The plate of chicken salad sat right in front of me, looking entirely too healthy for my liking. I've always hated salad, it's basically a collection of different type of vegetables . But staring at it, then looking up at Bianca leaning against the counter with that confident, half amused smile, I figured I had no choice.
I picked up the fork, took a hesitant bite, and instantly froze.
It wasn't terrible. In fact... it was actually good. Like, ridiculously good. The dressing had this rich, savory kick that completely masked any bitterness, and before I knew it, I was taking a second bite.
Me: (staring down at the plate) Okay, I have to confess. I usually despise salad with every fiber of my being. But this?. This is actually elite.
Bianca: (laughing, her eyes lighting up) See?. Told you. I didn't spend an hour in this apron just to poison you. And since you survived the greens, there's a bonus round.
She reached into the small mini-fridge behind her and pulled out a small glass cup layered with creamy yogurt, fresh fruit, and crunchy granola, sliding it across the counter toward me.
Bianca: Homemade parfait. Try not to pass out.
For a while, the heavy, chaotic weight of the day just sort of... melted away. We sat there talking and trading easy banter, the awkwardness of the midnight summoning completely fading. I didn't even realize how comfortable I was getting until her phone lit up on the counter with a sharp buzz.
Bianca glanced at the screen, her expression shifting just a fraction.
Bianca: Ah. Well, that's our cue.
Me: (frowning, holding my spoon) Cue for what?
Bianca: (smiling) Cue for you to make a graceful exit. The actual owner of this room is on her way back. And as much as I love living dangerously, having a random, well-known wonder kid chilling in her room at night might cause a few too many questions.
Me: (chuckling dryly) Right. Wouldn't want to be a surprise package
She stepped closer, her tone playful yet calm while wiping the mayonnaise off my lips
Bianca: Exactly. But don't worry, we'll definitely do this again some other time.
She walked me toward the door, unlocking it and pulling it open.
Bianca: Wait out in the hallway for just a second while I grab your parfait container and change out of this apron. I'll meet you right outside.
Me: (nodding) Sounds like a plan.
I stepped out into the quiet hallway, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind me. I pulled out my phone, thumbing through Spotify to find a song to soundtrack the walk back to the dorms, looking for something to clear my head.
Then, I heard it.
A laugh.
Too familiar.
Tephnine's laugh.
My head snapped up. Just a few yards down the corridor, right near the corner, I saw her. Tephnine. She was standing close to a guy, her shoulders shaking with that light, carefree laugh before she playfully punched him in the arm as they walked side-by-side straight into a dorm room.
Confusion. Anger. Fear. Anger. Pain. Anger.
The exact sequence of emotions hit my chest like a freight train, every single muscle in my body locking up. Five hours of ghosting. A so-called study group. And now this.
My feet moved on instinct, a hot, blinding rage urging me to storm down the hall and straight through that door when the door right beside me clicked open.
Bianca stepped back out into the hallway, having quickly changed out of her apron, her eyes shifting from my face to the direction I was staring down the corridor. She saw the look in my eyes then her voice dropped, softening with quiet concern
Bianca: Hey... is everything okay?
I turned away from the corridor, forcing my eyes back onto Bianca. My chest was tight, a cold, heavy knot twisting right beneath my ribs, but I forced my face into the fakest smile I've ever made.
Me: I'm fine. Just thought I saw someone I knew.
Bianca narrowed her eyes slightly, her blue-grey gaze searching my face with sharp intuition. She wasn't stupid. She could clearly see the sudden tension running through my shoulders, but she had the class not to pry into it right here in the hallway.
Bianca: (softly, nodding once) Right. Well... let me walk you down to the main staircase, at least.
We walked in silence down the long, dim corridor of the Streak wing. My earpiece was still dangling over my chest, Adele's voice long finished, replaced by the quiet, hollow hum of whoever was now on. Bianca kept her hands tucked into her pockets, stepping lightly beside me until we reached the central landing.
Bianca: (stopping near the stairs) I'll leave you here, Wonder Kid. Don't go getting lost again on your way back.
Me: (forcing a half-smile) No promises. The floor layout is still garbage. Thanks for the parfait.
Bianca: (grinning softly) Any time. Get some sleep, Keima.
