Chapter 5:

Hey There Delilah

Entertain Us


9:47 AM.
The classes would be dismissed at ten; a certain class had finished their introduction lesson and stayed in the class, getting to know each other. The class was lively, but some students were happier than others.
"This seating plan sucks", Moaned Lucas with his rested on the head on the desk.
"Look on the bright side, it could be worse; we could be Ray". David replied. Lucas looked up and turned around to see Ray. Ray was seated around people he didn't know. Ray caught Lucas's eyes and met them; he smiled, clearly showing his discomfort.
Lucas turned to David,
"Yeah, you're right. I don't like being at the front. It's too close."
"It could be a good thing". David tried to cheer Lucas up.
"We can pay attention to the teacher, and if we slack off, we will be caught".
"David, I want to slack off. Not always, but sometimes, you know". Lucas replied.
"Yeah, I get it; I was just trying to make the best of the situation".
"It doesn't help that they get good seats at the back; they are all together. It's unfair". Lucas complained.
"HAHAHA"
Laughter haunted Lucas's ears
"Bro, you can even hear them from here". Lucas whined.
The back of the class was the liveliest because the corner of the room now inhabited William, Benjamin and Malakai.
Malakai in the back row with William and Benjamin sitting ahead of him. They were all getting looks from everyone in the class because they had been laughing nonstop since their teacher had finished her speech.
"Hahahaha I'm deeaad". Benjamin laughed.
"Hehehe, look at Ray. He said, 'It was going to be fun, we're all in the same class'. Look at his seat". Malakai rejoiced.
"Hahaha, David and Lucas are also having a great time; front-row seats to the show". William mocked. The three continued to laugh, and there was no stopping them. The other three could hear their insults, while David took the joke well and smiled. Lucas's head was hot, and he put his head on the desk, attempting to ignore the laughter, while Ray awkwardly smiled at the people around him.
"Let's calm down, let's calm down". Malakai tried to contain himself.
"Okay, okay". William agreeing. The three of them gradually stopped laughing, and each took a deep breath. This was the start of many memories they would gather this year in this classroom.
"Do all of you always cause a scene wherever you go?" She questioned.
A tanned girl with hair just above her shoulders and amber-coloured eyes turned towards them.
"Do you love attention or something?".
"If it's from you, yes", Malakai jokingly flirted.
She was caught off guard by that response.
"Ignore him. He likes to take the piss". Benjamin assured her.
"Yeah, I ain't being serious. But naa, we don't like attention. It's just fun being around each other". Malakai pointed out.
"When we're together, we make a lot of noise, but we don't mean to be annoying. I think it's a guy thing just being loud". William added.
"I wasn't complaining or asking you condescendingly; I was just curious", she said, waving her hands in front of her.
"I'm sorry my face looks serious and unapproachable most of the time; that's probably why you got the wrong impression." She answered.
"It's fine, don't worry about it; what's your name?" William asked.
"Delilah and all of you?"
"Im William".
"Benjamin".
"Malakai".
They all answered one after another.
"Cool, I'm happy I'm sitting next to people who want to talk, I guess". Delilah joyfully said, she then turned her attention to Malakai,
"Malakai, you're not American, right? You've got a different accent." She added.
"Yeah, I'm from the UK, London." He answered.
"Guess his ethnicity, I guarantee you won't get it". William tested.
"You get three attempts". Benjamin jumped in.
Malakai smiled.
"Why do you lot do this everytime?" He asked.
"It's fun to see what people say", Benjamin answered.
"He looks Indian, but you wouldn't ask me this if it was India. Sooo imma say Sri Lanka".
"No". Malakai answered.
"Pakistan?"
"No".
"Bangladesh?".
"No"
"India?"
"That's more than three". Benjamin said.
Delilah was confused; she looked at Malakai with curiosity.
"Mauritius, I'm Mauritian". Malakai proudly said.
"Wow, that's different. It's my first time meeting someone from Mauritius. It looks beautiful, from what I've seen anyways". Delilah excitedly said.
"Yeah, it's nice".
"Have you ever been there?" She questioned.
"Yeah, when I was little. Can't remember much, just got family pictures."
"Can I see?". Delilah was bombarding Malakai with questions.
"I don't have them on my phone. They're all at home in a folder my mom keeps". Malakai smiled.
"Damn". Delilah disappointedly said.
"What about you?" Malakai returned the question.
"I was born here, but my parents are from Brazil", Delilah said, looking proud of her heritage.
"That's sick", Malakai replied.
It looked like Benjamin and William were third-wheeling right now, so Malakai decided to save them.
"It's crazy that there's 150 people in our year".
"30 people in each class; I'm glad we aren't in 1-E. imagine being the bottom class." William replied.
"I mean, we're not much better; we're 1-C. I thought I would've got class B at least." Benjamin sulked.
"It's the first year. We can always move up. I think it's better being here than a higher class because there would be more pressure to maintain your place." Delilah said, looking at Benjamin.
"True," the three boys said in synchrony.
"It looks like we got some interesting people in our class. I'm glad there's no one like Dillon in our class". Malakai said.
"Dillon?". Delilah question.
"Just some idiot". Malakai quickly replied with a smile, reminiscing about what had happened earlier.
"I'm happy she's in our class; I might shoot my shot". Benjamin wished, looking ahead.
"Who?". Malakai scanned the room until his eyes locked with a beautiful, short, light-skinned girl with curly black hair. As soon as their eyes locked, the girl quickly broke contact and looked down at her desk. Malakai kept looking at her, thinking if she was the one they were talking about.
"You talking about her?" Malakai questioned, pointing with his eyes.
"You don't know her?" Delilah sounded shocked.
Malakai looked at her with oblivious eyes.
"Is she a celebrity or something?"
"Basically, she's Havana Rodriguez's daughter" Delilah replied.
Malakai turned towards William and Benjamin and gave the same look he gave to Delilah.
"And who's that?".
William and Benjamin laughed, knowing he wouldn't know who she was.
"She's a famous actor, she's known to be beautiful". Benjamin said.
"And she's got a daughter who is kinda famous as well". William added.
Malakai was the type who didn't care about social status; he treated everyone equally. He also didn't care about celebrities. So, hearing this didn't impact him in any way or change his opinion of her. It clearly showed on his face he didn't care.
"So what's she done to be famous?" Malakai asked, with an eyebrow raised.
"She's pretty like her mom", Delilah answered.
Malakai looked perplexed.
"You don't care, right?" Benjamin asked a question he knew the answer to.
Malakai didn't even answer. He just gave a look that said it all. The two of them started laughing.
"Oooohh she's looking over here again". Delilah reported with her hand covering her mouth. The boys didn't look up to make it obvious; they just played it cool.
"I think she's looking at you Mally". Benjamin informed him.
"Why me? Is it because of what I did earlier?"
"Probably. That girl has been living in a fairy tale her whole life; seeing you act like that was maybe something new to her". Delilah said.
"She probably thinks you don't deserve to be in this school, Mally". William mocked. Malakai grinned.
"You know what, I don't think she's looking at me. I think she's looking at the alien in front of me". Malakai snapped back.
William looked up at Malakai.
"I uuh… uhh". William was lost for words.
"I got nothing to say to that."
Benjamin started laughing; William expected that, but Delilah joined in and started laughing.
"Mally's good at coming back from insults, man; what can I do?". William whined.
"Don't come after me", Malakai giggled while the other two kept laughing. Delilah's addition and contribution added a different dynamic that would only make the class more fun. The corner that started loud was only getting louder.

