The school gate creaked behind Rudd as he stepped onto campus, just as the morning bell rang. His collar was slightly rumpled, and his shirt already bore the early signs of a humid morning, but he didn't care. He had made it in before the second bell. That was all that mattered.
The assembly ground was buzzing. Old friends reunited, juniors raced around with excitement, and teachers tried to restore order. But Rudd wasn't paying attention to any of that.
He had seen her.
Scarlet Otun
She was standing near the girls' line, adjusting her tie like she was bored of being excellent. Her black twists were pulled into a puff, and even in the sea of navy blue uniforms, she stood out. She always had. Not because she tried to, but because she didn't.
She looked back once, like she knew someone was watching. Their eyes met for less than a second. Just enough to make Rudd glance away.
He didn't know what he expected. Maybe a smile? A wave? A head nod?
She gave none of those.
"Good morning, students!" the principal's voice blasted through the faulty microphone. Everyone groaned.
Assembly went on as usual. Hymns were sung without spirit, rules were re-announced with too much, and the prefects lined the sides like soldiers. Rudd stood still, quiet, staring straight ahead but not really listening. He was thinking about the seating arrangement. He hoped, selfishly, that he wouldn't have to sit near Scarlet. He didn't think he could manage it.
The universe, unfortunately, had other plans.
SS2B. Seat Pair: Rudd Adesina and Scarlet Otun.
He read it twice. No mistake.
He almost laughed. Or cried. Maybe both. He glanced around and spotted Scarlet standing a few feet away, already reading the same sheet.
She noticed him.
"Well," she said, lifting an eyebrow, "this should be fun."
He wanted to reply. Something clever, something neutral. But all he managed was a breathy, "Yeah."
Their seat was by the window. Second row. Close enough to the teacher, but not close enough to attract the early chalk missiles. Scarlet took the edge closest to the wall. Rudd didn't complain.
She pulled out her notebooks with quiet precision. Everything was labelled neatly: Biology, Chemistry, English, Government. Even her pens looked like they had a seating arrangement.
He dropped his own bag. Less elegant. Noisy zipper. One of his pens had exploded.
"You're off to a great start," she said, smirking.
He shrugged. "Leaking pens. My signature."
They didn't talk again for ten minutes. Until Dayo arrived.
Dayo had been Rudd's friend since JS1. Loud. Unfiltered. Chaotic good.
He landed behind them with a dramatic sigh. "Look at this pairing! Rudd and Scarlet. Wonders shall never end."
Scarlet turned slowly. "If you talk too much this term, I'm reporting you directly to the principal."
Dayo blinked. "Wow. Direct violence. I like it."
Rudd laughed before he could stop himself.
Classes began. Teachers came in like they hadn't just enjoyed a two-week break. Notes flew. Assignments were given. Students groaned. The usual.
But in the midst of all that, Rudd noticed things.
How Scarlet always tapped her pen twice before writing. How she underlined her dates but not her headings. How she hummed softly when trying to remember formulas.
He didn't mean to pay attention. He just did.
During Physics, she passed him a ruler without him asking. Their fingers touched briefly. She didn't flinch. Neither did he. But his heart did something stupid.
At break time, she offered him a meat pie.
"I brought two," she said, like it explained everything.
He hesitated.
"It's not poisoned. I swear."
He took it.
He didn't know what was happening between them, but he knew what it felt like. Like the start of something. Something... almost.
And just as he began to wonder if maybe this term would be different, the door opened.
A senior student walked in.
Tall. Cold eyes. Perfectly ironed uniform. Head boy badge glinting.
Gabriel.
Everyone went silent.
He didn't look at the teacher. Didn't ask for permission. He walked straight to the front, looked around, then turned to the class.
"I hope you all had a restful break," he said, voice smooth but heavy with warning. "Because this term... you won't."
Then he left.
Rudd looked at Scarlet. Scarlet looked at the door.
"And here I thought the meat pie was the highlight," she whispered.
Rudd didn't laugh.
Something about Gabriel's smile had felt wrong. Like a warning.
The bell rang again.
The term had only just begun.