Untitled Episode
2761 Words
Monday arrived with the usual noise.
Daniel entered the classroom a few minutes before the first bell, dropped his backpack beside his desk, and sat down near the window.
He opened his notebook.
For a moment, he considered drawing.
Then he stopped.
He looked at the empty seat two desks ahead of him.
Amara wasn't there yet.
He checked the clock.
Five minutes before the bell.
He told himself he was only checking because the teacher might arrive soon.
He looked toward the door again.
Still nothing.
Michael walked into the classroom carrying a bottle of water.
“You're looking at the door.”
Daniel immediately looked down.
“No, I'm not.”
Michael sat beside him.
“Yes, you were.”
“I was thinking.”
“About?”
“Nothing.”
Michael smiled.
“You're becoming predictable.”
Daniel sighed.
“Good morning to you too.”
Michael laughed and began arranging his books.
A few minutes later, Amara entered the classroom with Zainab.
She was talking about something, and Zainab was laughing.
When Amara noticed Daniel, she smiled and raised her hand.
“Morning!”
Daniel smiled back.
“Morning.”
She walked to her seat.
“You came early.”
“Not really.”
“You're usually here before me.”
Daniel shrugged.
“I like being early.”
“You're boring.”
“I know.”
Amara laughed.
The bell rang.
Their first lesson began.
But Daniel found himself paying less attention than usual.
Amara had brought a new notebook.
It was blue, with a small silver star on the front.
During the lesson, she wrote something on a piece of paper and quietly passed it backward.
Daniel looked at it.
Are you doing anything after school?
He looked at her.
She was facing the board.
He picked up his pen.
Probably going home. Why?
He passed it forward.
A minute later, the paper came back.
Library? I need help with the science assignment.
Daniel smiled.
He wrote:
Okay.
Amara turned around and smiled.
Their teacher suddenly stopped speaking.
“Daniel.”
Daniel looked up.
“Yes, ma?”
“Since you're clearly very interested in whatever you're doing, perhaps you can answer the question.”
A few students laughed.
Daniel glanced at the board.
He hadn't heard the question.
Amara covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Daniel guessed.
“Photosynthesis?”
The class laughed harder.
The teacher sighed.
“Sit down.”
Daniel sat.
Amara whispered, “Sorry.”
“You're not sorry.”
She smiled.
“No.”
After school, the library was quieter than usual.
Daniel sat across from Amara while she spread her books across the table.
She stared at the science assignment.
“I don't understand this.”
Daniel read the question.
“You do.”
“I don't.”
“You just don't want to think about it.”
“That's not true.”
He pointed at the first question.
“What does the question ask?”
She read it.
“Explain the process.”
“And what process are they talking about?”
She looked at the page.
“Photosynthesis.”
“And what is photosynthesis?”
She thought for a moment.
“The process by which green plants...”
She stopped.
Daniel waited.
“...make food.”
“Exactly.”
She looked at him.
“You're annoying.”
“Because I'm helping you?”
“Because you make everything sound easy.”
“It's not easy. You just have to break it down.”
Amara looked at the question again.
After a few minutes, she started writing.
Daniel watched quietly.
She finished the answer and pushed the book toward him.
“Check it.”
He read it.
“That's good.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
They continued working.
For almost an hour, there was only the sound of pages turning and pens moving across paper.
Then Amara closed her book.
“Can I ask you something?”
Daniel looked up.
“Sure.”
“Why do you draw so much?”
He hesitated.
“I like it.”
“I know you like it. But why?”
Daniel looked at his notebook.
He didn't usually talk about his drawings.
“They help me think.”
“Think about what?”
“Anything.”
“Like?”
He opened his notebook.
There were sketches of the school gate, trees, classroom windows, the football field, and several people.
Amara leaned closer.
“These are really good.”
Daniel shrugged.
“They're okay.”
“No. They're actually good.”
“Thanks.”
She turned a page.
Then she stopped.
Daniel noticed immediately.
On the page was a drawing of a girl sitting beneath a tree.
The drawing wasn't finished.
The girl was looking down at a book, with one hand holding her hair away from her face.
Amara stared at it.
“Who is she?”
Daniel's heart skipped.
“Nobody.”
“That doesn't look like nobody.”
“It's just a drawing.”
She studied it again.
“She looks familiar.”
Daniel quickly closed the notebook.
“You're imagining things.”
Amara smiled.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back.
“Okay.”
But the smile on her face told him she wasn't convinced.
