I turn around and bury my face in my pillow. Yes, I know how stupid my thoughts are right now. Two minutes ago, I wanted to cut off all contact with Dayyan, and now my heart is threatening to jump out of my chest because I’m afraid he might cut me outof his life when he finds out who I really am. But doesn’t he already know who I really am? Isn’t he one of the few people who really know me?
Chapter 10
Dayyan
“Can I pick you up? Can we go together?” I quickly press send. Yesterday I was really relaxed, now I’m really nervous.
“What would you like for breakfast, sweetie?” My mother’s warm voice echoes from the kitchen and my stomach churns. Urgh, let’s not talk about food.
“I don’t want to eat, thanks, Mom.”
She gently puts her arm around my shoulder. “You’re nervous, that’s perfectly normal. But you’re not alone. Your friend is with you, stick with him. Everything will be fine, you’ll see. Nutella toast with banana?”
She knows me too well; that’s my absolute favorite breakfast, and sure enough, my stomach is rumbling tellingly. “But just one slice.”
“Sure thing.” And with a kiss on my cheek, she shoos me out of the kitchen.
Why isn’t Jannis texting back? Did he change his mind? Doesn’t he want to be seen with me? Is he afraid of what his friends will think of me? I’m just biting into my toast when myphone vibrates. “7:25 a.m. at my place. You’re going by bike, right?”
I reply with a thumbs up and am relieved for now. One step done.
We turn into the school’s bike cellar, and something’s off. Jannis greeted me normally, but hasn’t spoken a word since. He nods and points, he’s listening to me and responding, but he doesn’t speak.
Silently, he takes me to the office and waves to a middle-aged woman. “Good morning, Jannis. Do you need something?”
Shaking his head, he points at me and I introduce myself.
“Ah, are you our new student? Welcome. Here’s your schedule.” She reaches for an A4 sheet of paper on her desk and slides it across the counter. “We were able to put you in almost all of the same classes as Jannis. You only have the advanced biology class on your own. Oh, and French.” I knew that, Jannis has advanced French. “Welcome to Goethe Gymnasium then. Now get out of here, or you’ll be late for your first class.”
Grinning, I follow Jannis into the hallway. “Is everyone here this nice?”
Again, I only get a shrug in response.
In the classroom, he waves me over to a double desk in the second row and points to the seat on the very end.
“Is this seat free?” Jannis nods affirmatively and sits down next to me.
The classroom is slowly filling up, but no one is interested in us. No “hello,” no “how was your break,” nothing. Jannis sits next to me with his shoulders hunched.
The first two periods went well. I introduced myself and everyone was at least friendly. I have biology next period. “Can you tell me where I need to go?”
Without a word, he grabs his phone and just a few seconds later, a tall girl is standing in front of me. “Hey, I’ll take you to biology.”
Shit, I forgot her name; there were so many introductions earlier. “Cool, thanks.”
I shoulder my backpack and follow her. Just before the door, I turn around again. “See you later?”
If I’ve read my schedule correctly, I now have a double biology lesson and then I’m done, because our German teacher is sick. Jannis looks pained as he silently shakes his head.
“What are you waiting for? Mrs. Hartmann hates tardiness. Just one second after the bell and you have to bring a cake. Homemade, not store-bought.”
“Coming!”
“You’re friends with Jannis?” Her tone isn’t friendly, it’s more like a cross-examination.
“Why do you ask?”
“Jannis and I go way back, since he came to his fathers. It’s not easy being friends with him, is it?”
