The next week moved fast. Yinka found herself talking to Sade more than anyone else. The new girl had a way of making everyone feel seen even Yinka. At first, it was harmless. They laughed during break, shared snacks, even walked home together once.

But things began to shift. Sade didn’t like rules.

“Why stress yourself over tests?” she said one afternoon as they ate during lunch. “You already know you’re smart. Just chill small.”

Yinka tried to laugh, but her stomach felt tight. “I’m not trying to show off. I just want to pass,” she said.

Sade rolled her eyes. “There are easier ways, you know.”

A few days later, their English teacher gave them a surprise test. The room was quiet, except for the sound of the students’ writing materials. Yinka was focused, her head bent low. But when she raised her eyes, she saw something.

A small, folded paper peeked from under Sade’s book. Sade looked up too, their eyes met. Sade gave Yinka a little shrug and continued cheating.

Yinka looked away. She didn’t say anything.

After school, Yinka sat alone by the field, her heart heavy as she waited for her younger brother. She had seen Sade cheat. Should she report it? She had always told the truth. That’s what her parents taught her and her brother.

But Sade had become her friend. The first girl in a long time who made her feel cool. Seen. Wanted.

That night, at dinner, her father noticed Yinka’s quietness.

“You didn’t eat your rice,” he said.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Is everything alright in school?”

Yinka nodded, forcing a smile. She wanted to tell them but her words stayed stuck in her throat.

In her room, she took her small Bible and opened it at random. Her eyes landed on a verse:

“Enter through the narrow gate… but small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

Yinka’s eyes filled with tears. She closed the Bible gently. She was standing between two roads, and had to choose her path.