Chapter One
Amani’s POV
I place the box inside my empty room, feeling defeat. This was the third time we’ve moved in the last five years.
To say I’m sick of it, would be an understatement.
My dads an engineer, so sadly it has us moving a lot. My mums a nurse, so it’s easier for her to request a transfer.
The only problem?
All the places they have to send my dad and all three of them were filled with racist fucking Christians. And by the looks of the church we just passed, this town looks no bloody different.
The point I’m making is that I’m African-American, if you didn’t get that.
My mum came from Gao, Mali to America when she was Fifteen. My dad on the other hand, was raised and born here, as an African-American.
“Sweetie,” mum says, as she walks into my room. Then she huffs and crosses her arms. “You have not unpacked yet?”
“Sorry,” I apologise.
“Baby I know it’s hard,” she whispers, when she sees the pain on my face. “But I swear, this time we aren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s what scares me,” I mutter.
She sighs and ruffles my hair. “I have to go to work now.”
“Already?”
“Sadly, they wanted me to start right away on night shift,” mum murmurs. “But I’ve ordered pizza, you just have to go get it at seven, okay?”
“Okay.”
She kisses my cheek and then walks out. I unpack all of my shit, before I head out of my room and slump down onto the couch.
Looks like my dad was working too.
He’s never really home.
I groan and run my hands down my face, before getting back up and storming out the front door. I get into my mum's car and put into the GPS the pizza place.
When I get there and hop out of the car, I see people staring daggers at me.
Man, I was really hoping this place was different.
I walk into the pizza shop and head to the counter with my hands in my pockets.
“Hello there, how may I-” she gasps as she looks up at me.
“I ordered pizza,” I say. “Under the name Keita.”
My last name.
“I’ll see if that one's ready,” she says coldly. She storms off to the back, and I roll my eyes scoffing.
She comes back and chucks my pizza onto the counter. She doesn’t place it.
She chucks it.
“That’ll be, $20.”
I frown. “It says your pizzas are $12.”
She smiles sickly at me. “And now they are twenty.”
I get a twenty note out of my pocket and go to hand it to her. But she doesn’t take it.
“Just put it on the counter, so I can grab it,” she says.
“Why?” I ask.
“Because I’m not touching you,” she growls.
I scoff and chuck the twenty-dollar bill onto the floor by her feet. “Go fuck yourself.”
I grab my pizza and storm out of the pizza joint.
The pizza was good, thankfully.
But I won’t be eating from there again.
My first day at my new school was eventful.
It’s like they knew I was coming, because my locker was spray painted with n*gga on it. I then proceeded to open it, which lead to me being covered with watermelon.
Their jokes are a bit old.
I didn’t let them affect me.
I’ve had worse.
At my old school, they’d beat the living shit out of me and dunk my head in the toilets. Don’t get me wrong, I fought back. It just resulted in me getting suspended, because the principal was racist.
At lunch, I was thankful, my mum packed my lunch. Cause the canteen ladies looked like they wanted to poison me.
As I walked into the cafeteria, all eyes were on me.
It was dead silent.
The cafeteria was like something you’d see in a high school movie. You know, jocks sat with cheerleader, nerds and geeks sat together, I’m presuming druggies were another table. There was this weird table that looked like they all just came out of church.
Then there was this one guy by himself.
My safest bet was to sit with him.
As I took a seat across from him, his eyes widen in surprise. The guy was a twink and looked like he couldn’t even pick up a rat. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and very pale skin.
It made me question why he was alone.
“Hey,” I say. “Is it alright for me to sit here?”
He nods quickly. “Of course.”
I give him a small smile. “You're the only person who’s been nice to me today.”
“Well, I don’t judge a person by its colour,” he murmurs.
“I’m Amani,” I say.
“I’m Zeke,” he says.
“So, Zeke, how come your sitting by yourself?” I ask.
He huffs. “Cause I’m homosexual.”
“Well,” I say, awkwardly clearing my throat. “I guess me and you are both in the same boat then.”
“We definitely are,” he agrees. “A-Are you okay with it?”
I shrug. “Kiss who you want to kiss bro, I am not no homophobe.”
“So, I guess me and you are friends now?” He asks.
I smirk. “I guess we are.”
I notice a jock coming this way and flinch as he pushes Zeke’s head into his soup. “Already trying to get into the n*gga’s pants, faggot?” The jock questions.
Zeke grabs his napkin and wipes his face. “Just because I’m gay Nathan, doesn’t mean I like every guy,” Zeke snaps. “I’m certainly not attracted to you.”
Zeke hisses as Nathan grabs his hair and pulls him off his seat. I get up and tap this Nathan guys shoulder.
He turns around and I sock him one, right in the jaw.
He falls to the floor and Zeke scrambles up to his feet. “Thanks Amani,” he whispers.
“What are friends for,” I murmur.
“Amani Keita to the principal's office now,” I hear Mr Scott scream.
My mums going to kill me.
