CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE: GIFT
What does Francis mean by saying, "You'll understand soon"?
Urgh! Why is my brain overthinking at the moment?
…
Settling into the senior school's hostel was nothing like the junior school.
The bed arrangements were different, the lockers were placed in separate rooms, and moving my boxes around to get everything set up could be exhausting. Even something as simple as arranging my things felt like a mini-adventure.
The only thing I loved about this hostel was the common room—and the fact that it had a television. Honestly, I didn't think I'd miss my phone much. With the TV, I had all the entertainment I could want.
"You bring danquar as well?" a female voice asked from the locker beside mine.
Danquar—a grinded groundnut mixture I always brought.
"Every single time since junior school," I said with a smile, then paused as I focused on arranging my locker.
"Can I have a small portion?" she asked politely.
I gave her a little, and when she smiled and thanked me, I nodded.
"Floral, right?" she asked, smiling at me.
"Yeah," I said, knowing her name already. There was no need for her to tell me. We simply didn't talk much.
Her name was Naomi. She had been the head girl in junior school and, interestingly enough, she once dated Samuel. Rumor had it that they still liked each other. Could she even be the girl Samuel had mentioned when talking about his crush?
"I'll see you around," she said, snapping her padlock shut.
"Okay," I said. That was all I could manage. I wasn't ready to make new friends or associate with anyone yet.
I stood up after setting my locker password and headed for my bed. Upper bunk. Thank goodness. At least I had a wall fan directly beside me. That was a blessing.
"You're my corner mate?" a familiar voice asked suddenly.
I turned to see a very popular girl—Gift. She was famous in the school, especially for her dancing. She had a certain charisma that made everyone notice her. She was friends with some of the bullies too—the girls who looked down on anyone they considered poor, weak, or socially awkward.
And now, she was my corner mate.
I stared at the ceiling.
"I don't know if that was a question or a statement," I said calmly, trying to relax while facing the ceiling.
"It was a question. You might be sleeping on a friend's bed, I never know," she said, arranging her things before climbing the ladder to her upper bunk.
"I'm not staying on anyone's bed. This is my bed," I replied with a sigh.
I wasn't in the mood to talk. Not to anyone. I didn't even know why.
"That's so cool," she said, opening a Bigi apple drink. I had no idea what she found so cool, but I smiled faintly, just to be polite.
"You're closer to Daniel," she added.
"And so?" I said flatly. I wasn't in the mood to answer anything related to Daniel, not now.
"You want some?" She stretched her hand toward me, offering a Capri-Sun and a Superbite (a Nigerian sausage roll).
"No, thank you," I said, turning away. I didn't collect anything from someone I didn't know well, or hadn't known for over a year.
She withdrew her hand, putting her snacks away, and lay down on her bed, munching quietly on her Superbite.
"He is so fine! I heard you two have been friends since primary school," she said, turning to face me.
"My point?" I groaned, bored of the conversation, and looked back at the ceiling.
I knew girls admired Daniel—and maybe even had crushes on him—but I didn't like the thought of anyone crushing on him besides me. He was mine—at least in my head. Goodness, what did I just think? I quickly pressed my hands against my face to hide the involuntary smile, then replaced it with an expressionless look. I couldn't let Gift see how I really felt.
"Do you know if he likes anyone? Or maybe he's secretly dating someone?" she asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity, clearly expecting me to spill everything.
I turned to look at her, suspicious. What did she need this information for?
"What do you need the answers for?" I asked, keeping my tone measured.
She smiled, letting out a small sigh, then leaned back against her bed, seemingly lost in thought.
I knew better than to trust her. Gift had a history—she lied against Yinka, making everyone turn against her. Yinka had suffered the brunt of insults and hatred, and when she tried to clarify, Gift twisted the story, claiming Yinka had misquoted her words. I hadn't gotten involved back then because I didn't want trouble—but I also hadn't taken sides. I'd stayed neutral.
Now, here she was again, probably trying to fish for information to use later.
"I admire guys like him… his curly hair, his dimples, his swag, and goddamnit… his voice," she said, almost dreamily.
I froze. What did I just hear?
Every word she spoke hit me like a tiny shock. Did she know how I felt? Did she know Daniel was someone I cared about? My chest tightened, and I fought the urge to react.
I quickly turned my face to the ceiling again, trying to hide the rapid beating of my heart. She was bold, I had to give her that, but I couldn't let her know how much her words affected me.
Daniel… mine? I couldn't even let the thought linger too long in front of Gift.
And yet, part of me wanted to ask, just a little, whether he liked anyone. But no. I couldn't. I had to keep my guard up.
I didn't know what this senior school year would bring. New friends, new classes, new challenges—and now, people like Gift who might try to get too close to Daniel.
And me? I just wanted to survive it all… without losing what I secretly cherished.