CHAPTER 6

Clara shook her head and returned her attention to her notebook, determined not to give Amara another reason to tease her.

A few seconds passed before Amara closed her own notebook with a sigh.

“Let's head to the cafeteria. I'm starving.”

Clara glanced at her.

“Didn't you eat breakfast?”

“Yes, but that was hours ago. Besides, all this pretending to understand everything the lecturer said has exhausted me.”

Clara laughed as she packed her things.

“You weren't pretending to understand everything. You were actually taking notes.”

“Exactly. It requires a lot of effort.”

“You're so dramatic.”

“And you're beginning to sound like my mother.”

Amara picked up her bag and stood.

“Come on, future doctor. Let's find something to eat before I collapse in this classroom.”

Clara followed her out, smiling.

For someone she had met only a few hours earlier, Amara was surprisingly easy to be around. She talked a lot, made jokes about almost everything, and seemed to possess an endless supply of energy. Clara couldn't decide whether that was simply her personality or a deliberate attempt to hide her own nervousness.

Either way, it made the day feel less intimidating.

The school cafeteria was already packed with students when they arrived.

The smell of freshly prepared food filled the air, mixing with the sounds of conversations, laughter, and trays clattering against tables. Students stood in a long queue near the serving counter while others moved between the tables, searching for somewhere to sit.

Amara stopped at the entrance and stared at the crowd.

“Oh, wow.”

Clara looked at her.

“What?”

“Nothing. I'm just trying to understand how this many people can be hungry at the same time.”

Clara laughed.

“Maybe because it's lunchtime?”

Amara turned to her with a serious expression.

“Please don't use logic against me. I'm hungry, and I don't have the strength for it.”

They joined the queue, moving forward slowly as students collected their meals.

While they waited, Clara glanced around the cafeteria. Groups of students had already formed, with some people sitting together as though they had known each other for years. Others were still introducing themselves, exchanging names, and asking about their courses.

Clara wondered how long it would take before the unfamiliar faces began to feel familiar.

She had barely finished the thought when Amara nudged her.

“Are you thinking about something serious again?”

Clara turned towards her.

“Do you ever stop asking questions?”

“No.”

“At least you're honest.”

“I try my best.”

When they finally reached the counter, they ordered their food and carried their trays towards the windows. After searching for a few moments, they found two empty seats near the far end of a table.

Amara immediately claimed the seat closest to the window.

“This is perfect.”

Clara placed her tray opposite her.

“Why?”

“Natural light. Fresh air. A beautiful view.” Amara looked out of the window before adding, “And most importantly, it's far enough from that queue. I refuse to think about food again until I've finished eating.”

Clara smiled and settled into her seat.

Outside, a few students crossed the courtyard, while others sat beneath the trees, talking and laughing. The sunlight fell across the tables near the window, giving the cafeteria a warmer, more relaxed atmosphere.

For the first time since arriving at the school, Clara felt she could breathe without constantly wondering where she was supposed to go next.

Amara picked up her cutlery and looked at her.

“So, where are you from?”

“ Minnesota. You?”

“New York.”

Clara nodded.

“That's quite a distance.”

“Tell me about it. My mother kept asking whether I'd packed everything. I think she was more worried than I was.”

“Were you close to home before you came here?”

Amara considered the question while cutting into her food.

“Close enough to know my way around, I suppose. But moving here is different. Everything feels unfamiliar, and I'm still trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be.”

Clara understood that feeling more than she wanted to admit.

She looked down at her plate, moving a piece of food around before taking another bite.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They ate at their own pace, occasionally glancing out of the window as the noise of the cafeteria continued around them.

Clara appreciated the quiet.

She had spent the entire morning processing new information, meeting strangers, and trying to adjust to an environment that was completely different from what she knew. Sitting beside Amara without having to fill every moment with conversation was a welcome relief.

Amara seemed equally content.

She had just taken another bite when a loud announcement came from somewhere near the cafeteria entrance. Several students began gathering their belongings, and the sound of chairs scraping against the floor grew louder.

Then the bell rang through the cafeteria, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Amara looked at the clock.

“Oh, no.”

