The exam period is finally over, and the holidays are just around the corner. I should be feeling relieved, but there's something else—an odd mixture of excitement and uncertainty. The school had announced a Skill Acquisition Program for the break, and everyone was buzzing about it. The idea of learning a new skill sounded intriguing, but what really caught my attention was the fact that we were going to get the chance to choose from a variety of options.
Tobi, Emeka, and Ada were all debating what they wanted to learn. I could hear them chatting animatedly in the hallway as we all gathered in the school courtyard. As for me, I already knew what I wanted. A tech skill. It had been a secret ambition of mine for a long time, something I had never really shared with anyone. I had no idea how to get started, but this felt like the perfect opportunity. There was no way I'd let anyone else change my mind, no matter how hard they tried to convince me to do something else.
But as we all talked, I couldn't help but notice something—most of the group were guys. It wasn't surprising, given that we were all from SS2A, but it felt a little intimidating. Ada was there, of course, but she was too caught up in her excitement about learning how to make clothes or bake to notice the subtle difference. Then, I spotted her.
Veronica.
She was in SS2B, and I'd seen her around the school before. She had this aura about her—effortlessly pretty, with a smile that seemed to light up every room she entered. I'd never really spoken to her, but today, she was standing next to me.
She caught my eye and smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Chinonso, right?" she asked. Her voice was warm, and it instantly made me feel at ease. "What skill are you thinking of learning?"
I glanced down at the ground for a second, unsure whether I should mention the tech thing. It felt almost silly, a girl like me wanting to dive into something so... different. But there was something about Veronica that made me feel like she wouldn't judge me.
"I was thinking of something in tech," I said, a little more confidently than I had expected.
Veronica's eyes lit up. "Me too! I'm actually leaning toward coding or graphic design. I've been wanting to learn something like that for a while."
A wave of relief washed over me. I wasn't alone.
From that moment, Veronica and I clicked in a way I hadn't expected. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about our shared interest in tech. It felt so easy, so natural. She made me feel like I wasn't the odd one out, like I wasn't the only girl in a sea of boys.
The next day, when we all met up for the Skill Acquisition Program briefing, I found myself gravitating toward her. It wasn't just the fact that we shared the same interest in tech—it was the way she made me feel like I belonged. Veronica was exactly the kind of best friend I had always wished for but never knew how to find. She didn't judge me for being quiet or reserved. She accepted me, just as I was.
We started hanging out together more during the tech classes. She was so knowledgeable about everything, and I loved how she made complicated things seem simple. I found myself learning faster than I expected, and even though we were only just starting out, I knew I was on the right path.
Soon, it wasn't just the classes we shared. After school, Veronica and I started walking home together. Sometimes, we'd grab snacks from the local shop, or just chat about anything and everything.
As the days went by, Veronica—Vee, as I liked to call her—became more than just a classmate. She became my closest friend, someone I could talk to without fear of being judged. And there was something special about our connection—something unspoken, but deeply understood.
We shared a secret, a bond neither of us had ever let anyone else in on. She didn't ask me questions I wasn't ready to answer, and I never pressed her for her own secrets. It was like we both understood that we were still figuring out who we were, and that was okay. But even without words, I could tell she had her own struggles, just like me.
I started inviting Vee over for sleepovers, something I'd never really done before. The nights were filled with deep, honest conversations about our ambitions, our dreams, the things that kept us awake at night. We didn't hold back, sharing everything from our hopes for the future to the small insecurities we tried to keep hidden. I liked how open we were with each other, how comfortable I felt just being myself.
The tech classes were a breeze, thanks to Vee. She made everything seem so simple. If I didn't understand something, she was there, patiently explaining it to me. The lessons were easy when she was around. I was learning so much, and the summer break felt like a time of growth, a time to finally catch up with myself.
I couldn't have asked for a better summer. I was ready for my final year in school, confident and excited, knowing I had a friend like Vee. We spent the summer break together—learning, laughing, and building a friendship that felt real and unshakable.