When they left the library, the sky was beginning to turn orange.
The school grounds were almost empty.
Amara walked beside Daniel.
“You know,” she said, “I've never really had a friend like you.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“You're different.”
“Different how?”
“I don't know.”
She thought for a moment.
“You actually listen.”
Daniel smiled.
“Most people listen.”
“No. Most people wait for their turn to talk.”
Daniel didn't know what to say.
Amara continued walking.
“When I first came here, I thought I wouldn't fit in.”
“Why?”
“Everything was new.”
“You fit in now.”
She smiled.
“Yeah.”
They reached the school gate.
Amara stopped.
“My ride is coming.”
Daniel nodded.
“Okay.”
She looked at him.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
She smiled.
“Bye, Daniel.”
“Bye.”
She walked away.
Daniel watched her until she reached the car.
Michael suddenly appeared beside him.
“You're staring.”
Daniel jumped.
“Where did you come from?”
“Behind you.”
“You're irritating.”
Michael laughed.
“I'm just saying.”
“Don't say anything.”
“I didn't even say anything.”
“You were going to.”
Michael put his hands up.
“Okay. I'll keep quiet.”
They walked home.
But Daniel couldn't stop thinking about what Amara had said.
I've never really had a friend like you.
He repeated the sentence in his mind.
Friend.
The word should have made him feel happy.
Instead, something about it made him uncomfortable.
He didn't understand why.
The following weeks brought changes neither of them expected.
They started spending more time together.
Sometimes with Zainab and Michael.
Sometimes alone.
They studied together after school.
They shared snacks during lunch.
They competed over test scores.
When Amara scored higher than Daniel in mathematics, she celebrated for an entire afternoon.
“I beat you!”
“By two marks.”
“A win is a win.”
“Enjoy it while it lasts.”
“Jealous.”
“Never.”
She laughed.
When Daniel scored higher in English, he reminded her about it for three days.
“You're unbearable,” she said.
“You started it.”
“I don't remember that.”
“You celebrated for two days.”
“Three.”
“Exactly.”
She smiled.
Their friendship became the kind everyone noticed.
Some students teased them.
Others simply assumed they were together.
Whenever someone made a comment, Amara would laugh and say, “We're just friends.”
Daniel would nod.
“Exactly.”
But sometimes, after she said it, there would be a strange silence between them.
Neither understood why.
One afternoon, Amara wasn't in school.
Daniel noticed immediately.
He looked at her empty seat several times.
At lunch, he asked Zainab.
“Is Amara okay?”
Zainab looked at him.
“She didn't tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“She's sick.”
Daniel's expression changed.
“Is she okay?”
“She should be fine. She just has a fever.”
Daniel nodded.
“Okay.”
But he couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day.
After school, he stood outside the gate for several minutes.
Michael approached him.
“You waiting for someone?”
“No.”
“You're standing here.”
“I know.”
Michael looked at him.
“Amara?”
Daniel sighed.
“She isn't feeling well.”
“You could visit her.”
Daniel looked surprised.
“Her house?”
“Yeah.”
“I don't know where she lives.”
Michael laughed.
“Then ask her.”
Daniel took out his phone.
He stared at Amara's name.
He had her number.
They had exchanged contacts weeks earlier.
He typed:
Hi. Zainab said you're sick. Are you okay?
He hesitated.
Then sent it.
A few minutes passed.
His phone vibrated.
I'm okay. Just tired.
Daniel replied.
Get some rest.
A moment later:
Thank you for checking on me.
Daniel smiled.
He typed:
Anytime.
He stared at the word.
Anytime.
It felt small.
But he meant it.
Amara returned to school two days later.
Daniel saw her enter the classroom and immediately smiled.
“You're back.”
She nodded.
“I'm back.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good.”
She sat down.
“You missed me?”
Daniel froze.
She laughed.
“I'm joking.”
He smiled awkwardly.
“Of course not.”
“Liar.”
“Welcome back.”
“Thank you.”
The teacher entered before either of them could say more.
But during the lesson, Amara quietly passed him a note.
He opened it.
I missed you too.
Daniel read it twice.
Then he looked toward her.
She was smiling.
He smiled back.
He folded the note carefully and put it inside his notebook.
He kept it.
As the term progressed, school became busier.
Examinations were approaching.
Teachers gave more assignments.
Students complained about homework.
Everyone was tired.
But Daniel and Amara continued studying together.
One Saturday morning, they met at a small public library near school.
Zainab was supposed to join them but cancelled at the last minute.
