Anna had changed her dress three times before settling on the wine-colored dress that Lily insisted on buying.
It wasn't flashy. it was a flare knee length gown . But when she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't feel uncomfortable one thing she knew was that she looked different than her usual style That was new.
She smoothed the fabric down again anyway.
Her aunt sat on the edge of the bed, pretending not to stare.
"So," her aunt said casually, "who is bringing you back?"
Anna hesitated for half a second too long.
"Lily's people," she replied.
Her aunt gave a slow nod, the kind that meant she would remember that answer later.
A knock sounded outside — Anna guessed it was Lily and Linda's driver. she was nervous 'cause she was not used to big parties
Anna's stomach tightened.
She picked up her small purse and opened the door
Gabriel looked like he's been standing there for a while but didn't want to look like it. He wore a simple navy shirt, sleeves folded just enough to show his wristwatch. He looked different out here — less quiet than he did in class.
When he saw her, he straightened.
"You look…" He paused, then shrugged lightly. "Nice."
Not beautiful. Not stunning. Just nice.
For some reason, that made her relax.
Her aunt appeared behind her.
"And this is?" she asked.
Gabriel immediately stepped forward. "Good evening, ma."
Anna cleared her throat. "Aunt, this is Gabriel. My classmate.
Her aunt's eyes moved slowly from his face to the car, then back to him. "Oh okay
There was something in the way she said it.
"Gabriel replied calmly. "Lily asked me to help bring her."
Her aunt looked at Anna again — just measuring something.
"Be back before ten," she said finally.
"I will," Anna replied quickly.
The ride to Lily and Linda's house felt shorter than usual. The windows were slightly open, and the evening air carried the smell of fried food from nearby houses.
They drove in silence at first.
Then Gabriel spoke.
"are you nervous."
"i'm not."
"You are fidgeting
Anna turned to him sharply. "You noticed that?"
He gave a small smile. "You fidget when you're thinking too much."
She faced forward again, embarrassed. "You observe too much."
"Someone has to."
That stayed in the air between them.
When they arrived, the house was already loud with music. Colored lights were wrapped around the balcony rails. People were outside taking pictures. Someone was laughing too hard near the gate.
Anna stepped out slowly.
For a second, she felt that familiar shrinking feeling — like she had stepped into a place where everyone else understood something she didn't.
Then Lily spotted her.
"ANNA!"
Lily ran toward her and hugged her tightly, almost knocking her purse off her shoulder.
"You came!" she said, as if Anna had ever had the option not to.
Linda joined them, grinning. "You look good. I told you that dress would work."
Anna laughed softly. "You forced me to buy it."
"And we were right," Linda replied proudly.
Gabriel stood slightly behind them, hands in his pockets again. Watching. Not intruding.
The party felt warm. Real. Music from inside mixed with chatter outside. The smell of perfume and jollof rice floated around.
Anna was just beginning to settle into it when it happened.
The lights went off.
Not flickering first.
Just off.
The music cut mid-beat. Conversations dropped into confusion. Someone shouted, "Hey!"
Darkness swallowed the compound in one breath.
Anna froze.
It wasn't the darkness itself.
It was the silence that followed.
In that short, strange pause — before people started laughing it off — she felt it again. That same feeling from weeks ago in class. Like someone was looking at her specifically.
Not at the crowd.
At her.
Her eyes adjusted slightly. Shapes began to form — outlines of people, the gate, the trees at the far end of the compound.
And near the garden wall, she saw a figure.
Still.
Not moving with the rest of the crowd.
Just there.
Watching her
Her heart began to pound, slow but heavy.
Then the generator came on with a loud rumble.
Lights returned. Music restarted. People clapped jokingly.
The garden looked empty again.
"Anna?" Gabriel's voice was close to her ear now. "You okay?"
She hadn't realized he had moved closer.
"I thought I saw someone," she said quietly.
"There are plenty of people here," Lily laughed, brushing it off. "It's a party, not a horror film."
Anna forced a smile.
But she wasn't imagining what she felt.
Gabriel didn't laugh.
His eyes moved toward the garden, scanning the same spot she had been staring at.
His jaw tightened slightly.
That was when something else unsettled her.
He didn't look confused.
He looked… alert.
Like he had been expecting something.
"Did you see it too?" she asked under her breath.
He looked at her for a second before answering.
"See what?"
But he didn't hold her gaze long enough.
And that told her more than his words did.
The music grew louder. Someone dragged Lily away to cut the cake. Linda was calling Anna to join pictures.
Everything went back to normal.
Except it wasn't.
Because now Anna knew two things.
Someone had been watching her.
And Gabriel knew more than he was saying.