"Sometimes, the people meant to find you don't ask for permission - they just sit beside you."
The rest of the day went by in a blur.
Classes, introductions, whispers, laughter - all of it felt distant. Maliya tried to pay attention, really, she did. But her thoughts kept floating back to the cafeteria.
Back to them.
They're here.
She still couldn't believe it.
Her stomach twisted each time their faces crossed her mind - familiar and strange all at once. She didn't even understand why it affected her so much. Maybe it was the surprise, or maybe it was something deeper.
People had come to talk to her between classes - small smiles, polite welcomes - but their words passed over her like wind. They must've noticed the way she drifted off mid-sentence, because soon, they stopped trying.
When the final bell rang, she walked home quietly.
Her parents asked how her first day went.
"It was fine," she said.
Then, "I'm just tired."
They didn't push.
She changed into her pajamas, pulled the curtains shut, and let the weight of the day settle into her chest. The room smelled faintly of new paint and lavender. Somewhere outside, the neighborhood hummed softly - but inside, everything was still.
Her last thought before sleep was of the laughter she'd heard in the cafeteria.
And the faces she thought she'd left behind.
---
The next morning, sunlight found its way through the window, painting faint gold lines across her room.
A new day.
A chance - maybe - to start differently.
By the time she got to school, the hallway buzzed with noise. Her backpack felt heavier than usual, even though it carried the same things. When lunch came, she hesitated at the door to the cafeteria, heart beating faster than she wanted to admit.
She scanned the room, tray in hand.
Then -
"Hey, you can sit here if you want!"
The voice was bright, warm, and clear.
Maliya turned.
The girl waving at her had a soft green-patterned hijab and a confident smile.
"I'm Khadijah," she said, sliding her bag off the seat next to her. "You're new, right?"
"Yeah," Maliya replied, surprised. "I'm Maliya."
"Well, welcome to Ridgeway. It's loud, chaotic, and half the time the fries run out - but you'll survive," Khadijah said, grinning.
That earned a small laugh from Maliya - her first real one since yesterday.
"See?" Khadijah said, pleased. "We already made progress."
Before Maliya could answer, a tall boy dropped his backpack onto the table. "You making new friends without me again?"
Khadijah groaned. "This is Leo. He gets jealous if he's not the center of attention."
Leo smirked. "That's because I deserve to be."
"Sure," Khadijah said dryly. "You also 'deserve' to fail math if you don't study this week."
Leo turned to Maliya. "See what I deal with?"
She smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly.
Then another boy joined them, quieter, his steps measured. He set down a drink beside Khadijah. "You forgot this," he said.
"Thanks, Amir," she replied with a grin. "Maliya, this is Amir - the responsible one. He's been keeping Leo alive since middle school."
Amir's smile was small but kind. "Nice to meet you."
Maliya nodded. "You too."
Something about his calm steadiness reminded her of peace - the kind you don't realize you've missed until it's right in front of you.
As they talked, she found herself relaxing bit by bit.
They told her about teachers who gave surprise quizzes, about the cafeteria running out of drinks before lunch ended, about the senior who tried to microwave foil last week.
Maliya didn't say much - but she laughed, really laughed, at Leo's exaggerated storytelling.
And for the first time, she didn't feel like a stranger sitting at someone else's table.
Still, as the laughter filled the space around her, her eyes flickered across the cafeteria.
To him.
The boy from yesterday.
He was surrounded by people again - familiar faces, easy smiles, that same effortless laughter.
Her breath caught for just a second.
Khadijah noticed. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Maliya said quickly. "Just... thinking."
Khadijah smiled knowingly. "First weeks can be a lot."
"Yeah," Maliya murmured, looking down at her tray.
But deep down, she knew it wasn't just the first week. It was everything that came before it.
And still, as Leo tried balancing fries on his straw and Amir shook his head like a tired older brother, she found herself smiling.
Maybe - just maybe - she could belong again.
---
To be continued...