The morning sun slid through the half-open blinds of Ridgeway Boarding High, casting lines of gold across the polished dorm floors. The air smelled faintly of coffee, laundry soap, and whatever perfume Khadija had sprayed before dawn.
Maliya Khalil sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her cap was halfway off her head, and her blanket tangled around her ankle. She'd barely slept. Thoughts from the day before - the awkward cafeteria moment, the stares, the whispers about her - still pressed against her chest like a heavy book she couldn't close.
Khadija Benali was already at the mirror, scarf tied neatly, eyes focused, humming softly. Her side of the room always looked like it belonged in a school brochure - folded sheets, arranged books, perfume bottles lined like soldiers.
"You're up early," Maliya muttered, yawning.
"Couldn't sleep. Heard there's some big announcement today," Khadija said, looping her scarf one last time. "You should get ready too. The principal doesn't joke around when it comes to attendance."
Maliya sighed, grabbing her hoodie and pulling it over her cap. "You know I don't like assemblies."
Khadija chuckled. "No one does. But it's either that or detention."
The announcement blared just then from the intercom.
"Good morning, Ridgeway students. Report to the assembly hall at 8:15 a.m. sharp for your team assignments. Attendance is mandatory."
Khadija's eyes met Maliya's. "Guess it's not just a rumor."
They got dressed - Maliya neat but casual, her hoodie slightly oversized but clean; Khadija's uniform ironed to perfection, her scarf wrapped in a soft beige tone that framed her face.
By 8:10, the hallway was alive with sound - sneakers squeaking, laughter echoing, the clatter of lockers.
Maliya and Khadija walked side by side, passing groups of students fixing ties, tucking in shirts, or FaceTiming parents before class. It was a whole world of routines and noise, one Maliya was still learning to belong to.
Inside the assembly hall, students filled the rows in buzzing clusters. Teachers stood at the front with clipboards. Mr. Saunders, the head of cultural programs, stepped forward with his usual too-cheerful grin.
"Good morning, everyone! As you know, this semester's school-wide challenge is all about culture. Each team will represent a country and showcase its traditions, values, and creativity through a live presentation."
A murmur spread through the crowd. Ridgeway's annual "Cultural Fusion Challenge" was legendary - it could make or break a semester's reputation.
Maliya shifted nervously. This was her first year; she hadn't even fully adjusted to American high-school culture, let alone performing one.
Mr. Saunders began calling out teams.
"Team One: Zoe Lin, Ethan Brooks, Julia Miles..." "Team Two: Hana Kim, Marco Santos..."
The list dragged on, until-
"Team Seven: Leonardo Silva, Amir Kaya, Khadija Benali, Matteo De Luca, and... Maliya Khalil."
The words hit like a spark. Maliya blinked. Khadija froze mid-breath. Matteo tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into something between surprise and disbelief.
The tension was instant.
Leo - Leonardo Silva, his curls messy as ever - gave an awkward laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Well... this should be fun."
Amir just muttered something under his breath and crossed his arms, his expression unreadable.
Mr. Saunders smiled obliviously. "Your country will be randomly assigned later today. But remember, teamwork is key! Make us proud!"
When the meeting ended, the room buzzed louder. Students were already gathering with their teammates, planning strategies, scrolling Pinterest for costume ideas.
But not Team Seven.
They lingered.
Khadija stood stiffly, her jaw clenched. Matteo stood across from her, hands in his pockets, pretending not to care - but his eyes flickered once toward her, then away. The silence between them was heavy enough to be noticed by everyone nearby.
Maliya shifted her backpack strap. "So, um... hi."
Leo jumped in, breaking the tension. "Okay, okay! This is boring - why don't we just introduce ourselves and countries? Could be helpful for the project, huh?"
Khadija rolled her eyes but didn't object.
Leo grinned. "I'm Leonardo Silva, but please, don't ever call me that unless you're my mom or a teacher."
Maliya laughed softly. "I already learned that the hard way."
"Exactly!" he said, pointing at her. "You're Maliya, right? From Nigeria?"
She nodded, relaxing a little. "Kano, actually."
"Oh, cool! I'm from Rio - so, you know, both hot, both noisy," he joked.
