CHAPTER 2: First Day

The hallways of Lakeside High were alive — buzzing with noise, motion, and the kind of chaos that only happens on the first day of school. Lockers slammed. Laughter echoed. The smell of cheap cologne, perfume, and cafeteria breakfast mixed in the air.

I walked through the crowd, my backpack slung low on one shoulder, scanning the maze of faces and voices. Everyone already seemed to know where they were going. I didn’t.

I pulled out my schedule.

English — Room 208.

Before I could take a step, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Hey…”

I turned around and saw her — Kylee — standing there with two girls beside her. All three of them looked like they’d walked out of a magazine: confidence in their posture, curiosity in their eyes.

“What’s up?” I said.

Kylee grinned. “Principal Lock made sure all four of us got the same class. Guess that means moving around’ll be easier for you.”

One of her friends elbowed her playfully.

Kylee sighed and gestured between them. “Ja’kari, these are my best friends — Lina and Jayla.”

They both smiled and waved.

“Hey,” I replied.

Jayla was around five-four, brown skin glowing under the fluorescent lights, curly hair framing her face, and thin glasses perched perfectly on her nose. Lina stood a little taller — long, straight hair, light skin, warm brown eyes. Something about her energy was calm but sharp, like she saw everything before it happened.

The bell screamed for first period, and the flood of students began to move. We walked together — the girls side by side, me a few steps behind, watching. Observing. Learning.

We turned a corner and reached the English room. Mr. Montgomery stood at the door, greeting every student who entered. He was a tall, muscular man dressed like he belonged in a fashion ad, not a classroom.

“Ladies! Glad to see you again,” he said with a smile.

The girls greeted him, then he turned to me, eyes narrowing with interest.

“And who might this young man be?”

I reached out and shook his hand. “Ja’kari Nelson, sir.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Nelson? So you must be Kylee’s brother.”

Kylee laughed as she stepped into the classroom. “Yeah, this is my little brother. Last year of high school.”

Jayla blinked. “Wait, I thought you said he was starting as a junior?”

“Was,” Kylee said, walking inside. “But his IQ’s off the charts. He’s one of the smartest people I know. Not to mention…” She smirked. “Physically? He’s insane.”

Her friends looked at me with new curiosity.

Mr. Montgomery clapped his hands. “Alright, class! Welcome back to school!”

We found our seats, and he grinned at the room. “Now, we’ve got a newcomer. Why don’t you tell us your name and a little about yourself?”

I stood, feeling every pair of eyes turn toward me.

“My name’s Ja’kari Nelson. I’m from Yokohama, Japan — but I was born in Little Rock.”

A pause hung in the air before the teacher stepped in. “Any questions for our new student?”

Hands shot up everywhere.

Mr. Montgomery laughed. “How about this — we’ll spend today getting to know Ja’kari. Tomorrow, we’ll get back to lessons. Sound good?”

The class agreed, and I nodded.

One by one, each student introduced themselves and asked questions. When it came to Lina, she stood up confidently. “I’m Lina King. Senior. Lakeside’s MVP soccer player for four years… and I own my own business.”

There was something in her eyes — focused, strong.

“Nice to meet you, Lina,” I said.

Next was Jayla. “I’m Jayla Jackson. I pretty much do everything around the school. You’ll see me everywhere.”

I noticed a small scar along the back of her arm — a story behind it, maybe. “Good to meet you, Jayla.”

Finally, Kylee stood. “I’m Kylee Nelson, obviously his sister — older by forty-three seconds. I help Lina with her business and sometimes sub at the elementary school.”

I smirked. “Nice to meet you again, sis.”

The class laughed.

Mr. Montgomery leaned forward. “Alright, Ja’kari, your turn. Tell us more about you.”

I exhaled slowly. “I moved back to the States last year. I’ve trained in martial arts most of my life. Every tattoo I have means something — a story, a lesson, a scar.”

The class went quiet. Some of the guys in the back snickered, whispering.

The bell rang.

Kylee caught the murmurs — Derion, Cameron, and Mitchell.

“Man, he cappin’. Ain’t no way dude’s mastered martial arts. He ain’t Bruce Lee.”

Before I could react, Kylee walked up to them. “What was that?”

They froze.

“You don’t know what he can do,” Kylee said, her tone low. “Only I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

The guys went quiet as she walked away, her friends following.

They found me leaning against a wall in the auditorium, tossing a stress ball in the air. Asia another one if kylee close friends appears.

