ABDULMALEEK

Walking into the classroom felt like stepping into a whole new world. The walls were plastered with math formulas and motivational posters, mostly the kind that tried to make algebra sound less like a curse. At the front, standing tall and confident, was Mr. Bello himself, already leading the class through a math problem like it was the easiest thing in the world.

He looked up when I entered and gave me a nod. “welcome to class Ameenah” he said, voice calm but firm. “Take the seat at the back, center row.”

I scanned the room and found it: the very last seat in the middle, sandwiched between two strangers, a boy on my right and a girl on my left.

I slid into the seat quietly, feeling the eyes of the class flicker in my direction for a brief moment before returning to their notes and books.

I tried to break the ice by leaning toward the girl next to me. “Hey, I’m Ameenah.”

She glanced at me but didn’t say much, just a small, polite nod before turning back to her notebook. I realized she wasn’t really interested in chatting.

Turning to the boy on my right, I gave it another shot. “Hi, I’m new here. What’s your name?”

He smiled warmly. “I’m Abdulmaleek. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you up on everything you missed.”

True to his word, Abdulmaleek spent the break explaining the math lessons from previous weeks. He even lent me his book, flipping through pages and pointing out the key formulas.

“Here,” he said, handing it over. “If you have questions, just ask. I’ve got you.”

It felt good, not just having a seat, but having someone beside me who made the new school feel a little less scary.

Mr. Bello wrapped up the lesson with a reminder. “Remember, math is like life, sometimes confusing, but with patience, everything adds up.”

I nodded, thinking that maybe, just maybe, SEC wasn’t going to be as intimidating as I first thought.

After class, I tucked the borrowed math book into my bag, feeling a little lighter. Abdulmaleek smiled again. “If you want, I can help you study before the next test.”

I nodded eagerly. “Thanks, man. I’ll need all the help I can get.”

The girl on my left, still quiet, packed her things slowly. I caught her glancing my way once or twice but said nothing. Her name was Idaya I learned later from Abdulmaleek, and she was just being well a little defensive as i was a new student probably

As the classroom emptied, Mr. Bello called out, “Remember, if you need anything, my door is always open.”

Everything went on pretty normal, just i being the new girl, having classes and Abdulmaleek was with me, every time, we talked a lot and turns out we had a lot of things in common

Finally school was over and i was asked to go home together with a girl who lives on my street, i didn't even know, her name was Aisha.

As i walked down the streets of SEC I felt the weight of a new beginning on my shoulders, but also the promise of new friends, new challenges, and maybe, a little adventure.

The week rolled fine

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