Chapter 108: Student on the Pitch
Amani rested his books against the bright yellow wall of the St. Bonifatius College corridor, the morning sunlight streaming through high windows to gild the polished floor. Lockers clanged and laughter echoed down the hallway as classmates shuffled to their first lessons.
Already, groups were whispering and pointing; some turned to smile at him as he passed. The chatter stopped for a moment when he caught an eye-line, and a small wave of recognition passed over the teenagers.
In one direct glance, a girl mouthed Hamadi! and grinned, as if seeing a pop star on the street. Amani felt a flush under his skin and hurried past, tucking his hands in his pockets.
"Let’s go," he muttered to Malik, his close friend and fellow teammate, who sidled up beside him at that moment. Malik laughed, a low warm sound. "Easy, Professor Hamadi. You’re going to be late for geography if you’re swooning at your fans." The bell ringing above their heads cut through the murmurs, sending them scattering.
In class, Amani sat near the front as usual, elbows tucked on the wooden desk. Mrs. De Jong, their history teacher, paced at the chalkboard with a piece of chalk squeaking behind her, explaining the Dutch Golden Age.
Amani tried to focus, but each time he glanced at the clock, he heard the echoes of lunchtime talk outside. His phone lay face down on the desk, a silent and blinking observer. A small vibration went unnoticed against the polished wood as a new notification arrived.
Malik nudged him. "Bad connection, you missed the start. Look who has 20,000 followers now." He jerked his thumb toward Amani’s smartphone. Amani blinked and looked down; the screen was locked, but he could imagine the flurry of likes and comments from last night’s post of Utrecht highlights.
He forced a smile. Mrs. De Jong caught his eye as he unlocked the phone. "Amani, I notice you’re not taking notes. Care to share some historical insight with the class?" she asked lightly, though her tone was stern.
Amani cleared his throat. "Sorry, mevrouw. Just... uh... checking the time." He grinned half-heartedly. "As I was saying, five years ago the United East India Company..." The class snickered softly as the teacher continued the lesson. He ducked his head.
At the short morning break, students poured into the courtyard. Amani and Malik joined a group under the old maple tree, its leaves just turning gold. Across the yard, two girls giggled as they passed him.
"Amani, can you sign my copy of the student newspaper?" one called, holding up the freshly printed school newsletter with a red headline proclaiming "Utrecht Youngster Shines."