Outside the lecture hall, the sun was doing what it did best, reminding everyone that shade was a luxury. Students poured out like water from a broken thermos, talking loudly, stretching, checking their phones like they'd just come from prison.
Kelvin walked beside Lilly, keeping a small but respectful distance. He didn't want to seem too forward,this was only their second real conversation, after all.
"So," he said, clearing his throat, "are the lectures always that... long?"
Lilly looked at him sideways, smiling faintly. "That was short. You should see the Monday ones. By the time the lecturer is done, you forget your own name."
Kelvin chuckled, awkward. "I was almost snoring."
"You were more than just snoring," Lilly teased gently. "Violaaaaaa..!."
He grinned, embarrassed.
They joined the river of students flowing towards the cafeteria, each person determined to reach the chapati stand before the good ones disappeared.
Then, it happened.
A curvy girl in tight jeans came bouncing through the crowd, her hips swinging like a careless wrecking ball. She brushed past Kelvin, her backside hitting his backpack with the grace of a football tackle.
Whap!
His bag hit the ground. The zip, already wounded from years of academic struggle, burst open like a secret finally told.
Books flew out.
One slid under someone's shoe. Another tumbled into a puddle of spilled soda. But one,the rap book,skated across the pavement like it was escaping.
Kelvin's heart dropped.
"No, no, no!" he gasped, diving like a goalkeeper.
He stretched out, ignoring the dust, ignoring the staring students. A pair of dirty sneakers was inches from crushing it.
He grabbed it just in time, pulling it to his chest like a baby goat.
"Woi, nimekuokoa," ["Phew, I've saved you,"] he whispered, hugging it. "My bars... my babies."
He closed his eyes for a second, breathing hard. The book had survived. It was dusty, scratched,but alive.
Behind him, Lilly crouched down, already collecting the other books.
"You okay?" she asked gently, handing him his Engineering Mathematics.
Kelvin nodded, brushing dirt from his elbow. "That book almost died."
"You acted like it was a holy book," Lilly said, her voice teasing but soft.
He gave a crooked smile. "Maybe it is. It has my... private writing."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow, curious now. "Like poems?"
"Sort of," Kelvin muttered. "But I don't share it. It's just... me things."
Lilly looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "That's cool."
She slipped the rest of the books into the bag, struggling with the broken zip.
"This zip hates me," she muttered.
Kelvin tried to take it from her. "It's been broken since Form Four. I keep saying I'll fix it."
"It opens faster than rumors on campus," Lilly joked quietly, then looked at him. "Sorry. Too soon for such jokes?"
Kelvin smiled, surprised. "No, it's okay. I like that."
They stood up together. The crowd had moved on. Only a few curious glances remained.
Lilly dusted off her hands. "Well, your book survived. That's what matters."
Kelvin nodded slowly, still holding the rap book tight.
She didn't ask more questions.
He liked that.
They walked in silence for a few steps, then Lilly spoke again.
"By the way," she said, looking ahead, "next time someone bumps you like that, scream. Loud. Like 'Wachana na mimi!'"
["Leave me alone!"]
Kelvin laughed, the tension finally breaking. "Then they'll think we're fighting."
"They'll think you're famous."lilly said.
They reached the cafeteria queue. The smell of frying oil and stew wrapped around them like a greasy blanket.
Kelvin glanced at Lilly. She wasn't looking at him just calmly standing there, arms folded, eyes on the menu board.
He looked down at his rap book once more.
Maybe he'd never be brave enough to show anyone what was inside.
But maybe,just maybe,he didn't need to hide everything forever.
Not from her.
Not always.
The cafeteria was buzzing with noise. Plates clattered, students shouted over each other, and the smoky aroma of cooking oil and cheap beef stew filled the air like a dense memory.
Kelvin and Lilly joined the queue. It was long, moving slowly,like Nairobi traffic on a rainy Monday.
Kelvin, still a bit shaken from his rap-book incident, smiled nervously as Lilly scanned the menu plastered above the counter.
"Two chapos and dengu," she said. "That's the safest combo. The beef stew here is 80% water, 20% regret."
Kelvin chuckled. "Noted."
When they reached the front, the cafeteria chef didn't even look up. His eyes were bloodshot, his mood already in 2099.
"Next!" he barked.
Kelvin stepped forward. "Umm… I'll take chapo-madondo. And… juice."
The chef slammed a dented plate down, scooped the madondo with no mercy, and splashed it on like he was painting a wall.
"80 bob," the chef grunted.
Kelvin blinked. "Uhh…"
He patted his pockets.
Left side,nothing.
Right side,only a torn matatu ticket from last week.
Back pocket,dust and dreams.
"Ahm… I thought…" he stammered. "I thought maybe it's paid later or—"
The chef looked up sharply, voice rising like thunder.
