I wasn't sure what had drawn me to her at first. Chinonso was different from the other new students. She didn't come into class with a loud personality or the usual nervousness that people often wore when they were the "new kid." She was just... quiet. And I couldn't help but wonder why.
She sat alone in class, kept to herself, and hardly spoke to anyone. The girls in the back were all gossiping, the boys cracking jokes, but Chinonso—she was somewhere else. Like she wasn't even a part of this world. And I couldn't figure out why.
It wasn't that I hadn't tried to talk to her. I did. I sat next to her in class for a reason. I had seen her around before—always by herself, looking like she wanted to disappear into the walls. She didn't act like most people I knew. She didn't care about who was popular or who was friends with whom. She didn't seem to care about anything at all.
But I didn't like that. I hated seeing people keep themselves locked away. I'd seen too many people struggle, pretending to be something they weren't, hiding parts of themselves they didn't want others to see. It was like a sickness. And Chinonso? She was like a locked door, a mystery I couldn't leave unanswered.
So I tried again.
"You're awfully quiet today," I said, leaning a little closer to her during class. I wasn't trying to invade her space, but I needed to know if she was okay. I didn't even know why it mattered to me. She wasn't my friend, and we hadn't talked much. But something about her—it was like she was asking for help without saying a word.
She didn't respond. She just kept scribbling notes on her paper like I wasn't even there. I sighed, trying not to get frustrated. This wasn't the first time she'd brushed me off, but I was starting to wonder if she was always going to shut me out.
After class, I was determined to give it another shot. I didn't know why I was so invested in getting her to talk to me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than the silence she kept wrapped around herself.
I waited by the door for her to leave, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed. The sun was blazing outside, making the courtyard feel even more chaotic than usual, but I was waiting for her.
When I saw her walking towards the courtyard, I couldn't help but call out. "Hey, you're not eating?"
She paused, barely looking at me, her eyes flickering to the side. "I'm fine."
I couldn't understand it. Was she really not hungry, or was she just trying to avoid me? I could feel the distance between us, and it was almost suffocating. I wanted to ask her more, to know what was going on behind those walls she kept building around herself, but I wasn't sure how to get through to her.
"You sure?" I asked, keeping my tone light. I didn't want to sound too insistent, but something told me she was holding back, and I couldn't just let her walk away like that. "You can join me and my friends. We're sitting under the tree."
Her response was quick and final. "I'm good."
I blinked, surprised by how firm her voice was. There was no room for negotiation in that answer. She wasn't just avoiding me—she was shutting me out completely.
I watched her turn away, and it stung. But I wasn't giving up that easily. There was something in her, some hidden part of her that needed someone to see her. And I wanted to be the one to do that.
So I called after her. "You don't have to do this alone, you know."
She didn't stop. She didn't even look back.
But she didn't answer either.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. Part of me knew I wasn't going to get through to her that easily. She had built walls around herself, and it wasn't going to take one conversation to break them down. But I wasn't going to stop trying. Not yet. There was something about her—something real—that I wasn't going to ignore.
"Alright," I muttered under my breath, even though she was too far to hear. "But I'm here if you change your mind."
I watched her walk away, the distance between us growing with every step. She was determined to keep herself locked away. And maybe I was being stupid, thinking I could somehow help her. But I couldn't shake the feeling that she needed someone—someone who wouldn't just give up.
After I watched Chinonso walk away, I turned back toward the school building, feeling the familiar weight of my thoughts. I wasn't going to give up on her. I had to believe she'd open up eventually, even if it felt like she wanted to shut me out completely.
That's when I heard the familiar voice.
"Bro, what's going on with you?"
I turned to see Emeka, my best friend, walking up to me with a raised eyebrow. Emeka had always been the kind of person who never missed a beat. If something was on your mind, he noticed, even if you didn't say a word.
"Nothing," I said, trying to brush it off. "Just thinking about stuff."
Emeka didn't buy it. He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "Thinking about Chinonso?"
I froze. I didn't think I'd said her name out loud, but somehow, Emeka always knew. He was sharp that way.
"She's different," I admitted, rubbing my hand through my hair. "I don't know. It's like there's something she's hiding. Every time I try to talk to her, she just shuts me down."
Emeka let out a sigh and leaned against the wall next to me. "You're not the first guy to try and crack that shell. You know, people like her... they don't just open up to anyone. And trust me, if she's as quiet and closed off as you say, she's probably been hurt before."
I glanced at Emeka, taking in his words. He wasn't wrong. I didn't know what she'd been through, but I could tell that Chinonso wasn't like the other girls at school. There was something about her that made me want to know more. I didn't even know why I cared so much.
"She doesn't trust anyone," I said quietly, more to myself than to Emeka.
Emeka nodded. "Yeah, it's not gonna be easy. But you're Tobi, man. You don't give up on stuff that easily."
I gave him a look. "It's not that simple. I don't know if I'm the right person to help her."
Emeka chuckled. "Since when do you care about being the 'right' person? You just do your thing, and the rest falls into place."
I shot him a half-smile. "You really think so?"
He shrugged. "I know so. Just don't be a dumbass and push her too hard. People don't like that. But if you really want to get to know her, you gotta show her that you're not just another guy trying to be her friend. You've got to prove you're worth trusting."
It sounded easier said than done. But I couldn't deny Emeka's advice. If I really wanted to help Chinonso, I had to do it slowly. I couldn't force her to open up. It had to be on her terms.
"Thanks, man," I said, giving him a nod. "I'll keep that in mind."
Emeka grinned, clapping me on the back. "No problem. And remember, if you need a wingman, I'm always here."