With the first light of morning, the air was filled with a faint scent of flowers; birds were chirping, and the smell of simit drifted from the distant bakery. After meeting Mustafa and exchanging greetings, I didn't beat around the bush: "Mustafa, do you know anyone who sells second-hand phones? I broke my phone… I need something to get by for now."
Mustafa smiled: "I've got an old touchscreen; you can use it until you buy a new phone."
"You're the man!" I said, feeling a warm sense of gratitude inside.
Mustafa, half-joking, said, "For money, of course."
"What? And I call you the man!" I laughed in reply.
"I'm joking, of course. Use it until you buy a new phone — I'm giving it to you for free. Come by my place tonight and pick it up. And learn to value a friend like me," he said.
"My lion brother, simit and pastries are on me today. Take as much as you want!"
As I promised, we stopped at the first bakery, bought simit and pastries, and then headed to school. There was a long line in front of the school; eventually I managed to get inside. When I entered the classroom, a few people were already there, including Hasret. Before sitting at my desk I called out, "Good morning!"
She lifted her head and said, "Good morning." She was watching Reels on her phone. Out of boredom I leaned against the wall and sat sideways at my desk; we started watching the videos together. "I saw this one the other day while I was eating — I laughed so hard my food almost flew out of my mouth," I said. Hasret turned the phone toward me so I could see better.
While we were laughing and watching videos, Sude — miserable as always — walked in. She murmured a dull "Good morning" and slumped into her seat. Her usual cheer was gone.
Hasret put the phone down and asked, "Sude, did something happen? Why are you upset?"
I shyly picked up the phone from the desk and kept watching. Most likely she'd had a fight with her boyfriend Doğan.
Sude said, "It's nothing, we just argued." I already knew.
As I skipped from video to video, a gothic-style girl caught my eye: snow-white skin, long straight jet-black hair; dark eyeliner around her eyes and streaks of makeup like tear lines. "What beauties God has made," I murmured.
No sooner had the words left my mouth than both of their heads turned to me. Hasret snatched the phone from my hand and said, "She's got things she can't say — and you're watching videos here!"
Sude muttered, "And look at the girl he's praising. If I saw that at night I'd drop dead."
"Don't say that — if I saw this girl I'd ask her out straight away," I thought, smiling to myself.
Just then Mehmet came in. "Good morning! What are you arguing about so early?" He reached out his hand and we shook.
Hasret showed him the phone screen: "This is the girl Rüzgar liked. Is she really that pretty?"
Mehmet said, "Sure, she's pretty," then added, "But not as good as your taste, honestly," with a wink.
Hasret raised her voice, "What's wrong with my taste?" she snapped.
"Let me tell you: how many records did your previous boyfriend have?" Mehmet shot back.
They were about to come to blows when the math teacher walked in. We all stood up, then sat back down. Since the start of school I never understood why they schedule math at this hour in the morning.
For once I was listening to the teacher with full attention, not tired or dozing off. But Sude was still down; normally she answers every question, but now she just stared blankly ahead. Last time I'd tried to cheer her up I'd only made her angrier. I hesitated to make a direct move.
When the second lesson ended and I had money in my pocket, I asked, "I'm going down to the canteen — anyone want anything?"
Mehmet took money from his pocket and said, "Get me a patso."
Hasret said, "Can you get me a simit and an ayran?" and handed me her money.
I turned to Sude: "You don't want anything?"
She only muttered, "I don't."
The canteen was on the ground floor. Going down, I ran into Elif, the chemistry teacher I used to have. "Elif Teacher, how are you? Are the ninths and tenths giving you trouble?" I asked.
Elif laughed, "Why worry — they're smarter than you lot!"
We chatted a bit, but when I realized break was almost over I hurried down the stairs. Ever since that accident I'd felt quicker and more athletic.
Passing the principal's office on the ground floor, I heard voices coming from inside. Probably someone had messed up again.
I jostled through the crowd, bought what I needed — a hamburger and ayran for myself — and as I left the canteen, passing the principal's door, I heard sounds like someone being beaten inside. "Sir, I'm sorry, please don't hit me!" a voice begged, then went quiet.
I rushed back up to the third floor and entered the classroom. Sude was crying and Hasret was consoling her: "Don't cry, he's not worth your tears."
When I handed Hasret what she'd asked for I asked, "What happened?"
"She went to talk to Doğan. Doğan shouted at Sude in front of everyone — called him a 'bastard,'" she said.
Sitting at my desk, I took out the tissues I always keep in my bag. "Ugh, your nose is even running," I said, tossing tissues at her. (That always stopped her crying before.) She wiped her tears with the tissues I'd thrown. "Want more tissues?" I asked.
"Give me one more," she said, and used it to blow her nose.
Mehmet burst through the door at full speed. "I've got news, but don't tell anyone!" he said. "A few boys from 12-A trolled the geography teacher Erdem by creating a female account!"
Hasret and Sude shouted, "Whaaaat?" I burst out laughing; after laughing until I couldn't breathe I said, "Tell me the details — what happened?"
Mehmet leaned in, "You know those kids, Rüzgar. They made a female account, put a woman's picture on the profile, pretended to be thirty. They talked with the teacher… even exchanged a few photos."
"Seriously? How did they get caught?"
"One idiot told someone, who told another… Eventually it reached the principal and the geography teacher. Now the kids are in the principal's office. A girl who went in earlier said she saw the principal beating those four students with kicks and punches."
Sude said, "Wow, they'll definitely be expelled."
I folded my hands in front of me and said, "The man isn't guilty. If I were sixty and single and some woman came along saying she was thirty, I'd do the same. I heard some noises near the principal's office but couldn't make out what was happening."
That day passed somehow. After school I went to Mustafa's house, picked up the phone and charger, and went home. I inserted the SIM card and put the phone on charge. When I went to the kitchen to grab a snack, the phone started ringing.
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