Breeze

by Sarah Asuquo

  “Congratulations, Breeze. You were sick!” said Tanya. “Aspire Poplar are killing it today, boy!”

  “Thanks, Tanya! Congrats on coming second.”

  “Thanks. I beat my PB as well so I’m proper happy.”

  “That’s sick,” said Breeze.

  “I’m proud of you, girl,” said Bella. “See, you didn’t need the trainers to win; it was in you all along.”

  “Thanks, Bell. Thanks for helping me do the right thing. Listen, I need to change into my tracksuit and trainers, get me some jerk chicken and chill.”

  “Amen to that! Let’s go,” said Bella.

  “Well done, Breeze!” said Ade.

  “Yeah, congratulations!” said Chanel.

  “Thanks, guys,” Breeze replied as she walked with Bella to the stands.

  “Why you always following me, Ade?” said Chanel.

  “Seriously! You’re following me, Chan! You’re a joker.”

  “You wish.”

  “No Chan, I know. And I know you like me, but you don’t want to admit it because you think that as the most popular girl in the school, you should be with the most popular guy, an athlete. You need to hurry up and get over that for real, cause I’m here, innit. But I ain’t gonna be here forever. All this chocolate should be illegal! You know like that!” said Ade.

  “Oh please. Get over yourself.”

  “Yeah, yeah. When you’re ready, Chan. See you later,” said Ade. Chanel smirked as she watched Ade walk away.

  “I know you’re watching me!” he yelled, and Chanel briskly turned to walk in the opposite direction.

  “Breeze! Bella! Gwan, my girls! Big up yourself,” said Uncle D.

  “Well done! Well done, my girls!” said Oga D. “It’s nice to see you two together again.”

  “Thank you,” Breeze chuckled.

  “Yeah thanks,” said Bella, winking at Oga D.

  “We’re starving. What have you got for us today?” said Bella.

  “Oh, don’t worry!” said Oga D. “You trust me, now! You know we will look after you!”

  “Yes! Yes! Nah worry ’bout it. Everything you need is in ya goodie bag.”

  “Thank you so much!” said Bella, clasping her bag.

  “Thanks, guys,” said Breeze.

  “You’re welcome,” Oga D replied. He began to laugh to himself and suddenly roared at Breeze. Breeze jumped back and almost dropped her food.

  “Ok, bye!” said Bella, swiftly pulling Breeze away.

  “What was that about, Bell? Why’s he just roaring in my face like that?”

  Bella looked back at Oga D and giggled. “I ain’t got a clue, Breeze.”

  – 17 –

  B Squared

  The awards ceremony was typically the less exciting part of Sports Day. Breeze would always complain about how long it was, and every year, Bella would ask a senior member of staff if they could go home early and collect their medals the next day, to which she always received a firm ‘No’. However, this year, former AAP student and British Olympic athlete for the 400-metres race, Kerri Brayton, was handing out the medals and B Squared were ecstatic.

  “Bell.”

  “Yes.”

  “Did I just meet Kerri Brayton?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did she just place a medal around my neck?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did I really shake her hand?”

  “Yep.”

  “I thought so. I’m not washing these hands again.”

  “Yes, you are, that’s nasty,” said Bella.

  “Yeah, that’s dirts. I will be washing them… at some point, but damn!”

  “I know, Breeze. This has been the best Sports Day, man! For real.”

  “Defo.”

  “Hold my food for a sec, Breeze; I need to put my hair up. It’s so hot!”

  “Yeah, it’s baking today.”

  Bella tied her hair up in a ponytail and wrapped it into a bun.

  “Thanks, Breeze,” said Bella, seizing her container.

  “I like your hair up like that, Bell – suits ya. You should wear it up more often.”

  “Thanks, you think so? My ears stick out a bit but, oh well.”

  “Oh please. No, they don’t.”

  “Yes, they do.”

  Suddenly, Bella clutched her ears in discomfort.

  “What’s all that noise?” she said.

  “What noise?” said Breeze.

  Bella could hear a combination of several conversations in the arena blaring in her ears.

  “Bell, are you ok?”

  “Yeah, I think so. It’s stopped now. That was strange.”

  Breeze stared at Bella with a look of incredulity.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” said Bella. “You’re looking at my ears? See, I told you. I’ll just take this bun out.”

