Chapter 1: Cold Water and Hot Shame

The new girl drag me enter girls’ toilet, pour cold water for my head. As I grab her hair, ready to fight back—

For one sharp moment, cold water shock my bone. My fingers cold but stubborn, I hold her braid tight, both of us dey shake like chicken wey rain beat. Everything just dey slow, the air for toilet thick with small-town bleach smell, tiles dey slippery, our breath dey bounce for wall.

Suddenly, WhatsApp status updates float for my eye like juju. Green and white bubbles just dey hang, words heavy like curse, font bold like ashewo handbill.

[This supporting babe dey suffer o. If she try fight back, the main oga go just rush in save the day, then him and new girl go start their love story.]

[No fair at all. This babe sharp well, she suppose dey go better university. Why author come make am drop out, dey hustle just to follow main oga? Abeg, see your admission letter dey wave you.]

I shock. My hand just weak, the fight for my body scatter. The hair wey I hold, I just release am, like say person use remote control my sense.

I let go of the new girl’s hair. I dey shame, but I no fit show am. My hand dey tremble, pride dey drag me, but shame strong pass.

True to form, before one minute reach, Seyi show for door, face strong.

As if script dey run, Seyi burst enter with him angry-boy waka. Him school shoes dey clap for dirty toilet floor. The air tense, like when PHCN off light for NEPA office.

"Morayo, I hear say you dey bully person for here."

Evening prep just finish. School dey buzz outside, but for this toilet, na only our breathing you go hear. The fluorescent bulb dey blink, add extra wahala. My uniform stick for my body, water mark everywhere.

Toilet empty. Seyi waka in, no talk, but freeze as him see wetin dey happen. E shock am small, but you go notice say him eyes dey find sense for all the drama. Him frown for forehead na the one wey show when teacher catch am sleep.

The new girl hold my collar. She dey tremble small, hand no dey steady. My collar nearly tear, my own hand still dey shake. Water dey drip for my face, I dey like person wey dem disgrace.

I look like Christmas goat after Harmattan rain. Wet hair stick for my forehead, water dey run reach my back, even my pant soak. If mirror dey here, na suffer-head I go see.

Any way you look am, na me dem dey bully. True talk. Anybody wey jam us for here go just carry pity look give me. Even my shadow dey pity me.

Him hand wey him raise to save me just hang for air, e no fit move again. That one na Seyi way. Like say he wan play hero, but the movie pause half-way, remote jam. The hand just dey there, stiff like bread wey forget for pot.

Our eyes jam; everywhere just quiet. For that one moment, e be like we dey hear each other mind. Na only the sound of my wet slippers dey enter ear.

Na when water enter my nose, I begin cough, the new girl quickly let go. The cold pepper my nostril, I bend, dey cough like person wey swallow fufu wrongly. The new girl rush release my collar, step back, fear grip her.

She shift, eyes red, hug herself. She just fold like small pikin, eyes dey shine, lip dey shake. The sharp girl wey get mouth before don mellow.

"S-sorry, I too rush open the tap—I no know say water go splash you. I just wan pull you comot."

Her voice soft, like pikin wey mama catch dey chop meat from pot. The apology weak, e bend like rubber, but at least e come out.

I narrow my eyes, roll my shoulder wey dey pain me. The pain be like small knife for bone, but I try bone face, make I no show weakness. Na pride dey hold me for leg.

I look Seyi. He no talk. Him eyes just dey run everywhere, like say answer dey hide for ceiling. That him stubbornness na wahala.

Truth be say, I no even know why he show for here. The matter confuse me, I no see reason. This kain Seyi no dey waka anyhow.

We don be neighbours since small. The kind nearness wey mean say I fit collect salt from their kitchen without ask, or borrow slippers if rain dey fall.

For school, everybody sabi say we dey close. This time, he suppose dey staff room dey do extra lesson, I for dey wait for am so we go waka go house together.

Our after-school waka na tradition. Rain or sun, na together we dey move.

"Class don finish?" I ask. My voice small, even me dey hear the hope inside.

Seyi turn him face one side. He no answer. He just remove him school jacket, throw give me.

That jacket—na him favourite, the one wey him aunty buy. As e land for my hand, the cloth cold, but e get that Seyi smell—like dust, soap, and small pepper. I wear am all the same.

"Wear this one."

Then he waka commot. No extra talk, no smile, just waka sharp. E pain me, but wetin I go do?

[Which class finish? Na lie! Na main oga rush come because dem say new girl dey get wahala. Supporting babe just dey deceive herself.]

[Supporting babe, you no see say main oga like new girl?]

The WhatsApp updates no gree rest. Dem dey play for my eye like Nollywood part two. E dey pepper me, but I try lock am out.

As I see am,

I just stand, my body cold, my mind colder. Jacket nor fit warm my heart.

My body just cold. E be like ice enter my chest, and my hand dey shake small. That kain cold wey dey inside blood.

The jacket wey I just wear soak finish sharp sharp. I cold sotay my lips white. Even my teeth dey knock together. Jacket no even try do work, water just dey soak everywhere.

Seyi. Like Zainab? The thought land like thunderbolt. Na new wahala be this? I never even reason that one before.

I dey try play all the old gist for my mind, dey find if I miss any sign.

As he dey go, Zainab bite her teeth, run go meet am. She waka fast, like person wey dey pursue meat for kitchen. Her designer shoe nearly slip for wet floor.

"Seyi, water touch me too, I dey cold."

Her voice soft, na the type wey dey make teacher pity you.

Him voice cold: "Zainab, with all your money, abeg, no near me."

Sharp reply. The look wey he give her fit make ground open. I feel small pity for her, but na she find trouble.

I lower my head, dey watch as water dey drip from my cloth. Water drip enter shoe, socks dey heavy like garri wey soak. My brain dey blank.

My mind blank, like thunder strike, everywhere just white inside me. Na only the echo of my name dey inside my ear.

Seyi. No be say he hate Zainab? I dey ask myself, the memory dey scratch like old wound.