folani didn't either.

But I did.

I looked at Zara.

She was staring at the floor.

" You okay."

She nodded.

" Yeah."

" You sure? "

" I'm fine."

I didn't push.

Instead, I followed Dami to the food counter.

A few minutes later, we sat together.

Zara was quieter than before.

Folani noticed.

" You don't like the food."

She looked up.

" No. it's fine."

" You're barely eating."

" I'm just not that hungry."

Dami leaned closer to me.

" She's homesick."

I whispered, " she's been here one day."

" Exactly."

Zara heard him.

" I'm sitting right here."

Dami smiled.

" Good. Then you heard me."

She laughed.

Then the tension disappeared for a moment.

I was glad.

Whatever had happened between Ashley and Zara wasn't my business.

At least, that was what I told myself.

After break, we returned to class.

The afternoon,seemed longer than usual.

When the final bell rang, everyone rushed out as if the building was on fire.

Folani stopped near the doorway.

" You going home? "

I nodded.

" Yeah."

He looked at Zara.

" You? "

" We live close."

Folani looked between us.

" Right. The famous neighbor."

I laughed.

" Why do u keep calling us that? "

" Because it's funny."

" It isn't."

" It is to me."

He smiled and left.

I watched him go before picking up my bag.

Zara was still packing.

" You like him."

I nearly dropped my notebook.

" What? "

She smiled.

" I didn't say anything."

" You literally just did."

" I said you like him."

I stared at me.

" You've been here one day."

" Exactly."

" You don't know anything."

" I know enough."

I shook my head.

" Forget it. "

She laughed.

"Okay."

We walked out of the classroom together.

The hall way was almost empty now.

We had barely reached the stairs when Zara stopped.

" I'll catch up with you."

" Why? "

I forgot something.

" What? "

" My notebook."

" You just packed everything."

" I know."

I stared at her suspiciously.

" Are you sure? "

" Yes."

" Okay."

She turned around.

I continued down the stairs.

I had barely taken a few steps when 8 heard my name.

" Viola."

I turned.

Dami was standing behind me, smiling.

" You're going home? "

" Yeah."

" I'll walk with you. "

" Okay."

We started walking, talking about school and laughing about something stupid.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Then I glanced back at school.

Zara was nowhere in sight.

And somehow, I had the strange feeling that whatever she had gone back for wasn't a notebook.