  “No! Not your ears. Your earrings.”

  “Yeah. My birthday earrings. What about them? Why are you being weird, Breezy?”

  “They’re glowing. Your earrings, Bell… they’re glowing.”

  “No, they’re not, Breeze. It’s probably just the crystals in the sunlight.”

  “Bell, I swear,” said Breeze. She tapped the shoulders of the people sitting in front of them and said, “Excuse me, do see her earrings glowing?” Both students looked at Breeze impassively and turned around. Breeze took out her phone, opened the camera app and held it up in Bella’s face.

  “Oh my days! Breeze, they’re glowing!”

  “That’s what I’ve been saying!”

  “Do you hear that?” said Bella. She could hear a conversation coming from a building behind the stadium.

  “What can you hear, Bell? … Bell?”

  “Watch… they’re talking about a watch.”

  “Who’s talking?”

  “I don’t know… he said… he said it’s… it’s glowing.”

  “What?”

  “His watch is glowing. They’re here. They’re Aspire students.”

  “Ok. This is mad. Where are they?”

  “I don’t know, but they said they’re in a room.”

  Breeze noticed a light in the distance. “Bell, look,” she said, pointing towards it.

  “No way. Why is that building glowing, Breeze?”

  “I don’t know, Bell.”

  “Maybe that’s where the boys are.”

  “Boys?”

  “Yeah, it’s two boys I can hear talking.”

  “Remember what the card said, Bell: ‘follow the glow’.”

  “Let’s go check it out.”

  Breeze and Bella discreetly left the stands and walked to the end of the stadium in the direction of the light. They arrived at a closed door, but the surrounding area was desolate.

  “Open the door, Breeze.”

  “Why me? You open it.”

  “This is creepy, I think we should go back.”

  “No, we’re here now. Ok, I’ll open it.” Breeze placed her hand on the doorknob and cautiously began to turn it. “Three… two… two and a half… two and three-quarters… one… nought point five…”

  “Breeze!”

  “Ok, ok. Three… two…”

  Just as Breeze was about to pull the door, a student pushed it open from the other side, causing Breeze and Bella to scream uncontrollably.

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare ya. I’m Bashir and that’s Bailey.”

  Breeze and Bella quickly calmed and entered the room.

  “Hi, I’m Bella.”

  “Hey, I’m Breeze. What is this place?”

  “I don’t know. This is your school’s arena. We saw it glowing and thought we’d check it out,” said Bashir.

  “Yeah, we saw that too… I’ve never noticed this place before,” Breeze replied.

  “What Aspire Academy are you two from?” asked Bella.

  “Bow,” they both replied.

  “Wait a minute, all our names begin with B,” said Bailey.

  “Yeah…
I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” said Bella.

  “Wait… when are your birthdays?” Breeze asked.

  “We’ve got the same birthday,” said Bashir.

  “Course you do. Don’t say it’s–”

  “2nd February,” said Breeze and Bashir.

  “Yeah, because we’re double the trouble,” Bailey chuckled. “How did you know?”

  “Me and Bella were born on 2nd February too.”

  “Yeah, because the best things come in twos,” said Bella.

  “2002?” asked Bailey.

  “Yep.”

  “Same year as us. This is crazy,” said Bashir.

  “Tell me about it,” said Breeze. “Bailey, your watch is glowing.”

  “Wow. Someone else who can actually see it, Bashir. Yeah, I got it for my birthday. Your trainers are glowing too… and Bella’s earrings.”

  “Wait a minute,” said Breeze, “You can see them glowing,Bailey?”

  “Well it’s hard to miss,” said Bashir.

  Breeze and Bella looked at each other, their mouths wide open.

  “Your cap, Bashir. It’s glowing too,” said Bella.

  “Rah, you can see it. I thought only Bailey could see it. My dad bought it as one of my b-day gifts. Can you see it glow too, Breeze?”

  “Yeah… Yeah I can.”

  Silence filled the room as they tried to make sense of what was happening. Unexpectedly, the doorknob turned.

  “Who’s that?” Breeze whispered.

  As the door creaked, they flocked together. The door swayed open, but the sunlight from outside made them unable to decipher who was standing by it.

  “Unbelievable… It all makes sense now,” said Mrs Banjo, closing the door behind her. “Look at you all… look at how you all glow.”

