"Zara, pass me your ruler," Tomiwa whispered, trying to draw a straight line in her Economics note.
Zara slid it over without looking up. Her brows were furrowed in concentration, lips moving as she scribbled furiously. "If I don't take good notes now, my mummy will remind me that she didn't send me to school to be forming fine girl."
Tomiwa chuckled, shaking her head. "But you are fine, girl na. Nobody can take that from you."
Zara smirked, flicking her hijab slightly to the side. "Better don't flatter me, just copy fast before Mr. Oladele enters again."
The classroom buzzed with the sound of pens scratching paper, chairs dragging, and whispered conversations. Someone at the back was humming a Davido song off-key, and another group was arguing about football scores. Typical SS3 chaos.
When the bell finally rang, releasing them for break, the class erupted like a market square. Some rushed to the tuck shop, and others leaned against desks gossiping loudly. Tomiwa stretched, arms above her head, then sighed.
"Let's go outside before I suffocate," Zara suggested, tugging her hand. They made their way to their favourite spot under the mango tree near the fence — a place they had claimed since SS1. It was their sanctuary from the noise, the stress, the pressure of being "final-year students."
Zara unwrapped her meat pie carefully, as though it was gold. "This SS3 thing is already giving me anxiety," she said with her mouth full. "Sometimes I wonder if I can do it."
Tomiwa blinked at her. "You? The Zara that always has answers in class? Abeg, if you're worried, then what about me?"
Zara rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine. You're the one they're already whispering about as Head Girl candidate. Meanwhile me, they only called me 'Zara the talkative.''"
"Which one is only? You know you're the life of this school," Tomiwa said, smiling. She picked at her gala wrapper absentmindedly.
Zara laughed softly, but her eyes betrayed her worry. Tomiwa reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll do it together. If you fail, I fail. If you pass, I pass. Deal?"
"Deal," Zara said, her smile now genuine.
The breeze rustled through the mango leaves, scattering dry ones across their laps. For a few minutes, they sat in comfortable silence, watching younger students chase each other across the dusty field.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, Tomiwa noticed movement near their classroom block. The new boy. He was leaning against the window, arms folded, staring into the distance like he didn't belong here.
His uniform looked crisp, almost too neat, and his posture carried a quiet confidence that was different from the noisy boys in their set. For a split second, his eyes flicked in their direction, and Tomiwa felt a strange jolt in her stomach. She quickly looked away, heat rising to her cheeks.
Zara noticed immediately. "Hmm. Madam, why are you looking like you saw ghosts?"
"Nothing," Tomiwa said too quickly, focusing on her snack.
Zara raised her brow. "Nothing? You think I didn't see you looking at that transfer boy? Abeg, don't tell me you're already catching feelings on our first week of SS3."
Tomiwa burst into laughter, shaking her head. "Feelings ko, feelings ni. I was just… looking. That's all."
"Okay oh," Zara teased, grinning mischievously. "But I will remind you of this conversation later."
Tomiwa rolled her eyes, but deep down, she knew it wasn't just looking. That boy had a story written all over his face. And somehow, she had a feeling their paths were going to cross sooner than later.
...............
Enjoyyy