"Mariaaa… Maria!"
"Huh, yeah?". Maria responded.
"You're looking at him again. Are you okay? Has he done something to you?". She questioned.
"I'm fine, Tanisha. He hasn't done anything to me, you don't have to worry". Maria reassured.
"Then why do you keep looking at him? I mean, he's kinda cute; I guess that scar on his nose makes him different. But I wouldn't guess he would be your type." Tanisha tried to piece it together. Tanisha was a dark-skinned girl with brown curly hair styled with two buns on the right and left.
"No, it's nothing like that." She replied, looking down at her desk.
"I'm not convinced. I've never seen you look at a boy like you've looked at him."
Maria looked Tanisha in the eyes, trying to do everything she could to tell her it was not like that.
"Believe me, I don't like him. I don't even know him".
"Why do you keep looking at him then?"
"Because… whenever I look at him, he's always smiling; even when he was getting told off in the assembly, he looked like he was having fun." She replied.
"That's every boy ever. They laugh and don't take serious situations seriously".
"Why are you acting like a parent?" Maria said in an annoyed tone. Tanisha realised she may have pushed a bit too far. She let out a sigh.
"Listen, I'm trying to protect you. You can't trust a guy because you see him smiling. You don't know his intentions".
Maria understood and realised she may have acted like a rebellious teen.
"Yeah, I get it. I'm not stupid, you know. I won't let a guy play me; I'm an adult now".
"Barely". Tanisha added in. Maria pouted at her, but they both started to laugh.

Meanwhile in class 1-E. A boy was sitting at the middle desk of the class. Slyly observing his surroundings, using his peripheral vision. He ignored the noise around him and only conversed with himself in his thoughts.
"I don't need you. I'll prove it to you. I don't need your help. I'll live how I want to and become number one to show you how capable I am. I'll do whatever it takes. Don't underestimate me".