Page 1 of 4-Ever

CHAPTER 1

FAISEL

AGE 10

It was my first day at my new school and I hated it.

Sitting on the bench opposite the playground, by myself, I stared at my classmates, who ran around, laughing and having fun.

I wanted to go back to New York. To Jackson Heights, the neighborhood in Queens that was the only home I’d ever known. Where my friends were. And my grandparents. Not here in Rhode Island, in this town where everyone stared at me. Here, the only people I knew were my parents and my brother.

“What kind of name is Faisel?”

I followed the voice, turning around. The boy standing behind me was familiar. He’d been in my math class, Nathaniel… something. He was popular and everyone in class talked to him.

Except me. I was too shy. When he glared at me, I didn’t understand. And I didn’t know what to say to him now.

What was wrong with my name? No one back home asked me about it.

“It’s the name my grandparents gave me.”

“It’s weird,” he sneered. “And so are you.”

My face heated and I turned around again, not wanting to talk anymore. Wishing I could disappear. Or blink and open my eyes to find I was back in my old school.

Suddenly, I was pushed off the bench and I tumbled onto the grass. My knees hit the ground hard, and my hands after them.

Looking up, Nathaniel was staring down at me, his arms crossed.

“I don’t like you and no one else does either. No one’s gonna play with you. Go back inside.”

Humiliation washed over me. I was frozen, unable to move. My eyes begin to fill up but I blinked fast and hard.

“You gonna cry now? What a big baby,” Nathaniel muttered as he stepped closer to me. “I’m gonna tell everyone you’re a scared loser.”

Get up and run inside! Go find a teacher.

But I couldn’t. I just sat there, protectively pulling my knees up to my chest. Nathaniel kicked my shins hard and I yelled out, but no one heard me. Or cared. Pain, humiliation, and fear welled up inside me. Tears rolled down my face and I tucked my head into my arms, trying to blockout everything.

Go away, please. Just leave me alone.

“Get away from him.”

What?

Wiping my face, I glanced up to find another boy, one with dark brown hair and big blue eyes, standing in front of me. I couldn’t remember his name, but he was also in my math class. He was bigger than Nathaniel.

This boy made silly faces and jokes, and the teacher told him to be quiet. A lot. Unlike other boys in the class, his hair was long. And even though the other kids kept asking him about it, he didn’t seem to mind the questions or the stares.

Not like me.

“I didn’t do anything,” Nathaniel complained. “He’s just a loser crybaby.”

“And you’re just annoying.”

“Whatever. You’ve got a stupid name too, Ronin.”

Ronin.

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