"Unafikiri hii ni highschool, kijana?"
["You think this is high school, boy?"]
Students around burst into laughter.
"Someone tell him this is campus, not highschool" a guy near the fridge shouted.
"Amezoea mama ake kumpakia lunchbox!"
["He's used to his mother packing him lunch!"]
Lilly tensed beside him. Her jaw clenched.
She turned sharply to the crowd, her voice slicing through the noise. "You," she pointed at the fridge guy.
"You've worn those same Air Force shoes since orientation, and they're talking back now. Chill."
The guy shut up, looking at his dusty sneakers.
Then she pointed at a girl laughing in the corner. "And you. Your wig is so off-centre it has its own postal code. Respect yourself."
The cafeteria exploded in laughter again,but this time with her.
She turned back to Kelvin and said calmly, "Ignore them."
Kelvin tried to smile. "Thanks… but I could've handled it. I don't mind a few jokes."
Lilly's eyes softened, but her tone stayed firm. "Kelvin, listen. There's a difference between taking jokes and letting people shrink you. You're new. You're still learning. But don't let anyone decide your worth here. You don't earn respect by being quiet,you earn it by walking with your chin up, even when your pockets are empty."
Kelvin stood a little straighter.
"Now…" the chef grunted again, "so are you paying or—?"
Lilly rolled her eyes. "Add mine too. I got him."
She handed over the cash like it was nothing, collected both trays, and walked away.
Kelvin followed sheepishly, mumbling, "You didn't have to…"
Lilly smirked. "Too late. I already did."
They made their way to a quiet corner of the cafeteria where two students were seated at a small table.
"Meet my people," Lilly said, placing the tray down.
The first was a tiny girl in a flowery blouse, brown midi skirt, and flat shoes. Her hair was neatly tied back, and she had a giant Bible next to her plate of cabbage and ugali.
"This is Nyanchoka. One of our Christian Union prayer warriors. Don't let the size fool you,she can rebuke a demon and a man at the same time."
Nyanchoka stood up, hands clasped politely. "Praise the Lord, brother Kelvin! Karibu sana."
["Welcome, brother Kelvin!"]
Kelvin smiled awkwardly. "Asanti… I mean,Amina?"
She giggled softly. "Amen will do."
Lilly gestured to the skinny guy next to Nyanchoka, who was sipping soup with all the focus of someone decoding national secrets.
"And this here is Farhan. He's from Mandera, born with three things;speed, sarcasm, and serious soup addiction."
Farhan looked up, gave Kelvin a calm nod and said in a low, deliberate tone, "Salaam, bro. I don't talk much, but I observe. Speak sense,I will listen. Talk nonsense,I will sip soup."
Kelvin blinked, then chuckled.
Farhan continued with a half-smile, "And yes, I support Arsenal. I believe in suffering."
Lilly laughed. "He only opens up when you talk about football. Don't ask him about it unless you have time."
Farhan raised his spoon like a preacher holding scripture. "Also… I don't trust university beans."
He turned slowly and stared at Kelvin's plate like it had betrayed the nation.
"These beans," he said, poking at them with the tip of his spoon like a suspicious detective, "they are not innocent. They are boiled lies."
Kelvin laughed. "They can't be that bad."
Farhan cut him off, still staring at the beans. "First of all, how are they hard and watery at the same time? Huh? Pick a struggle."
Nyanchoka giggled, trying to cover her mouth. "Farhan, let the guy eat."
Farhan wasn't done. He leaned closer, whispering like it was classified information. "Bro… I ate those beans once. Just once. I ended up singing praise songs in the toilet for two hours. Two. Full. Hours. My stomach started negotiating for peace."
Kelvin looked at his plate, now half-laughing, half-concerned. "But I'm really hungry."
Farhan gave him a slow nod, solemn as a monk. "Then eat, my brother. But when the stomach alarm goes off at midnight, don't say Farhan didn't warn you."
He sipped his soup and leaned back like a man who had done his duty.
Lilly burst into laughter. "You'd think he survived a war. It's just beans!"
Farhan shrugged. "Beans are not just food. They are campus initiations."
Kelvin nodded, unsure if he should respond or just… nod back.
They all sat, the plastic chairs creaking under shifting weight.
Kelvin took a bite of his chapo. It was cold. The madondo(beans) had no salt. But somehow… it tasted okay.
He looked around the table,at Lilly, sharp and fearless..at Nyanchoka, sweet and old-school… at Farhan, mysterious and calm.
Something settled in his chest.
He wasn't just lost in campus anymore.
He was starting to find his people.
But suddenly, something grabbed Kelvin's attention.
The cafeteria door opened as if pulled by a wind of money. In walked four students;two girls, two boys,walking in pairs like swans crossing a clean river. The room fell silent. Even spoons paused mid-air.
