The KIA Chronicles

Chapter 4: Sorry

On Thursday, we had our first PE lesson. I walked down with Alia. I had this strange feeling about her. Like, she wasn't being honest with me. It was annoying.

"So, Drake," Alia asked suddenly, "What sports do you play?"

"Ummm," Here's a secret, I hate sports. Sounds weird, I know, but I just don't like it. To be honest, the only thing I ever liked in PE was the occasional dance lesson. But, I couldn't tell Alia that.

"Everything. I'm, like, the most athletic dude ever."

Alia seemed skeptical.

"Uh huh, yeah we'll see. Wait till you go up against me."

"What the little terrorist girl plays good?" I didn't mean to offend her, what did I say wrong? She said it was just a joke, so why did she walk away in a huff? Oh, well. I guess someone needs to learn to take a joke.

When I walked in, Alia was running laps around the gym with some other people. She stopped when she saw me, and turned around to get some water. Coach Tiffton blew his whistle and called us into the middle of the gym.

"Ok, we're playing basketball today. Two teams. Alia, Jacob, you two are captains. Pick your teams."

Alia stood at the front of the group and scanned the crowd. I looked at her hopefully. She glared back.

"Camila, Melissa, Bilal. You guys are with me." Alia said, after a while.

"Miranda, Miles, Sandra, Ben. Get over here." Jacob shouted, glaring at Alia.

They continued to make their teams until only Janice and I were left. Surely, Alia would pick me over Janice.

"Janice."

She picked Janice? Jacob smirked at me.

"Hey, new kid! Come here. You're on the good team."

"You wish, Festern. I can beat you fair and square any day." Alia scoffed.

"You throw like a girl!"

"And you wish you threw like a girl!"

Alia's team laughed and high fived her. I think I was the only Aasha kid not on her team.

The game began, Alia was playing point guard against Jacob. She did a few crossovers scanning the court, looking for someone to pass to. She passed it to Melissa Carpenter. Melissa passed to Alia, who shot a three pointer.

"Good form, Niwaz! Come on, Festern, steal the ball. Block her shot. Nice shot, Carpenter, you would have made it, go in for that rebound, Alia. Nice!" Coach was shouting at us. From the view I got from the bench, little terrorist girl does play good.

"Look, I've said I'm sorry like a million times." I groaned as we walked up to the common room.

Alia turned to glare at me. She stormed off in a huff.

I don't get what's up with that girl.

I walked into Mr.Collins class, and sat next to Sam and Alia, who was still ignoring me.

"The fall of the Berlin Wall. What do we know?" Mr. Collins was being his normal happy self.

"The people wanted the wall to fall, so they attacked the wall and tore it down."

"Very good, Mr. Abernathy. Now, we all have walls in our life. Why?"

"They are like... barriers, right?" I answered. "So we use them to hide, or keep others away, I guess."

Alia turned to me, and, for a moment, I could see through her walls. It was brief, but it was there.

"History shows us that, for walls to fall, and barriers to fall, it needs to be the people who bring them down." Mr. Collins looked at me, smiling. I'm willing to bet that he only taught us about Berlin for Alia, and I.