Dear Diary,
I think I have officially made a friend.
Not the kind where you say, "Hi, what's your name?" and two days later you barely remember each other.
I mean a real friend.
Amara.
And somehow, in just a few days, we had gone from accidentally bumping into each other at the school tap to practically doing everything together.
That morning, she dragged me into the school group.
"Send me your number," she said.
"Why?"
"So I can add you to the class group."
I stared at her.
"I don't even like groups."
She laughed. "Nobody asked you to like it. Just enter."
I reluctantly gave her my number.
A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.
Amara added you to Greenfield High School Students.
I looked at her.
"You people have too much information."
She burst out laughing.
"Welcome to the madness."
I smiled.
Maybe school wasn't so bad after all.
Later that day, I remembered something.
Chioma.
She had asked me to help her talk to Daniel.
And unfortunately for me, I had promised.
I found Daniel during break and walked over to him.
"Daniel."
He looked at me. "What's up?"
I hesitated.
"This is about Chioma."
His face immediately changed.
"No."
I hadn't even finished talking.
I blinked. "You didn't even let me speak."
"I already know what you're about to say."
"Then say it."
"You want me to give Chioma a chance."
I smiled slightly.
"See? You know me so well."
He rolled his eyes.
"Precious, I already told her I don't like her like that."
"I know."
"So why are we still talking about it?"
"Because she's actually nice."
"So?"
"So… maybe just talk to her."
He stared at me.
"You're doing matchmaking now?"
I shrugged.
"Maybe."
"I'm not interested."I sighed dramatically.
"Daniel, please."
"No."
"Just give her a chance."
"No."
"Five minutes."
"No."
"Three?"
He laughed.
"You're not giving up, are you?"
"Absolutely not."
He shook his head and walked away.
I stood there watching him.
Mission impossible.
At least that's what I thought.
A few days passed.
And something strange happened.
Daniel started noticing Chioma.
At first, it was little things.
He started sitting closer to her during group work.
Then he started asking her questions.
Then one afternoon, I saw them arguing over something completely ridiculous.
"You took my pen!"
"I didn't!"
"You're holding it!"
Chioma looked down at the pen in her hand.
"Oh."
Daniel laughed.
I almost screamed.
Progress!
During break amara came to my class
She looked at them.
Then looked at me.
"Don't tell me…"
I nodded proudly.
"Your girl is making progress."
Amara burst out laughing.
"You have become a professional matchmaker!"
I placed my hand on my chest.
"Please respect my talent."
She laughed so hard that people started looking at us.
And honestly?
I didn't care.
Amara and I became inseparable after that.
We studied together, Walked to class together, Went to the tap together.
Sometimes, we didn't even talk.
We would just sit beside each other doing our own things.
It felt easy.
Like I didn't have to pretend around her.
But while I was busy playing matchmaker, I notice something.
Chioma had become quieter.
Very quiet.
She still smiled.
She still answered questions.
She still talked to people.
But there was something different about her.
One afternoon, Amara nudged me.
"What's wrong with Chioma?"
I looked up.
"Nothing."
"You're sure?"
"I think so."
Amara narrowed her eyes.
"You're lying."
"I'm not."
"You're a terrible liar."
I sighed.
"Okay."
I think it's because of Daniel
But they're making progress i added worried
Amara listened without interrupting.
When I finished, she stared at me for a few seconds.
Then she burst out laughing.
"What?"
"You!"
"What did I do?"
"You really became a matchmaker."
I covered my face.
"Please don't remind me."
She laughed even harder.
"I can't believe this."
"It's not funny."
"It is very funny."
I tried not to smile.
But I failed.
And just like that, we started laughing together.
I don't even remember what was so funny anymore.
Maybe that's what friendship is.
Sometimes you don't need a reason.
You just laugh.
The next morning, I walked into English class with Ezra.
As usual, I sat beside him.
He dropped his books on the desk and looked at me.
"You're smiling."
"No, I'm not."
"You are."
"Maybe I have a reason."
"Should I be worried?"
I laughed.
"You worry too much."
Before he could answer, our literature teacher walked in.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, ma."
She placed her book on the table.
"Today, we're going to talk about poetry."
A few people groaned.
Someone at the back whispered,
"Not poetry again."
The teacher heard him.
"Yes, poetry again."
The class laughed.
She opened her book and read a short poem about someone watching the rain while remembering a person they had lost.
When she finished, she closed the book.
"What do you think the poet is really trying to communicate?"
A few hands went up.