Michael had football practice.
So it was just Daniel and Amara.
They sat across from each other.
After two hours, Amara dropped her pen.
“I can't study anymore.”
Daniel looked up.
“We've only been here for two hours.”
“Exactly.”
“You're lazy.”
“I'm tired.”
“Same thing.”
She gave him a look.
“You're lucky you're my friend.”
Daniel smiled.
“I'm lucky?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm an excellent friend.”
“Debatable.”
She laughed.
They decided to take a break.
Outside the library was a small garden with benches.
They sat beneath a tree.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Amara asked:
“Do you ever think about the future?”
Daniel looked at her.
“Sometimes.”
“What do you want to become?”
“An architect.”
She smiled.
“That makes sense.”
“Why?”
“You draw buildings all the time.”
Daniel nodded.
“What about you?”
She thought.
“I don't know yet.”
“You'll figure it out.”
“You sound very confident.”
“I am.”
She smiled.
“I like that about you.”
Daniel looked away.
A breeze moved through the trees.
Amara watched the leaves.
“My parents move around a lot,” she said quietly.
Daniel looked at her.
“Because of work?”
“Yeah.”
She paused.
“That's why I don't like getting too attached to people.”
Daniel didn't know what to say.
“Because you might have to leave?”
She nodded.
“Exactly.”
He looked down at his hands.
“Are you going to leave?”
“I don't know.”
The words stayed between them.
For the first time, Daniel realized that their friendship had something fragile about it.
Something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
The possibility that one day, Amara might not be there.
He hated the thought.
But he didn't say so.
Instead, he said:
“Even if you move, you can still have friends.”
Amara smiled faintly.
“It's not the same.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“But we can try.”
She looked back at him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she smiled.
“Okay.”
That evening, Daniel sat at his desk at home.
His notebook was open.
He picked up his pencil.
He tried to draw.
Nothing came.
He turned to a blank page.
Without thinking, he began drawing.
A girl sitting beneath a tree.
This time, he finished the face.
When he looked at the drawing, he knew exactly who it was.
Amara.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then he closed the notebook.
He wasn't ready to admit what the drawing meant.
Not even to himself.
A week later, something happened that changed the atmosphere between them.
It started with a rumor.
Daniel heard it from Michael.
“They said Amara might transfer.”
Daniel stopped walking.
“What?”
“That's what I heard.”
“Who told you?”
“Someone in the senior class.”
“That doesn't mean it's true.”
“I know.”
Daniel's stomach tightened.
He looked toward Amara's classroom.
He wanted to ask her.
But he was afraid of the answer.
Later that day, he found her near the school garden.
“Amara.”
She turned.
“Hey.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
He hesitated.
“Are you transferring?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Who told you?”
“So it's true?”
“I didn't say that.”
“But you're thinking about it?”
She looked down.
“My parents are discussing it.”
Daniel felt something sink inside him.
“When?”
“I don't know.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
She looked at him.
“I didn't know how.”
Daniel nodded slowly.
He wanted to say something reassuring.
Instead, he said:
“So you might leave.”
“I might.”
“When?”
“I don't know.”
He looked away.
Amara stepped closer.
“Daniel.”
He didn't answer.
“I don't want you to be upset.”
“I'm not upset.”
“You are.”
“I'm fine.”
“You're not.”
He finally looked at her.
“I just don't understand.”
“What?”
“Why do people always leave?”
Amara was quiet.
She didn't have an answer.
Daniel took a breath.
“I thought we had more time.”
Her expression softened.
“We still might.”
“But you don't know.”
“No.”
They stood there quietly.
Then Amara said:
“Whatever happens, I'm glad I met you.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Me too.”
Neither of them knew what the future would bring.
But for the first time, they both understood that their friendship mattered more than they had been willing to say.
And perhaps that was why the possibility of losing it hurt so much.
That night, Amara opened her blue notebook.
She turned to a blank page.
She wrote:
Things I don't want to lose.
Then she listed:
Zainab.
My new school.
She hesitated.
Then wrote:
Daniel.
She stared at his name.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Then she closed the notebook.
Outside her window, the night was quiet.
Somewhere across town, Daniel was probably doing the same thing he always did.
Drawing.
She wondered if he ever drew her.
She smiled at the thought.
Neither of them had said what they were beginning to feel.
Maybe they weren't ready.
Maybe they were afraid.
Or maybe some feelings needed time before they could become words.
For now, friendship was enough.
At least, that's what they both told themselves.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD