After that incident, all Badr could think about was Moonland and the mysterious crystal, so when the end-of-year exams came up, he was not ready at all.

"Help me!" he begged Bilal one day. Him, Yousef, Bilal, and Jack were sitting down in the boys' dormitory, studying. Bilal sighed in response.

"If you have any questions, ask me. I can't help you more."

Badr groaned and flipped through the math book. Yousef watched him and shook his head, feeling sorry for Badr.

"You know," Jack observed. "You might fail..."

"NO! I WON'T FAIL!" Badr shouted. He picked up his pen and scribbled down a math equation. He then stared at it for a minute, not knowing how to solve it.

"You're so gonna pass, Badr!" Badr heard the familiar sound of his rival Majid from nearby. He ignored him and put his head down on the table. Within seconds, he was fast asleep.

"What the heck is up with this guy? He sleeps anywhere!" Jack said, startled.

Yousef laughed quietly in the background. "He really hates studying..."

Throughout all the exams, Badr found himself tapping his school desk repetitively with the end of his pencil while wishing he was anywhere but the exam hall. Luckily for everyone, it wasn't very long before finals were over. After their last exam, Badr, Yousef, Malak, and Yahya decided to walk around the school. Feeling relieved, they all happily chatted about their summer plans.

"Finals are finally over!" Badr exclaimed, stretching.

"It has been pretty tough, hasn't it?" recalled Yousef as they passed the cafeteria.

"I did good in the finals," Malak answered. "I think I might get higher than you this time!"

"No way! I did better than I ever did before! No way a stupid girl like you will get higher than a genius like me!" challenged Yousef.

"Oh really? We'll see about that...and I'm not stupid!"

"You are! You are an idiot!"

"Am not! You're so rude!"

"Guys..." Badr tiredly tried to stop them from fighting while Yahya sighed in relief. The year was finally over. He looked around and saw someone approaching them from the soccer field.

"Hey guys!" Yasmin waved happily and they waved back. "Have you thought about what you're gonna do this summer?"

"No..." Yousef replied. Badr shook his head and Malak questioned, "We can stay here in the dorms for the summer, right?"

"Yes, we can! I'm staying, since my parents are coming here," Yasmin explained to them, running her hand through her hair that was styled in two high ponytails.

"I guess I'm staying too then," Malak decided. "Are you guys staying?"

"I think so," Yousef answered.

"I don't know. I'll ask my mom if I can," said Badr. "But if you're all staying, I don't wanna miss it!"

"Okay, so," Yasmin's pink lips twisted into a smile. "Do you know which clubs you're gonna join next year? Look, my dad is gonna come here and make a club. So, which club do you suggest? Like, which club do you wish was in here and it isn't? I know it's kinda hard, cause here there are all types of clubs, but...which club would you like?"

A few seconds of silence followed, then Yahya murmured, "Fishing..."

"It's already available," Yousef stated.

"I know!" Badr yelled suddenly. "Adventure club! A club that goes on adventures all around the world!"

"How?" Yasmin asked, interested.

"Like...we could go on journeys all the time! To cool adventurous places!" Badr explained excitedly.

"Yes, that would be cool," Yousef agreed.

Malak and Yahya nodded. Yasmin grinned at the idea.

"So cool! You should all join! Ask other people too! Adventure club!" she sang, walking away after saying goodbye.

"Wow, that's so cool! Her dad gets to make a club here! I wish my dad was able to do that..." Badr's eyes were shining with joy.

Yousef smiled a little then said, "What a good idea you gave her. We can go on many adventures now!"

As Badr and Yousef continued daydreaming, Malak turned to Yahya and questioned, "What do you think?"

"I think it would be...um..." Yahya averted his gaze to the floor and then said: "Fun."

Malak giggled and fixed the thin headband on her head. The rest of the day was spent relaxing after their exams; the boys were in their dorms' living room, playing some video games that were available on the PlayStation, while Malak was spending her free time drawing in her sketchbook.