But things weren't always perfect. Ada, despite all her kindness, didn't seem to like Vee much. I could sense it in the way she looked at her, in the way her voice would shift whenever Vee was around.
"She's corrupt," Ada once said, her tone sharp as we talked in private. "She's always around boys. You don't need that kind of influence."
I knew that Ada didn't mean to sound harsh, but she always had strong opinions about certain things, especially when it came to people who didn't share her values. Ada was a pastor's daughter, and her world was centered around church, prayers, and all things righteous. It wasn't that I didn't understand where she was coming from—I did. She was protective, especially when it came to me. She just didn't understand that Vee was different from the other people Ada might have been worried about.
I didn't blame her, not really. I could see how she might think Vee was a bad influence, but I wasn't going to let that get in the way of the friendship I was building. Vee wasn't perfect, and neither was I, but we were both trying to figure out who we were. And that's all I needed her to be—someone who understood me without trying to change me.
So, I kept inviting Vee over, even if Ada wasn't thrilled about it. Sometimes, Ada would join us, though I could see the tension in the air. I didn't want to choose between them—I just wanted them both to get along. But it wasn't easy.
Things were going fine between Vee and I, until one day, Tobi came over to the house to see me. He had become such a regular part of my life that I didn't think twice about inviting him over. Over the past few months, Tobi and I had grown closer. I knew he liked me, not in the way friends liked each other, but in the way boys liked girls. And I could tell from the way he looked at me sometimes—the way his eyes lingered just a little too long.
But I didn't mind. I enjoyed having him around. There was always this flutter in my chest whenever he smiled at me or when we spent time together. I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to seeing him. But then there were other times, when I felt like maybe I should ask him to back off, give me some space. I'd remind myself, though, that he wasn't like the guys I'd known in the past. He was kind, gentle, and he genuinely cared about me. He wasn't someone who would hurt me. At least, I didn't think so.
So, when he came over one afternoon, I was excited, even though something about the situation felt... off. It wasn't just Tobi's presence; it was the fact that Vee, who had been my best friend for months now, was suddenly acting distant. I noticed it immediately when she walked into the living room. She wasn't the same bubbly person she usually was around me. There was a stiffness to her, and she seemed to avoid eye contact with both Tobi and me.
I tried to brush it off. Maybe it was just me overthinking things. But when I asked her what was wrong, she just smiled and said, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
It wasn't the first time I'd seen her act strange around Tobi. There was something in the way she looked at him, something in the air between them that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
That night, after Tobi had left, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Vee had always been open with me, so why was she acting so distant now? I couldn't ignore it, but at the same time, I didn't want to push her away. We'd been through too much for me to let one awkward moment ruin our friendship.
It wasn't until a few days later, when I was talking to Emeka, that I learned the truth.
"Tobi and Vee used to date," he casually said as we were talking about something else entirely.
My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't believe it. I hadn't suspected anything between them before, but the pieces were finally falling into place. The way Vee had pulled back when Tobi came over, the way they both seemed uncomfortable around each other—it all made sense now.
I was shocked. Tobi never mentioned it, and neither had Vee. I didn't know why they had broken up, but the silence spoke volumes. Was that why she stopped coming over? Was there some unspoken history between them that I didn't understand?
I tried to act normal around her the next time we saw each other, but the tension was impossible to ignore. It hung between us like a thick fog, something neither of us could address without making things awkward. We were still friends, but I could feel the shift. The air between us felt different, heavy with the unsaid.
I didn't know what to do with this new information. Did it change things? Was it okay for me to continue being friends with both of them? Part of me wanted to ask Vee what happened, but another part of me didn't want to pry into a part of her life that seemed so complicated. I still didn't fully understand why she'd stopped coming over, but I knew it was a matter I'd need to tread carefully around.
In the meantime, I tried to focus on my studies, on my growth, and on the friendships that still remained. But it wasn't easy. The cracks in my relationship with Vee were starting to show, and I wasn't sure how to fix them.