  “Mrs B?” said Bella. “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “I think I have an idea. What’s your gift, Breeze?”

  “Gift?” she replied.

  “Yeah, your power. Based on your trainer’s glow, I’m guessing it’s something to do with your feet… It’s ok, Breeze, you can trust me.”

  “Um. Yeah. I can run really fast.”

  “But you run fast anyway,” said Mrs Banjo.

  “No, I mean really fast. Like super-fast. With my trainers I can run so fast that no one can see me.”

  “Amazing. And you, Bella. What’s your gift?”

  “I just discovered it today, but I think it’s my hearing, Miss. I can hear things that are really far away.”

  “Brilliant! You will probably be able to fine-tune your hearing to specific sounds and locations as you get used to it. And you, young man?”

  “Oh me? I can stop time,” said Bailey.

  “Swear down! That’s sick!” said Bella.

  “Sick, indeed,” said Mrs Banjo. “And yourself? I see your cap is glowing.”

  “Yeah. I’m a walking encyclopaedia with this cap. I can find out and solve pretty much anything in seconds,” Bashir replied.

  “Fantastic. That will be so useful to your team,” said Mrs Banjo.

  “Team?” said Breeze.

  “Yes. Team, you’ll see.”

  “And what about you, Miss?” said Bella.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. I saw you the other day with the clock – I saw your glasses glowing.”

  “Fine. You’ve caught me red-handed. I can move anything with my eyes.”

  “Like Matilda!” said Bella.

  “Yes, you could say that. But those days are behind me, I’ve been out of the game for a long time now. You all must be the next generation.”

  “Miss, what do you mean? I’m baffled!” said Breeze.

  Mrs Banjo began to laugh spontaneously. “Incredible! You guys don’t know what you’re in for, but you have an exciting adventure ahead of you! Good luck!” she chuckled as she left the room.

  “Wait! Miss! … Don’t leave,” said Bailey.

  “Sports Day’s over, guys. Everyone’s leaving and I need to lock up,” said Lance.

  “Lance!” yelled Breeze as she ran and bearhugged him.

  “It’s good to see you, Breeze.”

  “You too! I can’t believe you’ve worked here for all these years and I didn’t recognise you!”

  “A lot has changed since I last saw you… I live close by.”

  “Live?” tears began to fill Breeze’s eyes.

  “Yes, live. Now, now, Breeze. No tears. We’ll catch up at another time, but I need to lock up soon.”

  “Ok, we’ll be out in five minutes.”

  “No problem, I’ll give you ten. Look, Breeze, you dropped your keys,” said Lance, walking towards the door. Lance watched as Breeze picked them up. He gave her a wink and said, “Hold it tight,” before closing the door behind him.

  “I will, Lance. I will.”

  “Breeze, look,” said Bella.

  “What?”

  “Your keyring. The penny… it’s glowing.”

  “Yeah, I see it too,” said Bailey. “Who is that guy?”

  “Breeze? Say something.”

  “Um… who is he… that’s Lance. But…”

  “But what?”

  For the first time, as she looked at her keyring, Breeze believed in magic. Her mind displayed a trailer of her encounters with Lance: from the day he gave her that ‘magic’ penny and the luck she felt it brought her ever since, to the way he would support B Squared’s training and how he was always conveniently around to assist them when they had a premises issue at school. Not to mention the birthday card she found in her shoebox from a mystery ‘faithful friend’ who had ‘always been close by’. In that moment, as she watched the penny glow for the very first time, she realised that Lance was more special than she could have ever imagined.

  “Come on, Breezy,” Bella prompted. “That’s Lance, but…”

  “But… but who is Lance?”

  Without realising, the four of them stood in a square, light emitting from the ground in between them. They were in awe, overwhelmed by their newfound connection. At this moment they knew that their summer was about to be like none other.

  Breeze was astounded. Examining her new alliances, she began to hypothesise once again. Her theory was in its initial stages; however, she was able to make one conclusion from her findings. “Bella…?” she said.

  “Yeah…”

  “I… I think B Squared’s just expanded.”

  Copyright

  Published by Clink Street Publishing 2020

  Copyright © 2020

  First edition.

  The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that with which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ISBN:

  978-1-913568-40-5 - paperback

  978-1-913568-41-2 - ebook