“Kylee you okay?” Jayla asked, stepping in beside them.

I caught the ball, looked at Kylee, and threw it toward her. She caught it without breaking eye contact.

“You wanna tell them,” I said, “or should I?”

Kylee sat down. “Look, guys… it’s our first day, but we need to go to the house.”

“Now?” Jayla asked. “Can’t it wait till after school?”

Kylee nodded. “No.”

When they turned back to me, I was gone.

–––

Lunch hit fast. The cafeteria was packed — noise bouncing off every wall. Some students sat outside, some stayed in the gym.

Kylee sat with her boyfriend, Kelo, and the rest of the group — Lina, Jayla and a new girl Asia The football players crowded around their table, talking loud and laughing.

Kelo leaned back, smirking. “So, when do I get to meet your brother? Heard he’s joining the team.”

Kylee looked at him and squeezed his hand. “We’ll talk later. He should be out here soon.”

Right on cue, I walked out of the cafeteria doors, scanning the crowd. I saw them — but instead of walking over, I sat at a table alone, away from the noise.

“What’s wrong with him?” Kelo asked.

“I don’t know,” Jayla said, half-joking. “Guess we’re too scary for him.”

Kelo chuckled. “Babe, remember what you told me about…the thing?

Kylee’s expression hardened. She nodded. “Yeah.”

The group exchanged glances. They all stood and slipped out a side door, heading into the gym.

The bleachers were empty — echoing footsteps and whispers.

Kylee looked at the group. “You all know we have… abilities. Ja’kari’s different. But also the same — like you, Asia.”

Asia frowned. “What do you mean ‘different but the same’?”

Kylee looked down. “I can’t say much. It’s classified — federal-level stuff. But just… watch him today. All of you. After school, meet me at our spot. I’ll explain everything.”

–––

By the time lunch ended, the gym was alive again — students playing basketball, others filming TikToks, music bouncing off the walls.

“Where’s Ja’kari?” Lina asked.

Kylee pointed toward the court. “There.”

He was already moving — ball in hand, a five-on-five game starting.

At Lakeside, only the best played here. The ones with something to prove.

Ja’kari moved like water — slow dribble, head up, eyes locked in.

The crowd started murmuring, phones out.

Kelo leaned on the railing. “Aight, let’s see what the new kid got.”

The bass from someone’s speaker shook the bleachers.

The tension built — that electric pause before something unforgettable happens.

And when Ja’kari crossed half-court, the whole gym leaned forward.

Every sound, every breath, every heartbeat waiting to see what came next.

Kelo leaned forward, curiosity on his face.

Ja’kari walked to the top of the key, dribbling slow and smooth — like he’d been born with a ball in his hand. His eyes scanned the court. The crowd started buzzing.

Then it happened.

The game ended the same way it started — with noise.

Not the wild kind. The kind that comes when a crowd doesn’t know what to do with what it just saw.

The ball had left my fingertips like instinct — a self alley-oop off the backboard.

Time slowed. The echo of the bounce hit once, then silence.

I took two long steps, the gym floor vibrating under my sneakers, and rose.

Head above the rim.

360° windmill.

Boom.

The backboard rattled like thunder. The sound cracked through the gym — louder than the music, louder than the crowd.

For a heartbeat, nobody moved.

Just the echo of the rim shaking, the ball bouncing away, and every pair of eyes locked on me.

Then chaos.

Shouts. Laughter. Phones whipped out, cameras flashing.

“Yo, what the hell was that?” someone yelled.

I landed smooth, walking off like it was nothing stepping over Like I’d done it a hundred times.

Because I had.

I just stood there, breathing slow, sweat rolling down my temple.

It wasn’t about the shot — it was the silence before it.

That split second where everything stopped.

That’s what I lived for.

Across the gym, three girls sat in the bleachers — Kylee, Lina, and someone new.

Asia.

Light skin catching the gym lights, long straight black hair falling over one shoulder, grey eyes that didn’t miss a thing.

She sat relaxed but sharp — legs crossed, fitted athletic jacket half-zipped, the kind of calm that made people glance twice without knowing why.

Her voice cut through the crowd.

“Who the hell just did that?”

Lina blinked. “You didn’t see?”

Asia shook her head, squinting toward the court. “I was checking my phone—then I hear the whole gym lose its mind. Dude jumped like he got springs in his blood.”

