"Go take your seat," the teacher said, her tone clipped, already moving on.
Heat crawled up my neck as I hurried toward the empty chair by the window, the weight of a dozen curious eyes pressing against my skin. I slid into the seat, my fingers tightening around the desk's edge. The teacher's voice droned on, but I barely heard her.
Beside me, a girl leaned in slightly. Her dark eyes gleamed with warmth, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Hey, I'm Simi," she whispered, her voice barely a ripple in the quiet classroom.
Something about the way she said it—easy, welcoming—made my chest tighten. No one my age had ever spoken to me like that before. Like I was just another girl.
I swallowed. "I'm Dara." The name felt strange leaving my lips, like I was handing her a fragile piece of myself.
Her smile widened. "Are you new to Lagos too or just to Richmond?"
Her voice lifted just enough to catch the attention of a few nearby students. Heads turned slightly. My pulse kicked up.
I hesitated, fingers tracing the smooth surface of the desk. "Yeah," I murmured.
"Oops," Simi said, flashing an impish grin.
I shot her a warning glance. "Keep your voice down. The teacher might hear you."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, nah. She won't."
Something in her tone made my stomach tighten.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She only smirked. "I blocked it."
My breath hitched. "What?"
Simi shrugged. "Never mind."
Before I could press her, the bell rang, slicing through the murmurs in the room. Chairs scraped against the floor as students shuffled toward the door, the hum of voices growing louder.
"Lunch?" Simi turned to me, her dark eyes glinting.
I hesitated.
Before I could find an excuse, she grabbed my wrist, tugging me up from my seat. "Don't overthink it," she said, grinning. "Come on, I'll show you around the cafeteria."
A strange energy buzzed between us, something unspoken. My pulse quickened.
I let her pull me along.
The cafeteria buzzed with chatter, trays clattering, laughter spilling from different corners. Students huddled in groups, leaning close over their meals, their eyes flicking up sporadically to scan the cafeteria hall like predators sizing up their territory.
Simi didn't hesitate. She pointed toward a table near the entrance where two students were halfway through their lunch.
"Hey, up."
The command was casual, but it carried weight. The students barely exchanged a glance before grabbing their trays and moving away without protest.
"Come sit." She gestured to the now-empty seats.
I stood frozen, my stomach twisting. "Why did you do that? We could've found another table."
Simi arched her brow, scanning the room with an amused smirk. "Really?"
I followed her gaze. Every table was packed, the few empty seats already claimed by bags or outstretched legs.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Still—"
She cut me off before I could finish. "You have to be mean sometimes, Dara. "This is Richmond college. Her voice dropped slightly, her expression sharpening. "This ain't a place for naive people. ""You better learn to keep your head high, or else…" She leaned in, lowering her voice like she was letting me in on a secret. "You'll be the pawn."
A shiver ran down my spine.
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
Simi only smiled, her expression unreadable. "Don't worry." You'll find out for yourself soon enough."
There was something unsettling about the way she said it, like she knew something I didn't. I wanted to press further, but she changed the subject before I could.
"So, where did you move to Lagos from?" she asked, popping a fry into her mouth.
"Benin City," I said, adjusting my glasses.
Her brows lifted slightly. "Isn't that in Edo State?"
"Yeah. Why?"
She shrugged, stirring her drink with her straw. "Nothing. Just that I've heard a lot about that place." She paused, then smirked. "I keep telling my brother to let me go with him when he teleports, but he never lets me."
My fingers tightened around my fork. Teleport? Did she just say teleport?
I searched her face, waiting for her to laugh, to say she was joking. But she didn't. Instead, she leaned back, watching me, as if waiting to see how I'd react.
I stared at her, trying to process what she had just said. "Did you just say your brother can teleport? Or… are you joking?"
Simi didn't hesitate. "Yeah, he does." She said it so casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
My mouth opened, then closed. I had no idea how to respond to that.
But before I could ask anything else, she cut in. "Are you originally from Benin City?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "No. I'm from Rivers State."
Simi nodded like that somehow made sense. Then, as if remembering something, she gestured across the cafeteria. "See that girl over there?"
I followed her gaze to a girl sitting with a group of friends on the other side of the hall. She carried herself with an air of confidence—no, arrogance. Like she owned the place.
"She's from Rivers State too," Simi said. "Her name's Ada. "But she's in Essential B." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "She's ruthless. Don't say I didn't warn you."
I shrugged, adjusting my glasses. "Noted."
Simi tilted her head, studying me. Then, out of nowhere, she reached for my glasses.
Instinct kicked in. I leaned back, pulling away before her fingers could touch them.
She smirked, holding up her hands in surrender. "Oh, easy, girl." There was something knowing in her eyes, something that made my skin prickle. "What's with the glasses, anyway?"
"Nothing. "I just wear them for comfort," I said, adjusting them again.
Simi arched her brow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "For comfort, huh?" She leaned in slightly, her eyes gleaming with amusement. Tinted glasses… for comfort. That's nice."
Before I could respond, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
Simi shot me a quick look. "Come on," she said, grabbing her tray.
We left the cafeteria, weaving through the crowd of students heading back to class. Just as we reached the hallway, Simi suddenly tensed.
"Stay behind me," she said under her breath.
"What?"
Before I could question her, a group of girls stepped into our path.
Leading them was Ada.
She stood with her arms crossed, head tilted as she studied us with cold amusement. Her friends flanked her, their expressions just as smug.
"Well, well," Ada drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. "Look, who has a new friend." She laughed, flicking her gaze between me and Simi.
Simi didn't flinch. "Out of my way." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.
Ada's smirk widened.
"Or what else?" One of her friends stepped forward, cracking her knuckles before rubbing her palms together in slow, deliberate circles.
A chill prickled down my spine.
I wasn't sure what was happening, but I could feel it—the shift in the air, the silent warning in Simi's posture, the way Ada's friend moved like she was preparing for something more than just an argument.
Then,