The next day, the four of them decided to sit on one of the benches outside near the gates of the academy. The bench was similar to a casual seat for a garden and had enough room for the four of them.

"So...what fun things can we do this summer?" Badr barely managed to speak before he heard someone yell loudly: "My dad agreed to make the club!"

"Really?" Badr's eyes widened in delight as Yasmin approached the quadruple, breathing heavily. "Can we join?"

"Sure!" Yasmin passed them a paper. Nearby, Bilal and Jack were walking, eating the donuts that they had bought from one of the shops in the shopping district. They both heard Yasmin's yelling.

"No way! Her dad is gonna make a club?" Jack wondered.

"She must be rich..." Bilal observed.

"Hahaha, true! But she's from Rimor you know!" Jack claimed. Bilal turned to his shorter friend, surprised. Jack nodded and then he said, "Let's go check it out."

They walked over to the group and greeted them.

"Yo," Jack told Yasmin. "Your dad's making a club? Here?"

"Yeah, wanna join?" she invited, holding the paper out for him.

Jack remarked. "Aren't you from Rimor?"

"Yes, what's the big deal?"

"I mean...how do I put it...only really rich people get to do that kind of thing," Jack explained and Bilal nodded his head.

"What? Are you saying I'm rich?" Yasmin stated. "I mean...I'm from the rich side of Rimor..."

"Woah, okay! I wanna join, can I? Me and him!" he pointed at Bilal.

"Sure, here you go," Yasmin agreed. Bilal took the paper and asked, "What club is this anyway?"

"It's the adventure club!" Badr shouted eagerly.

"Adventure club...?"

"A club where we go on journeys," Yousef explained. "We discover new places."

"Sounds cool! I'm in!" Jack exclaimed, writing his name down. Bilal did the same and they gave it back to Yasmin.

"So, did you decide how we will go on adventure?" questioned Malak as Yasmin folded the paper and placed it in her fluffy rabbit backpack. She nodded and replied: "By car! Last week my dad finally got a pink car! I've been telling him to paint his car pink ever since he got me that Barbie set which had the pink car."

"Nice!" Malak commented while Bilal and Jack exchanged confused glances.

"He said it would be better to just get one that's already pink instead of painting the car we have in Rimor pink," Yasmin elaborated.

"Oh wait..." Jack turned to Yasmin. "You forced your dad to get a pink car just because you like pink?"

"Yeah! What's the problem?"

He looked at Bilal and turned back to her. "Sorry but that's silly, pretty sure your dad doesn't want that."

"What do you mean? How do you know what my dad wants?" pouted Yasmin.

Bilal shook his head: "He's right. You sound like you wasted your dad's money. You could've waited until you're able to buy your own pink car."

"So how's that your business?!" Yasmin ranted. "My dad agreed that it was a nice idea! It's not a waste of money it's a PINK car!"

"You're the one who brought it up, so we're allowed to comment on it. Malak was literally just asking how we were gonna go to the fun places. Don't mean to be rude or anything but we could honestly just take the train, no one cares about your pink car," Jack jabbered.

"You don't mean to be rude?! How rude!" Yasmin huffed angrily as he burst into laughter. "Whatever!" she fumed, her voice getting higher in volume. Yasmin left hurriedly.

Bilal chuckled while Jack's uncontrollable laughter continued. Badr, Yousef, and Yahya didn't know what to say. But Malak did, to Jack at least.

"Jack, what were you even saying?" she scolded. "So rude! Stop assuming that her dad didn't want the pink car! Maybe he really liked her idea!"

Jack wiped the tears from his eyes and chuckled once more. "Sorry..."

Malak shook her head and Yousef wondered, "You know Jack?"

"Yeah...he was in my old school."

Jack smiled in response.

"Anyways Jack, I don't want to see you being rude to her ever again!" Malak warned Jack. He giggled. "Stop laughing!"

"Okay well..." Yousef broke in. "Are you guys staying for the summer?"

