I woke up and it was 6 o'clock. I put on my school uniform and combed my hair. Our uniform consisted of a skort and a shirt, and wearing it was mandatory every day. I tied my hair into a messy bun, quickly made a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast, and rushed out of the house. Since my friend Arda lived nearby, we usually went to school together. Sometimes he would come in front of my house and, knowing I might turn off my alarm without realizing it, he’d throw paper airplanes he’d made at my window. If I still didn’t wake up, he’d call my old flip phone and wake me up one way or another—but today he was in for a surprise, because I was the one going to his house.
I practically flew out of the house and reached his place in a quick 15-minute walk. In Bornova, the sky is usually dark during these months, but today it felt exceptionally gloomy. Squinting my eyes, I looked up at Arda’s bedroom window. He must have forgotten to turn off his desk lamp last night, as a faint light was seeping out of his room. I didn't know how to make paper airplanes and had never asked Arda to teach me. I looked around for a moment. Some pebbles, slightly larger than sand, caught my eye. I picked up three and quickly tossed two of them at Arda’s window. Just as I threw the third one, Arda opened the window; at that exact moment, the pebble hit his cheek and fell back to the ground. He leaned his head out to see who the thrower was. He looked momentarily annoyed, but when he saw it was me, he stopped, and a smile spread across his face.
'Hey! Come on, get ready! Let’s not miss the metro and be late for school because of you! Stop smirking, Arda!' I shouted up at him. He was still grinning and shrugged his shoulders. 'Alright, I’m getting ready, milady! God forbid we miss the metro and get late to school like we always do because of me! I'd better get ready then!' he said from the window in a sarcastic yet dramatic tone.
When he came down, I waited for him to step out of the apartment door. But just as I started walking, he picked up the same stone I had hit him right on the mark with and placed it on top of my head. 'What’s this now, Arda?' I asked, puzzled. 'You threw it at me, and now I’m giving it back,' he said meaningfully. At that moment, it clicked. On days when I couldn't wake up and Arda threw paper airplanes at my window, I would throw them back once I woke up. After throwing them back this past summer, he had asked why I did it, and I had replied, 'You threw them at me, and I’m just giving them back.' When he realized I understood, another smile spread across his face. 'Yes,' he said. He gently brushed the pebble off my head. 'So? Did the stone you threw at my head fall onto yours, Miss Umay? And why exactly did you come here?' he asked mockingly.
'I came to shove that stone up your nose, Mr. Arda!' I said, annoyed. I took a deep breath and added, 'Anyway, I made a sandwich because you always forget to eat breakfast. Here, take it.' When he replied with a playful 'Oh, really?', I turned my back and started walking. 'Hey, what did I even say now? Umay! Okay, fine, I’m sorry. Umay!' When he called out, I slowly turned around, crossed my arms, and put on a victorious expression. 'Fine, I forgive you. Anyway, come on, let's go or we really will be late,' I said, and we started walking.
When I took out my phone to check the time, I saw a message from Seren. Every time I got a message from her, I felt a sense of peace, so I immediately tapped on the chat. 'Good morning, my Umayyy,' she wrote. In response, I wrote 'Good morning, my Seren nnn.' As soon as I sent the message, Seren called, and I picked up immediately. 'Umay, you guys are coming, right?' she asked. 'We’re coming, but tell Mert his princess is very high-maintenance,' I said, teasing Arda. Suddenly, Mert’s voice came from the background. 'My princess?' he asked and started laughing.
So, you’re making fun of me, Mert? You’ll regret that in two seconds! 'Or are you his princess, Mert?' I said, teasing Mert as well. 'See, that could be it. Right, Mert?' Arda joined in, teasing along with me. I knew Arda would join in, which is why I always tease Mert through Arda. The two of us gang up on Mert, but since we were on the street, I thought it best to stay a bit more composed. When I heard Mert say, 'Seren, get these two maniacs away from me,' Arda and I burst into laughter. The three of us teased Mert a bit more on the phone, and after a while, I hung up to save my battery. We had already reached the metro. We sat down and waited for the train toward Konak.
The metro arrived about five minutes later, and luckily, we found two empty seats side by side. The metro station passed right by where Mert and Seren walked since they lived in Konak, so we’d arrive at the same time and walk to school as a foursome. That was my favorite part about taking the metro to school. After school, if I was sleepy and we found a seat, I’d rest my head on Arda’s shoulder and doze off, and we’d walk home together again. Seren and Mert would see us off every time as if we were soldiers appointed to Kars. Maybe it wasn't the metro ride itself, but the people I traveled with that made these roads so beautiful..