The auditorium buzzed with life. Everywhere was filled with freshers, young faces trying to figure out this new chapter called university life. Some were dragging plastic chairs noisily across the tiled floor, others were laughing out loud, already cracking jokes and making friends like they had known each other forever.
The smell of newly printed timetables, the rustle of registration forms, and the chaotic joy of independence filled the air. The girls had returned to school this afternoon for their freshers' orientation.
Lizzy took a long look around and smirked.
"Campus life indeed," she muttered with a hint of sarcasm.
Before Star could respond, she suddenly cried out,
"Ouch! Oh my God!" She bent down, holding her left foot in pain.
A guy had stepped heavily on her toes and walked away like nothing happened.
"Dude, are you serious right now? Can't you say 'sorry'?" Lizzy snapped, rushing toward the guy, her golden colour braids swinging behind her.
The tall, fair-skinned guy turned and scoffed.
"Bitch, that wasn't intentional."
"Excuse me? Jezz! How rude!" Lizzy raised her hand to slap him, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Lizzy! What are you doing?!" Star called out, alarmed.
Lizzy froze, her hand suspended mid-air as Star's voice jolted her back to reality.
This wasn't home. This wasn't her mother's kitchen where she bullied the help for minor mistakes. This was campus. A new environment where every move mattered. She slowly lowered her hand, her eyes still locked on the guy.
Star tried to walk toward them but winced in pain. She bent again, rubbing her aching foot. The guy, who had noticed her discomfort, suddenly approached. Surprisingly, he knelt beside her.
"Let me do that for you," he said softly.
"No, I'm okay," Star replied, trying to wave him off politely.
But he gently took her hand off her ankle and massaged her foot. His touch was surprisingly warm and intentional, not aggressive, but not exactly casual either.
When he finally stood, his eyes met hers, and for a moment, time slowed.
Star's heartbeat skipped. She had seen this face somewhere before, but she couldn't place it. The guy stared back at her, his brows furrowed in the same confusion. Something about her felt familiar.
Lizzy, watching them closely, folded her arms and asked suspiciously,
"Sorry, do you two know each other?"
Star hesitated. "No... I don't think so. Let's go." She held Lizzy's hand and tried to walk away.
But the guy caught her by the left wrist, gently.
"The bar attendant…" he said, his voice trailing off, as if pieces of a puzzle were falling into place.
"Meaning what exactly?" Lizzy asked sharply, jerking Star's hand away from his grip.
She turned fully to him.
"Look here, you're insane. You're rude, and I hate your guts. Don't you dare insult my friend again. And if you ever try this rubbish again, trust me, my name is Lizzy, and I will mess up your life. Brainless jerk."
Star quickly noticed the attention they were beginning to attract. Students nearby had paused to watch the drama. This was not how she wanted to start her university life. Without another word, she took Lizzy's hand and led her away, limping slightly.
The guy turned around and joined his group of friends, who were already laughing and whistling from their corner.
"Imagine that riffraff calling you a bar attendant. That tore it! We need to teach him a lesson," Lizzy fumed as they walked off.
Star stopped walking and faced her.
"Lizzy… he's right. I am actually a bar attendant."
"Jesus!" Lizzy gasped.
"You're screaming like it's a curse," Star said, surprised at her reaction.
"You work at a bar? Your parents don't take care of you? Like, how?", Lizzy said, but then she remembered her friends' story.
Oh, sorry, I've never worked a day in my life."
"Exactly. That's why you won't understand. Please, Lizzy… let's not talk about it," Star said and walked ahead.
Lizzy hesitated for a moment before hurrying after her.
At the back of the auditorium, Miguel's friends were gathered, laughing and tossing jokes like they had nothing else to do.
"Guy, for this campus ehn, girls too full," Kelvin said, eyeing a group of girls passing.
"Na so," Daniel replied, switching to pidgin.
"See as them dey waka with this nyash dey bounce up and down."
"I just need like three of them for tonight," Kelvin added.
"Oh boy! You wan run threesome?" Daniel cackled, slapping his thighs.
"Guy, your eyes red oo," another laughed.
"Abeg, who no like better thing?" Kelvin defended himself, unashamed.
"But no be only you oo, even Zlatan and Naira Marley sef no reach your level," Daniel said, and the others burst into another round of laughter.
Miguel, however, was quiet. He was staring ahead, barely listening.
"Guy, wetin dey worry you? Abi you no dey see all these girls?" Daniel asked, pointing toward a group of ladies.
Miguel nodded slowly. "I see them. But I'm not interested. I love that girl."
"Which girl?" they all asked at once.
"Star."
"Star? Who be Star again?" Daniel asked
"The girl from the auditorium, the one I accidentally stepped on," Miguel said, his voice softer now.
"Ahhh. That girl?" Kelvin raised a brow.
"She fine sha, but guy, love ke? On your first day?"
"I can't stop thinking about her," Miguel confessed.
"Guy, this one pass crushes oo. You don dey fall yakata," Daniel teased.
"Una dey here dey talk love. Me I dey talk one-night stand," Kelvin shrugged.
"Girls full for campus abeg. There are so many fishes in water for man to go for a committed relationship. It can never be me"
Miguel stood up. "If it's not her, forget it. I'm heading back to the lodge."
"Wait for us now," Daniel called after him.
"Na heartbreak go jam this one soon," the quietest of the group, Jude, finally said.
"Na today," Kelvin added with a laugh. "Make he just prepare him tissue paper."
They all laughed as they trailed behind Miguel.