Chapter One: New Skies, New Rules
The roar of the Okonkwo mansion echoed in her ears as Adora slammed the front door behind her.
"Adora!" her father bellowed from the marble hall. "How many times have I told you—act like a young lady!"
She ignored him, hoodie pulled over her head, sneakers squeaking on the polished floor. Her mother's voice cut in, sharp as a whip. "Grounded! You are grounded!"
Adora rolled her eyes. She had spent the morning racing her friends along the paths of Jabi Lake and climbing the hills near Millennium Park. Her friends' laughter still rang in her ears. And now, her parents were uprooting her.
"We're sending you abroad," Mr. Okonkwo declared. "You will finish school in China. Discipline, elegance… refinement. You need to learn how to behave like a proper young lady."
"China?" Adora scoffed. "You want me to become some quiet, fancy girl who bows and smiles all day?"
Her parents exchanged a look that said: We've tried everything. Adora's legendary defiance would not stop this.
Packing her bags felt like a betrayal to herself. Every hoodie, every pair of sneakers, every T-shirt was carefully chosen to hide the curves her parents criticized but that made her proud. Yet, she threw them in anyway, stuffing a few of her favorite books and a worn-out boxing glove on top.
At Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Adora stood by the departure gate, watching planes streak across the sky. The thought of leaving Abuja, her friends, the familiar streets, and Jabi Lake hills felt heavy, but excitement bubbled beneath her tomboy calm.
"Adora!" her best friend waved frantically from the crowd, holding a small bag of suya snacks she had insisted on giving her. "Don't forget us! Don't let China change you!"
"I won't," Adora promised with a grin, tossing her hoodie hood back to reveal her confident smile. "They're about to meet a Nigerian tornado."
The boarding call echoed. She slung her backpack over one shoulder, her curvy figure hidden under her tomboy disguise, but her presence impossible to ignore. As the airplane ascended above the clouds, Adora stared out the window at the shrinking city below, her mind racing with possibilities.
New school. New rules. New people. But one thing was certain: Adora Okonkwo would not be anyone's quiet, obedient girl.
And so, the journey began.