It started like gossip always did—low whispers in the hallway, growing louder in the hostel, then exploding into full-blown chaos on campus.
Geraldine was officially dating Kingsley Okoro.
Tall, caramel-skinned, always seen in a fresh pair of sneakers and cologne that lingered for hours—Kingsley wasn't just any student. He was the student. President of the school press club. Top of the male popularity pyramid. The guy every girl had at least once imagined walking her to class.
When he and Geraldine were spotted walking hand-in-hand past the library, it sent the entire female wing of the campus into emotional cardiac arrest.
Some girls rolled their eyes. Others mourned openly. A few declared it "unfair for two perfect people to join forces like that."
Amara… said nothing.
She simply pushed her tray down the cafeteria line like she hadn't just heard the loud shriek from one table saying, "OMG, Geraldine and Kingsley are officially together!"
Kelsey leaned closer, a mischievous smirk on her lips. "I thought he liked girls with brains."
Amara nearly choked on her bread.
"I'm joking," Kelsey said, grinning. "But still, didn't see that coming. Geraldine doesn't even look like she talks to anyone, let alone dates."
Amara shrugged, uninterested. "They look good together. Perfect, even. Let them enjoy.
She meant it. Or… at least, she thought she did.
Until Friday morning.
Class buzzed with tension as students shuffled in, tired from back-to-back lectures. Amara sank into her seat, praying she wouldn't fall asleep again. Her head still felt heavy, but she forced herself to stay upright.
Then came the announcement.
"Group assignments have been posted on the board outside. You have two weeks to complete the project. Topics are tailored to each group."
Everyone stood up at once, stampeding to the notice board.
Amara wasn't even curious—until Kelsey came back breathless.
"Guess who you're paired with."
Amara raised a brow. "Who?"
"Kingsley. Mr. Popularity."
Amara froze. "Stop joking."
"I wish I was." Kelsey bit her lip. "I saw your name right next to his. Topic: Emerging Trends in Patient-Centered Care. Fancy stuff."
Amara's stomach twisted.
She slowly made her way to the board, hoping Kelsey had misread it. But there it was, bold and official:
Group 3:
SN/2358/2023 – Amara O.
SN/2101/2023 – Kingsley O.
Topic: Emerging Trends in Patient-Centered Care
As if on cue, Kingsley appeared beside her, flashing his perfect smile.
"Hey, partner."
Amara blinked. "Hey."
"I was just about to say hi in class, but you always look like you're in a different universe," he teased.
She chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I've been… distracted."
"Same," he said, eyes crinkling. "So, after school today? We could start outlining the project. Library or canteen?"
"The canteen's fine," she said quickly, already sensing eyes on her.
She didn't need to look to know who was watching.
Later that day, the two of them sat across from each other at the far end of the canteen. Kingsley had his laptop open, fingers dancing over the keyboard. Amara had her notebook out, writing bullet points while explaining concepts she'd studied the night before.
Surprisingly, they worked well together. Kingsley listened, nodded, even added useful ideas. He wasn't just charm and sneakers—he actually knew his stuff.
"You're really smart," he said at one point.
Amara shrugged, smiling slightly. "I try."
"Most girls don't even care about the project until the deadline. But you came with three outlines already."
"I don't like last-minute panic," she said.
He laughed. "Same here."
As they worked, she became aware of how comfortable things felt. Too comfortable. She couldn't remember the last time she talked this freely with a guy from her set. Kingsley was… different. Or maybe she was just tired of pretending not to notice things.
Still, she kept it professional.
Mostly.
What she didn't know was that Geraldine was watching from a distance.
From behind the glass of the hostel stairwell, Geraldine's eyes locked onto them—laughing, talking, writing like they had no care in the world. She hadn't expected Kingsley to be this comfortable around someone else. Especially Amara. The same girl who barely passed her resit. The same girl who walked like she had nothing and no one.
Jealousy curled in her stomach.
Kingsley hadn't even told her about the project.
The next morning in class, tension arrived early.
Amara walked in and took her seat as usual. Geraldine was already sitting, face buried in a textbook—but her body was stiff. Unreadable.
When Kingsley entered and gave Amara a wave, Geraldine noticed.
And when he walked past her without even glancing, her jaw tightened.
Later that day, in the hostel hallway, Geraldine approached Amara near the water tap.
"You're really enjoying that project, huh?"
Amara blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You and Kingsley," Geraldine said, folding her arms. "He seems to like you a lot."
Amara raised a brow. "We're just doing the assignment."
Geraldine's laugh was cold. "Of course. You failed once, so now you're trying to score points by getting close to the top guy."
Amara stepped back, offended. "I don't need Kingsley's help to succeed."
Geraldine leaned in, her voice like venom. "Stay in your lane, Amara. I don't care what you're used to, but around here? Know your place."
Amara stared at her, heart pounding—but she said nothing. Not because she was scared. Because she refused to feed Geraldine's fire.
And because deep down… something was changing.
Now things are really getting serious