Kylee’s lips curled into a grin. “That’s my brother.”

Asia turned, eyes widening. “That’s your brother?”

“Yup.” Kylee smirked. “Ja’kari Nelson. First day, and he’s already shutting the gym down.”

Lina leaned forward, phone out. “Nah, I got the whole thing on video. Look at this—dude was above the rim. Head-level, easy.”

Asia watched the replay, her lips parting just a bit. “No way that’s real. Ain’t nobody that calm after doing that.”

Kylee laughed. “That’s just how he is. Cold under pressure. Always been like that.”

Asia looked back toward the court.

Ja’kari was walking off, towel draped over his shoulder, sweat glinting on his arms under the lights. Every movement slow, deliberate.

Something about him pulled at her — that mix of discipline and danger, calm and chaos in one breath.

⸻

The game wound down. Players were still talking about the dunk.

Lina stood up. “Let’s go say hey before the crowd eats him alive.”

Kylee nodded, and Asia hesitated for a second before following, curiosity already written all over her face.

They crossed the gym as the last few voices echoed out, the bleachers clearing. Ja’kari sat at the edge of the court, untying his sneakers, headphones hanging around his neck.

Kylee called out. “Yo, superstar.”

He looked up — that lazy half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Already?”

Lina laughed. “You broke the internet, bro. Congratulations.”

Asia hung back, watching him, her arms folded.

Kylee noticed. “Ja’kari, this is Asia. New to Lakeside.”

He turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes.

Grey. Sharp.

She smirked. “So you just out here embarrassing people on your first day, huh?”

He tilted his head, calm. “Wasn’t trying to. Ball slipped.”

Lina burst out laughing. “Ball slipped? You threw it off the backboard and spun a whole circle!”

Asia chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Nah, you knew exactly what you were doing.”

He looked at her, a flicker of something in his eyes — interest, maybe even amusement. “You hoop?”

“Used to.” She stepped a little closer. “Don’t play much anymore. But I recognize skill when I see it.”

Kylee glanced at Lina, smirking. “You feel that?” she whispered.

Lina nodded. “Oh, I feel that.”

Asia caught them whispering and laughed under her breath. “What?”

Kylee shook her head, pretending to look away. “Nothing. Just… surprised my brother’s actually talking instead of brooding like usual.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m standing right here.”

Asia grinned, leaning against the bleacher rail. “You got that quiet confidence, huh? The kind that makes people nervous.”

He stood, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “I don’t do nervous.”

Their eyes held for a second — that wordless tension where the noise of the world fades, and all that’s left is the space between two people who haven’t realized yet that they’re meant to collide.

Then Kelo’s voice cut through the gym. “Ayy! Y’all ready to head out?”

The moment broke.

Asia looked down, smiling slightly, then met Ja’kari’s eyes one more time. “See you around… superstar.”

He smirked just enough to notice. “Count on it.”

Asia stepped back with kylee and Jayla as Kelo follows, brushing her hair behind her ear like nothing happened.

“Your brother’s got a little game off the court too,” she teased.

Kylee laughed. “You have no idea.”

Asia turned to me, one eyebrow raised. “I think I’m starting to.”

The tension shifted — lighter now, almost playful, but underneath it all was something real.

That pull you can’t explain.

The kind that sneaks up on you before you even notice it’s happening.

Lina crossed her arms, glancing between us. “Alright, lovebirds. We still meeting after school?”

“Yeah,” Kylee said. “Same spot.”

Asia’s gaze lingered on me a second longer before she nodded. “Cool. I’ll be there.”

She walked off, slow and steady, the sound of her steps fading down the hallway.

I watched her go, not really sure why.

Maybe it was curiosity.

Maybe it was something else.

Kylee bumped my shoulder. “You good?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the empty doorway.

“Yeah,” I said quietly. “Just thinking.”

Lina laughed. “About what?”

I looked at her and smiled.

“About how some storms don’t start with thunder… they start with a look.”

They both went quiet for a moment — just enough time for the weight of the line to sink in.

The bell rang, echoing through the gym like a gunshot, snapping the moment in half.

Students started filing out, voices rising again, chaos returning.

I grabbed my backpack, slung it over my shoulder, and walked toward the exit.

But for the first time that day… I wasn’t thinking about the crowd, or the noise, or even the fights that waited down the line.

Just her.

And the way those grey eyes looked like they saw straight through the storm I’d been trying to keep inside.