One student said, "The poem is about rain."
Another said, "It's about missing someone."
The teacher nodded.
Then she looked around.
"Anyone else?"
For some reason, my hand went up.
"Yes, Precious?"
I stood.
"I don't think the rain is really the main thing."
The teacher smiled.
"Go on."
"I think the rain represents the memories the person has. The person isn't really talking about the weather. The rain is just bringing back memories of someone who isn't there anymore."
The class became quiet.
I continued.
"Maybe the person isn't sad because of the rain itself. Maybe the rain gives them a reason to feel something they've been trying not to feel."
The teacher stared at me for a moment
Then she smiled.
"Excellent."
I sat down.
Ezra leaned slightly toward me.
"Wow."
I whispered, "What?"
"Look at you."
I tried not to smile.
"Focus."
"I'm focusing."
"You're not."
"I am. I'm just impressed."
I rolled my eyes.
The teacher continued with the lesson.
But when the class was almost over, she called my name.
"Precious kaffy."
"Yes, ma?"
"I've noticed your participation today."
I became nervous.
"You have a very good understanding of literature and expression."
I smiled.
"Thank you, ma."
Then she said something I wasn't expecting.
"I want you to be the captain of the literature class."
I blinked.
"Me?"
"Yes."
The class immediately reacted.
"Ahhh!"
I covered my face.
Even Ezra laughed beside me.
When I sat down, he whispered,
"Captain Precious."
I looked at him.
"Don't start."
He smiled.
"Sorry, Captain."
I rolled my eyes.
But I was smiling.
For once, I didn't feel like the girl who couldn't answer anything.
Yesterday, I had stood helplessly in front of the Mathematics board.
Today, I was being praised for something I was actually good at.
Maybe I wasn't stupid.
After school, I met Amara near the gate.
She looked at me.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
"Because something happened."
"What?"
I folded my arms proudly.
"Your friend has been promoted."
She frowned.
"To what?"
"Captain of the English class."
Her eyes widened.
"Captain?"
I nodded.
She immediately started clapping.
"Our English Captain!"
I laughed.
"Stop!"
She saluted me.
"Yes, ma."
"Amara!"
She started laughing.
Then Ezra walked over.
He looked at both of us.
"What's going on?"
Amara pointed at me.
"Your girlfriend is now Captain English."
Ezra looked at her.
"How did you know?"
She shrugged.
"She told me."
He looked at me.
"You told her?"
"Of course."
He shook his head.
"So you went from struggling with Mathematics to becoming English captain?"
I frowned.
"Why does everybody keep bringing up Mathematics?"
He laughed.
"I'm just saying."
"You're annoying."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I'll take it anyway."
Amara laughed.
Then Ezra looked at her.
"So what's your position?"
Amara thought for a second.
"Vice captain."
I stared at her.
"Since when?"
"Since you got promoted."
Ezra laughed.
"You two are promoting yourselves now?"
"Exactly," Amara said.
I nodded.
"That's how friendship works."
Ezra shook his head.
"Interesting."
Then he collected my English book.
"Give me this."
"Why?"
"I'm carrying the captain's book."
"I can carry my own book."
"No."
"Ezra."
"Captain."
"Give it to me
"Say please."
I stared at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"Very much."
I tried to take the book.
He moved it away.
"Ezra!"
Amara was already laughing.
"Just give her the book!"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the captain's assistant."
I burst out laughing.
"Who appointed you?"
He shrugged.
"Me."
"Then fire yourself."
Amara nearly screamed.
"I'm done with both of you!"
We all laughed.
For a moment, everything felt perfect.
The laughter.
The teasing.
Amara.
Ezra.
School.
Maybe I was finally starting to feel like I belonged.
Ezra was still saying something when I reached for the next page of my diary.
I turned the page.
Then I stopped.
My smile disappeared.
There was no next page.
I frowned.
I turned it again.
Nothing.
I flipped backward.
Then forward.
Nothing.
My heart began beating faster.
Where was it?
I ran my fingers over the edge of the paper.
The memory had stopped there.
Right in the middle of the laughter.
Right before I could remember what happened next.
And suddenly…
Everything disappeared.
The classroom.
Amara.
Ezra.
The laughter.
I was back in my room.
Present day.
Still holding my diary.
Still staring at the missing page.
I swallowed.
There was something after that moment.
Something I had written.
Something I had once remembered.
But the page was gone.
I slowly closed the diary.
Maybe it was just a missing page.
Or maybe…
It was a memory I had deliberately tried to erase.