The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Chapter 29: SECRET
Weeks passed, but instead of things settling down, everything only seemed to spiral further out of control. The tension between Simi, Gideon, and Hameedat had grown into something everyone could feel. It first started as silent jealousy but later turned into open hostility. They no longer hid it. Their bitterness spilled onto WhatsApp statuses where they directly insulted themselves. Eventually, they blocked one another, but even that did nothing to quiet the storm.
School itself began to feel divided, like invisible lines had been drawn between us and them. We were no longer allowed into the SS3 class, a rule enforced more by pride and resentment than by any authority. Still, Hameedat found her way around it. Because of Gideon, his classmates had no choice but to tolerate her presence. However, she could only enter after school hours, and even then, the air would tighten the moment she stepped in.
Most days, she didn’t even bother going there anymore. Instead, she and Gideon spent their time in the conference room, tucked away from judging eyes but not from gossip. Everyone knew. And no one talked about anything else.
Saheed hated it. You could see it in the way his jaw clenched whenever Hameedat walked past with Gideon, in the way he avoided looking at them but still somehow always noticed. Simi, on the other hand, didn’t bother hiding her anger. She wore it openly, like armor.
I was so lost in these thoughts that I didn’t even notice when Chioma walked into the class and dropped herself between Nafisa and me.
“I want Saheed to think I love him,” she said suddenly, her voice light, almost playful, as if she were talking about something harmless.
I turned to look at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
She smiled, but there was something calculating in it. “Exactly what I said.”
A chill ran through me. “Chioma, don’t play games with Saheed. He’s not someone you use to test strategies. You’ll get hurt.”
Nafisa nodded in agreement, adding softly, “And you might hurt others too.”
But Chioma only waved us off like we were being dramatic. It was obvious she had already made up her mind. She even went as far as handing her phone to Hameedat sometimes, letting her scroll through her chats with Saheed, as if it were all part of some twisted game.
Then, just like that, she stood up with excitement lighting her face. “We’re already dating,” she announced proudly. “So now I can enter SS3 class. Bye!”
She left before either of us could respond. I stared after her, unsettled. Nothing about what she was doing felt right.
The classroom was nearly empty, it was break time, and most students had gone out. For once, there was quiet. I reached into my bag and pulled out my book, determined to finally focus. Exams were only a week away, and I had done nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Every day had been consumed by drama, by relationships that weren’t even mine. And now, my book was paying the price. I forced my eyes onto the page, trying to read and understand.
“Is it true… you and George did a blood oath?”
Nafisa’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade.
My heart dropped instantly. I froze.
Slowly, I turned to look at her. Her expression was serious, her voice low, like she didn’t want anyone else to hear but it didn’t matter. The damage was already done.
George told someone. Of course he did.
A wave of frustration and fear washed over me at the same time. I pressed my palm against my forehead, trying to steady myself. I couldn’t even find the words to respond. What was I supposed to say? That it was true? That I had been stupid enough to believe in something so intense, so binding and irreversible?
Before I could answer, the classroom door slammed open. Amira stormed in, her anger filling the room before she even spoke.
“You are very stupid too!” she shouted, glaring at someone outside.
Moments later, Wonuola followed her in, equally furious.
“You’re not ashamed of yourself?” Wonuola snapped. “Writing a love letter to John so he’ll date you? Let me tell you something, he will never choose someone like you. We already told him what kind of girl you are.”
The air shifted instantly. Whatever calm had existed was gone. Amira let out a sharp laugh, her eyes blazing. “And you think you’re better? You wey no get level at all?”
The insults flew back and forth. It didn’t take long before the tension drew more attention. Then, as if things weren’t already bad enough, Simi walked in.
“Wonu, leave them,” she said casually, but there was venom beneath her tone. “We have their nudes anyway. Isn’t that how you people prove love?”
The room went completely still. My heart stopped.
Simi continued, her voice steady, almost bored. “All the girls in this class, except Desire and Anthonia, have sent nudes to boys in our class. We’ve seen everything.”
For a second, no one spoke. It felt like the ground had shifted beneath my feet.
“Get out of our class!” I immediately snapped, my voice louder than I intended, my chest tightening with anger and fear.
But Amira wasn’t done.
She turned to Simi with a smirk. “And you think your boys are innocent? They’ve sent theirs too. We have them. Even yours.”
That seemed to catch Wonuola off guard, but none of them said anything else. One by one, they left and silence fell heavily over the classroom.
I sat there, my thoughts racing uncontrollably.
I didn’t know what scared me more, the fact that people were already talking about the blood oath or the fact that our nudes were in different people’s phones and could be used to destroy our lives.
Nothing was safe anymore. Not secrets, friendships or even love.
Hook Question:
If your deepest secret became school gossip overnight, would you fight back or break down?
Thank you for reading this chapter 📖