Days turned into a blur of quiet tension, and whatever was happening in the SS3 class remained locked away from me. No one wanted to tell me anything. Not even the people I called my friends. It was as if they had all silently agreed to protect George, as if my pain didn’t matter enough to risk breaking whatever loyalty they felt toward him.

At some point, I stopped asking, I didn’t have the strength to keep begging for the truth.

But with Nafisa distant, Hameedat unpredictable ways, and Desire drifting in and out, I found myself moving toward the new student, Chioma. Not because I fully trusted her, but because she didn’t pretend, she said things exactly as she saw them, even when they hurt. Still, I kept my distance from Amira.

That afternoon, Desire called both of us over, her voice low and hesitant, like she was about to confess something important.

“I want to ask you girls something,” she said, glancing around before continuing. “I’m dating Bashir now… but I don’t know if it’s the right thing.”

I looked at her, but wasn’t surprised because I already knew and I was truly happy for her because if there was anyone who had chased love with consistency, it was Bashir. He had wanted Desire for as long as I could remember. Despite her rejection, embarrassment, and his countless attempts, he never stopped. To me, that meant true love.

“You should date him,” I said simply. “He really likes you.”

And maybe, I was speaking from a place of longing too. Because if someone loved me like that, so loud and consistent, I don’t think I would be with George, who constantly makes me question my worth.

But Chioma shook her head immediately. “I don’t think so.”

Both of us turned to her.

She didn’t hesitate. “He’s a good person, yes. But he doesn’t love you as you think. And if you’re not careful, you’ll end up like Hameedat… or Zara.”

Immediately, everything inside me boiled. 

“What exactly do you mean by ending up like me?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. “And for your information, you don’t even know Bashir like that. You can’t understand how much he loves her.”

Chioma laughed, “You’re a fool and don’t know anything,” she said, shaking her head. Then she turned to Desire. “I’ve seen him with the new girl in SS1. Not once, not twice but several times. If you want to enter that kind of situationship, go ahead.”

I opened my mouth to defend Bashir, but the damage had already been done. Desire’s face changed, she allowed doubt to easily take over, as if she had been waiting for an excuse.

I still tried to convince her, explaining that Bashir’s position as the new assistant senior prefect meant he interacted with a lot of students, especially juniors. And it didn’t mean anything but Chioma’s words had already planted something ugly in her mind.

By the time the conversation ended, Desire made up her mind that she wasn’t going to continue the relationship. And somehow, that angered me more than it should have.

I walked away from them, my chest tight, my thoughts scattered. I didn’t even know who I was more upset with, maybe Chioma, for speaking like she knew everything or Desire, for believing her so easily or even myself, for still pretending that I didn’t care about George’s attitude.

So, as soon as our last teacher stepped out of the classroom that day, my classmates began to leave almost immediately. If there was something happening behind my back, I was going to see it with my own eyes. Quickly, I picked up my bag and followed, my heart beating faster with every step.

By the time I got to the SS3 class, the door was locked but I heard voices.

I moved closer, my hand hovering near the door, about to knock but when I noticed that the window was slightly opened, I stopped and carefully peeped inside and everything inside me shattered.

Nafisa and George were lost in each other’s arms, making out as if they were a couple.

For a moment, I couldn’t move, breathe or even blink. Nafisa was my friend and George was my boyfriend and the worse thing is that they weren’t alone in the class.

Comment Question:

If you were Zara, would you confront Nafisa and George immediately or walk away without saying a word?

Thank you for reading this chapter 🥲