Clara glanced up.

“What?”

“Please tell me we don't have another class already.”

Clara reached into her bag and retrieved the timetable she had been given that morning.

She scanned it quickly.

“Biology next.”

Amara stared at her.

“Of course. Biology.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I was hoping for a longer lunch break.”

Clara laughed and slipped the timetable back into her bag.

“Come on. We should go.”

Amara stood up and picked up her tray.

“Fine. But if the lecturer decides to give us a surprise test, I'm blaming you.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

“Me? What did I do?”

“You looked too comfortable. I should have known something was wrong.”

Clara shook her head, laughing.

They returned their trays to the collection area and walked out of the cafeteria together.

The hallway was crowded with students rushing to their next classes. Conversations overlapped, footsteps echoed against the floor, and people hurried past carrying books and notebooks.

Clara stayed close to Amara, trying not to get separated in the sea of unfamiliar faces.

A group of students passed between them and another group coming from the opposite direction. Amara moved aside to let them through, then looked back at Clara.

“Still there?”

Clara gave her a look.

“Where else would I be?”

“Good. I haven't learned your full name yet. It would be unfortunate to lose you before I get the chance.”

Clara laughed.

“You're impossible.”

“I've been told.”

They continued down the hallway until the crowd began to thin.

“So, Minnesota,” Amara said, glancing at her. “Do you miss home?”

Clara's expression softened.

“Sometimes. I miss my room. My friends. Mostly, I miss knowing where I belong.”

The words came out more honestly than she had intended.

For a moment, Amara didn't respond. She simply looked at Clara, as though she understood that the question meant more than it first appeared.

Then she nodded.

“I understand that.”

Clara looked at her curiously.

“You do?”

“New York is home, but I've moved around so much that sometimes I don't even know what home is supposed to feel like.”

Clara slowed her steps slightly.

“Why did you move around so much?”

Amara adjusted the strap of her bag.

“My family had reasons. Sometimes things changed, and we had to move. After a while, I got used to being the new person everywhere.”

“Doesn't that get tiring?”

“Sometimes.” Amara gave a small shrug. “You learn how to introduce yourself, make friends, and start over. But just when you begin feeling comfortable, something changes again.”

Clara thought about that for a moment.

She had always imagined that people who seemed confident and friendly had an easier time adjusting to new situations. It hadn't occurred to her that someone like Amara might have her own reasons for finding it difficult to settle in.

“Maybe we'll figure it out,” Clara said quietly.

Amara turned towards her.

“Figure what out?”

“Where we belong.”

Amara smiled.

“Maybe.”

They continued walking, and for a little while, neither of them said anything else.

Clara found herself wondering whether this was how friendships began—not with grand promises or instant understanding, but with small conversations that made unfamiliar places feel a little less lonely.

She glanced at Amara, who was now humming softly as she checked the classroom numbers on the doors.

Perhaps she wouldn't have to figure everything out on her own.

They reached the biology classroom just as the teacher walked in.

Amara hurried her steps.

“Looks like we made it.”

“Barely,” Clara replied.

They slipped into the classroom and quickly took two seats near the middle.

Unlike the lecture hall they had left earlier, this room was smaller, with large windows along one side and a whiteboard at the front. A few diagrams of the human body were displayed on the walls, and a cabinet near the lecturer's desk contained models and other learning materials.

Clara looked around with interest.

This was the kind of environment she had imagined when she first decided she wanted to study medicine. There was something exciting about being surrounded by materials that would help her understand the human body and how it worked.

She took out her notebook and arranged her pens beside it.

Amara leaned towards her.

“Do you think this lecturer is strict?”

Clara glanced at the front of the room.

“I have no idea.”

“What if she's one of those lecturers who doesn't tolerate questions?”

“Then we'll find out.”

Amara sighed.

“You're doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Making everything sound easy.”

Clara smiled.

“I'm just as new here as you are.”

“Exactly. Which means you should be panicking with me.”

Before Clara could reply, the teacher placed a stack of papers on the desk and looked around the classroom.

The remaining conversations gradually faded.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

“Good afternoon, ma'am,” the students answered.

