Chapter 6:
My mind was spinning as I entered the classroom. Jaan Knew! Wait, how did Jaan know I saw something? Did he see the man as well? How? Nobody had seen any of my visions before. I assumed they were just fully in my head all this time.
I walked through the classroom door and past an armed guard at the door. He acted as if he couldn’t see me as I walked passed. The Teacher, a pudgy, pink in the face lady, sat behind her bland concrete looking desk. She glanced up from her book only long enough to wave me over .
“Class, this is—” she gestured to me, looking back down at her book. When I didn’t immediately say anything she looked up at me seemingly annoyed. She waved her hand at me, and to the class expectantly.
“Isatou.” I said loudly to the class.
“Isa what?” She asked? as if I hadn’t clearly said it the first time. I was not surprised.
“Isa is fine.”
She raised her hand to the class and they all said “Hello, Isa,” simultaneously.
“Grab a seat Isa.” She said to me, nose still deep in her book. The rest of class was also deep in their books, they must have been assigned reading.
I looked around the class. There were only a few empty seats. One in the corner, and one was right next to the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I immediately headed to that seat, directly in the middle of the class.
The girl looked up at me from her book as I approached. She had long black braids with shiny gold beads dotting along them. They perfectly accented her soft eyes.
As I began to sat and get my things situated the girl leaned over and whispered to me.
“This is a load of crock-shit,” she was pointing to the book that she had her head buried in only a moment ago, “Also, I wouldn’t sit there if I were you.”
I was a bit taken aback. I chose to sit next to the only other black girl in class and she immediately said I shouldn’t.
“And why is that?” I asked, turning and looking her sharply in the eyes.
She put her hands up as if defending herself, “Listen, I was only trying to help. I tend get into trouble in this class, I’m just trying to keep you from coming down with me.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sincere or not.
The teacher waddled to the back of the class where I was sitting and placed a worn out book on my desk. “You’ve chosen and interesting spot to sit Isa. best keep your eyes up front.” She looked me dead in the eyes over her tipped glasses before turning around and heading back for the front of the class.
“I told you.” the girl whispered across to me. I looked over at her and she was giving me an —‘i told you so’ — type of smile.
“thanks for the heads up.” I said, “My name is Isa.”
“Yeah, you just said that up front.” the girl giggled, “I’m Nimaa.”
“Well Nimaa, lets see how fast you can get me expelled. I’m trying to go home early.”
Nimaa smirked, “On your first day? what are you, some type of masochist?”
The teacher stood in front of her desk, eyeing the two girls not paying attention.
“Nimaa, will you please read aloud to the class? Page 394.”
Nimaa gave a groan and stood, flipping the unopened book open. The class sat, waiting quietly for her to begin. She found her spot on the page and began reading aloud.
North Platte was once a quiet farm town settled on the flat lands of Nebraska, but upon discovery of a large underground oil reserve and the subsequent selling of major property holdings in the area, it began to bloom into the beautiful bustling industry it is now, and for that, the locals have Frigate Oil Co. to thank.
Nimaa stopped reading and looked up toward the front where the teacher sat reading her own book, tucked out of sight below the desk.
“They really expect us to believe this garbage?” Nimaa said defiantly. She winked subtly at me. I didn’t realize she meant it when she had said she was planning to get us kicked out of class. But she had a fair point, this was not the version of the local history that I had heard either.
The teacher groaned as she stood and headed for the back of the class, a beet red face eyeballing us. Just as she approached a saving bell went off.
Nimaa grabbed my hand aggressively and quickly pulled me out of my seat and headed for the door. She pulled me quickly into the hall.
“Where are we going?” I said, a giggle on my breath. I had never met someone so reckless. It was exhilarating.
“I want you to meet someone.”
Click for: Chapter 7 – Coming soon
If you are enjoying this story, make sure to subscribe below. I’ll email you whenever a new chapter is released.