**Chapter 5: Arrival and Chaos**

As we exited the airport, I was hit with a wave of noise and color. There were people everywhere, and the air was filled with the sound of music and chatter. My family and I had just arrived at school, and I was excited to spend the day with my siblings and niece and nephew. My mom, Jyneshie, was a few rows ahead, enjoying her upgraded seat in first class, which she had received after her parents' ripped clothes had caught the attention of the airline staff. We had boarded the plane earlier, and the flight had been uneventful, but my siblings and I had been excited to get to school and start our day. Now, as we made our way through the crowds, I noticed that something was off. There were banners and balloons everywhere, but there was also a sense of urgency in the air. People were rushing to get somewhere, and there was a sense of panic building. "What's going on?" I asked Beyoncé Ariana, my oldest brother, but he just shook his head. "I don't know," he said, "but let's go find out." We pushed our way through the crowds, and as we got closer, I saw that one half of the school was on fire. Flames were licking at the windows, and smoke was billowing into the air. Pandemonium erupted as people rushed to get away from the fire. My family and I were caught up in the chaos, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Let's go!" Beyoncé Ariana yelled, grabbing his kids, Kataya and KJ, and taking off towards the other half of the school. We followed close behind, our hearts racing with fear. But as we approached the entrance, I saw that it was blocked by a ticket counter. We needed tickets to get into the half of the school that wasn't on fire. My mom stepped forward, trying to give her ticket to one of the ticket takers, but they shook their head. "I'm sorry, ma'am," they said. "We can't take this ticket. You're being sent back home." My mom looked confused, but also relieved. She hugged us all tightly before turning and walking away. I watched as she disappeared into the crowd, feeling a pang of sadness. The rest of us needed to get into the school. We scrambled to get tickets, and eventually, we made it into the safe half of the building. As we caught our breath and tried to process what had just happened, two of my cousins, Jamar and Miss Jamia, came running up to us. They were accompanied by their mom, who looked relieved to see us safe. "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 Jamar was trying to wake up his little sister, who was sleeping peacefully on the floor. "Hey, wake up, sis!" Jamar said, gently shaking her. "We're safe. The fire didn't get us." His sister stirred, rubbing her eyes. "What happened?" she asked, her voice groggy. As my cousins and I filled her in on the details, I felt my eyes getting heavy. I was exhausted, and the excitement of the day was starting to wear off. But just as I was starting to drift off, everything went black. When I came to, I was lying in my bed, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of my own room. It was all just a dream, I realized, feeling a mix of relief and disorientation. But as I sat up and looked around, I couldn't shake the feeling that it had all felt so real.