I turned and made the rest of the walk back to our room alone. My brain was performing acrobatics, trying to run through every possible logical excuse. Maybe it was just a classmate. Maybe the study group finished early and he was escorting her back. Maybe I misread the whole thing.
"I'm fine," I muttered to myself under my breath as I reached my door. "It's literally nothing. I'm fine."
I shoved the door open.
The low yellow glow of Kayode's desk lamp hit me first. Barry was still propped up on his bed scrolling on his phone, while Justin was flipping through a sports magazine. The second I stepped inside and shut the door behind me, all three of them stopped what they were doing and looked up.
Barry: Whoa. You look like you just saw a ghost, man. What happened?.
Kayode: (turning around adjusting his glasses) You were gone for barely thirty minutes. Did you get into a fight?. You look like shit
I stood there by the door for a few seconds, holding the plastic parfait container in one hand. I had intended to lie, to just say I was tired and crawl straight into bed, but the sheer weight of the last six hours was suffocating. I needed to speak to someone.
Me: Guys... I think I'm losing my mind.
Justin sat up straight on his mattress, dropping his magazine.
Justin: What do you mean?. Sit down, bro. What's going on?
I slid onto the edge of my bed, staring down at my sneakers, my voice dropping into a raw, hollow quiet.
Me: On my way to where i was going... I saw Tephnine.
Barry: (frowning) Tephnine?. Did you get into a fight with your girlfriend?
Me: No. You don't understand. I saw her in the Streak lounge.
Justin: What is she doing there?.
Barry: Didn't you say she'll be in the common annex studying
Me: (laughing dryly) Yeah. That's what she told me at 3 PM. 'Strictly a girls and close friends study group, Kei. No guys allowed.' That's what she said right to my face before leaving my ass.
Kayode leaned forward , his face and tone becoming serious
Kayode: Keima, what did you see?
Me: (rubbing my face with both hands) I saw her coming out of the stairwell with some guy. Laughing. Playfully punching his arm. Right in front of a dorm room.
The room went completely silent. You could literally the sound of an amoeba if you were in here.
Justin: (quietly) Fuck... did she see you?
Me: No. I was standing by Bianca's door. I just watched them walk in together.
Barry: Look bro... are you sure it was her?. Like, 100% sure?
Me: Don't you think I'll know my fucking girlfriend's laugh?. I know how she walks. It was her.
Barry swore under his breath, shaking his head. Kayode took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose thoughtfully before putting them back on.
Kayode: Keima... look. Before you do something drastic, remember Tephnine loves you. You guys have been solid. Could it just be a guy from her course?. Maybe a project partner?
Me: I deadass don't care if he's her long-lost cousin, Kayode!. She ghosted me for five whole hours!. FIVE FUCKING HOURS DUDE!. Left me sleeping on her bed, went straight to voicemail when I called, gave me a bull crap story about who she was going to be with, and now she's laughing and touching another guy outside a dorm room at 9 PM while I'm out here losing my damn head!. Don't.....
I caught myself, swallowing hard, squeezing my eyes shut. Cheating didn't even cross my mind, I was so blindly in love with her that the thought of her being with someone else like that just felt impossible. But the pure disrespect of it all?. The lie?. It was eating a hole through my gut. I was so livid that my voice collapsed into a whisper
Me: I'm just... I'm mad. I'm so fucking mad. But I know I'm fine. I'm fine. I just need to sleep.
Barry: Kei, man... you don't look fine. You look wrecked.
Kayode: Barry shut up.
Justin: How about we Leave the thinking for tomorrow. You've got Maths in the morning. If your head isn't clear, that paper is gonna eat you alive. So yeah, maybe you really need to sleep.
Me: (staring at the floor) Yeah. You're right. Thanks.
I kicked off my shoes, pulled the blanket over my head, and laid there in total darkness. The guys went quiet, turning down the lights out of respect. But sleep never came. For six straight hours, I stared at the dark fabric of my blanket, replaying that five-second clip of her laughing down the hall over and over until my eyes burned.
***Tuesday Morning — The Examination Hall***
The morning sun hit the high glass windows of the main examination hall like a glare of harsh white light. The air inside smelled of scratched hairs, frustrated scholars, and collective panic.
I sat at desk #42, staring down at the Standard Maths paper.
Instructions: Candidates are required to answer any SEVEN (7) questions from Section A and Section B.
