Things We Left Unsaid

Where Lines Blur

The first time our two classes were put together, nobody knew what to do with themselves.

It was Monday morning,and somehow the school felt different.

Maybe because everyone knew about the announcement.

Or maybe it was because nobody knew what the announcement actually meant.

I walked into class and immediately and noticed that the desks had been rearranged.

.They weren't separated the way they normally were.

Instead, they had been pushed into groups.

I stopped at the door.

" What happened here? "

Dami walked past me.

" Apparently, our classroom has been invaded."

I laughed.

" Don't be dramatic."

" I'm not."

" He pointed towards my desk."

" Look."

" I did."

A few students from the other class were already inside.

Some were sitting quietly.

Others were talking amongst themselves.

A girl I didn't recognize was trying to move a desk closer to her friend.

One of the boys from my class was complaining that someone had taken his usual seat.

" That's my seat. "

The boy looked at him.

" It's a chair."

" It's my chair."

" Did you buy it? "

The people around him laughed.

I shook my head.

It has been less than five minutes and we were already arguing over furniture.

I dropped my bag beside my desk.

Folani walked in a moment later.

He looked around.

" So this is happening? "

" Apparently " I said.

He looked at Dami.

" Which side are you on."

Dami folded his arms.

" My side."

Folani laughed.

" That wasn't one of the options."

" I don't care. "

I smiled.

" Both of you are ridiculous."

" Thank you." Dami said.

" I wasn't complimenting you."

" I'll take it anyway."

Before I could respond our teacher walked in.

The noise immediately reduced.

" Good morning."

" Good morning, ma "

She looked around the room.

I can see everyone is excited about today's arrangement.

Nobody answered.

She smiled.

" That's what I thought."

A few students laughed.

She placed her books on the table.

" listen carefully, the arrangements isn't temporary because we wanted to punish anyone."

Dami whispered.

" Good to know."

I elbowed him.

The teacher continued.

" The school wants both classes to learn how to work together. Whatever happened in the past has already been dealt with."

The room became slightly quieter.

I noticed Ashley looking down.

I couldn't blame her.

The past had a way of becoming uncomfortable when adults mentioned it.

" We're not asking you to forget everything," the teacher continued.

" We're asking you not to let what happened years ago to determine how you treat people today."

That sentence stayed with me.

Maybe because I'd heard some version of it before.

Not about the classes.

About people.

About assumptions.

About things we carried without realizing how heavy they had become.

The teacher picked up a sheet of paper.

" Today, you'll be working in groups."

A collective groan filled the classroom.

She smiled.

" Yes. I know.Tragic."

Someone laughed.

" Each group will have students from both classes."

Dami leaned towards me.

" I'm leaving."

" Sit down."

" I don't like where this is going."

" You don't even know your group."

" Exactly."

The teacher began calling names.

I listened.

Then..

" Viola."

I looked up.

" Dami."

He smiled.

" Good."

" Folani."

His smile disappeared.

" Excellent." He said.

I laughed.

Then the teacher called two names from the other class.

" Ashley."

I looked across the room.

She raised her hand.

" And Derrick."

The laughter in the classroom disappeared.

Just like that.

I looked at Ashley.

Her expression had changed.

Derrick sat a few desk away

He didn't look particularly pleased either.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then the teacher said,

" Please, join your group."

Ashley stood .

Derrick followed.

They came over.

Dami shifted his chair.

" This should be interesting."

" I gave him a warning look."

He raised his hands.

" I didn't say anything."

" You were about to."

" I was thinking."

" That's worse."

Folani laughed.

Ashley sat beside me.

" Hi."

" Hi."

There was a brief silence.

Then she smiled.

" So we're actually doing this? "

" Apparently."

She glanced around.

" I still can't believe they put us together."

Dami looked at her.

" Neither can I."

Ashley laughed.

" Why? "

" Because I'm a peaceful person."

Folani raised an eyebrow.

" You? "

" Yes."

I laughed.

" You once argued with a teacher over five marks."

" I was defending justice."

" You were wrong."

" I wasn't."

Ashley laughed again.

for a moment, everything was normal.

Just students sitting together.

No feud.

No history.

No sides.

Just five people trying to complete an assignment.

And maybe that was exactly what the school wanted.

Our teacher gave the task.

We had to come up with a presentation about something involving student life and how students can make the school a better environment.

It sounded simple.

But it wasn't.

Within ten minutes, we had five different ideas.

Dami wanted something funny.

Folani wanted something practical.

Ashley wanted something serious.

Derrick barely said anything.

I sat at the middle of all of them trying to stop the discussion from becoming an argument.

" What if we combined them? " I suggested.

" Everyone looked at me."

" We can talk about how students deal with pressure, but make the presentation realistic instead of making it sound like a speech."

Dami nodded.

" I like that."

Ashley smiled.

" Me too."

Folani nodded.

" Works for me."

We all looked at Derrick.

He shurgged.

" Fine."

And just like that we'd an idea.

I couldn't help thinking how strange it was.

If someone had told me a month ago that I'd be sitting in a classroom with Ashley and Derrick, working on a project like we were friends. I would've laughed.

But here we are.

Still awkward.

Still cautious.

But here.

During the next lesson, we worked on the presentation.

Dami kept trying to add jokes.

Ashley kept removing them.

Folani kept suggesting changes.

Derrick mostly wrote.

And I somehow became the person everyone asked to settle their disagreement.

At one point, Dami and Ashley reached for one pen.

They both stopped.

Ashley looked at him.

" You can have it."

Dami shook his head.

" No , you take it."

She stared at him.

" Are you okay? "

" I'm being nice."

" That worries me."

Everyone laughed.

Even Derrick smiled.

I looked at him for a second.

He was just Derrick.

A student who complained about the school's pen and kept saying whether our presentation needed pictures.

During break the classroom became noisy.

Some students went outside.

Others stayed behind to eat.

I sat with Dami and folani.

Dami opened his lunch.

" I'm exhausted."

" You've done almost nothing." I said.

" Emotional labour."

Folani laughed.

" What emotional labour? "

" Keeping this group together."

I looked at him.

" You almost started three arguments. "

" Exactly. I had to stop myself."

" You're impossible."

Dami smiled.

Then he looked at Folani.

" So how are you finding the school? "

" Fine."

" Just fine? "

" Yeah."

" You haven't had any problems? "

Folani shook his head.

" Not really."

Dami looked at me.

" He is suspiciously calm."

" Maybe you're just too dramatic."

" I have accepted it nobody appreciates me."

I laughed.

folani looked at me.

" You laugh at him a lot."

" Because he's funny."

Dami smiled.

" I'll remember that."

I rolled my eyes.

" You're both annoying."

The bell rang.

Everyone began returning to their seats.

Our teacher came back with another instruction.

The rest of the afternoon passed more easily than I'd have expected.Maybe, just maybe things were finally beginning to change.