Tolu's grip on the knob tightened.
"I asked you a question, young man," his mum said again, her gaze steady on the page before her. "Where do you think you're going?"
The ticking clock on the wall filled the silence. Tolu shifted his weight, eyes darting from the door to his mother. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, no words coming out.
His mum turned a page slowly, her voice quiet but sharp.
"I'm listening."
Tolu cleared his throat, forcing his voice steady.
"I… I was going to Leke's house," he said. "Some of the assignments were giving me trouble, and we thought we'd solve them together."
His mum didn't answer. She simply lowered her gaze, this time not at the Bible but at him—his black shirt, the silver chain catching the light, the jeans too casual for late-night studying. The silence stretched until it felt unbearable.
Finally, she spoke.
"One of my friends at the school told me she heard a rumor. That a classmate of yours is hosting a party tonight."
Tolu swallowed hard, his throat tight. The excuse he'd prepared suddenly felt paper-thin.
Tolu stood frozen, waiting for the lecture to fall. Instead, his mum's voice was calm.
"Today is Friday. You can go."
His eyes widened. "Really?"
She didn't look up, just turned another page in her Bible.
Tolu faced the door again, hand back on the knob, but curiosity tugged at him. He glanced over his shoulder. "But… how did you know I'd go to this one? I never go. And if you've got a teacher keeping you informed, you'd notice I don't usually bother."
At that, his mum finally smiled faintly, still reading.
"She told me this is the last weekend before exam preparation begins. And the last one in your current class. So I thought, maybe, you'd change your mind. But don't think you can run to parties whenever you want. I'm making an exception because you've kept good grades. And tomorrow is Saturday." She lifted her eyes briefly, a hint of humor there. "Now go, before I pull you to sit and read with me."
Relief spread across Tolu's face. He couldn't help a smile. "Thanks, Mum."
He opened the door and slipped outside into the night.
Behind him, his mum adjusted her glasses and returned to her Bible, the rustle of pages filling the quiet room once more.
---
Tolu slipped out into the street, the night air cool against his skin. He cut through a narrow path that led into the edge of the forest, a shortcut people rarely used. The place was mostly quiet, uninhabited except for the rustle of leaves underfoot.
As he walked, his phone buzzed. It was Leke.
Tolu: I'm on my way.
Leke: Finally! Man, I knew you'd come. This night's about to be fire.
Tolu chuckled, typing back as he stepped over a fallen branch.
Leke: Wait, though—how did you convince your mum? I thought she never lets you out.
Tolu: She surprised me. I gave her an excuse about assignments at first… but in the end, she just let me go.
Leke: For real?
Tolu: Yeah. She said since it's the last weekend before exams and I've got good grades, she's making an exception.
Leke: Bro, your mum's cool.
Tolu: Not always. She's sharp. If she hadn't decided to let me, there's no way I'd be out right now.
Leke replied with a laughing emoji, then added:
Leke: My dad knows I go to these things. He's known for a while. I just trade for it—extra chores, errands, stuff like that. It's the price of partying, man.
Tolu smiled at the screen, shaking his head as he quickened his pace.
Lake House
After a while, the faint glow of party lights broke through the trees ahead. Music and laughter carried across the water as Tolu stepped out of the shortcut path. Just up the road, he spotted Leke waiting near the entrance of the lake house, phone in hand.
They clasped hands in a quick handshake.
"Look at you," Leke said with a grin, eyeing Tolu's chain and bracelet. "You actually cleaned up nice."
Tolu smirked. "Thanks."
"So what's your plan?" Leke asked.
"Plan?" Tolu frowned. "What plan?"
Leke slapped his forehead dramatically. "Don't tell me you came here without one. For Ore! Do you know how many plans I've got lined up for Amaka tonight?"
Tolu just shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't even know if I'd be able to come. I didn't think that far."
"Fine, fine," Leke said, waving it off. "Whatever you do, just play it cool. I don't think any of the guys are eyeing her, so you should get a chance to find her alone."
Tolu nodded, glancing toward the lake house where shadows moved under the flashing lights. His chest tightened with a mix of nerves and curiosity.
---
Scene: Outside the Party
Leke leaned closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing top-secret intel.
"I've already taken a look inside. One way to catch a girl's attention is to be good at something. There's PES, pool, drinking games… and—" he chuckled, "—just yelling her name."
Tolu blinked. "Wait, what? Yelling her name?"
"Yeah," Leke said, grinning. "Dayo tried it. Shockingly, it worked. She actually turned. Then a couple other guys tried the same thing—but all they got were bombastic side-eyes."
Tolu shook his head, still surprised. "Wow."
"Yh," Leke said with a shrug, "sometimes confidence sells, even if it's stupid."
Tolu thought for a moment. "Well, I can't drink too much. If I reek tomorrow morning, my mum will put bars on my door, then that's a goodbye to parties."
Leke burst out laughing. "Facts."
"And I'm terrible at pool," Tolu added, "but I play PES on my laptop all the time. So that's probably my best shot."
Leke clapped him on the shoulder. "Good. Then that's your lane. Just play it cool, bro. Play it cool."
They were just about to step inside when Tolu grabbed Leke's arm.
"Wait… what's your plan?" he asked, eyeing his friend.
Leke only grinned, confidence radiating off him. "You don't have to worry about that, my friend. I'm so sure about this plan that I promised myself—if it doesn't work, I'll just move on."
Tolu stared at him, stunned. "Wow… you really decided that on your own?"
Leke nodded without hesitation.
"I hope it works," Tolu said quietly.
"I hope so too," Leke replied with a smirk. "Now come on. Let's go inside."
With that, the two pushed open the door, stepping into the thrum of music, laughter, and flashing lights.