Chapter 10: The Journey Continues

As we walked through the gates of the school, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. We had made it to the half of the school that wasn't on fire, and we were all safe. My mom was on her way back home, but the rest of us were together, and that was all that mattered. Beyoncé Ariana put a reassuring arm around me, and we walked together, trying to process what had just happened. My siblings and I were all in shock, still trying to wrap our heads around the chaos that had erupted. My niece Kataya and nephew KJ were clinging to Beyoncé Ariana's legs, their eyes big with uncertainty. As we made our way through the crowded hallways, we ran into my cousins Jamar and Miss Jamia, who were relieved to see us. "Hey, guys!" Jamar exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. "We were so worried about you! We saw the fire and thought the worst." My cousin Miss Jamia nodded in agreement. "We were trying to find you, but it was chaos. Are you okay?" I nodded, still trying to wrap my head around the events that had just transpired. "Yeah, we're fine. But Mom had to go back home." Jamar's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why?" I explained the situation, and my cousins listened intently. As we talked, I noticed that my cousin's little sister, who I assumed was Jamia's sibling, was still sleeping on the floor. Jamar tried to wake her up, but she just rolled over and continued sleeping. "Let me try," Miss Jamia said, kneeling down beside her sister. She gently shook her awake, and the little girl slowly opened her eyes. "I'm so sorry, guys," Miss Jamia said, smiling weakly. "We're just glad you're okay." As we stood there, trying to make sense of the chaos, I felt a sense of gratitude. We were all safe, and that was all that mattered. My family and cousins were together, and we would get through this, as long as we had each other. The scene was chaotic, with people running, shouting, and crying in all directions. But we finally started to calm down, and my cousins and I started to talk about what had happened. We shared stories and tried to comfort each other, trying to make sense of the fire and its aftermath. As we stood there, I looked around at my family and cousins, and I realized that we were all in this together. We would face challenges and obstacles, but we would face them together. And as we walked away from the burning building, I knew that we would emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. The sound of sirens was getting closer and closer, and I could see the fire trucks pulling up to the scene. The firefighters were jumping out, ready to tackle the blaze. I watched as they expertly worked to put out the flames, their movements swift and practiced. As the commotion died down, and the firefighters started to gain control of the situation, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. We had made it through the worst of it, and now it was time to focus on the present. We would deal with the aftermath of the fire later; for now, we just needed to be together. My cousin Jamar put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to him. "Hey, cuz," he said, smiling. "We're all good, right?" I nodded, smiling back at him. "Yeah, we're good." And with that, we continued on our journey, navigating the challenges and uncertainties that lay ahead, but doing it together, as a family. It was then I fell into a deep slumber; I guess I was more tired than I thought.