Amir chuckled quietly. "That's one way to describe it. Anyway - Amir Kaya. Turkish-American. Welcome to the chaos."
Maliya smiled faintly. "Thanks."
But her eyes darted between Khadija and Matteo. The air around them still felt tight.
Finally, Khadija spoke, her Moroccan accent thicker than usual. "We should get this over with. Matteo, don't try to take control. We'll all contribute."
Matteo's jaw tightened, but his voice stayed even. "I wasn't planning to, Khadija."
"Good," she shot back.
Leo and Amir exchanged glances - that silent "here we go again" look that only old friends share. They'd seen this before, ever since last year's fallout.
"Alright," Leo said quickly, trying to keep it light. "How about we meet at the library after classes to plan? Whoever's late buys everyone coffee."
Matteo smirked. "You just want free coffee, Silva."
Leo pointed dramatically. "You see? This guy gets me."
Even Maliya laughed - a small, honest sound that surprised her.
For a brief second, things didn't feel so complicated.
By evening, the library smelled like new paper and cinnamon candles. Team Seven claimed a table near the window overlooking the courtyard. Laptops open, notebooks spread, the energy was... cautious.
Khadija took notes. Amir scrolled through cultural concepts online. Leo doodled. Matteo typed quietly on his laptop.
Maliya watched them - four completely different personalities tied together by chance.
"So," she said carefully, "what country are we getting again?"
Amir looked up. "They'll announce it tomorrow morning. We're supposed to brainstorm possible ideas first - teamwork style, they said."
Leo groaned. "Translation: awkward bonding time."
Khadija ignored him, looking straight at Maliya. "You're from Nigeria, right? You've probably done cultural presentations before."
"Yeah," Maliya said softly. "But not like this. Back home in Kano, we'd just wear our traditional clothes, cook something local, dance, and that was it. Here, everything's bigger. More performance than meaning."
Matteo glanced up from his screen, his voice quiet. "Maybe meaning is what we need. Not just noise."
It was subtle, but Khadija's shoulders stiffened.
Leo, sensing it, jumped in again. "Yeah! We should totally add meaning and noise. You know, balance."
Everyone chuckled - except Matteo, who only gave a faint smile.
Later that night, as they left the library, the sky was painted in streaks of violet and orange. Students passed by laughing, the smell of fries drifting from the cafeteria nearby.
Maliya walked a bit behind the group, earbuds in but no music playing. She was just thinking - about the awkwardness, about Matteo, about how Khadija's walls felt like mirrors of her own.
Leo fell back to walk beside her. "You okay?"
She nodded. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"Everything. Everyone. Maybe a little too much."
He tilted his head, smiling. "Guess there's still more to you than I thought."
She raised a brow. "You're only realizing that now?"
Leo chuckled. "Touché."
They both laughed softly as they walked, their voices fading into the hallway's quiet hum. Behind them, Khadija and Matteo trailed in silence - each step a reminder that some stories between people weren't over.
Then came the announcement over the speakers:
"Attention, Team Seven. Report to the auditorium tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. for your cultural country assignment. This year's twist will challenge every team to think deeper."
Leo whistled. "A twist? Oh, this can't be good."
Khadija muttered, "Great. As if working with Matteo wasn't enough of a challenge."
Matteo stopped mid-step. "You know, Khadija, I'm tired of being your problem."
Her eyes snapped to him. "Then stop acting like one."
The silence that followed was sharp. Even Amir looked down.
Then Matteo said quietly, "You don't even know what really happened that day."
Maliya blinked, her heart skipping. "What day?"
Nobody answered.
Leo cleared his throat. "Let's... just get some sleep, yeah?"
The group broke apart - Khadija storming off, Amir following, Leo hesitating before heading the other way.
Maliya stood frozen under the dim hallway light. Matteo was still there, hands shoved into his pockets, looking out the window toward the courtyard.
She hesitated, then asked softly, "What happened between you and her?"
He looked at her - not angry, just tired. "It's a long story. But one day, you'll see that not everything people say about me is true."
And then he walked away, leaving her staring after him, the hallway lights flickering above like tiny warning signs.
(To be continued...)
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