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The students were tasked to craft a story about a coin toss—the simple gamble of Heads or Tails.

MOHAMED…takes us inside the thoughts of someone who uses the coin toss to make a decision he could not, or could he?

Luck

In a coin toss, there are two possible outcomes: heads or tails. And based on that, there is a fifty percent chance you could get either outcome. But life doesn’t flip that clean. 

I stood on the cracked sidewalk outside the gas station, the air smelling like gasoline and burned pizza, rolling a quarter across my knuckles. The sun was setting and my heart was beating faster than it should’ve been for something this simple. 

Heads, I’d do it. 

Tails, I’d walk away.

That was the deal I made with myself. No overthinking. No last-minute excuses. Just luck deciding for me, because honestly, luck felt more reliable than my own brain lately.

I flicked the coin into the air.

It spun fast, catching the light, flashing silver like it was showing off. For a second, everything slowed down. The cars passing by. The wind brushing my hoodie. Even my thoughts shut up for once. All I could focus on was that coin flipping over and over.

Clink.

It hit the ground and bounced once before settling.

Heads.

I stared at it, feeling something weird twist in my chest. Not excitement. Not fear. Something in between. Like when you’re standing at the top of a roller coaster and realize there’s no getting off now.

So that was it. Luck had spoken. I picked up the coin and slipped it into my pocket, my fingers shaking just a little. People say luck is random, but in that moment it felt personal. Like it looked at me and said, “Yeah. You. Let’s see what you do with this.” 

I took a breath and pushed open the door. Inside, everything felt louder. The bell dinged. The fridge making noise. Some guy in the corner was laughing way too hard at his phone. I walked forward, each step feeling heavier than the last, like gravity was trying to hold me back. My reflection stared at me from the glass doors, unbrushed hair, tired eyes, someone pretending to be confident.

I wasn’t fearless. I was just done waiting. Luck doesn’t make you brave. It just removes the excuse.

So I finally did it… said the thing, made the move, took the risk. It wasn’t perfect. My voice cracked. My hands were sweaty. The moment didn’t play out like some Instagram reel. But it was real.

A few minutes later, I was back outside, the sky darker now, stars starting to peek through like they were curious how things turned out. I leaned against the wall, exhaled, and laughed under my breath. Not because everything went right, but because I survived the choice. I pulled the coin back out and flipped it again, just for fun. This time, tails. I smiled. Not because tails meant anything, but because I finally understood something nobody tells you. The coin never decides your life. It just gives you a push. A tiny excuse to move when you’re scared of standing still. Luck isn’t about chance. It’s about what you do the second the coin hits the ground.

Mohamed Cisse

January 30, 2026