"Oh, we can stay?" asked Jack, and Yousef nodded. "I guess not...I really wanna see my mom, it's been a year...and wow, your hair under the sun looks so cool and glittery!"

"What are you even saying?" Yousef puzzled.

"Oh sorry," Jack tried to stop getting distracted by Yousef's hair. "I mean your hair is always gorgeous, not only under the sun."

Yousef blinked and turned his head away to the school gates in embarrassment. Badr laughed and restated: "What were we talking about?"

"About if we are staying here in the summer or not. I am," declared Malak.

"I want to," Yousef answered and Badr resounded: "I want to but I'm not sure I can."

"Maybe yeah..." Yahya replied awkwardly. He looked at Bilal. "Uh, hi."

"Hi..." Bilal greeted.

Malak chuckled, lightly pushing Bilal's shoulder. "You guys are so awkward."

Bilal tried to continue the conversation with Yahya. "What do you like to do? I like reading books."

"Really? I like reading too!" Yahya said a little excitedly.

"What books do you read?" asked Bilal who was wearing a madras shirt.

"Um...all kinds. Yousef likes reading too, right?" Yahya replied, turning to Yousef.

"Y-yeah, I do. I like reading fantasy books. Ones that have a lot of action involved."

"Nice," nodded Bilal. "I actually don't read fantasy books. I read novels and nonfiction."

"How? I think they're boring," Yousef protested.

Bilal disagreed. "They're actually really interesting if you think deeply about them."

"I read mystery books," Yahya broke in.

"I read one once, but I like adventure books better," Yousef stated.

As Yousef, Yahya and Bilal continued talking about books, the remaining three stared at each other.

"So you guys don't read?" asked Badr.

"Not all the time," Malak shook her head.

"Ew, I hate books, so boring," Jack proclaimed.

"Same," agreed Badr. "I can't read a full one, I always sleep halfway through."

"Not surprising," Jack whistled.

Summer vacation started, and Badr signed the travel form and gave it to Mr. Samer. Mr. Samer arranged a flight trip for the Rimor students who want to visit their families back home.

"So the flight is in August?" Yousef questioned.

"Yeah," Badr confirmed. "I'll be staying here in July."

"Cool...okay."

Badr and Yousef were playing cards outside in the playground with the other boys. Yahya watched Badr and Yousef from afar, thinking. Yousef noticed him and smiled.

"Yahya! Come here!" he called. Yahya slowly walked over to the boys.

"Do you want to play?" asked Fred, who was within the group of the eight boys playing cards.

"Uh...sure."

Mustafa, who was standing near Fred, gave him a pack.

"But now we're nine! We need an even number so everyone can play!" a dark-skinned boy exclaimed. His hazel eyes darted towards Yahya and he smiled. "I'm Mubarak by the way. Do you have any friends you wanna invite?"

"Uh, I...umm..." Yahya stuttered uneasily.

"It's okay, I know someone," the tallest boy in the group said. He left and came back shortly afterward with a really short and indifferent boy.

"What's your name?" Fred welcomed.

"Ishac," the boy answered with a voice that sounded as if he had a sore throat.

"Okay, let's continue," Badr suggested.

Throughout the whole game, Yahya felt like he didn't fit in. He felt lonely even though Yousef gave him enough attention. He kept darting hurried glances at the blonde feeling nothing but worry and guilt about what he did earlier. Just the thought of how they first met made him sweat hard. He thought it was the time he looked for other friends. New friends whom he didn't have a bad acquaintance with.

Meanwhile, the girls were playing catchers. Malak stared at them as she was sitting down on the grass near a tree. She couldn't just go speak to them, nor could she approach Badr and Yousef. She wouldn't fit in anywhere. She recalled her memories from her old school, because nothing really changed from that time until now. She thought that Evenlane would be a fresh start and that she would transform into a popular girl with a large number of friends, but that wasn't quite the case.

Author's note: Hey guys, this is the new chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it and tell me what you think in the comments!

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