Their clothes spoke louder than their footsteps. The boys wore slim-cut trousers, shoes that clicked like hooves on dry soil, and shirts that did not know dust. One had dreadlocks tied behind his head like a small crown. His gold chain danced as he walked. The other wore a leather coat that looked like it cost someone's rent. His sunglasses stayed on, though the roof was iron sheets.
The girls beside them were like Nairobi fashion shows. One wore a silky maroon dress that flowed like tea from a new thermos. Her makeup was neat, her perfume travelled before her.
The other girl had long braids, a soft beige coat, and heels that tapped the floor like they had a meeting with destiny.
Kelvin blinked. "Who… who are they?"
Lilly leaned closer, her voice low, her eyes sharp. "That's the Royal Circle."
Kelvin raised his brow. "Royal?"
Lilly nodded at the first couple. "The guy with dreads? That's Barry, Business School. Calls himself CEO in progress. Drives a borrowed BMW. And the girl next to him is Melissa. TikTok queen. Talks like she invented English, but types like she failed it."
Farhan snorted. "Even her WhatsApp status has typos and attitude."
Nyanchoka shook her head. "Pride comes before a fall, Proverbs 16:18," she muttered, sipping juice through a straw.
Lilly pointed to the second couple. "That's Josh, Film and Theatre. The coat and glasses come as a package. Thinks he's deep. Once said life is a script and we are all background noise."
Kelvin tried not to laugh.
"And the girl with him," Lilly added, her voice softer now, "that's Viola Wanjiru."
She had noticed the slight shift in Kelvin,the way his back straightened, how his spoon paused, and how his eyes tried not to follow but failed.He knew who she was about to mention before she even said it.
Kelvin's lips parted, but no words came out. His heartbeat picked up like footsteps in a dark alley. There was something about that name—Viola—that made his chest tighten. It wasn't fear, not exactly. It was more like standing too close to fire and pretending not to feel the heat.
Lilly went on, watching Kelvin's face. "Third-year. Student union leader. Moves like a whisper, speaks like a verdict. Her dad is rich, but she walks like she owns everything,not because of money… but because she knows who she is."
Farhan leaned in. "She's the only woman I fear more than campus beans."
Nyanchoka gave him a stern look. "Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. Proverbs 6:25."
Farhan raised both hands. "Relax, sister. I'm just a humble soup drinker."
Viola and Josh passed by their table. Kelvin looked away, but his eyes followed her shadow. Her perfume reached him like a memory from a better life.
Lilly saw his silence and smiled knowingly. "Careful," she whispered, "even shadows of some people burn."
Farhan glanced at Kelvin, eyebrows raised. "Bro, why are you holding your spoon like it's a microphone? Are you planning to confess your sins or propose to beans?"
Kelvin snapped out of his trance, chuckling awkwardly. "What? I'm just eating…"
"Eating? You're sweating more than a thief in a chief's meeting," Farhan teased, grinning.
Before Kelvin could clap back, something else stole the moment.
The cafeteria door swung open again, and in walked a tall, easy-going guy with a familiar bounce in his step. It was Dennis,dressed sharp in a white tee under a denim jacket, moving like the whole campus knew him and half of it owed him favours. He made a beeline for the table where Viola and the couples sat.
Lilly narrowed her eyes and leaned in, about to whisper to Kelvin, "That guy—he's—"
But she didn't get to finish.
"DENNIS!!" Kelvin called out to the couples' table, arms wide, voice loud like he was addressing a rally.
Heads turned. The couples paused their conversations.
Kelvin froze. His grip on the spoon tightened. His heart sank like a stone in a bucket.
Dennis, now at Viola's table, looked over his shoulder and spotted Kelvin.
He blinked.
Paused.
Tilted his head.
Then… shrugged. As if Kelvin was just some guy, a forgotten face in a crowded school.
"Dennis!" he called again, forcing a smile.
But this time, Dennis didn't respond. One of the guys at the table leaned toward Dennis, whispering. Viola didn't even look up, pretending to scroll on her phone. Only her stiff posture gave away the discomfort.
Lilly gave Kelvin a long, deliberate look. Then leaned closer and whispered, "I'm starting to think you collect awkward moments like trophies."
Kelvin exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck.
One by one, his squad stood up.
Lilly stood first, brushing imaginary dust off her jeans. "Let's bounce."
Nyanchoka followed with a small sigh. "We mustn't dwell where we are not celebrated."
Then Farhan stood up, patted Kelvin's shoulder, and said quietly, "Bro, there's nothing to explain. Sometimes, our worlds just don't match. Let's not force parallel lines to meet."
Kelvin hesitated, eyes still on Dennis and Viola.
He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again.
He knew.
He stood up and followed them out, his tray of untouched beans left behind like a sad joke.
The cafeteria door shut behind them with a soft thud.