My eyes scanned the printed text, but the numbers kept blurring together. Matrices, calculus, vector geometry. Under normal circumstances, i would be looking for ways to eat the questions up. But my brain felt like it was swimming in thick molasses. Every time I tried to calculate a derivative, my mind dragged me back to the purple dusk of Tephnine's room, her unanswered phone, her smile as she hit a guy's shoulder. Fuck!
Focus, Kei. Focus.
I scratched my pencil across the page, working through Question 1. Then Question 2. By the time I reached Question 5, my head was throbbing with a dull, sickening ache. I looked at Questions 6 and 7 complex differential proofs that required absolute precision.
My wrist felt heavy. My mind just completely shut down. I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't push past the exhaustion and anger clogging my thoughts.
Invigilator: (calling out across the hall) Ten minutes remaining!, Wrap up your answers and ensure your index numbers are clearly written!.
I let out a heavy breath, tapping my pencil against the wood. Five questions attempted. Two completely untouched. I was leaving two whole questions blank on a Standard Maths paper. I moved into question 7 cause 6 was written to be solved by the gods, i mean look at this:
• (a) Prove that the angle which an arc of a circle subtends at the center is double that which it subtends at any point on the remaining part of the circumference.
• (b) In a circle with center O, chord AB is of length 12\text{ cm} and is at a distance of 8cm from the center. Calculate the radius of the circle. Screw it, I'm not doing that shit.
Question 7 please.
• In a triangle PQR, PQ = 9cm, PR = 12 cm, and angle QPR = 60⁰
• (a) Calculate the length of the side QR.
• (b) Find the size of angle PQR to the nearest tenth of a degree.
Yeah, just fuck off. I'm not doing all that in 10 minutes. I folded my hands and waited for the bell. Didn't even take long before
RINGGGGG.
Invigilator: Pencils down! .Stop writing immediately!
The hall instantly erupted into a chaotic rustle of papers, scraping chairs, and loud sighs of relief. Students began filing out into the bright afternoon sunlight of the courtyard. I stood up slowly, packing my pens into my bag, dragging my feet toward the exit doors.
Jensen caught up to me near the threshold.
Jensen: How was it?
Me: How was what?.
Jensen: you guy had maths right?. How was it?.
Me: We were asked to answer seven. Attempted five before My brain completely went out.
Jensen: (wincing) Damn. That's rough... but five solid attempts should still carry you through.
Me: yeah. Should.
Jensen: you cool?.
Me: I'm fine
Jensen: I know you more than you know yourself so i definitely know you aren't fine. Whats wrong?.
Me: Seriously. I'm totally fine.
We stepped out into the open courtyard. The air was warm, packed with second-years chatting loudly about the paper. And that's when I saw her.
Tephnine was standing near the edge of the stone steps, wearing her light blue denim jacket, holding her folder against her chest. The second her eyes caught mine, her entire face lit up. She broke away from her group and walked straight toward me with a wide, bright smile, completely unaware of the radioactive storm waiting inside me. She kept waving and calling out sweetly as she approached
Tephnine: Kei!. Oh my gosh, I was looking everywhere for you after the exam!. How did Maths go?
I didn't answer. I didn't smile. I didn't even slow down my stride. I kept my eyes locked straight ahead, stepping right past her as if she were made of thin air.
Tephnine's smile instantly faltered, replaced by a look of total confusion.
Tephnine: Kei...? Wait, what's wrong?
She turned around quickly, reaching out to catch my forearm to stop me.
Tephnine: babe, wait up, why are you ignoring me—
SMACK.
The sound was sharp and sudden.
I whipped my arm back, slapping her hand off my wrist with cold, stinging force. It wasn't violent, but it was loud enough to make two nearby students including Jensen turn their heads in surprise.
Tephnine gasped, stumbling back half a step, pulling her hand against her chest as her eyes went wide with utter shock and hurt.
Tephnine: (voice trembling) Kei... what is wrong with you?!. Why did you just do that?!.
I stopped, turning my head slowly to look at her. My face was completely devoid of emotion, no yelling, no dramatic scene, just pure, sub-zero ice in my eyes.
Me: Don't touch me.
Before she could even utter another word, I turned on my heel and walked away into the crowd, leaving her standing alone on the steps. I was barely Ten steps ahead before I heard Jensen say
Jensen: And there's why you aren't fine.