The teacher introduced herself and explained that they would be studying the foundations of biology as part of their programme. She spoke briefly about the importance of understanding living organisms, from the smallest cells to the complex systems that allowed the human body to function.

Clara listened attentively.

She wrote down the course title and underlined it, already imagining the amount of information she would need to learn throughout the semester.

Then the teacher placed the papers aside.

“Before we begin, I'd like us to get to know one another. Since this is the beginning of a new semester, we're going to start with something simple. I want each of you to introduce yourself and tell the class why you chose this school.”

A few students exchanged glances.

Someone near the back whispered something that made the person beside him laugh.

Amara leaned towards Clara.

“Why do teachers always say something is simple before giving us something that isn't?”

Clara pressed her lips together to keep from laughing.

“I think it's just an introduction.”

“That's easy for you to say. I don't even know what I'm going to say.”

“Just tell them your name.”

“And then?”

“Why you chose the school.”

Amara looked at her.

“You make it sound like a conversation.”

“Because it is.”

Amara shook her head, but a smile tugged at her lips.

The teacher called on a student seated near the front.

He stood, introduced himself, and explained that he had chosen the school because of its academic reputation. The next student spoke about her interest in science, while another mentioned a family member who had inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare.

One by one, the students stood and introduced themselves.

Some spoke confidently, barely needing to think about their answers. Others stumbled over their words, laughed nervously, or spoke so quietly that the teacher had to ask them to repeat themselves.

Clara followed each introduction while quietly preparing her own.

Her palms grew slightly damp.

She hated speaking in front of people.

It wasn't that she had nothing to say. She simply disliked the moment when everyone's attention turned towards her, waiting for her to speak. She always felt as though she had to find the perfect words, and the more she tried to prepare, the more difficult it became to say anything at all.

She looked down at her notebook and silently rehearsed her introduction.

My name is Clara. I chose this school because I want to study medicine.

Simple.

She could do that.

The teacher called on another student, then another.

Clara began to relax a little, hoping her turn was still far away.

Then the teacher's eyes landed on her.

“Young lady, you're next.”

Clara's fingers tightened around her pen.

For a second, she wondered whether the teacher had noticed how desperately she had been hoping not to be called.

Amara gave her an encouraging nudge.

“Go on,” she whispered.

Clara slowly stood.

Several faces turned towards her.

She held the edge of her notebook, suddenly aware of how quiet the room had become.

“I'm Clara,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

She cleared her throat.

“I'm Clara Hernandez, and I chose this school because I want to study medicine.”

The words came out quickly, almost as though she wanted to finish before anyone had time to look at her too closely.

She glanced towards the teacher.

The woman smiled encouragingly.

“Welcome, Clara. That's a wonderful goal. I hope you have a productive semester.”

“Thank you, ma'am.”

Clara sat down quickly.

She let out a quiet breath and placed her notebook on the desk, trying to act as though nothing unusual had happened.

Amara leaned towards her.

“You survived.”

Clara covered her smile with one hand.

“Please don't start.”

“I'm serious! You stood up, introduced yourself, and sat down without fainting. That's an achievement.”

Clara shook her head, trying not to laugh.

“You're ridiculous.”

“And yet, you seem to enjoy my company.”

Clara glanced at her.

“Unfortunately.”

Amara gasped.

“Unfortunately? After everything we've been through today?”

“We met this morning.”

“And look at how far we've come.”

Clara laughed, and Amara joined her.

The teacher began the lesson, asking the class to take notes as she explained the first topic. Clara opened her notebook and focused on the board.

This time, she felt a little more comfortable.

She still had plenty to learn, and the semester had barely begun. There would be difficult lectures, unfamiliar faces, and days when she would question whether she could keep up with everything expected of her.

But she had made it through her first introduction.

She had found someone to sit with.

And for the first time that day, the classroom no longer felt like a room full of strangers.

Clara glanced at Amara, who was concentrating on her notes with her tongue pressed slightly against her cheek.

A small smile crossed Clara's face.

Maybe coming here wasn't going to be as hard as she had imagined.

Maybe, little by little, she would find her place.