The floorboards in our house were like landmines. If I stepped too hard on the one near the kitchen door, it would let out a sharp creak that could wake the dead—or worse, it could wake Uncle Levi.
I held my breath, moving in the gray morning light. My hands were a bit shaky as I poured the tea for Aunt Lia. It wasn't the fancy kind; just a cheap bag steeped in water that was barely hot enough, but it was all we had. I watched the steam rise, disappearing into the shadows of the ceiling.
"Sarah?" Aunt Lia's voice was barely a whisper from the bedroom. It sounded like dry leaves rubbing together.
"I'm here, Auntie," I whispered back, sliding the tray onto her bedside table. I didn't turn on the light. The shadows were kinder to her tired eyes. I squeezed her hand—her skin felt like thin parchment—and for a second, she squeezed back. That tiny bit of strength was enough to fuel me for the whole day.
I grabbed my backpack. It was heavy, the straps digging into my shoulders, but I liked the weight. It felt like an anchor. Inside were my biology notes, my dreams, and a secret I couldn't tell anyone in this house: I was the best student in my grade. To Uncle Levi, I was just another mouth to feed. To my teachers, I was a future.
The walk to school was a blur of gray streets and humid air. I tucked my hair behind my ear, my fingers grazing the pink ribbon tied around my wrist. It was frayed at the edges now, but it still smelled, if I tried hard enough, like my mother's jasmine perfume.
As soon as I hit the school gates, the "gray" world ended. Everything was too loud, too bright, and too fast.
"Hey, Ghost Girl! Did you forget how to speak again?"
I didn't have to look up to know it was Maya. I could smell her expensive strawberry body spray from five feet away. She and her friends were a wall of perfectly ironed uniforms and expensive sneakers.
I just lowered my head and kept walking, my heart thumping against my ribs like a trapped bird. Don't react, I told myself. Sincere love, Sarah. Keep your heart gold, even when they try to turn it to lead.
I reached my classroom and sank into my desk at the very back. My teacher, Mr. Ahmed, walked in holding a stack of papers. The room went silent.
"Only one person got a perfect score on the advanced biology exam," he said, scanning the room. His eyes landed on me, and for the first time that day, the gray world felt like it was starting to bloom. "Sarah, please come up."
I felt Maya's glare burning into the back of my neck. I stood up, my legs feeling like jelly, and walked toward the front. This was it. The gold was starting to outweigh the gray.